e-readers

[dixie_belle]

Now, let me preface my comments by mentioning that I am decidedly low tech. I cook from scratch, don't have a smart phone (I HATE appliances that are smarter than I am), no GPS, I'm really old school (or as my kids say, I'm just old, ahem)

I LOVE to read. I can go to the resale store and buy used books for $.50...sometimes I can go to a garage sale and buy books for $.05. And I can take the books with me anywhere. They fit in my purse and I can read anywhere, anytime. So what's with all these e-books, anyway? You gotta pay for the e-reader and then you gotta pay for the books. And, from what I can see, they are not cheap. Maybe it's just me, being low tech, but I'd much rather have a real book. There is just something about turning the pages, and if it's a really good book, I can keep it on my shelf.

Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I a dinosaur? (did I spell that right?) (am I a poor speller, as well?) LOL

 

[REO]

I'm just like you!! In fact, I've had a sewing machine for 10 yrs and never got around to using it. I sew by hand even if I'm making curtains or clothes. (OY my poor fingers LOL)

I LOVE my books! Love seeing them and re-reading them. I even love the smell of books

 

[Jenny]

I also like reading a "real" book, but reading with an e-reader has a lot of features that I like. I have iBooks on my iPad and I really like how it automatically saves the page your on, you can also click on a word and it will give you the dictionary definition, and you can highlight words or sentences. I find these features really helpful, especially on novels I have to read for school. I've tried different e-readers, and I did not like reading on them, but I like the iPad.

 

[bevann]

I am an avid reader and do real books and my Kindle.I bought the Kindle several years ago before going on a trip to New Zealand and Australia.I live in DE so a long flight to Los Angeles. then a 14 hr flight each way.I loaded lots of books before I left and had a very light item in my purse to read whenever I needed.I look on amazon and find bargain books. I do not have or want a smart phone.My cell phone is an older model flip phone since it is always in my pocket in the barn or wherever I am.I do not text and use it mostly to call or have someone call me for important stuff.I NEVER use even half the minutes I have for the month.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I love real books mostly but also really enjoy my kindle fire where I can store shelves of books and can pull it out and read in the doctors office and also can put in ear buds and watch a downloaded movie etc. .. You really can't beat the feel of a real paper back book, however I do enjoy the electronic books on occasion. Not too expensive. I only browse the cheap books and you can borrow one for free once a month.

 

[sfmini]

I like "real" books, but I love my iPad with the Amazon books, plus I can borrow ebooks and audio books from my library. I always have my iPad with me and can pull it out and read any time. I have a Nook, but haven't used it since I got the iPad.

 

[sdust]

I LOVE LOVE Love my Kindle Fire. I also felt like I could not give up my books for the same reason as you. However, because I can change the print size and the brightness on the screen I am able to read anywhere! I do not purchase books, I am too cheap, but download books from the library. I always have a book to read at no cost. If I had to purchase books I would not use my Kindle. Hope that this helps.​

 

[Debby - LB]

LOL!! " I cook from scratch, don't have a smart phone (I HATE appliances that are smarter than I am), no GPS, I'm really old school " <== this is me too! for someone who makes a living electronically I am pitiful. I do not have a smart phone and can't stand to see people pecking on them everywhere! and don't get me started on the conversations I'm forced to listen to in the grocery store or Dr. offices!!

I do all my work on the computer and back it up electronically in several places BUT I write everything down. Good old pen and paper I feel safe with.

I do have a Kindle and LOVE it. I love books as well, I drug my feet about it for years because I love the feel and smell of a book. My daughter got me a Kindle for Christmas one year and I read from it every night. I love it! did I day I love it?

..anyway don't let the price of books scare you off. I get all of mine from free ebook places or the public library, just go get yourself a library card. I also have a Amazon prime account so get a free book a month from there.

I have actually only purchased 3 books since I got my Kindle and those were the Newsflesh trilogy and the first one was only .99 cents!

