Talk to me about eeaders........

[cindys732003]

I have no knowledge of them whatsoever LOL.....but I am thinking about getting one for dh for father's day.
What is the battery life of them? my dh travels so it would be used on the plane and would have to last a while to be useful.
What is the selection of books like?
are some brands better than others? (I'm in canada, so I'm not really sure about what is available here, I've seen something called the Kobo at Chapters and a Sony eeader at Best Buy, but that's about it)
Any info is appreciated...thanks!

[Libby Pritchett]

I don't know about the other brands, but I LOVE my Kindle Touch. The battery life is a month or more, and I use it ALL the time. Like seriously, every single day. Amazon has just about everything for kindle it seems. Plus they have a great selection of free books, too. And (at least in the US, not sure about Canada) you can check out library books for the Kindle.

I'm sure someone else will give you a more in-depth review, but I just wanted to say how much I love mine!

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh and here's the blog post where I reviewed the different kindles:

https://www.sweetshoppedesigns.com/i...ve-amazon-com/

[NeverendingJen]

I'm a Kindle girl myself(we have 3 of them in my house). I love it. I read EVERY day on them and charge them once a week at most, usually every 2-3 weeks, plus they charge really fast so it only takes a few hours to recharge them. I'd recommend either the Kindle Keyboard or Kindle Touch if you were looking at getting one as a gift.

[SmallMoments]

I have a Nook & the battery lasts a long time in it, too. The books are d/l'd from Barnes & Noble's website- do you have B&N in Canada? I love it. It took me awhile to warm up to reading on an eeader. Now I don't think twice about it!

[tanyiadeskins]

Do not get a Sony reader ... I had three of them , they kept breaking. They did replace them of course as it was not my fault but it was just such a pain.

I am totally in love with my Kindle Fire. tons of books, tons of free books, book sharing, book borrowing from libraries, plus it is a mini tablet so dh can watch Netflix or play games and such while traveling as well!

[SmallMoments]

I will also say that, personally, I love the e-ink. I thought I'd be fine reading from the kindle/nook apps on my ipad, but my eyes were killing me after a few chapters. The e-ink is so easy on the eyes... and I found this week that I can read it in the blazing bright sun too!

[KristinCB]

go with a kindle! (if it will get to you in time). For purchasing the books you just do it through amazon.com and its super easy

B&N isn't available in canada, I know people have gone around ways to get a nook but I think that seems like a pain if you ask me.. from the reviews i've read the kobo doesn't stand up as well as the kindle but I"m sure it would still be a good one!

I <3 my kindle! In canada we have the option to get any of the ereader ones but not the kindle fire.

[Txcorey]

I have a Kindle Fire and a an older model with the e ink. I much prefer the older model for reading. I have the one where you have to push a button to turn the page and it's fine for me. The e ink is much easier on the eyes and can be read outside with no problem. I get most of my books for free from the library. You have to have a library card and then the checkout process is done through Amazon. It's super easy. The battery life on both is really good, but the Fire does run down more quickly since it's more of a tablet, but still has really long battery life. My older Kindle has incredibly long battery life and you only have to charge it every few weeks. Hope that helps.

[cindys732003]

So is this the kindle everyone has?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005890FUI?country=CA

What's the difference between the kindle fire and this one?

Kristin, what sites can you download the books from in Canada?

[NeverendingJen]

The Kindle FIre is a tablet, rather than a plain eeader.
That's the kindle touch, this is the kindle keyboard. I prefer the keyboard with buttons for page turn, but thats just personal preference.
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireles...YR90YPRV2TYYE9

[nikkiARNGwife]

I have the old-school kindle keyboard and still love it. I prefer the e-ink also but I read outside a lot. I do use my Kindle app on my ipad and iphone as well. I've had mine for nearly 2 years and can't imagine not having it. Also I dropped mine and the screen broke while still under warranty and Amazon shipped me out a new one that day no questions asked. Their customer service is so great. But I shop through amazon for just about everything so a Kindle for me was a no-brainer.

