Sandi Shilhanek | E-Reader?
I think that sometime in the last week or so Oprah Winfrey was peeking at my list of topics I had written for this blog. One of my ideas was about e-readers. Now she’s made Amazon’s Kindle one of her favorite new things. Am I surprised? A little but only because it means she has now limited herself to purchasing books from Amazon, so I would have thought she’d like the Sony e-reader instead.
I have a Kindle and have had it for about seven months now. Yes, the downside is if I want an electronic book I have to order it from Amazon, but that doesn’t bother me. It also doesn’t have the backlight feature that many people like, but I’m typically in bed and asleep well before my husband, so the lack of a backlight doesn’t bother me.
I had seriously considered the Sony e-reader and well as another e-reader that many of my friends prefer, the E-Bookwise. However, the Sony wasn’t compatible with my MAC, so that eliminated that. Then I decided to get smart and compare the book prices between the E-Bookwise and the Kindle.That comparison helped to cinch my decision. I would be able to save more with the Kindle and be able to buy books from anywhere without the need of a computer. For a book fanatic what could be better?
How about you? Are you thinking of getting an E-Reader? Have you done a lot of research? Have you discovered some up and coming reader that I’m unaware of, and anxiously awaiting its release? Do you think that e-readers will replace paper books? If you have a reader or intend to ask for one for the upcoming holidays will you convert your paper books to ebooks?
As for me, I won’t be entirely an ebook reader as I do have many “real” books still remaining unread on my shelves. However, as I add to that collection I’m going “green” whenever possible and getting a Kindle book instead of the paper version.
Labels: E-Reader, Kindle, Sandi Shilhanek
posted by Fresh Fiction @ 1:00 AM
19 Comments:
I don't know if I'm ready for an e-reader(I think I need to work up to one LOL) Right now I read ebooks on the pc. I think first I'd go for a laptop. Unless Santa sees what a good girl I've been and is super nice to me for Christmas LOL. For me ebooks will never take the place of print books.
The site I go to for ebooks fictionwise.com, says Kindle compatible, does that mean they can be used on Kindle?
I would love a Kindle. Shall we begin collection now? LOL
Dakota :)
Besides the cost and the being dedicated to Amazon, my biggest problem with the Kindle is that it is not compatible with downloadable books available through my library. I'd rather get my books there when possible.
Christa, I know Santa Claus so I'll put in a word about how super duper good you've been, but I won't make any promises.
Dakota, shall I whisper in R's ear?
Beth, I wonder if you could read the books on the Sony reader. I don't do the ebooks from the library, but I do the audio ones and I love those!
Hi Sandi:
I researched e-readers for a long time and finally decided on the e-bookwise. Why?
I live in Canada and the Kindle is not available here. It is something to do with the frequency (some techy issue I don't understand) anyway, that limited my choices.
I had my heart set on a Astak "Mentor", which was supposed to be available in September, however it was never released. Astak has now announced they are releasing their e-reader under a different name which resulted in red flags i.e. problems with their product. So I aborted that mission.
The Sony was the next one I investigated but it is frightfully expensive here and we have had some significant problems with some of their products in recent years as well as service problems, so I nixed that idea.
In the end I decided on the e-bookwise and am very, very happy with it. It suits my purposes, was less expensive than the Sony and I love the backlight for reading at night.
As long as there are paper books available I will purchase them. I love the feel of my books and I don't know, maybe it's the smell? lol However, I like having the option of downloading novellas and shorter reads, and love the e-bookwise. And, as a tree hugger, it is nice to do a little for the environment as well!
Great topic.
Best Regards
If I was going to get an E-reader I suppose I would get the Kindle. I believe that there are ways to change the formats of other than Amazon e-books so that you can read them on the Kindle. But I still prefer to hold a book so it may be a while before I get an e-reader.
Thanks for posting about this.
I am still doing my research and thinking. So far I'm leaning more towards a Dell Mini to read ebooks. That way I can use it for more than just ebooks. I have a big thing right now with things being about to do more than one thing or service more than one purpose.LOL
Thanks for the information.
hugs,
WendyK
I still prefer the old fashion way of reading but one day I will "get with it"
I'm still undecided. The Kindle is not available in Canada. The other ones look good to.
