Kindle ?

John mac

Anyone got one ?

if so can you download books in Ireland or is it restricted to the US.

Thanks
JOhn

Eoin

The amazon.co.uk site doesn't sell them. I'm sure you can get one from the US somehow, but it might be an ongoing pain to get books for it. I just got the Sony PRS-505 as a present and it's pretty cool.

mickpbarry

Got a Kindle 2 from Amazon for the wife for Xmas. They've only been available outside the US since last October. Read a load of reviews and the Kindle 2 keeps edging out the Sony Reader.

It's a great e-reader and has a few major advantages over the Sony Reader:

1. You don't need broadband or even a PC to download books. The Kindle 2 connects for free to WhisperNet to download books. I'm not sure of the specifics of how it works, but Amazon have a deal with a company that provides a basic low-broadband connection. You can browse the kindle shop and buy books without any need for a PC via the device itself. Brilliant. (NB you must associate the device initially with your Amazon account, but once this is done, you're done with the need for a PC with internet connectivity.) Takes approx 2 mins to download a book. The Sony can only download books via an Internet connected PC.

2. It has a read back function, so it can read the books out load for you if you want. Not sure how useful this is, but some people might find it useful.

3. Space. The Kindle has space for approx 1500 books off the shelf. The Sony eReader requires you to buy a memory card, it's default space only holds about 350 books.

4. Free experimental web browser. Text only, but the free WhisperNet function allows you to use a basic text based experimental browser.


Can't recommend it highly enough.

Mick.

chillin_penguin

I would wait both mac and google have plans to bring versions out very soon. Google the ipad for macs version.

center15

chillin_penguin wrote: »

I would wait both mac and google have plans to bring versions out very soon. Google the ipad for macs version.

There is NO confirmation that Apple(not mac) or Google are bringing out eBook readers.

Eoin

mickpbarry wrote: »

Got a Kindle 2 from Amazon for the wife for Xmas. They've only been available outside the US since last October. Read a load of reviews and the Kindle 2 keeps edging out the Sony Reader.

It's a great e-reader and has a few major advantages over the Sony Reader:

1. You don't need broadband or even a PC to download books. The Kindle 2 connects for free to WhisperNet to download books. I'm not sure of the specifics of how it works, but Amazon have a deal with a company that provides a basic low-broadband connection. You can browse the kindle shop and buy books without any need for a PC via the device itself. Brilliant. (NB you must associate the device initially with your Amazon account, but once this is done, you're done with the need for a PC with internet connectivity.) Takes approx 2 mins to download a book. The Sony can only download books via an Internet connected PC.

2. It has a read back function, so it can read the books out load for you if you want. Not sure how useful this is, but some people might find it useful.

3. Space. The Kindle has space for approx 1500 books off the shelf. The Sony eReader requires you to buy a memory card, it's default space only holds about 350 books.

4. Free experimental web browser. Text only, but the free WhisperNet function allows you to use a basic text based experimental browser.


Can't recommend it highly enough.

Mick.

I think the first point is the only one you could consider a major advantage, and even then I think I would still end up using the PC as I use different eBook shops anyway.

Certainly, not having to buy a cheap memory card shouldn't be a deal breaker.

Oafley Jones

mickpbarry wrote: »

Got a Kindle 2 from Amazon for the wife for Xmas. They've only been available outside the US since last October. Read a load of reviews and the Kindle 2 keeps edging out the Sony Reader.

It's a great e-reader and has a few major advantages over the Sony Reader:

1. You don't need broadband or even a PC to download books. The Kindle 2 connects for free to WhisperNet to download books. I'm not sure of the specifics of how it works, but Amazon have a deal with a company that provides a basic low-broadband connection. You can browse the kindle shop and buy books without any need for a PC via the device itself. Brilliant. (NB you must associate the device initially with your Amazon account, but once this is done, you're done with the need for a PC with internet connectivity.) Takes approx 2 mins to download a book. The Sony can only download books via an Internet connected PC.

2. It has a read back function, so it can read the books out load for you if you want. Not sure how useful this is, but some people might find it useful.

3. Space. The Kindle has space for approx 1500 books off the shelf. The Sony eReader requires you to buy a memory card, it's default space only holds about 350 books.

4. Free experimental web browser. Text only, but the free WhisperNet function allows you to use a basic text based experimental browser.


Can't recommend it highly enough.

Mick.

The Browser is fairly terrible; also be aware, that owing to a dispute over royalties, not all ebooks allow the read back function. Storage is fine on the sony machines and as you mention they can be upgraded. Sony's use of ePub and the ability to buy from multiple sources would be far more important to me.

Accountsplus

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Storage is fine on the sony machines and as you mention they can be upgraded.

I am not sure I would ever want 1500 books on my Kindle - that would be hard to manage/use. I cannot see a situation where I would want to buy extra memory - I would move stuff I am unlikely to use/read to a hard drive or some other storage.

A major advantage with the Kindle is that for books bought Amazon through you can delete them from your Kindle but download them again anytime you want. So you have storage for much more than 1500 books because you are effectively using Amazon's cloud storage.

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Sony's use of ePub and the ability to buy from multiple sources would be far more important to me.

Do you know that you can also buy books for the Kindle from Multiple sources - Right now I can think of www.booksonboard.co.uk, www.fictionwise.com. And I know there's more. (BTW, It is interesting that the fictionwise store is actually owned by Barnes and Noble.) I have only found the other stores cheaper than amazon for one book. I have not bought anything yet from anyone other than amazon. I have taken free public domain books from www.feedbooks.com.

Any .mobi that does not have drm can be read on the kindle. That expands your options even more. Some Kindle users by DRM'ed .mobi's, strip out the DRM with a tool called mobidedrm and then read away on their Kindle. They justify this on the basis that they bought the book so they are entitled to be able to read. So far I have not needed to do that.

It seems to be possible to remove drm from epubs and convert to .mobi using calibre. Again, I have not come across anything that I needed that badly that I had to do that.

The supply of books for ereader is really a publisher issue. As time moves on, analysts expect ebooks to go the route of music and to lose the drm. It may take a while for authors/publishers to accept the new technologgy. I understand JKRowling will not allow her books be sold as ebooks becasue of piracy concerns. Yet her paper books have been scanned in and made available in pirate form within hours of being published. Can she not see this?

Many commentators argue that the lack of ebooks encourages piracy - especially with books for younger, more technologically savvy readers who want to use ereader.