 

[Sonya]

I do like the feel of a book, but I love my kindle app on my ipad mini. As someone else mentioned, you can change the font size/brightness, it has a built in dictionary and just by touching a word you can get the definition. I also like how you can type in a search if you forget a character, etc...and it will take you right to the place it was first mentioned and then you can just go right back to where you left off. I like that you always have all your books with you...I sometimes (not often) read more than one book at once and the kindle is perfect for that. You can read in the dark with no lights on. You can get many books free and there is an app called the kindle buffet which changes daily and tells you which books are free.

 

[Tab]

You can get many books on the kindle for free, especially literary classics. If you have amazon prime you can borrow books for free. You can also get e-library books. If you get a more advanced tablet, like a Kindle fire HD, you can use many free apps and games, listen to audiobooks and music. They can almost replace a laptop and a cell phone.

 

[ohmt]

My Kindle saves me so much money. I go through about a book a week so having it has been a blessing on my bank account. New releases (usually $18+ at Barnes and Noble) are under $10, so if I just can't wait for paperback then I have that option. My fiance also reads a lot, but he really likes to find up and coming writers, and so many that he finds are self published that he is forced to use an e-reader. He prefers the actual book, but the majority of the time the book hasn't been published except for an e-reader and others Barnes and Noble can't order them. So he uses his Nook. He has a fancy one, but I have the original Kindle that is really cheap, but I prefer it over his. It's more book-like.

Excuse spelling errors-on my phone!

 

[lucky seven]

I have the cheap kindle and love it. The only part I didn't like was having to pay for the wifi with my cable bill. But I found that McDonalds and my local library have free wifi so that was cancelled. I don't buy books anymore because I was spending too much money. Now I have 19 pages of free books to read. I still love to hold the real thing and have special ones that mean alot to me. I wouldn't stop going to a library, the kindle has given me a reason to visit more often. Also with my kindle I can get "samples" of books to try. One in particular, Under the Dome, was one that I wanted to read when the series came out but didn't want to pay the hefty price for it. I read the sample and then took the book out at the library and was very happy I didn't buy it as the story wasn't very interesting. I also don't own a cell phone, still a landline for me. Don't have GPS either, I have paper maps. And I'm also old!

 

[MajorClementine]

I absolutely love real books... BUT... I love my e-reader as well. I have the first edition Kindle. It is the e-ink so the screen is not back lit like on an ipad. You need a book light to read it at night. It reads just like a paper book. The new e-readers are just like an ipad or other tablets and I do NOT like them. What is the point? For me the point is reading so I don't need a color screen or internet surfing. Plus the back lit screen, like staring at a computer screen all day, gives me a headache and wears my eyes out.

I love books if I am at home reading but I love my e-reader if I am traveling. I like to read 2-3 books at a time (weird I know) so it is a pain in the butt for me to pack 2-3 books with me. Plus if I finish a book while I'm away from home I can just look up another book to read.

I also read mostly free books on my Kindle. And since mine is the first edition it is 3G rather than Wi-Fi so it cost me an extra $30 up front but that's it. There is no monthly fee for the 3G service which is used to shop for new books.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Well, I have an iPad mini and have Kindle on it and I love it. I love that you can have so many books, but only takes up a very small space in my home. I don't really buy books, I get the free ones, from Amazon or other places. I get an email from Bookbub everyday, with the free offers. You can sign up for the types and styles of books you enjoy. I do have a Smart Phone, and having internet on it, has helped with so many things, when I've been at my mom's place, as she has no computer or internet, but there seems like there is always something she wants to know about and it has come in handy to be able to look things up, right then and there. I do only have recipes on recipe cards. If I find a recipe online and want it, I write it down on a card. So that is where I am very old fashioned. But I do text, on my phone. Has helped me keep up with my kids and what is going on with them. But there are many electronics, that I refuse to get and don't want. We don't have cable t.v. and only use rabbit ears to get in all the local stations. LOL

 

[susanne]

.
I'm beyond addicted to books. I love reading, but my love of books goes way beyond that. I'm a print graphic designer, so the design, illustration and typography are an enormous part of my book experience; with every book I study the paper, binding, printing technique, and millions of things few others ever notice. I love how books look on shelves, and my library is a huge part of our home -- our entire house is a library.

