Link: Open, Read Kindle Books On Computer Without Using Kindle Reader Device
I was asked recently by a member of our English Department which electronic book reader should he go for. Now I can advise him that he can use his school issued Staff Laptop and not layout a penny!
Well yes, the app's all well and good, but if you're using it on a laptop it doesn't quite have the same convenience as being able to slip it into your coat pocket and read whenever you feel like it.
not to mention the kindles screen is much easier on the eyes
True enough. However the member of staff in question is rarely without his laptop.Originally Posted by jamesb
He takes it to the local coffee shop with him, or has it out on the beach for hours at a time?
It all depends what you want out of it. If he just wants to be able to sit at his desk and read then yep, go with just the app. If on the other hand he wants to read in bed, or settle on the sofa with a good book, the laptop's not going to be the best choice.
Totally agree with the sentiment. Until the price of ebooks drops considerably and there is much greater format standardization, I see little point in buying a separate device. I always have my phone with me and do my reading on it. It may not be a easy on the eyes as a dedicated reader, but the cost (free) and the fact that it's one less device/charger/set of batteries to carry around more than compensates.
I was looking at a book in Amazon the other day - the ebook version was £2 more expensive than the paperback!
I'd disagree with a few points here.
Firstly eBooks do tend to be cheaper than physical books, sometimes substantially so, and free books are available. On the format standardization there's pretty much Amazon's, mobi and ePub. If you get a Kindle then ePub's difficult, but there are converters available for all of the formats, and since most people with a Kindle will be buying from Amazon the format's not an issue in the first place.
My phone's battery lasts for two days. My Kindle needs charging about once a month - and I read a lot.
The easier on the eyes thing is also important - I work at a computer all day, sometimes it's nice to get a break from that bright, glaring screen. Usually when I need such a break I read.
I've yet to find a book I'm interested in reading which is more expensive in eBook format, but it doesn't mean they don't exist. In general though they are noticeably cheaper than a physical book - they also take up a lot less space.
Last edited by jamesb; 19th February 2011 at 04:42 PM.
there are some publishers who are engaging in price fixing on ebooks steven frys new book was at one point £6ish then publisher went to the "agency model" and it now nearer £12. Its currently under investigation as to its legality
Quite a lot are... it's quite disappointing. If you download the example pages you will also find that some are very poorly formatted and some of the diagrams in technical books are unusable!
Saying all that, it's nice to be able to access your ebooks on your PC, smartphone and Kindle.
i personally use Safari Books Online and download the chapters as and when I need to and the Kindle displays them nicely
It isn't just books either. Look at digital movie rentals - I can go to Blockbuster and get 4 for £10 or I can rent one for £2.99-£3.99 via my BT Vision box (HD costing more of course, but not at a shop).
Or music. The cost of an album from iTunes is very close to the cost of the physical CD in most cases.
Yet the costs involved for the publishers are much, much, smaller. Profiteering is what it is.
with i tunes apple is taking its share id imagine and if what they plan with publishers is a clue 30% is a big cut i doubt retailers take that cut
I'm using Kindle on my iPad and it's good although as some have pointed out buying the ebook is more expensive in some cases than buying the paper version.
I brought myself a kindle at the beginning of the month have used it every day so much better than my pre's screen for reading stuff on.
On Amazon, when price-fixing is going on, there tends to be a "this price was set by the publisher" note attached to the book. That's Amazon's way of saying "yeah, we know it's more expensive than the paperback, but it's not our choice".
And as someone who's got thousands of ebooks and used to read them on a Handspring Visor (damn kids, get off my lawn) the Kindle is awesome.
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