THE reason to own an E-reader

[Apache]

Originally Posted by k_b

this. I travel quite a bit, and used to carry more books than everything else combined (hey, you can buy new clothes anywhere...). Airline baggage costs, to say nothing of backpacking.

Now, if I could just find a portable, high-quality replacement 500mm lens (~3kg/7#, bulky and fragile)...

I might have killed for a ereader, if they had been available, when I used to travel for a living. I can't count the times I mailed boxes of books home because I had filled my suitcases.
Apache

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Apache

I might have killed for a ereader, if they had been available, when I used to travel for a living. I can't count the times I mailed boxes of books home because I had filled my suitcases.
Apache

When I was in the military I took my books home in 105mm shell crates.
I floored a good section of my parents' attic with them.

[barryem]

This is veering slightly off-topic but talking about being ashamed to be seen reading something reminded me and I think it's worth telling. I hope you agree.

I'm an old guy of 74 and when I was a teen my parents read what was then a terribly shocking book "Peyton Place". By today's standards it's not really steamy at all but in the 1950's a lot of people wouldn't admit to having read it even though they seemed to know all about it.

Anyway I always had a paperback in my back pocket, even at school, and when they finished "Peyton Place" I began reading it. Then a teacher spotted it in my pocket and I was sent to the office to see the vice principal. He sent me home with a note that I wasn't to return to school till my parents talked to him.

The next day they brought me to school and they were pretty upset about this. They had no problem with me reading the best selling book of the decade. They were glad I was an avid reader and hated the idea of the school discouraging that in any way.

The issue was resolved by their agreeing that I wouldn't carry "racy" novels to school anymore, at least not where they could be seen. Nobody was happy with this outcome. The VP thought I should be at least scolded for my reading habits and my parents thought it was none of his business. I wasn't really asked for my opinion but I didn't think it was any of their business and the whole thing was silly.

I've re-read "Peyton Place" every 4 or 5 years since then. Yes it was a racy novel in those days but what seemed to be overlooked was the beautiful and insightful writing and the brilliant imagination of Grace Metalious. If there really is a Great American Novel I think this is probably it!

Barry

[LadyKate]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

I see ereaders as a more practical device: easily readable in direct sunlight, great battery life, and there's less fuss and muss because they do what they do well. It seems as though ereaders should be the antithesis of bragging.

Some of the new screen protectors are good at minimizing glare for reading outside. I just wonder, how often really do most people read outdoors. Perhaps my thinking is skewed as I live in Canada where our winters preclude outdoor reading and I find summer days too hot for reading outside in full sun.

Then again, I am rather attached to my tablet and more than 90 percent of what I use it for is reading. I actually bought a new Samsung when I realized I had been using mine for over two years and had read more than 700 books on it. +

[voodoo.mutt]

i do a fair bit international travel...and i get aircabin fever fast. so i lug my library along in my kindle (which i only bought this year). Prior to that, i used to read off my iPad but it was bad for eyes and relatively crummy battery life i.e. if it can't survive a Syd-Ldn flight, then why bother.

And i'm totally paranoid about losing power therefore nothing to read therfore back to aforementioned cabin fever

e-ink devices are cheap, tough (dropped mine a few times even at the beach), easy on the eyes,can be read outside, battery life is brilliant.

before ipad it was a trip to the airport bookstore to buy 1-2 books to lug about...and for a hoarder like me, it's turned the spare bedroom into paperback vault (i'd say library but that implies some sort of organisation)

[k_b]

Originally Posted by voodoo.mutt

i do a fair bit international travel...

And i'm totally paranoid about losing power therefore nothing to read therfore back to aforementioned cabin fever

Just returned from a week of paleolithic cave art (yes, it was provocative, deeply moving, and a whole lot of fun), and on every flight of more than 4 hrs (KLM/AirFrance, Delta) the planes had powered USB, one also had 12v, and several airports have "quick-charge" stations (couple bucks/euros for 30 min, with an array of connectors for all kinds of devices) -- so I think the days of running out of power in transit are mostly in the rear-view.

That said, e-ink is still my preferred reader for both comfort and long battery life.

[Sydney's Mom]

Originally Posted by barryem

This is veering slightly off-topic but talking about being ashamed to be seen reading something reminded me and I think it's worth telling. I hope you agree.

I'm an old guy of 74 and when I was a teen my parents read what was then a terribly shocking book "Peyton Place". By today's standards it's not really steamy at all but in the 1950's a lot of people wouldn't admit to having read it even though they seemed to know all about it.

