Do you own more than 1 ereader?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

But when in public perhaps with flavors of comfort from the silent announcement of "I am a dedicated reader of books, having my ereader shows that is so", with the hoped silent reaction of "Oh, he is a reader of books" (Or from those of us familiar with the constraints of E Ink's abilities "Oh, he is a reader of fiction")...

Interesting idea, but certainly not true in my case. I never read in public. Well, except menus in restaurants and such. Not books. I never even take my e-readers out of the house with me.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Interesting idea, but certainly not true in my case. I never read in public. Well, except menus in restaurants and such. Not books. I never even take my e-readers out of the house with me.

I do read in public but very, very rarely. For example, if faced with a very long wait at an airport. Commuter busses and trains never, but I do read when flying longer haul - that tends to be a near private space, although I do enjoy chatting with the neighboring passengers but reading is a good shutting down maneuver when required.

For the record and the thread - I will read on anything that works, notebook and PC monitors (especially for the likes of PDF, reference and art), phone or tablet, but predominantly on a Samsung tablet. I do have one ereader left, an old Sony T1 unused. I do review current ereaders, although that getting less convenient to do as fewer retail outlets now sell them here ("them" is Kobo and Kindle) or put display space to phones and tablets, but remain unconvinced .

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

I do read in public but very, very rarely. For example, if faced with a very long wait at an airport. Commuter busses and trains never, but I do read when flying longer haul - that tends to be a near private space, although I do enjoy chatting with the neighboring passengers but reading is a good shutting down maneuver when required.

For the record and the thread - I will read on anything that works, notebook and PC monitors (especially for the likes of PDF, reference and art), phone or tablet, but predominantly on a Samsung tablet. I do have one ereader left, an old Sony T1 unused. I do review current ereaders, although that getting less convenient to do as fewer retail outlets now sell them here ("them" is Kobo and Kindle) or put display space to phones and tablets, but remain unconvinced .

Yep, I would probably read on long flights too, if I ever had them (I'm too lazy to travel and my job has never required it either). As for reference and art books or any books with large color photos, I prefer to get the paper editions. I've tried to read them on my tablet and my laptop, but again that unidentifiable factor strikes... I just don't like the experience. I'm in no way a fan of paper books, and I love doing various things on my tablet, just not book reading.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

My personal observation is there is a comfort thing in the manner of the "something" being a comfort blanket substitute for a paper book. One can settle down with an ereader which can do nothing else than allow reading, just like a cozy book which can also do nothing else. "I am absorbed in my interest and it feels great".

Yep, I get involved in the book I'm reading whether on my ereader or a dead tree book.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

But when in public perhaps with flavors of comfort from the silent announcement of "I am a dedicated reader of books, having my ereader shows that is so", with the hoped silent reaction of "Oh, he is a reader of books" (Or from those of us familiar with the constraints of E Ink's abilities "Oh, he is a reader of fiction").

I read fiction on my ereader. I also read non-fiction though at time I wonder about some of the non-fiction's more imaginative content (read 99 - Stories of the Game as an example). I also read tech manuals, text books and cookbooks. I've really don't see much difference in reading an ebook on an ereader or a dead tree book in public though it is harder to be pretentious with an ereader -- after all, how is the casual onlooker to tell if you are reading the latest light fiction or War and Peace when you can't hold it so they can view the cover.

I must admit to finding a good deal of amusement in your apparent belief that eInk is only good enough for fiction. Real serious readers still stick to dead tree books -- they were good enough for great-great-grandpa and they're good enough for me.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Of course, overlaid over these "comfort" things is hopefully the enjoyment of the book itself; however I do know people who carry books to impress but not read, perhaps some pretend to use ereaders for the same reason?

Interesting viewpoint. Given that for the cost of an ereader, you could buy several nicely massive hard covers with more than a soupçon of snob appeal, I find it rather doubtful.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Whereas use of a tablet demonstrates nothing. Its a job machine and one could be doing several of many different jobs all at once, so much less of a comfort effect. To others in public observing ones tablet use there are no comforting assumptions able to made about you apart from "He is using a tablet".

A tablet is a job machine? Considering the sales of tablets for home use by people who will mostly browse the web, view videos, play games and handle their email?

