January 2nd, 2010 / 2:23 pm
Snippets
Snippets
Lily Hoang—
my mom wanted to give me a kindle for christmas. luckily, she didn’t. do you have one? do you want one? would you use it & how?
my father has wanted to buy me a kindle for a couple years, and finally i asked for one & got it for christmas. i plan to use it for a few things. one is shakespeare. i hate reading shakespeare from my huge hardcover complete plays, but i also don’t want to buy each individual play. i think reading them on kindle will be nicer. two is individual stories or essays from writers like oscar wilde or montaigne or others whose complete works you can get for like a dollar on kindle. i hate reading long form on the computer because of the back light, so when i just want to find one piece, i can read it on kindle without having to buy a collection it’s in. three is for travel; instead of lugging lots of books, when i’m stuck at an airport i can download & re-read a dickens or an austen or agatha christie or something like that
my father has wanted to buy me a kindle for a couple years, and finally i asked for one & got it for christmas. i plan to use it for a few things. one is shakespeare. i hate reading shakespeare from my huge hardcover complete plays, but i also don’t want to buy each individual play. i think reading them on kindle will be nicer. two is individual stories or essays from writers like oscar wilde or montaigne or others whose complete works you can get for like a dollar on kindle. i hate reading long form on the computer because of the back light, so when i just want to find one piece, i can read it on kindle without having to buy a collection it’s in. three is for travel; instead of lugging lots of books, when i’m stuck at an airport i can download & re-read a dickens or an austen or agatha christie or something like that
good answer, amy! i like the *idea* of using a kindle of canonical stuff, but damn if i don’t just like the bookness of these books, even if they can be large & unmanageable, a pain to drag around airports…
good answer, amy! i like the *idea* of using a kindle of canonical stuff, but damn if i don’t just like the bookness of these books, even if they can be large & unmanageable, a pain to drag around airports…
I’ve used the kindle and find it completely wanting in any feature’s I’d ever want to use. I only carry one or two books with me at a time, so a Kindle doesn’t save any space and since its fancy expensive electronics I’d have to be more careful with it and not just shove it in my coat pocket like an old paperback. The screen size is tiny, load time is slow and everything else about the reading experience is worse than a book. I guess in theory it would make sense to put all kind of reference books and dictionaries on it, but would probably make more sense for me to buy a smart phone and just google that shit.
Not that I’m saying I can’t envision advantages for other people (say an editor who had tons of manuscripts to read or someone going on some super long trip who would require more than 2 books) but it has no appeal for me at it’s current stage of development.
I’ve used the kindle and find it completely wanting in any feature’s I’d ever want to use. I only carry one or two books with me at a time, so a Kindle doesn’t save any space and since its fancy expensive electronics I’d have to be more careful with it and not just shove it in my coat pocket like an old paperback. The screen size is tiny, load time is slow and everything else about the reading experience is worse than a book. I guess in theory it would make sense to put all kind of reference books and dictionaries on it, but would probably make more sense for me to buy a smart phone and just google that shit.
Not that I’m saying I can’t envision advantages for other people (say an editor who had tons of manuscripts to read or someone going on some super long trip who would require more than 2 books) but it has no appeal for me at it’s current stage of development.
How many books do you guys really bring with you on a plane trip?
How many books do you guys really bring with you on a plane trip?
I hate physical newspapers (too big and unwieldy, too much gd paper) and I hate reading on the web, so right now I’m using mine mostly to read the daily paper. I also use it as a nice way to have all the free canonical stuff available to you right there. Also, maybe only like 10% of all the books I read would I actually want to keep lying around my house in order to either reread or just generally page through and admire—which makes the Kindle kind of nice. It’s not perfect, though. The load time can be annoying, I could go for a few more text size options, and annotations kind of sucks. It is nowhere close to replacing actual books, for me. But it is fun.
