Questions about e-readers (Kindle etc)

[Athena]

Hey all,

 

I'm firmly in the camp of loving physical books (paperbacks mainly), the feel of a book in my hands, the nice covers on my book shelf, the discovering a book in a book shop or online and taking it home / receiving it. However more and more there are books released that are only available on e-readers (ie. being Kindle only). This made me think of whether I should buy an ereader, and I have a few questions about it. There are quite some people here who have an ereader so I presume someone should have some answers .

 

- I'm thinking about a Kindle, because most websites other than Amazon, that I've looked at, sell ebooks at really expensive prices here in the Netherlands. Often the price is the same or in fact even higher than a physical book. I don't want to pay more for an ebook than for a physical book, in that case I'd rather have the physical book. Amazon charges me extra because I live in Europe but at first glance, sometimes it's quite a bit cheaper than these other websites that I've tried. There's also the Daily Deals for Kindle. Are there any other websites with cheap (and of course legal) books that people from Europe-but-not-in-the-UK use, or that you know of that might be worth taking a look at?

 

- I've read that most books you buy from any website may be DRM protected. What happens if your ereader breaks down, are the books tied to an account so you can use them again in your new ereader? Does the Kindle program for the computer (I downloaded it yesterday) store the books on the computer, so you can copy everything easily without having to re-organise folders?

 

- I've bought a few ebooks previously, through HumbleBundle (Humble eBook Bundle), they are DRM free PDFs. Obviously I want to be able to read these on my ereader. Will any Kindle be able to read them and can I transfer them from my PC to the Kindle easily?

 

- My eyes generally get a bit sore after reading a back-lit screen for a while. I assume therefore it'd be best to get an ereader with an electronic ink screen? I presume the e-ink screen works best for my eyes (although I'm liking the extra space you get with the more expensive options). There's also the "Paperwhite Built-in light" with the Kindle Paperweight, it says this helps for your eyes, does anyone have any experience with it? Kindle Keyboard 3G is also interesting, since it has more space than the normal Kindle.

 

- How much GB relates to how many books I can store on the device? ie. 2GB, 4GB, how many books would this mean?

 

- How do I charge the Kindle? Because I'm not in the UK, I have to order it from Amazon US, so the prices are in dollars. A UK plug I would've had, a US one I don't have. But I think it charges through the computer? I'm wondering then how to charge it through the mains, I do have a USB to power plug for my Ipod, but when my boyfriend tried to use it for his British phone (also USB charged), it wouldn't work. How would I be able to charge it through the mains, would I have to get an USB to US plug and a US to EU power adapter?

 

- Any specific Kindle you'd recommend, based on your experiences and on what I've written? Price doesn't factor in it that much, I don't mind paying a bit for the device as long as I'm happy with it (I do mind paying lots for the books, since in that case I'd rather buy the paperback if it exists etc). I hope anyone can help me.

 

I may still change my mind and not get one, but I look forward to hear your advice. I know there is a topic with many pages on e-readers and I read bits of it but couldn't find my answers. I thought it'd be most easy if I explained my thoughts rather than going through all the pages, hope no one minds.

[Brian.]

I will answer your questions based on my knowledge of the Kindle and to a lesser extent a Sony e-reader. The Kindle blew the Sony out of the water, the Sony was a dreadful e-reader. Like you I still much prefer physical books but some books are just not easily available as anything other than a digital download.

 

- I've read that most books you buy from any website may be DRM protected. What happens if your ereader breaks down, are the books tied to an account so you can use them again in your new ereader? Does the Kindle program for the computer (I downloaded it yesterday) store the books on the computer, so you can copy everything easily without having to re-organise folders?

 

Books are tied to your account so that they can be used on any Kindle device that your account is registered to. This works in much the same was as iTunes used to work when the downloads had DRM on them. It is also worth noting that many classics are available for free from sites like Project Gutenberg. You don't have to use the Kindle application to store and arrange your ebooks, you can use other programs like Calibre.

 

- I've bought a few ebooks previously, through HumbleBundle (Humble eBook Bundle), they are DRM free PDFs. Obviously I want to be able to read these on my ereader. Will any Kindle be able to read them and can I transfer them from my PC to the Kindle easily?

 

In short, yes. I think every e-reader can display PDF files without any conversion needed. There are guides online as to what readers will run which formats.

 

- My eyes generally get a bit sore after reading a back-lit screen for a while. I assume therefore it'd be best to get an ereader with an electronic ink screen? I presume the e-ink screen works best for my eyes (although I'm liking the extra space you get with the more expensive options). There's also the "Paperwhite Built-in light" with the Kindle Paperweight, it says this helps for your eyes, does anyone have any experience with it? Kindle Keyboard 3G is also interesting, since it has more space than the normal Kindle.

