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In the market for an eReader, narrowed down to probably a Kindle or Nook. What I'm reading from this thread is basicly that the Kindle and Nook are both very good, but since they are very similar the Nook is probably a better option just because it supports more formats such as epub. Does that sound about right? Does anyone know much about color eink? It seems it might not be far off..but I'm guessing the first devices are going to be really expensive and not worth waiting for at this point.
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Jan 6, 2011 16:35
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Ara posted:Have you ever used a Kindle? I'm sure it generates some amount of heat, but it's such a small amount that you'd probably need a special device to detect it. Yeah I have a Kindle but I mean it's still an electronic device and it has to generate some heat.
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Jan 6, 2011 16:40
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Thrawn200 posted:Does anyone know much about color eink? It seems it might not be far off..but I'm guessing the first devices are going to be really expensive and not worth waiting for at this point. I was at a research seminar about eInk a year or two ago. They had some clumsy methods of getting colour working that couldn't be scaled up. I imagine that if these problems had been solved then there would have been lots of fuss. There has been none. So, I'd say it's a safe bet that the first one won't launch for a couple of years and then it will be hideously expensive and we'll all worry about whether colour is worth it as monochrome screens will be all deliciously fast.
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Jan 6, 2011 16:44
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Thrawn200 posted:In the market for an eReader, narrowed down to probably a Kindle or Nook. What I'm reading from this thread is basicly that the Kindle and Nook are both very good, but since they are very similar the Nook is probably a better option just because it supports more formats such as epub. Does that sound about right? I wouldn't say there really is a consensus in the thread. They're both good devices. I personally like the Kindle better because it's faster and easier to use, but to be fair, I've never used a Nook with the newest software updates. Considering that every major store has DRM on their ebooks anyway, I don't think the Kindle's lack of epub support is really an issue, unless you're really concerned about standards on a moral/philosophical level. The newer Kindles also have a better display than the e-ink Nook. I'm sure that some will disagree with me though. My advice is to go and try both devices in stores, and compare Amazon and BN's book selections, then decide which you like better.
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Jan 6, 2011 17:06
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Thrawn200 posted:In the market for an eReader, narrowed down to probably a Kindle or Nook. What I'm reading from this thread is basicly that the Kindle and Nook are both very good, but since they are very similar the Nook is probably a better option just because it supports more formats such as epub. Does that sound about right? I've gotten back to some non-work related reading lately and my wife and myself are going to purchase readers. We've narrowed our search down similarly. My wife mainly wants to read books in Polish and the Polish books are almost entirely available in Epub, so the Nook is surely her best bet. I'm going to read in English so I'm thinking about going with the kindle 3. Is it true that the new screen is better than that on the current model of Nook? Also, are you Kindle owners happy with the selection/pricing of newish stuff on the Amazon book store? I'm also thinking about going with the 3G + WiFi Kindle just to be able to check email on the go - does it work okay for this purpose? edit: beaten by answer to own question (thank you)
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Jan 6, 2011 17:09
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The new screen is better on the Kindle 3, but the most recent Nook update narrowed the gap by a huge margin. Speed-wise, there's not a lot of difference in page turns now. The Kindle 3 screen is a bit darker and sharper, but they also messed with the fonts for the Nook update to increased perceived contrast and it works quite well.
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Jan 6, 2011 17:22
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thedouche posted:I've gotten back to some non-work related reading lately and my wife and myself are going to purchase readers. We've narrowed our search down similarly. My wife mainly wants to read books in Polish and the Polish books are almost entirely available in Epub, so the Nook is surely her best bet. Yeah, if you're wife's books are mainly available in epub, the Nook or Sony readers (a lot of people really like the Sony ones, though I haven't tried them much) are the best bet for her. If the epub files aren't DRM'd though, they can pretty easily be converted for the Kindle. That's obviously not the ideal way of doing things though. I own a Kindle 2, which has the same display as the Nook, but I bought my sister a Kindle 3, which has the new screen. I'd say you can definitely be happy with either one, but the new Kindle 3 screen is much better. I do hear that they have managed to make the Nook's screen look better with a software update though. I'm happy overall with Amazon's pricing, but it was a little nicer before the publisher's managed to get more control over pricing last year. I don't generally use the browser on my Kindle, because honestly it kinda sucks, and I already have a smartphone, but it's certainly adequate for checking email. The Kindle 3's browser is supposedly better, but I haven't tried it yet. Even without using the browser though, the extra 50 bucks seems totally worth it to me for the 3G, but I bought mine before wifi was even an option for the Kindle.
