02-28-2009, 07:09 PM | #31 |
Retired & reading more!
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Apparently, I'm trying to support competition. (See my devices)
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02-28-2009, 07:47 PM | #32 |
Guru
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I bought a Kindle and like it just fine (I have version 1) so you may want to take my point of view with a grain of salt. IF I had to pick disadvantages they would be:
No folders. You can arrange your content by title or by author, and go to a particular page (if you know the book you want is about on page 7 of your home screen, for instance) or to a particular starting letter of the title or author, but you *can't* have a folder of "neat books about elephants" or "books Mom recommended" or the like. DRM. My books work seamlessly now but if Amazon abandons the Kindle, I have to learn to crack the DRM to use them on another machine when my Kindle dies. That's illegal, plus it's a lot of trouble. I'm hoping it won't be an issue. We'll see. The new version doesn't take SD cards and doesn't have a user replaceable battery. I'm not very impressed with those changes. It can only handle simple pdfs and only after translation via Amazon or an e-book program like Stanza. The more complex or larger pdfs (scientific journal articles) are problematic. But it can load non-drmed mobi books and other self-generated content after translation, which I like. I wish you could sketch on the screen to underline and scribble comments. It does allow highlighting, but it isn't very precise, and it does allow annotation, but you have to type it in, and you can't see the annotation unless you click on it and pick "edit." I wish the annotations and text were visible at the same time, and I wish the highlighting was more precise. I understand some changes have been made to this in the Kindle 2, so maybe it's less of a problem now. |
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02-28-2009, 08:24 PM | #33 |
Resident Curmudgeon
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The main reason is that the Kindle eBooks are closed to everyone who does not own a Kindle. Everyone else has a program available that runs (even if only on Windows) on a computer and your eBooks are not locked to one device. We get articles on the net saying that Amazon is trying to make eBooks mainstream. Mainstream to Amazon and Kindle owners. But everyone else, forget it.
I have a feeling that what is happening is that because of Amazon's "lower prices", the publisher keep the prices somewhat higher outside of Amazon to make up for the losses imposed by Amazon. This is just my opinion. And now because of the TTS in the K2, we have a new can of worms with regard to legal DRM removal in the USA. Basically, Amazon has muddied the waters big time. They have a lot of eBook on Amazon that we cannot get anyplace else. And because of that those of us without a Kindle cannot get them anyplace. For example, take the eBook Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. It was made into an Amazon exclusive. It was supposed to be so for just six months. So where is it outside of Amazon now that six months ended February 20th? My guess is its not yet available due to sales. And why is that? Because it was only available at Amazon relying on Kindle owners to make these sales. It would have sold a lot better had it been available for all formats. And we have the eBook UR from Stephen King. King fans cannot get this unless they shell out for a K2 or a used K1. To put it in simple terms, I don't like the way Jeff Bezos does business and how it affects the rest of the eBook market. He's trying to corner the eBook market to force us to have to purchase a Kindle. |
02-28-2009, 08:30 PM | #34 |
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My reasons for choosing Sony over Kindle:
1) Filetypes: I'm moderately proficient, and very comfortable, at file conversion; I wanted the content I already had to work on my new reader. The Sony works with files I already have; the Kindle does not. (Txt doesn't count.) 2) Control: I like the option of control over my content--want to be able to reformat it if I care to take the time. I can format things how I want them for RTF, or PDF. (I'm damn near worthless with HTML. I should work on that.) Having to format a file and sent it to someone else for conversion was a step I didn't want. 3) Free books more important than paid, for me: I care that it's easy to get stuff from manybooks & feedbooks; I don't care that I have less purchasing options. I am happy to purchase from Baen & Fictionwise (which would need an extra transfer stage for the K), but the differences between various DRM-infected stores don't matter to me; I'm not buying from them. 4) Politics: I don't like Amazon's monopolistic attempts, don't like their inability to stick to a story about DRM, don't like their POD policy. Don't want to support Amazon's efforts to be the only book resource on the planet. 5) Memory Card: while this wasn't relevant when I got my Sony, it is now--I like the ability to store books (and miscellaneous, not usable by the Reader) on memory cards. 