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View Full Version : E-book readers: Can someone fill me in?



Usarka
24th July 2011, 10:46
I found a dirty scab that someone decided to leave sandwiched between the pages of a library book that I'm reading so am thinking of preserving my Hep-A free status and looking at an e-reader.

Any info or advice What's a good one, which ones can we get in NZ, where do you buy books, where's the best selection & price for books, can i get free books etc.

Probably not after anything super flash - good reading quality is the most important feature followed by cost and availability of books.

HenryDorsetCase
24th July 2011, 11:08
I found a dirty scab that someone decided to leave sandwiched between the pages of a library book that I'm reading so am thinking of preserving my Hep-A free status and looking at an e-reader.

Any info or advice What's a good one, which ones can we get in NZ, where do you buy books, where's the best selection & price for books, can i get free books etc.

Probably not after anything super flash - good reading quality is the most important feature followed by cost and availability of books.

you can try them at Borders and Whitcoulls (same co of course)

I dont like them: they are too small and I sort of have to squint a bit to read them.

I have thought about trying a tablet computer. decent size, and it would make the inevitable demise of print magazines easier to deal with.

Usarka
24th July 2011, 11:18
Yeah I can see the appeal in a tablet except for cost and portability. I often chuck a book in the backpac and chill out waiting for a bus, having a coffee, waiting 30 mins for a GP etc.

Are e-books brand specific or do they work on all readers (including tablets)?

Usarka
24th July 2011, 12:34
I've just been looking online for books on my bookshelf and come to the conclusion that getting an ebook reader is a dumb idea.

Of the six random books I chose off my bookshelf, I only found 2 available on line. One of them would cost $16.99 while the real version is $21.99.

I'd might as well buy a real book that's actually available and that I can keep, see, lend, burn, eat, wipe arse with etc.


Or am i missing something......

Big Dave
24th July 2011, 12:39
Or am i missing something......

Yes. <tenchars> </tenchars>

Usarka
24th July 2011, 13:02
Yes. <tenchars> </tenchars>

Share bro.

I can understand making use of a device like an iPad if you already have one or if you're going to use it for other things. But after my brief research this morning I can't see any cost/benefit analysis coming out in favour of purchasing an ebook reader for the primary purpose of reading books.

Latte
24th July 2011, 13:04
I find it harder to read books via the ipad. The type/font/size etc all seem the same , or close enough, but I just find myself not being able to "get into" the book, I have to actively "think" about the mechanics of reading (word, line etc). Where with a real book I forget I'm reading and the page turning etc is all subconscious.

Might be just time to get used to it, the Mrs has taken to it and can churn out books just as quick as the real thing, but it's taking a lot longer for me.

The ipad tries to give it a book feel, you actively turn the page (swipe the screen, the page looks like it flick over to the next etc). I have tried others that are more basic, and they are worse to use as it feels like reading a book in notepad.

YMMV

geoffc
24th July 2011, 13:26
If you want a e-reader I would highly recommend the Kindle from Amazon.com. My wife wanted access to e-books & laptops or even ipads are not as easy on the eye to read as e-ink technology that the Kindle has. So I purchased the wifi version of Kindle not the 3G one. My wife loves it. Recommend leather cover with light when you buy it. Good extra.
You can load up to 3500 books at any one time on your Kindle. E-books are a lot cheaper than paper backs & you have about 750000 titles available to choose from.
Many titles are free, heaps are only $1.
The Kindle arrived from Amazon (USA) to my front door 4 days after I bought it! So quickly, amazing really. They cost $139 US so with our dollar so strong they are not too bad pricewise.
You can alter the print size, lots of other features too. Send me a message if you want more info. Cheers

Spuds1234
24th July 2011, 13:36
There are lots of books online if you know where to look. Some will need converting from a format that is incompatible with the device you buy to a format that the device can read. And there is software out there that does this.

So dont let the cost of e-books be a problem because with a little bit of pissing about your away laughing.

Usarka
24th July 2011, 13:59
If you want a e-reader I would highly recommend the Kindle from Amazon.com.

Cheers bro. I didn't realise you could purchase from them, all the barnes and nobles, WHS Smiths etc don't seem to let you buy from NZ. Was kind of put of Amazon when they "took back" copies of books people had purchased a couple of years ago though.

$8.42 USD for a book is a lot more pallatable than $16.99 NZD though.

