Hard to believe. I just can't demote the reading experience to one of these. Seems I may be getting behind the times.

I agree with you, I just don't see the appeal of reading on a screen. For me it has to be a proper book it's not that I haven't tried the eReader experience I just didn't like it at all.

I have the portrait of dorian grey on my ipod and i love the convinience. Since i use the train a bit more these days its a nice way to pass the time. If i read a normal book on the train usually i get dizzy. Strangely with the ipod i have no problem.

I still prefer paper books though

A book, paper, papyrus, ink and a mushed up tree would have always won,

BUT

for travelling, the Kindle rocks.
(no i dont work for amazon)
but I really enjoy reading on my kindle while travelling. Its such a joy. Kind of Ipod for books. You can take your WHOLE library with you,,,,,

I would not swap my kindle now.
(I thought I would never say that,,,,,,)
but it is a personal choice. The 'boss' doesn't like it. She says its like looking at a computer screen. I disagree. I think it looks like an 'etch-a-sketch,' rather than a screen. Much easier on the eyes.
You pays your money, you takes your choice.

Plus, on another selling point, the classics are free to obtain. That has got to be a ma-hu-sive bonus.
Where else can you get the whole of Shakespeare for £0.72, Shelly £0.00, Dickens £0.00, Bram Stoker £0.00, Victor Hugo £0.00, Rudyard Kipling £0.00

me thinks you get the picture,,,(or script)

Kindle works for me

I can't read a novel on a PC monitor, but the Kindle works fine for me as I can pull it out of my jacket pocket and read it like a book. (It helps to have a proper hinged cover for it which makes it seem even more book-like.) The screen on the Kindle has excellent contrast too, so it can be read in strong sunlight.

The technology can only continue to improve, so eventually I suspect most of us will reach a level of acceptance which, combined with the practical advantages (being able to carry thousands of books in one paperback-sized package, and instant downloads) will finally draw us in.

That said, I've a strong emotional attachment to paper books and book shops, so their inevitable demise will be a sad development.

yes but can I buy a kindle without a credit card ??? I would like to have bought a Amazon Store card, but living in Switzerland blocks all outlets.
Does anyone know how I can buy a kindle without a credit card???

project guttenberg???

I've churned through about 20 books since getting my Kindle 3. Its so much more comfortable and convenient than paperbacks and I don't have to pay an English language premium for living in CH. I also have a whispernet subscription to the London Evening Standard, which I read on my train journey home each night.

RIP Paper

I'm just resisting the publishers' absurd insistence on charging more for an eBook than I pay for a real, paper copy of the same book - delivered by mail to my door!! (Thank you, bookdepository.co.uk & bookdepository.com).
I've been through Project Gutenberg & downloaded heaps of the free classics, which I can read happily on my computer ... but will buy some form of eBook reader once the publishers see reason and drop their prices for eBooks. Sadly, I don't see this happening in the near future ...

How can you curl up in bed at night with a Kindle?

I was watching several people on a flight a couple of days ago and most had Kindles not a paperback - I was surprised..

I'm off to do just that!
I'll let you know how it goes,,,,,

After recently moving at least a dozen heavy boxes of books from one apartment to another and up and down stairs, I am so happy that the last 60 books I've bought have been on my kindle. I've left books behind all over the world, and am very glad I will never have to do so again! And I have no problem curling up with it... unlike a book it requires only one hand

I don't even mind there's not a huge difference in price with the paper editions: after all, $8-12 for a good book is totally worth it. Although I'm very angry with Payot here in Suisse Romande, who have just introduced a very expensive e-reader and plan on charging their usual ridiculously high prices for their e-books.

__________________
I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

You do need a US based credit card to buy books from the Amazon store to download to your Kindle. Unfortunately, you can't purchase items from amazon unless the credit card/debit card linked to the account has a US address.

My US kindle and gift cards that I apply to my account were all bought with Swiss credit cards. I get the email version of the cards and it takes around 5 minutes from start to finish.

I read three books total on my iPad with the Kindle App. 1 of them was a text for my term paper in my Master's class. I ended up buying the paperback version anyway because it was frustrating trying to highlight on the iPad and virtually impossible to find my highlights later.

I also prefer having a tactile grasp of how far into the reading am I. Something an eBook just can't do.

Sure, it's convenient, because you don't have to carry around extra "stuff" with you if you want to read. But it's just not worth it for me. I'll read the paperback any day.

The moving books issue is the main reason I'm considering an eReader ... or rather the storage, since I can never find enough good bookshelves and my wife is not keen on letting me use wardrobes for book storage!
Oh, and back on price - I wouldn't mind the 'small' price difference so much if the eBook was cheaper than I can get the paper version, delivered (usually within a week), new ...

why do you think the ebook should be cheaper? it has the advantage of being lighter, requires less storage, is instantly purchasable, can buy it and read it without leaving your home, very easy to pay for it (doesn't even need a computer), saves you time and money when moving.

these are features you pay a premium for.

I agree. I love mine and it has already paid for itself!

Why should it be so expensive? No printing costs, negligible storage & distribution costs and relatively small 'shopfront' costs. Also, I imagine typesetting is far less of an issue (but still required) for eBooks ...

So, with all of these massive reductions in costs to produce, why are the prices higher than for a physical book I can also find & order online (from home!) and have mailed to me, when it's the same title? Saving me a few days of waiting for the mail to arrive doesn't justify a 10-15% price hike ...

Hi,

I have never been a big reader of books. I never really found time and there was always something else to capture my intention. So typically I would start a book on holiday and if I did not finish it by the end of the holiday it tended not too be finished.

When I was last in US I bought a Kindle and now I find I am reading a lot more as the device fits in my coat pocket and goes with me everywhere. I read on the tram and train.

The only thing that saddens me is that book stores like record stores will become increasingly difficult to find. In the USA Borders has gone into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and the other large book seller is looking for a buyer.

Paper books will very quickly become something that belongs to the past.

Here is why ebooks started to get more expensive http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/te.../11reader.html

For reading colour magazines the ipad is much better but for books the Kindle is hard to beat.

Have fun
Martin