Saturday, August 06, 2011
Kindles and such
Well, our two Kindles did arrive on Wednesday July 27th and we got them up and going right away. We ordered them from Amazon.com and when you do that, they arrive already setup linked to your Amazon account, registered and with the email address all setup. We got the dual connect versions that can connect by WiFi or a cell phone connection, so as soon as we turned them on they downloaded the books we had already bought from Amazon.
I really like it. The screen is good and clear with a newer version of e-ink screen called E-Ink Pearl. It seems to be better than the screen on my Sony E-Readers but the newest one of mine is now a couple of years old. And it is very light in weight! Very thin but easy to hold. We at first thought they had shorted us on the USB cord that was supposed to be in the package to connect to the computer, but the power cord to plug into the wall is actually a USB cord with an adapter on the big (computer) end- when you pull it off, what you have left is a USB cord although the device end is a smaller size plug than some of the mini-USB cords that I have for other devices.
It will also charge from a powered USB port on your computer and you can move compatible files from the computer to the Kindle by dragging and dropping them into the proper folder on the Kindle- Books, Music or Video. I had downloaded my earlier books from Fictionwise in .MOBI format that the Kindle will read, so I moved them and they are there and readable. I have also moved a few .MP3 music files but haven't yet tried listening to them. They tend to be a lot larger than books so will reduce how many books you can have on your device if you have many of them. I don't know anything about the video files, what is compatible, etc. The screen is monochrome- no color- so photos, video, etc. wouldn't look as good as it would on a computer or tablet with a back-lit LCD screen, but it is easier on the eyes which would be important for long reading sessions.
After we ordered the M-Edge book covers I was notified that my blue one had shipped but it would be 1 to 3 months before Pat's purple one came. I did a chat linkup with Amazon.com to ask about the missing one and connected to a very helpful person. We cancelled the order for the purple one, Pat picked out a mocha colored one that was in stock, so I ordered it and the helpful person said they would have it shipped by 2-day service at no charge to us as they had been ordered with free shipping offered for orders over $25.00. Pat's came last Saturday, mine on Tuesday and they are great ($35 each.) There is an easy to use light available that goes with the book cover for $20 but they are currently out of stock.
We are enjoying them. I started right away reading "The Girl Who Kicked A Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson, the third and final book in that series and have finished it. It was just as good as the first two that I read in paperback editions. I wish there were to be more but the author died of a heart attack shortly after sending the original manuscripts to the publisher in 2004. If you want a good read, go get this series and if you want to get an e-book reader, I think you will like the Kindle.
I really like it. The screen is good and clear with a newer version of e-ink screen called E-Ink Pearl. It seems to be better than the screen on my Sony E-Readers but the newest one of mine is now a couple of years old. And it is very light in weight! Very thin but easy to hold. We at first thought they had shorted us on the USB cord that was supposed to be in the package to connect to the computer, but the power cord to plug into the wall is actually a USB cord with an adapter on the big (computer) end- when you pull it off, what you have left is a USB cord although the device end is a smaller size plug than some of the mini-USB cords that I have for other devices.
It will also charge from a powered USB port on your computer and you can move compatible files from the computer to the Kindle by dragging and dropping them into the proper folder on the Kindle- Books, Music or Video. I had downloaded my earlier books from Fictionwise in .MOBI format that the Kindle will read, so I moved them and they are there and readable. I have also moved a few .MP3 music files but haven't yet tried listening to them. They tend to be a lot larger than books so will reduce how many books you can have on your device if you have many of them. I don't know anything about the video files, what is compatible, etc. The screen is monochrome- no color- so photos, video, etc. wouldn't look as good as it would on a computer or tablet with a back-lit LCD screen, but it is easier on the eyes which would be important for long reading sessions.
