Have random people in the street asked you about your e-Reader?

Logseman · 04-09-2010, 03:51 AM

I was reading a Spanish ebook forum where this question has surged, and I found it interesting to ask here. In Spain, ebook readers are quite a novelty still so people are curious about them and ask their owners. This being an international forum it's possible to find some more interesting stories about people discovering eReaders through our MR fellows.

Aside of the main question, there is another one related that I'd like to put here as well: Have you found random people in the street with an eReader?

TGS · 04-09-2010, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logseman

I was reading a Spanish ebook forum where this question has surged, and I found it interesting to ask here. In Spain, ebook readers are quite a novelty still so people are curious about them and ask their owners. This being an international forum it's possible to find some more interesting stories about people discovering eReaders through our MR fellows.

Aside of the main question, there is another one related that I'd like to put here as well: Have you found random people in the street with an eReader?

Not on the street, but in my university library people come up and ask me (very quietly) what it is.

I know no-one else who has a reader though several people "are going to get one soon", and I've never even seen anyone else with one except at a symposium last week - but he was English so I'm not sure it really counts.

PKFFW · 04-09-2010, 05:06 AM

Not so much random people because I don't read out in public much. However, I meet alot of people through work and when they see me reading on my ereader they almost always ask about it.

Over the last few days though every single person who has asked about it has asked if it is the new iPad!

Cheers,
PKFFW

mbelec · 04-09-2010, 07:09 AM

That's funny; people at my work have asked me if I'm using a kindle. I have a sony. Most don't realize that there's more than one brand out there or that there could be differences.

ficbot · 04-09-2010, 07:14 AM

Yes. Two little old ladies at my hairdresser approached me one day (I was under a lamp for 45 minutes to get highlights) and asked me if my Sony reader was a Kindle. And a lady on the bus was very curious about my Kindle one day. Around Christmas time, a young couple approached me at a Starbucks. There have been a few other times.

GhostHawk · 04-09-2010, 07:41 AM

Not on the street, Doctors office, anyplace where I have to sit and wait for something.

I'd say about half people ask if its a kindle I'm using, the other half don't have a clue what it is or does.

Dellaster · 04-09-2010, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GhostHawk

Not on the street, Doctors office, anyplace where I have to sit and wait for something.

I'd say about half people ask if its a kindle I'm using, the other half don't have a clue what it is or does.

Same here during some medical tests last year. From the ones who took my weight and blood pressure, to the x-ray tech, to both doctors (one male, one female), I spent as much or more time discussing my Kindle 2 as my condition. The female doctor actually sat down to chat! In an HMO clinic where you never see the doctor -- or anyone else -- one second longer than what's required. (Long waits, brief encounters.)

Pretty much every one of them was on the edge, ready to take the plunge with just a small push.

Mai · 04-09-2010, 08:13 AM

where I live e-readers are extremely rare, no where I saw one before, My sister's teacher in collage has a Kindle and she came home telling how amazing it is, so when I got mine (Sony 600) I got few questions, my coworkers mistook it for iPad

, and a school kid approached me thinking it's a new game console. my friend says when reading ebooks I look silly , because I'll be sitting for sometime staring at a piece of plastic.

Lady Blue · 04-09-2010, 08:44 AM

I've had 2 doctors and 3 nurses (on different occasions) and my hairdresser ask me about my Sony Reader. One of the nurses asked me "is that a Kindle?" and I felt my blood pressure rise immediately. I don't know why I reacted like that, except that I have a strong aversion to using trademark names to refer to all products in a general category, such as Kleenex and Xerox, and now Kindle. It just irks me.

I've never been asked about my reader under any other circumstances like in a waiting room, or at a park, and I've never seen anyone else in the wild with an ebook reader.

TallMomof2 · 04-09-2010, 05:32 PM

All the time. If I have time, I demonstrate my Kindle and tell them about other readers, too.

dmaul1114 · 04-09-2010, 06:21 PM

I got asked about my kindle a couple of times--on flights, the subway etc. But to be fair it doesn't leave the house that often.

My girlfriend had her iPad with her today, and she was getting asked a ton about it in the waiting room etc.

Kali Yuga · 04-09-2010, 06:24 PM

Not too often. Typically it's friends and acquaintances who will ask about it.

owlrigh · 04-10-2010, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PKFFW

Not so much random people because I don't read out in public much.

This. I usually read at home, and so there's no-one about to ask me about it. When at work I usually am found reading -- on my ipod touch, and people assume it's an iphone. I think they've gotten the idea that I use it for reading by now, or watching stuff ... giggling inanely to myself at some episode of a show.

When I take my Sony, though, that's when they ask questions. What's that? Etc. Even if they've seen me using it before; a few cells short of a full house, I think.

Only once when I was reading on the street (literally: walking) did someone ask me about it, and assumed it was a Kindle. I then had to explain about different sorts of ebook readers, and this was pre-Nook and all the other nifty type days!

Treven · 04-10-2010, 06:15 PM

I have my Sony reader with me wherever I go. The only reaction I get is people ask me if it's a Kindle. I guess people aren't aware there are different brands of readers. I guess Kindle is the first mass-market reader.

