I turned my mother into an ebook hoarder!

ficbot · 11-14-2010, 12:35 PM

Mom is still enjoying her new Kobo. She is preparing for that grandest of all Canadian aspirations, the Winter in Florida, and has been bugging me to put some more stuff on the Kobo for her. Now that my sister has a Kindle, our pool of available items has widened considerably since big sis has a California library card (I have a Toronto and Philadelphia one already). So I said something to my mom about how if she really wants more books for Florida, she should speak to her tech-phobic Vancouver sister who certainly will not mind if we use HER library card. And we had the following conversation:

Mom: Why would we want her library card?

Me: Well, each library has its own ebook collection. So if we had her card, we could sign out ebooks from them.

Mom: Can't we get ebooks from our library?

Me: We can. But there library has different ones.

Mom: Oh! Let's do that then. I will speak to her about this.

Me: You realize, last time I had your Kobo, I put like 40 books on it.

Mom: So?

Me: So, it's not going to overwhelm you? Having like 100 books on there?

Mom: Well, you never know what you might want to read. I just like having them. All of them.

Me: Yeah. I have like 2000 ebooks, and Tammy [my sister] was teasing me and she's like 'you'll never read them all'

Mom: Well, never is a long time. You never know. It's better to have them just in case.

Me: That's what I said! I mean, it's not like they're cluttering up my apartment. They don't take up any space.

Mom: Exactly. And you know, you just never know what you might be in the mood for. You'd better just have them all handy...

Ha! I have turned my mother into an ebook hoarder. Next step: teaching her how to load the books herself. It's REALLY not that hard...

elizilla · 11-14-2010, 12:49 PM

I bought my mother a Kindle for Christmas last year. She was boggled by it, and my father was critical because she might (gasp) spend money at the Kindle store. But she called me a few weeks later - some of the other retired ladies in their condo complex were oohing and aahing; they had heard about them and it had to be handed around for everyone to play with, and it caused a bit of a stir. My mom now calls me once in a while to tell me she has downloaded another book. I suspect if she were using it as much as I'd like, she would have gotten over calling me to share her accomplishment each time. But at least she is using it a little.

I suppose I could take control of it and put a large number of free things on it, but I'd like to let her manage it, if she just would.

Maybe I should get one for my dad. He's a magazines and newspapers kind of guy, and he resists his reading glasses if he can, so perhaps he should have one of the large screen ones. Probably better to stay with Kindle since that way they'd have the same platform. If they both have them they might both use them more.

Sweetpea · 11-14-2010, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Ha! I have turned my mother into an ebook hoarder. Next step: teaching her how to load the books herself. It's REALLY not that hard...

Sounds like my mother!

But I did teach her how to load the books on her Sony. I even had her install Calibre!

ficbot · 11-14-2010, 02:13 PM

Yeah, I installed Calibre for my mother too. She won't touch it. The last conversation we had about this began with 'So, I hear there is a new Daniel Silva out. How would that work, exactly?' And it ended with me buying the book for her and installing it on the Kobo myself. I tried to explain how easy it was, but she wouldn't listen

Sweetpea · 11-14-2010, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Yeah, I installed Calibre for my mother too. She won't touch it. The last conversation we had about this began with 'So, I hear there is a new Daniel Silva out. How would that work, exactly?' And it ended with me buying the book for her and installing it on the Kobo myself. I tried to explain how easy it was, but she wouldn't listen

Well, my mother has to be self-sufficient... She lives 1500km away (and 3 countries

)

I did buy the Sony so I could be of better help though (I found out, it's easier to help somebody if you know what you're talking about...)

SensualPoet · 11-14-2010, 03:34 PM

If you have access to a library with a "decent" collection of ebooks -- like the Toronto Public Library -- and a Kobo with easy access to kobobooks.com (which, in the main, means you also have a computer handy with the kobo PC app loaded), then there is no need to "hoard" books because there will always be an ever-changing, relatively inexpensive resource to choose recent books from.

If you add to that a couple of other sources like manybooks.net or gutenberg (.org, .ca, .net.au) of public domain material, there's no need for "hoarding", ever.

This is a gigantic step forward from just a couple of years ago where a vacation required some advance planning for "books to take" or grabbing something last minute at the airport or, worse, relying on finding something at Walgreens ....

