Question Kindle worth getting?

[Ch3tan]

Mine came configured, I guess you just got unlucky with the slew of orders they must be trying to process right now.

 

[nath]

Yup, mine came pre-configured with my account settings, I just had to connect it to my WiFi and it downloaded all my amazon books straight away.

 

[FuzzyLogic]

Amazon at it again: The Self Publishing Revolution: Amazon in the Book Banning Business

 

[ford prefect]

Amazon at it again: The Self Publishing Revolution: Amazon in the Book Banning Business

TO be honest I don't have a problem with that. I doubt that WHSmith or Waterstones would stock that either, exactly the same thing. As for the refunds, well I suppose they should be given and I daresay they will be as amazon would legally be obliged to do so. Admittedly amazon should have clearer guidelines, but it isn't suprising that they are not going to want to be associated with a book in that genre.

 

[Ch3tan]

Amazon.com Help: Lending Kindle Books

nice. Ability to lend books to anyone you choose (they don't have to own a kindle, just use the software) for a 14 day period, provided the publisher allows it.

 

[cHodAX]

Amazon.com Help: Lending Kindle Books

nice. Ability to lend books to anyone you choose (they don't have to own a kindle, just use the software) for a 14 day period, provided the publisher allows it.

Brilliant!

 

[Trem]

One of the problems is that there's no VAT on regular books but there is on ebooks so it's not always that much cheaper.

That has angered me greatly, I was going to get Samm one but they can fuck off now, charging VAT on ebooks is riddled with AIDS, how the fuck dare they?

Wankers

 

[DaGaffer]

That has angered me greatly, I was going to get Samm one but they can fuck off now, charging VAT on ebooks is riddled with AIDS, how the fuck dare they?

Wankers

What do you mean "how dare they"? They are the government, they do what the fuck they like. Governments have been trying to make books and magazines vatable in the UK for decades, but there was a powerful lobby that stopped it; now that same lobby sees VAT on ebooks and magazines as a way of keeping their old ink on dead trees business afloat a while longer.

Anyhoo, downloaded my first Kindle book onto my Galaxy Tab yesterday. Takes a bit of getting used to (fiddling about with font sizes and backgrounds) but on the whole I'm pretty pleased with it. I'm going to try the default reader with an ePub book from a different store as well to compare them.

 

[FuzzyLogic]

Made purchase of a Kindle meself, really quite impressed by this e-ink lark and the size is just incredible considering how much you can fit onto it in comparison to what the real thing would be.

It's not quite the same though, doesn't smell right :

 

[Ch3tan]

Made purchase of a Kindle meself, really quite impressed by this e-ink lark and the size is just incredible considering how much you can fit onto it in comparison to what the real thing would be.

It's not quite the same though, doesn't smell right :

Get a nice leather or hemp case to add some "smell"

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Different paper smells different though. Lends character to a book.

 

[Rulke]

I'm finding reading on the kindle to be better experience tbh - much easier to hold and page turn and much easier to fit in your bag or carry around

don't let nostalgia hold you back!

 

[FuzzyLogic]

Get a nice leather or hemp case to add some "smell"

Bought a hemp case, feels more like reading a book oddly. The difference a case can make Oo

 

[Chilly]

That has angered me greatly, I was going to get Samm one but they can fuck off now, charging VAT on ebooks is riddled with AIDS, how the fuck dare they?

Wankers

Because REAL BOOKS are not luxuries and are classed as a basic item required for living. Much as milk, bread and tea. However an eBook obviously is a luxury. You are clearly rich enough to have spent £100+ on the kindle so the books for it probably should be VATed.

In the future when there are no dead tree books this probably should change, but wont, because our government appear never to repeal taxes once they exist.

 

[Ch3tan]

It's still cheaper to buy most ebooks than real books even with the VAT Trem. So Samm should beat you hard for you poor excuse for not getting her one.

 

[Chilly]

beat hard


heh

 

[Cyradix]

Bit silly us "Europeans" can't order the kindle at amazon UK.
Had to order on the amazon.com site. Ordered on dec 10 - Shipping Estimate: January 18, 2011 - January 26, 2011

 

[Ch3tan]

That's pretty stupid. Dedicated german and french sites and no kindle? Silly Amazon.

 

[DaGaffer]

That's pretty stupid. Dedicated german and french sites and no kindle? Silly Amazon.

Welcome to the world of online rights. Its almost certainly not Amazon's doing, its just there aren't many practical ways to do global or even Pan-European rights deals, so Amazon have sensibly chosen the UK, which is by far the largest European books catalogue to hit first. What's really irritating is that most UK book rights are for the UK & Ireland, but Amazon have failed to secure Irish rights, so its dot com for me as well (except it isn't because I still have a UK address - the downloads aren't geo-blocked, only the billing address is checked).

What fucks me off about the rights landscape is that it encourages piracy, particularly amongst a large group of people who would otherwise be happy to pay, but aren't happy to be blocked when there's no technical reason for it. Not just in books, but in all media.

