What was your ultimate reason for getting an E-Reader?

tiniree · 09-06-2010, 10:38 PM

Curious as to why all you ultimately bought an ereader .

My reason was because my eyesight took a major nosedive and I needed to be able to read large print. Also, the books on tape were driving me nuts

I bought my Nook five days ago and have downloaded almost 60 books. With the Nooks extra extra large font, my glasses and a magnifying glass, I am once again able to read a book!!!

Oh, and one more reason I just thought of: Being able to download free from the library gives me a little more independence (I don't have to rely on someone to drive me to the library.

Marie

AnemicOak · 09-06-2010, 10:50 PM

My main, not only, reason was because books were overtaking my house and I had no room for more shelves. Also I had started accumulating a fair number of ebook, but disliked reading them on a PC or the phone I had at the time (treo). I still have a couple thousand pbook, but am slowly decreasing that number. I hope to eventually have just a couple shelves of pbooks left since I find I prefer reading electronically.

desertgrandma · 09-06-2010, 10:51 PM

Easy Peasy...

1) Having my entire library on my Kindle

2) Reading whatever I want whenever I want, whereever I am.

3) Downloading (if I choose to) any book I want where ever I am, whenever I want. Immediate gratification.

4) Adjustable font.

5) SO much lighter than those huge hardbacks, and so much easier to read than those paper backs!

6) Built in dictionary

7) All the free, wonderfully written books by authors who knew how to put the written word to paper. Books that you don't find so much anymore......stories that will outlive most of todays contemporary authors.

8) Getting e- books from the library.....thats a priceless gift.

8) Because it was a win/win situation. I knew that by buying from Amazon, if I didn't like it I only had to pay return shipping ($8). AND I had 30 days to play with it.

This was in June of 08 and I haven't looked back since.

Oh.......and the best part of my ebook reader?

Finding mobileread.

timezone · 09-06-2010, 10:54 PM

My reasons include the bookshelf space, having to carry large books and documents at work, eInk screen. My reasons for leaving have to do with Mobipocket and ePub not being allowed to play in the same sandbox. That is why I am purchasing a Slate. For some reason Amazon doesn't care when outside of the eReader world. I will miss the eInk screen.

FizzyWater · 09-06-2010, 10:57 PM

2,500 books...and no dusting!

timezone · 09-06-2010, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

2,500 books...and no dusting!

Wow, that is a lot of books. Is there a particular subject area you are interested in or you have books on all topics, fiction and non-fiction. I am impressed.

HamsterRage · 09-06-2010, 11:08 PM

I was running out of space to keep all the pbooks. Ultimately, I was going on vacation and didn't want to cart around a whole bunch of books with me.

superstitious · 09-06-2010, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HamsterRage

I was running out of space to keep all the pbooks. Ultimately, I was going on vacation and didn't want to cart around a whole bunch of books with me.

I am with you on this one. I travel to visit my family in my hometown at least once a year for about a month at a time so lugging around hardback books just isn't worth it anymore. I'd rather save my space for stuff I can bring back from home. Also, running out of shelf space in my tiny house.

HansTWN · 09-06-2010, 11:16 PM

Living in a place where almost no English books are sold, my main reason was easy availability of books and newspapers from other countries. Apart from the fact that it saves me a ton of money on shipping and avoid paying for the classics.

ardeegee · 09-06-2010, 11:16 PM

To read the enormous number of books I have downloaded over the internet over the years-- including an increasing number of books formatted complexly enough that they couldn't be done justice rendered into plain text and read on a 160x160 pixel PDA screen.

FizzyWater · 09-06-2010, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timezone

Wow, that is a lot of books. Is there a particular subject area you are interested in or you have books on all topics, fiction and non-fiction. I am impressed.

No, I'm afraid my ebooks are just fun escape for me - mostly romance, some sci-fi, some fantasy, some mystery. Most of my non-fiction books are just odd one-offs that catch my eye. And I'm afraid I don't always finish those, because some non-fiction writers are more interested in their subject than in stringing together words in an interesting (non-dry) way!

I'm still about half-way through an ebook about the 1918 flu epidemic, for example, that came out last year when everyone was worried about last winter's flu.