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Jan 6, 2011 17:26
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thedouche posted:I'm going to read in English so I'm thinking about going with the kindle 3. Is it true that the new screen is better than that on the current model of Nook? Also, are you Kindle owners happy with the selection/pricing of newish stuff on the Amazon book store? I'm also thinking about going with the 3G + WiFi Kindle just to be able to check email on the go - does it work okay for this purpose? Honestly, I'll probably never be satisfied with the price of books, but as long as they start dropping I'll be fine. Im tired of some books being 2 cents cheaper then their paper counter-parts. I did get the hunger games for 5 bucks from amazon's store, so that's not too terrible, but Im finding that alot of the amazon books are shoddy conversions by the publishers. Some don't even have decent chapter indexing on the progress bar. (Aforementioned Hunger games for example.. Very little formatting, text sometimes changes size at random, and the progress bar has 2 dots on it for chapters).
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Jan 6, 2011 18:17
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Amazon lets you return eBooks within seven days for any reason. If the formatting is really bad it's worth considering.
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Jan 6, 2011 18:42
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Clara posted:Amazon lets you return eBooks within seven days for any reason. If the formatting is really bad it's worth considering. I would if it had grammatical issues, but it's just minor stuff. I totally would also if it wasn't a $5 book, but it reads well enough. I just hope in the future publishers put a little more effort into them. In alot of cases, the books don't look nearly as nice as their paper counterparts and can cost just as much.. Its sad really. eBook formats can handle some nice effects, drop caps, chapter graphics, etc, but a good chunk of them come out drat near in plain text.
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Jan 6, 2011 18:57
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FidgetyRat posted:I would if it had grammatical issues, but it's just minor stuff. I totally would also if it wasn't a $5 book, but it reads well enough. I'm reading right now (in paper form) Imperial by William T Vollmann. It's a fantastic book, and part of what makes it really interesting is how he uses different fonts to convey moods and a sense of place (it's hard to understand without seeing, just trust me). I just checked the kindle version, which is a little tempted considering the original is a >1000 page slab of a book and I read mostly standing up in public transit, but the ebook cuts all the different fonts out. You might as well be reading an entirely different book. It's also worth mentioning that the kindle version costs $25
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Jan 6, 2011 19:17
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Part of that is because kindles don't support alternate fonts. ePubs can though. In some ways I like that about the kindle though. *should* at least make the books consistent, but here's a good case where fonts make a difference and we have no choice in the matter. Just out of curiosity, what do other people think about a *fair* price for eBooks. I have a hard time buying them when over $5. Occasionally a new release I'll do at $9, but that's only because I know the hard cover will be $22. It's frustrating to me that there can be such a gap between hardcover and eBook, but once the soft cover comes out, there's no proportional drop in ebook prices.
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Jan 6, 2011 19:22
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FidgetyRat posted:Part of that is because kindles don't support alternate fonts. ePubs can though. In some ways I like that about the kindle though. *should* at least make the books consistent, but here's a good case where fonts make a difference and we have no choice in the matter. Kindle does support multiple fonts, I've seen official books that make use of two variable width fonts and a monospace font in the same book.
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Jan 6, 2011 19:25
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fishmech posted:Kindle does support multiple fonts, I've seen official books that make use of two variable width fonts and a monospace font in the same book. Interesting! I could have sworn Amazon was boasting that the kindle simply used their own custom font for everything. quote:The only format that the Kindle supports with embedded fonts is TOPAZ, which is only available via Amazon (no 3rd party tools available). It is a terrible format in many ways, and in particular the embedded fonts are not anti-aliased and so are often very hard to read. Sounds like bitmap fonts instead of true-type. FidgetyRat fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Jan 6, 2011 |
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Jan 6, 2011 19:28
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fishmech posted:Kindle does support multiple fonts, I've seen official books that make use of two variable width fonts and a monospace font in the same book. To be fair, they would have a hard time supporting all the font stuff Vollmann does in Imperial. We're talking at least a hundred different fonts of all shapes and sizes. But still, offering a kindle version without an integral part of book, and then going on to price it at over $20, is insulting to both author and readers.
