Electronic Readers

[Sydneyb]

The debate on WSJ and NYT's reminded me I wanted to ask this question.

I just got the Sony Reader as a gift (it was an extra - who has TWO of everything?? This man does..) and am now reading the wsj and the nyt's on it daily. My electronic versions of both (not including my keeping the times sunday paper delivery) are just slightly more than my former wsj daily and weekend nyt's.

So in that sense, its a good deal; I like having it, its simpler to carry around and it uploads without any effort. It is also searchable, has a dictionary that simple to use and is easy to read.

However, the Sony Reader site kind of sucks. I was able to download a couple of books I'm reading (highly recommend War by Junger and The Gort Cloud - both are great reads), but couldn't download the sotheby's wine encylopedia - which would be amazing in searchable format - or many other books of interest. Its all James Patterson and crud like that. Is that the case with all readers right now? Is the content just not readily available?

So, I'm going to wait until the i-pad has a generation or two and invest in that. With the $25 wireless fee, it can be used anywhere, has internet access, music, just a better product, I think. What is the take from the Kindle/i-pad/nook and sony owners out there?

[oden]

I have a Kindle and am very happy with the exception it dose not have a backlight for reading at night. However, they have solved the glare problem and it is easy to use even in bright sunlight. They are partnered with Amazon and so far I have been very pleased with the selections available and the speed of the downloads.

I haven't used the subscription services but I know it is available. My only real gripe with the whole concept is the fact that I love to share a good read with friends and family and you can't loan a good book to someone.

[charlestudor2005]

I just ordered a Kindle. But I must have hit a surge after the price drop since it is taking Amazon about 2 months to get it to me. I had hoped to have it prior to vacation, but no such luck.

The only mag to which I subscribe in paper format (The Atlantic) is available from Amazon for a reasonable amount. Looking forward to it.

I had researched other ereaders, but nothing had the resources as the Kindle.

BTW, Amazon is about to release a new Kindle DX. Out of my price range, but looks really cool.

If you look really, really close beside the big pic, you'll see the thin pic.

[Sydneyb]

Hey - I read the Atlantic Monthly too! And Harpers and National Geographic and Yoga Journal and Laphams Quarterly (which is particularly awesome). None of which are available from the sony reader store. Darn it.

Okay. I jammed my finger a month ago (I fell out of bed - really) and its still swollen and hurts. I have nothing better to do tonight, I'm off to the 24 hr er. grrr. But I have my reader, so at least, there's that!

[charlestudor2005]

Originally Posted by Sydneyb

Okay. I jammed my finger a month ago (I fell out of bed - really)

Damn! It wasn't my bed.

[Tex9401]

Here is article that I came across recently.

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/amazon...33?tag=nl.e539

[Sydneyb]

Today's NYT's had this article in the Magazine regarding ipads. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/ma...ef=todayspaper

In a generation or two, its what I'm going to want, I've decieded.

[gamma]

Originally Posted by Sydneyb

Hey - I read the Atlantic Monthly too! And Harpers and National Geographic and Yoga Journal and Laphams Quarterly (which is particularly awesome). None of which are available from the sony reader store. Darn it.

Okay. I jammed my finger a month ago (I fell out of bed - really) and its still swollen and hurts. I have nothing better to do tonight, I'm off to the 24 hr er. grrr. But I have my reader, so at least, there's that!

I think Lapham's on an e-reader would really take away from the experience.

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by oden

. My only real gripe with the whole concept is the fact that I love to share a good read with friends and family and you can't loan a good book to someone.

I haven't delved into this yet. Not that I want to, but I predict I will within the next year or two.

One of my guilty pleasures is reading the latest best seller in print form on airplanes and then giving the book to one of the flight attendants when I finish. I have found that they are some of the most voracious readers of all.

That said I predict within a year or two most of them will have a reader of some sort themselves...

[oden]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

I haven't delved into this yet. Not that I want to, but I predict I will within the next year or two.

One of my guilty pleasures is reading the latest best seller in print form on airplanes and then giving the book to one of the flight attendants when I finish. I have found that they are some of the most voracious readers of all.

That said I predict within a year or two most of them will have a reader of some sort themselves...

The upside for you and the attendants is that if you finish a book while traveling you can download a new bestseller instantly and the reader is not bulky. The batteries are also very long lasting and recharge quickly. Admittedly, you can't put your name and number in the inside cover when handed to a pretty girl!

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by oden

The upside for you and the attendants is that if you finish a book while traveling you can download a new bestseller instantly and the reader is not bulky. The batteries are also very long lasting and recharge quickly. Admittedly, you can't put your name and number in the inside cover when handed to a pretty girl!

