there may already be one of these, but i couldn't find it through a search (or perhaps i just suck...in which case, give me a link to the thread and have a mod lock this one)...but if there isn't one already, i thought it might be a good place to culminate all of the different ebook/ereader threads in tech talk

a friend of mine has a sony prs600 that he's hardly used and is willing to sell it to me for $100...good deal? it also has the case with the reading light...i'm looking to get SOMETHING before my honeymoon in september but aside from knowing i want to be able to load up books on it, i don't really know what other options are out there...price is a consideration (i want cheap)

i don't suppose i care overmuch about the ability to download books wirelessly since i have this notion that since i purchase every book i read i deserve the digital copy as well and i will likely find those online and load them up myself...am i allowed to say that or did this thread suddenly become OMGCALLTHEGESTAPO?

7/14/2010 8:35:28 AM

You know what I want? I freaking ebook subscription service that I can use with my iPad

I like to read, but I rarely read anything other than internees bc I'm a cheap bastard and don't want to start a habit of buying expensive books all the time

7/14/2010 9:33:31 AM

^^Define cheap. Nook wifi is only $149 now. Amazon has been running refurb Kindle 2's at $109 over the past couple of days as well. I own a Nook wifi and it's great so far. The main reason I wanted a Nook or Kindle was simply for the access to B&N or Amazon. Every other e-book store is smaller and the other e-readers won't work with B&N/Amazon's store.

^It's called a library card. Most libraries are now working with one of the e-book services for check-out. I'm pretty sure that you can use both the Kindle app & the B&N app to connect with at least some of the services. I no longer have my iPad though so I can't tell you for sure but it was either just started or getting ready to come out when I had mine.

7/14/2010 8:50:48 PM

o rly? that hadn't occurred to me, but sounds reasonable. will investigate...

7/14/2010 9:29:59 PM

My wife's nook has cracks in it on the page forward and back buttons.. piece of shit plastic. Anyone else seen this?

7/15/2010 8:58:53 AM

they had kindle gen2 on sale for $110 refurb the other day. Got mine for $139 new with warranty Practically stole the thing.

7/15/2010 10:24:13 AM

if i'm going sub-$100, all i want is an e-reader...battery life and maximum format compatibility (ebooks, pdf, doc, txt, html, etc) are what i care most about

at $100+, add things like wifi/3g, mp3 player, etc

which of the popular models use e-ink? which have touchscreens?

7/15/2010 11:23:39 AM

^ http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

no idea which would qualify as popular other than kindle/nook/sony but that's pretty much everything available.

7/15/2010 9:06:01 PM

I love my Sony pocket reader. It's the simplest you can get. Reads epub, pdf, etc. I don't need the wireless or touch screen. Just for reading books.

7/20/2010 12:08:49 PM

^ thanks for the link...great culmination of the options

ended up getting a PRS-600 with PRSA-CL6 case (has an LED reading light in the spine) and a 2gb SD card for $120 off CL...looked brand new and it's only a month old (he gave me the receipt, too)



i definitely like, but i don't suppose i have much to compare it to...i like that it's aluminum, don't really care about the touch screen, and i wish it had wifi (but only if i could use it to browse teh intarwebs...i don't care about downloading anything wirelessly)

it runs linux like many of the others...i'm curious as to whether or not it's easily hacked, but i didn't get it for that reason (i just like the idea of it )

[Edited on July 20, 2010 at 12:27 PM. Reason : .]

7/20/2010 12:26:09 PM

Anyone have some insight on good resources for getting ebooks? Most of the torrents I find aren't healthy and while I can stomach $3-5 a book paying $10+ for a digital book is a little much. I have a kindle 3

3/7/2011 8:50:17 PM

what category of books do you want

3/7/2011 9:47:46 PM

I like non fiction business/tech books, historical fiction, futuristic fiction, and the occasional suspense novel. My so reads murder mysteries and other women books.

3/7/2011 10:37:45 PM

ken, have you used overdrive on ipad? i borrow ebooks from my city library using this app on my ipad

http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/

3/8/2011 12:19:46 AM

i've never had any trouble finding ebooks on teh intarwebs

after i got the sony, i downloaded nearly every book that i physically own...i support authors, so i almost always buy a physical copy of the book if i want it, but then i feel entitled to the digital copy, as well, so i go get it

3/8/2011 7:24:53 AM

For my 31st birthday, my wife bought me a Kindle. I thought it was a great idea, but I took it back, and I'll tell you why:

All of the books I want, I already own, and I didn't want to have to pay more money to buy another copy of it. So I returned it.