I hate physical newspapers (too big and unwieldy, too much gd paper) and I hate reading on the web, so right now I’m using mine mostly to read the daily paper. I also use it as a nice way to have all the free canonical stuff available to you right there. Also, maybe only like 10% of all the books I read would I actually want to keep lying around my house in order to either reread or just generally page through and admire—which makes the Kindle kind of nice. It’s not perfect, though. The load time can be annoying, I could go for a few more text size options, and annotations kind of sucks. It is nowhere close to replacing actual books, for me. But it is fun.
I travel with up to 15 books because I just don’t know what I will feel like reading.
I travel with up to 15 books because I just don’t know what I will feel like reading.
i know, me too…it remains to be seen if i use it like i say i plan to.
lincoln, sometimes i bring 1-2, but often 3 or 4, and i don’t see that changing, but then still sometimes they won’t turn out to be the books i want to read right then, so it’d be nice to have other options
i know, me too…it remains to be seen if i use it like i say i plan to.
lincoln, sometimes i bring 1-2, but often 3 or 4, and i don’t see that changing, but then still sometimes they won’t turn out to be the books i want to read right then, so it’d be nice to have other options
Jesus. I can’t even imagine hauling around that much weight of any kind.
Jesus. I can’t even imagine hauling around that much weight of any kind.
The Kindle, as with most e-devices, is one of those things that you will either love or hate. I find that a lot of people are irrationally resistant to the device on principle which to my mind is just as misguided as uninterrogated adoration. It’s just a tool. It isn’t a harbinger of doom or the Second Coming. That said, I love my Kindle. I’m really excited for a better version of the Kindle (color, backlighting, faster processing, easier to access its HD, etc) but I enjoy the current version as well. I like being able to read about a book, here for example, and downloading instantly for my reading pleasure. I did this recently with Barry Hannah’s Ray after I read some commentary on the book by Alec Niedenthal. i like having so many books at my disposal. I find that is the perfect gym reading device. Before I figured out that using it while on the treadmill was a great experience, I only liked my Kindle. When I realized I could increase the text size and read without dealing with a book or magazine on the treadmill which only increased my chances of doing something embarrassing like falling off the back, I loved my Kindle. It’s also great because academic texts are so much cheaper on the Kindle. I had to buy this book about digital literacy and technical communication which was $110 in hardcover but $28 for the Kindle. That was fantastic. I feel like I got a bargain which also satisfied my love of shopping and finding deals. You can annotate things and get word definitions and it’s all very cozy for me.
There are downsides. My Kindle broke once and I had to wait one day for the replacement to arrive. I’ve never had a physical book break on me. To read in the dark you need a little night light which is super annoying. The Kindle is fugly. Looking at it makes me quite sad sometimes. As an Apple fanatic I look at the Kindle and think, why does anyone else even bother to try and design electronics? I really look forward to the mythical Apple tablet.
The Kindle, as with most e-devices, is one of those things that you will either love or hate. I find that a lot of people are irrationally resistant to the device on principle which to my mind is just as misguided as uninterrogated adoration. It’s just a tool. It isn’t a harbinger of doom or the Second Coming. That said, I love my Kindle. I’m really excited for a better version of the Kindle (color, backlighting, faster processing, easier to access its HD, etc) but I enjoy the current version as well. I like being able to read about a book, here for example, and downloading instantly for my reading pleasure. I did this recently with Barry Hannah’s Ray after I read some commentary on the book by Alec Niedenthal. i like having so many books at my disposal. I find that is the perfect gym reading device. Before I figured out that using it while on the treadmill was a great experience, I only liked my Kindle. When I realized I could increase the text size and read without dealing with a book or magazine on the treadmill which only increased my chances of doing something embarrassing like falling off the back, I loved my Kindle. It’s also great because academic texts are so much cheaper on the Kindle. I had to buy this book about digital literacy and technical communication which was $110 in hardcover but $28 for the Kindle. That was fantastic. I feel like I got a bargain which also satisfied my love of shopping and finding deals. You can annotate things and get word definitions and it’s all very cozy for me.
