Also, if you want to catch up on all the classics you neglected to read in school, http://www.gutenberg.org/ has tons of ebooks that are available in a variety of different formats for free.
Also, I agree, I have found having a kindle much more convienient than using a laptop to read on.
Can I just download pdf books and upload them to the kindle or do is there some kind of impenetrable DRM which only allows you to read books downloaded from the store? I'm not very keen on the idea of having to read only specific books in english.
@imsh_pl: No you can upload any pdf to the kindle, or instead of uploading the pdf, if the pdf is pretty much text only you can actually "email" the file to the kindle and ask it to convert it to the kindles specific format, making it easier to read.
PDFs on kindle can be sort of weird on Kindle in my experience. I sent a Comptia PDF version of a guide I was using and the text was tiny. Putting the kindle in portrait mode solved the issue, but it kind of sucked.
My wife and I both have kindles that we bring with us backpacking. She read seven books on one trip. When she ran out she let me use it. When we got back we bought another one so we wouldn't have to share anymore. I don't have experience with other e-readers, but I have converted other formats to work on the kindle. There's an app called calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/) that makes it pretty easy.
I've been recently thinking about getting a Kindle/an ebook reader and have some questions I've been hoping for you to answer.
What major ebook readers are there on the market and what are the differences between them?
Do I have to buy the books online or can I upload my own books by just hooking the reader up to a computer?
What formats do the readers support?
Which specific reader would you recommend for a newbie? And finally
Do you have an ebook reader? What are your experiences? Do you find it genuinely better that, say, using a laptop or are they just unneeded gadgets?
Thanks for the help.
Kindle from Amazon and Nook from Barnes & Noble are the big ones. Kobo and Sony also make them. The major differences are the formats they can view and the stores they can access directly. There's also interface differences ranging from hardware keyboards to touchscreens to d-pads.
To my knowledge, every one will allow you to upload your own books. The only thing is that Kindles don't read ePUB, but there's software that will convert them to Amazon's format.
Depends on the reader. Kindles read AZW (Amazon's DRMed proprietary format), MOBI (AZW minus DRM, basically), TXT, PDF, and some others. Nooks can read ePUB, eReader, PDF, and some others. I'm not sure about Kobo and Sony, but they're probably similar to Nook.
Any of them. They all function about the same and do the same thing. Kindle has the largest library at the moment and Amazon tends to have great customer service, but I'm sure B&N is quite good as well (since they have to compete). So, either a Kindle or Nook.
I got a second-generation Kindle when Woot got purchased by Amazon (then got it replaced at a discount when I stepped on it, then got that one replaced since it came with a non-functional button) and just got a Paperwhite last night. I use it every day and it's vastly superior to reading off an LCD, and that include the The new iPad's screen. Resolution isn't as good, of course, but it's much easier on the eyes.
Hey guys!
I've been recently thinking about getting a Kindle/an ebook reader and have some questions I've been hoping for you to answer.
Thanks for the help.
I have a kindle 3rd gen keyboard and a Kindle Touch.
2. You have to buy online, but you can also transer them to the kindle via usb
4. Kindle is awesome as you have a giant kindle library. You can borrow books if you have prime, ect
5. I love having a kindle. I can bring it anywhere, it is super light and way easier than carrying a spare book around with.
Can I just download pdf books and upload them to the kindle or do is there some kind of impenetrable DRM which only allows you to read books downloaded from the store? I'm not very keen on the idea of having to read only specific books in english.
So my entire comment was eaten. Basically yes, you can put pdfs on the Kindle. More info here.
@imsh_pl: No you can upload any pdf to the kindle, or instead of uploading the pdf, if the pdf is pretty much text only you can actually "email" the file to the kindle and ask it to convert it to the kindles specific format, making it easier to read.
PDFs on kindle can be sort of weird on Kindle in my experience. I sent a Comptia PDF version of a guide I was using and the text was tiny. Putting the kindle in portrait mode solved the issue, but it kind of sucked.
My wife and I both have kindles that we bring with us backpacking. She read seven books on one trip. When she ran out she let me use it. When we got back we bought another one so we wouldn't have to share anymore. I don't have experience with other e-readers, but I have converted other formats to work on the kindle. There's an app called calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/) that makes it pretty easy.
@imsh_pl said: