THE reason to own an E-reader - Page 2

crich70 · 04-02-2015, 03:31 PM

A tablet like the Kindle Fire is still primarily for reading as generally they don't have a very big hard drive for storing things like games and such. You have more options with the KF than with the PW for example but it is still more a reading device than anything else.

sakura-panda · 04-02-2015, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apache

My ereader of choice is a Nook HD+ Tablet. I only read on it and the other features are not distracting to me. When I read I am oblivious to my surroundings.

Apache

I bought my NOOK HD+ to be a cheap android tablet for games and other apps; so far I have installed Kobo, Moon+ Reader, Kindle, and Olive Tree. I tried to install a magazine reader, but the OS wasn't compatible.

I don't read on my iPad. Pretty much, I either buy a device to be an ebook reader or to be something else -- I'm on the side where the book is what distracts me from anything else and has to be kept separate.

theducks · 04-02-2015, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Hear about book ... find book ... buy book ... start reading book. All within minutes. The immediacy of it is the number one reason for me. My reading habits and the amount I read hasn't really changed with ereaders ... the GETTING of books changed for me. It no longer involves cars/trucks, fuel, hours, or postmen (or waiting on postmen).

One thing you are no longer ALLOWED to do: Trade a SACKFUL of paperback books with a co-worker.

I got introduced to a goodly number of series this way and later went on to buy the sequels.
(I also black listed a few workers who did not RETURN, borrowed copies

. No more books for you<stomps foot> )

DiapDealer · 04-02-2015, 06:03 PM

Except for very rare instances, books came into my possession via a one-way street. Sorta like a roach-motel: books check in, but they never check out.

VeggieCat · 04-02-2015, 06:30 PM

Having an ereader means I can check books out of the library whenever I want to. When you're a night shift worker this is HUGE. Plus I don't have to drive anywhere and there's no late fees ever.

patrickt · 04-02-2015, 08:19 PM

When I lived in the U.S. and ereaders didn't exist, I haunted the remaindered book racks in large bookstores. When I needed to order a book I went to a local bookstore--quicker delivery--and ordered the book. Now, remaindered shelves are a thing of the past. And, I can browse cheap, or free, books and order books all in a few minutes.

I've always been a compulsive reader and for 13 years I lived in Mexico and read in English. That meant I read what I could find and not what I wanted to read. Now, with my Kindle, I can read whatever I want.

The worst reason to own an ereader? A business associate heard I had a Kindle and asked me about it. I told him what I liked and finally he said, "Will people think I'm cool if I own a Kindle?"

"Oh, no, the only company really trying to sell cool would be Apple. Overpriced but they promise you'll be cool."

SteveEisenberg · 04-02-2015, 08:34 PM

The Kindle killer app is, for me, the New York Times Latest News Blog. Is the news what distracts me from books, or visa versa? I don't find it a burning question.

Another one-could-say distraction is reading long Mobileread threads on the Kindle eInk browser:

http://www.readingthenet.com/mob?ct=...mobileread.com

Before typing the above into an eInk kindle, shorten the link at tinyurl.com. Mobileread rules mean I can't put the tinyurl address here.

The second killer Kindle eInk sort-of-app, for me, is www.readingthenet.com. That web site is radically underappreciated.

Easy follow-up reading of essays found on my PC, by using Send to Kindle and Readability, is another big plus for me. Another plus is sending texts to my @free.kindle.com address.

Not having to go to a physical library is certainly a plus, especially as the one two blocks from our house is closed until November for renovation and expansion.

Before eReaders, the book and lunch bag I carry on my transit commute would typically carry a newspaper, a magazine, the book I was reading, and the next book in case I finished the first (or was reading two at a time). So the eReader has a plus for portability.

As for the video, the best I can say is: It was short.

My wife Barbara and I can't figure out why we would want a tablet or smartphone. However, to each his own. My 90 years old Dad bought a Fire last month.

cfrizz · 04-02-2015, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Also note that I honor no imaginary rule which chooses to exclude tablets from the "ereader" club simply because someone wants to blame the lack of their inability to focus on a piece of equipment's (entirely voluntary) ability to do more than one thing. If I "eread" on it ... it's my "ereader." Period.
Neener.

Can I get an amen? PREACH IT!!!!!

eschwartz · 04-02-2015, 08:51 PM

Rather than readingthenet.com, I use baf's excellent alterative browser for touchscreen e-ink Kindles.

It operates in landscape, is tabbed, loads faster, allows proper bookmarking...

BWinmill · 04-02-2015, 09:00 PM

Perhaps the benefit of eInk readers is a combination of features rather than any individual feature.

Almost any device with Internet access makes it far more convenient to access most contemporary or public domain books, as well as a great deal of what falls in between. It doesn't matter if you're a book buyer or a book borrower (via libraries, of course).

Eink readers also provide far fewer distractions than computers or other mobile devices. I'm not going to chalk this up to the reader's inability to focus. Even with print books, many people prefer a quiet room or a place with social boundaries (e.g. a park or transit) to a bustling environment. Most mobile devices and, alas, current trends in computers also bring things to the user's immediate attention unless configured otherwise.

Apache · 04-02-2015, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Except for very rare instances, books came into my possession via a one-way street. Sorta like a roach-motel: books check in, but they never check out.

This describes my attachment to books too.
Apache

DiapDealer · 04-02-2015, 10:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWinmill

Most mobile devices and, alas, current trends in computers also bring things to the user's immediate attention unless configured otherwise.

And most people who use them as ereaders find it trivial to configure them otherwise. Full screen, sound down ... man, that was tough!