I much prefer a real book, but can see wanting some kind of e-reader for big books. They are so hard to hold up for any great length of time. I am with Beth, in wanting something compatable with library downloads. My geuss is that will come eventually.
Hi Sandi,
At this point in my life I would not consider an e-reader of any type. First of all they are frightfully expensive for my very limited income, second, I don't even like reading books online! Once in awhile I read the chapters on a book at eHarlequin but that is about as much as I can handle. Sitting in front of computer looking at the screen is not a fun way to read for me. I can't imagine holding the much smaller device & reading! No thanks. Now, if I were younger, richer and did a lot of traveling I can see how nice it would be to have one of those devices. For this old fashioned girl I just want a real book to hold, turn the pages, curl up in my chair or on the couch & read! I also love reading in bed before I go to sleep. Sometime in the future books in print may be a thing of the past but I think it will be quite sometime. There, you have my humble opinion!!
Take care,
Donna M
I really want a "Sony E-Reader", as I'm in Canada, and don't think the Kindle would work here, anyway. And, besides, I don't want to be limited just to Amazon.
I don't think I'll be able to afford one, but maybe... we'll see what Christmas brings. ;)
And, no, I'd never completely replace my paper books with electronic ones, as they're just not the same. The e-book Reader has its advantages (can store more books in smaller space, and don't have to cart a heavy backpack of 5 books with me on vacation to have variety!), but it can never replace the good ol' fashioned type of reading. ;)
Just IMHO.
MizB
Great topic, Sandi! I have a Palm that I read my ebooks on. Some might not like that it's a little small, but it's not an issue for me - at least until my eyesight begins to seriously fail!
I honestly don't see ebooks ever coming close to replacing prints, but I do think their popularity will continue to soar. As much as I enjoy ebooks, I still like the feel of a print book in my hands!!
Have a great week!
Great blog topic, Sandi. Very timely. I've been researching the different types of e-readers lately because I really think now is the time I'd like to invest in one. I'm going overseas on vacation at least once next summer, plus we always travel at New Year's, and I always get yelled out for bringing too many books. This would solve that problem. I will never stop reading the hard copies. I love them. But e-readers serve a definite purpose, too.
I would love to talk to you a little more about your research and your decision on the Kindle. That's what I'm leaning toward as well. Since we're in the same area, if you'd be willing, I might really appreciate meeting up to see the device in person.
Thanks for your blog entry. It was very helpful.
My ex bought me a Rocket Reader several years ago and I really like it, though I haven't used it in forever. For the "green" concept, I've instead become a fan of the audio book. :o)
Tiffany if you want to meet I'd be glad to. Just let me know and we'll see what we can work out.
Sherri, I do the audio book thing too! I have a 40 minute commute and I just don't want to listen to the radio after having listened to it at work for hours and hours.
Laurie, when I taught I used my palm pilot a lot for ebooks. It looked like I was calculating grades, when I was really reading!
I know the problem with the Kindle in Canada and that's really a shame!
I hope that everyone who is considering an e-reader does look at not only the cost of the readers but of the books to support it as well.
Hi, Sandi, great topic! Sorry for being a day late...anyway, as a reading fanatic, I'd love to have alternative reading options beyong beloved books...I'd love a Kindle
if I could afford it. I love the idea of having all those books in one place! But, first, it has to come way down in price...
Happy Reading, Debora
call me old fashioned, but for now I'll stick to print books.. haven't even figured out how to do e-books in general yet! LOL
As for the kindle, I've had some bad experiences with Amazon in the past so I'll pass on the kindle. But who knows one day maybe I'll try an e-reader!
Good topic Sandi! You are way ahead of Oprah and have much better tastes too!
Deborah and Shauna thanks for the great comments.
It's nice to know that while so many people are at some point possibly considering e-readers that real books aren't going anywhere for awhile!
I a with Joy and a couple of other posters. I love the feel, smell and look of real books. I have to have at least one shelf of books in each of my home's rooms. I love looking at the front covers of books as I decide what to buy.
I would not mind adding an E-reader to my list of gadgets for the casual read but until they come down in price I will stick to real books.
Thank you for bringing this question up. I enjoyed reading all of the responses.
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