Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/can-i-really-be-thinking-of-getting-an-e-reader

Comment #3252

2012-01-01T01:00:22Z

Hmm, I'm currently annoyed with Amazon. I was rather impressed by the Kindle Touch, for its larger capacity and its ability to handle audio books and mp3's. But a look at the fine print shows that the $99 price tag they tout is NOT a "special offer" but comes WITH "special offers," a poor euphemism for "advertisements." It's a bit much to expect me to watch ads on a device I paid for -- much like commercials on cable TV and t-shirts with the designer's name prominently displayed. Somehow $140 sounds a lot more unreasonable than $100. And for the basic version, $110 does not have the eye-catching appeal of $80.

Comment #3251

2011-12-31T23:10:07Z

I'm wondering if the highlighting and notes would make it worthwhile for a high school student. Allowing them to take notes and highlight as they read, and as Peter mentioned, doing searches.

Something to consider.

Comment #3250

2011-12-31T21:18:09Z

I got the basic one with no keyboard, no touch, no distractions. I like the e-ink display. Though it's not quite up to the standard of paper, it's a very different feel vs. backlit screens. I don't really use for anything but serial reading. I use Instapaper to send long articles from the web to my Kindle so I can read them later.

About pricing... Right when I bought my Kindle, I also bought some paperbacks because they were less than the $10 Kindle price, but found myself wishing I had the Kindle edition instead. But I still can't bring myself to pay *more* for an e-book (unless it's a reference work where being able to search, etc. adds value).

Comment #3249

2011-12-31T15:05:14Z

That comment was from D, by the way.

I wish I could find the article I read last week. If I remember correctly, the idea that e-books should be less expensive than print books didn't really hold because the cost to print was only about 50-75 cents per book.

I think e-readers may be the best deal for people who like to read popular books as soon as they are published. My guess is these books are a bit cheaper on an e-reader. However, if your someone like me who doesn't mind waiting awhile (and who often pushes back against reading the "hot" book of the month), I think the prices even out and eventually you would be able to get the print version cheaper.

But, I also think that for you, some of the features you have described make it worth the price. (Assuming you would have bought the books anyway, and that they are available in e-book form).

Comment #3248

2011-12-31T13:30:16Z

Which Kindle did you get, Peter? The most basic basic, the Touch, or the Keyboard? What specifically do you like about it? Do you use it for anything other than books?

Interesting idea about the subscription. I can see it as an option -- but I tend to be more of a pay-as-you-go than a pay-every-month person. (We often pay MORE per month for recycled water here, because it's a fixed fee, than for potable water, which is metered. I find that annoying.)

S, that's a good point about prices. I hadn't been paying much attention to the Kindle price of a book, since I don't have one. I did a quick check of the books languishing in my shopping cart, and found some to be unavailable on Kindle, some far cheaper on Kindle (one was free) and some MORE expensive on Kindle (explain that). But I'm not nearly as good as you at getting bargain prices, so $10 actually sounds like a reasonable price to me -- for a REAL book. It seems an electronic version should be less, just as I think a collection of mp3's should not cost as much as the same works on a CD.

Comment #3247

2011-12-31T03:40:41Z

I think you need to think about your book budget. Pretty much everything I read is borrowed (from someone or the library) or used (from book sales or hand-me-downs). So far, this doesn't work well with e-readers. Yes, the library has some, but I am guessing you will not often find what you want, and there are a bunch of free books, but again, probably not what you are looking for. If you are used to spending $10 a book, then you are all set. If you are used to paying less than $1, then you may have to increase your budget.

Comment #3246

2011-12-30T21:37:38Z

I got the basic Kindle (without ads) a few months ago, and my preferences shifted very quickly in favor of e-books. When reading a paper book, I sometimes wish I had it on Kindle instead. I think most reading will soon shift to digital readers, but I'll still buy the occasional hardcover collector's edition for books that are better experienced that way. Or for books I want to share, if they don't make digital sharing easier.

Books ought to move to a subscription format, with a flat monthly cost for all books and compensation going to authors/publishers in proportion to actual reading that occurs.