There are downsides. My Kindle broke once and I had to wait one day for the replacement to arrive. I’ve never had a physical book break on me. To read in the dark you need a little night light which is super annoying. The Kindle is fugly. Looking at it makes me quite sad sometimes. As an Apple fanatic I look at the Kindle and think, why does anyone else even bother to try and design electronics? I really look forward to the mythical Apple tablet.
Doesn’t backlighting defeat the whole purpose?
Doesn’t backlighting defeat the whole purpose?
I feel better about myself now. I usually bring at least 5.
I feel better about myself now. I usually bring at least 5.
My in-laws bought me a Nook. Hopefully I can hack it to read email and Google documents. If it can read PDFs and text documents, it’ll be the most useful editing tool ever. I hate printing things out.
My in-laws bought me a Nook. Hopefully I can hack it to read email and Google documents. If it can read PDFs and text documents, it’ll be the most useful editing tool ever. I hate printing things out.
i got a nook for christmas. i saved paula bomer’s .doc manuscript as an .htm file in Microsoft Word, then used Sigil (http://code.google.com/p/sigil/) to convert that to an ePub file, which i read on my nook. that’s how i read her manuscript and decided to pub it. it was also a good initiation for reading on a nook.
i’m really digging my nook so far. i think it’ll be interesting to see how designers wind up manipulating ePub coding to create some fine looking ebooks. right now it’s sort of dumpy looking fonts with weird spacing.
i got a nook for christmas. i saved paula bomer’s .doc manuscript as an .htm file in Microsoft Word, then used Sigil (http://code.google.com/p/sigil/) to convert that to an ePub file, which i read on my nook. that’s how i read her manuscript and decided to pub it. it was also a good initiation for reading on a nook.
i’m really digging my nook so far. i think it’ll be interesting to see how designers wind up manipulating ePub coding to create some fine looking ebooks. right now it’s sort of dumpy looking fonts with weird spacing.
I’ve found that it makes for a really elegant cheese tray.
I’ve found that it makes for a really elegant cheese tray.
Nice. The nook (Nook?) is pretty.
I’m waiting for the Apple thing.
Nice. The nook (Nook?) is pretty.
I’m waiting for the Apple thing.
this last trip, i brought nine books + 2 manuscripts.
this last trip, i brought nine books + 2 manuscripts.
Whatever the Apple thing is, it won’t be a dedicated reading device and will probably cost 3 times as much as its competitors, have no ergonomics and look like a PlayMobil toy… but have great marketing.
Whatever the Apple thing is, it won’t be a dedicated reading device and will probably cost 3 times as much as its competitors, have no ergonomics and look like a PlayMobil toy… but have great marketing.
The nook got a great little featured spot on the last page of the latest Architectural Digest. I like the name of it: rhymes with book, suggests all things cozy (not to mention breakfast, and who doesn’t love breakfast?). Speaking of latest issues, I saw Ken, I think, in the latest People.
My mom bought me a Sony Reader two years ago. It’s still in the box. I like pages. I’m a dog-earer. Is that a feature on Kindle?
The nook got a great little featured spot on the last page of the latest Architectural Digest. I like the name of it: rhymes with book, suggests all things cozy (not to mention breakfast, and who doesn’t love breakfast?). Speaking of latest issues, I saw Ken, I think, in the latest People.
My mom bought me a Sony Reader two years ago. It’s still in the box. I like pages. I’m a dog-earer. Is that a feature on Kindle?
Lincoln:
The following comment, your comment, leaves me the strong impression that you have not used a Kindle:
“The screen size is tiny, load time is slow and everything else about the reading experience is worse than a book. I guess in theory it would make sense to put all kind of reference books and dictionaries on it, but would probably make more sense for me to buy a smart phone and just google that shit.”
Lincoln:
The following comment, your comment, leaves me the strong impression that you have not used a Kindle:
“The screen size is tiny, load time is slow and everything else about the reading experience is worse than a book. I guess in theory it would make sense to put all kind of reference books and dictionaries on it, but would probably make more sense for me to buy a smart phone and just google that shit.”
