eReaders - Technology that you will adopt?
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I was quite surprised to find out recently that whilst Borders' own eReader, the Kobo, has been a sellout in Australia when it was launched in June, it hasn't been made available in Singapore yet. Strange, especially since Singapore usually gets the latest gadgets way before Australia does. Is this a reflection of the appallingly low number of readers in Singapore?
Anyways, back to the topic. I've been oogling at the Amazon Kindle for a long time now, balking only at the price of their best model. I've also been holding out for colour e-ink technology to become affordable and for more magazines and reference materials / textbooks to avail themselves to eReaders via online subscription.
In the meantime, I've stopped buying books already because the idea of keeping an entire library of thousands of books, including textbooks and reference books which may go beyond 1,700 pages, on a portable and very light eReader is extremely appealing. I can't wait for the recommended texts for my profession to jump onto the eReader platform and I gleefully anticipate the day when I can have access to information wherever and whenever I need to access it.
So... who else is excited about the eReader? Will you be purchasing one in the near future? Or would you rather utilise the eReader software on your existing laptop / iPad and do not see the necessity of owning a dedicated eReader?
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an Android phone, a blackberry, a Sybian phone, an iPhone, a netbook, an iPad...
would serve as an eReader...
so the people here figure no one would get one considering the gadgets we all have here...
i've got apps on my Android phone to turn it into a eReader but i'd rather read a normal book
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I rather watch a documentary on my android phone.
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a gadget with a eReader software but with a screen resolution way smaller than a book would not make a good reader.
With the emergence of tablets with screen sizes 7" and above and obviously going to be loaded with eReader software, i dun see the need to buy a dedicated eReader.......
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I'm using my handphone as an ebook reader :D
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My old Blackberry and now my Android is my ebook reader.
I don't see why I should spend more money to get an ebook reader when my Droid does a great job
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I prefer to hold paperbacks or hardcover books when I read, rather than squint at a screen. They're easier to annotate and autograph too.
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I still prefer real books. My handphone can become a e-reader too *shrugs*
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I'm a big supporter of e-readers (whether you use your phone or pda or whatever. I use this term to loosely transmit reading electronically vs reading from paper). So I'm going to gush. I believe that e-readers is the next evolution to reading after lithographic printing.
When lithographic printing was invented, it started a knowledge revolution. For the first time, knowledge is no longer the reserved property of a select group. It became a product of a mass medium that allows access to many levels of humanity. It is the invention that paved the way for widespread literacy.
So I have to say I love books and I do not think that ereaders will replace books just like the video did not kill the radio star.
This widespread literacy is what we needed for the second knowledge revolution - that of the internet. Now the transmission of information is even more amazing that before!
With the start of the creative commons license - we now have access to books and ideas without being managed by a middle man (publisher) who decides for us what is worth printing onto a book and what isn't. WE can decide for ourselves what we want to read because publishing has become a simple process of just uploading. All this in a simple hand held package that we can take anywhere with us.
My e-reader easily have hundreds more books than my home library and I have them with me ALL THE TIME! I also can include reference material etc, anything I need (like crochet patterns) for me to look at when I want to :D
An e-reader that operates using e-ink is better than those with backlighting because it will not burn your eyeballs off. However, I like to use both types cos I can read when the hubby is asleep and don't have to turn on a night light. BUT what I like about an e-ink ereader is the SUPER LOW energy consumption. YOu can read about 5-6 books on one charge, as they only use energy when you turn the page.
Compare that to the amount of energy consumption a book needs to reach you.
Besides the efficient use of energy consumption - it also has the clear benefit of saving trees. How much trash we know are using up paper pulp to be published!!?? With ebook readers if you come across a lousy book - you just need to press DELETE - no trees killed in the process.Our heaps of notes we printed in school - do we still keep them when ideas become obsolete? Sure we can recycle - but again - the huge amount of energy consumption to recycle resources...
Sure, I would still love to own a beautifully illustrated, printed on textured paper book with those lovely frayed edge BUT if more people convert to ereaders for our daily, informal reading, then I think we can play our part in reducing paper usage, and energy consumption.
