Quote:
Originally Posted by markm
We apparently sit on different sides of the fence, as much as different sides of the Atlantic. Personally, I think that the Kindle (as much as the Sony) is a rich-kids gizmo rather than something of any practical value. It is large, fragile, complex, useless without batteries or Internet, far overpriced, and when used as intended, more expensive and inflexible per publication than the books it strives to replace. That said, having known many Macintosh owners, I completely understand why you're such an Amazon apologist.
E-book readers have the potential to be so much more than they are today. But publishers and self-proclaimed authors' guilds will never allow that to happen. Just imagine if I could slide my library card into the side of my e-book reader and borrow (for free) or rent (for a few cents) a copy of any book ever published. That is a product I'd pay $400 for. Not some proprietary interface to overpriced, DRM-laden temporary copies of books I can never sell or even loan to another person, or take hiking in the woods, or camping in the desert, or sunbathing on the beach.
But I digress.
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Can I continue with your digression?
My ebook (OK, it's a Sony) is far more than a 'rich kid gizmo' and has tons of practical value for me. It is my go-to device for leisure reading,and has drawn me back into the fold of avid reading after many years of work/websurfing and too few fun books.
As some background, I have TONS of books on dozens of overloaded shelves and bookcases at home, and I still read some of those. But the Reader is a great device that allows me to bring TONS of books with me wherever I go: on the subway, on the beach, in the woods, on vacation, etc. (Why do you suggest that it can't be used for hiking, etc.?) The Reader's battery lasts AT LEAST 2 full weeks with daily use. No need for constant charging--I never really deal with this anyway--adding books occasionally charges me back up for weeks. (I even have one of those thin folding solar chargers, although Ive never needed it.)
I buy a few ebooks, but borrow most from online libraries or find free/CC books online everywhere. The price of ebooks is minimal. But the convenience and availability are huge. I have about 200 books in my internal memory--something to read for any mood--including generally 2-3 borrowed library books. All of this in a handy-sized device that weights just a few ounces, is easy on the eyes (*MUCH* better than any backlit phone or netbook display, and yes, I do use a netbook as well for work), and which I never really worry about running out of power. (No need to charge every 1- days like a cellphone--it's good for even a 1-2 week vacation.) I even use my Reader in our steambath, where reading a regular book is not even possible.
My Reader has been an extraordinary value to me in terms of convenience, variety, an pure reading enjoyment. So, I respectfully disagree with your assertions above.
