Do you pick the book first or do you look for books available on your device? - Page 2

Jack B Nimble · 10-31-2006, 04:19 PM

I have not voted as my choice isn't really there.

Ideally, I pick the content, or at least the format, and let that dictate the machine. At the moment, there is not, a format I trust to be around for more than a few months. That has meant that I pick a format with good tools already available, so I can create my own content, even if they stop making the software. As a result, I mostly use iSilo and HTML.

So, to answer Jadon, everything I read on a screen is either Gutenberg (via Manybooks) or web-published fiction.

Jack

VillageReader · 10-31-2006, 04:47 PM

Without doing a serious check, I'm guessing that purchase vs borrow (from the library) is roughly 50/50, but with the Iliad I'm expecting that over time electrons will beat paper. They are much lighter when I travel (and the local library has ~5,000 electronic book selection, as soon as the DRM fight has been completed).

HarryT · 11-22-2006, 04:29 AM

My main interest is the "classics" - Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer, etc etc, all of which are available as out-of-copyright eBooks.

I love the feel of a good, properly bound, paper book - you just can't beat the experience of sitting in a comfortable armchair and reading a good book; the whole "ambience" of it - the smell of the leather and the paper, the texture of it, etc - is a part of the "experience". I've reached the stage in life where all my favourite books I now have in good quality hardbacks; I rarely, if ever, buy paperbacks any more.

When I'm away from home, however, as I often am through work, then the convenience of eBooks can't be beaten. I read for many years on various Pocket PCs, but now I have a Sony Reader. The eInk technology just transforms the "reading experience" compared with heavy, bulky, LCD-screen based devices both in terms of clarity and also things like battery life - the Sony just goes "on and on"; you can literally read for a month without recharging.

The answer to the original question, therefore, is that I must have a device which is "open" in terms of being to add my own content to it; I have little or no interest in commercial, DRM-protected material. I already have all the books, so my primary selection criterion is the device and the quality of the "reading experience" it provides.

Faenad · 08-26-2008, 11:53 PM

The response also depends a lot on the location

I used to live in France, where purchasing book from the like of Amazon is fast and easy.
Amazon.fr also had a large selection of english language book, and if a book was not available I just ordered it on Amazon.Co.uk

Free shipping encouraged impulsive buy of new books from unknown author. There was also big bookstore in every mall where I used to look for new author to discover.

Now I relocated to Mexico, and here buying paper books is much more difficult. Even though I live in a big city, there are only a few small bookstore. Ordering on Internet is not possible , and ordering internationally a hassle. Books are more expensive too. It's sad as most people don't read books at all. I suspect this is the situation in many countries in the world.

So if a book I pick from some author I don't know is not available as an ebook, I will pass on it. I don't know what I am missing after all

The only exception is for the many authors that I like a lot. I follow their works and keep tab on what they are publishing (today it's really easy as many author have a blog).
If theirs new books are not available as an Ebook I will eventually read it as a paper book, either by borrowing it or buying it the next time I go to the US or to Europe

basschick · 08-28-2008, 01:43 AM

the book comes first, but i'd prefer it as an ebook if possible. since i got my cybook i've bought 27 ebooks, 6 pbooks, 5 paper graphic novels and wallowed in classics. in fact, i reread all the l. frank baum oz books, the 1 ruth plumly thompson that's out of copyright, several francis hodgson burnetts and a stack of other fun stuff. also read several from baen's free library and some more from other sources.

i do still love the feel and smell of paper books, and my favorites will be - whenever possible - in both e and paper form. but for sheer sit-back-and-read joy, ebooks rock! and you still can't beat finishing a book in a series at 1 am, heading off to books on board or fictionwise and downloading the next book all within 2 minutes

Duodora · 09-08-2008, 03:36 AM

I'm a bit mixed too--or at least for me it depends on the situation.