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Jan 6, 2011 19:30
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Thrawn200 posted:In the market for an eReader, narrowed down to probably a Kindle or Nook. What I'm reading from this thread is basicly that the Kindle and Nook are both very good, but since they are very similar the Nook is probably a better option just because it supports more formats such as epub. Does that sound about right? I just picked up a nook wifi today and have been pleased as punch with it. No eye strain after a 4 hour session with it. Page turns are nice and quick. The touch pad is okay, and if you've gotten used to using touch screen cell phones you'll be fine with it. I've been clinging to slider keyboards for my smart phones though, so it's a little awkward for me, but nothing too terrible. I'm looking forward to using the Read it in Store feature though to check out new stuff. You can plop into any B&N and for 1 hour you can read any ebook on their store for free. I'm going to be getting a case/cover thingy for it in the next couple of days and probably won't take it out of the house until then. I'm sure it would be fine to take around with me without one, but I'd feel a lot better about putting some form of protection over my new amazing toy.
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Jan 6, 2011 21:02
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thedouche posted:I'm going to read in English so I'm thinking about going with the kindle 3. Is it true that the new screen is better than that on the current model of Nook? I asked this earlier and people told me that after the update, there was little difference in the screens, but I didn't quite believe them, because some photos I'd seen on the internet made it look like the Kindle 3 screen was still a lot better. I went to a Best Buy to look at them side by side, and there really is basically no difference. Make sure the Nook that you're looking at is running the 1.5 software though, because I found that not all of the ones in the store had been updated. The only thing that sort of makes a difference is that the Kindle's bezel is dark grey and the Nook's is bright white, which when you put it next to the screen makes it look like the Kindle's screen is more contrasty. Putting a dark-colored skin on the Nook produces the same effect.
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Jan 6, 2011 21:08
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FidgetyRat posted:Just out of curiosity, what do other people think about a *fair* price for eBooks. I have a hard time buying them when over $5. Occasionally a new release I'll do at $9, but that's only because I know the hard cover will be $22. It's frustrating to me that there can be such a gap between hardcover and eBook, but once the soft cover comes out, there's no proportional drop in ebook prices. I agree that $9 seems a bit much for a book that's available in paperback, especially since the physical book often cost less than the ebook. I received a kindle for Christmas, and I enjoyed browsing the kindle deals of the day, which usually consisted of 15 or so books priced at $2.99. These deals were great, because $2.99 is right about my threshold for impulse buying. Unfortunately, the deal of the day seems to have been discontinued. I would have taken advantage of more of the deals if I had known they were about to disappear. Also, I was surprised by the high prices of many of the history books. Many of these cost $12-$20. I'm not sure if this is common to all non-fiction categories, but it is the primary reason that I've only purchased fiction so far. I still love the device, and I am certainly reading more because of it. I've really enjoyed reading the free newspapers downloaded through Calibre, and I have quite a few free and sub $5.00 books, but I have yet to shell out  or more for a book. I guess I'm just a cheap bastard.
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Jan 6, 2011 23:54
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Subgenius posted:Also, I was surprised by the high prices of many of the history books. Many of these cost $12-$20. I'm not sure if this is common to all non-fiction categories, but it is the primary reason that I've only purchased fiction so far. Yeah it's common: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QTVXAK
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Jan 7, 2011 00:00
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fishmech posted:Yeah it's common: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QTVXAK Just being on that page freaked me out with the "Buy with one-click" button staring me in the face.
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Jan 7, 2011 00:16
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fishmech posted:Yeah it's common: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QTVXAK Cool prank for people who leave their kindles unattended. edit: hahaha and reading the reviews it seems like there's one guy who actually bought it for its intended purpose and the kindle version screws up all the charts making the book useless. Owned. maxnmona fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Jan 7, 2011 |
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Jan 7, 2011 00:32
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fishmech posted:Yeah it's common: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QTVXAK drat.  I saw another book that was $1,200 or so. Is this a matter of foreign publishers neglecting to convert their strange eastern European currencies to dollars or what?
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Jan 7, 2011 01:06
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Subgenius posted:drat. It's mostly arcane technical stuff or special historical or scientific works that are also crazy expensive in paper form.
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Jan 7, 2011 01:24
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Subgenius posted:drat. It's like, you know how your textbooks were crazy expensive in college? It only gets worse. At work we have some computer systems manual sets that are $1,000+. $6K for nuclear materials references seems almost reasonable.
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Jan 7, 2011 01:40
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boo_radley posted:It's like, you know how your textbooks were crazy expensive in college? It only gets worse. At work we have some computer systems manual sets that are $1,000+. $6K for nuclear materials references seems almost reasonable. And it's a $2000 savings too! You'd be crazy not to buy 
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Jan 7, 2011 01:45
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Strangelet Wave posted:If we're still sharing screensavers, I've converted 248 Gustave Doré engravings to 600x800 and did the best I could with the contrast. Hey dude, installed the screensaver hack and put these on. They're sweet as hell. Thanks!