 

I also can suffer eye strain reading a computer screen for any length of time. I have had no such problems reading text on an e-ink display. It is worth nothing that tablet devices like the Kindle fire are back lit screens, not every Kindle has an e-ink display.

 

- How much GB relates to how many books I can store on the device? ie. 2GB, 4GB, how many books would this mean?

 

Off the top of my head I think a 2Gb Kindle can hold in excess of 1000 books.

 

- How do I charge the Kindle? Because I'm not in the UK, I have to order it from Amazon US, so the prices are in dollars. A UK plug I would've had, a US one I don't have. But I think it charges through the computer? I'm wondering then how to charge it through the mains, I do have a USB to power plug for my Ipod, but when my boyfriend tried to use it for his British phone (also USB charged), it wouldn't work. How would I be able to charge it through the mains, would I have to get an USB to US plug and a US to EU power adapter?

 

I have a keyboard Kindle and it charges via USB. It can be charged quicker with a USB/Mains adaptor.

 

- Any specific Kindle you'd recommend, based on your experiences and on what I've written? Price doesn't factor in it that much, I don't mind paying a bit for the device as long as I'm happy with it (I do mind paying lots for the books, since in that case I'd rather buy the paperback if it exists etc). I hope anyone can help me.

 

I like the Kindle keyboard as is it what I have but I don't think you will go far wrong with any e-ink display Kindle.

[risingdawn]

I don't have a Kindle but I do have a Kobo. My Kobo has a built-in light feature which I can adjust the brightness but I am unsure as to whether the Kindle can do that. And I generally find that I can read fine without getting any eye strain. You can also change the font size so that should also help with eye strain. I was more worried about whether I would be able to imagine what was happening on the page in my head in the same way but I found that it works just as well.

 

You may also find it useful that you can visit the Kindle store through the Kindle itself and not have to wait for when you're at home. That would be especially useful if you got the one's that can use 3G as then you can browse the store as often as you want and download at the time as well. You may want to choose your ereader based on the amount of books they have within their store. I'm not sure which ereader company has the most ebooks available to their readers but it is most likely Kindle.

[chesilbeach]

Brian's answered your questions, but I would just add that the Kindle Keyboard is no longer available. The only Kindle device that uses the e-ink technology is the standard Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display. I also have an old Kindle Keyboard and having seen the Paperwhite in the shop, I would never switch, as backlit screens are a problem for me too, and I found the text to be nowhere near as clear as on my own. I can read my Kindle for hours without any problems at all, but something like my iPad is a maximum usage time of an hour for me before I get a headache.

[ashleighjane]

Brian's answered your questions, but I would just add that the Kindle Keyboard is no longer available. The only Kindle device that uses the e-ink technology is the standard Kindle Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display. I also have an old Kindle Keyboard and having seen the Paperwhite in the shop, I would never switch, as backlit screens are a problem for me too, and I found the text to be nowhere near as clear as on my own. I can read my Kindle for hours without any problems at all, but something like my iPad is a maximum usage time of an hour for me before I get a headache.

 

 

I'm not surprised that the Kindle Keyboard is no longer available - it cost more than the Kindle Fire! I do have one though. (Bought on ebay because I wasn't prepared to pay £150 )

 

My dad does have the standard Kindle though, which is pretty much the same as the Kindle Keyboard, minus the keyboard. It also can be charged using a computer.

[julie]

Athena

It sounds as if you already have all the answers to your questions for the most part .

As far as getting used to paper books vs using the Kindle, at first it was really hard for me, but after getting used to the Kindle it's hard now to read a regular book. They feel too clunky and hard to hold,flip pages, etc . The Hubster bought me a "stand" for mine, not sure if that's the right word for it,but it is a thing you place your Kindle on so it is propped up and you can use it without holding onto it ,like if you are eating or something like that . I use it sometimes when I'm watching videos on my Fire ,too .

 

As far as devices , I've had a Sony Reader,which I really didn't like much at all . I have the Kindle keyboard,which is nice because it's so thin and lightweight ,but I'd prefer to have one without the keyboard,since I rarely ever use it .It'd be smaller without it .

 

I also have a Nook, which is the most ideal size for reading --almost square-shaped,and I like the way the back is designed ..sorta made out of rubberized coating,and a finger grip,so it's so easy to hold onto . I rarely use it though because I really dont think they offer as many good book deals on the BN site, not as many freebies and the book prices are all higher .

 

I also have the Kindle Fire which is the neatest gadget of all, because it does so many things ,but it's probably the least ideal for reading on ... I do use it at night if I dont want the lights on, it has the light up screen so you can read in the dark,and also has setting to adjust the background color while reading,from white, to an off-white to black. You can also adjust the brightness of the screen . The disadvantage to reading on it is the heaviness of it. It's thicker and heavier to hold than the others .

