Is the kindle 3 worth it?

[KainXS]

so I read alot of books and manga and when I read ebooks and whatnot I read from my pc(or just a book) but am looking to go digital to save some money, I have seen alot of review for the kindle but has anyone used it.

is it worth 100 bucks

[DannibusX]

Abolutely, yes. For reading traditional books, I've never attempted manga or anything like that.

[qubit]

Depends on how much the DRM bothers you. Amazon has been known to take books away from you long after you've bought them, due to licensing issues. I find this unacceptable, so I boycott the device.

I've played with the Kindle 2 and it was a nice device, so I think you'll like it.

EDIT

The electronic ink display is really nice to look at and looks nothing like an LCD display. It also takes a visible amount of time to transition from one display to another.

Re the DRM: I do buy loads of games on Steam, which is a similar type of DRM and they have the same type of control, but Valve have never pulled a game that someone's paid for, to my knowledge. If they started doing this, I'd be really pissed.

[Cold Storm]

Qubit is right on the factor of DRM.. But, in a issue of a few bucks here and there... I really don't see a issue on the factor. Reason being.. If you had the hard copy, you spent XX.XX or X.XX on the book.. Then you ether throw it away or even lose it.. So, you gotta then buy the item again.. So..

Who's to say you're the type that sells off the hard copies? There is the weight of the factor.. Is the kindle 3 a good item. Yes. Is there draw backs? yes.. But, with everything you buy, there is a draw back. Even if DRM is attached to it or not..

IMPO of the matter.. But, I do respect Qubit's views on it and just throwing out another..

[Kreij]

As a collector of books since I was about 11 years old, I prefer holding a bound hard copy in my hand and paging through the contents.
Enjoying the aroma of a good leather bound volume and being able to see my collection on the shelves in my library (and all over the house).
Being able to pull a book and showing someone the orginal cover art work in 3D (real life) and having the copy for as long as I want to keep it, or being able to sell it on the open market if I want to do so.
To be able to jot notes in the margins of books when something really impresses me, and to read the notes that people have written in old books they have owned who have done the same.
To see a handwritten note and signature by the author of the book to the person who originally bought it, and in some cases the handwritten notes for all the co-authors and illustrators or to see a family message from one family member to another when the book was passed down to the next generation.
To marvel at the original illustrated prints that were included between every chapter, not as a scanned image, but in the way they were originally meant to be seen by the reader.
To be able to lend the book to a young person who loves the genre to pass on the experience and joyfull immersion of reading real books.

But, hey, if you like the convenience of an electronic device for reading and storing hundreds of books, then yes, the Kindle 3 and other "book readers" are a worthy investment.

As always, Just the opinion of yer Old Uncle Kreij.

[Mussels]

can you import DRM free books onto the kindles? i've got a large EPUB collection of free stuff.

[qubit]

Originally Posted by Cold Storm

Qubit is right on the factor of DRM.. But, in a issue of a few bucks here and there... I really don't see a issue on the factor. Reason being.. If you had the hard copy, you spent XX.XX or X.XX on the book.. Then you ether throw it away or even lose it.. So, you gotta then buy the item again.. So..

Who's to say you're the type that sells off the hard copies? There is the weight of the factor.. Is the kindle 3 a good item. Yes. Is there draw backs? yes.. But, with everything you buy, there is a draw back. Even if DRM is attached to it or not..

IMPO of the matter.. But, I do respect Qubit's views on it and just throwing out another..

Damn, you're making sense again.

The space-saving aspect and having everything with you is of course an enormous game-changing benefit - the sort of thing only computers can bring. There's a few others too, like the annotation functions. I don't have a Kindle, so I'm not an expert in its operation to really do it justice. I only know from the 10 minutes I spent with one from a friend who has it, who showed me round it. It is very good, make no mistake.

@Kreij: Ahhh, holding a book in your hands and reading... the familiar blur of illegible text due to these 40-something myopic eyes. I'm still in denial, so refuse to get bifocals or reading glasses. For now.

[Batou1986]

I like the kindle ive tried out a buddies works great for reading manga i use the app on my phone to read allot of stuff

Originally Posted by Mussels

can you import DRM free books onto the kindles? i've got a large EPUB collection of free stuff.

calibre - E-book management is your friend it will convert anything to anything

ive used it for the kindle app for android ive converted allot of different formats with almost, no issue 1 book had margin issues which i was able to fix by playing with calibre's options.

i don't see why the actual kindle would be different

[Mussels]

Originally Posted by Batou1986

calibre - E-book management is your friend it will convert anything to anything

i use calibre for my iphone, so if that works on the kindle all is well.


i've been tempted to get one since they're selling the wifi models (not specified which model kindle in the ad) for ~$180 here now.

[Batou1986]

Originally Posted by Mussels

i use calibre for my iphone, so if that works on the kindle all is well.


i've been tempted to get one since they're selling the wifi models (not specified which model kindle in the ad) for ~$180 here now.