PS: not epub compatable, I'm happy to pay for content but want to take it with me when my device gets dropped in a margarita and I decide to get a Sony (for example).

PS2: Auckland library does ebook lending via epub format which doesn't work on the kindle.

PS3: Is a gaming console not an ebook reader.

Big Dave
24th July 2011, 14:28
iPad2 - It's just nice. I got the Pad in a leather book that works as a stand as well.
Reading and touching the backlit screen is...just nice. Is it dot dot dot? - no, probably not. But it's nice. You should see national geographic on it. Or the NBA where the game highlights play in hi def on the page of your book - or the BBC or even the Harold.
I can work on it too. My gig translates to pad. Not all do. And I've got Lebowski and Strangelove on iTunes.

The best selling books are not available in NZ - Good selection of classics, but bit of a dud for popular fiction.

The kindle has squillions of fans and great reviews online.

Usarka
24th July 2011, 14:43
I definitely do see the appeal with iPads. But at the moment I can't justify the $800+. My PC, work laptop, PS3, iPhone, wireless internets, home theater and LCD TV do everything that I need. A little less conveniently maybe, but ticks all the other boxes.

I don't want to spend $800 to read books and get extra features, I just want to read without encountering other peoples dried up pus.

geoffc
24th July 2011, 14:50
PS: not epub compatable, I'm happy to pay for content but want to take it with me when my device gets dropped in a margarita and I decide to get a Sony (for example).

PS2: Auckland library does ebook lending via epub format which doesn't work on the kindle.
r.

You can get software to convert from epub format using your computer to a format that Kindle reads. No problems there.
My wife has plenty to choose from that is free from Amazon for the time being. And they are adding to it all the time.
I found buying from Amazon easy. Make sure when you initially register with them you put +64 plus area code for your phone number eg +6434625390.
At some stage you need to put you are from New Zealand not USA region. Otherwise smooth transaction. Helped a friend buy one just this week after seeing my wife's Kindle.
Also when you buy from Amazon, the e-book purchases download to your e-reader (takes about 30 seconds) but there is a library of all your purchases at their store. That means if you purchase another e-reader later you can still download all your earlier purchases. I download to my laptop as well so I can use that when our Kindle is being used by my wife.

Berries
25th July 2011, 12:31
I didn't realise you could purchase from them, all the barnes and nobles, WHS Smiths etc don't seem to let you buy from NZ.
Another tip for buying from Amazon. Tried to buy a watch off them last night and got this message - We are not able to ship this item to your default shipping address which was a pain as I was looking at a 50% saving. But if you click on '10 new' or whatever you get a drop down of all the sellers and you may find some that will post to NZ.

Smifffy
25th July 2011, 13:27
Calibre is free software that will manage an e-book library and convert formats quite happily.


Cheers bro. I didn't realise you could purchase from them, all the barnes and nobles, WHS Smiths etc don't seem to let you buy from NZ. Was kind of put of Amazon when they "took back" copies of books people had purchased a couple of years ago though.

$8.42 USD for a book is a lot more pallatable than $16.99 NZD though.

PS: not epub compatable, I'm happy to pay for content but want to take it with me when my device gets dropped in a margarita and I decide to get a Sony (for example).

PS2: Auckland library does ebook lending via epub format which doesn't work on the kindle.

PS3: Is a gaming console not an ebook reader.

Winston001
25th July 2011, 14:05
Primarily I don't like the concept of an e-book but know of people who enjoy books and have moved to an e-reader with pleasure. So its probably an individual choice for each of us to try.

I may be wrong but it seems there are two types: backlit like a laptop, and simple LCD. The backlit ones are harder on the eyes but provide great colour. FWIW I find reading much on a laptop to be a pain - certainly would not try to read a book. But maybe thats cos the print is small and ctrl+ is the easy answer.

The Kindle gets great reviews and is a simple LCD reader. I think the new Kindle 4 is in the offing so it might pay to wait.

The Gutenberg Project has many free e-books.

The downside is electronics. Battery life. Recharging. Reflection in bright light. Breakable.

Call me oldfashioned but I like the solid feel of a book made of paper. It's portable and readable anywhere there is light. Plus you have to try hard to break it.

EDIT: Oh great, not only is there going to be a Kindle 4 but also an Amazon Tablet to compete with the iPad. Decisions decisions. :D http://notableproductionsonline.com/

SPman
25th July 2011, 17:54
I just stuck the Kindle reader on my phone, and also on the laptop. My wife has it on her netbook.
I find the phone easy to read on and compact, got 25 books on there so never short of a read. Easier than lugging around a Peter Hamilton novel! Availability can be problematical sometimes, but, overall not to bad.

