E-Readers

[Beco]

Looking into getting an E-reader. I love books. I love the smell of books. However, my son happens to like to shred paper--and that includes my books. He has the same taste as me. My favorite books are his favorite targets. And before parenting advice/lectures becomes the focus of the thread...he has Autism and it's one of those things we are working on. However, one of the things to work on is removing some of the temptation.

The real point of this is to ask, if you own an e-reader, what kind is it and how do you like it and what DON'T you like about it (if anything).

Thanks for feedback!

iPhone

 

[Saint Peter]

There is an engineering certification that was changed from paper based to the computer. The reference book used during the test is not small. Scrolling through page after page of PDF is not the same as finding the place in a paper book.

Poor little snot nosed bastards.

 

[Balladeer08]

^

Monies spent on bookshelves is monies well-spent.

Let's compare...

"Winston! Come see my list of books I have on my E-Reader!"

vs.

"Winston! Come see my very impressive library! Many of them are leather-bound first editions, and the entire room smells of rich mahogany! Come! Sit by my fireplace! Let the crackling flames illuminate the 4th century manuscript I just inherited!"

I thought the purpose of books was to get information out of the books and into your brain.

Having a bookshelf so you can brag to others about your cabinetry strikes me as idiotic. I've known a number of people with bookshelves full of books they've never read. Oddly, it seems important to them that the books they don't read have leather covers.

Many, many people seem VERY strange to me.

 

[Balladeer08]

There is an engineering certification that was changed from paper based to the computer. The reference book used during the test is not small. Scrolling through page after page of PDF is not the same as finding the place in a paper book.

Poor little snot nosed bastards.

I use Aldiko reader on my droid phone. It has a search function. Also highlighting, copying.... you know, technology stuff.

Often I cut and paste quotes and share them with my sons.

 

[RunningJib]

Took The Plunge

Purchased a refurbished Sumsang Galaxy Tab 4

First ebook purchased is My Samsung Galaxy Tab 4

 

[stellarmuse]

Purchased a refurbished Sumsang Galaxy Tab 4

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 which is great for reading e-books. Though having a tablet stand is a must.

 

[islandman]

There is an engineering certification that was changed from paper based to the computer. The reference book used during the test is not small. Scrolling through page after page of PDF is not the same as finding the place in a paper book.

Poor little snot nosed bastards.

Ctrl+F.

You're welcome, old timer.

 

[Beco]

I was watching a lady on the plane a few weeks ago, she had a device in her hands, and was watching movies off of it. I meant to ask her what that was but forgot and we landed, etc. What device can you have that has downloaded movies? Non-streaming movies...which I didnt reallize you cant do on a plane.

 

[Hypoxia]

Purchased a refurbished Sumsang Galaxy Tab 4

I plan to buy a Tab 4 7.0 today. Well, Samsung, not Sumsang, but you get the idea.

My story: I own a zillion paper books. I have disposed of many, and zillions still remain. I used to travel with a crateful of books on the car's back seat. I got my first mini-notebook (a 10-inch Vaio) about 15 years ago and loved reading from the tens of thousands of texts fitted onto an external drive (thank you, Project Gutenberg!) rather than hauling many kilos of paper. I got my first tablet a couple years ago, an 8-inch Android by Vizio, the VTAB 1008. It's splendid as a reader but slow at web-surfing and it's a bit heavy at 500g. The Galaxy Tab 4 7.0 weighs about half as much at 275g and should be a bit more pocketable.

Yes, I keep all my tech manuals on the tablet. Yes, paper manuals are more convenient -- when they're around. I never lose them on the tablet. And a little 1TB USB drive can hold a LOT of texts and media.

That said, I'm more likely to carry one paperback for waiting-room reading than to break out the Vizio tablet. That may change if the Samsung is as light and agile as I expect.

 

[islandman]

I was watching a lady on the plane a few weeks ago, she had a device in her hands, and was watching movies off of it. I meant to ask her what that was but forgot and we landed, etc. What device can you have that has downloaded movies? Non-streaming movies...which I didnt reallize you cant do on a plane.

Any tablet can do this. Just use your favourite service to download the movies beforehand.

 

[Liar]

Any tablet can do this. Just use your favourite service to download the movies beforehand.

As long as you don't cheap out on the storage or be careful not to hoard movies on it. 16 GB will fill up pretty fast.

 

[islandman]

As long as you don't cheap out on the storage or be careful not to hoard movies on it. 16 GB will fill up pretty fast.

Good point. MicroSD cards are cheap these days.

 

[quietlylooking]

Kindle. Didn't take long to adjust to the electric screen. Love the ability to carry lots of books in a very portable fashion. One of the best (and most dangerous) things is the immediate gratification of getting a recommendation, reading a review etc and getting the book instantly. Somewhat alleviated by the free sample of the first chapter or so, which is somewhat equivalent of the whole standing in the bookstore aisle thumbing through a book, but actually gives you a better feel for the book.

Not good for books that have any sophisticated graphics at all.

Overall, a definitive yes for me.

I have an old black and white Kindle that I really, really like, despite the financial dangers of it as described by VirtualFWB. I love that I can read the same book on my phone at lunch or when waiting on line at the grocery store and not lose my place.

Disadvantages: Not seeing the cover of the book, I often forget the name of the book I'm reading, and/or the author's name. It's not as easy to scroll back and find something earlier in the book to re-read, either.

 

[Liar]

Good point. MicroSD cards are cheap these days.

Words that make iPad owners weep.

 

[islandman]

Words that make iPad owners weep.

Yes, sorry, that's my anti-Apple bias peeking through.

Then again, with the new Galaxy S6, Samsung has managed to copy the worst of the iPhone.

 

[Hypoxia]

Good point. MicroSD cards are cheap these days.

The 64 gigger I bought at CostCo yesterday cost just US$40. Comparison: My first memory upgrade (for an 8-bit system in 1980) was 64K for US$800. And a month later the price had dropped by half. Ouch. By the end of 2015 we'll see 128GB SD cards for about US$25 probably. Moore's law rules.