Just set it to convert to .mobi format for kindle

watch it some kindles are cheaper but they have built in advertizing crap

[qubit]

Originally Posted by Batou1986

watch it some kindles are cheaper but they have built in advertizing crap

No shit. I can just imagine annoying and distracting flashing animated ads while I'm trying to read. It's not that bad, is it?

[Batou1986]

"Special Offers - Special offers and sponsored screensavers display on the Kindle screensaver and on the bottom of the home screen—they don't interrupt reading "
Whats bad is the price difference is like 30 bucks, I bet someone on XDA already has something to block it.

[Mussels]

just block the ad server in your router (or dont let it go online :P)

[Cold Storm]

Originally Posted by qubit

Damn, you're making sense again.

The space-saving aspect and having everything with you is of course an enormous game-changing benefit - the sort of thing only computers can bring. There's a few others too, like the annotation functions. I don't have a Kindle, so I'm not an expert in its operation to really do it justice. I only know from the 10 minutes I spent with one from a friend who has it, who showed me round it. It is very good, make no mistake.

@Kreij: Ahhh, holding a book in your hands and reading... the familiar blur of illegible text due to these 40-something myopic eyes. I'm still in denial, so refuse to get bifocals or reading glasses. For now.

lol.. Not making sense, just making thought on your view of the factor.. Don't get me wrong on the Boycotting effect.. I haven't went to Burger King in 5y due to a woman needing to use a calculator to give me $5.25 back for my meal.. There is reasons behind everyone's madness. Even if it isn't madness that drives them to the factor.


I have quite a few kindle books. I love to read them on my phone when I have a long visit to the library.. But, I just don't see the need, for myself, to spend the money.. I'm not that high on the factor of "books" to need it.. Quite yet.

[Kreij]

I'm just going to add one more thing for any who will listen to my rambling.
Tech is great.
The advances in tech that we've seen in even the last 5 years is awesome and sometimes astounding.
That being said, tech is no substitute for reality.
Reading a book is better that reading it on the screen.
Sitting wth a friend or loved on a couch with a real photo album is better than doing it on a computer.
Talking with someone face to face is far superior to social online sites.

All the tech (as in reading books) is fine when you must have it in that form to make it possible (on a plane or whatever), but get off the computer, get out of the chair, get outside of the house and learn that reality is way more interesting and gratifying than anything virtual space can offer you.

Forgive me for adding personal thoughts to what would normally be a pure tech thread, but sometimes people need to be reminded of a few things.

Carry on.

[streetfighter 2]

Originally Posted by Kreij

Reading a book is better than reading it on the screen.

Sure, we can all agree to that . . . But --

I used to carry all my textbooks and reference material around with me on my laptop, actually I still do, and when I need to find something I can literally grep my books. I always found it amusing to see students use their textbook glossary/index; how old skool. Also I can open several pages from one textbook simultaneously, good luck doing that without a photocopier and/or ruining your binding.

I wish I could say that I read novels all the time, but the fact is I read technical specifications much more often. Once again, storing a few hundred tech docs on an ereader is better than hard copies. I even jot down digital notes, insert digital bookmarks and email important information while I'm reading, all of which can be searched/indexed later for quick reference.

My mom is getting old and she can't see so well anymore. The fact that she can't read regular books anymore has made her pretty depressed. Unfortunately it's not the type of vision loss that can be fixed with reading glasses. In a typical week she used to go through four or five novels (seriously ). The only solution I've found for her is an ereader that allows her to zoom in.

I haven't been endowed with a great deal of empathy or sentimentality, so much of what you mentioned is abstract to me. I'm more impressed with the utility of a book vs an ereader. Books don't need batteries and they work even if you drop them (or get drunk and fall to sleep on them). Also no one steals your book when you leave it next to your towel at the beach.

Back on subject . . . I see tons of people using kindle 3s on the train every morning. They sure seem to enjoy it.

[Mussels]

is it true that kindle batteries last for ages? as in, they dont go flat leaving them open on a page?

[DannibusX]

Originally Posted by Mussels

is it true that kindle batteries last for ages? as in, they dont go flat leaving them open on a page?

They last a week to week and half with out charging. The screensaver is just like a regular page, so there's no difference in power usage when reading and when sleeping.

[AsRock]

My mother uses the Kindle 2 and she just told me it's been great for her and batteries last weeks for her.

I must admit if i was a reader like my mother is i be happy with it my self too as they are very easy to read.

[Madmanden]

I have a Kindle 3 and it's been my best gadget purchase ever. I love it and can highly recommend it.

[KainXS]

I jumped on one

like it so far, and is pretty easy on the eyes


thanks people

[qubit]

Originally Posted by KainXS

I jumped on one

like it so far, and is pretty easy on the eyes
http://img.techpowerup.org/110902/0902111950a386.jpg

thanks people

You jumped on it? It must be made of very strong material.

Yeah, grats man. That screen is awesome, isn't it?

Now go buy some tech books and read them on it - 101 Overclocking Tips sounds like a good start.