eBooks

[tomcj2]

I had been using a Kindle Fire for a couple of years.  I liked it but there were a few problems, the biggest being a very short battery life between charges.  I got in the habit of leaving it plugged in while I was reading in bed.  The USB plug became loose and finally didn't make a connection at all.

I replaced it with a Kindle PaperWhite.  It doesn't have Internet browsing capabilities, but otherwise I find it a better product.  The battery lasts a week or so of heavy reading.  Unlike the Fire I can read this one outside in bright sun.  It is a bit smaller, a lot thinner and lighter and fits in my coat pocket easily.

One little quirk is while using it with the built in back light in a dark room there appears to be 4 very faint finger prints across the bottom;  after researching the "problem" I can to realize that it is actually a shadow from the led's.  I hardly notice it anymore.

Our library does not yet have a wide variety of Kindle books to borrow, but I expect that to improve.

I bought a refurbished PaperWhite for less than $90;  it has a full warranty and looked like new.

I would recommend it to all.

[tomcj2]

The basic one will be fine as a secondary device which is all I'm really planning to use it for.

You need an external light source to read the basic one in a dark room.

[Razor X]

The basic one will be fine as a secondary device which is all I'm really planning to use it for.

You need an external light source to read the basic one in a dark room.

That's OK. I don't anticipate having to read in the dark and if I ever do -- in the event of a owner failure -- the iPad will be able handle that.

[Razor X]

Well, tomcj2, you were right.  I ordered the basic Kindle and had immediate buyers' remorse when it arrived.   I thought the lighting in my bedroom was sufficient for reading a non-lighted screen, since I can read paper books in bed without any problem.  However, I underestimated how dark the greyscale screen actually is.  Aside from that, it is a very primitive device, a big come-down from the beautiful Kindle for iPad app that I have become accustomed to.

I returned the basic Kindle for a refund and got a Paperwhite model instead.  A bit more than I wanted to pay, but it is a much nicer device and easier to read in less than ideal lighting situations.

I see what you mean about the "four fingers" across the bottom of the screen.  Mine does the same thing, and actually, I've also seen this in the Kindle app on the iPad, though it's not quite as pronounced there.  Once you get lost in what you're reading, it's not that notceable.

[tomgallagher]

What books have you guys been reading lately.?

[Razor X]

I'm currently reading Killing Floor by Lee Child. Right before that I read The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin and The Lighthouse by P.D. James.

[Laser Man]

Just picked up World Without End by Ken Follett (Sequel to Pillars of the Earth)  Before that I read Broken Harbor by Tana French.  It's her fourth book about the Dublin Murder Squad.  I've liked all four of them.

[Razor X]

Just picked up World Without End by Ken Follett (Sequel to Pillars of the Earth)  Before that I read Broken Harbor by Tana French.  It's her fourth book about the Dublin Murder Squad.  I've liked all four of them.

I'll have to add those to my list. Sounds interesting.

[tomgallagher]

I'm currently reading Killing Floor by Lee Child. Right before that I read The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin and The Lighthouse by P.D. James.

I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher.

[Razor X]

I'm currently reading Killing Floor by Lee Child. Right before that I read The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin and The Lighthouse by P.D. James.

I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher.

There is a new Jack Reacher short story available for download for $1.99 in case you haven't come across it yet:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/high-heat-lee-child/1116055509?ean=9780345546647

[Ming the Merciless]

Ming keeps the Imperial Treasury ample by being cheap.  I download public domain classics from (mostly) Project Gutenberg into my Nook, bought over Kindle because it got a better review in "Consumer Reports."  One advantage of a dedicated e-reader that lets you do nothing but read (no time wasting on the Internet), is that you do just read.

The disadvantage I have found is organizing the books once you have fifty or sixty in there.  You can create "shelves," but putting new books in seems to require going through the whole list until you find the new one to tag and put into a subcategory "shelf."  And this Nook can apparently hold (with the added memory I put in) well over a thousand books.

The battery life seems fine.  The e-ink is not the most pleasant thing to look at; although print is nicely black, the background is light gray, not pure white.

For the books Barnes and Noble wants me to buy ... well, I actually prefer the look and feel of a real book, and I have an excellent public library nearby, so that's where I'll get the trash I read when not reading "classics."

[Razor X]

I've found some good public domain classics as well that were either free or very cheap. You can create collections on the Kindle, depending on what model you have. It's a bit time consuming to set up but worth it to keep things organized. Unfortunately the Kindle app for iPad and Android doesn't support Collections so the iPad library is a bit unorganized.

 I can never seem to find what I want from the library.  I really can't be bothered making trips there. I'd consider borrowing e-books from the library but every time I look they either don't have the titles I want or they are already out on loan with fairly lengthy waiting lists.

[tomgallagher]

I'm currently reading Killing Floor by Lee Child. Right before that I read The Liberty Amendments by Mark Levin and The Lighthouse by P.D. James.

I'm a big fan of Jack Reacher.

There is a new Jack Reacher short story available for download for $1.99 in case you haven't come across it yet:
Just downloaded it...Thanks.

[tomcj2]

Razor X posted  "or they are already out on loan with fairly lengthy waiting lists."

The problem of long waiting lists is a concern, however I just put a hold on any book I am interested in and forget about it.  Sooner or later I get a notification that it is available.  I always have a book or 2 available to resd.

I have lived for many decades without having read "BookX by John Doe";  another month or two is s OK.