If I'm not looking for a book right away, or feel like perusing a book store--then the book itself is more important...if I'm looking for a book immediately--then what is available with the click of a button is more important

Also--for travel, the ebook reader makes the most sense. I've been stocking up on books lately for just that purpose, and content has definitely been the driving factor!

Ceili · 09-08-2008, 12:34 PM

Before my Kindle I used to love to go to the bookstore and just roam, sometimes for hours, picking out a stack of books that I would usually devour before the next weeks' trip. It was a readers version of hog heaven.

Now that I am not able to walk for long periods of time, the Kindle has allowed me to feel that old excitement once again. It's funny...people can go to the store for you and pick out a shirt, but it doesn't work so well when it comes to reading material.

Nowadays, I can't grab a bunch of books at B&N, grab a seat and read a little bit before making my decisions, but with the Kindle, I can download several samples of books that I'm interested in or that someone has recommended and it's pretty close! I then make my choices and I've got stuff to read wherever I am!

While it was always the book that drove the choice, now it's a bit of a combination. I look for the books I Want to read first for the Kindle, for books that aren't available for the Kindle, I will either add them to a look for it later list (if I've found several other books I want to read) or buy it in paperback an feel... bleh about having to carry it around (I'm one of the weird folks that really doesn't care for hardcover books).

I've made a somewhat halfhearted attempt at figuring out the programs to rework a book to Kindle mode but haven't had much success there. I'm embarrassed to say, I just didn't give them enough concentration (not a lot to spare lately :P) and so, I'm still at the Kindle first, otherwise paperback. Eventually, I hope to be at device first and last, as all books I'd be interested would be available for me to purchase download. I also think that the devices available to us will continue to evolve and I would really like to be able to "take them with me".

View Poll Results: How do you choose a book to read?
I pick the book and prefer to read it in paper form	1	1.75%
The book is what matters most, but I try to find a version for my favorite device	38	66.67%
I pick the book and the device together. They are equally important.	5	8.77%
I pick the device first and then worry about what book to read on it.	12	21.05%
I like my e-book reader so much that I don't even care what I'm reading.	1	1.75%
Voters: 57. You may not vote on this poll

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10-31-2006, 04:19 PM	#16
Jack B Nimble Groupie Posts: 154 Karma: 672 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Tapwave Zodiac, eBookwise 1150	I have not voted as my choice isn't really there. Ideally, I pick the content, or at least the format, and let that dictate the machine. At the moment, there is not, a format I trust to be around for more than a few months. That has meant that I pick a format with good tools already available, so I can create my own content, even if they stop making the software. As a result, I mostly use iSilo and HTML. So, to answer Jadon, everything I read on a screen is either Gutenberg (via Manybooks) or web-published fiction. Jack

10-31-2006, 04:47 PM	#17
VillageReader Evangelist Posts: 430 Karma: 2718 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Iliad	Without doing a serious check, I'm guessing that purchase vs borrow (from the library) is roughly 50/50, but with the Iliad I'm expecting that over time electrons will beat paper. They are much lighter when I travel (and the local library has ~5,000 electronic book selection, as soon as the DRM fight has been completed).

11-22-2006, 04:29 AM	#18
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	My main interest is the "classics" - Dickens, Shakespeare, Chaucer, etc etc, all of which are available as out-of-copyright eBooks. I love the feel of a good, properly bound, paper book - you just can't beat the experience of sitting in a comfortable armchair and reading a good book; the whole "ambience" of it - the smell of the leather and the paper, the texture of it, etc - is a part of the "experience". I've reached the stage in life where all my favourite books I now have in good quality hardbacks; I rarely, if ever, buy paperbacks any more. When I'm away from home, however, as I often am through work, then the convenience of eBooks can't be beaten. I read for many years on various Pocket PCs, but now I have a Sony Reader. The eInk technology just transforms the "reading experience" compared with heavy, bulky, LCD-screen based devices both in terms of clarity and also things like battery life - the Sony just goes "on and on"; you can literally read for a month without recharging. The answer to the original question, therefore, is that I must have a device which is "open" in terms of being to add my own content to it; I have little or no interest in commercial, DRM-protected material. I already have all the books, so my primary selection criterion is the device and the quality of the "reading experience" it provides.