At the same time, I came up with a great idea: What if Amazon were to offer you a 50% price discount of any book that you own as long as you turn it in to Amazon?

If that were the case, I would have kept the Kindle with no questions.

Think of it: Amazon could build a bunch of public libraries with the books people turn in, you get a great deal on books, and your house gets less cluttered.

Everybody wins!

Anyway, because I'm going back to a submarine, I'm reconsidering buying a Kindle. At first, I was hesitant because I thought there was not enough storage to keep all of the books I own (I thought they were streamed for reading and deleted out of the Kindle after completion). I'm pretty sure that isn't the case (I've heard they can hold 3000+ books).

So now I think I'm going to save my money.

3/8/2011 7:36:16 AM

You returned a gift your wife bought you.

And now you're considering buying it again for yourself.

Everybody wins!

3/8/2011 8:00:22 AM

yeah...and your reason for returning it in the first place was dumb

3/8/2011 8:03:16 AM

Quote :

"have you used overdrive on ipad? i borrow ebooks from my city library using this app on my ipad"

i downloaded the app a while back when dave421 suggested libraries, but at the time neither meck nor wake county libraries supported it, or else i couldn't figure out how to get it to work. i ended up hiding the app in a folder so i don't see it much anymore, but i've been meaning to re-investigate that option

3/8/2011 9:50:42 AM

Boo for being dumb! Why would I let my wife pay $200 (of my money, BTW) to make me purchase all of the books I own (about 100-150) for about $8 a pop? Doesn't sound very economical to me. But I'm dumb.

At the time, I hadn't planned on going back to a submarine, so the books would have been fine in the house. I've realized that we have "too many books" because we actually have "too little space" in the apartment in which we are living.

Now that I'm going back to sea, I want my books, in compact form (not as if I will have time to read them).

And it helps that it gets rid of the clutter.

3/8/2011 10:48:02 PM

^ i guess i assumed that you had mentioned to her about wanting an ebook reader and that was why she got you one, in which case the "dumb" part comes in not realizing ahead of time that you can't legally download any book you want for free

i didn't realize she bought it for you and you had never once mentioned to her that you'd like one...if that's the case, i apologize...also, i'm glad my wife doesn't decide to spent money on me without having at least a clue of what i'd want/like

*shrug*

3/9/2011 8:49:58 AM

Apology accepted. My wife actually did pretty good with the Kindle. It was one of the first times that she bought something that I hadn't asked for (I don't think I asked for anything that year) that was a good gift.

Now I see the utility of the device. I did not at the time.

So kudos to her for it.

She is usually deathly afraid of buying me anything that I don't ask for because of how critical I am ("I don't need/want that") of her gift-buying skills.

3/10/2011 7:32:09 PM

So now I have to figure out if I want the Wifi or the Wifi+3G.

3/20/2011 9:44:40 AM

I went with wifi myself. I don't think I'll ever be in a situation where I absolutely have to buy a book before I get to somewhere with wifi.

The web browsing sucks btw, it's easier to browse the web with pretty much any phone.

3/20/2011 10:24:18 AM

having the 3G, i'd recommend you save yourself the $50 and get just the wifi

i thought i'd use it more than i do, since i don't have a smartphone, but i've used it twice and it's painful...usable in a pinch, but if you have a smartphone you'll probably never use it

3/20/2011 11:30:16 AM

You guys rock.

I hadn't even considered using it for the internet (iphone 4).

3/20/2011 11:42:48 AM

Also, I don't think anyone (well maybe the publishers) will blame you for just downloading all the books you already own instead of buying them again.

3/20/2011 11:56:47 AM

Yeah...that's the plan. I only wish they had that deal I was suggested earlier.

And I can use the money I saved going with the Wifi only to buy some of my books.

[Edited on March 20, 2011 at 12:32 PM. Reason : more]

3/20/2011 12:32:18 PM

Went to BB to pick up a PX21 headset for my PS3 and I saw that they have a whole new "zone" for e-book readers...with the Kindle 3 (and others) there.

3/22/2011 4:46:05 PM

purchased.

with the lighted case

and a $50 card

the money spending begins NOW

3/26/2011 9:18:51 PM

refurb nook wifi for $80 with free shipping from b&n's ebay store...i think it's today only

http://cgi.ebay.com/290552594754

4/5/2011 3:19:25 PM

Amazon selling more kindle books than print

http://venturebeat.com/2011/05/19/kindle-books-surpass-print

[Edited on May 22, 2011 at 1:03 PM. Reason : ]

5/22/2011 1:03:19 PM

god dammit, does this mean that making a thread about any other new e-readers will get locked now?