6) Whispernet is irrelevant to me. There are other factors that could be relevant, some of which have been mentioned; I'm not sure any of them were important to me. I'm annoyed at the lack of folders, but I can't say I use the Collections feature--I usually just plug the Reader into my computer and drag-and-drop files into it. One of my common uses for the Reader is: * Go to blog during lunch hour * Copy-paste content, with comments, into Word * Click on links in blog entry. Add those, if interesting, to file * Format to ~3.5x4.8 pages; convert to PDF (because PDF has smaller filesize than RTF) * Bookmark PDF for main blog entry, other entries, comments that caught my eye on first glance, etc. * Throw PDF onto Reader for reading during evening transit. Can't do that with the Kindle. At least, not quick-and-easy on my lunch hour. Why I didn't get an iLiad instead: 1) It costs too much (Meaning, "more than I can afford," rather than "more than it's worth.") 2) Larger screen--I switched from a PDA and would've liked a screen about 2/3 the size of the Sony Reader's. |
02-28-2009, 09:01 PM | #35 | |
Gadget Geek
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I've heard K2's batter life is longer but I don't have one so I couldn't say for sure. |
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02-28-2009, 09:38 PM | #36 | |
Banned
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In the end the Kindle 2 just works, with very little drama, because you don't need a PC. So long as you don't mind paying for content. You will also probably be able to easily, and with little drama, be able to migrate your 1100 book shelf forwards to the Kindle 2 via the offices of the good folks at Fictionwise. Again, if you've been paying for content. If your 1100 can totter forward another year you might choose to hold out and get a color reader. And don't think I'm trying to hint you're a pirate. Just you see lots of drama around here from folks that spend a heck of a lot of time chasing around after free content. Some people collect stamps, other people scan old books into ebooks. |
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02-28-2009, 10:04 PM | #37 | ||||
Provocateur
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02-28-2009, 10:45 PM | #38 |
Nameless Being
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02-28-2009, 10:50 PM | #39 |
Wizard
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If you have a readaholic and it is an issue, ANY ebook will only fuel the addiction further.
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02-28-2009, 11:34 PM | #40 |
Full Fledged Newbie
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I really wish it had a backlight option or shipped with a book light. Just my two cents.
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03-01-2009, 12:23 AM | #41 | ||||
Grand Sorcerer
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I could learn Mobi conversion. (I'm learning lrf conversion.) But the ability to work with multiple filetypes I could already make by myself was a strong part of my Sony decision; I almost went with the Hanlin instead, but couldn't find it in the States (I had a 24-hour window to decide which to buy), and decided that international shipping/customer service was a hassle I didn't want to deal with. Quote:
If the Kindle can read mobi and txt files *loaded directly onto it from one's computer*, that needs to be added to the "Kindle Myths" thread--because it's not clear from the advertising hype. They pitch Whispernet & their books for sale, and try not to mention if you can use content you already have without sending it to them. Quote:
"Blog" may be a misnomer here. I'm talking about connected sets of LiveJournal and InsaneJournal posts, where the comments are often as important as the posts. For example, the four most recent posts here. Also, I'm *comfortable* converting to PDF. It's quick and easy for me. I can convert a novel-length Word doc to LRF-sized PDF, change the font to something I like, bookmark the chapter headers, all without reading the content, in a couple of minutes, sometimes less. I have (twitch) almost a decade's practice working with PDFs. I have no practice with Mobi; I'd be learning from scratch. I know these aren't reasons that'd be compelling to a lot of other people. The extra cost was probably a factor as well, but not much of one. |
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03-01-2009, 12:23 AM | #42 |
Wizard
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03-01-2009, 01:51 AM | #43 | ||||||
Provocateur
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Yeah, I think you're so set in your ways that you're not open to doing things in new and better ways. I mean, I used to wish Bulletin Boards like this one were still accessed via USENET, but I've learned to adjust. I don't copy and paste them all into USENET postings. :P |
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03-01-2009, 01:58 AM | #44 | |
I'm Super Kindle-icious
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03-01-2009, 02:15 AM | #45 |
Resident Curmudgeon
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Oh no! The K2 has been having unprotected .mobi!
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