Nexutix · 11-14-2010, 07:42 PM

Same case with mine too. My teaching started from loading ebooks, getting Wikipedia articles and any other online articles in bunch from Instapaper, upto resetting and if nedded, reflashing the firmware. She is addict now!

luvshihtzu · 11-15-2010, 02:48 AM

A little bit different here. I am a grandmother trying to teach my daughter and the teen grandchildren to download Overdrive Library eBooks to the Sony readers I just sent them as early Christmas and Birthday presents. Am trying to do this long distance. They don't buy books so I have to get library cards and try to get them interested. For a family that likes to read this is like pulling teeth.

I also provide books for my husbands friend who we talked into getting a Kindle. Every time I see a new free one available in the Kindle Store I email the link to the friend. Keeps me busy. Now he gripes every time he has to actually pay for a book or heaven forbid to buy a book plus pay tax on it.

patrickt · 11-15-2010, 05:59 AM

I had to laugh about the winter in Florida. I visit my sister when she's wintering in Huatulco, Mexico, and Huatulco is packed with Canadians. They seem to cluster and I have to assume it's because of word of mouth. Where I live in Mexico we get mostly Canadians from Vancouver and British Columbia. In Huatulco it's mostly the plains provinces: Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. It will be interesting to see if any have ereaders this year. To be honest, they tend to spend a lot more time drinking than they do reading.

Latinandgreek · 11-15-2010, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

Now that my sister has a Kindle, our pool of available items has widened considerably since big sis has a California library card (I have a Toronto and Philadelphia one already). So I said something to my mom about how if she really wants more books for Florida, she should speak to her tech-phobic Vancouver sister who certainly will not mind if we use HER library card.

The Mississauga library has ebooks now, too, so that's an option as well.

Kevin2960 · 11-15-2010, 07:12 AM

Does Mom have YOUR credit card details for BUYING books ????

Sweetpea · 11-15-2010, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin2960

Does Mom have YOUR credit card details for BUYING books ????

That wouldn't be smart, would it? I'm already wary because my husband's Kindle is connected to my account and my credit card is connected to the one-click...

(but, I do have his credit card on file as well, so, if he does make use of mine, there are plenty of things I'd love to buy with his!)

darknessangel · 11-15-2010, 10:19 AM

No, no, no... Next step is showing her that you can get books from the internet! THEN her path to the dark side will be complete!

ficbot · 11-15-2010, 10:24 AM

No, she is not using my credit card to buy the books. I am using my own credit card to do it

Dark123 · 11-15-2010, 11:20 AM

I am becoming a eBook hoarder as well. I've got like 10 eBooks on there which still need to be read.

11-14-2010, 12:35 PM	#1
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I turned my mother into an ebook hoarder! Mom is still enjoying her new Kobo. She is preparing for that grandest of all Canadian aspirations, the Winter in Florida, and has been bugging me to put some more stuff on the Kobo for her. Now that my sister has a Kindle, our pool of available items has widened considerably since big sis has a California library card (I have a Toronto and Philadelphia one already). So I said something to my mom about how if she really wants more books for Florida, she should speak to her tech-phobic Vancouver sister who certainly will not mind if we use HER library card. And we had the following conversation: Mom: Why would we want her library card? Me: Well, each library has its own ebook collection. So if we had her card, we could sign out ebooks from them. Mom: Can't we get ebooks from our library? Me: We can. But there library has different ones. Mom: Oh! Let's do that then. I will speak to her about this. Me: You realize, last time I had your Kobo, I put like 40 books on it. Mom: So? Me: So, it's not going to overwhelm you? Having like 100 books on there? Mom: Well, you never know what you might want to read. I just like having them. All of them. Me: Yeah. I have like 2000 ebooks, and Tammy [my sister] was teasing me and she's like 'you'll never read them all' Mom: Well, never is a long time. You never know. It's better to have them just in case. Me: That's what I said! I mean, it's not like they're cluttering up my apartment. They don't take up any space. Mom: Exactly. And you know, you just never know what you might be in the mood for. You'd better just have them all handy... Ha! I have turned my mother into an ebook hoarder. Next step: teaching her how to load the books herself. It's REALLY not that hard...