[cindys732003]

does the e-ink display just make it easier to read in bright surroundings?
If I go with a Kindle, can you only order the e-books through Amazon?

Sorry for all the questions, but I seriously have no knowledge when it comes to this

[nikkiARNGwife]

The e-ink is not backlit..so you have to have an external light source just like reading a book..my kindle cover has a built in book light..but it is much more easier to read outside where you'd have a glare on a tablet like the Fire or iPad. Another advantage to just e-ink is the battery life is way better..I charge mine probably every 3-4 weeks and that's with daily use.

[KristinCB]

Yea basically eink is like looking at a book, there is no monitor glare.

You can get your books thorugh amazon.com and its automatically delivered to your kindle, many libraries are starting to offer ebooks too so check with your library! The only pain is there isn't a huge selection with the libraries yet (so it seems) and often there is a wait list with the books.

There are always so many good deals with sites like www.pixelofink.com that offer free lesser known books (many geared towards women though so not as much selection for the men)

[Milmomma]

If your gonna go with a tablet over just the ereader(kindle fire, over kindle), I vote to go with the ipad, then he can use ibooks and the kindle app. I don't know anything about regular kindles though, sorry.

[Lyd]

Love my Kindle! I have the Kindle 2, but I'm saving my Swagbucks and Superpoints to get a Kindle Touch. I don't know if Amazon Prime is available in Canada, but with that you can borrow books from Amazon. You can also borrow kindle books from the library if your library uses the Overdrive system. Love, love my Kindle!

[my2monkeys]

I love my Kindle (with keyboard)... I love it for travel and the battery life is awesome! I think I charge once every 3-4 weeks (especially if I turn off the wireless connection). I'm another who reads daily... I would be totally lost with out my kindle. I also have the kindle cover with built in reading light and DH loves it... no more light in his face at night but I still have plenty of light to read by.

[kscwgirl]

I have a Kobo, and I love it... DH has a kindle fire.

I love my Kobo. It has at least a month of battery life, and I can get books from anywhere.. I'm not limited to one store.

[lovely1m]

Those of you who have an iPad & a Kindle, can I ask why? I have an iPad and I read one book on it, but I admit, I didn't much enjoy it and just went back to actual books. I do read a lot though.

[origami]

Originally Posted by cindys732003

I have no knowledge of them whatsoever LOL.....but I am thinking about getting one for dh for father's day.
What is the battery life of them? my dh travels so it would be used on the plane and would have to last a while to be useful.
What is the selection of books like?
are some brands better than others? (I'm in canada, so I'm not really sure about what is available here, I've seen something called the Kobo at Chapters and a Sony eeader at Best Buy, but that's about it)
Any info is appreciated...thanks!

We have the Kindle Touch with 3G and Kindle Touch with Special Offers. Both are e-ink and we've noticed the charge lasts a pretty good long time.

I'd suggest spending the extra money for the Kindle Touch with 3G if he travels, so that he can buy books no matter where he's at. I have the Touch with Special Offers and need a wifi connection to buy a book, which is really not a big deal at all for me, but I don't really travel much. I know that if I did a lot of traveling, I'd want to have a Kindle that would allow me to buy a book whether or not I had a wifi connection though.

I love our iPad too, but the Kindle Touch is smaller, lighter, and easier to just toss into a bag, purse or carry on. But then, the iPad is awesome for checking your email, playing games, etc. I also have a word processor on mine and a small keyboard for those rare times that I need to get some work done when I am out and about. The other advantage of the iPad is that you can use all sorts of eeader books on it: Amazon Kindle, ePubs on Apple iBooks, plus I'm pretty sure there are apps for most of the major chain bookstores so he wouldn't be restricted to one bookstore. He could also watch movies through Netflix on the iPad (which could expensive without a wifi connection), but I don't think he would be able to use Amazon's streaming. The iPad charge doesn't last anywhere near as long as the Kindle Touch ereader, though. But as long as he could plug it into a power source, he would be fine. There are also, I think, some portable chargers available now. We use a USB converter in our car when we are out and about to charge the iPhone, but it would probably easily work for the iPad and the Kindle as well.

