Strange Reactions to Kindle

[Barnone]

Originally Posted by Teyrnon

The strangest reaction I've gotten was when an old acquaintance paid me a visit. She saw it on the table, visibly recoiled from it. After she regained her composure she asked me if I'd let her smash the "evil toy." After that I decided it was time to get her out of my house.

Teyrnon,
The next time you see your acquaintance have a copy of the Bible on your Kindle. Bring it up for her to see it on your "evil toy".
That should change her tune.

[AprilHare]

Originally Posted by foreverjuly

As shocking as it may seem to us, some people STILL don't get the whole kindle/e-reading revolution. Sometimes I get blank stares or hear snickering in the background when I'm using it. I wish I could just give one to everyone so they could understand how awesome it is.

Do you get people asking you all the time why you decided to get yourself a Kindle? I never feel like I have the right answer to satisfy them. No matter if I tell them how easy it is to get books at low prices and read them without eye-strain, I get weird responses like "Yeah but not that many people have a Kindle," as if that is proof of anything. I even had someone say to me once, "I want to get a kindle, but I just don't like to read."

How do people react when they hear about your Kindle or see you using it? What do people do when they are suddenly confronted with the reality of ebooks?

I have never consciously received a negative reaction from my liseuse. Even people who rarely ever read are in awe, or are barely aware of it's presence!
I've even been told it looked like I had my diary with me!
Kids are disappointed when they find out it doesn't have any games, video or camera and just ignore it, which suits me fine.

[AprilHare]

I recently went in a competition to win an iPad.
After thinking about it, I realised I'd end up selling it unused.
Books? My liseuse suits me fine already.
Videos? The download costs are atrocious. No Flash.
Games? I prefer a real PC or console for real games, thank you.
Internet? It looks third rate and doesn't have a keyboard, and the download rates are again atrocious. No Flash (again).
Apps? Expensive, and they cost to download (and run). You can't even get at your own files on the thing easily. (The only way to transfer to and from the device is by mobile phone network, which costs a fortune! Even if it was Wi-Fi enabled, it wouldn't be good enough given the lack of network connectivity I would face!)
Battery life? Practically next to none.
Even connecting the thing to a mobile phone network would be a hassle, and I'd be forced to buy a cover for the thing - and it'd never get used under my criteria.
I'm not attempting to rouse on Apple here - it's just not a useful product.

Originally Posted by psycholoner

I rarely get a good reaction for my DX, but I always love to fight for it. I'm a tech lover, and I own a psp and ds. Every time someone asks me "Why didn't you get an iPad?", I always reply with "Why the hell would I want an iPad?"

Then I go into asking, "Tell me one thing I want from the iPad". People will go "Videos, gaming, internet, etc."

But, does anyone watch videos on an iPad? Not many. The fact is, if there is wifi around, then a laptop or tablet would be a much better choice. When it gets to gaming, I start to think, "what kind of games would I want? all there is are small apps and mini-games". I carry my psp or ds everywhere anyway, so why would I play those when I have real games? And I wouldn't be willing to pay for a data plan, so internet on the go is out of the question. On top of that, its hard to read in the sun, and the battery runs out in a few hours.

They then go to ask why I would get something just to read books. I ask if the person has ever read for long durations of time on a light emitting screen. All of them have said no. My reply is:
"Then you wouldn't know that after you read for 6 hours straight on one of them. After around 6 hours, your eyes get dry and start to hurt, the white screen starts to irritate your eyes, you'll feel extremely tired, and everything you see for the next 12 or so hours will be blurry." I read a lot of manga, so I usually end up reading longer than that, and I do it consecutively day after day when I have a few days off.

[MangaEbooker]

Originally Posted by tovare

On any given average day 24% reads a book, 81% watches TV, 59% uses their home computer, 71% accesses the internet. (Presumably some at work or other devices).

(Norwegian stats: http://www.ssb.no/aarbok/tab/tab-234.html)

Advert for the Kindle 3 from July 2009 (CollegeHumor):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI0Zry_R4RQ

Omg that video...the last guy made it amazing for me!

Also the person who said they wanted one but didn't like to read....what? Guess its trendy idk?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by AprilHare

I recently went in a competition to win an iPad.
After thinking about it, I realised I'd end up selling it unused.

You appear to be suffering from some quite alarming misconceptions. Permit me to enlighten you.

Books? My liseuse suits me fine already.

