kindle2 - some thoughts on ebook reading

[Arrrgh]

Another interesting costs breakdown from a self publisher.

http://bidinotto.blogspot.com/2011/06/face-of-self-publishing-revolution-mine.html

[Yegolev]

Makes it tempting to really begin work on my philosophical treatise.  Trouble is that I (and many people) could really use an editor, so how much does that cost?

[Viin]

I only charge $125/hr.

[HaemishM]

Heh, I spent a lot less than that on all 3 books I've done combined, mainly because I did all the photography, layout and cover design myself - which not everyone can do. As for an editor, on the book I just published, I found an editor who did the first draft edit for free because she was trying to get a job as a professional editor. I could give you her name if you want to see if she'll still do the same.

[Yegolev]

Well, not only is my philosophical master-work so far unwritten, I seem to change my mind about things over time.

[Merusk]

Well, not only is my philosophical master-work so far unwritten, I seem to change my mind about things over time.

Then call it a religious tome and say that anything written later superscedes what came prior.  You were confused about your prior visions and BOB clarified them for you.

[Yegolev]

Well, not only is my philosophical master-work so far unwritten, I seem to change my mind about things over time.

Then call it a religious tome and say that anything written later superscedes what came prior.  You were confused about your prior visions and BOB clarified them for you.

I'm mostly calling it a philosophical work instead of a religious one because I haven't yet invented any insane stories to put into it.  But that's a good idea.

[Numtini]

Just got a note from our library director that they are supporting kindle. At least with our implementation, it seems like pretty much everything is available in either epub or kindle and apparently the libraries don't need to purchase additional copies, it's just a new format for their existing contracts.

[WayAbvPar]

Yeah, read that in the paper today. After I grind through the backlog I already have loaded, I am off to the virtual library! Very glad this is finally getting done.

[Dren]

Count me as one that loves Kindle.  I estimate I buy and read books 5x more than I did before, and I bought a lot before.  With 4G, I also never find myself without a book anymore.

I used to joke about the ability to enlarge the text for easier reading, but I now read with it bumped up one notch.  *sigh* I'm old.  The funny thing is that most people that see me carrying it or reading it ask if they can do just that.  I'm old, but not alone!

I haven't read all posts here but to add to some of the marketing discussion:  I do not buy "real" books anymore.  If a novel isn't released for Kindle/Amazon.  I will not read it.  The only time I step foot into a brick and mortar book store anymore is to get a coffe and look around (I still like to do that.)  Ultimately, I'm just shopping around for the next ebook I want to download.  Ok, I'll pick up something sometimes for the kids (picture-centric, etc.)  I'm not big into graphic novels or photography, but if I were I could see those being a brick and mortar purchase.

[Numtini]

I still get cook books in paper. And picture books for our daughter. That's about it. In terms of a standard novel. No.

Oddly I find it makes me value the kind of books we buy in paper more. We started to sub to Lucky Peach, the food zine, and they have very high quality graphic presentation and the fact that most of the books we get are electronic makes the effort they go into to create an object, not just text, all the more interesting.

[naum]

Just got a note from our library director that they are supporting kindle. At least with our implementation, it seems like pretty much everything is available in either epub or kindle and apparently the libraries don't need to purchase additional copies, it's just a new format for their existing contracts.

Have tried this out and it works OK, if a bit convoluted, but still superior to ePub and PDF library checkout protocol that required either loading obtrusive software onto your computer or other bit gymnastics. My library has a big "checkout Kindle books from metro library partner" button on its home page. You click through and you can browse titles, though I find it ludicrous that they treat digital copies as if they were scarce paper items (i.e., most books have "0" available out of 1/2 "copies" library "licensed"). Validation is a passthru with your library card number and your PIN that then lets you add things to your "bookbag" and checkout. Then you get redirected to Amazon that triggers the book DL just as if you were purchasing. It looks like you can only select one device (I have like 5 Kindle reader "devices" setup -- phone, iPad, Kindle, Desktop & laptop).

Kindle is excellent for reading plain text but books with diagrams, charts, photos, code, etc.…, ePub is a far superior format. However, Kindle wins with the click and easy sync that is so hokey with other eReaders (i.e, using iTunes or launching an app to manually sync, etc.…). Reading a O'Reilly/Addison-Wesley programming/developer title on a Kindle is painful, compared to the ePub experience on iPad (or computer).

[Ookii]

Just got a kindle 3 from someone who went the nook route, what's important to me is that books I already have in epub sync between it and my ipad/iphone. Turns out it's pretty easy to do, just use Calibre to convert the books, and then sync them to your Kindle. You also will have to put the books directly into the Kindle App/Library/eBooks folder on your iphone/ipad, so you'll need to get a program that browses your iphone's folder structure.

[Viin]

Tip: If you publish an ebook trilogy (*cough*Haemish*cough*) please add a ToC/Bookmark for the beginning of each book at least!