JSWolf · 04-02-2015, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Also note that I honor no imaginary rule which chooses to exclude tablets from the "ereader" club simply because someone wants to blame the lack of their inability to focus on a piece of equipment's (entirely voluntary) ability to do more than one thing. If I "eread" on it ... it's my "ereader." Period.
Neener.

But I will exclude a tablet for reading outdoors in sunlight.

jj2me · 04-02-2015, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You won't find many sites showing video that doesn't require Adobe Flash. So just install it or you won't be able to see many (if any) videos.

Or use the Chrome browser, which has Adobe Flash Player built in.

jj2me · 04-02-2015, 10:32 PM

No one yet mentioned my most favored differentiator compared to paper books: It's much easier to turn pages when lying down on your side.

Also, it's easier to apply a small external light to an e-reader's single page display compared to lighting a pbook's two facing pages. Or better yet, no external light at all with a front-lit e-reader.

04-02-2015, 08:34 PM	#22
SteveEisenberg Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,424 Karma: 43514536 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: near Philadelphia USA Device: Kindle Kids Edition, Fire HD 10 (11th generation)	The Kindle killer app is, for me, the New York Times Latest News Blog. Is the news what distracts me from books, or visa versa? I don't find it a burning question. Another one-could-say distraction is reading long Mobileread threads on the Kindle eInk browser: http://www.readingthenet.com/mob?ct=...mobileread.com Before typing the above into an eInk kindle, shorten the link at tinyurl.com. Mobileread rules mean I can't put the tinyurl address here. The second killer Kindle eInk sort-of-app, for me, is www.readingthenet.com. That web site is radically underappreciated. Easy follow-up reading of essays found on my PC, by using Send to Kindle and Readability, is another big plus for me. Another plus is sending texts to my @free.kindle.com address. Not having to go to a physical library is certainly a plus, especially as the one two blocks from our house is closed until November for renovation and expansion. Before eReaders, the book and lunch bag I carry on my transit commute would typically carry a newspaper, a magazine, the book I was reading, and the next book in case I finished the first (or was reading two at a time). So the eReader has a plus for portability. As for the video, the best I can say is: It was short. My wife Barbara and I can't figure out why we would want a tablet or smartphone. However, to each his own. My 90 years old Dad bought a Fire last month. Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 04-02-2015 at 08:37 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
What was your ultimate reason for getting an E-Reader?	tiniree	General Discussions	202	11-23-2011 02:27 PM
Your reason for buying an e-reader	Enkidu of Abydos	General Discussions	74	01-01-2011 07:48 AM
Is there a reason Reader library wont sync to my 300 on my mac? It did before.	King Antonius	Sony Reader	3	01-13-2010 06:27 AM
I bet I have the most unusual reason for buying a reader :o)	jamesbeat	Which one should I buy?	25	06-15-2009 03:34 AM
Do you want to know a reason to buy an ebook reader?	basschick	Which one should I buy?	8	07-11-2008 12:26 AM

04-02-2015, 03:31 PM	#16
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	A tablet like the Kindle Fire is still primarily for reading as generally they don't have a very big hard drive for storing things like games and such. You have more options with the KF than with the PW for example but it is still more a reading device than anything else.

04-02-2015, 06:03 PM	#19
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,620 Karma: 204624552 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Except for very rare instances, books came into my possession via a one-way street. Sorta like a roach-motel: books check in, but they never check out.

04-02-2015, 06:30 PM	#20
VeggieCat Bacon Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 559834 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Southwest USA Device: Kindle Fire 10, Kindle Voyage, iPod Nano 7th gen (for audiobooks)	Having an ereader means I can check books out of the library whenever I want to. When you're a night shift worker this is HUGE. Plus I don't have to drive anywhere and there's no late fees ever.

04-02-2015, 08:19 PM	#21
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	When I lived in the U.S. and ereaders didn't exist, I haunted the remaindered book racks in large bookstores. When I needed to order a book I went to a local bookstore--quicker delivery--and ordered the book. Now, remaindered shelves are a thing of the past. And, I can browse cheap, or free, books and order books all in a few minutes. I've always been a compulsive reader and for 13 years I lived in Mexico and read in English. That meant I read what I could find and not what I wanted to read. Now, with my Kindle, I can read whatever I want. The worst reason to own an ereader? A business associate heard I had a Kindle and asked me about it. I told him what I liked and finally he said, "Will people think I'm cool if I own a Kindle?" "Oh, no, the only company really trying to sell cool would be Apple. Overpriced but they promise you'll be cool."

04-02-2015, 08:51 PM	#24
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Rather than readingthenet.com, I use baf's excellent alterative browser for touchscreen e-ink Kindles. It operates in landscape, is tabbed, loads faster, allows proper bookmarking...

04-02-2015, 09:00 PM	#25
BWinmill Nameless Being	Perhaps the benefit of eInk readers is a combination of features rather than any individual feature. Almost any device with Internet access makes it far more convenient to access most contemporary or public domain books, as well as a great deal of what falls in between. It doesn't matter if you're a book buyer or a book borrower (via libraries, of course). Eink readers also provide far fewer distractions than computers or other mobile devices. I'm not going to chalk this up to the reader's inability to focus. Even with print books, many people prefer a quiet room or a place with social boundaries (e.g. a park or transit) to a bustling environment. Most mobile devices and, alas, current trends in computers also bring things to the user's immediate attention unless configured otherwise.

04-02-2015, 10:32 PM	#30
jj2me Guru Posts: 820 Karma: 8820388 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, -350; Kindle 3 3G, DX, PW 2; various tablets	No one yet mentioned my most favored differentiator compared to paper books: It's much easier to turn pages when lying down on your side. Also, it's easier to apply a small external light to an e-reader's single page display compared to lighting a pbook's two facing pages. Or better yet, no external light at all with a front-lit e-reader.