 

I have yet to get the Paperwhite,but would probably like to get one at some point ,just because it sounds neat,but I may wait til they update it,since I've heard some negative comments about the light being not evenly dispersed across the screen .

 

There are so many readers out there now,and each one has its' good and bad points,so it'd depend on what you'd mainly use it for .If you ONLY wanted one to read on, I wouldnt recommend the Fire .

 

You can get lots of books for the Kindle for free, and many books that are available for it that they dont have in paper books,so you get a nice selection of books that way .

 

I'm also looking at it from the viewpoint of someone with old-lady -eyes... you can change the print size,so someday when my eyes get worse, I can just make the print size bigger and still read the books I have ,rather than having to go to large print books.

 

I guess if you are one of the people concerned with saving trees, you'd be doing the trees a favor by using a kindle too .

 

Once you purchase the book, it will stay on your Amazon acct , and will be kept in your Cloud, which is where they store all your stuff . I don't have all my books downloaded ,they are all on the cloud,and I only keep the one I am currently reading loaded onto the machine. I dont really know why,other than I like it that way..More organized maybe ?

 

You can also set up your books in categories if you want,so it's easier to find what book you are looking for that way,rathr than having tons of them listed page after page .

 

They also have a "Lend this Book" feature,which allows you to lend certain books to someone else for free after you read it . I've done that a few times .You just email a note to the person,then click to loan the book to them,and they can load it onto their Kindle to read. I think you are only allowed to lend it once,and for only 2 weeks, but it's still a handy-dandy thing to have to share your books with others .Not sure how any of this works where you live ,so you'd have to check into things like that .

 

The regular Kindles dont have the backlit screens -- hard to explain how they work,but you can see the words fine ,but the screen isnt shiny and the print just shows up on it kinda like it would in a paperback book I guess you'd say .

 

I have about 350 books on mine I think,and it's not nearly full yet. The number of books you could have would depend somewhat on the size of the books, too .

 

I can charge mine 2 ways, plug in to the wall outlet, or you can plug it directly into your computer to charge it that way too .

 

Hope all the comments you get will help you decide if you want one or not .

[Athena]

Thanks so much for all your replies! I'm very tempted to get one, I'll think it over for a few more days at least though.

[willoyd]

Just a couple of extra notes to what's been said so far.

 

Kindle books are DRM protected, but it's pretty straightforward to get hold of the software to strip the DRM out.  As long as you only use the subsequent file for personal use you are extremely unlikely to incur any problems.  I now have most of my (several hundred) Kindle books backed up in non-DRM files, so that if anything should happen to my Amazon account I still have my books.  It also means I can now transfer them reasonably easily onto other e-readers if I should want to change.  The software also enables me to convert non-Kindle files to .mobi format, which is readable by a Kindle, so I'm not restricted to Amazon websites or even those, like Project Gutenberg, which make a Kindle-friendly format available.

 

In terms of charging with what sorts of cables - if you find the charger that comes with the Kindle from the US doesn't work for you, it's easy and cheap to get hold of a replacement through Amazon or ebay (I used Amazon), not least because it's exactly the same as the charging leads used by HTC for their One and Desire series phones (and probably others,but I know about these ones!).  As I have one of these, I only ever carry the one cable round with me.  It's a USB cable, that then plugs into the back of a plug to connect to the mains. I have got both a UK and a European plug which I swap around depending on where I'm travelling. The cable also plugs into a car adaptor, so I can charge in the car when necessary.

 

Just to confirm: the e-ink screens are excellent, and vastly better than backlit ones in my experience. 

[muggle not]

I would find it difficult to do without mu Kindle now that I have had it for over a year.

 

However, I am having a samll problem with it. My Kindle isn't holding a long charge. It runs out of power after about 4 hours. I have started plugging it in to charge every time I am not reading.

[chaliepud]

Have you tried contacting Amazon? I've heard they are supportive even if you have had the kindle for over a year.. Worth a try, it definitely sounds faulty.

[julie]

Muggle

I'll second Chalie on the contacting Amazon . They are great at quick responses . My Kindle Fire was doing the same thing you are having trouble with ,it wouldn't keep a charge for very long at all, so I had to keep it plugged in a lot to be able to use it frequently .

I did the Live Chat if you go to their help section --I had my Fire for a little less than a year ,and they replaced it with a new one, which works great.

It'd be worth it to contact them and tell them what it's doing .

[chesilbeach]

What sort of Kindle do you have, muggle?  I've got the older keyboard model, and I know that leaving the Wireless switched on tends to drain the battery.  I leave mine off and just switch it on when I've bought some books and I want to download them.

[ummlilia]

Just a couple of extra notes to what's been said so far.

