[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif I put in my iems, turn on the ipod, settle down with my kindle, and I'm good for hours anywhere...

Now you're talking! iPod, IEMs, Kindle and cell phone (there has to be a way to connect a cell phone into the other gizmos so that you don't miss any of those terribly unimportant calls - maybe with one of them there bluetooth doohickies). I guess with classical music as your preferred genre this iPod/Kindle combo would be a match made in heaven.

Quote:

I'll bet that in a few years, every text book will also be available in ebook format.

Ouch! Now you're hitting below the belt. I was with you about using an iPod with your Kindle. That's all good. But some of us rely on those gaggles of unknowing students who buy significantly more expensive (and rapidly obsolete) hard copies of their textbooks... to make our unearned income!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif No one expects Santa to load his own iPod. You're in the clear.

Wow! 1,498 posts. You're about to meet Diana Ross and the other Supremes in our secret hideaway place on Head-Fi. I'm watching history in the making!

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wmcmanus /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow! 1,498 posts. You're about to meet Diana Ross and the other Supremes in our secret hideaway place on Head-Fi. I'm watching history in the making!

You're not doing too bad yourself, Wayne. You're a few weeks away from the big 5th digit!

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif You're not doing too bad yourself, Wayne. You're a few weeks away from the big 5th digit!

It should be months away, but it seems like when I'm in Cayman I end up spending more time on Head-Fi. Especially now during rainy season. October has been particularly wet, windy and generally indoor'sy.

 

[Omega]

3 things hold me back from buying an e-book reader like the Sony PRS500 or Kindle: 1) it's electronic, 2) none can handle PDF articles particularly well, 3) it is expensive.

1) When information carrying capacity is an issue, I am usually traveling by airplane. Can't use electronics or wireless transmitters on an airplane. I can read my printed papers or book during takeoff and landing, no problem. Batteries can't run out, no DRM, content is always available.

2) For every leisure book or newspaper, I read 10+ scientific or trade journal articles. They are easily available in PDF format...but the Figures often carry the real information, and these Figures are too small to be usable at the aspect ratios of an e-book reader. This SHOULD BE the killer application for e-book readers! I'd love to search and index PDF's on the go, hyperlink to other articles, carry my library of papers to meetings and conferences, etc.

3) I can buy a lot of content, beer, headphones, or good will from my wife for the $400 it costs to get a decent e-book reader

. Expense itself isn't a roadblock...but I don't see the utility outweighing the cost, currently.

 

[yashicaman]

I'm intrigued by the Kindle. I kinda want one, but I know that I'll probably get over the novelty and go back to books. Hell, I'd probably drop it, pour coffee or beer or Scotch or tea or something on it, and then the dog will chew it up. I'll just stick to books, lots of books. But the Kindle is sure intriguing. I still kinda want one. Rats.

 

[reemixx]

I'd ditch physical books (well, the majority of them, not all) and move to e-books in a heart beat if the Kindle was available in Australia, with full functionality that the US gets. We don't even have an Australian Amazon store yet. No idea if we ever will. So, obviously the 'buy from Amazon' over WiFi feature wouldn't work here. Other e-readers are expensive in comparison, and don't have the ease-of-use factor that the Kindle seems to have.

The other problem is that there's no real standard when it comes to e-books yet, just a bunch of different formats that you can pick and choose. While having choice is good, a standard would allow easier moving between platforms, less confusion for consumers, and a higher adoption rate for e-books in general.

I think things are heading in the right direction, but going really slow, especially in Australia. I don't know of anyone who buys e-books regularly. I think something like the Kindle would be an absolute godsend for students who carry around a whole stack of text books. I wish we had these when I was in high school.

 

[Born2bwire]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maxvla /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wait a sec, this thing obviously hasn't passed the Head-fi evaluation. It has no vacuum tubes nor is there a DIY version!

There is a DIY kit. It involves pencil and paper...

 

[ZepFloyd]

is it just me...but i think it would suck to not have actual books. i mean a lot of stuff points to us going away from it. but i actually like having the book itself.

