Your thoughts on digital books?

Ebooks, Kindles, etc., what're your thoughts? For some people it may be fine, as for some it's fine to download books online and just read them on the computer, but personally I can only spend so much time looking at a damn screen. I watch TV, I work on the computer, at the end of it all I need to get my eyes away from the lights and pixels and everything, and a nice book with real pages made of ink and paper that will still be there without the benefit of batteries or electricity works just fine for me. How about everyone else?

I love my Kindle, got one for Chrismas and instantly fell in love, lol. Books are great but after a while one can run out of room. My Kindle can hold 3,500 books and only weighs 10 ounces. Most of the classics can be down loaded free.

Super, I am like you. I like to hold a book and read it and turn my pages. But I wouldn't mind the electronic variety for the gym.

I don't have one, so I can't say, but there are times it would be great, as i have way too many books. On the other hand, i LOVE curling up with a good book in my hand - holding it while I sip hot chocolate or a cool drink. I've always been a bookworm and would miss them if I didn't have them around. Plus, as others have said, I think after awhile, I'd find it hard to always be looking at a screen. I love the smell and feel of a brand new book - the shiny cover, the feel of basically untouched pages, the way it smells. I'd miss that.

While I imagine it would make storage easier, I can't help but not want to look at a screen all day to read.

When I read I am not conscious of the screen or the book page. I used to think I would miss the book, but I don't at all. It is all about the printed word for me, lol.

Does Kindle come with a... backup system? I mean - if something happens to my Kindle, would I loose all of the books that I have on there? If the screen cracks or it gets knocked to the floor? I'm not rough with my things and take pretty good care of them, but accidents do happen. Also, I get the feelign having a Kindle would end those relaxing soaks in the tub with a good book? My Mom used to shake her head when I was a kid and she'd see me disappear into the bathroom with a stack of books and bottle of water. I get the feeling a Kindle wouldn't survive an accidental dip in the tub the way a book can, though in worse shape than before. I haven't dropped that many, but have had the occasional wet pages or dunked corners and some have actually joined me in the tub, though not many.

^^^^IDK, but that Kindle seems awfully expensive to me given it's limited capabilities.

TSJFan4Ever wrote:Does Kindle come with a... backup system? I mean - if something happens to my Kindle, would I loose all of the books that I have on there? If the screen cracks or it gets knocked to the floor? I'm not rough with my things and take pretty good care of them, but accidents do happen. Also, I get the feelign having a Kindle would end those relaxing soaks in the tub with a good book? My Mom used to shake her head when I was a kid and she'd see me disappear into the bathroom with a stack of books and bottle of water. I get the feeling a Kindle wouldn't survive an accidental dip in the tub the way a book can, though in worse shape than before. I haven't dropped that many, but have had the occasional wet pages or dunked corners and some have actually joined me in the tub, though not many.

Of course it would be bad to submerge a Kindle, lol. I am sure Amazon has a record of what one buys so they could replace all books in case of accidents. I am such a bookworm, always have two books going at a time, read one on Kindle and another hardback. I have probably 80 to 90 books downloaded now and can download over 3400 more. I was like you, thought I would really miss reading a book, but I don't. A Kindle is lighter than a book and can be held just like a book. Every two weeks the battery must be charged, no big deal. You can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers. Sorry for sounding like an advertisement.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:^^^^IDK, but that Kindle seems awfully expensive to me given it's limited capabilities.

Whatever, you don't have to buy one. I'm perfectly happy with mine.

pisces33 wrote:Whatever, you don't have to buy one. I'm perfectly happy with mine.

I might get one if they come down in price.

Forgiveness_Man wrote:I might get one if they come down in price.

Mine was a christmas gift, so that was all good. They now start at $139 I think.

^^^^Definitely better than the 300 bucks I used to see them going for. I'ma hold out as bit. MP3 Players used to be really expensive too but they came down really cheap.

pisces33 wrote:Of course it would be bad to submerge a Kindle, lol.

LOL - maybe one day they'll come out with water proof ones - lol! Can you imagine the fun? Take it swimming with you, use it in the pool and don't worry if you get knocked off the air mattress while reading?

pisces33 wrote:I am sure Amazon has a record of what one buys so they could replace all books in case of accidents. I am such a bookworm, always have two books going at a time, read one on Kindle and another hardback. I have probably 80 to 90 books downloaded now and can download over 3400 more. I was like you, thought I would really miss reading a book, but I don't. A Kindle is lighter than a book and can be held just like a book. Every two weeks the battery must be charged, no big deal. You can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers. Sorry for sounding like an advertisement.

No - that's okay - I'm curious. I heard about them and had seen a few people using them while I was holidays in the States during Spring Break. Are the Kindle books usually a lot cheaper than regular books? I mean - if a reg book cast... say... $10, what would the kindle price be, or does it really vary.

Also, how easy is it to find your page or re-read something. There are times I like to reread favourite parts, which is each to do with a paperback 'cause the more I turn there, the more worn it gets, so sometimes it'll just fall open to it. Does the Kindle save the last page your on in the same way a bookmark would work, or would I have to stop at a convenient place, like the end of the chapter, and then find that chapter again?

Am I able to have several books on the go at one time with Kindle? I'm like you, though I usually average at least half a dozen books at any given time.

Thanks!

Prices are rising, Amazon has been in a war with publishers lately, but it is still a lot cheaper to down load. If you are reading and turn it off, when turned back on it takes you to the "page" you were reading, and there are chapters you can go to, just like a book to help get you close to where you want to be. And you can buy books from the Kindle, which gets me in trouble, lol.

LOL - I can imagine! Are you able to have several books on the go at once? That's usually how I am, and will read whichever book I feel like at the time - whatever my mood is.

Why is the Kindle so expensive anyway? It doesn't seem all that revolutionary.

And how about the new iPad? My mother thought that'd be a great thing to get, download a bunch of books onto it...we checked the price it was over $400, she said forget it. $400....I've probably spent that much on all the 3-4000 books I own, or a large part of them anyway, $400 just for the iPad, not even with any of the books in it yet, we couldn't believe that.

^^^^I can. It's a racket. Wait until the new and improved ones come out. Then the prices will drop on the old and obsolete ones.

TSJFan4Ever wrote:LOL - I can imagine! Are you able to have several books on the go at once? That's usually how I am, and will read whichever book I feel like at the time - whatever my mood is.

Sure, I have more than one started and I just go to the home page and click on what one I want to read and it takes me to the page I was on.

That's good! It would be handy to have all of my books in one place. Do they have mainly the most popular books, or others, as well? I mean - I know it's not going to be like going to my public library, but some of my favs are oldies - not classics, but just printed awhile back. I wonder how many of those they'd have.

LOVE my kindle. I do multiple books at a time. It just goes to the page where you left off. If you lose/break yours, you still own the books you have purchased and can reload them.

My only complaint: some older books aren't well loaded. You get bizarre stuff in the middle of the text. I spent days wondering what pan ties were. Turns out it's panties.