eReaders / Kindles etc.

[felt-tip]

I was given one this weekend and I have mixed feelings towards it... isn't thumbing through the worn pages of an old classic all part of the appeal?

Does anyone have one and have any thoughts on them?

[Keef]

I don't have one, but quite want one. I know what you mean about reral books, but one of these in your suitcase is going to make holiday reading a lot more compact!

[felt-tip]

Yes I recently went on a 2 week holiday and had to resort to reading the dodgy offerings in the hotel as got through what I took in no time. Still, I must say I quite enjoyed a bit of Grisham and that Shantaram book.

I reckon I will use the reader for non-fiction stuff. I just can't imagine that I'd have the same 'relationship' with a novel if it was presented to me on screen.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Marmora Man started a similar thread a couple of years ago and it?s worth rereading as technology has moved on

I now have several books in ereader/kindle formats and they come in handy at a pinch. But I still buy/borrow real books when I?m going away just because of all the reasons I state in the original thread. I?m less dismissive these days, I think the two formats will co-exist but paper and a real book is too tactile and flexible to go away

here

[Brendan]

I like books for the same reason I like CDs. I like having things to clutter my house up with.

These are however going to be very useful. Especially for students.

[woofmarkthedog]

This is my problem with them...

Picture this:

You're on holiday with your loved one & the inevitable "row" brews up over "What side of the bed do you want then"

Now the dilemma is; do you throw the "kindle" at them in a fit of pique, of course not

Where as a carefully lobbed Jackie Collins *paperback usually seals the deal

http://medium.snazal.com/?0330354310 ( and no remorseful sweeping up of micro chips either )

W**F

* If you even consider a "hardback" then miss go and head straight for the airport

[PeckhamRose]

More people are going back to Ell Pees, too. And film photography. Mr PR who occasionally runs 'black and white film development and printing in the darkroom' courses at The Camera Club in Kennington, says more and more people are wanting to learn this skill.

And I'll never stop loving real books!

[Moos]

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I like books for the same reason I like CDs. I

> like having things to clutter my house up with.

>

> These are however going to be very useful.

> Especially for students.

Two excellent points.

Hadn't thought of the second at all, but secondary school kids in particular could really do with a compact reader for all of their reference books, their backpacks always look incredibly heavy.

[mockney piers]

ditto Brendan plus you can lend a book which you cant with all that nasty drm stuff on ebooks.

I do however have iBook on the iPad and its a great backup, particularly on the plane the other day when i left my current papyrus book in my friends car in the way to the airport.

Plus there are about a billion books for free from Winnie the Pooh, through pretty much all the classics, so have already ploughed through some Dickens, Conrad and Tolstoy for nowt, which is nice.

[felt-tip]

how do you access the free stuff? i have the sony one.

[mockney piers]

im not sure how the sony one works, but in ibook store and Amazon you can search for older books and they're usually free or get the Gutenburg project books (though they tend to be a bit rougher round the edges).

And both have two top ten lists, paid and free, thats usually a good place to start.