After we ordered the M-Edge book covers I was notified that my blue one had shipped but it would be 1 to 3 months before Pat's purple one came. I did a chat linkup with Amazon.com to ask about the missing one and connected to a very helpful person. We cancelled the order for the purple one, Pat picked out a mocha colored one that was in stock, so I ordered it and the helpful person said they would have it shipped by 2-day service at no charge to us as they had been ordered with free shipping offered for orders over $25.00. Pat's came last Saturday, mine on Tuesday and they are great ($35 each.) There is an easy to use light available that goes with the book cover for $20 but they are currently out of stock.
We are enjoying them. I started right away reading "The Girl Who Kicked A Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson, the third and final book in that series and have finished it. It was just as good as the first two that I read in paperback editions. I wish there were to be more but the author died of a heart attack shortly after sending the original manuscripts to the publisher in 2004. If you want a good read, go get this series and if you want to get an e-book reader, I think you will like the Kindle.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
eBook Readers
I just last week ordered my first Amazon Kindle ebook reader. I've had Sony Readers for a few years and bought my first of them about the time the first Kindle (the one I have coming is the Kindle 3, new this spring) came out. I decided on the Sony then mainly because my brother had one he had been using for a year or so and could give me guidance on using it. The Sony is a good system but I think the Kindle is becoming the 800 pound gorilla in the ebook arena so I finally decided to join their ranks. I ordered it a week ago tomorrow (Wed July 20) and hoped they would ship out of Seattle as I'd get it right away, but instead it was shipped Fri from Kentucky. It arrived in Kent, WA yesterday via FedEx but they transfer it to US Mail which was done this morning. It think (hope) it will arrive tomorrow.
I've already bought some books from Amazon for it's format that are on the Amazon.com site and I will be able to download them right away when it arrives. I decided to pay the piper and buy the third in the series of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" which I had been holding out for the paperback version due out this fall. It was $12.99 from Amazon in Kindle format vs something like $28 as a regular hardback book. I've read the first two in this series and really look forward to this final installment. I'd love to read more as it is a fascinating series but the author, a Swedish gentleman, died from a heart attack shortly after he sent the manuscripts for the first three stories to a publisher, I think in 2004, so there won't be any more in the series.
Many of the books that I had bought for the Sony were from a source called Fictionwise.com which is now owned by Barnes & Noble. I had bought those books in their Multi Format category, which means they can be downloaded in different formats to fit different ereaders. For the Sony, I used .epub but .mobi is also available and that is a format the Kindle can read, so I've downloaded those in .mobi format and they are sitting on my computer hard drive, ready to move to the Kindle after it arrives.
Amazon also has Kindle reading software that can be downloaded for computers, laptops, tablets and even smart phones, so these books can be taken with you almost wherever you go. Amazon says the Kindle will hold about 3500 books in its memory and you can move them on and off the device as you read them, so it really is virtually unlimited. You can also create collections so that you have, say, all your mysteries in one collection, making them easier to sort and find.
Needless to say, I am hyped up waiting for this new toy to arrive and looking forward to playing with it. I just hope the date Amazon told me for shipping the book cover I've ordered isn't right. They said between Aug 31 and Oct 31. That is a long time to wait, although I sure can use the device in the meantime but will just have to be extra careful with it. Pat liked the idea so well that she also ordered a Kindle the day after I did and hers seems to be arriving at the same time. Her book cover will be purple, mine blue, whenever they come.
I've already bought some books from Amazon for it's format that are on the Amazon.com site and I will be able to download them right away when it arrives. I decided to pay the piper and buy the third in the series of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" which I had been holding out for the paperback version due out this fall. It was $12.99 from Amazon in Kindle format vs something like $28 as a regular hardback book. I've read the first two in this series and really look forward to this final installment. I'd love to read more as it is a fascinating series but the author, a Swedish gentleman, died from a heart attack shortly after he sent the manuscripts for the first three stories to a publisher, I think in 2004, so there won't be any more in the series.
Many of the books that I had bought for the Sony were from a source called Fictionwise.com which is now owned by Barnes & Noble. I had bought those books in their Multi Format category, which means they can be downloaded in different formats to fit different ereaders. For the Sony, I used .epub but .mobi is also available and that is a format the Kindle can read, so I've downloaded those in .mobi format and they are sitting on my computer hard drive, ready to move to the Kindle after it arrives.
