Anyone tried an e-reader?

[JimC]

Just pre-ordered a Kindle 3. I'm quite the modern chap.

I hope your butler knows which buttons to push...

[amused]

The Kindle has about 70-80% of the commercial ebook market. It is Amazon, after all. I've read complaints that it doesn't use the ePub format which lets you 'borrow' public domain books from libraries like some of the other ereaders allow. Depending on her taste for books, that may be a factor.

[maiforpeace]

I personally haven't used an e-reader on a regular basis, but I did like reading books from Mobibooks on my small handheld when I was using it regularly. E-readers have become very popular with some of the old folks at the nursing home. Another great advantage of them according to some of the residents is they are light and easy to hold - a heavy book can get tiresome for an elderly person.

[leo-rcc]

A friend of mine used to lug up to 20 books around when she went to event with us. Now she has her Cybook and 150 books stored on it.

[Ayaan]

The Kindle has about 70-80% of the commercial ebook market. It is Amazon, after all. I've read complaints that it doesn't use the ePub format which lets you 'borrow' public domain books from libraries like some of the other ereaders allow. Depending on her taste for books, that may be a factor.

That was a factor in me choosing the Barnes & Noble Nook over the Kindle. Being in school, I don't have much spare time for reading, but once I finish, I plan on changing that. Plus the Nook lets you change the battery yourself - not really a day-to-day issue with the battery life being what it is - however, most of the others have to be sent back to the manufacturers when the battery wears out.

[FBM]

What would be the advantage of an e-reader over a netbook? I just bought a netbook, to be delivered tomorrow, because it has so many more options for pretty much the same price.

[pErvinalia]

I want to get an e-reader for the electronic ink thingo they have. I find looking at an LCD screen for too long gives me eye strain / headaches.

[Geoff]

What would be the advantage of an e-reader over a netbook? I just bought a netbook, to be delivered tomorrow, because it has so many more options for pretty much the same price.

My sister in law has both, she says her e-reader has a much longer battery life, though that may depend on the brand, of course.

[Coito ergo sum]

The Nook is good. I haven't used any others.

I like the ease of downloading from gutenberg.org and getting free reading material that way.

[Ayaan]

What would be the advantage of an e-reader over a netbook? I just bought a netbook, to be delivered tomorrow, because it has so many more options for pretty much the same price.

The biggest advantage is for people who don't like reading a computer screen for extended periods of time. E-ink causes less eye strain. Many e-readers can access the Internet, but only in a limited fashion.

[maiforpeace]

What would be the advantage of an e-reader over a netbook? I just bought a netbook, to be delivered tomorrow, because it has so many more options for pretty much the same price.

E-Readers weigh significantly less, making them very easy to hold for a long period of time.

The average price of a Netbook is at minimum $200 - $300...you can get a Kindle for $114.

[Coito ergo sum]

What would be the advantage of an e-reader over a netbook? I just bought a netbook, to be delivered tomorrow, because it has so many more options for pretty much the same price.

The screen. It looks like a book.

I also like that it's about the same size as a book.

I also like the simplicity - it's pretty much only for reading books, and it doesn't run programs or surf the web, and therefore will probably not slowly grind down and become slow and unresponsive over time.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Meh, I spend 30-40 minutes a day reading posts here without eye strain. And I edit a poo-poo load of books. Not blind yet.

If you want 1/3 of a netbook, by all means buy an e-reader. Of course, if you want to surf at Starbucks, you'll need to bring your laptop along anyway.

[Coito ergo sum]

Meh, I spend 30-40 minutes a day reading posts here without eye strain. And I edit a poo-poo load of books. Not blind yet.

If you want 1/3 of a netbook, by all means buy an e-reader. Of course, if you want to surf at Starbucks, you'll need to bring your laptop along anyway.

The e-ink Nook has Wi-Fi built in, so you can access the web if you need to. Although, it's a bit cumbersome to surf the web with the Nook.

It's not so much that the "strain" of a computer screen is too much, it's that the non-back-lit e-ink screen and lettering is more pleasant.

And if a Nook is 1/3 of a netbook, then it's priced about right. A Nook costs $99 (the new one that isn't out yet will cost $139), and by buying ebooks with it, a modest reader saves that amount in savings on the actual books in not too long. From what I can see, Netbooks cost $275 to $400.

The e-ink Nook is a little less cumbersome to carry around, as it is about the same size as a small hardback or a large paperback book, and you can stuff it in a carry-on bag easily.

The e-ink Nook is far easier to read than a backlit computer screen when at the beach. Some people like to bring the book to the beach, and I have found that reading the Nook there is quite pleasant.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Still buying 1/3 of a computer. If you want to do anything else, you then have to carry 1.333333 computers, and pay 1.3333333 times the cost. Not seeing the advantage here. But carry on, fan boys, carry on.