I can see you sitting in a Starbucks looking at another customer who must be doing something important on their expensive (fill in brand name of your choice) tablet while sitting in Starbucks -- otherwise, they'd be using a cheap Fire tablet. More likely than not, they are sitting there checking their Facebook timeline, looking at the latest cat videos on Youtube, checking the latest in Chinese hip-hop on Weibo, reading MobileRead forum messages, whatever on Twitter, Instagram, etc. The same as the rest of the customers are doing on their smartphones.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

As far as they know one may be working on a spreadsheet, watching a porn video, surfing the internet, writing or reading emails, writing a report, etc. or perhaps reading a book. Perhaps even writing a book. It may be that one just uses a tablet only for reading, but they do not know that. The only image projected is that one is using a tablet for something or another and who cares.

Remove most of that paragraph and you have the opinion of most people who see someone using a piece of electronic gear in public -- they don't care. Even if they are sitting where they could look over your shoulder, they don't care enough about what you are doing with your ereader, tablet, laptop, Chromebook, etc. to make the effort to look at your screen.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

When in public, perhaps tablet users are less inclined to care about the visual messages to others that provide comfort to oneself if using an ereader or reading a paper book?

Hmmm... Perchance could I interest you in purchasing a bridge? The sad part is that you might actually be serious about what you wrote.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

... As for reference and art books or any books with large color photos, I prefer to get the paper editions. I've tried to read them on my tablet and my laptop, but again that unidentifiable factor strikes... I just don't like the experience. I'm in no way a fan of paper books, and I love doing various things on my tablet, just not book reading.

For me part of it was just getting the knack, or maybe just getting used to it. I was around when word processing started getting up a head of steam and one, in business, wrote ones own reports, etc. through to publication. I found that for quite a long time I could not proof read very comfortably on the screen what I had written, I would print it out. I was not alone in that as many others seem to do the same.

But as time went on I found that changed and proof reading on the screen became easy and preferred for me; I noticed that others were not printing their work out either. Of course, better displays came along too as did better fonts, etc.

Perhaps that is one reason why I do not find reading on a tablet (and earlier on PDAs) an issue. Through business need way back I just had to get into reading off LCD screens and for me that proved to be a blessing.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by DNSB

...A tablet is a job machine? Considering the sales of tablets for home use by people who will mostly browse the web, view videos, play games and handle their email?...

The meaning was that for a tablet those things are just jobs - it does not know whether you are watching a porn video for pleasure or are viewing it as part of post-production of the video as ones employment. It does jobs whether for ones entertainment, private communications, business communications, or for ones employment, etc. It has no sentience.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

For me part of it was just getting the knack, or maybe just getting used to it. I was around when word processing started getting up a head of steam and one, in business, wrote ones own reports, etc. through to publication. I found that for quite a long time I could not proof read very comfortably on the screen what I had written, I would print it out. I was not alone in that as many others seem to do the same.

But as time went on I found that changed and proof reading on the screen became easy and preferred for me; I noticed that others were not printing their work out either. Of course, better displays came along too as did better fonts, etc.

Perhaps that is one reason why I do not find reading on a tablet (and earlier on PDAs) an issue. Through business need way back I just had to get into reading off LCD screens and for me that proved to be a blessing.

Perhaps dating myself, but I seem to remember when word processing was getting started. It took a while to move to using CRT monitors as display devices never mind LCD screens. Nothing like outputting to an IBM Selectric, stopping to switch type balls as needed for bold, italic, font changes, etc. Then came Electric Pencil (as used by Jerry Pournelle) which I ran on my CP/M box back in the 70's. It only took a decade after that for monitors and video display cards to improve to the point that anything close to WYSIWYG could be done. By the time LCD monitors came along in the 90's, word processing for personal computers was long established.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

My personal observation is there is a comfort thing in the manner of the "something" being a comfort blanket substitute for a paper book. One can settle down with an ereader which can do nothing else than allow reading, just like a cozy book which can also do nothing else. "I am absorbed in my interest and it feels great".

But when in public perhaps with flavors of comfort from the silent announcement of "I am a dedicated reader of books, having my ereader shows that is so", with the hoped silent reaction of "Oh, he is a reader of books" (Or from those of us familiar with the constraints of E Ink's abilities "Oh, he is a reader of fiction").