Yes, the PRS-600 is an adequate bookreader, but the real benefit of the iPad when it comes to books is that it's "format-agnostic". By installing different reading apps you can buy books from, and read books from pretty much any eBook store, whether it be Amazon, B&N, Waterstones, or whatever. No dedicated reader can do this.

Videos? The download costs are atrocious.

Download costs? What download costs? If I want to watch video on my iPad, I copy it to the iPad via my PC, just as you do with books on your Sony.

Games? I prefer a real PC or console for real games, thank you.

I'm not a game player, but I would imagine that having the ability to play games on the same device that can do so much else would be a real bonus.

Internet? It looks third rate and doesn't have a keyboard, and the download rates are again atrocious. No Flash (again).

It makes a superb mobile internet device. I really have to ask how much you've actually used an iPad? There is a "soft keyboard" because it's not meant to be a full-time data-entry device, just like there is a soft keyboard on your PRS-600. The difference between the iPad and the PRS-600 is that, if you do wish to use it for significant amounts of text entry, you can do so with a "real" external Bluetooth keyboard.

Apps? Expensive, and they cost to download (and run).

There are currently something like 230,000 apps available. A great many of them are either free, or cost very little. Eg, the apps that I use most often on my iPad are:

iBooks
Kindle
BBC News
eBay
PayPal
Wikipedia
Met Office Weather

and they are all free. There's only one app that I've bought, and that was the unabridged Chambers Dictionary, which I paid about a quarter the price of the paper version. I'd say that's pretty good.

The only way to transfer to and from the device is by mobile phone network, which costs a fortune!

The main method of getting files onto the iPad is via a USB cable, just as you do with your Sony. You can transfer files wirelessly, but to say that it costs a "fortune" is a little disingenuous, to say the least.

Even if it was Wi-Fi enabled, it wouldn't be good enough given the lack of network connectivity I would face!)

"Even if it was Wi-Fi enabled"? That's a strange thing do so, given that all iPads do indeed have WiFi. Perhaps you're getting confused with your PRS-600, which has neither WiFi nor 3G?

Battery life? Practically next to none.

I recharge my iPad once a week, which is the same interval at which I charge my PRS-600. Usage-wise, I'd say that the PRS-600 and iPad have a very similar battery life. It's not as good as the Kindle, but considerably better than the nook. Is that "practically next to none"? For me it's not, but perhaps you consider that the battery life of your PRS-600 is also very poor?

I'm not attempting to rouse on Apple here - it's just not a useful product.

Do you really think you're in a position to judge whether or not it's useful? I don't mean to be impolite, but you don't really seem to know very much about it. 3 million+ people have obviously decided that it is a useful device. I certainly think it is.

[psycholoner]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Download costs? What download costs? If I want to watch video on my iPad, I copy it to the iPad via my PC, just as you do with books on your Sony.

I think he meant paying for 3g, but I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm not a game player, but I would imagine that having the ability to play games on the same device that can do so much else would be a real bonus.

That line bugged me. Theres a big difference between the games you can play on an iPad and the games you can play on a console. There's a reason why consoles are still alive.

Originally Posted by HarryT

Do you really think you're in a position to judge whether or not it's useful? I don't mean to be impolite, but you don't really seem to know very much about it. 3 million+ people have obviously decided that it is a useful device. I certainly think it is.

That was mean...


Anyway, I honestly think the iPad is pretty cool. I just can't find a single reason why I would want it. I'd be nice to have one, but after the "new toy" feeling is gone (probably after 3 months?), I probably wouldn't touch it. I already have devices that do everything I need, and they take up less space.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by psycholoner

Anyway, I honestly think the iPad is pretty cool. I just can't find a single reason why I would want it. I'd be nice to have one, but after the "new toy" feeling is gone (probably after 3 months?), I probably wouldn't touch it. I already have devices that do everything I need, and they take up less space.

For me, it's one device that does everything I need when I'm away from home. I can surf the web, handle my e-mail, listen to music, read books, watch video, and a dozen other things, in a package that's a fraction of the weight of a laptop computer, and has 4x the battery life. If I had to give up all my "gadgets" except one, the one I'd keep would be the iPad.

Yes, the Kindle is a better dedicated reader for Kindle books, no question about it. That's why I like having both an iPad and a Kindle.

[DMB]

Since I am a newbie to ereaders and have a Kindle 3 on order (mainly for books), could anyone please explain simply how to read newspapers on it. Is it worth the trouble on the small screen?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by foreverjuly

As shocking as it may seem to us, some people STILL don't get the whole kindle/e-reading revolution. Sometimes I get blank stares or hear snickering in the background when I'm using it. I wish I could just give one to everyone so they could understand how awesome it is.

