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Which e-reader?
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Sibelius


Posts: 63
Joined: Aug 2011
Post: #1
20-11-2012 10:53 AM

I'm thinking of getting an e-reader. Does anyone agree the Kindle Paper White would be the best option (tax-dodging aside...)? I wouldn't get the Kindle Fire as I don't want a glass screen, but will consider anything else.

Also, posting this on 'Trading Post' so if anyone has an e-reader to sell you can let me know how much you want for it (PM me if you like).

And finally - I am pretty loath to move away from yer actual 'book', but I've finally run out of shelf space, and don't want to get rid of any of my existing books. Does anyone have any tales of how they learnt to love their e-reader?

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rshdunlop


Posts: 1,111
Joined: Jun 2008
Post: #2
20-11-2012 12:29 PM

I love my books, so I was amazed at how much I also love my Kindle. Here are the pros for me:

Comfort - the kindle is light and comfortable to hold. I have mine in a cover so that I can hold it like a book. It is fabulous for fat, heavy books like Wolf Hall. And I can hold it in one hand if standing on the train.

Easy on the eyes - I would agree that you should go for an e-ink version and definitely not a glass screen or anything back lit. Back lighting cause sleep disturbance if you are reading before going to bed and glass causes glare, making it hard to read in even the mildest of outdoor light. Being able to increase the font size is a huge boon when you realise you've forgotten your glasses. Again. I find the reading experience very pleasant indeed, almost easier than print with my dodgy middle-aged eyes.

Increase your vocabulary! - Click and highlight a word and you get instant access to its definition. If you get the 3G version (which I'd also recommend) you can go online to research things further.

Instant access to books: Almost instant download over wifi and 3G. There is no contract or cost with the 3G, above and beyond your purchase price.

Sync between devices - you can download Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, PC and (I think) Mac. You can bookmark where you are in your book in any device, pick up another device, sync and it automatically takes you to where you left off. Great if, for example, you forget your Kindle but you have your iPhone in your pocket.

Now that I've settled in to using my Kindle, I actually prefer e-books and get a bit grumbly if I have to read a paper book.

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Sibelius


Posts: 63
Joined: Aug 2011
Post: #3
20-11-2012 12:45 PM

Thanks very much for that, and yes, I am supposed to use glasses for reading but always forget to bring them home from work, so increasing font size will be a plus point.
I'm just reading that unless I really want to read in the dark, I might as well get the £69 Kindle, which I could certainly prefer if they're just as good. I'm really not so lazy as to not be ***ed switching the bedside light on!

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MightyMouse


Posts: 122
Joined: Apr 2012
Post: #4
20-11-2012 05:56 PM

I've got the bog-standard £69 Kindle, as I don't often want to read in the dark. I love it - I thought I'd lost it last week and was ready to immediately buy another (luckily I'd just left it at work).

I don't really have any cons, except that I kind of wish they opened like a book and had two sides so I didn't have to "turn the pages" so often! And of course because you have to pay full price for the books it's way more expensive than my old habit of buying second hand.

But the joy of having a huge selection of books with me all the time is a massive plus point. I used to travel a lot with work, so it was great to only have to pack the Kindle and not worry about taking a few books away. Likewise, if a book turns out to be rubbish I've got others to switch to immediately. I find reading on it absolutely fine - and the rudimentary browser saved my skin on holiday last year when my laptop got poorly and the Kindle browser helped me find the solution...

Yes, it would be great if you could 'lend' the books (maybe have it inaccessible from your Kindle for a period whilst it is lent to your friend), but I see that Amazon have started doing a lending library type thing (not the same as lending books to your mates, but clearly a development in the technology), and it would be wonderful if publishers stopped seeing it as a massive cash cow, but these are all generic e-reader issues, I think, rather than limited to a specific brand.

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Sibelius


Posts: 63
Joined: Aug 2011
Post: #5
21-11-2012 10:44 AM

Thanks MightyMouse. I bought the £69 as I didn't really see the need for the Paper White in the end. I'd recommend it!

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AMFM


Posts: 306
Joined: Oct 2007
Post: #6
21-11-2012 11:33 AM

I was also surprised by how much I fell in love with my Kindle (I've got the Touch). I probably still haven't got to grips with all the whizzy things you can do (beyond changing the font size) but a big thumbs up from me. In terms of reading in the dark - my partner bought me a Kindle cover with a built in light - absolutely brilliant as it means I can read in bed and it doesn't annoy her the way it used to when I had the bedside light on and she wanted to sleep!

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