How often do you see Kindles in public? - Page 7

SpiderMatt · 10-05-2010, 11:54 PM

As people have mentioned, airports seem to be the hot spot for ebook readers. This is just as I would have expected, since people who travel more are more likely to want an ebook reader for convenience. I saw other military members with Kindles and Sony Readers when I was in the military, which is no great surprise since it's a job that involves a lot of travel. I was more surprised by the number of KindleDXs I've come across (3 or 4). They were being used by older women, which I guess makes sense since having a larger screen to fit more large text would be more desirable for people as they get older and eyesight gets worse (just making assumptions here). Still, it's a pretty expensive unit, even now.

Now that I'm going to school, I take the Phoenix light rail back and forth Monday - Thursday, and I use my Kindle on it almost every single day. Of course I'm badgered about it at least once a week these days, which I used to love because it gave me an opportunity to discuss how great ebooks are to people who have probably never read one. It's gotten kind of old, though, and my reply is usually a short, stock answer to the ubiquitous question of how I like it: "I love it. It's really convenient for traveling."

I've noticed I'm not the only one on the light rail using an ebook reader, though. I don't recall seeing another Kindle yet (I might have, though, and just don't remember it), but I've seen several Nooks, now. Since I live in a college town (Tempe), it's not really surprising that the Nook, with it's color touchscreen, would draw in more students. In addition, there's a B&N about two miles from my light rail stop, which is very close to the Arizona State campus. B&N, of course, has been selling Nooks in their store since the end of last year and they have display units. The Kindle is really at a disadvantage when it comes to cities like mine, where college students are more likely to see something shiny and new in the store and want it right away. My local Target now has the Kindle on display, though, and the Best Buy probably will soon if it doesn't already. Both of these are in the same plaza as the B&N. I'll be interested in finding out if this affects the kindle:nook ratio I see on the light rail.

dasaint · 10-06-2010, 12:11 AM

Here in the Philippines and Vietnam. I have yet to see one aside from the 3 I ordered . Ipad I have seen more often

PhishStyx · 10-06-2010, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

I've seen quite a few while flying. a couple on the Metro when I was in D.C. not so many here. I live in a fairly rural area so that is not entirely surprising, but the one I have seen here was at the puppy park. I thought that was pretty cool!

I've seen a few Kindles here and there, mostly at the airport. I get asked about mine more often than I see others with a reader.

What I've never seen is a puppy park. In fact, our local park doesn't allow pets at all.

JeremyZ · 10-06-2010, 10:11 AM

I'm a train commuter, so I see them pretty often. But I see 10 paper books for every Kindle.

I think there are a lot of reasons for this:

Used paperbacks are cheap or free, and some people will read whatever fiction is free
Kindles are (relatively) expensive, especially if one is not a particular reader
Kindles are fragile
The idea of "books are made of paper" is deeply entrenched in our culture, especially to those over 40. It will take time.

If Amazon sells more e-books than paper books, I would bet it is because avid readers buy enough to more than

FWIW - I wound up converting because I saw a lady who was reading her Kindle on the train every day, and was very jealous. I'm a bit of a gadget hound; one of those guys who buys a gadget and tries to use every single feature. So when I saw that thin, svelte device and the lady's obvious enjoyment, it was just a matter of time. After about a week, I worked up the nerve to ask her some questions about it. She let me try it and showed me the basic navigation. I was hooked. After that, it was just a matter of scraping the money together.

I don't think they're quite as impressive to someone who doesn't tend to like gadgets.

JeremyZ · 10-06-2010, 10:16 AM

After reading some earlier posts, I think the new iPhone and Touch will put the hurt on Kindle sales. They're more compact, and they do so many other things. It is easier to justify this. Now that I think of it, a lot of people who I see glued to their Crackberries that I assume are dorkily reading their work email are probably reading e-books.

lost66615 · 10-06-2010, 12:55 PM

i read my kindle on the bus and almost anyware i take it with me all over never no when you are in a queue had a few people comment on it and some wanted to know more about it

SkyDream · 10-06-2010, 12:59 PM

Never saw any Kindle in real life in Germany.
Maybe they don't even exist

TatianaS · 10-06-2010, 02:41 PM

I saw two this week and it was a first for me. One was in Panera and one was being read by a man driving his 18 wheel tractor trailer truck down I-95 south of Washington DC. He was reading while he was driving and having a difficult time keeping his rig in his lane and on the road!

rhadin · 10-06-2010, 02:53 PM

I have seen exactly 1 Kindle used in public. I have, however, seen numerous nooks and Sonys (well, numerous compared to the Kindle; altogether probably about 25-30 nooks and Sonys combined).

