Digital books - comments anyone!

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 10:38

I'm considering purchasing one of these digital books - I believe they are called readers.



Sony do a couple of different types and Amazon have the 'kindle'



Has anyone got one of these that they could comment on?



Thanks.

smoggyjim


Joined: 21/07/2007
Posts: 214

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 10:39

My wife's got the kindle and it is good

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 10:56

Hi Jim



The Kindle is the one I'm considering getting my wife for Xmas. It's got some great write ups but there's nothing like getting first hand information from someone who uses one.



What does your wife think of the Kindle?

erictheviking


Joined: 14/05/2010
Posts: 32

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 11:17

I believe that you will need a UK address to purchase the books other wise they will not work this applies both to the Kindle and the e-Readers available.



Either way they are great and I am seriously considering getting myself one especially now they have got smaller and lighter

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 11:29

Hi Bill



We're thinking about getting one of these, too. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who has one, so would be interested in hearing your views if you do decide to get one.



Jean

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 11:53

The Kindle is ticking all the right boxes at the moment. It appears you can download hundreds of free books as well from the Amazon website - of which the Kindle is compatible.

smoggyjim


Joined: 21/07/2007
Posts: 214

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:08

The kindle is good she has the model with 3G capabilities and can down load books from over 100 countries, it is about the same size as a book and quite light, good value for money, it is also compatable with most e-reader formats,



smoggyjim

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:15

Thank you very much Jim. Looks like it's the Kindle.

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:21

arrry has one of these and is so pleased with it...he makes me jealous because i seriously want one!! The best thing is, it can be read in direct sunlight..perfect for the beach!!





DD

andrew4232



Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 1543

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:22

but does it connect and download here in northern cyprus ?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:30

Hans might be the man to ask.

roisin


Joined: 19/03/2009
Posts: 358

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:31

I have a Sony e reader and its one of the best presents I ever had. I've downloaded over 50 books(free).(I downloaded all James Pattersons books)So that has more than covered the cost of the reader. There are lots of web sites offering free book downloads as well as buying them.Buying e books is cheaper than buying ordinary books.You can also "borrow"books from some libraries in uk.You have to have a current library card

roisin


Joined: 19/03/2009
Posts: 358

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:33

I live in Northern Cyprus and have downloaded all my books with no problems

greengate8


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 156

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:34

I bought my wife the Sony touch-screen version - Very easy to read even in direct sunlight, battery life is about 2weeks from one charge, even using it everyday for about 3 hours.



Only down side (pending on your point of view) is it that you can only download books to your PC - and then onto your reader, thats not a problem for me but some people might find this irritating.



I would also check whether the kindle can handle more that one type of book format (there are about 3 popular ones - PDF, EPUB & Mobi) this also a better selection to choose from.



Also buy yourself a protective case for the reader in case you drop it - to repair a screen is expensive.



I have downloaded books from various sites with no trouble in the TRNC, but you may find that signing up to one of the UK retailers restricts you to the UK.



Whatever you choose it saves carry around looks of books (especially as the weight restrictions on planes have come down)

RickF64


Joined: 07/01/2009
Posts: 173

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 12:49

I have already ordered a Kindle and cover for the wife's Christmas present. She knows of course and is delighted.

I am now hoping that we can clear some of the 'real' paper-based books out of our shelves. No, perhaps not. Downloads via Amazon and a PC are not a problem even out here in TRNC and with a little patience.

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 13:02

I was given a Sony PRS300 last Christmas. I must admit I was a bit sceptical when I first got it, particularly as a lot of the (paper) books I was interested in were on special offer in the supermarkets, whereas the cost of an ebook is somewhere between the full cost of a paperback and hardback. They do come with many free ebooks, but they are all a long time out of copyright.



That said, I am very impressed with the reader. In full summer sun here, it's still readable. The battery lasts a long time as it only uses power when you turn the page.



It has really come into its own in the last few months. Firstly, I was given an Amazon voucher for my birthday, so I used it to download a couple of books that aren't available on the island. Secondly, by using a file share program I've downloaded a whole series of books for free, probably ones that I wouldn't bother to buy in the UK, even if they're still available



>>>>>>>more

ianwfs


Joined: 08/01/2008
Posts: 563

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 13:12

<<<<

I can't speak for the Kindle, but the Sony copes with most formats. On my machine at the moment, I have epup, doc, txt and pdf files, so I don't see any reason why it won't handle the rest.

I will admit, my preference is still handling an actual book, but the reader comes a close second, particularly when you consider that you can go off on your hols with a few dozen books in your pocket!

At the moment I have 33 books on my reader, some red, sosme half way through, and some yet to be started. The reader capacity is several hundred, but if you want more than that, you just store them on your computor and transfer them as needed.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 13:27

Thank you everyone who has responded - just the help I knew I would get from you all.



Thank you all again.

pjnxi



Joined: 12/02/2009
Posts: 167

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 14:04

Hi my reader is=mini Tablet-pc ex 900 7in .google it. its v good. ann

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 14:11

AAAAAAAARGH!!! I am so incredibly jealous of all of you that have one, or getting one!!!!! Grrrrrr!!!