Amazon also has Kindle reading software that can be downloaded for computers, laptops, tablets and even smart phones, so these books can be taken with you almost wherever you go. Amazon says the Kindle will hold about 3500 books in its memory and you can move them on and off the device as you read them, so it really is virtually unlimited. You can also create collections so that you have, say, all your mysteries in one collection, making them easier to sort and find.
Needless to say, I am hyped up waiting for this new toy to arrive and looking forward to playing with it. I just hope the date Amazon told me for shipping the book cover I've ordered isn't right. They said between Aug 31 and Oct 31. That is a long time to wait, although I sure can use the device in the meantime but will just have to be extra careful with it. Pat liked the idea so well that she also ordered a Kindle the day after I did and hers seems to be arriving at the same time. Her book cover will be purple, mine blue, whenever they come.
Labels: Books, Computers, eBooks, Internet, Software
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I joined the 21st century
My brother has used an ebook reader for some years. I love to read and in fact probably have nearly half of the storage unit I still rent full of books, but I recently decided that it was time to join the 21st century. I bought one of these:
This is a Sony PRS-505 eBook Reader. I debated over this VS the Kindle from Amazon.com but in the end I thought this one would work better for me. The Kindle requires the user to only download books from Amazon.com and while I like their service and am even a stock holder in the company, I think I'd rather be able to have the options that this reader gives me.
I picked one in what they call blue color but it is very dark, pretty much a Navy blue color. I know it is easier to look at photos that are against a dark background and figured the page of the book would work the same way. It does seem to.
Here is the main menu and as you can see, I currently have 105 books loaded. It says that it can hold about 160 books but that depends on the size of each book. I can also use either an SD or Sony Memory Stick memory card to expand that considerably. In fact, I was able to buy a bunch of 2gb SD cards from Costco for only $5 each so am well set for quite awhile.
Here is a photo of the reader beside a standard pocket book so you can get a feel for its size. Its page size is just slightly smaller than the paper book but I have the option to select from three different text sizes. I've found that I generally like the mid-size one best. By the way, the paper book shown here is a great read and the author has half a dozen or so published with this character. They are set in New Mexico.
The text shown here is in that mid-size option. The screen is what is called ePaper and very easy on the eyes to read. It's much easier to use than a back-lit computer monitor screen and is even easy to see in bright sunlight. The battery is good for something like 5500 page turns before recharging and anytime you have it hooked to your computer, via USB port, it is charging those batteries. The USB port is also the way I download books to it. There is no built in light but Sony makes a cover that includes a lighted wedge that I bought and it works great. In addition to the USB connection charge I have chargers that plug into the wall (AC power) and one that connects to the 12v outlet ("cigar lighter") in vehicles, so we can recharge it from our solar panels in the motorhome. The list price is $300 but I bought mine online at about a 10% discount for $270. Amazon just lowered their Kindle price to that same $300 but you won't find it discounted any lower as they are the only source to buy one from, except perhaps on eBay.
There are many places where eBooks are available to download for this device. Sony has a store of their own and I've bought some there. Barnes & Noble owns Fictionwise which has many thousands of books, many of which are free. I do have to be careful to not download copy protected books that are not in one of the two protected file formats that I can use but there are a lot of unprotected formats including plain text and PDF files. The screen of the reader is not in color so photos are rendered as black & white and not real detailed, but it can be used that way. Many eBooks have covers that are from the printed versions and they look okay.
Any book that was published before 1923 is no longer protected by copyrite and many of these have been digitized and are available to download from many different sources. Google has over 500,000. Many of these are some of the real classics. For example, I have Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The War of the Worlds plus others. I have bought a few new books. I am a real fan of books by Nelson DeMille and have read all but his latest which is still only available in hard back format. But it is also available from Sony as an eBook for $11.99, less than half the price of the hard back. I recently borrowed a book from a friend that I really enjoyed ("The Unforgettable Minute") and I found it from Sony for the same $11.99 price. They download in just seconds, even these full current books. Mysteries are my favorite genre and as you'd guess that is where I have the most books, currently 33.
