Sly Bald Guys Forum

Various Non-Bald Discussions => Autos,Toys and Hobbies => Topic started by: Razor X on August 20, 2013, 07:21:32 PM

Title: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 20, 2013, 07:21:32 PM
I'm trying to decide which reading app I should choose for purchasing and reading books on my iPad.  I have a handful of Kindle books and 4 or 5 books purchased through iBooks.  There doesn't seem to be any significant difference in price; occasionally one or the other is a dollar or two cheaper.

I'm leaning towards iBooks unless a title is significantly cheaper on Kindle, because iBooks has a nice feature that tells you how many pages are remaining in a chapter and because it has a few more options for keeping one's collection categorized and organized.  Just wondering what others' preferences are.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Mikekoz13 on August 20, 2013, 07:27:45 PM
Well I'm pretty new to ereading but I have learned to really like it. I've only used my Kindle to purchase thru Amazon so I have nothing to reference it to.

I'll be watching this thread in order to try and learn something new.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: TheSlyBear on August 20, 2013, 07:32:14 PM
I have all of iBooks, the Kindle app and the Nook app for my iPad.

I mostly use the Kindle app and iBooks. I purchase whichever has the best deal on the book -- this is mostly for technical books for work.

For reading novels in bed, I have a Kindle Touch, so mostly Kindle format for novels.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Laser Man on August 20, 2013, 07:40:25 PM
Like Mike, I've only used my Kindle and Amazon...
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 20, 2013, 07:49:42 PM

I've downloaded the Nook app but haven't used it yet.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Mikekoz13 on August 21, 2013, 05:12:09 AM
I'm so clueless about a lot of the everyday electronics that nearly the entire world uses these days.

Since I design printed circuit boards for a living you would think I'd be on top of all this electronic stuff.  :/O
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomgallagher on August 21, 2013, 06:28:52 AM
I use the heck out of my Barnes & Noble Nook. Have never used the Amazon Kindle.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: baldOUfan on August 21, 2013, 07:50:33 AM
I have a Nook my opinion is invalid
Title: Re:
Post by: geeman on August 21, 2013, 11:11:30 AM
I use the aldiko app on my Samsung galaxy note 2 works great
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: wpruitt on August 21, 2013, 04:17:31 PM
Still like a good, hard-cover book... Sorry
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 24, 2013, 01:11:48 PM

Quote
For reading novels in bed, I have a Kindle Touch, so mostly Kindle format for novels.

I've noticed a few quirks with iBooks -- mainly that they seem to keep disappearing from my iPad and need to be re-downloaded every so often.  There are a lot of discussions about on the tech forums.  Apparently it is a bug that Apple hasn't done anything about fixing.  It hasn't been a huge problem but it could become a major nuisance if a large library had to be constantly re-downloaded.

So I'm now thinking about sticking with Amazon, which would allow me the option of using non-Apple devices.  I haven't used my Kindle Fire since I got the iPad, so I'm thinking of selling it back to Amazon and using the money to get a plain-vanilla Kindle that I can keep on my nightstand for bedtime reading, or just as a secondary device.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: TheSlyBear on August 24, 2013, 02:10:45 PM
I really like my Kindle Touch for bedtime reading.

I'd recommend the Touch over the base Kindle -- especially for someone used to the touch screen of the iPad.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 24, 2013, 02:48:09 PM
I don't think they are making the Touch anymore. Amazon isn't mentioning it on their website anymore.  Scroll down to the bottom of this link where they compare models. No mention of the Touch:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UB7DU6/ref=fs_clw
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: TheSlyBear on August 24, 2013, 04:17:53 PM
Heh, I guess it's been replaced with the PaperWhite.

I have an older base Kindle, and while it's a nice device, using buttons is a lot less satisfying than a touch-screen. Especially when entering text.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 24, 2013, 05:09:38 PM
The basic one will be fine as a secondary device which is all I'm really planning to use it for.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomcj2 on August 24, 2013, 05:22:31 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomcj2 on August 24, 2013, 05:24:01 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 24, 2013, 06:33:40 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 30, 2013, 07:06:26 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomgallagher on August 31, 2013, 08:04:57 AM
What books have you guys been reading lately.?
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 31, 2013, 08:20:42 AM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Laser Man on August 31, 2013, 09:31:15 AM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 31, 2013, 09:57:16 AM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomgallagher on August 31, 2013, 01:59:01 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 31, 2013, 02:42:54 PM
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
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Ming the Merciless on August 31, 2013, 05:27:08 PM
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."
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: Razor X on August 31, 2013, 06:00:39 PM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomgallagher on September 01, 2013, 07:04:35 AM
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.
Title: Re: eBooks
Post by: tomcj2 on September 01, 2013, 07:19:41 AM
Quote
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.