Kindle Or Other Thing

[Barmaid]

My holiday present to myself is an ebook reader.

Can I ask A-bers for their personal recommendations, please?

Kindle or other thing? Pros and cons?

I'm likely just to be reading novels, but it will need to be able to store a good dozen or so since I can easily read a book in a day. I want it to be easy to download too and not cost a fortune.

I just don't know what is out there.....

TIA

[DJHawkes]

the aura's target market is the avid reader that wants the best screen resolution to give a comfortable read with no eye strain, the HD quality screen does that, the price is currently 139.99 but it the high end full package e reader and will be for those that need everything just to their liking.

[Baby_Sham]

I download my books from Amazon, and they go direct to my library. I've had no problems with it (apart from my annoyance at the back light thing) whatsoever.
I did want a tablet, but for £100 this does the job perfectly :-)

[douglas9401]

Hi hc4361. I download them from the Barnes and Noble site. Prices vary from free to quite a lot.
I tend to stick with the free classics as I'm a bit skint. :)

[Baby_Sham]

Douglas, I've been surprised at just how expensive some are too! I tend to have lots of cookery 'books' on mine, as it's handy to have beside me in the kitchen.
I didn't know you could get freebies though...?

[Sparkles62]

I got three of the Nooks while they were on the £29.99 offer, for my daughters and for Mr S. they all love them,
they download books from the internet, usually free.
They all seem very happy with them.

[Barmaid]

wow, thanks everyone. Right stupid question follows:-

if I buy a book from wherever, does it "expire" after a certain amount of time? I kind of like re-reading books I have really enjoyed so I'd like to be able to save it.

[hc4361]

I can't understand why everyone doesn't download from the public library.

Latest fiction. Classics. Cookbooks. Reference books. Biographies. Children's books. FREE

[hc4361]

Barmaid, if you buy a book you are buying a licence to read it forever.

If you borrow a book from a public library it does expire, but you can borrow it again

[Barmaid]

I didn't realise you could HC until I read your post!!!

[Baby_Sham]

BM, hey :)
No, they don't expire. They're your's to keep. Forever and ever!

Hc, well I don't because I never knew such a thing existed :-/

[Barmaid]

See. Its amazing what you can learn on AB!!!

[DJHawkes]

once you buy an e book it is yours and you store it in your device's library, it doesn't go anywhere unless you transfer or sync it to another device, even then you have just copied it and still have it on both devcies, e books are cheap because the publishing process involves creating an e book before a hardcopy is printed, to create an e book version for an e reader is just a software conversion.
The only books that disapear are your downloaded library books that expire after 3 weeks or so,

[Baby_Sham]

I hate to seem like some kind of stalker, but did you ever get 'that' email?

[DJHawkes]

you can also subscribe to magazines and newspapers, download any travel guide like lonley planet, rough guides etc, many academic titles now have been converted to e reader format and can be borrowed from university libraries.

sod it i'm on 2 weeks off lol

[Baby_Sham]

Oh yes, well pointed out Dot! I subscribe to a couple of newspapers which I read on my Kindle too. It's quite nice if you're away.

[Barmaid]

No, Baby-Sham, I didn't. I am sure that account is just being stupid, cos I emailed you back from there. I should have just used the other account instead of messing around with hotmail.

I'm having a look in the Kobo store at the mo - then I'm going to have a look at the other models available.

[hc4361]

It really hacks me off that some ebooks are as expensive as a print version - sometimes more expensive.

I understand that VAT is payable on ebooks and not on printed books but really!
No storage; transport; packaging; printing; raw materials; no overprints to recall and burn; no large print books to publish; other overheads such as staff costs to distribute, pack, sell.

It makes me spit! The publisher should get a per centage; the author should get a per centage; the company that builds the ebooks in different formats should get a percentage; VAT. That's it.
The publisher and author should get no more profits/royalties than from a printed version; the ebook builder has got be much cheaper than a traditional printer, surely?

[Baby_Sham]

Grrr! I will look into it my end tomorrow. Sorry to bring it up on here :-)

Hc, I recently looked up a cookery book I wanted and it was DOUBLE the price of what it was on Play.com!

[DJHawkes]

It's all about the original publishing deal and as e reading is becoming the fastest growing market in publishing then it is likely we have seen the back of cheap e books. people will soon be into the fraudulant copying of e books the way cds used to be done

[hc4361]

There really is no justification for that, Baby Sham.