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Well said SC
With my lack of space I really love my e-reader
Then again, I do agree that nothing beats flipping a book.
I even like the smell of a crisp fresh brand new book but we can’t have everything eh
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Hahah me too! I love the smell of new books!
My family business was in printing and I grew up sleeping on pallets of paper while my parents work overtime. I just love the smell of paper and ink!
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btw.. Amazon's e-books just outsold their regular books
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Originally posted by Rhonda:
I was quite surprised to find out recently that whilst Borders' own eReader, the Kobo, has been a sellout in Australia when it was launched in June, it hasn't been made available in Singapore yet. Strange, especially since Singapore usually gets the latest gadgets way before Australia does. Is this a reflection of the appallingly low number of readers in Singapore?
Anyways, back to the topic. I've been oogling at the Amazon Kindle for a long time now, balking only at the price of their best model. I've also been holding out for colour e-ink technology to become affordable and for more magazines and reference materials / textbooks to avail themselves to eReaders via online subscription.
In the meantime, I've stopped buying books already because the idea of keeping an entire library of thousands of books, including textbooks and reference books which may go beyond 1,700 pages, on a portable and very light eReader is extremely appealing. I can't wait for the recommended texts for my profession to jump onto the eReader platform and I gleefully anticipate the day when I can have access to information wherever and whenever I need to access it.
So... who else is excited about the eReader? Will you be purchasing one in the near future? Or would you rather utilise the eReader software on your existing laptop / iPad and do not see the necessity of owning a dedicated eReader?
yes...keeping the traditional book requires space...but I value my eyesight more...think I'll stick to books for a long while.
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Actually e-ink readers work like paper - they don't hurt the eyes cos no backlighting.
Just wanna share that the new KINDLE comes at a low price of US$139 and US$189 with WIFI AND 3G!!!
wow wow wow
http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/28/new-amazon-kindle-announced-139-wifi-only-version-and-189-3g/
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allows interweb access?
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What's that I dunno! :D
As long as it allows me to log on to www.manybooks.net where I get most of my books, to dl directly - it's super liao :D
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I use Laputa from the Android App store.. Free downloadable books (Harry potter, twilight ect...)
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Rhonda, the problem with Kindle is that it's just black & white.
Barnes & Noble just launched a colour e-reader called "Nook Colour"
It's like a basic tablet & an e-reader in one. You might want to consider it. It's powdered by Android
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What if your reader spoils and all your books are gone along with it?
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Originally posted by eagle:
What if your reader spoils and all your books are gone along with it?
Well, you have to back-up your e-books like any other pc releated stuff -
i think i'll wait for a cheapo android or whatever tablet..
the iPad is way too expensive a toy to be an ebook
or i'll get an android phone with a huge screen when my phone dies on me
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Originally posted by eagle:
What if your reader spoils and all your books are gone along with it?
if u purchased ur book from amazon.com then they have a database of books u purchased, and u can redownload to ur kindle again :) -
Originally posted by elindra:
Rhonda, the problem with Kindle is that it's just black & white.
Barnes & Noble just launched a colour e-reader called "Nook Colour"
It's like a basic tablet & an e-reader in one. You might want to consider it. It's powdered by Android
Nook colour is backlit :) not using e-ink technology so reading for a long duration on it is quite bad for the eyes...having said that, the Nook e-book has a brilliant 'LEND ME" function which allows u to send ur ebooks to other friends who has a Nook (i think for a limited time)!
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Originally posted by ShrodingersCat:
Nook colour is backlit :) not using e-ink technology so reading for a long duration on it is quite bad for the eyes...having said that, the Nook e-book has a brilliant 'LEND ME" function which allows u to send ur ebooks to other friends who has a Nook (i think for a limited time)!
kindle has the same function too....but it's limited...you can only lend it once for two weeks....if your friend can't finish reading it in two weeks, you can't lend it to him/her ever again or anybody else....but still what they're doing is better than digital games though
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Originally posted by ShrodingersCat:
if u purchased ur book from amazon.com then they have a database of books u purchased, and u can redownload to ur kindle again :)Interesting. Didn't know that.