Lady Fitzgerald · 09-06-2010, 11:24 PM

I'm moving into a travel trailer in a year or two so I will have no room for all my p-books (roughly 1200).since there was no way I would ever give up my books for as long as I can still draw breath, I'm in the process of cutting my p-books apart and scanning them. I needed something to read them on besides my computer (although I've learned I prefer reading on computer, using my TV screen, when at home) so I got a Mentor when they went on sale. It both didn't meet my needs for the scanned PDF books and it died so I got my JetBook Lite when it went on sale and it works well enough until something better comes out. I can carry several books with me in one package that easily fits in my purse and doesn't weigh a ton.

bjones6416 · 09-06-2010, 11:25 PM

A friend of mine showed me her netbook, and mentioned that she read books on it using Mobipocket Reader. I bought my own netbook, and started reading books on it. I still didn't think I needed a dedicated e-book reader, but I did buy a Palm PDA off of ebay and loaded a few books on there. Then the price of the readers took a nosedive, and I decided to give one a try. I never looked back after that.

HarleyB · 09-06-2010, 11:25 PM

The month before I bought my Kobo I went on holidays to Vietnam for 3 weeks. My husband and I took 5 books to read during that time (as well as a guide book) so 6 books.
One of those books was a dud and neither of us enjoyed reading it. What a waste to carry it half way round the world!
I was lucky enough that 2 of our hotels had a guests lending library with a fair selection of books in English and I also managed to score a book that another tourist was throwing away.
Having half a suitcase full of books just for a 3 week holiday was a real pain.

I don't like reading on a computer screen but a friend showed me her Sony. So I started to think about an ereader and then the Kobo was released. I knew it was meant to be!
Since I bought the ereader I have discovered a few more things that are really great.
I love that I can have a new book in the middle of the night without leaving home within a few minutes of deciding I want it.
I love that I can take as many books as I want with me everyday - no more having to decide WHICH book I might feel like reading later on.
I love that I won't need to buy any more bookshelves. I'm hoping that more of my existing pbook collection will become available at a cheap enough price so that I can have them as ebooks and free up some space in my study.
I love that all the new books I have bought in the last few months were cheaper as ebooks than as pbooks.
I love how small light the Kobo is - so much easier to hold and read for hours at a time.
I love that people see me reading my Kobo and think that I am some sort of techno wiz when actually I'm just veging out with some trashy novel that I wouldn't normally read in public!

Xtfreak · 09-06-2010, 11:27 PM

A friend of mine was telling me about her ereader. I had never heard of them. The next day as I was walking by a shop I spotted an ereader and thought to myself " I'll have that " so I went in. I had no idea what it was or how to use it until the salesperson explained it to me.
One of the best purchases I have ever made...
Bill

09-06-2010, 10:38 PM	#1
tiniree Zealot Posts: 118 Karma: 64626 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: AZ Device: Nook 1st Gen	What was your ultimate reason for getting an E-Reader? Curious as to why all you ultimately bought an ereader . My reason was because my eyesight took a major nosedive and I needed to be able to read large print. Also, the books on tape were driving me nuts I bought my Nook five days ago and have downloaded almost 60 books. With the Nooks extra extra large font, my glasses and a magnifying glass, I am once again able to read a book!!! Oh, and one more reason I just thought of: Being able to download free from the library gives me a little more independence (I don't have to rely on someone to drive me to the library. Marie

09-06-2010, 10:57 PM	#5
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	2,500 books...and no dusting! Attached Thumbnails

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09-06-2010, 10:50 PM	#2
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	My main, not only, reason was because books were overtaking my house and I had no room for more shelves. Also I had started accumulating a fair number of ebook, but disliked reading them on a PC or the phone I had at the time (treo). I still have a couple thousand pbook, but am slowly decreasing that number. I hope to eventually have just a couple shelves of pbooks left since I find I prefer reading electronically.

09-06-2010, 10:51 PM	#3
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Easy Peasy... 1) Having my entire library on my Kindle 2) Reading whatever I want whenever I want, whereever I am. 3) Downloading (if I choose to) any book I want where ever I am, whenever I want. Immediate gratification. 4) Adjustable font. 5) SO much lighter than those huge hardbacks, and so much easier to read than those paper backs! 6) Built in dictionary 7) All the free, wonderfully written books by authors who knew how to put the written word to paper. Books that you don't find so much anymore......stories that will outlive most of todays contemporary authors. 8) Getting e- books from the library.....thats a priceless gift. 8) Because it was a win/win situation. I knew that by buying from Amazon, if I didn't like it I only had to pay return shipping ($8). AND I had 30 days to play with it. This was in June of 08 and I haven't looked back since. Oh.......and the best part of my ebook reader? Finding mobileread.