 

[ford prefect]

Bit silly us "Europeans" can't order the kindle at amazon UK.
Had to order on the amazon.com site. Ordered on dec 10 - Shipping Estimate: January 18, 2011 - January 26, 2011

Mine came from the states before UK had them. Amazon.com where sending them free of charge by UPS at the time - it was here within four days of order. Ironically having recently ordered my partner one from the UK store - it took nearly three weeks to arrive ^^ and I am in the UK. That was before the christmas rush too!

 

[Trem]

So Samm should beat you hard for you poor excuse for not getting her one.

Read some more about it then ordered her one, she doesn't know so it will be a nice surprise for her so I imagine she may well beat me hard when it arrives, yes, beat.....me.......HARD.

What swung it for me personally is the shelves of books we have and not to mention the loft full of boxes filled with books, clutter pisses me off also she can read without having a light on in the room which is useful with a baby in there as well.

 

[ford prefect]

What swung it for me personally is the shelves of books we have and not to mention the loft full of boxes filled with books, clutter pisses me off also she can read without having a light on in the room which is useful with a baby in there as well.

Same for me - the Attic is literally groaning with books and two spare bedrooms are lined with books too and that is after a relatively recent house move where we gave loads of books away to charity shops ect. I read obsessively and for the most part I would rather read than watch TV. I usually get through at least one book every week (occasionally two or three if I am off work), so storing them has become a real headache.

 

[DaGaffer]

...also she can read without having a light on in the room which is useful with a baby in there as well.

Er, really? I didn't think Kindles were backlit. I think you'll need to buy a cover with a light.

 

[cHodAX]

Er, really? I didn't think Kindles were backlit. I think you'll need to buy a cover with a light.

Yep a cover with one is needed, looking for a cheap one at the moment as the official Amazon one is pants down pricing.

 

[Vae]

What swung it for me personally is the shelves of books we have and not to mention the loft full of boxes filled with books, clutter pisses me off

This is the major attraction for me as we're struggling to find places to put all our books since moving last year (still got several boxes of books we haven't yet unpacked). Having more books available on the move is useful but not such an advantage as the space to be saved.

However for now I've decided to hold off on the kindle for 3 reasons:

1) Selection of books available - Had a browse and wasn't impressed with the available selection yet but this will be a growing point.
2) Price of books - All the ones where the "Prices are set by the Publisher" where the prices are higher than the equivalent paperback (or hardback in some cases)
3) Technology - I think the ebook reader market is still young and that there will be some significant changes to come so I'd like to give it a little more time to see what the new models bring before taking the plunge.

 

[Ch3tan]

Yep a cover with one is needed, looking for a cheap one at the moment as the official Amazon one is pants down pricing.

Yep, no back-lighting on the kindle - I can recommend a good case without a light. All you need for a light is a mini (or is it micro?) usb powered led to clip on to the case.

This is the one I got: DURAGADGET New Red Genuine Leather Case: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

perfect because you can use it as a stand. I don't like the "book" style cases as they are not versatile enough.

 

[Calaen]

Er, really? I didn't think Kindles were backlit. I think you'll need to buy a cover with a light.

The man speaks the truth! you still need light you spangle!!!!!

 

[Tilda]

Guys, I'm a massive kindle fan but wondered if you had considered an alternative the NotionInk: ADAM

Its a tablet running android (which means it can use the kindle book reader out for android, along with all the new android apps coming to the amazon market soon). Bluetooth, HDMI output, 3G, surround sound....

It also has a funky new screen called the PixelQi screen.
In a normal mode it is backlit and LCD-like, however if you switch to its Qi mode, it is like a kindle in terms of back-lit-ness and how easy it is to read in sunlight.

It's literally just been demoed at CES and a first batch of preorders have been taken.

The CES demo is here: Notion Ink Adam hands-on at CES 2011 - SlashGear - sadly they dont show much of the Qi screen.

An early Qi screen comparison is here (the Qi screen is on the laptop in the middle) and you can see the kindle-levels of readability:
YouTube - Pixel Qi vs Kindle vs Toshiba R600 vs regular LCD tablet

I promise I'm not being paid for this, I'm just very, very excited about the tablet.

Just wondered if anybody had considered getting one instead of a kindle? For me the big draw of the kindle is the screen, otherwise my laptop is better - the Adam seems to do both, kindle-esq screen so I can read outside/train/in sun etc, while everything else of my laptop?

 

[cHodAX]

I will be getting an Adam, when the fuckers get their fingers and release it as they were supposed to do 6 months ago.

 

[ford prefect]

Guys, I'm a massive kindle fan but wondered if you had considered an alternative the NotionInk: ADAM

Looks interesting - the only question is what the battery life will be like in real terms. One of the best things about the e-ink screen is its battery life - around 3 weeks for me without 3g on.

I think I may have mentioned before that amazon recently bought out a German company which is working on using colored oils containing titanium particles to create a colour e-ink screen - apparently 80% as efficient as standard mono e-ink in battery terms.

I think in a few years we will have laptops and tablets that can run for a few days without charge.