However...

My abysmal eyesight makes it difficult for me to read long passages, and reading an entire printed book is virtually impossible. With an ereader, I can enlarge the text and am once again able to read nonstop. My Kindle died recently, but I've downloaded the free Kindle software and am back in business, now on my Mac.

Ereaders could never replace books -- they just make it possible for me to do more than look at pictures. Photos, illustrations, charts and other graphics do not come across as well, and you lose the tactile experience, the smell, and the look of the real thing. I deal with this by reading books first on Kindle, then buying the hardcover book. Books on design, architecture, gardening, animals, etc. that depend on photos are purchased as hardcovers and I just dig out my magnifying glass and take an Advil.

 

[Shari]

Have hundreds of paper back books, I love to read.

I won a Kindle Fire last year, one of the smaller ones... I did not use it much at first. Just when I was sitting to get the car's oil change and such like that.

Fast forward to a few months ago..... I have been having problems reading, the off color paper and print not much darker than the print

(Unlike the old days with bright white paper and strong print)

So I started using the Kindle Fire more. , I surfed through any and all free books that I might like... and I have been reading a lot.
Much easier on my eyes.

The added plus, you can have games, stream video.

 

[lvponies]

I have loved reading my entire life. I too relished the feel of a book. I was given a Kindle Fire last year for Christmas and swore I would never use it, ever, ever, ever!! Well....I finally gave in and tried it and Love it!! I love that I can buy and download so many different books. I'm never without something to read and it's really nice to not have to find places in the house to store all the books I go through. I haven't bought a paper book in the last year and don't foresee buying anymore. It's so simple and so easy and I no longer have to wait for the paperback version of a book to come out. New releases are available and they normally cost less than the price of a paperback. Sometimes, even this old dog, can learn and love new technology!!

 

[Jill]

I set up Kindles for my parents a couple years ago, and they love them. My sister also loves hers, and this year the big gift for their oldest kids are two Kindle Blazes or whatever (the kind that are also tablets). I was really impressed when I set up my parents with how much the screen looks like paper, and how easily they can both get their own books on their Kindles (they are not very tech savy, but get new books all the time).

Just one thing, if it's "just" for reading and depending on the lifestyle of those reading this post -- don't forget about Audible.com. THAT is the only way I will read any book for fun these days. Nearly all of their books are unabridged, which is the only kind I want to hear. The narrators are SO good these days and I just love being able to drive to work, take a bath, or go to bed listening to someone read to me (and these narrators read SO well). You can listen to books on any smart phone, MP3 player, or computer. I use my iPhone, and have a speaker thing in the bedroom that charges, and it connects through "blue tooth" in the car, which sometimes makes me sit in the driveway to get to a good stopping point!

Right now, I'm too "spoiled" by being read to by these awesome narrators, and to lazy to read to myself now when it's "just" for fun. It's just super relaxing to be read to, and for me, I think I get and retain more from the books I hear. Some of the ones I've heard but might have otherwise read, I think I could have skipped some parts.

You can listen to samples through Audible.com (an Amazon company) to see if you might also enjoy audio books. They have a couple "membership" options... The one I have gives you two audio books per month for about $23, and they also have frequent sales and the ability to buy 3 extra "credits" (1 credit = 1 book) once a month.

 

[lucky seven]

I tried audio books by taking several out from the library. Really didn't like them much but them my hubby started talking and I couldn't hear the book.lol

I still like holding what I'm reading better.

 

[susanne]

I used to love listening to Dick Estell, the public radio "Radio Reader," so you'd think I'd be a natural for Audible, but I find listening to books gives away too much of what I enjoy when I read. I don't like anyone else's input -- I want to give my imagination free rein, and even the narrator's inflections and phrasing (especially with dialogue) puts too much of another person's interpretation into the mix.

But that's just one of my quirks -- I say whatever brings a person the joy of reading, more power to them!