I too sensed that a little when I used to use an ereader or read a paper book in public . Of course, ereaders (and tablets too) cannot deliver the very comforting to some image that having a big paper book in hand delivers in public - the silent from others "Oooooh look, he is a real keen reader, must be clever because look at that big book".

Of course, overlaid over these "comfort" things is hopefully the enjoyment of the book itself; however I do know people who carry books to impress but not read, perhaps some pretend to use ereaders for the same reason?

Whereas use of a tablet demonstrates nothing. Its a job machine and one could be doing several of many different jobs all at once, so much less of a comfort effect. To others in public observing ones tablet use there are no comforting assumptions able to made about you apart from "He is using a tablet".

As far as they know one may be working on a spreadsheet, watching a porn video, surfing the internet, writing or reading emails, writing a report, etc. or perhaps reading a book. Perhaps even writing a book. It may be that one just uses a tablet only for reading, but they do not know that. The only image projected is that one is using a tablet for something or another and who cares.

When in public, perhaps tablet users are less inclined to care about the visual messages to others that provide comfort to oneself if using an ereader or reading a paper book?

The first question I got asked when someone found out I had an ereader was "Have you read 50 shades of grey (gray)? *I am unsure the spelling.

I quickly answered no.

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

The first question I got asked when someone found out I had an ereader was "Have you read 50 shades of grey (gray)? *I am unsure the spelling.

I quickly answered no.

So, like me, you learnt to lie too .

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

The meaning was that for a tablet those things are just jobs - it does not know whether you are watching a porn video for pleasure or are viewing it as part of post-production of the video as ones employment. It does jobs whether for ones entertainment, private communications, business communications, or for ones employment, etc. It has no sentience.

Interesting. Are you then suggesting that an ereader is sentient?

I read what you wrote as referring to the people around the person using the tablet not knowing what use the tablet was being used for. Went back and re-read and still reads that way to me. As you said, "it's a job machine". A statement I disagreed with since the majority of tablets around here are personal devices used for personal purposes.

As for viewing porn? Where I work, that's a crash landing. And yes, we've lost a few people including a CxO over that issue. Must be an interesting place where you work.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

So, like me, you learnt to lie too .

I answered truthfully. I still haven't read it. Though I didn't bother to tell the person: I prefer good porn.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

The first question I got asked when someone found out I had an ereader was "Have you read 50 shades of grey (gray)? *I am unsure the spelling.

I quickly answered no.

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

So, like me, you learnt to lie too .

Ahh... but did you know that 50 Shades of Grey started as Twilight fanfic?

[AnotherCat]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Perhaps dating myself, but I seem to remember when word processing was getting started. It took a while to move to using CRT monitors as display devices never mind LCD screens. Nothing like outputting to an IBM Selectric, stopping to switch type balls as needed for bold, italic, font changes, etc. Then came Electric Pencil (as used by Jerry Pournelle) which I ran on my CP/M box back in the 70's. It only took a decade after that for monitors and video display cards to improve to the point that anything close to WYSIWYG could be done. By the time LCD monitors came along in the 90's, word processing for personal computers was long established.

Yes flavors of that too, but never faced with a panel of light bulbs to interpret so not quite a dinosaur here .

In case of any misunderstanding my post was in the context of when word processing became common in the office environment and self support and live editing became common even for senior employees. So late green screen through into early color CRT era. Prior to that time I had a typing slave assigned to me who prepared and then delivered my work on paper, ex golf-ball or line printer, for checking . So one of the pampered.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Ahh... but did you know that 50 Shades of Grey started as Twilight fanfic?

I had heard that.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnotherCat

Yes flavors of that too, but never faced with a panel of light bulbs to interpret so not quite a dinosaur here .

In case of any misunderstanding my post was in the context of when word processing became common in the office environment and self support and live editing became common even for senior employees. So late green screen through into early color CRT era. Prior to that time I had a typing slave assigned to me who prepared and then delivered my work on paper, ex golf-ball or line printer, for checking . So one of the pampered.

Inventory Control Specialist was my first job. It was pencil and paper.