Complete Library Why?

[Bilbo1967]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

As per your 2,000, that is roughly the size of my physical cookbook library.
Before anyone asks, yes I use them.

Wow

Where on earth do you keep them all? I have about 40 and they're overflowing the space I have for them.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

[...]

With regard to music however, I dislike the fact that my library is becoming so large that I can't fit it onto my music player. (Thanks to ripping all my classical music CD boxes... hundreds of CD's. Often, the boxes are cheaper than a single recording, especially if the recording is a bit older already.) The maximum capacity is 2x 128 GB, and my library has already exceeded that because I use FLAC for my audio computer, and future-proofness. I've been thinking of creating a second library, with 256 kbit VBR0 MP3's especially for the music player.

(I don't use FLAC because I think I can hear a difference between it and a 256 kbit MP3; I can't. I use it because it's lossless, and thus provides future-proof conversions to any other format.)

I also had problems with my unwieldy CD/iTunes music collection. About a year ago it all went away though once I signed up for streaming music (I use Amazon Music Unlimited). Almost everything there already with no need to transfer from iTunes or re-rip from CD, and any few things not there that I have I can transfer over. Then I use my smartphone as my go-to music player (my poor nano has been lying completely idle and neglected), and I can keep a certain amount of my library downloaded in case I'm ever not connected to the internet. It's just all so much easier. I'm a convert! However, seeing as you use FLAC, and also as certain classical performances may be harder to find on streaming (though not many, I've still had more problems finding certain classical recordings than with other genres honestly), it may not be right for you.

Originally Posted by HarryT

[...]

I've always believed in the idea of buying now, because what you want to buy may not be available in the future. A good illustration of that is a book called "The Regiment: A Trilogy" by John Dalmas, which I bought from Baen in May 2004. After sitting in my library for close to 10 years I've just read it, but it's no longer sold by Baen, and doesn't seem to be available from any other publisher, either. I've got it, though, because I bought it when it was available.

That makes sense if you buy the type of book that may not be around later, such as the one you mentioned. For me, I generally stick to more well-known material that will almost assuredly be available in one format or another whenever I eventually want to read it.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

That makes sense if you buy the type of book that may not be around later, such as the one you mentioned. For me, I generally stick to more well-known material that will almost assuredly be available in one format or another whenever I eventually want to read it.

And it also depends on where you live. People in the US and western Europe have generally nothing to worry regarding availability. But I remember quite well the time when my country was not yet a member of EU and many digital goods that were freely available in the US and western Europe were unavailable here. Who knows, such a time might come again in the future. So I buy everything I might be interested in while I can, because I'm not completely sure I would be able to buy them years later.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

I have a Kobo Glo HD upgraded with a 64 GB memory card, it's got about 16,000 books on it, using about 36GB. Once in a while it will report something has crashed, usually when I'm browsing the library, but I have only had to reboot it a couple times in the last year. The Kobo search is more limited than Calibre's of course, since it pretty much only searches by author, title, collection and series. Most of what I buy these days is from Kobo, so I let the reader download them from the cloud, and a couple times a month I download the rest from my Calibre library.

My Glo HD has 100 books on it and I can barely find anything it takes forever to go through page by page. I don't envy you a bit.

Sent from my Nexus 7

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

However, seeing as you use FLAC, and also as certain classical performances may be harder to find on streaming (though not many, I've still had more problems finding certain classical recordings than with other genres honestly), it may not be right for you.

As said, I mainly use FLAC because it's lossless and future-proof, not because I fancy myself being able to hear half a Hz of difference beyond a 256 kbps MP3.

I won't ever use streaming, hiring or borrowing services. I buy my CD's through Amazon Marketplace UK for about €2 (including shipping), I rip them, and then I have them forever. On a streaming service, I'll be paying €10 or more a month just to listen to the same music, and them having the music I already have is not guaranteed.

The only exception I might make is that I cancel cable TV (now I have it because cable internet and cable TV can't be separate; at least not in the Netherlands) and replace it with Netflix, for movies that I watch once and don't feel the need to buy. I can watch enough movies in one month to make it worth the subscription.

For books, music, and games? Never. I own it, without DRM, or I don't want it.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why is it that a lot of people feel the need to have their complete collection of eBooks on their Reader? It just seems a bit unwieldy to me. I have somewhere around 100 eBooks on my H2O and if I find I want to read something that's not on there, I'll add it when I'm next at my computer.

Wolf, I'm really proud of you for asking this question. It just might mean you're starting to be aware that we're all is a little different. This might really be a great day in your life.

Barry

[barryem]

My snarky reply above notwithstanding, I kind of agree with Wolf. I've always tried to keep the number of books on my Kindle down to about 20 or 30. Lately I've gotten sloppy and I have close to 50 books on it and it's getting harder to find what I want. I'll clean it up soon.

On my phone I keep more books because I have a 128gb micro SD card and I use Moon+ most of the time and it makes it a lot easier to scroll through the books to find the one I'm looking for. Also if I forget what a book is about, which I'm more likely to do when there are more books, Moon+ makes it faster and easier to find out.

This is a good example of what competition can do to ereading devices if there was competition. Moon+ has to compete as an app so it's excellent, as are most of the other ereading apps. The Kindle doesn't really have to compete as a device since the competing is done in the book store. The Kindle is, to my mind, the best reading device but it pales in comparison to most ereading apps in terms of features and the quality of those features.

I realize I'm shaking my fist at a thunderstorm but it kind of feels good so I'm doing it.