08-26-2008, 11:53 PM	#19
Faenad Ad astra per aspera Posts: 347 Karma: 724 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mexico Device: PRS-505, PRS-300 & HTC HD2	The response also depends a lot on the location I used to live in France, where purchasing book from the like of Amazon is fast and easy. Amazon.fr also had a large selection of english language book, and if a book was not available I just ordered it on Amazon.Co.uk Free shipping encouraged impulsive buy of new books from unknown author. There was also big bookstore in every mall where I used to look for new author to discover. Now I relocated to Mexico, and here buying paper books is much more difficult. Even though I live in a big city, there are only a few small bookstore. Ordering on Internet is not possible , and ordering internationally a hassle. Books are more expensive too. It's sad as most people don't read books at all. I suspect this is the situation in many countries in the world. So if a book I pick from some author I don't know is not available as an ebook, I will pass on it. I don't know what I am missing after all The only exception is for the many authors that I like a lot. I follow their works and keep tab on what they are publishing (today it's really easy as many author have a blog). If theirs new books are not available as an Ebook I will eventually read it as a paper book, either by borrowing it or buying it the next time I go to the US or to Europe

08-28-2008, 01:43 AM	#20
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	the book comes first, but i'd prefer it as an ebook if possible. since i got my cybook i've bought 27 ebooks, 6 pbooks, 5 paper graphic novels and wallowed in classics. in fact, i reread all the l. frank baum oz books, the 1 ruth plumly thompson that's out of copyright, several francis hodgson burnetts and a stack of other fun stuff. also read several from baen's free library and some more from other sources. i do still love the feel and smell of paper books, and my favorites will be - whenever possible - in both e and paper form. but for sheer sit-back-and-read joy, ebooks rock! and you still can't beat finishing a book in a series at 1 am, heading off to books on board or fictionwise and downloading the next book all within 2 minutes

09-08-2008, 03:36 AM	#21
Duodora Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Location: MD and SD, US Device: Cybook!	I'm a bit mixed too--or at least for me it depends on the situation. If I'm not looking for a book right away, or feel like perusing a book store--then the book itself is more important...if I'm looking for a book immediately--then what is available with the click of a button is more important Also--for travel, the ebook reader makes the most sense. I've been stocking up on books lately for just that purpose, and content has definitely been the driving factor!

09-08-2008, 12:34 PM	#22
Ceili well, that didn't work Posts: 103 Karma: 1027 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle	Before my Kindle I used to love to go to the bookstore and just roam, sometimes for hours, picking out a stack of books that I would usually devour before the next weeks' trip. It was a readers version of hog heaven. Now that I am not able to walk for long periods of time, the Kindle has allowed me to feel that old excitement once again. It's funny...people can go to the store for you and pick out a shirt, but it doesn't work so well when it comes to reading material. Nowadays, I can't grab a bunch of books at B&N, grab a seat and read a little bit before making my decisions, but with the Kindle, I can download several samples of books that I'm interested in or that someone has recommended and it's pretty close! I then make my choices and I've got stuff to read wherever I am! While it was always the book that drove the choice, now it's a bit of a combination. I look for the books I Want to read first for the Kindle, for books that aren't available for the Kindle, I will either add them to a look for it later list (if I've found several other books I want to read) or buy it in paperback an feel... bleh about having to carry it around (I'm one of the weird folks that really doesn't care for hardcover books). I've made a somewhat halfhearted attempt at figuring out the programs to rework a book to Kindle mode but haven't had much success there. I'm embarrassed to say, I just didn't give them enough concentration (not a lot to spare lately :P) and so, I'm still at the Kindle first, otherwise paperback. Eventually, I hope to be at device first and last, as all books I'd be interested would be available for me to purchase download. I also think that the devices available to us will continue to evolve and I would really like to be able to "take them with me".

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