[glumirk]

I bought DH a Kindle Touch for Christmas and he uses it all the time! He always wanted to get back into reading, but never had the books with him. He loves that he can use his phone or amazon web count to pick right back up where he was and it will sync to the new location when he gets home to his kindle. There are also 3rd party programs that can convert PDFs to be read on the Kindle or even get blog posts sent to your kindle. He listens to some podcast where he learns all of his tricks, and it's really become a hobby That he loves.

One thing he lives about having the e-ink version is that when he picks it up he won't be distracted by texts, emails, Facebook etc like he knows he would with a tablet. And the e ink I really much better on the eyes.

[KristinCB]

Cindy - Does your husband read books more or would he be wanting to read magazine and do other stuff?

[KimberlyMorris]

I love my Kindle!

[Sarah8914]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

Those of you who have an iPad & a Kindle, can I ask why? I have an iPad and I read one book on it, but I admit, I didn't much enjoy it and just went back to actual books. I do read a lot though.

I don't have a kindle, but I can't imagine reading regularly on the ipad. I REALLY like the eink and it really feels like you're reading a book. I don't read enough anymore for a kindle, but if I was going to get an ereader, I would definitely do a kindle with eink (not the fire).

[cindys732003]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

Cindy - Does your husband read books more or would he be wanting to read magazine and do other stuff?

That's a hard question....he is really not a HUGE reader, but he does read alot when he travels by plane. He does prefer books over magazines though. For other stuff he usually has his laptop with him anyways. but he does like to surf the net and stuff.
The ipad is more money than I am looking to spend right now so that's why I was looking into eeaders

[Sherri Tierney]

I would have to agree with everyone else... if you want it for READING more than surfing the web or playing around then e-ink is the way to go. The Kindle Fire is a great substitute for the ipad though. It doesn't do as much but when you compare prices it sure does a lot to make it worth the price!

We have 2 e-ink Kindles here (and I was just asking a few months ago what I should get for my first one!). I have a Kindle Touch and my daughter has a Kindle 4 (simple, $79 version) that she's getting for her birthday in a few days. Eventually I WANT to get a Kindle Fire but not for reading. I want it for games and browsing the web, etc. since it is bigger than my phone and the tiny screen on my phone annoys me sometimes. My kids would love to watch videos on it too and for my 6 year old who still reads books with pictures the color would be a nice option. Truthfully though, the back light hurts my eyes. It hurts my eyes on my phone, on my computer monitor, and sometimes the TV even hurts my eyes so that was my biggest consideration when it came to deciding what to get. If your husband is reading for a few hours at a time, it may be a consideration for you. He could surf the web and such with the Fire but I doubt he could do that FROM the plane, you know?

[Leontine78]

I am in Europe so I am not much help I guess.
But I can tell you, I love mine and wouldn't want it different now. It's so easy to read. It's like a book so you need light (no backlight in mine) but it's much lighter.

My battery lives about a week when I am ready about full time (like on holiday). So when he's just on my bed side table it lasts for weeks. So your husband can fly about four times around the world reading full time, LOL.

I tried to read on our tablet....but I got a headache from it...just because of the backlight. I have a Sony eeader....already for more than a year. Perfect for holidays because if we were away for 14 days I had about 7 thick books with me and came short most of the time. Think of all the weight you don't have to carry. And I find enough (new) books on the internet to read perfectly free of charge (although it's a bit illegal).

[Julie Billingsley]

I really love my Kindle Touch. I read a lot as I wait various places for appts and picking up Logan, etc. The e-ink of the Kindle Touch is so fabulous. Previously, I had been reading on an ipod/iphone and the backlight was killing my eyes. Since I've switched to the Touch, my eyes have been fine and I really love it.