I have yet to see any brand other than those 3 among dedicated ereaders. I have seen 3 iPads and several iPods and countless cell phones, but I have no idea if any of them were used for ebook reading.

daffy4u · 10-06-2010, 03:02 PM

I also saw a Kindle recently while in the waiting room of the car dealership when I took my car in for servicing.

pagansoul · 10-06-2010, 03:35 PM

There are 4 of us on my floor at work the have e-readers that I know of. 1 Nook, 1 sony, 2 kindles. Nower days I use my iPad more than my Kindle at work but everyone knows I have them. I've seen another Kindle at an Ikea diner and I see a few readers at the Barnes & Noble and Borders but mostly laptops. There is an occasional iPad siting at the Mall of Georgia near the Apple Store. I had my iPad with me when I last had my oil changed on my car and previously I would pull out my Kindle.

kindlekitten · 10-06-2010, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhishStyx

I've seen a few Kindles here and there, mostly at the airport. I get asked about mine more often than I see others with a reader.

What I've never seen is a puppy park. In fact, our local park doesn't allow pets at all.

off leash dog parks are becoming more and more popular. quite often they need to start as a grass roots movement. the two off leash parks in my county are county parks that we approached the county about designating as off leash parks. we do 75% of the maintenance and a lot of the big projects like fencing and such. it's fairly common for the parks to get started this way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TatianaS

I saw two this week and it was a first for me. One was in Panera and one was being read by a man driving his 18 wheel tractor trailer truck down I-95 south of Washington DC. He was reading while he was driving and having a difficult time keeping his rig in his lane and on the road!

oh my gosh!

I would have tried to get his plate number and report him!

welcome to the boards!

desertgrandma · 10-06-2010, 04:57 PM

Well, I didn't SEE a Kindle, but had mine out at the docs office today......

An older couple came and sat next to us, and the man started telling his wife "look look theres one of those things!! Ma'm, can I see your thing???"

So I showed it to him (did I let him hold it? Heck no!) And he was going on and on and his wife was smacking him on the arm going "yes, dear, maybe for Christmas, I know its the new TOY you want", all the while giving me that "I'm just gonna humor him" look.

I couldn't help myself.

First thing I said was "Its NOT a toy, if you like reading, its an irreplaceable part of your life, and explaining the benefits, etc. There was a couple next to them, and they were really interested in what I was saying, etc. They love the screen, and how fast the pages turned and had never even thought of the 1000's of free books that were available......not to mention the adjustable font size......

The wife back off pretty quickly and repeated the part about the Christmas gift in a more serious tone.......

Will he get it? Doubtful.

But I feel better......

blackpaw · 10-06-2010, 08:59 PM

Mine (that I just purchased) is the first I've ever seen. Even in my office (PC developers) it was the first anyone had ever seen. Odd really.

Brisbane, AU.

Kevin2960 · 10-07-2010, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackpaw

Mine (that I just purchased) is the first I've ever seen. Even in my office (PC developers) it was the first anyone had ever seen. Odd really.

Brisbane, AU.

Is it YOU or your KINDLE that's odd ?

Welcome to MR

10-06-2010, 10:11 AM	#94
JeremyZ Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 1000702 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chicago Device: Nook ST, Kindle 2, Samsung Galaxy Stellar phone	I'm a train commuter, so I see them pretty often. But I see 10 paper books for every Kindle. I think there are a lot of reasons for this: Used paperbacks are cheap or free, and some people will read whatever fiction is free Kindles are (relatively) expensive, especially if one is not a particular reader Kindles are fragile The idea of "books are made of paper" is deeply entrenched in our culture, especially to those over 40. It will take time. If Amazon sells more e-books than paper books, I would bet it is because avid readers buy enough to more than FWIW - I wound up converting because I saw a lady who was reading her Kindle on the train every day, and was very jealous. I'm a bit of a gadget hound; one of those guys who buys a gadget and tries to use every single feature. So when I saw that thin, svelte device and the lady's obvious enjoyment, it was just a matter of time. After about a week, I worked up the nerve to ask her some questions about it. She let me try it and showed me the basic navigation. I was hooked. After that, it was just a matter of scraping the money together. I don't think they're quite as impressive to someone who doesn't tend to like gadgets.

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10-05-2010, 11:54 PM	#91
SpiderMatt Grand Arbiter Posts: 447 Karma: 1574837 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Arizona Device: iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Motorola Droid	As people have mentioned, airports seem to be the hot spot for ebook readers. This is just as I would have expected, since people who travel more are more likely to want an ebook reader for convenience. I saw other military members with Kindles and Sony Readers when I was in the military, which is no great surprise since it's a job that involves a lot of travel. I was more surprised by the number of KindleDXs I've come across (3 or 4). They were being used by older women, which I guess makes sense since having a larger screen to fit more large text would be more desirable for people as they get older and eyesight gets worse (just making assumptions here). Still, it's a pretty expensive unit, even now. Now that I'm going to school, I take the Phoenix light rail back and forth Monday - Thursday, and I use my Kindle on it almost every single day. Of course I'm badgered about it at least once a week these days, which I used to love because it gave me an opportunity to discuss how great ebooks are to people who have probably never read one. It's gotten kind of old, though, and my reply is usually a short, stock answer to the ubiquitous question of how I like it: "I love it. It's really convenient for traveling." I've noticed I'm not the only one on the light rail using an ebook reader, though. I don't recall seeing another Kindle yet (I might have, though, and just don't remember it), but I've seen several Nooks, now. Since I live in a college town (Tempe), it's not really surprising that the Nook, with it's color touchscreen, would draw in more students. In addition, there's a B&N about two miles from my light rail stop, which is very close to the Arizona State campus. B&N, of course, has been selling Nooks in their store since the end of last year and they have display units. The Kindle is really at a disadvantage when it comes to cities like mine, where college students are more likely to see something shiny and new in the store and want it right away. My local Target now has the Kindle on display, though, and the Best Buy probably will soon if it doesn't already. Both of these are in the same plaza as the B&N. I'll be interested in finding out if this affects the kindle:nook ratio I see on the light rail.