Barry

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by barryem

My snarky reply above notwithstanding, I kind of agree with Wolf. I've always tried to keep the number of books on my Kindle down to about 20 or 30. Lately I've gotten sloppy and I have close to 50 books on it and it's getting harder to find what I want. I'll clean it up soon.

On my phone I keep more books because I have a 128gb micro SD card and I use Moon+ most of the time and it makes it a lot easier to scroll through the books to find the one I'm looking for. Also if I forget what a book is about, which I'm more likely to do when there are more books, Moon+ makes it faster and easier to find out.

This is a good example of what competition can do to ereading devices if there was competition. Moon+ has to compete as an app so it's excellent, as are most of the other ereading apps. The Kindle doesn't really have to compete as a device since the competing is done in the book store. The Kindle is, to my mind, the best reading device but it pales in comparison to most ereading apps in terms of features and the quality of those features.

I realize I'm shaking my fist at a thunderstorm but it kind of feels good so I'm doing it.

Barry

Kobo Readers hve the ability to show you a description of the book so if you are not sure that's the book you want, you can read the description. For side loaded books, you do need to use Calibre. I would think you'd also get a description from a Kobo downloaded kepub, but I really don't know as I've never downloaded kepub from Kobo. Anther thing you can get by using Calibre with Kobo is the series information so you can sort by series. So if you have a Kobo, you don't have to worry about not being able to know what a book is about.

But still, for me, having many many many eBooks available does make it harder to find something to read. Plus, it could take a rather long time to look through what's there to find what I might want to read.

[Greg Anos]

I keep my e-library on my reader. Around 3500 book at the latest count. My music player has around 6000 tracks.

First, a side comment. There is no reason why one could not keep a large library on a e-reader. It's a matter of hardware and firmware design. My old Hanlin V3 had no problems up to the limit of a straight SD (2 GB) chip. Simple folder nesting works fine. However, companyies wanting to keep their customers inside a "walled garden" deliberately block their hardware/firmware to make it harder to do so.

Personally I like to have my entire digital world in my "go" bag. If I get the wild hare to go to some strange place, grab the "go" bag and boogie! (or there is a fire, grab the go bag on the way out.)

I don't believe in using the "cloud". it's none of the marketer's business to watch what I read or listen to.

But I'm a paranoid old geezer. . .

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But still, for me, having many many many eBooks available does make it harder to find something to read. Plus, it could take a rather long time to look through what's there to find what I might want to read.

I don't look through all the books on my kindle to find something to read. I have a Calibre-made catalog of the books on the kindle and it's much easier to browse the catalog. The catalog is sideloaded to the kindle and I renew it each time I load new books. So I have absolutely no problem finding something to read.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I don't look through all the books on my kindle to find something to read. I have a Calibre-made catalog of the books on the kindle and it's much easier to browse the catalog. The catalog is sideloaded to the kindle and I renew it each time I load new books. So I have absolutely no problem finding something to read.

Let's say you are on vacation and do not have the computer with you. You finish the book you are reading and don't already have an idea of what to read next. Then you do have to browse what's there to decide what to read next.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let's say you are on vacation and do not have the computer with you. You finish the book you are reading and don't already have an idea of what to read next. Then you do have to browse what's there to decide what to read next.

The catalog is on the Kindle, not on the computer.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The catalog is on the Kindle, not on the computer.

My mistake. I misread. Sorry.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

I keep my e-library on my reader. Around 3500 book at the latest count. My music player has around 6000 tracks.

First, a side comment. There is no reason why one could not keep a large library on a e-reader. It's a matter of hardware and firmware design. My old Hanlin V3 had no problems up to the limit of a straight SD (2 GB) chip. Simple folder nesting works fine. However, companyies wanting to keep their customers inside a "walled garden" deliberately block their hardware/firmware to make it harder to do so.

Personally I like to have my entire digital world in my "go" bag. If I get the wild hare to go to some strange place, grab the "go" bag and boogie! (or there is a fire, grab the go bag on the way out.)

I don't believe in using the "cloud". it's none of the marketer's business to watch what I read or listen to.

But I'm a paranoid old geezer. . .

You aren't paranoid. There was an article in the WSJ last week talking about how Facebook bought one of the big free VPN companies so they could track what apps people use on their smart phones. It's kind of amazing how much information these companies keep track of. It's all perfectly legal since it's all buried in the user agreement somewhere, but I'm sure that most people who use VPN's to mask their browsing are not aware that they are being tracked like that.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

As said, I mainly use FLAC because it's lossless and future-proof, not because I fancy myself being able to hear half a Hz of difference beyond a 256 kbps MP3.

I won't ever use streaming, hiring or borrowing services. I buy my CD's through Amazon Marketplace UK for about €2 (including shipping), I rip them, and then I have them forever. On a streaming service, I'll be paying €10 or more a month just to listen to the same music, and them having the music I already have is not guaranteed.

The only exception I might make is that I cancel cable TV (now I have it because cable internet and cable TV can't be separate; at least not in the Netherlands) and replace it with Netflix, for movies that I watch once and don't feel the need to buy. I can watch enough movies in one month to make it worth the subscription.

For books, music, and games? Never. I own it, without DRM, or I don't want it.

I have a pretty extensive music collection as well. Classical music can be a bit problematical since there is a lot of discussion about what is the "best" recording for a given work. Plus, I've always been fascinated by different versions of the same work. I have 4 different versions of 1812 overture, including the Dorati album. I do subscribe to Apple Music and Pandora, though, simply to listen to music that I might not have heard before.

In general, I prefer to own rather than stream. A work can always be pulled from a streaming service due to contract issues, but once you buy and download the work, it's yours as Harry mentions with regards to books.