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Old 08-06-2010, 07:57 AM   #1
ChrisByrd
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New to the forum, and (soon) eReaders

Just to say hello to everybody at the forum, which I've just discovered.

My wife and I are lifelong readers (over 55 years each, but we did start very young), and our house is consequently piled high with books. We'll probably never stop buying books, but have been tempted into pre-ordering a Kindle 3 from Amazon to cover our fiction needs.

I'm hoping to download a lot of free classics from Project Gutenberg, but will also buy some books through the Amazon store - I work in a charity bookshop, and some of the Amazon UK prices compare pretty well with the second hand book prices.

As far as I can tell Gutenberg books can be transferred to the Kindle, but can anybody confirm this? Also, is the Kindle a good choice? I definitely want a device that is primarily a book reader, and can use in sunlight, etc. I've already got an iPhone, so the iPad doesn't interest me. Also, how does using a device like the Kindle compare to reading on the iPhone? I've read the odd short story on this, but wouldn't like to use it for anything longer.

Any advice most welcome!

Chris
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Old 08-06-2010, 10:52 AM   #2
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As far as I can tell Gutenberg books can be transferred to the Kindle, but can anybody confirm this?
Yes, but I'd recommend checking out the ebooks uploaded here at mobileread. They're better formatted than the PG books. Up at the top of this page in the blue bar you'll see an "E-Books" button. You want the MOBI filetype.


Quote:
Also, is the Kindle a good choice? I definitely want a device that is primarily a book reader, and can use in sunlight, etc. I've already got an iPhone, so the iPad doesn't interest me. Also, how does using a device like the Kindle compare to reading on the iPhone? I've read the odd short story on this, but wouldn't like to use it for anything longer.
Well, "good" is a very subjective. The biggest 'issues' with the Kindle are that it's primarily tied to the Amazon store because it does not read ePub filetypes or non-Amazon DRM. I love my K2 and have no issues with it, aside from not being able to read ebooks from my local library system. The Kindle has a 30 day return policy (or it does in the U.S.), so I'd recommend trying it and returning it if you don't like it. It's a different experience from reading on an iPhone, and I think a much superior experience.
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Old 08-06-2010, 11:25 AM   #3
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Sadly, I don't have my big book source post archived on this computer. However, aside from right here on MobileRead and PG, which you already know about, you might want to look into ManyBooks, Feedbooks, and (reluctantly) Munsey's. There's also the Internet Archive and Google Books, but the quality level there (badly OCR'd scans) is almost uniformly terrible.
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Old 08-06-2010, 11:40 AM   #4
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Good to have your company, Chris. I'd also recommend that you download the free Calibre software (developed by a member here, Kovid Goyal). Not only will this organise your inevitable virtual library, it wll convert from one ebook format to another at the tap of a key or two. Very best wishes. Neil
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Old 08-06-2010, 11:41 AM   #5
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Chris - Welcome to mobileread ..... There's a couple of links to book stores in my signature line ....

Threads elsewhere on the Forum will help you decide, especially Which One Shall I buy

There's a matrix of readers in the Wiki - follow link from the top of the forum page ....
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Old 08-06-2010, 12:26 PM   #6
GA Russell
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Welcome Chris!

No eBook reader is perfect for everyone, so I recommend that you take some time to do some research here before you plunk down your money.

Last year I spent five months researching before I decided which reader was best for me regarding both its functions and its price. Five months is longer than what most people spend, but I don't regret it, as I am still very content with my jetBook Lite, and don't feel the need to upgrade.
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Old 08-06-2010, 03:22 PM   #7
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Old 08-06-2010, 04:36 PM   #8
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Hello and welcome!!!
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Old 08-06-2010, 06:43 PM   #9
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and welcome to MR!

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Old 08-07-2010, 06:55 AM   #10
ChrisByrd
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Thanks to everybody for the welcomes, advice and links. Plenty to be looking at!

The Kindle isn't due for delivery for several weeks, so I'll do plenty of research in the meantime. Amazon do have a 30-day return in the UK, so I'll have time to try the Kindle out. I'll start by downloading Calibre.

Thanks again

Chris
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Old 08-07-2010, 08:31 AM   #11
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Hello Chris and welcome to MobileRead. Hope you enjoy your Kindle when it arrives. Calibre is a great program!
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Old 08-07-2010, 10:31 AM   #12
ChrisByrd
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Thanks Javed - I've downloaded Calibre and it does indeed look excellent.

Chris
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Old 08-07-2010, 10:48 AM   #13
elithea
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calibre funding?

Quote:
Originally Posted by neilmarr View Post
Good to have your company, Chris. I'd also recommend that you download the free Calibre software (developed by a member here, Kovid Goyal). Not only will this organise your inevitable virtual library, it wll convert from one ebook format to another at the tap of a key or two. Very best wishes. Neil
hi, i'm new here too! you're the first person i see that's mentioned calibre and i have a calibre question: how is calibre funded? is it solely by the paypal donation box or is there some other source? if the former, does that bring in enough to keep such an extensive program afloat? how much would be a typical donation?

i realize you don't know the answer to these, but somebody might and i can't seem to find out by cursory googling. there *is* a CALIBRE program funded by the EU that i found, but i can't tell by reading the linked paper whether the ebooks calibre is part of it or not...

i think calibre is fantastic and use it a lot. i feel i should donate but don't have much money. I always see those paypal donate buttons, but there never seems to be any further info on them; i think they'd be much more successful if there were some context and people had some clue what would be effective but not stupid, you know? anyway, thanks for the place for my first forum post!
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Old 08-09-2010, 12:50 PM   #14
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Old 08-09-2010, 02:04 PM   #15
kovidgoyal
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@elithea: calibre is funded purely by donations (and ad revenue from the website). No amount is stupid, contribute as much (or as little) as you feel your budget will bear.
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