GraceKrispy · 04-10-2010, 08:21 PM

I donʻt get asked by random people, but I do sometimes get asked by people I know while I am out and about, reading. I have only seen one person irl with an ereader (a random person across the plane aisle from me). It was a kindle. I have a sony.

when people do ask, I get in full on advertiser mode, though! They find out more than they even wanted to know about ereaders. Most are pretty interested in getting one of their own. Invariably, they ask me if mine is a nook or a kindle though. *sigh*

04-09-2010, 03:51 AM	#1
Logseman Orisa Posts: 2,001 Karma: 1035571 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Ireland Device: Onyx Poke 5	Have random people in the street asked you about your e-Reader? I was reading a Spanish ebook forum where this question has surged, and I found it interesting to ask here. In Spain, ebook readers are quite a novelty still so people are curious about them and ask their owners. This being an international forum it's possible to find some more interesting stories about people discovering eReaders through our MR fellows. Aside of the main question, there is another one related that I'd like to put here as well: Have you found random people in the street with an eReader?

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04-09-2010, 05:06 AM	#3
PKFFW Wizard Posts: 3,791 Karma: 33500000 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: BeBook, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo H2O	Not so much random people because I don't read out in public much. However, I meet alot of people through work and when they see me reading on my ereader they almost always ask about it. Over the last few days though every single person who has asked about it has asked if it is the new iPad! Cheers, PKFFW

04-09-2010, 07:09 AM	#4
mbelec Addict Posts: 209 Karma: 1165996 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maine Device: sony prs-350, Ipad 3	That's funny; people at my work have asked me if I'm using a kindle. I have a sony. Most don't realize that there's more than one brand out there or that there could be differences.

04-09-2010, 07:14 AM	#5
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Yes. Two little old ladies at my hairdresser approached me one day (I was under a lamp for 45 minutes to get highlights) and asked me if my Sony reader was a Kindle. And a lady on the bus was very curious about my Kindle one day. Around Christmas time, a young couple approached me at a Starbucks. There have been a few other times.

04-09-2010, 07:41 AM	#6
GhostHawk Data Privateer! Posts: 586 Karma: 62887 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Fargo ND Device: Ectaco Jetbook& Jetbook Lite	Not on the street, Doctors office, anyplace where I have to sit and wait for something. I'd say about half people ask if its a kindle I'm using, the other half don't have a clue what it is or does.

04-09-2010, 08:13 AM	#8
Mai Member Posts: 14 Karma: 26 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: United Arab Emirates Device: PSR-600	where I live e-readers are extremely rare, no where I saw one before, My sister's teacher in collage has a Kindle and she came home telling how amazing it is, so when I got mine (Sony 600) I got few questions, my coworkers mistook it for iPad , and a school kid approached me thinking it's a new game console. my friend says when reading ebooks I look silly , because I'll be sitting for sometime staring at a piece of plastic.

04-09-2010, 08:44 AM	#9
Lady Blue the snarky blue one Posts: 6,001 Karma: 3877825 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: deep in the heart Device: PRS500, 505 & 600, PRST1 & T2, Kindle PW, Moto Razr, Galaxy Tab 2-10"	I've had 2 doctors and 3 nurses (on different occasions) and my hairdresser ask me about my Sony Reader. One of the nurses asked me "is that a Kindle?" and I felt my blood pressure rise immediately. I don't know why I reacted like that, except that I have a strong aversion to using trademark names to refer to all products in a general category, such as Kleenex and Xerox, and now Kindle. It just irks me. I've never been asked about my reader under any other circumstances like in a waiting room, or at a park, and I've never seen anyone else in the wild with an ebook reader.

04-09-2010, 05:32 PM	#10
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	All the time. If I have time, I demonstrate my Kindle and tell them about other readers, too.

04-09-2010, 06:21 PM	#11
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	I got asked about my kindle a couple of times--on flights, the subway etc. But to be fair it doesn't leave the house that often. My girlfriend had her iPad with her today, and she was getting asked a ton about it in the waiting room etc.

04-09-2010, 06:24 PM	#12
Kali Yuga Professional Contrarian Posts: 2,045 Karma: 3289631 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 4 No Touchie	Not too often. Typically it's friends and acquaintances who will ask about it.

04-10-2010, 06:15 PM	#14
Treven Addict Posts: 222 Karma: 680 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: the Left Coast Device: iPad	I have my Sony reader with me wherever I go. The only reaction I get is people ask me if it's a Kindle. I guess people aren't aware there are different brands of readers. I guess Kindle is the first mass-market reader.

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04-10-2010, 08:21 PM	#15
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	I donʻt get asked by random people, but I do sometimes get asked by people I know while I am out and about, reading. I have only seen one person irl with an ereader (a random person across the plane aisle from me). It was a kindle. I have a sony. when people do ask, I get in full on advertiser mode, though! They find out more than they even wanted to know about ereaders. Most are pretty interested in getting one of their own. Invariably, they ask me if mine is a nook or a kindle though. sigh