09-06-2010, 10:54 PM	#4
timezone Addict Posts: 244 Karma: 1232 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Boston, MA Device: Windows Phone7, Kindle Fire	My reasons include the bookshelf space, having to carry large books and documents at work, eInk screen. My reasons for leaving have to do with Mobipocket and ePub not being allowed to play in the same sandbox. That is why I am purchasing a Slate. For some reason Amazon doesn't care when outside of the eReader world. I will miss the eInk screen.

09-06-2010, 11:08 PM	#7
HamsterRage Evangelist Posts: 435 Karma: 24326 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Kobo	I was running out of space to keep all the pbooks. Ultimately, I was going on vacation and didn't want to cart around a whole bunch of books with me.

09-06-2010, 11:16 PM	#9
HansTWN Wizard Posts: 4,538 Karma: 264065402 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Taiwan Device: HP Touchpad, Sony Duo 13, Lumia 920, Kobo Aura HD	Living in a place where almost no English books are sold, my main reason was easy availability of books and newspapers from other countries. Apart from the fact that it saves me a ton of money on shipping and avoid paying for the classics.

09-06-2010, 11:16 PM	#10
ardeegee Maratus speciosus butt Posts: 3,292 Karma: 1162698 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-350	To read the enormous number of books I have downloaded over the internet over the years-- including an increasing number of books formatted complexly enough that they couldn't be done justice rendered into plain text and read on a 160x160 pixel PDA screen.

09-06-2010, 11:24 PM	#12
Lady Fitzgerald Wizard Posts: 2,013 Karma: 251649 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tempe, AZ, USA, Earth Device: JetBook Lite (away from home) + 1 spare, 32" TV (at home)	I'm moving into a travel trailer in a year or two so I will have no room for all my p-books (roughly 1200).since there was no way I would ever give up my books for as long as I can still draw breath, I'm in the process of cutting my p-books apart and scanning them. I needed something to read them on besides my computer (although I've learned I prefer reading on computer, using my TV screen, when at home) so I got a Mentor when they went on sale. It both didn't meet my needs for the scanned PDF books and it died so I got my JetBook Lite when it went on sale and it works well enough until something better comes out. I can carry several books with me in one package that easily fits in my purse and doesn't weigh a ton.

09-06-2010, 11:25 PM	#13
bjones6416 ↓↓ Skirt!! Earrings!! Posts: 3,394 Karma: 17432172 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Acer netbook, JetBook Lite, Sony PRS-300, Kindle 2, Kindle Fire	A friend of mine showed me her netbook, and mentioned that she read books on it using Mobipocket Reader. I bought my own netbook, and started reading books on it. I still didn't think I needed a dedicated e-book reader, but I did buy a Palm PDA off of ebay and loaded a few books on there. Then the price of the readers took a nosedive, and I decided to give one a try. I never looked back after that.

09-06-2010, 11:25 PM	#14
HarleyB Fanatic Posts: 565 Karma: 1113286 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast Australia Device: Kobo (RIP), iPad, iPhone 4, Kobo Touch x2, Kobo Glo	The month before I bought my Kobo I went on holidays to Vietnam for 3 weeks. My husband and I took 5 books to read during that time (as well as a guide book) so 6 books. One of those books was a dud and neither of us enjoyed reading it. What a waste to carry it half way round the world! I was lucky enough that 2 of our hotels had a guests lending library with a fair selection of books in English and I also managed to score a book that another tourist was throwing away. Having half a suitcase full of books just for a 3 week holiday was a real pain. I don't like reading on a computer screen but a friend showed me her Sony. So I started to think about an ereader and then the Kobo was released. I knew it was meant to be! Since I bought the ereader I have discovered a few more things that are really great. I love that I can have a new book in the middle of the night without leaving home within a few minutes of deciding I want it. I love that I can take as many books as I want with me everyday - no more having to decide WHICH book I might feel like reading later on. I love that I won't need to buy any more bookshelves. I'm hoping that more of my existing pbook collection will become available at a cheap enough price so that I can have them as ebooks and free up some space in my study. I love that all the new books I have bought in the last few months were cheaper as ebooks than as pbooks. I love how small light the Kobo is - so much easier to hold and read for hours at a time. I love that people see me reading my Kobo and think that I am some sort of techno wiz when actually I'm just veging out with some trashy novel that I wouldn't normally read in public!

09-06-2010, 11:27 PM	#15
Xtfreak Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Cairns, Queensland Australia Device: Kobo	A friend of mine was telling me about her ereader. I had never heard of them. The next day as I was walking by a shop I spotted an ereader and thought to myself " I'll have that " so I went in. I had no idea what it was or how to use it until the salesperson explained it to me. One of the best purchases I have ever made... Bill

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