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Jan 7, 2011 04:52
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Is there any way to tag your books in Calibre to add them to a certain collection in the Kindle? I'm getting ready to dump a bunch of books on it and I want to put them in an "Unread" folder to kind of tuck them away for a bit and not clutter up the screen. It's ok if there isn't a fast/easy way to do it but my OCD demands that they be orderly and neat on the screen and I'd rather save myself the hassle.
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Jan 7, 2011 05:26
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Virigoth posted:Is there any way to tag your books in Calibre to add them to a certain collection in the Kindle? I dunno about Calibre but I've used this program to do just what you want: http://www.richardpeng.com/projects/kindelabra/ maxnmona posted:Hey dude, installed the screensaver hack and put these on. They're sweet as hell. Thanks! I just wanted to say that your book is pretty awesome and more people should buy it on the Kindle.
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Jan 7, 2011 05:33
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fishmech posted:I just wanted to say that your book is pretty awesome and more people should buy it on the Kindle. Thanks man. If you own it, please review it on amazon!
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Jan 7, 2011 05:57
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I think it should be mentioned in the OP that you can use Calibre to auto-download RSS feeds and have it (automatically) convert them and email them to your [name]@free.kindle.com address. I used google reader to condense about 40 different feeds into 7 general topics, and then added the topics' atom link into calibre. Daily delivery of fresh articles to my kindle, no 'experimental' browser needed.
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Jan 7, 2011 06:29
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Is anyone else here keeping tabs on what happens at CES? I decided to hold out on getting an ereader until I find out what's going on with those funky Mirasol panels. Someone's bound to announce a new colour ereader based on those in the next day or two, right?
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Jan 7, 2011 11:37
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Jimlad posted:Is anyone else here keeping tabs on what happens at CES? I decided to hold out on getting an ereader until I find out what's going on with those funky Mirasol panels. Someone's bound to announce a new colour ereader based on those in the next day or two, right? Maybe? The big hype this year at CES is tablets and 4G internet.
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Jan 7, 2011 14:14
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Duckman2008 posted:Maybe? The big hype this year at CES is tablets and 4G internet. and apparently Pandora in deck units for car stereos.
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Jan 7, 2011 14:38
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I just picked up Light Grid Pro for my NC, and it's rad as hell, especially if you're a sucker for Tron like visuals. You can set it to use different shapes, colors and effects so there's a lot to mess around with if you're a tweaky tweaker, and it seems to be pretty light on battery usage as well.
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Jan 7, 2011 19:10
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Jimlad posted:Is anyone else here keeping tabs on what happens at CES? I decided to hold out on getting an ereader until I find out what's going on with those funky Mirasol panels. Someone's bound to announce a new colour ereader based on those in the next day or two, right? Pretty much anything announced at CES will take months to come out.
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Jan 7, 2011 19:16
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maxnmona posted:Hey dude, installed the screensaver hack and put these on. They're sweet as hell. Thanks! Glad you liked them! Has anyone put them on something older than a Kindle 3? I'm afraid they'd look super murky on a screen with less contrast or fewer shades of grey.
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Jan 7, 2011 22:40
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Jimlad posted:Is anyone else here keeping tabs on what happens at CES? I decided to hold out on getting an ereader until I find out what's going on with those funky Mirasol panels. Someone's bound to announce a new colour ereader based on those in the next day or two, right? OH hay, look at this. Just a reference design, but still an actual device.  http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/mirasol-equipped-qualcomm-reference-tablet-hands-on/
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Jan 7, 2011 23:08
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Maneki Neko posted:OH hay, look at this. Just a reference design, but still an actual device. drat... they promised a consumer-ready device for CES, but now it's slipped to CeBit. I guess that really does mean it'll be a while until it reaches shelves. It's a pity, since it looks like it's miles ahead of anything else out there. One thing I worry about though is the viewing angle will probably be pretty limited, although I don't know for sure - just going off how their tech works.
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Jan 8, 2011 00:17
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Strangelet Wave posted:Glad you liked them! Has anyone put them on something older than a Kindle 3? I'm afraid they'd look super murky on a screen with less contrast or fewer shades of grey. they look very good on a nook
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Jan 8, 2011 00:50
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The Paradise Lost ones look damned spiffy on my sony 650 Thanks for the pics!
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Jan 8, 2011 02:39
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