10-11-2009, 11:32 PM | #1 |
Wizard
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Comments about your reader while in public?
I was at Starbucks today to get out of the house for a bit, and spent about an hour there with my Sony Reader. As I was getting ready to leave, a youngish couple approached me and asked me what it was. I spent about 15 minutes answering their questions about it. The woman kept saying to the man that maybe she will get a Christmas present---I wonder if he got the hint! They asked me how many books it has, whether you can buy authors like Nora Roberts and Mary Higgins Clark, how to get books on it etc. I gave them the URL for Mobile Read. We'll see if they come
Has this ever happened to anyone else? It was kind of fun, actually. I wonder if they really will buy an ebook reader now... |
10-11-2009, 11:47 PM | #2 |
Addict
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Location: Chicago
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It happened to me! That's what made me take them seriously. I saw a lady on the train who was reading her Kindle every day. Finally, I got up the nerve to interrupt her reading and have her give me the 5 minute tour. I had one by the next week.
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10-12-2009, 01:01 AM | #3 |
ZCD BombShel
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Location: The Frozen North (aka Illinois, USA)
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Happens to me all the time. I take my reader with me to the doctor's office whenever I or my husband has to go, and it never fails to spark questions. I took it to the new Riverfront park area when it opened, and got into a conversation with a couple of ladies about what it was and how it worked. I think a couple of the doctors in our hospital network have gotten information from me with the intention of getting a reader for themselves. When I first got my EZ Reader, I took it to work with me one night. I almost lost it right then and there to one of my assistant managers. I don't think she really wanted to give it back, LOL. Since then, I've taken it back in a few times by requests, because I'm always talking about what I'm reading and what I'm reading it on. When we get new people, they sooner or later ask me to bring my reader in so they can see one hands on.
It is a lot of fun - I've given the "What is this and how is it different from a Kindle" talk so many times I've got it fine tuned, LOL. |
10-12-2009, 01:08 AM | #4 |
Opsimath
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Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand
Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy
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I've had a couple of people ask about my reader, but so many people here stare into their phones, PDA's, etc. all the time so it's quite common. In fact, I've been trying to get a good photograph of a typical train car scene where virtually everyone in the car is staring into some sort of device. More people here use their phones for e-mail and Internet browsing, as well as watching TV, but quite a few are reading e-books on them. The only difference is that mine has a larger screen.
Oddly enough, the times when people HAVE asked me, they were Westerners visiting Kyoto, and met me in Starbucks! Stitchawl |
10-12-2009, 04:22 AM | #5 |
Final Five n°42
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Location: Lyon, France
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Oh yes it does happen.
Last time was Saturday evening, during the break at a concert. |
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10-12-2009, 04:27 AM | #6 | |
Icanhasdonuts?
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Quote:
I did get lots of questions about it before when I commuted by train, now however not so much since I switched to carcommute with my new job, which is a bit of a pain, I really miss reading while going to work. Even though audiobooks is ok, it's not quite the same. |
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10-12-2009, 04:33 AM | #7 |
The me that I am
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Location: In my house! Duh!
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Happens to me all the time. People often ask about the Kindle because I'm probably one of a small handful of people in a 100 mile radius that has one.
The DR more often gets mistaken for a tablet laptop; I'm pretty sure noone else in Virginia has one, certainly not anyone south of the DC suburbs. |
10-12-2009, 06:06 AM | #8 |
I eat books
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Couple of times I was asked directly, then there's family and a lot of people when I'm communiting that will look at me but won't ask.
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10-12-2009, 06:45 AM | #9 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Nothing, people either look funny at me or completely ignore me...
But as Stitchawl already said, people are so used to other people staring at one device or other that my reader doesn't stand out enough... |
10-12-2009, 06:53 AM | #10 | |||||||
Wizard
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Location: Asia
Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505
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I've been approached a few dozen times so far, and I'm pretty sure I've managed to convince most of them to not buy one.
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10-12-2009, 07:45 AM | #11 |
http://is.gd/4flJX
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Device: Sony PRS-505, iPhone 3G
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I carry my Sony PRS 505 with me most of the time. I got asked about it probably once every two months or so as I read in coffee shops etc. And I'm sure there are more people who'd like to know about it but they decide not to start a conversation.
Last Christmas, one of my friend's wife contacted me for some advice because my friend had mentioned my e-reader. So he ended up by getting one as a Christmas present and he's been very happy with his 505 since then. |
10-12-2009, 08:08 AM | #12 |
Wizard
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I've had one ask me once - he'd seen something about the Kindle on TV. People are sometimes looking, but here we don't really talk to strangers in public all that much...
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10-12-2009, 08:09 AM | #13 | |
Final Five n°42
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Quote:
I rarely go into the pit, so there's not much risk for the reader. As it turned out, the first band was great (Puggy), but the main act (Pascale Picard) wasn't so great. |
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10-12-2009, 08:47 AM | #14 |
Groupie
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Location: Tampa, FL
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It happened to me at the airport a couple weeks ago. The gentleman beside me kept looking at it, then finally asked about it. He had a lot of questions and like LDBoblo I really just wanted to read my book, so I answered most of his questions, telling him how absolutely awesome it is. Then he started asking about the Kindle-I do not own a Kindle, do not want to own a Kindle, so I just told him about MR, that he could find the answers to all his questions here. Then I finished my book.
It doesn't happen extremely often, except at work, but when it does happen the people asking usually mention wanting to get one for a relative for Christmas or something after I tell them how nice it is. |
10-12-2009, 10:23 AM | #15 |
Groupie
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It happened to me not once but twice this past Saturday. I was at a Red Lobster near St. Louis, having lunch before going to the ballgame (sigh). My server noticed it right away and asked several questions. Then, as I was getting ready to go, the two ladies at the table next to mine asked about it. The server seemed more interested than the ladies, although they did ask me how much it cost.
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