Are you using an electronic book reader of some sort?

Good thread MJ, had been thinking about posting something myself as I'm considering getting an e-book reader - would be good to hear what the preferred models are. Reply to this

I was gifted a 1st generation Kindle a year-and-a-half ago and received it with bookworm skepticism. Who would sacrifice the smell of a well-loved book or the satisfaction of flipping crisp pages in a new paperback? But, lo and behold, I ended up moving to the dark side.

My father bought both Kindle and Nook, and the greatest differences we found were the following:

(1) Nook has color (so you can see book covers as they're meant to be seen)
(2) Kindle has a matte screen with little glare (good to keep in mind if you'll be reading on the beach)

Since you can't judge a book by it's cover, I do lean towards the Kindle.

I met a couple on my last trip where the husband was reading a bounded version of Lord of the Rings and the wife was reading Shantaram, both hefty sized books. I remember carrying the 900-page Shantaram on my travels, and it's so much easier to store, hold, and read a kindle. The couple had already considered the kindle, but were determined to buy two after they had tested mine out. Reply to this

I'm actually using the Stanza app on my iPod as an ebook reader.

It's not as easy to read as a kindle for a variety of reasons, tiny screen, backlit, glossy screen, short battery life. When I started I thought "I'm never going to ge used to this" but it didn't take long, and now it's fine. It does have some benefits... I have literally thousands of free books and not only that but I always have it on me, not only when I think I might read a book. I read in doctors waiting rooms, embassy waiting areas, queue at supermarkets etc... Even if it's only for 15 minutes. The backlit thing is useful as I can read in bed without needing a light on, and thus not disturbing the wife. Also I have all the Lonely Planet guide books I need on it as well as a host of Other free PDF guides freely available on line.

I've played with my dads Kindle though and I still really want one. And an iPad... My iPod can do everything but I still want it all! I do love my gadgets! 😊 Reply to this

I was thinking about getting one, because I'm also tired of lugging around books. The best use I saw for it was to store my language books. I wouldn't have to carry around tons of dictionaries, grammar, or self teaching books for the different languages I'm studying. I asked a sales associate at Barnes and Noble if you could download self teaching books or anything like that, but they couldn't give me any useful, non-brochure information. I think I'd miss reading an actual book though, even if it does save trees. And what do you do when the battery dies and you're at the best part??

I'll still be thinking about it. If I could get those language books though, I'd be sold on it :D Reply to this

Johnny,

If you know the name of the texts you are looking for, you can check amazon.com's "Kindle Store" search. The Kindle comes with a built in dictionary (English) and quick buttons to use wikipedia/google, which are very useful, but I don't know much about language texts.

The Kindle's battery-life has been fantastic so far (as long as the wifi is used sparingly because, like any other electronic gadget, it drains the battery quicker). Like I said, I carry around a spare book, but in the past year-and-a-half, I've never had a problem with the battery dying, so my "just in case" book remains in my bag unread. ;] Reply to this

Jo,

I cannot disagree with the article that technology potentially will widen the gap. I also believe that economically challenged people find ways to buy the things they want. They mention that the African American community has more cell phones than the white Americans. I think in a short period of time all phones will be e- book readers and the current specific e-book readers will be less popular except for us older folks who need a larger screen because of eyesight issues. There seems to be a market for all of these items. Plus the price is bound to drop in the next five years.

I'm trying to figure out how the libraries of the future will loan out e-books. I'm sure it will happen eventually and none of us will need to purchase the books.
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Wow - I must be in the minority here! I have absolutely no wish for a kindle or anything similar. I can see the advantage of guide books and so on, especially if touring from country to country, but when it comes to reading for pleasure... nope! It just doesn't work. Sure I read on the computer a lot - whether the news or travelblogs or stories - but it's not the same experience. There's nothing to compare with curling up with a book, with holding pages and reading the printed word. I must just be really old fashioned! It's also though that I spend so much time looking at screens, especially when travelling or living abroad. Uploading, editing and organising photos, chatting on skype, watching tv, writing travelblogs, lesson planning, emailing, researching on the net, booking hotels or flights, procrastinating on facebook and so on ... reading should be a break from all that technology!
Then again, even at home... what would I use to decorate the walls with without all those books and bookcases? Reply to this

Glad to hear a report on the Nook. I thought it looked like a good product. Reply to this

Craig-
I've been to Antarctica and have been inside Shackleton's shack located at McMurdo Base on the Ross Sea. You are in store for a very good read. Another book that will give you perspective on a more present day view of Antarctica is called Southlight. It is a pretty good read. Enjoy. Reply to this

@ Craig - your forum posting limit has been removed. Reply to this