Talk me out of a Kindle ;-) - Page 2

Alisa · 06-03-2009, 12:54 PM

I'm not one to talk you out of a Kindle since I love mine, but as far as book price comparisons go, Mobipocket.com is the worst price you'll find. Other sites like Fictionwise.com and BooksOnBoard.com are way more competitive. You'll still usually find things for a little less at Amazon.com and the free sample chapters are a great feature, but I just wanted to make sure you had the right information going into your decision.

BTW, you probably will end up with two. I bought one when they first came out. When DH got interested in getting one, he borrowed mine so he could read a full book and see if it was to his liking. It only took him two days but I was in withdrawal. I don't think I could share.

PhishStyx · 06-03-2009, 01:00 PM

If I lived somewhere that I couldn't use the Whispernet features of my Kindle, I would definitely look harder at the Sony and other devices. Without the wireless accessibility, the Kindle seems a little overpriced

desertgrandma · 06-03-2009, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhishStyx

If I lived somewhere that I couldn't use the Whispernet features of my Kindle, I would definitely look harder at the Sony and other devices. Without the wireless accessibility, the Kindle seems a little overpriced

Not really. You can still download the same books, and others from other places, with your computer.

PhishStyx · 06-03-2009, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Not really. You can still download the same books, and others from other places, with your computer.

My point was that sans wireless the Kindle costs $60 more for pretty much the same function as. . . say the Sony 505 or the Hanlin.

desertgrandma · 06-03-2009, 01:15 PM

You might want to look at this thread also regarding book prices....

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48168

and really, either device is excellent. Remember one thing.......there is no "right or wrong" device out there......just the perfect one for you.

Alisa · 06-03-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhishStyx

My point was that sans wireless the Kindle costs $60 more for pretty much the same function as. . . say the Sony 505 or the Hanlin.

Except the Sony doesn't have search, annotation or dictionary lookup. On the other hand it does have the "collections" organization system.

dabates · 06-03-2009, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

Except the Sony doesn't have search, annotation or dictionary lookup. On the other hand it does have the "collections" organization system.

I do believe the 700 has Annotations (Notes) and search... Plus the sony has a Go To Page (I'm not sure if Kindle has this, as it doesn't really say in the manual and I don't have one)

echoleaf · 06-03-2009, 02:06 PM

I just researched 35 books, checking out Amazon, ebooksmall, BooksonBoard, Dieselbooks & Mobipocket (totally forgot about Fictionwise). Some are new, some are not, some are popular, some are not - you get the drift. I've attached a pdf if anyone wants to take a peek.

Out of 35:

13 were not available as paperback
3 were Kindle only
2 were Kindle & PDF, but not Mobipocket

Average book prices:

Kindle 9.85
Mobipocket 12.67
PDF 13.33

My conclusions:

Kindle's availability advantage is not huge
Kindle's price advantage is there, but it's also not that big
Getting a reader than can handle Mobi & PDF seems like the wisest idea
Some publishers are offering good prices on ebooks, and that is more likely to grow than shrink

I think I just talked myself out of a Kindle :-P Living out of the US, there's no difference in ease of use with other ereaders. I'm thinking I should figure out what can display pdfs well and take it from there.

As far as features like annotation, search, etc - search would be nice, but not necessary. Annotations would be nice, but I'd rather do it by hand. Same with dictionary lookup.

RickyMaveety · 06-03-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by echoleaf

I just researched 35 books, checking out Amazon, ebooksmall, BooksonBoard, Dieselbooks & Mobipocket (totally forgot about Fictionwise). Some are new, some are not, some are popular, some are not - you get the drift. I've attached a pdf if anyone wants to take a peek.