 

Kindle books are DRM protected, but it's pretty straightforward to get hold of the software to strip the DRM out.  As long as you only use the subsequent file for personal use you are extremely unlikely to incur any problems.  I now have most of my (several hundred) Kindle books backed up in non-DRM files, so that if anything should happen to my Amazon account I still have my books.  It also means I can now transfer them reasonably easily onto other e-readers if I should want to change.  The software also enables me to convert non-Kindle files to .mobi format, which is readable by a Kindle, so I'm not restricted to Amazon websites or even those, like Project Gutenberg, which make a Kindle-friendly format available.

 

In terms of charging with what sorts of cables - if you find the charger that comes with the Kindle from the US doesn't work for you, it's easy and cheap to get hold of a replacement through Amazon or ebay (I used Amazon), not least because it's exactly the same as the charging leads used by HTC for their One and Desire series phones (and probably others,but I know about these ones!).  As I have one of these, I only ever carry the one cable round with me.  It's a USB cable, that then plugs into the back of a plug to connect to the mains. I have got both a UK and a European plug which I swap around depending on where I'm travelling. The cable also plugs into a car adaptor, so I can charge in the car when necessary.

 

Just to confirm: the e-ink screens are excellent, and vastly better than backlit ones in my experience. 

 

 

Out of interest  what software do you use, is it Calibre.?. although I'm not very technically minded I have just about worked out how to drive it..

[muggle not]

chaliepud, julie, & chelisbeach -  thanks a bunch.

 

I contacted Amazon via a live chat and they are going to send me a replacement kindle......free of charge.

[chesilbeach]

Excellent news muggle - I know others have had some problems when faults occur just after the one year warranty expires, but Amazon were brilliant when mine broke at around the same time, and replaced it immediately too.

[chaliepud]

chaliepud, julie, & chelisbeach -  thanks a bunch.

 

I contacted Amazon via a live chat and they are going to send me a replacement kindle......free of charge.

Great news!!

[julie]

Wonderful Muggle- 

  I thought they'd come through for you . The best customer service I think I have ever encountered .

[Kell]

I wouldn't be without my Kindle. Funny, really, because I always said I'd never have an e-reader, but I came round to the idea and got one for Xmas (a year past Xmas). I don't use it an awful lot, but when I'm out and about or traveling, I always take my Kindle rather than physical books, because that way I can take an entire library with me, rather than packing half a dozen paperbacks for a week's holiday - it really saves on space and weight!

 

That said, I'm still taking a paperback with me on the train tomorrow (along with my Kindle!) as I'm completely engrossed ni the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin and I have those books in paperback only.

 

I also love that there are literally HUNDREDS of free e-books I can download and try out new authors I might be reluctant to spend money on trying for the first time. I really wouldn't be without my Kindle now for all the money in the world!

[muggle not]

I wouldn't be without my Kindle. Funny, really, because I always said I'd never have an e-reader, but I came round to the idea and got one for Xmas (a year past Xmas). I don't use it an awful lot, but when I'm out and about or traveling, I always take my Kindle rather than physical books, because that way I can take an entire library with me, rather than packing half a dozen paperbacks for a week's holiday - it really saves on space and weight!

 

That said, I'm still taking a paperback with me on the train tomorrow (along with my Kindle!) as I'm completely engrossed ni the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R R Martin and I have those books in paperback only.

 

I also love that there are literally HUNDREDS of free e-books I can download and try out new authors I might be reluctant to spend money on trying for the first time. I really wouldn't be without my Kindle now for all the money in the world!

I agree with most of your post. i would find it extremely difficult to do without my kindle. I have downloaded in the past 12 months approx. 50 free books mostly from the library. Three of them are the RR Martin books.

[Lucybird]

I think people have covered most of it. I want to add though if you're reading PDFs on a kindle they do come up small, you can zoom in, but not change the font siize which means you have to scroll.

 

Also you can't automatically use kindle books on another e-reader, you have to convert them with a program, and I'm not sure if it's legal. I was going to replace mine with a kobo until I found that out.

[itsmeagain]

I took ages, around 9 months, to get into my kindle, but now I like it on journeys, at work, etc. A lot of publicity in UK  about faulty kindles breaking down after a year but mine is fine.

[bobblybear]

I think people have covered most of it. I want to add though if you're reading PDFs on a kindle they do come up small, you can zoom in, but not change the font siize which means you have to scroll.

 

I think the PDFs can be converted using Calibre as well, then you don't have such a problem with small font.

[muggle not]

Do you use a screen protector for your kindle. What type and are you satisfied with it.

[Raven]

When did the 8.9" Kindle Fire HD come out?  I'd not seen one before I noticed one in Waterstones at the weekend.

[muggle not]

Do you use a screen protector for your kindle. What type and are you satisfied with it.

Do you use a screen protector for your kindle. If so, what type and are you satisfied with it?