[HaemishM]

Yeah, I did that. Like a hundred times. Smashwords converter NEVER got it right, despite allowing it through the conversion process.

[Numtini]

This seems to be popular, it's made a very noticeable change in our system in how many books are available immediately and how long the waiting list is for ones that aren't.

[Salamok]

So if I get a kindle and my wife gets an android tablet can we share the same library?

[Quinton]

If you use the same account with the kindle app as you do on the kindle device, you will access the same books.  I primarily read on a 3rd generation kindle, but sometimes when I'm stuck waiting somewhere I'll fire up the kindle app on my phone and start reading something.  This gives me more incentive to leave wifi on on the kindle so that books I'm readying will be synced to the latest page.

[Trippy]

So if I get a kindle and my wife gets an android tablet can we share the same library?

You can have multiple Kindles and multiple Kindle Reader apps registered to the same Amazon account (i.e. Kindle library). The limit actually varies by title but 6 devices/app readers is the norm. Subscription-based content is bound to a single Kindle device/reader.

This gives me more incentive to leave wifi on on the kindle so that books I'm readying will be synced to the latest page.

You can also turn off sync if you and your wife are reading the same book.

[Ingmar]

If you use the same account with the kindle app as you do on the kindle device, you will access the same books.  I primarily read on a 3rd generation kindle, but sometimes when I'm stuck waiting somewhere I'll fire up the kindle app on my phone and start reading something.  This gives me more incentive to leave wifi on on the kindle so that books I'm readying will be synced to the latest page.

Leaving the wireless turned on will kill your battery life something fierce. It goes from weeks to hours.

[Quinton]

Feels like the difference between 3-4 weeks and 1-2 weeks for me.  Which is enough for me to tend to leave it off.  Except that I do like the last-page-sync feature.  Life is hard!

[murdoc]

Feels like the difference between 3-4 weeks and 1-2 weeks for me.  Which is enough for me to tend to leave it off.  Except that I do like the last-page-sync feature.  Life is hard!

Yup, this seems to be the difference to me too. I can get almost a month with wifi off and a couple weeks with wifi on.

[Kitsune]

I went with the new little nook for the epub support and'm not regretting it.  Especially since my local libraries are putting out their stuff in epub.  It's a dandy device and nice for reading at home, though on the road I'm still perfectly content to throw the books on my ipod or phone and read them that way.

[naum]

Feels like the difference between 3-4 weeks and 1-2 weeks for me.  Which is enough for me to tend to leave it off.  Except that I do like the last-page-sync feature.  Life is hard!

Same. I dare not toggle off because I do read from separate devices (iPad, iPhone, Kindle primarily, but sometimes I look up annotations and notes on desktop or laptop too).

Also, on the iPhone, have discovered that setting the background to dark has resulted in greater battery life. Have not run scientific benchmark tests on this but I sure note and sense a fuller battery gauge, even after reading for a while that previously would dent it a fair fashion.

[Quinton]

On an LCD display, the power difference between black-on-white and white-on-black is going to be in the noise.

On an OLED display, the difference can be enormous (25-50% of your overall screen on but idle power).

[WayAbvPar]

New Kindles and Kindle-tablets launched today...I have been thinking about a tablet for my son, and I am sorely tempted.

[Viin]

I have to pay more to get a Kindle without ads? Lame.

[Numtini]

I have to pay more to get a Kindle without ads? Lame.

They've had a discounted version with adverts since the last generation.

[Soln]

pre-ordered

[Arthur_Parker]

Kindle Fire TV Commercial

Not paying £400 for an ipad but sorely tempted by this.

[caladein]

I have to pay more to get a Kindle without ads? Lame.

Lame part is just that they list the ad-version price in their publicity and such.  It's all relative, but when they introduced them they were less expensive (by the same amount I think) than the base models.

[Numtini]

It's interesting that while it's kindle branded, they are clearly marketing it as a tablet and not as a color ereader. I think doing the latter was a real mistake that B&N made with the Nook color.

[Trippy]

I have to pay more to get a Kindle without ads? Lame.

Lame part is just that they list the ad-version price in their publicity and such.  It's all relative, but when they introduced them they were less expensive (by the same amount I think) than the base models.

People prefer the ad-version of the current-gen model.

http://venturebeat.com/2011/07/26/ad-supported-kindle/

It makes sense that they are promoting the pricing of the ad-version of the upcoming models.

[Salamok]

Can still pick up an HP touchpad new in box from craigslist or ebay for a comparable price to the kindle fire and get more bang for your buck.  New entry level kindle looks like a great deal to me though.

[KallDrexx]

I"m interested in seeing a Nook Color vs Kindle Fire comparison.  It does seem like the media completely overlooks the Nook Color in all the tablet discussions, and I don't know if it's because B&N's marketing sucks or what.