Out of 35:

13 were not available as paperback
3 were Kindle only
2 were Kindle & PDF, but not Mobipocket

Average book prices:

Kindle 9.85
Mobipocket 12.67
PDF 13.33

My conclusions:

Kindle's availability advantage is not huge
Kindle's price advantage is there, but it's also not that big
Getting a reader than can handle Mobi & PDF seems like the wisest idea
Some publishers are offering good prices on ebooks, and that is more likely to grow than shrink

I think I just talked myself out of a Kindle :-P Living out of the US, there's no difference in ease of use with other ereaders. I'm thinking I should figure out what can display pdfs well and take it from there.

As far as features like annotation, search, etc - search would be nice, but not necessary. Annotations would be nice, but I'd rather do it by hand. Same with dictionary lookup.

The only problem that I have with your attachment is that it is difficult to tell how you did your averages. Some of the price differences are close to $10 (in Kindle's favor). Also, I have found that, since the Kindle will read non-drm mobi format, I am able to take advantage of that as well.

Now, the PDF is why I am buying a DX in the future to add to my Kindle collection. However, even without PDF, and (mind you this is just for myself), the amount of money that I have saved using the Kindle store (over both traditional book stores and other online stores -- and not counting all the free goodies to be had here), has paid for my Kindles several times over.

But, the important thing is not that you get a Kindle. It is that you get an ebook reader that you really like, and one that you would be willing to purchase again after you've got it (assuming that you and your wife would like to be able to share books between the two of you).

So, enjoy whatever you do decide on. (Costa Rica?? People LIVE there?? I thought that was just a vacation destination!!)

Alisa · 06-03-2009, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabates

I do believe the 700 has Annotations (Notes) and search... Plus the sony has a Go To Page (I'm not sure if Kindle has this, as it doesn't really say in the manual and I don't have one)

The 700 also retails for $400, no? PhishStyx was advocating going with a significantly cheaper device. Now, if you don't want wireless but do want more features I think the 700 is a strong competitor but not really a money-saving option. I'd consider one if it had dictionary support. I haven't seen the screen so I don't know if they clarity would be an issue for me. I love the idea of the touchscreen. Dictionary lookup would be so much simpler with it, too. I really wish they'd add it.

Alisa · 06-03-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by echoleaf

Average book prices:

Kindle 9.85
Mobipocket 12.67
PDF 13.33

My conclusions:

Kindle's availability advantage is not huge
Kindle's price advantage is there, but it's also not that big
Getting a reader than can handle Mobi & PDF seems like the wisest idea
Some publishers are offering good prices on ebooks, and that is more likely to grow than shrink

Do you plan to buy many books? If you're reading a lot of PD stuff our you have a decent library program then a few dollars a book doesn't add up to much over the life of the device. I bought 80 books in my first year of having a Kindle. If I had spent $3 more on each one, that would have eclipsed the price difference of the devices twice over in just the first year of use. (I believe the free sample chapters have saved me even more but you wouldn't be able to take advantage of them. They're only delivered via wireless.)

Now I do wish my Kindle was better at displaying PDFs but the ones that are largely text convert quite well with Calibre and the ones that aren't don't tend to be terribly readable on a 6" screen. I've resigned myself to the idea of getting a second device for my work reading but the Kindle handles my converted library PDFs just fine.

echoleaf · 06-03-2009, 05:05 PM

@Ricky: The averaging was straightforward by column - total of prices in column/# books in column (not counting the empty spaces of course). I thought about going through and figuring out the Kindle+Non-drm-mobi or combo mobi/pdf but I can't spend that much time on it. Overall, the Mobi prices are higher than Kindle, so I don't think the non-drm-Mobi will make that much of a difference. But a reader than can do both Mobi & PDF might lead to better deals.

And yes - people live in Costa Rica, with a significant population of expats, of which I am one. I work from home (building websites & online businesses) so we moved here to take advantage of cheaper living. I work less & spend more time with my family :-)

@Alisa: I think we do still have access to our library system in the US, and afaik they're Mobi & PDF. It would be great to not have to spend money on a book - libraries are the #1 think we miss here as we used our local library a LOT in the US. I'm not as concerned about price as the only way for prices to go is down. Overall prices are better than I expected, and seem better than what I saw 5-6 months ago.

