Whiskers

From Wiki:
File format support
E-books of unencrypted .MOBI files, .TXT files, or .AZW formats can be transferred to the Kindle over a USB connection and read, but any other e-book formats are not supported. The original Kindle and the Kindle 2 firmware before the 2.3 firmware update cannot read e-books or files in the PDF format. However, PDFs and several other file formats can be converted using a number of downloadable applications, free conversion

jupitersolo

Ken1997TL

Just hop on Amazon and download update 2.3 rather than wait for the wireless upgrade. Much faster.

invisiblewar

got one of the sonys for christmas and have been adding books to it slowly. Im at about 5 now. got two text books for school and three for leisure reading. I love the thing. Its the pocket edition but makes it perfect since i dont have to lug around 3-4 huge book through campus all day and in my time between classes i can sit and read.

best gift ive gotten in along time

jupitersolo

I wonder if they can just update future revisions of text books instead of charging for the whole damn thing? I wouldn't be surprised that in five years some major universities will be all ebook readers.

svtmike

I'd like to see it for my high schooler.

TS_eXpeed

I wish it was like that right now.

I looked at my year end report with AMEX, and I spent over $1200 at the bookstore last year.

I know some majors are worse, but WTF!?



They'll still find a way to charge $200 for a fucking electronic version once things start heading that way.




/rant

invisiblewar

^im fearing that too.
Itll be outrageous to have to pay more than 30 for an ebook if they ever do decide to make the transisition

jupitersolo

It would be much better for HS, it would keep the cost down on books. At least it should. Would help with keeping down some of the costs for the school budget.

subinf

I would have liked casebooks and textbooks to be on something like the Kindle except that the notes that I took for the class were in the margins. Although if I was able to save thousands I could quickly learn to take notes elsewhere.

NightHawk CL9

I'm looking to purchase an e-book reader for the fiancee, so far it seems the Kindle is at the top followed by Nook, but still have some time to buy it. Anyone have a comparison between the e-books?

srika

Ive been looking at these semi-seriously over the past 2 weeks, ever since seeing and trying out a coworker's Sony. I like how the Sony can read PDF's. A lot. What I don't like is show it only has 2GB of memory. I want one with a memory card slot. I want to have a ton of PDF's available for easy access. NOW HERE... the Nook has a microSD slot I think its clear which one I want.

srika

Nook accepts up to 16gb microSD cards.. and reads PDF's. DONE

invisiblewar

how many books do you have? arent books pretty small memory wise?

invisiblewar

also the compact sony one is really nice and compact. would fit in a small bag/satchell

srika

That's true books are small but PDFs can be large. I have user manuals and other such things that range from 40-70 mb's or so

jupitersolo

Tell me about it, I scanned 38 pages today, damn file was 26mb. I printed them to another pdf file and it went down to 9mb.

ThermonMermon

i guess it makes sense if you take public transportation. but honestly, as a person that takes NYC MTA or Metronorth daily, among millions of others, ive only seen them a couple dozen times. dont want to sound narrow minded, but i was under the assumption that it was a flop.

invisiblewar

well right now they are kind of pricey imo and im sure people are suspect of them but slowly but surely theyll pick up

invisiblewar

once you can write notes on the margins and highlight and whatnot i think theyll be a huge hit within universities

brizey

I would have loved to have one when I was in school. I am an engineer, so margin writing was never really something useful, nor was highlighting (although the e-readers do have highlighting).

Also, the off-brand ones usually have better compatibility for file types. I'd want .lit, .cbz and a few others for comics.

Ken1997TL

You can do notes in the margins on the Kindle

jupitersolo

Amazon was/is being sued when they removed a book from everybodies Kindle w/o permission from the owners of them. The guy suing is really upset because of the notes he had made on his Kindle are now gone.

Ken1997TL

Wasn't the book 1984 ironically?

Whiskers

There were a lot of people reading the Kindle on the cruise we were on. Wife is loving hers...

jupitersolo

Yes it was... I couldn't think of it.

#1 STUNNA

e-ink screens

http://gizmodo.com/5443895/e+ink-is-...yline=true&s=i

Whiskers

^But what about the cost?

#1 STUNNA

IDK? But everything gets cheaper over time...

Whiskers

True, but the whole point of the ebook reader and e-ink and that its small and cheap and doesn't do much...and its not supposed to scare away technophobes...

doopstr

How's the screen in the bright sun?

invisiblewar

it impressed me alot when i was outside reading. very little glare

Ken1997TL

Kindle works fine for me in the sun (what little we get in Oregon in the winter)

srika

uhhh... I would rather get a dedicated reader than something like that, I'd WANT to have a separate laptop. I'm geeky like that.

srika

and remember, a big part of the appeal of e-readers is there simplicity - after all, they are designed as a replacement for black&white books. They were meant to be simple.

Whiskers

Yep...

#1 STUNNA

Since hwhen is $250 cheap for something you read books on that doesn't even come with books you still have to buy them. For $50 I can buy a netbook with a color screen and do a million more things with it and if I want books to download I'll get the Kindle app or Blio and buy books that way. E-books are still too expensive and with all these slate machines coming out, you'd just need one of those to come with this display and then e-ink will be dead fo sho!

srika

yes, its still a new tech. so, its expensive. its like when the first ipod came out.

Ken1997TL

Free text files + free legal classic books + 2 weeks battery life > Stupid netbook

#1 STUNNA

that should read for $50 more I can buy a netbook...