Believe whatever you want. Not only have I used a kindle and other ereaders, I spent the last year programming ebooks for a major publisher!
Believe whatever you want. Not only have I used a kindle and other ereaders, I spent the last year programming ebooks for a major publisher!
same kind of thing happened to me. my wife and my mom got together and went to borders to find a christmas gift for me and came back and floated the idea of getting me a sony reader or a kindle and i said i was kind of curious about it but not curious enough for them to spend that kind of money, like if you’re going to spend that kind of money ive got a list of other things. it might be something i could get used to but i’m not that eager to try it.
same kind of thing happened to me. my wife and my mom got together and went to borders to find a christmas gift for me and came back and floated the idea of getting me a sony reader or a kindle and i said i was kind of curious about it but not curious enough for them to spend that kind of money, like if you’re going to spend that kind of money ive got a list of other things. it might be something i could get used to but i’m not that eager to try it.
i used to bring maybe two but lately i havent been bringing any. i need to be in controlled environments to read. more and more i find it difficult to read in public. i need no distractions anywhere, no movement around me, no noise around me, and wearing noise-cancelling headphones that just play white noise.
i have a question, is the kindle waterproof? like could i read in the shower? i would consider buying that.
i used to bring maybe two but lately i havent been bringing any. i need to be in controlled environments to read. more and more i find it difficult to read in public. i need no distractions anywhere, no movement around me, no noise around me, and wearing noise-cancelling headphones that just play white noise.
i have a question, is the kindle waterproof? like could i read in the shower? i would consider buying that.
I’m a happy Macbook Pro & iPhone user. Ergonomics are good–not great, but better than a lifetime of other products.
Expensive: yes. Will it break in two years: no. Not in my experience.
I’m a happy Macbook Pro & iPhone user. Ergonomics are good–not great, but better than a lifetime of other products.
Expensive: yes. Will it break in two years: no. Not in my experience.
I got one for Christmas, too. I am in love with it. A year ago, I was one of those people saying, I will never read on an e-reader. Now I can’t put this damn thing down. I still read a ton of book books, of course–most fiction and anything that looks or feels nice or has color pictures. But it’s fantastic for travel, since like Roxane, I tend to pack way too many books since I never know what I’ll feel like reading. The nook is especially great for giant history books, since they’re so heavy to lug around and since I read a ton of history, and also for “embarassing” books, like the new Stephen King book. I just bought that and am reading it on the nook and no one on the bus is any the wiser. Plus I can share books with my nook, which is nice.
Ken, I was waiting for the Tablet or Slate or whatever, too, but I decided not to after Steve Jobs kept saying people don’t read books anymore. I’m an Apple nut, but I just don’t trust someone who thinks books are irrelevant to make a good e-reader. Hopefully I’m wrong, and he’ll come out with something killer.
I got one for Christmas, too. I am in love with it. A year ago, I was one of those people saying, I will never read on an e-reader. Now I can’t put this damn thing down. I still read a ton of book books, of course–most fiction and anything that looks or feels nice or has color pictures. But it’s fantastic for travel, since like Roxane, I tend to pack way too many books since I never know what I’ll feel like reading. The nook is especially great for giant history books, since they’re so heavy to lug around and since I read a ton of history, and also for “embarassing” books, like the new Stephen King book. I just bought that and am reading it on the nook and no one on the bus is any the wiser. Plus I can share books with my nook, which is nice.
Ken, I was waiting for the Tablet or Slate or whatever, too, but I decided not to after Steve Jobs kept saying people don’t read books anymore. I’m an Apple nut, but I just don’t trust someone who thinks books are irrelevant to make a good e-reader. Hopefully I’m wrong, and he’ll come out with something killer.
There’s this great site called Calibre that lets you take plain text files and add chapters, make the spacing and font look nicer, etc. I used it to convert a bunch of files to read on my nook and they look great now.