[Leontine78]

I am not sure how the Kindle works.....but on the eeader by Sony ( I didn't break mine yet though).... You can ready any pdf source file or something that ends with .epub.

I love it....I read everyday...

[Ginger_79]

Me + my kindle = LOVE

And e-ink is definitely not like a backlit monitor/screen. I can read on the kindle for hours just fine. Oh, and you will actually need light for it. It's not lit itself.

[origami]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

Those of you who have an iPad & a Kindle, can I ask why? I have an iPad and I read one book on it, but I admit, I didn't much enjoy it and just went back to actual books. I do read a lot though.

We have a Kindle Touch with Special Offers, a Kindle Touch with 3G, and an iPad.

We bought the iPad for educational reasons and it's been great for that, as well as entertainment. I often do read books on the iPad and I love that if I'm reading a non-fiction book, I can quickly look up something that relates to what I am reading. I also will use apps like Noteability to do some writing and notekeeping. And I use a word processor on it if I have to do some serious writing but we're out and about. The iPad plus my keyboard is lighter to carry than a laptop and more versatile, in my opinion, than a netbook. I have a laptop, but it really got heavy to carry around and I realized that what I was using the lapbook for, I could accomplish on an iPad. I also go to occasional conferences or to hear speakers, and it's nice to use for taking notes with a stylus, and again, is less of a hassle than a laptop. There are also some great educational apps for the kids that we've thought were well worth it. But if we are just going out and about, I often don't even want to carry an iPad around.

I have a zippered case for my Kindle Touch and it's very light. It fits in my small purse. I wouldn't want to carry and read the iPad when we go to the swimming pool, for example, or while I'm waiting in line somewhere. The Kindle Touch is just way more convenient that way. I don't have to think about whether I plan to take it with me anywhere, because it is always there in my purse.

I have a lot of books that I might be reading at one time and it's just nice having a choice as to what I am going to read without having to think about it. And since a lot of what i read is non-fiction and I highlight and take a lot of notes, that's a real benefit to me.

[origami]

Originally Posted by Ginger_79

Me + my kindle = LOVE

And e-ink is definitely not like a backlit monitor/screen. I can read on the kindle for hours just fine. Oh, and you will actually need light for it. It's not lit itself.

And of course, you can purchase a reading light for a Kindle that will fit on or in the case if you need to read in the dark.

[Shawna]

I just have the regular Kindle w/Special Offers and absolutely love it! I carry it everywhere with me in my purse or tote bag and it's nice being able to pull it out if I have to wait somewhere or I can even keep the kids occupied reading on it. Amazon offers lots of free books so I download things I think the kids will like when I see them for free. It's also great for reading while lounging by the pool while the kids swim, since there is no glare with the e-ink and I don't have to worry about getting a regular book wet. The battery life is really good too, I use mine almost daily and only have to charge it every couple of weeks.

[scrap2day]

I LOVE my Kindle Touch.

I think that e-ink helps me with less eye strain. Like others have said, you will need a light source in the dark. (I have a case with a built in light).

I use mine all the time when I am waiting.

If it broke, I would purchase another Kindle.

[Lindsay]

I use my Kindle Fire more for internet browsing than reading, so I have to recharge more often but I love it. So easy to buy from Amazon...almost too easy!

[cindys732003]

You guys have been soooooo helpful! Thank you!
One more question.....what is the difference between Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G? Is it worth the price difference?

[KristinCB]

don't bother with the 3G.. waste of money if you ask me! so many places have wifi these days.

[NeverendingJen]

If you are using it mostly with travel, I think 3G is worth it, and so does DH. He said he didn't want the 3G, but now regrets that due to the fact that it's a bit of a pain to try and get wifi connections sometimes when traveling.

[cindys732003]

Do you only need the wifi connection to download a book? So if you download what you need before travelling you should be okay?