BMWST?
25th July 2011, 18:12
bought the wife a Kobe?? wifi...lots of books already loaded but all the old ones.She really seems to like it though.reading the screen is just like reading a page.Downside is that new books can only be bought of the whitcoulls site and the content there isnt up to date...may be getting better ,and there may be ways to get other content.....i havent tried

nallac
25th July 2011, 19:08
no idea how good these are as ebooks ,as i bought it for the gps maps of oz.....
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Electronics-photography/GPS/Automotive/auction-393464835.htm
a hell of a lot of stuff on there ebook, media player,crap games but for the price i can't complain.

phill-k
25th July 2011, 19:35
We have 2 kindles, they are NOT lcd screens when reading them unlike a computer or tablet screen (not backlit)you very quickly forget what u are reading on, the screen is just like a page in a book but much clearer, and you get lots of options as to typeface size. I purchase from kindle amazon, have downloaded books whilst away in the boat, can go on line with limitations and have an amazon page that lists the top 100 books both free and for purchase. One of the latest methods of marketing books is to give them away free for a time, until the gather momentum I check this a couple times a week at least and have built up a large collection of books, also read a lot of motorcycle adventure books that I doubt you would find in print in NZ.
I love my gadgets and the kindle would be one of the best all time electronic devices I've ever bought it is not like reading on a computer screen it is very much like reading high quality printing even in direct sunlight.

Winston001
25th July 2011, 20:45
Quite useful info here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/

Ocean1
25th July 2011, 20:52
Quite useful info here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/


2. How large of a screen (and weight) do you want?

Hitcher!!!

Oakie
25th July 2011, 21:06
I bought Mrs Oakie a Kobo for her birthday and she loves it. I'll try to get her to come on here and say how much but highlights that I've taken in are ...

-two weeks battery life (off USB charge)
-nice backlight screen
-bought it through Whitcoulls but she has worked out how to get books off the Kobo site and other sites. (Kobo site is cheaper than Whitcoulls)
-wireless connectivity is very cool.

p.dath
26th July 2011, 06:30
We got the Kindle from Amazon. It's great. It's purely an ebook reader, and does the job really well.

And Amazon have an excellent collection of books for it.

Ocean1
26th July 2011, 10:50
'Er indoors has a Kindle, got it before we went on holliday. She can go through half a dozen books a week, and there she was; on the beach with a cocktail and a small library tucked in her bikini top.

Deano
26th July 2011, 10:57
How about a pair of surgical grade rubber gloves ?

No Hep C and save lots of $$.

Usarka
21st July 2012, 11:20
Fuck Kindle and fuck e-book retailers.

This title is not available for customers from your location in: Asia & Pacific

Thought I'd check these out again, took a sample of 4 books on my 'to-read' list. None available from local sellers (rip-off arse sploodgers that they are), and the overseas cunts won't sell them to me. What the fucked up kind of business model means you don't sell to people because they live somewhere else. It's not like they're physically shipping the things.

Rubber gloves it is, looks like I'm sticking to the hepatitis smeared, flea ridden aids books from the library.

Virago
21st July 2012, 11:25
If all legitimate attempts to purchase on-line fail, there's always torrents...

BMWST?
21st July 2012, 11:47
wife has a kobe,she is a real book worm she still likes a proper book but loves the kobe when we are out and about.books are cheaper(than the same paper book) through the whitcoulss site.when we first got it it was preloaded with a lot of older books and the choice of newer books was limited,but seems good now,got a book of the site that was not actually in stock in the shop.

rapid van cleef
21st July 2012, 16:47
my wife and son both have kobos and love them. they do still get books out of the library but its very handy, pretty sturdy in its case and considering they can both read a book a day saves us a fortune in books which are outrageously expensive here in nz.

schrodingers cat
21st July 2012, 18:35
Wife is a librarian in ChCh
http://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Collections/Ebooks/

Their collection won't wont work on the kindle
Of all the things she bought home to play with I thought the best of them was the Kobo. It didn't try to be anything other than what it was.
If you want a dedicated E-reader go Kobo