 

[philodox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm really flabbergasted by people who vehemently dislike these things. The kindle basically looks like it was assembled by N. Korea, sure, but I'd trade my modest Sony for it in a heartbeat. The EVDO makes it extremely accessible for guys like Wayne who don't want to bother loading music onto their own ipods, and text input could really be useful.

I'm sure Wayne can connect a USB cable and drag some files over... that's how all the other ones work. For what it's worth, and I'm not sure you were talking about me, I don't hate the Kindle. I just think it is ugly and am pissed that whisper net [EVDO] doesn't work outside of the US. I also think that the keyboard is a waste of space, but can see how some would use it.

Speaking of which, will whisper net work on the Islands?

EDIT: Nothing about ebook readers says that you can't still have a nice book collection at home.

EDIT2: Btw, this is the one I use: http://www.bookeen.com/ebook/ebook-reading-device.aspx

EDIT3: Cool, apparently the new firmware for the Cybook allows you to have fast panning in PDFs as well as a new zoom function.

 

[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox /img/forum/go_quote.gif For what it's worth, and I'm not sure you were talking about me, I don't hate the Kindle. I just think it is ugly and am pissed that whisper net [EVDO] doesn't work outside of the US. I also think that the keyboard is a waste of space, but can see how some would use it.

I wasn't talking about you, of course, but your concerns are valid and duly noted. Outside of the US it's not nearly as useful a device as it could be.

The keyboard is certainly monstrous, and I expect more elegant solutions to arise.

For those of us in the States, however, it remains a supremely useful device if you have need of any of its capabilities. I don't really, and my PRS treats me just fine, but I admit to just a little coveting. I am tired of explaining that it's not a kindle, though. I sympathize with the "anything but ipod" crowd.

 

[zotjen]

The Kindle is on my short list of toys I'm considering buying with my tax refund next year. My hesitations are that only eBooks from Amazon can be used on it and the limited selection available (at least based on my reading list).

Last week, Oprah gave the Kindle a huge endorsement on her show so it will be interesting to see if there is a boost in sales. Note that through Nov. 1, you can get $50 off the price by using discount code OPRAHWINFREY. The second gen of the Kindle is in the works so you might want to hold out though.

 

[Wmcmanus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by philodox /img/forum/go_quote.gif Speaking of which, will whisper net work on the Islands?

Works here in Cayman but we're pretty first world as compared to anywhere else in the Caribbean.

I'd probably use it much more when I'm in the States though. Planning to spend 3-5 months per year on the road in the motorhome where space comes at a premium, so it would be nice to have. I do like the feel of real books and when I'm here in Cayman, I read a lot at home.

 

[reemixx]

For those complaining about the ugliness factor of the Kindle, the 'Kindle 2' looks a lot nicer. A lot more streamlined and complete, IMO. Still not as nice looking as the Sony one, but if I'm not mistaken there's a bit of a price difference, so fair enough.

 

[philodox]

Better, but it still looks like crap when compared to the competition... and the size of the thing with its keyboard just makes no sense to me.

 

[Spad]

I've been involved with these things since the original RocketBook (which I still have) and have the Sony PRS-505 which, like the Kindle, has an excellent e-ink display. The long awaited Kindle 2 was released on February 24, and I must say it's a definite step forward for the whole ebook community. Kindles have only been on the scene for 14 months and they already account for ten percent of Amazon's book sales.

Books play an even bigger role in my world than music, so even though I like my Kindle 2, I still buy tons of pbooks as well. Some books simply don't lend themselves to the small ebook format--at least not yet.

It's a fantastic feeling to be reading a book review or watching BookTV, see something interesting, and have it in your hands in 60-seconds. Even at two in the morning any of 240,000+ Kindle volumes (including more than 7,000 freebies) is only a single minute away. And if you just want to browse, you can download the first chapter of anything in the catalog for free. So no more ordering books based solely on the opinions of others only to abandon them later. You simply can't appreciate the huge convenience the K2 offers until you've experienced it.

They're relatively expensive at $390 with the case, but for dedicated bibliophiles, they're worth every cent.