[KristinCB]

yea.. thats all i use it for

you can access the web a little too i think but i've never really found the need for it since I use my phone for that.

[kim21673]

I only have an iPad....and have never read one single book on it! LOL I'm no help at all!!!

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by cindys732003

Do you only need the wifi connection to download a book? So if you download what you need before travelling you should be okay?

yup. As long as you are prepared for that, you don't need it, but there's definitely been times where DH has read more than he expected, etc. and regretted not having it.

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by cindys732003

Do you only need the wifi connection to download a book? So if you download what you need before travelling you should be okay?

yep, exactly. I always have a bunch of unread books on mine, plus over a hundred of ones that I could reread. I can't imagine ever needing 3G on the Kindle if you plan ahead even a little.

[origami]

Originally Posted by NeverendingJen

yup. As long as you are prepared for that, you don't need it, but there's definitely been times where DH has read more than he expected, etc. and regretted not having it.

I have only wifi, but my husband has the 3G Kindle Touch. It isn't a problem for me since I don't travel a lot, but I think if I traveled a lot, I'd spend the extra money for the 3G so I wouldn't be stuck without a new book to read. You don't have to pay anything extra for the 3G on the Kindle once you've purchased the ereader. There's no fee or anything. It's just that the 3G ereader costs more than the wifi reader up front.

[NeverendingJen]

Originally Posted by Julie Billingsley

yep, exactly. I always have a bunch of unread books on mine, plus over a hundred of ones that I could reread. I can't imagine ever needing 3G on the Kindle if you plan ahead even a little.

See, I don't keep a ton of books on mine, I archive all except the current series I am reading, so that is part of the issue, lol.

[ripal]

Mine is 3G, but I also have over 800 books on my Kindle, so no matter where I go, I really wouldn't run out of books to read! lol Mine is Kindle 2, so there wasn't an option to just buy wi-fi version. When I bought one for my son, I bought him wi-fi version based on my experience.

[jovi_girl]

You can download a free program called calibre that will convert any book file into the right file for your kindle (or any other e reader) so you aren't limited to just purchasing from amazon.

After reading this thread, I'm buying a kindle touch! I have a kobo but the battery only lasts a few hours if I'm reading a lot. Maybe mine is dodgy tho, since someone else said their kobo lasted weeks.

[Lyd]

Originally Posted by jovi_girl

You can download a free program called calibre that will convert any book file into the right file for your kindle (or any other e reader) so you aren't limited to just purchasing from amazon.

After reading this thread, I'm buying a kindle touch! I have a kobo but the battery only lasts a few hours if I'm reading a lot. Maybe mine is dodgy tho, since someone else said their kobo lasted weeks.

However, Calibre won't work on files that include DRM, and most books that you purchase will include DRM. So, you do have to be aware of that.

[Sharon Kay]

Originally Posted by Libby Pritchett

I don't know about the other brands, but I LOVE my Kindle Touch. The battery life is a month or more, and I use it ALL the time. Like seriously, every single day. Amazon has just about everything for kindle it seems. Plus they have a great selection of free books, too. And (at least in the US, not sure about Canada) you can check out library books for the Kindle.

I'm sure someone else will give you a more in-depth review, but I just wanted to say how much I love mine!

What she said! My step dad wanted to get mom and ereader for Christmas ... my oldest and I went online and read reviews and then went to Best Buy and talked indepth to them ... we bought her a Kindle Fire ... she absolutely LOVES it! She uses it as an ereader, checks her email, plays games ... etc. etc.

Here is a place you can get free books every single day for Kindle (I have a ton of cookbooks now ... last count I was close to 700 books) ... and you can use filters to get it down to the type of books you want to read ... I have read more books this year (kindle app for my HP Touch Pad) than I have in 10 years I think!!

http://www.ereaderiq.com/free/

Personally I love my HP Touch Pad and so glad I bought it ... it has been hacked and running both Web OS and Android.