Do you get people asking you all the time why you decided to get yourself a Kindle? I never feel like I have the right answer to satisfy them. No matter if I tell them how easy it is to get books at low prices and read them without eye-strain, I get weird responses like "Yeah but not that many people have a Kindle," as if that is proof of anything. I even had someone say to me once, "I want to get a kindle, but I just don't like to read."

How do people react when they hear about your Kindle or see you using it? What do people do when they are suddenly confronted with the reality of ebooks?

I'm again and again surprised, when comparing the situation in the US and in Germany.
In the US, you see Kindles or iPads "everywhere".
In Germany it's still relatively rare.
One reason certainly is the lack (or at least limited supply) of German eBooks.
But this can't be the only reason. If you try, you can find almost everything in German as well. Maybe sometimes in the wrong format (ePUB more often to find than AZW for example), but still...
I guess it's about culture. And infrastructure...
In the US, people are used to long distances. Commuting for over an hour isn't that uncommon. So it may make sense to take your eReader with you when going to your job from the suburbs to the city...
So, similar to you, I'm kind of "exotic" with my gadgets on the train.
I didn't get the reactions you describe though. Usually it's either confusion ("what kind of laptop is that?") or curiosity ("is the text really as dark as some say?").
Probably marketing has lot do do with it. I haven't seen a single TV spot about any of those gadgets (maybe I've overlooked it, rarely watch television).

[Lo Zeno]

I don't have a Kindle, but I wanted to share with you an episode that happened recently when an acquaintance of mine saw me reading on my Hanlin V3 and asked me about it. After the usual what-can-and-cannot-do, the why-pay-so-much-to-read and other usual questions, he asked: "Why don't you just buy normal books instead?".
Since we were in my parents living room, next to my parent's bookshelf, I took both Stephen King's IT and a "collector's edition" of The Lord of the Rings, and (literally) dropped them both on the table in front of him. They made a nice WHAM! sound on the table, then I placed gently my V3 next to them (so he could better see the difference in thickness and imagine the difference in weight), and said "That's why".

I think he got the point, since he stopped bothering me and I could continue reading. Or maybe he just thought that if he asked more questions, those two heavy books would end up "dropping" on his head. Which is not too far from the truth, anyway...

[estrial]

Haha, Lo Zeno thats a good one, I love the ability to carry many books with me at the same time so I can have more choice even. With paper books you can only take one with you at a time.

It's funny I find myself becoming more and more of a recluse since the kindle. Every time I try to read on public transport. Someone would look over my shoulder or sit next to me on purpose and go: "thats pretty neat aye? Why didn't you get an Ipad...." and it goes on all the way so I don't get any reading done. So in turn, every time I get on a tram, I would look for those 1 seater right at the back of the tram where no one goes. Anti social much? Im a very chatty person by nature, but im sure all of us just wants some reading time sometimes.

[foreverjuly]

Originally Posted by estrial

Haha, Lo Zeno thats a good one, I love the ability to carry many books with me at the same time so I can have more choice even. With paper books you can only take one with you at a time.

Sometimes I stare at my copy of The Da Vinci Code and wish it would turn into something else like it would if it were in my kindle.

[Juliette]

Originally Posted by estrial

Haha, Lo Zeno thats a good one, I love the ability to carry many books with me at the same time so I can have more choice even. With paper books you can only take one with you at a time.

Yes! No more heavy luggage! (at least when you're on departure, for returns we don't give you any guarantee)

[joblack]

Originally Posted by psycholoner

Anyway, I honestly think the iPad is pretty cool. I just can't find a single reason why I would want it. I'd be nice to have one, but after the "new toy" feeling is gone (probably after 3 months?), I probably wouldn't touch it. I already have devices that do everything I need, and they take up less space.

If I would have won the iPad I would have sold it instantly on eBay, got a Kindle DX Grph. and invested the rest in something else.

I can see no reason to get an an iPad. And Harry's 'argument' about the number of people who bought an iPad is no argument about quality.

If I would check out things that people bought in the past and wasn't of great quality (iMacs with subprime display technology, ...) or almost broken (iPhone 4) you can clearly see that quality doesn't win all the time.

[foreverjuly]

Originally Posted by joblack

If I would check out things that people bought in the past and wasn't of great quality (iMacs with subprime display technology, ...) or almost broken (iPhone 4) you can clearly see that quality doesn't win all the time.

Heh, that's a good use of "subprime" as an adjective. I miss hearing that word on the news everyday.