Getting an eBook Reader... Thinking about the Kindle

[Doju]

The Nook looks alright, but seems really laggy, thick and shorter battery life than the Kindle. But, if I go with the Kindle, it seems that it's due for an update soon.

What is Amazon's regular schedule for updates on the Kindle? When do we expect the Kindle 3? What features?

And since I'm buying this in Canada, and it's not officially available here, the wireless is rendered useless. How else can I get books on my device than buying them from Amazon? Can I buy the ePub ebooks and put them on? What formats and stores does it support?

Cheers.

 

[mkrishnan]

It doesn't officially support any stores, per se. You can load files onto it using USB, however, and it's easy to do (just drag and drop). The Mobi and PRC Mobipocket eBook formats are your primary options, unless you'd really want to read PDF format eBooks. If you can get non-DRM files in either of those formats, they'll work fine on the Kindle.

Hackers recently cracked the Kindle DRM, but I don't think that helps you, since you need to go in the opposite direction.

As far as updates... the GSM version did just come out. I think it's expected that there'll be something sometime in 2010, probably with a larger screen-to-device relative size, probably faster, better battery life (the latter two being the main complaints). Color ultimately is expected at some time, but probably not immediately.

EDIT: But Amazon's site says Kindle eBooks and cell service are available in Canada....

 

[Doju]

Alright, thanks. Any idea where I would get these non-DRM ebooks? And in your experience, for every paperback book you wanted has their been an ebook equivalent?

I can't believe the Kindle is available in well over 100 countries but not in Canada. How strange. Nook isn't either, eBooks hate us.

I think I'll wait until the next revision. Even if it isn't amazing, at least I can get the Kindle 2 for cheaper.

 

[Jon-Luke]

Why not just get the Stanza App for your iPhone? It's free and it supports ebooks from various sources including Amazon... The Kobo App is another free eBook reader for you iPhone that may work for you

 

[GoCubsGo]

The OP has a good question, does anyone know the update cycle for a Kindle ... is there even one that can be determined yet?

 

[mkrishnan]

Alright, thanks. Any idea where I would get these non-DRM ebooks? And in your experience, for every paperback book you wanted has their been an ebook equivalent?

Hmmm... that's a good question. I've never bought a non-Kindle eBook. As for every book... I predominantly read literary fiction. There are still some prominent authors in that world (i.e., winners of national or international prizes for fiction) that are not published on the Kindle. My goal is to keep reading on a relatively regular basis, rather than read 15 books and not read for six months. It's working very well for that, and I have an ample list of books that I want to read, from which to pick, at any moment.

The OP has a good question, does anyone know the update cycle for a Kindle ... is there even one that can be determined yet?

I believe the US release dates, courtesy of Wikipedia, are:

Kindle - 11/2007
Kindle 2 - 02/2009
Kindle DX - 05/2009
Kindle 2 International - 10/2009

It seems hard to extrapolate a cycle from that.

 

[Doju]

Why not just get the Stanza App for your iPhone? It's free and it supports ebooks from various sources including Amazon... The Kobo App is another free eBook reader for you iPhone that may work for you

The iPhone cannot even come to compete with a dedicated eBook reader. Reading for long hours on that small, bright screen is really hard on the eyes. eBook readers are fine. Thanks, though.

I appreciate the posts, guys. I guess I'll just wait it out.

 

[mkrishnan]

I appreciate the posts, guys. I guess I'll just wait it out.

Just FWIW... you might also consider a used gen 2 Kindle. They're not that expensive. I guess in principle you could even get a used CDMA one, and then either sell it to a US person later or just continue to use it without wireless capabilities. Sad as I am considering mine cost $360 less than a year ago, used CDMA Kindle 2's are not that pricey now....

 

[Bubbasteve]

Between the two I would definitely pick up the Kindle, but that's just my opinion.

The nook is nice and could eventually become a Kindle killer but when I toyed around with it, it seemed sluggish (but that could change with a software update).