There’s this great site called Calibre that lets you take plain text files and add chapters, make the spacing and font look nicer, etc. I used it to convert a bunch of files to read on my nook and they look great now.
like ken, i’m a happy macbook pro & ipod touch user.
like ken, i’m a happy macbook pro & ipod touch user.
Sadly it is not waterproof.
I don’t follow. I want the backlighting so I can read it at night.
Sadly it is not waterproof.
I don’t follow. I want the backlighting so I can read it at night.
Without using another light source.
Without using another light source.
I thought the entire point of the Kindle and similar e-readers was to avoid back lighting, which is painful for longform reading. Thus why all the money and effort went into developing e-ink technology which mimics the look of ink on paper?
If the device is just back lit like a normal computer screen wouldn’t it just be a tablet PC? You can buy those pretty easily already.
I thought the entire point of the Kindle and similar e-readers was to avoid back lighting, which is painful for longform reading. Thus why all the money and effort went into developing e-ink technology which mimics the look of ink on paper?
If the device is just back lit like a normal computer screen wouldn’t it just be a tablet PC? You can buy those pretty easily already.
I think the backlighting won’t work because of the e-ink. It would create a reflection/eyestrain, too.
I think the backlighting won’t work because of the e-ink. It would create a reflection/eyestrain, too.
It is all about selection. Amazon lacks the books I would want to read if I purchased a Kindle.
It is all about selection. Amazon lacks the books I would want to read if I purchased a Kindle.
Lincoln, oh. I don’t know anything about that. I guess I’m thinking of lighting like a laptop. Is that backlighting? I guess it isn’t something that bothers me. I’ve not ever thought about the E-ink though it is nifty. Maybe a built in reading light is what I want.
Lincoln, oh. I don’t know anything about that. I guess I’m thinking of lighting like a laptop. Is that backlighting? I guess it isn’t something that bothers me. I’ve not ever thought about the E-ink though it is nifty. Maybe a built in reading light is what I want.
Yeah, the Kindle can’t be lit like a laptop. It was designed entirely NOT to do that.
You could buy a tablet PC though (or use a smart phone) if you want to read off a laptop screen.
Yeah, the Kindle can’t be lit like a laptop. It was designed entirely NOT to do that.
You could buy a tablet PC though (or use a smart phone) if you want to read off a laptop screen.
At least that is my understanding. I think the kindle would have to be designed from scratch to be backlit.
At least that is my understanding. I think the kindle would have to be designed from scratch to be backlit.
I’m waiting for the Apple tablet. I hope that’s what they’re announcing on 1/26.
I’m waiting for the Apple tablet. I hope that’s what they’re announcing on 1/26.
Aha! To Amy and anyone else planning to read Shakespeare. I don’t know if they are available on the Kindle, but I highly recommend the Folger Shakespeare editions of the plays. They come with translations on the facing page of the archaic expressions and usages in the text. I read the first one last year and there’s nothing like it. Suddenly, Shakespeare becomes completely understandable. You’ll never go back!
Sean
Aha! To Amy and anyone else planning to read Shakespeare. I don’t know if they are available on the Kindle, but I highly recommend the Folger Shakespeare editions of the plays. They come with translations on the facing page of the archaic expressions and usages in the text. I read the first one last year and there’s nothing like it. Suddenly, Shakespeare becomes completely understandable. You’ll never go back!
Sean
Oops, I meant Vogue. Not Architectural Digest.
Oops, I meant Vogue. Not Architectural Digest.
thanks much – i’ll check it out
thanks much – i’ll check it out
Me too, Roxane!
Me too, Roxane!
yeah i feel better too. i brought six or seven books i think and a manuscript for a week.
but then i ended up getting a few new ones too
yeah i feel better too. i brought six or seven books i think and a manuscript for a week.
but then i ended up getting a few new ones too
You guys should be more decisive.
You guys should be more decisive.