DD

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 15:06

DD. You never know, Father Christmas may bring you one!

darrener2


Joined: 30/12/2008
Posts: 187

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 15:30

The Kindle is fantastic - one of the best presents I have ever bought myself.

As an avid reader I was a little concerned that the physical 'feel' would be wrong but I found myself absentmindly stroking the top right hand corner of the thing to turn the page and when next I read a 'proper' book I was pressing the bottom right hand corner to turn the page. lol

The main advantage for MrD is that he no longer has to whinge about my bedside light being on when he is trying to sleep.



D2

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 15:53

Doyen, Santa hasn't been down my chimney in about 10 years!!! Guess i've been a very very naughty girl!!! LOL





DD

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 15:58

I'd really like to get one of these. Problem might be (in our house, anyway) is that we're both avid readers and I wonder whether this might lead to some 'squabbling'. i.e. who reads the paperback and who uses the electronic book. We're already laden down with books every time we go on holiday and so one of these would be a Godsend.



Maybe we could take it in turns?



Thanks all for the information; I was a bit concerned about the sunlight reflecting off the screen, but that does not appear to be a problem, which is great news. I assume they're not affected by strong sunlight?

swyflot


Joined: 07/11/2008
Posts: 916

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 15:59

My friend has a Kindle and loves it, hoping Santa might bring me one

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 16:18

They don't get affected by sunlight, however in the dark you'd need the light on, or affix on one of those little backlights to it, they only cpst a couple of quid, so no waking up your sleeping partner!





DD

Pugwash


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 1797

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 16:43

Does anyone find it gives them eye strain at all? also is it easy to change the text size?

arrry



Joined: 19/08/2008
Posts: 1235

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 16:54

Message 27..........I read four books in three weeks while staying at my apartment and found it was less stress on my eyes than reading an actual book. And i seem to read quicker too . Brilliant invention ,am just starting my 6th book in seven weeks !! That usually takes me months to read that much .but it is so convenient , you can open it up anywhere and the Kindle will fit in your back pocket.!! I have just downloaded a new release which is £16-99 in the shops, i got it for £10-99 ! Good value.

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 17:06

roisin,



I also have a sony reader p600, where did you get the james patterson books from and what did they cost?

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 17:34

John,you can download them free here if you have bittorrent installed on your pc or I can put them on a disc or sd card for you next time you are passing.



http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4552795/James_Patterson_Collection_(31_Ebooks)

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 18:38

Hope I get on for xmas, the amount of books espicially Jmes Patterson that i get through in a week. Sounds great as my eyes do get tired as i find it hard to put a book down omce i start.

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 18:44

Hi Gooligan,



Rob cannot download them, could you put them on sd card or disc, will be passing tomorrow night when I go to Kings bar to play Darts



John

frankedad


Joined: 21/11/2008
Posts: 346

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 19:05

any one know any thig about down loading talking books. can we do it here i like to listen while on the move.

gooligan


Joined: 30/01/2007
Posts: 1591

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 19:14

John,will have it ready for you.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 19:30

Thanks again everyone.

darrener2


Joined: 30/12/2008
Posts: 187

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 20:01

I would recommend that you go the whole hog and buy a leather case for it. Get the one with a built in light.

D2

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 20:12

daisy dukes/Msg 23: 'Doyen, Santa hasn't been down my chimney in about 10 years!!! Guess i've been a very very naughty girl!!! LOL'



Does that say something about the old adage: ' It's better to be an old man's sweetheart than a young man's slave!' - ???!!!

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 20:14

Gosh Tenk ,my late mum used to say that, wish I had taken her advice xxx

TheSaints



Joined: 28/01/2009
Posts: 1369

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 20:48

Bill



I checked a lot of these out and settled on the Sony PRS300 it is brilliant, no touch screen software to go wrong, no internet or music capabilities just a pure e-reader as I do a lot of travelling it is great and fits in my jacket pocket or side pocket on cargo type trousers and holds 344 books on it's internal memory.

I also have a library of approx 32,000 ebooks and can let anyone have a copy of them all when I am in TRNC.



Regards



Mike

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 20:53

take you up on that mike when you are back, i know you told mr before but i didnt understand it until Darrener2 told me how it worked xx

TheSaints



Joined: 28/01/2009
Posts: 1369

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 21:03

Liz



No problem I have them in several formats including adobe pdf, lit etc.



will be home for Christmas just booked 2 weeks off.



All the best



Mike

Magbs


Joined: 26/02/2009
Posts: 278

Message Posted:
29/11/2010 21:03

After long research I bought my wife Alex e-read (https://www.springdesign.com/us/index.action), downloaded for her thouthands of ebooks and she is quite satisfied.