If you REALLY wanted my advice, I would wait until January to see if Apple really does demo the mythical tablet –*especially since it's rumored to be an eBook reader as well as an iPod Touch

 

[NightGeometry]

I use a Sony (used to have a PRS-500, recently updated to a PRS-600), and I'd highly recommend them. No wireless access to a store being the drawback for the Sony. The advantage is that it reads ePub, so you aren't limited to Amazons stock (or any other single retailer).

I bought my mother a Kindle for Christmas, purely for its access to Amazon, but personally I'm not that fond of them. I actually think the Sony is a nicer device, and I dislike the lock-in Amazon tries for.

If you want to read ePub on a Kindle though, well, ePub isn't hard to unlock. So you could buy books from elsewhere, unlock, convert and load onto a Kindle. If you are moving in that direction look into Calibre.

Mobileread is a really good site for reading up on readers

 

[MultiM]

And since I'm buying this in Canada, and it's not officially available here, the wireless is rendered useless.

The Kindle IS available in Canada to Canadians. I have wanted one for ages, but with the new developments coming up in e-reader technology, I'm waiting for another 6 months or so. The Que is going to be introduced in January and so are others like the Alex etc.

Amazon's book store and some policies do not offer the flexibility in purchasing and downloading that I want. Did you know that they can remove books from the Kindle at their discretion? They did it with Orwell's 1984 after the publisher changed their minds. they provided a refund, but WTF?

seriosly, hold off purchasing an e-reader until you've done more research. The Nook and Kindles are not the be all and end all.

Merry Christmas!!

 

[mkrishnan]

Amazon's book store and some policies do not offer the flexibility in purchasing and downloading that I want. Did you know that they can remove books from the Kindle at their discretion? They did it with Orwell's 1984 after the publisher changed their minds. they provided a refund, but WTF?

Now I agree that Amazon handled this poorly, but that's not exactly what happened. 1984 was available from multiple publishers, including one that didn't own the rights to sell it through the Kindle. When that was discovered, that version was retracted. Users were not only refunded but also received a gift certificate from Amazon, and throughout the procedure, the book itself remained available to Kindle users (through the other publishers that actually had rights to distribute it). There was no thought policing going on.

 

[MultiM]

Now I agree that Amazon handled this poorly, but that's not exactly what happened. 1984 was available from multiple publishers, including one that didn't own the rights to sell it through the Kindle. When that was discovered, that version was retracted. Users were not only refunded but also received a gift certificate from Amazon, and throughout the procedure, the book itself remained available to Kindle users (through the other publishers that actually had rights to distribute it). There was no thought policing going on.

Information I didn't have. Thanks. It depends a lot on where I get my info from, and how much of it to believe, I guess. I never thought there was any "thought policing" going on. I just don't like some of Amazon's practices, and other e-readers look so much more interesting and useful.

 

[rhinosrcool]

As much as I like my Kindle2, I have to agree with others who say that you should wait a month or so. By then, there will not only be more to choose from but the prices of current models could go down.

For me, the thinness of the Kindle2 makes it a winner over the Nook. Before buying, I suggest that you, if possible, try it out.

 

[daflake]

We have a Nook and I have played with a Kindle. Both are fine devices for reading ebooks. The Nook is a bit laggy but the latest update helped a little with that which leads me to think that they will eventually get it right.

I would also look at some other devices rather than just looking at those two. There are a few others out there that do a great job as well. Also remember that it is a reading device and lag is not that big of a deal. If you are looking for a computer speed EReader you just won't find it unless you use a computer.

 

[steve knight]

The iPhone cannot even come to compete with a dedicated eBook reader. Reading for long hours on that small, bright screen is really hard on the eyes. eBook readers are fine. Thanks, though.

I appreciate the posts, guys. I guess I'll just wait it out.

I disagree. I just turn down the brightens and it works well. stanza lets you drag your finger on the screen to change that. I have been reading on a palm for a long time. when the iphone could handle books I bought one. my only complaint is at night I wish the screen brightness would go down even father.
I don't have to carry another device around one that costs more then the iphone I can read in quite a few formats so all my older books work fine.
the font size can be changed so it is not a big deal. plus I can read in the dark and use only one hand.