Otherwise download the software to a laptop

Snails pace
21st July 2012, 19:16
i have a sony which is great. Google "calibre". A programme, for the pc, that not only stores your books in a library but will convert them and load them on and off whatever reader you buy. Many of the readers you can change the font size, especially if you use the epub format. If you do a google on author it is surprising what free books turn up. words like freebookspot and mobilism can be helpful:innocent:

Gingin
21st July 2012, 19:46
We have 2 e-readers, the wife has a Kindle complete with leather case and built in light - absolutly loves it takes it everywhere. I have a no name LCD E-reader . The E ink screen of the kindle is far better and easier to read battery lasts for days. LCD not as easy to read and battery lasts just a few hours. Tried reading on tablets and laptops etc but they are just plain hard work - bit of a no go. I use Calibre to help with downloading and converting books to correct formats. In general dont have any issues obtaining our desired reading material.
I am hopeing for the LCD to die soon so I am forced to upgrade to E Ink.

St_Gabriel
22nd July 2012, 13:36
Wife and mother (mother lives in Aus) both got Kindles, both love them and are both registered to the one account so they can "share" books which they did when they had print versions anyhow. Kindle let you link 5 devices to the one account so I have downloaded the android app for my phone, sister (also in Aus) got the android app as well and finally mother got the apple kindle app so thats all 5 devices accounted for. All books get shared to all registered devices for that account (but do not have to be downloaded onto each device, only if the device user chooses to). Only downside is that if the wife wants a book, she has to send the account holder (mother) the book as a gift. We then have to hack mothers email to accept the gift so she can read it, so the whole shebang can/will only work if you implicitly trust the owners of any other registered devices.

I love the phone app as I read quite a few books on the phone, especially handy when I have unplanned downtime at work. (waiting 3 hours for a fuel delivery would really suck without it)

-df-
24th July 2012, 21:45
Nexus 7 (381+gst) + torrents for anything they dont sell in nz...sorted.

Just got mine and love it, great screen for websites, etc so should be fine for e books

Motu
24th July 2012, 22:46
Wife is a librarian in ChCh

Their collection won't wont work on the kindle


Most libraries are going epub, so any ebook reader I get will have to have epub. The kindle doesn't, it's a buy off Amazon thing like itunes.

Gremlin
24th July 2012, 23:37
Kobo (from my research last year) is one of the most flexible e-readers, reading most of the common formats and not locking you into their ecosystem to get books etc. I loaded my own books straight onto it.

Hawkeye
25th July 2012, 08:17
Publishing laws are different country by country. So what costs $ or not available in NZ can be free and available in the US.

There is also a loophole that allows you to get access to more free ebooks.

So how does the loophole work.

1. Set up an Amazon account on the Kindle from your NZ address.
2. Google a small non-important but valid address in the US and set up an Amazon account with that as the billing address.
3. load your NZ account with NZ dollars.
4. GIFT your US account from your NZ account.
5. Change your kindle to attach to the US account (easy to do - takes about 15 secs on the kindle)
you now have access to lots more free and available books.

The important thing to know. Your US account must always remain in credit. That way when you buy, it comes out of your credit and they dont need to go back to the billing address.

The thing I found was that sometimes, the same book can be much cheaper downloading from the US when available in both places.

pzkpfw
25th July 2012, 08:37
...

There are Kindle games that they won't let me download. Would this US address dodge fix that too?

CelticSam
25th July 2012, 17:12
I'm on my second Sony Ereader (I wanted a change of colour and an update) and it is never far from me.

At the moment I use booksonboard.com or whitcoulls.co.nz. I'm sure I've even seen ebooks on fishpond. I've been told that a Sony reader store is going to be available to NZ Aug/Sept.

Usarka
8th December 2012, 13:16
Was going to buy one of the new Kindles for my old man but the cunts won't even let me buy one "This item cannot be shipped to the address you selected".

Fine I'll go to book depository and buy some real books for him you corporate facist plicks. Didn't want your advert filled reader anyway.

Winston001
8th December 2012, 18:28
Never used it but Shipto is a forwarding business for exactly this problem, and appears to have happy Oz customers.

http://www.shipito.com/

jimichelle
9th December 2012, 19:58
https://www.prezoom.com

p.dath
10th December 2012, 07:08
Was going to buy one of the new Kindles for my old man but the cunts won't even let me buy one "This item cannot be shipped to the address you selected".

Fine I'll go to book depository and buy some real books for him you corporate facist plicks. Didn't want your advert filled reader anyway.

I've bought lots of things from Amazon and never had a shipping issue. Maybe you need a different address than Mianus.