In terms of size, portability, speed and screen quality both Alex and Kindle are very similar. I've chosen Alex because of its some significant (imo) strengths. It has an additional 3.5" LCD screen with a full browser and fast wifi connection. It also has a nice web grab feature. You can browse the internet on the LCD touch screen and then capture text to read on the upper e-ink screen. And you can install third party android apps on the Alex. When you use an app, it feels like you're using it on an android phone. Ebub support is great, PDFs not so much as it does not reflow PDFs.

I found very few things wrong with the Alex and in general I like it. On the downside, it's quite expensive . I bought mine in NY for $350.

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
30/11/2010 07:36

Thanks Gooligan, will call around 7pm

kibrissibel


Joined: 18/02/2008
Posts: 562

Message Posted:
30/11/2010 12:47

Kindles have been huge in the states for a while and now Amazon are marketing more them in the UK. They have around 600,000 Kindle books on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk . I am an author, and most of my sales are from Kindle ebooks. The Kindle is lightweight, easy to use, and the new ones have 3G or WIFI connections, meaning you can download books in an instant from anywhere with a connection. The screen is not like reading on a laptop, it has anti-glare and you can read it in direct sunlight.



Here are some forums to check out people's views on Kindles and other Ereaders: http://www.kuforum.co.uk/kindleusersforum/ and http://www.kindleboards.com/



If you want to check out my Kindle books, here's my website: http://www.sibelhodge.com/



Happy Ereading!



Sibel

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
30/11/2010 22:17

Referring back to a comment above that you can download from libraries in UK; Essex libraries will not let you download onto a Kindle so if you are thinking of this please check out your local library first.



Does anyone know if you can download from torrent sites with a Kindle, I know it can be done with other eReaders?

LaptaMike


Joined: 07/10/2009
Posts: 1679

Message Posted:
30/11/2010 23:09

scooby, I would not have thought it would be a problem. I have a tablet PC (bought from Techmar), I have downloaded loads of books so far and with the occasional bit of tweaking they work fine. I don't know what formats kindle recognises but a search on google for the format you have to kindle will find loads of apps to convert them.

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
02/12/2010 06:13

Thanks LaptaMike

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
02/12/2010 07:41

Kent Library are not Kindle friendly either, I've got two books out now using my library card number. Can't praise Sony PRS505 enough

pollymarples


Joined: 08/08/2010
Posts: 1778

Message Posted:
02/12/2010 07:59

I love James Patterson, problem is he cannot write them as fast as I can read them. Try Harlan Coben,Patiricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, also Val McDermid. A favourite and very different type James Patterson 'JESTER'

char2011


Joined: 15/12/2010
Posts: 13

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 10:42

How can I download book to kindle. I got the kindle yesterday. I have few problems on set up and the customer services of kindle called me and told me I cannot download book as kindle.amazon does not has service for Turkey or N Cyprus. Can anyone help?

arrry



Joined: 19/08/2008
Posts: 1235

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:13

Message 50...Char i have a Kindle and can download in Cyprus no problem. All you need is to be in range of a wireless connection . Connect to that wireless connection, click on menu then click" shop in Kindle store ". Then scroll through the books you want . You must have a credit card registered to Kindle / Amazon then they take the money from your account .

char2011


Joined: 15/12/2010
Posts: 13

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 11:23

thank you Arrry, I will try later when my daughter is back. thank you.

roisin


Joined: 19/03/2009
Posts: 358

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 16:59

Hi Japeal,just saw yr question about james patterson e books,The site i use is http://www.theebooksbay.com I downloaded james Patterson set(about 30 books or more I think)also the Girl with Dragon tattoo trilogy and the Twilight series.dean Koontz books All free.

stevie-d



Joined: 13/07/2007
Posts: 1420

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 20:41

Kindle is a winner, gave one to my wife for Xmas, along with the Tuf-Luv cover, she is very pleased, on her second book.

stevie-d

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 21:01

Thanks Roisin,



Cannot make connection tho.

Katushka1


Joined: 19/05/2009
Posts: 13

Message Posted:
04/01/2011 21:06

Having been a "proper" book champion I now have a Kindle which I love. You can also sync it with you PC and android phone which means that if I don't have the Kindle with me I can continue to read on and when I next use my Kindle it will open up at the last page I was reading. Fantastic. I use it in the UK, Spain and in the TRNC and have no trouble downloading the books directly on to it. What did I do without it!!!!

roisin


Joined: 19/03/2009
Posts: 358

Message Posted:
05/01/2011 09:27

Hi japeal.I just tried it and it is working now.keep trying ! Its worth it !

japeal



Joined: 12/09/2008
Posts: 1052

Message Posted:
05/01/2011 10:02

Roisin.



Could you email me john@japeal.com when I got connection it was asking for me to sign up for usenet.com

batterboy58



Joined: 20/04/2008
Posts: 442

Message Posted:
05/01/2011 13:01

No one has mentioned that with Kindle the first chapter of any book may be downloaded from Amazon for free as a sample, then if you like it you may then purchase the book. Or if not then it has cost you nothing. This is a particularly useful feature.