MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - I've never owned a Kindle. What about you?

sun surfer · 11-04-2013, 12:48 PM

Neither e-ink nor tablet.

When I was first in the market for an e-ink reader years ago (and came here for help, by the way), I decided against a Kindle for two main reasons -

1 - Its DRM scheme. I've never been a tech genius and back then, first starting with e-reading, I had no idea how to strip, convert, etc. books and even if I could learn, I did not want to have to do that, but I also didn't want to be locked into Amazon's bookstore.

2 - I really just didn't like how the Kindles with keyboards looked.

Part of it also may have had to do with my rebel spirit - If the majority were jumping off the Kindle cliff and telling me that I should too, should I have no follow? No! Heh, but that rebellious instinct only kicked in because there were major things I already didn't like about Kindles (I'm perfectly fine with going with the flow if I'm happy with something).

Since then things have evolved of course, and I can use calibre somewhat well enough now, and Kindles no longer have keyboards, and tablets open up a world of bookstore/reading app possibilities, but I've never ended up with a Kindle. I have bought one for someone else, and I came very close to owning one for myself once, and it's not like I've been purposely trying to avoid Kindle (except for arguably that first time) but when I've bought something each time something else always seemed to satisfy my wants better.

So I began to wonder how many others have never owned a Kindle on this site, given how dominant Amazon have been in e-reading. I realise there's quite a few happier with other brands and products, but many of them have also owned Kindles before.

11-04-2013, 12:48 PM	#1
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	I've never owned a Kindle. What about you? Neither e-ink nor tablet. When I was first in the market for an e-ink reader years ago (and came here for help, by the way), I decided against a Kindle for two main reasons - 1 - Its DRM scheme. I've never been a tech genius and back then, first starting with e-reading, I had no idea how to strip, convert, etc. books and even if I could learn, I did not want to have to do that, but I also didn't want to be locked into Amazon's bookstore. 2 - I really just didn't like how the Kindles with keyboards looked. Part of it also may have had to do with my rebel spirit - If the majority were jumping off the Kindle cliff and telling me that I should too, should I have no follow? No! Heh, but that rebellious instinct only kicked in because there were major things I already didn't like about Kindles (I'm perfectly fine with going with the flow if I'm happy with something). Since then things have evolved of course, and I can use calibre somewhat well enough now, and Kindles no longer have keyboards, and tablets open up a world of bookstore/reading app possibilities, but I've never ended up with a Kindle. I have bought one for someone else, and I came very close to owning one for myself once, and it's not like I've been purposely trying to avoid Kindle (except for arguably that first time) but when I've bought something each time something else always seemed to satisfy my wants better. So I began to wonder how many others have never owned a Kindle on this site, given how dominant Amazon have been in e-reading. I realise there's quite a few happier with other brands and products, but many of them have also owned Kindles before.