Anyway I always had a paperback in my back pocket, even at school, and when they finished "Peyton Place" I began reading it. Then a teacher spotted it in my pocket and I was sent to the office to see the vice principal. He sent me home with a note that I wasn't to return to school till my parents talked to him.

The next day they brought me to school and they were pretty upset about this. They had no problem with me reading the best selling book of the decade. They were glad I was an avid reader and hated the idea of the school discouraging that in any way.

The issue was resolved by their agreeing that I wouldn't carry "racy" novels to school anymore, at least not where they could be seen. Nobody was happy with this outcome. The VP thought I should be at least scolded for my reading habits and my parents thought it was none of his business. I wasn't really asked for my opinion but I didn't think it was any of their business and the whole thing was silly.

I've re-read "Peyton Place" every 4 or 5 years since then. Yes it was a racy novel in those days but what seemed to be overlooked was the beautiful and insightful writing and the brilliant imagination of Grace Metalious. If there really is a Great American Novel I think this is probably it!

Barry

Can we switch parents? You were so lucky, and good for your parents sticking up for you and what was right.

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by barryem

This is veering slightly off-topic but talking about being ashamed to be seen reading something reminded me and I think it's worth telling. I hope you agree.

I'm an old guy of 74 and when I was a teen my parents read what was then a terribly shocking book "Peyton Place". By today's standards it's not really steamy at all but in the 1950's a lot of people wouldn't admit to having read it even though they seemed to know all about it.

Anyway I always had a paperback in my back pocket, even at school, and when they finished "Peyton Place" I began reading it. Then a teacher spotted it in my pocket and I was sent to the office to see the vice principal. He sent me home with a note that I wasn't to return to school till my parents talked to him.

The next day they brought me to school and they were pretty upset about this. They had no problem with me reading the best selling book of the decade. They were glad I was an avid reader and hated the idea of the school discouraging that in any way.

The issue was resolved by their agreeing that I wouldn't carry "racy" novels to school anymore, at least not where they could be seen. Nobody was happy with this outcome. The VP thought I should be at least scolded for my reading habits and my parents thought it was none of his business. I wasn't really asked for my opinion but I didn't think it was any of their business and the whole thing was silly.



Barry

And my high school (in the 80's) had a copy of Bear http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(novel) Sometimes curiosity and very good scanning skills can lead to an intense desire for brain bleach.

Canadian lit is a field filled with strange, strange things.

I must say a very useful benefit of ereaders has been one handed reading. Rocking a miserable baby to sleep became much more tolerable with an an ereader.

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by ekbell

And my high school (in the 80's) had a copy of Bear http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(novel) Sometimes curiosity and very good scanning skills can lead to an intense desire for brain bleach.

Canadian lit is a field filled with strange, strange things.

I must say a very useful benefit of ereaders has been one handed reading. Rocking a miserable baby to sleep became much more tolerable with an an ereader.

Okay.
I want to hurl now.

[conan50]

The only downside I can think of regarding my e-ink reading devices is the number of books on them. I start reading a book only to wonder if I'd rather be reading one of the other hundreds of books on the device. I don't have that problem with a paperback book :-)

[Pulpwood]

In these waning years it is the electronic book, with its adjustable fonts, that allows our continued reading. OohRah

Be very wary of the two sided coins in your life, the television and the internet. They are very likely to swallow all of humanity.

Originally Posted by conan50

The only downside I can think of regarding my e-ink reading devices is the number of books on them. I start reading a book only to wonder if I'd rather be reading one of the other hundreds of books on the device. I don't have that problem with a paperback book :-)

Just buy a steamer trunk, cram it full of books, and take it everywhere you go. I assure you that you'll have the same problem (and a bad back).

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by Pulpwood

In these waning years it is the electronic book, with its adjustable fonts, that allows our continued reading. OohRah

Be very wary of the two sided coins in your life, the television and the internet. They are very likely to swallow all of humanity.

Hmmm.
Haven't owned a television since March of 1995.
I do spend a lot of time on the Internet though. I have an eight inch windows tablet and a five point seven inch android phone to choose between.

[cvkemp]

I started out reading real books only, but got very tired of caring around so many reference books. I then got one of the really early e-ink readers and converted lots of material. I later got the Kindle kbrd, which I really loved and used it for years it died and I got a kindle fire and used it for a short time and gave it away seeing just did not work for me, then I went to the Nexus 7 of which I am still using and love but I read long hrs and the screen is hurting my eyes and the battery just does not last long enough, so I have ordered a Kindle PW, and it should be here middle of the week and I will let report back on how I like it.

[conan50]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

Just buy a steamer trunk, cram it full of books, and take it everywhere you go. I assure you that you'll have the same problem (and a bad back).

But that is a lot of work