I think it would take two of us longer to buy 80 books, pretty much due to the 2 kids being homeschooled + infant action we got going in our house ;-)

Elsi · 06-03-2009, 08:17 PM

If you'd like to have a good comparison of the cost of books themselves, take a look at the thread USA Today's Summer Book List. I haven't updated it for the books released last week, but you can see a clear price advantage for the owner of a Kindle if you're buying just-released books.

I own both a Kindle and a Sony reader. I've yet to find a book cheaper at Sony than at Amazon, though every once in a while, Fictionwise come up with a winning price -- though I only buy DRM-free books at Fictionwise.

I paid just a bit more for my Kindle1 than for my Sony 505, but I've bought the majority of my books at Amazon.com. Of the 156 books I've bought at Amazon, 82 of them were free and 21 more were under $2.00. At Sony, I've only picked up the free books. I do buy multi-format books at Baen and Fictionwise and wish I had that option (with Amazon's prices) for every book I want.

Short answer is that the hardware for both devices is good. I'm more comfortable holding & reading with the Kindle than the Sony -- but I think that's just because the page-turn buttons on the Sony are small and sort of stiff. Another person might dislike the Kindle because its buttons are large. I won't claim that the Kindle is pretty -- not even the K2 or DX -- but it is functional.

I make a lot of use of the annotations and highlighting, which I can transfer to my PC. Though the Sony 700 supports highlighting and annotations, I believe that I read you can't export those to your PC. But my hubby bought me the lighted cover for my Sony reader so I make a point to load up a book on it when we're going to be in the car at night.

Someone before me said that it's most important for you to get a reader you'll be happy with. For me, the first choice is my Kindle reader, but I do like my Sony and I will be buying another one sometime soon. (I'm a gadget junkie!)

echoleaf · 06-03-2009, 10:08 PM

I checked USA Today's summer book list and am frankly not interested in almost any of it. It makes more sense for me to look for books that I actually want or have read and try to determine things from them. I don't think my reading tastes fall into the mainstream a whole lot, so I may not have a clear advantage with Amazon, or perhaps with Sony. (I must admit having something against Sony since their ATRAC nonsense.)

Hardware-wise, many Kindle owners like yourself are very happy with it. I'm hoping for the best since I'll have a very small window to return anything :-)

dabates · 06-05-2009, 08:29 AM

In my journey of trying to find my eReader (Eventually bought the DX)

I found that I would have gotten the 505 if PDF support was the most important thing to me.

I was able to try a 700 and a 505 with pdf's.. The 700 was nice.. but the contrast was too low.. I also found most placces I looked the 700 was going for 349-369.. Borders books (in the US) had it for 349.

Ultimately I went with the DX because it had the larger screen, which I think will help with the PDF's.

Ohh and the type of books I want to buy (Computer based books) are mostly cheaper..

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06-03-2009, 12:54 PM	#16
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I'm not one to talk you out of a Kindle since I love mine, but as far as book price comparisons go, Mobipocket.com is the worst price you'll find. Other sites like Fictionwise.com and BooksOnBoard.com are way more competitive. You'll still usually find things for a little less at Amazon.com and the free sample chapters are a great feature, but I just wanted to make sure you had the right information going into your decision. BTW, you probably will end up with two. I bought one when they first came out. When DH got interested in getting one, he borrowed mine so he could read a full book and see if it was to his liking. It only took him two days but I was in withdrawal. I don't think I could share.

06-03-2009, 01:00 PM	#17
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	If I lived somewhere that I couldn't use the Whispernet features of my Kindle, I would definitely look harder at the Sony and other devices. Without the wireless accessibility, the Kindle seems a little overpriced

06-03-2009, 01:15 PM	#20
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	You might want to look at this thread also regarding book prices.... https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48168 and really, either device is excellent. Remember one thing.......there is no "right or wrong" device out there......just the perfect one for you.