5/22/2011 1:35:46 PM

^ THEY SHOULD

seriously, though, i can't imagine there will be so much discussion (or that there is so much to discuss, this isn't an ipod/pad/phone) that this thread will become choked

5/22/2011 2:44:03 PM

refurb nook color wifi $183 after 20% off coupon code 206777 and $3 shipping: http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/Nook-Color-by-Barnes-Noble-Certified-Pre-Owned/5924200/product.html

5/22/2011 10:22:16 PM

kindle 2 3g for 89.99 on woot today (5/23)

http://www.woot.com

5/23/2011 10:24:29 AM

don't know how i missed this...amazon is launching kindle library lending later this year...i wonder if wake county will be part of it

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?ID=1552678&c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle

Quote :

"SEATTLE, Apr 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (NASDAQ: AMZN)-- Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps. "We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps." Customers will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone. If a Kindle book is checked out again or that book is purchased from Amazon, all of a customer's annotations and bookmarks will be preserved. "We're doing a little something extra here," Marine continued. "Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we're extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced." ... Amazon is working with OverDrive, the leading provider of digital content solutions for over 11,000 public and educational libraries in the United States, to bring a seamless library borrowing experience to Kindle customers. "We are excited to be working with Amazon to offer Kindle Library Lending to the millions of customers who read on Kindle and Kindle apps," said Steve Potash, CEO, OverDrive. "We hear librarians and patrons rave about Kindle, so we are thrilled that we can be part of bringing library books to the unparalleled experience of reading on Kindle." Kindle Library Lending will be available later this year for Kindle and free Kindle app users. To learn more about Kindle go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle."

5/23/2011 10:36:53 AM

refurb nook color for $200 and free shipping: http://www.buy.com/prod/221376447.html

6/13/2011 12:38:03 PM

Finally got a Kindle - now where are the libraries of free books to download?

7/17/2011 12:57:08 PM

^ the internet is your library

7/17/2011 2:09:00 PM

http://www.gutenberg.org/

7/17/2011 6:05:04 PM

^^^^^Wake County libraries do use Overdrive so yes they'll be a part of it. If you have even the slightest bit of computer know-how though it's already incredibly simple to just check out epub copies of the books you want from the library and use Calibre to convert them to the Kindle format.

7/17/2011 7:07:26 PM

Tom Hanks invented these in the 80s:

7/26/2011 2:47:30 PM

Anyone used the kindle with "special offers"? I'm thinking about buying my soon to be wife one of these as a wedding present to take on the honeymoon. I'm thinking either the 3G version with special offers or the wifi version with no special offers.

9/2/2011 8:45:06 AM

^ were i to do it again, i'd get the $114 kindle with special offers...i "hacked" my kindle to do custom screensavers, but only because i could...it's not like i even look at them past the second it takes for me to turn it on and the ads on the home screen (at the bottom) while you're NOT reading aren't really that invasive (because they don't show up at all while you're reading)

i have used the 3G only a handful of times and then only to check some things online before i had a smartphone...i'll likely never use it again and it's not even remotely worth the $50 premium ($75 if getting the special offers version) for me

does the sponsored version have user-available 3G? i didn't know that...honestly, $25 isn't worth it being ad-free to me, and if the sponsored version comes with 3G, i think it's a no brainer at $114

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 9:37 AM. Reason : i'm thinking about the sponsored version for my wife, too]

9/2/2011 9:34:48 AM

It's $114/$139 for the sponsored/not sponsored versions of the wifi and $139/$189 for the 3G version. Looking at slickdeals, the coupons and offers actually seem to be pretty good.

9/2/2011 9:48:52 AM

i'd go with the $114 version and not think twice

9/2/2011 10:04:27 AM

get something .epub compatible

9/2/2011 11:07:46 AM

^ i hear ya, and certainly the single biggest (heck, only) thing i don't like about the kindle is amazon's refusal to support epub...but at $114, you simply cannot find a better ebook reader (new, anyway)

[Edited on September 2, 2011 at 11:47 AM. Reason : .]

9/2/2011 11:47:25 AM

I have a friend with the sponsored version and she doesn't like that ads pop up in the middle of reading.

I got mine before the non-sponsored version came out so I can't say what I would have done if I had the choice, but I enjoy not having ads.

And you can convert epub files to mobi files easily with calibre

The new Nook does look cool though, smaller than the kindle plus the touchscreen makes it easier to turn pages, at least how I hold ebooks.

9/2/2011 12:45:23 PM