Many authors are now publishing only in eBook format. It saves trees, is less costly as there are no books to print and I understand that authors actually get to keep a higher percentage of the cost of eBooks than they do from standard publishers. That sort of sounds like a win-win kind of thing to me.
If you have any questions that I might be able to answer, go ahead and ask. I am far from an expert but I am enjoying this device. It is a great way to be able to take a lot of reading material along on a trip in a very small space!
This is a Sony PRS-505 eBook Reader. I debated over this VS the Kindle from Amazon.com but in the end I thought this one would work better for me. The Kindle requires the user to only download books from Amazon.com and while I like their service and am even a stock holder in the company, I think I'd rather be able to have the options that this reader gives me.
I picked one in what they call blue color but it is very dark, pretty much a Navy blue color. I know it is easier to look at photos that are against a dark background and figured the page of the book would work the same way. It does seem to.
Here is the main menu and as you can see, I currently have 105 books loaded. It says that it can hold about 160 books but that depends on the size of each book. I can also use either an SD or Sony Memory Stick memory card to expand that considerably. In fact, I was able to buy a bunch of 2gb SD cards from Costco for only $5 each so am well set for quite awhile.
Here is a photo of the reader beside a standard pocket book so you can get a feel for its size. Its page size is just slightly smaller than the paper book but I have the option to select from three different text sizes. I've found that I generally like the mid-size one best. By the way, the paper book shown here is a great read and the author has half a dozen or so published with this character. They are set in New Mexico.
The text shown here is in that mid-size option. The screen is what is called ePaper and very easy on the eyes to read. It's much easier to use than a back-lit computer monitor screen and is even easy to see in bright sunlight. The battery is good for something like 5500 page turns before recharging and anytime you have it hooked to your computer, via USB port, it is charging those batteries. The USB port is also the way I download books to it. There is no built in light but Sony makes a cover that includes a lighted wedge that I bought and it works great. In addition to the USB connection charge I have chargers that plug into the wall (AC power) and one that connects to the 12v outlet ("cigar lighter") in vehicles, so we can recharge it from our solar panels in the motorhome. The list price is $300 but I bought mine online at about a 10% discount for $270. Amazon just lowered their Kindle price to that same $300 but you won't find it discounted any lower as they are the only source to buy one from, except perhaps on eBay.
There are many places where eBooks are available to download for this device. Sony has a store of their own and I've bought some there. Barnes & Noble owns Fictionwise which has many thousands of books, many of which are free. I do have to be careful to not download copy protected books that are not in one of the two protected file formats that I can use but there are a lot of unprotected formats including plain text and PDF files. The screen of the reader is not in color so photos are rendered as black & white and not real detailed, but it can be used that way. Many eBooks have covers that are from the printed versions and they look okay.
Any book that was published before 1923 is no longer protected by copyrite and many of these have been digitized and are available to download from many different sources. Google has over 500,000. Many of these are some of the real classics. For example, I have Tom Sawyer, Gulliver's Travels, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The War of the Worlds plus others. I have bought a few new books. I am a real fan of books by Nelson DeMille and have read all but his latest which is still only available in hard back format. But it is also available from Sony as an eBook for $11.99, less than half the price of the hard back. I recently borrowed a book from a friend that I really enjoyed ("The Unforgettable Minute") and I found it from Sony for the same $11.99 price. They download in just seconds, even these full current books. Mysteries are my favorite genre and as you'd guess that is where I have the most books, currently 33.
Many authors are now publishing only in eBook format. It saves trees, is less costly as there are no books to print and I understand that authors actually get to keep a higher percentage of the cost of eBooks than they do from standard publishers. That sort of sounds like a win-win kind of thing to me.
If you have any questions that I might be able to answer, go ahead and ask. I am far from an expert but I am enjoying this device. It is a great way to be able to take a lot of reading material along on a trip in a very small space!
Labels: Books, Entertainment, Internet, Photos