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11-14-2010, 12:49 PM	#2
elizilla Addict Posts: 271 Karma: 610286 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Michigan, USA Device: Kobo Elipsa, Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Sage, others	I bought my mother a Kindle for Christmas last year. She was boggled by it, and my father was critical because she might (gasp) spend money at the Kindle store. But she called me a few weeks later - some of the other retired ladies in their condo complex were oohing and aahing; they had heard about them and it had to be handed around for everyone to play with, and it caused a bit of a stir. My mom now calls me once in a while to tell me she has downloaded another book. I suspect if she were using it as much as I'd like, she would have gotten over calling me to share her accomplishment each time. But at least she is using it a little. I suppose I could take control of it and put a large number of free things on it, but I'd like to let her manage it, if she just would. Maybe I should get one for my dad. He's a magazines and newspapers kind of guy, and he resists his reading glasses if he can, so perhaps he should have one of the large screen ones. Probably better to stay with Kindle since that way they'd have the same platform. If they both have them they might both use them more.

11-14-2010, 02:13 PM	#4
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Yeah, I installed Calibre for my mother too. She won't touch it. The last conversation we had about this began with 'So, I hear there is a new Daniel Silva out. How would that work, exactly?' And it ended with me buying the book for her and installing it on the Kobo myself. I tried to explain how easy it was, but she wouldn't listen

11-14-2010, 03:34 PM	#6
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	If you have access to a library with a "decent" collection of ebooks -- like the Toronto Public Library -- and a Kobo with easy access to kobobooks.com (which, in the main, means you also have a computer handy with the kobo PC app loaded), then there is no need to "hoard" books because there will always be an ever-changing, relatively inexpensive resource to choose recent books from. If you add to that a couple of other sources like manybooks.net or gutenberg (.org, .ca, .net.au) of public domain material, there's no need for "hoarding", ever. This is a gigantic step forward from just a couple of years ago where a vacation required some advance planning for "books to take" or grabbing something last minute at the airport or, worse, relying on finding something at Walgreens ....

11-14-2010, 07:42 PM	#7
Nexutix Reading and reading Posts: 582 Karma: 8250144 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Infibeam Pi, iPod Touch 4G, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, Oneplus One	Same case with mine too. My teaching started from loading ebooks, getting Wikipedia articles and any other online articles in bunch from Instapaper, upto resetting and if nedded, reflashing the firmware. She is addict now!

11-15-2010, 02:48 AM	#8
luvshihtzu Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 39390 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Tucson, Arizona Device: Kindle DX Graphite, Sony 950 and iPad	A little bit different here. I am a grandmother trying to teach my daughter and the teen grandchildren to download Overdrive Library eBooks to the Sony readers I just sent them as early Christmas and Birthday presents. Am trying to do this long distance. They don't buy books so I have to get library cards and try to get them interested. For a family that likes to read this is like pulling teeth. I also provide books for my husbands friend who we talked into getting a Kindle. Every time I see a new free one available in the Kindle Store I email the link to the friend. Keeps me busy. Now he gripes every time he has to actually pay for a book or heaven forbid to buy a book plus pay tax on it.

11-15-2010, 05:59 AM	#9
patrickt Wizard Posts: 1,221 Karma: 8381518 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Device: Paperwhite 4 X 2	I had to laugh about the winter in Florida. I visit my sister when she's wintering in Huatulco, Mexico, and Huatulco is packed with Canadians. They seem to cluster and I have to assume it's because of word of mouth. Where I live in Mexico we get mostly Canadians from Vancouver and British Columbia. In Huatulco it's mostly the plains provinces: Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. It will be interesting to see if any have ereaders this year. To be honest, they tend to spend a lot more time drinking than they do reading.

11-15-2010, 07:12 AM	#11
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 974 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	Does Mom have YOUR credit card details for BUYING books ????

11-15-2010, 10:19 AM	#13
darknessangel Addict Posts: 297 Karma: 1018140 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: PRS-505, iPad	No, no, no... Next step is showing her that you can get books from the internet! THEN her path to the dark side will be complete!

11-15-2010, 10:24 AM	#14
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	No, she is not using my credit card to buy the books. I am using my own credit card to do it

11-15-2010, 11:20 AM	#15
Dark123 Zealot Posts: 112 Karma: 105 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	I am becoming a eBook hoarder as well. I've got like 10 eBooks on there which still need to be read.

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