Forgive my ignorance on this technology but can I buy her (FA) the book (fast forward a year or so and we both have readers) instantly without a whole lot of logistical hassle (if she gave me her user name like oden or atlcomedy, not asking for her personal info)

or could I send my Mom (who would have a compatible reader) in Kansas the book, it be charged to my account, with a quick email note like, "I thought you migh enjoy this one"

I've never been a part of a formal book club but millions are. We all grew up in school sharing the experience of reading the same book and talking about it...

There is a very social element to reading...how are these e-readers responding to that today?

[Sydneyb]

Originally Posted by gamma

I think Lapham's on an e-reader would really take away from the experience.

Wow! a fellow explorer....I'm glad to see others like it too. I agree, I like the finality of having them lined up on a shelf for reference (its not a collection of more than 4 since i've only been subscribing for this year) I think I started subscribing when the quarterly started, so its pretty cool its catching on and others know about it.

2 sides to the thought: one: if I subscribed to the quarterly on an i-pad, its only valuable to me if I can highlight a section and send it via email to someone who would find it interesting - The ability to share information in a real time, useful and efficient way. .

I agree, if its only on a machine to be read alone, it loses its substance. Though maybe he should charge $50 bucks more and make it a hardcover. Later, the diehards can get it in leather, like encylopedia's. AND having it electronically. I agree that I like having a hard copy to pull out to expand on a conversation in the living room about travel, or the arts - or whatever subject is - and actually USING it as a reference tool about obscure things my background hadn't previously exposed me to.

So yeah. Both is good. Heavy discounts for hardcopy subscribers is the business model that I imagine would work - rewarding loyalty with a searchable database of interesting information. While the actual data is already available via wiki, etc, Lapham's wide knowledge base provides an eclectic grouping of writing on a single subject that exposures one to things they wouldn't thing of/know to search for.

As an aside: what does gamma actually mean? I understand its a number, its a letter. but I don't understand what the secret code of the name is?

Originally Posted by oden

Admittedly, you can't put your name and number in the inside cover when handed to a pretty girl!

No - but you can get her email address and if you actually like her you will use her address to send her a book before she leaves port, so to speak. A man who likes you beyond the moment of being in your presence is kind of nice (and by kind of, I mean super nice).

So are random acts of kindness, per ATL's intentions, I think. So ATL, your value proposition as it relates to a hard copy isn't lost on me. Still, send it electronically for a small fee, or people set up one-for-one trades on their readers.

At the very least, the ability to give at least once, a book you've purchased electronically would be a good middle ground perhaps?)

Edited to add:
yep ATL, you got to my point while I was trying to think straight and go around and around verbally! Talk about real time and efficiant...

[oden]

Originally Posted by atlcomedy

Forgive my ignorance on this technology but can I buy her (FA) the book (fast forward a year or so and we both have readers) instantly without a whole lot of logistical hassle (if she gave me her user name like oden or atlcomedy, not asking for her personal info)

or could I send my Mom (who would have a compatible reader) in Kansas the book, it be charged to my account, with a quick email note like, "I thought you migh enjoy this one"

I've never been a part of a formal book club but millions are. We all grew up in school sharing the experience of reading the same book and talking about it...

There is a very social element to reading...how are these e-readers responding to that today?

No,
Unless you have access to their Amazon password account you can't pass a book from one Kendell to another. However, since you can transfer an electronic book to your computer I am sure you can forward it to another computer, but I don't know if the second party could download it to their Kendell. I am sure some of the more technically save here have found a way.

I have tried calling to see if I could buy an electronic novel for someone that I knew had a Kendell but was told that I would have to buy a gift card. Just not the same for me. I want to give or share the book.

[Dharma]

The Nook has a list of 135 titles that are available for lending and can be loaned for two weeks. Unless you're in the same household. Then after some doing, you can read whatever another household member has. I have a nook but what I really want is the Que. It's an e-reader with a larger screen that's made more for business people.

http://www.que.com/

[atlcomedy]

Originally Posted by Sydneyb

So are random acts of kindness, per ATL's intentions, I think. So ATL, your value proposition as it relates to a hard copy isn't lost on me. Still, send it electronically for a small fee, or people set up one-for-one trades on their readers.

At the very least, the ability to give at least once, a book you've purchased electronically would be a good middle ground perhaps?)

Edited to add:
yep ATL, you got to my point while I was trying to think straight and go around and around verbally! Talk about real time and efficiant...

Again I really don't know the specifics on how they work now pricing wise.

I'd be more concerned with the cost of the content (or what it will be in 2 years) vs. the hardware cost. If you can rent an all-you-can-eat buffet for $9/month for all kinds of original content via netflix, etc what is a fair price for an e-book?

& Yeah it pretty much is a "Pay it Forward" proposition for me as far as gifting. The attendant is male as often as not and says, "Oh your reading the new Scott Turow? I loved the last one...."

What am I going to do...carry the thing around for the next couple of days (while I'm on my trip), throw it on a bookshelf for the next 10 years...give it to some charity in 10 years for their bookdrive?