10-06-2010, 12:11 AM	#92
dasaint Member Posts: 10 Karma: 472130 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Ipad, Kindle Touch ,Kindle 3 and PRS500	Here in the Philippines and Vietnam. I have yet to see one aside from the 3 I ordered . Ipad I have seen more often

10-06-2010, 10:16 AM	#95
JeremyZ Addict Posts: 303 Karma: 1000702 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Chicago Device: Nook ST, Kindle 2, Samsung Galaxy Stellar phone	After reading some earlier posts, I think the new iPhone and Touch will put the hurt on Kindle sales. They're more compact, and they do so many other things. It is easier to justify this. Now that I think of it, a lot of people who I see glued to their Crackberries that I assume are dorkily reading their work email are probably reading e-books.

10-06-2010, 12:55 PM	#96
lost66615 Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 134 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: ENGLAND Device: kindle dx	i read my kindle on the bus and almost anyware i take it with me all over never no when you are in a queue had a few people comment on it and some wanted to know more about it

10-06-2010, 12:59 PM	#97
SkyDream Wizard Posts: 1,377 Karma: 9400 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Europe Device: PRS-650, iPod touch 4G, iPad 3	Never saw any Kindle in real life in Germany. Maybe they don't even exist

10-06-2010, 02:41 PM	#98
TatianaS Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: USA Device: K3, KTouch, KPaperwhite	I saw two this week and it was a first for me. One was in Panera and one was being read by a man driving his 18 wheel tractor trailer truck down I-95 south of Washington DC. He was reading while he was driving and having a difficult time keeping his rig in his lane and on the road!

10-06-2010, 02:53 PM	#99
rhadin Literacy = Understanding Posts: 4,833 Karma: 59674358 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: The World of Books Device: Nook, Nook Tablet	I have seen exactly 1 Kindle used in public. I have, however, seen numerous nooks and Sonys (well, numerous compared to the Kindle; altogether probably about 25-30 nooks and Sonys combined). I have yet to see any brand other than those 3 among dedicated ereaders. I have seen 3 iPads and several iPods and countless cell phones, but I have no idea if any of them were used for ebook reading.

10-06-2010, 03:02 PM	#100
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	I also saw a Kindle recently while in the waiting room of the car dealership when I took my car in for servicing.

10-06-2010, 03:35 PM	#101
pagansoul Fanatic Posts: 509 Karma: 1098204 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Earth Device: iPhone5, iPad Gen3, Kobo, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox. Samsung Galaxy Tab 7	There are 4 of us on my floor at work the have e-readers that I know of. 1 Nook, 1 sony, 2 kindles. Nower days I use my iPad more than my Kindle at work but everyone knows I have them. I've seen another Kindle at an Ikea diner and I see a few readers at the Barnes & Noble and Borders but mostly laptops. There is an occasional iPad siting at the Mall of Georgia near the Apple Store. I had my iPad with me when I last had my oil changed on my car and previously I would pull out my Kindle.

10-06-2010, 04:57 PM	#103
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Well, I didn't SEE a Kindle, but had mine out at the docs office today...... An older couple came and sat next to us, and the man started telling his wife "look look theres one of those things!! Ma'm, can I see your thing???" So I showed it to him (did I let him hold it? Heck no!) And he was going on and on and his wife was smacking him on the arm going "yes, dear, maybe for Christmas, I know its the new TOY you want", all the while giving me that "I'm just gonna humor him" look. I couldn't help myself. First thing I said was "Its NOT a toy, if you like reading, its an irreplaceable part of your life, and explaining the benefits, etc. There was a couple next to them, and they were really interested in what I was saying, etc. They love the screen, and how fast the pages turned and had never even thought of the 1000's of free books that were available......not to mention the adjustable font size...... The wife back off pretty quickly and repeated the part about the Christmas gift in a more serious tone....... Will he get it? Doubtful. But I feel better......

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10-06-2010, 08:59 PM	#104
blackpaw Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 134 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Brisbane Device: Kindle 3	Mine (that I just purchased) is the first I've ever seen. Even in my office (PC developers) it was the first anyone had ever seen. Odd really. Brisbane, AU.