 

[Doju]

I disagree. I just turn down the brightens and it works well. stanza lets you drag your finger on the screen to change that. I have been reading on a palm for a long time. when the iphone could handle books I bought one. my only complaint is at night I wish the screen brightness would go down even father.
I don't have to carry another device around one that costs more then the iphone I can read in quite a few formats so all my older books work fine.
the font size can be changed so it is not a big deal. plus I can read in the dark and use only one hand.

Again, it's usable, but until you read off an e-ink display, you can't really understand the difference.

 

[Doju]

Oh. The Kindle *is* available in Canada, thanks. Should have noted that... Glad to hear it.

So what are all these other options that I should consider? What could you do better than the nook or Kindle (I think the Kindle's bezel is way too thick, though, and the nook too thick in general)? That Sony PRS-600's screen looks really blurry because of the touch-screen I find, and I prefer buttons for changing pages.

The concept of the nook in a thinner, faster package would be nice. (I know it won't ever be as fast as a computer, but the nook's speed is abysmal, have you seen the videos?)

 

[mkrishnan]

I disagree.

You know, I completely agree with you. I don't understand, for instance, either, why people insist on buying Macbooks to view the internet. I tried a web browser on this $300 dual core pentium that I saw at Best Buy, and do you know, it was the same internet. And then just yesterday, I looked at my tailored dress shirt, you know, the one with two sleeves, and do you know, those $20 Arrow dress shirts at Sears have two sleeves also. And of course the McDonalds cheeseburger has most of the food groups in it....

 

[daflake]

So what are all these other options that I should consider? What could you do better than the nook or Kindle (I think the Kindle's bezel is way too thick, though, and the nook too thick in general)? That Sony PRS-600's screen looks really blurry because of the touch-screen I find, and I prefer buttons for changing pages.

So look at the PRS300 or the Astak etc... Here is a site that lists a great deal of the readers out there.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/

 

[NightGeometry]

One thing to take into account - all e-ink devices are going to be slow at turning page, it's just the way it works. I haven't seen nook videos, so I don't know if that is just the lag that is seen...

 

[gloss]

Just to throw my two cents in: I adore my Kindle, and I can't really think of much that the Nook offers (besides ePub compatibility, which is easy enough to handle with any eBook conversion program) that the Kindle doesn't. The LCD screen is a nice thought cosmetically, but it doesn't seem to speed up navigation all that much and certainly has an impact on battery life.

That said, you'd probably be happy with either one. I, for one, would take faster loading, faster page turns, and better battery life over WiFi and more robust navigation, but on the whole it's a bit of a tossup.

 

[daflake]

One thing to take into account - all e-ink devices are going to be slow at turning page, it's just the way it works. I haven't seen nook videos, so I don't know if that is just the lag that is seen...

I think the problem is that Amazon and B&N have made them popular this year and people immediately think that they are going to be as fast as a computer or a smart phone. Sadly they are not due to the refresh requirements of the screen. I honestly don't see a big (if any) difference between the nook and Kindle when turning pages.

 

[gloss]

I think the problem is that Amazon and B&N have made them popular this year and people immediately think that they are going to be as fast as a computer or a smart phone. Sadly they are not due to the refresh requirements of the screen. I honestly don't see a big (if any) difference between the nook and Kindle when turning pages.

And I honestly don't think the page-turning speed is much of a downside. The only time that it is slow enough to interrupt the flow of reading is when turning back pages, but moving forward is an eye-blink. Faster than turning pages on a real book, really.

 

[mkrishnan]

And I honestly don't think the page-turning speed is much of a downside. The only time that it is slow enough to interrupt the flow of reading is when turning back pages, but moving forward is an eye-blink. Faster than turning pages on a real book, really.

I notice it a little bit. When I scan during reading, sometimes I want to re-read the part of the sentence that was on the previous page, which is when this is a nuisance. It got a lot faster with updates, though. I saw what the original Nook software page turning rate was like and I don't think that would be acceptable at all. So glad to hear that apparently the Nook is improving via software also.