06-03-2009, 05:05 PM	#27
echoleaf Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 236 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Bebook, Cybook or eSlick?	@Ricky: The averaging was straightforward by column - total of prices in column/# books in column (not counting the empty spaces of course). I thought about going through and figuring out the Kindle+Non-drm-mobi or combo mobi/pdf but I can't spend that much time on it. Overall, the Mobi prices are higher than Kindle, so I don't think the non-drm-Mobi will make that much of a difference. But a reader than can do both Mobi & PDF might lead to better deals. And yes - people live in Costa Rica, with a significant population of expats, of which I am one. I work from home (building websites & online businesses) so we moved here to take advantage of cheaper living. I work less & spend more time with my family :-) @Alisa: I think we do still have access to our library system in the US, and afaik they're Mobi & PDF. It would be great to not have to spend money on a book - libraries are the #1 think we miss here as we used our local library a LOT in the US. I'm not as concerned about price as the only way for prices to go is down. Overall prices are better than I expected, and seem better than what I saw 5-6 months ago. I think it would take two of us longer to buy 80 books, pretty much due to the 2 kids being homeschooled + infant action we got going in our house ;-)

06-03-2009, 08:17 PM	#28
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	If you'd like to have a good comparison of the cost of books themselves, take a look at the thread USA Today's Summer Book List. I haven't updated it for the books released last week, but you can see a clear price advantage for the owner of a Kindle if you're buying just-released books. I own both a Kindle and a Sony reader. I've yet to find a book cheaper at Sony than at Amazon, though every once in a while, Fictionwise come up with a winning price -- though I only buy DRM-free books at Fictionwise. I paid just a bit more for my Kindle1 than for my Sony 505, but I've bought the majority of my books at Amazon.com. Of the 156 books I've bought at Amazon, 82 of them were free and 21 more were under $2.00. At Sony, I've only picked up the free books. I do buy multi-format books at Baen and Fictionwise and wish I had that option (with Amazon's prices) for every book I want. Short answer is that the hardware for both devices is good. I'm more comfortable holding & reading with the Kindle than the Sony -- but I think that's just because the page-turn buttons on the Sony are small and sort of stiff. Another person might dislike the Kindle because its buttons are large. I won't claim that the Kindle is pretty -- not even the K2 or DX -- but it is functional. I make a lot of use of the annotations and highlighting, which I can transfer to my PC. Though the Sony 700 supports highlighting and annotations, I believe that I read you can't export those to your PC. But my hubby bought me the lighted cover for my Sony reader so I make a point to load up a book on it when we're going to be in the car at night. Someone before me said that it's most important for you to get a reader you'll be happy with. For me, the first choice is my Kindle reader, but I do like my Sony and I will be buying another one sometime soon. (I'm a gadget junkie!)

06-03-2009, 10:08 PM	#29
echoleaf Connoisseur Posts: 69 Karma: 236 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Bebook, Cybook or eSlick?	I checked USA Today's summer book list and am frankly not interested in almost any of it. It makes more sense for me to look for books that I actually want or have read and try to determine things from them. I don't think my reading tastes fall into the mainstream a whole lot, so I may not have a clear advantage with Amazon, or perhaps with Sony. (I must admit having something against Sony since their ATRAC nonsense.) Hardware-wise, many Kindle owners like yourself are very happy with it. I'm hoping for the best since I'll have a very small window to return anything :-)

06-05-2009, 08:29 AM	#30
dabates Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Cedar Rapids Device: Kindle DX (still looking)	In my journey of trying to find my eReader (Eventually bought the DX) I found that I would have gotten the 505 if PDF support was the most important thing to me. I was able to try a 700 and a 505 with pdf's.. The 700 was nice.. but the contrast was too low.. I also found most placces I looked the 700 was going for 349-369.. Borders books (in the US) had it for 349. Ultimately I went with the DX because it had the larger screen, which I think will help with the PDF's. Ohh and the type of books I want to buy (Computer based books) are mostly cheaper..

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