Kindle Electronic Reader vs Nook?

[SlowButSteady]

Nothing will ever replace books for me.

But I recently purged sackfuls of books--donated to Friends of the Library. In fact, I am in the process of purging alot of clutter from my home (link to related thread: http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...hlight=clutter )

My home has a dedicated library room. It's full. I need to purge some more.

Tentatively, I'm leaning toward Barnes & Noble's Nook. Its format is library compatible. More selections. Color touch screen. Titles are "lendable".

I also like the idea of financially supporting Barnes & Noble...I like their physical stores--the music, atmosphere, the Starbucks.

Kindle is marketed by Amazon. I don't have a neighborhood Amazon to experience.

[smilingcat]

There will be other me too products pretty soon. So unless you really want it, you may want to hold out. Maybe the price will drop even more. Kindle dropped its price and B&N's Nook matched the price.

I wonder if I can take the java applet for the reader off ipod/iphone and load it onto my net book. My netbook does have java support...

[limewave]

I was just offered a great deal on the new Kindle. I didn't think I'd ever be able to afford one. I'm so tempted to buy it. I love books. We have a big library at home and I can't imagine giving up my hardbacks. But I think I would love a Kindle for traveling . . . . . .

[Irulan]

I just bought a Nook for my son for the holidays. You can load PDF's right into one, or store them on a smart card. The kindle requires cumbersome software to convert PDFs into a readable format. Son has his entire D&D library on PDF, plus many of his college textbooks are available in that format. So for us it's an obvious choice. No more carrying around 65 pounds of textbooks for starters.

[Pax]

No more carrying around 65 pounds of textbooks for starters.

Ooooh, I hadn't thought of that application, excellent!

[arielmoon]

I am reluctant to get a first edition of any electronic gadget so that would rule out the nook for me. I have contemplated the kindle but it still seems like quite a bit to plunk down. The new books are not any cheaper in e-edition either.

I read A LOT and I make use of the library whenever I can. I only buy books that I cant get there. I keep the ones I will read again, and I try to give away or donate the others because I cant stand clutter!

[kenyonchris]

I am a bookaholic. I was an editor just out of college and read 800 plus pages a day of copy. I can't read at the speed to accuracy ratio I read on paper while on the computer. I don't know why. I can read fast and inaccurately or slow and accurately but not both. And it eventually gives me a headache. So I have avoided the Kindle even though it would be nice to have all three or four of the books I have going at any one time in one spot. People who have tried it tell me that they have the same issues withe the computer but not the kindle. Why is that, you think?

[andtckrtoo]

I just bought a Nook for my son for the holidays. You can load PDF's right into one, or store them on a smart card. The kindle requires cumbersome software to convert PDFs into a readable format. Son has his entire D&D library on PDF, plus many of his college textbooks are available in that format. So for us it's an obvious choice. No more carrying around 65 pounds of textbooks for starters.

The Kindle2 accepts .pdf's, word docs, etc via an email address. It's very easy to do. No converting anything.

I love my Kindle2. I also have shelves upon shelves of books and quite honestly, I was running out of room to put them all. The Kindle has a wonderful screen, very unlike a computer screen. It's a flat ivory and the words are black. It looks a lot like newsprint. It is not back lit, and I can read it with the sun shining on my back and on the screen. It's the size of a book, so it's comfortable to hold. On recent business trip to Munich, I was able to carry one, slim Kindle and went through 3 books. I was so happy not to have to carry all of the books. It took a bit to get used to hitting page forward instead of turning a page, but I got that. I think the only real drawback is that if someone mentions page 200 in the hard copy, I don't have an equivalent - at least that I found.

[OakLeaf]

I think the only real drawback is that if someone mentions page 200 in the hard copy, I don't have an equivalent - at least that I found.

That's funny...

On the books I have that are formatted for the Sony Reader (as opposed to universal format books, which are a little harder to read if they have a lot of chapter titles, short stories, etc.), I do get page numbers, but I don't know whether those match the hardcover, trade paperback or mass market paperback.

[Red Rock]

After reading this forum, you all had me thinking and thinking...I went to amazon to check the Kindle out. I can see how this would be great especially with the newspaper and magazine capability. It would cut down on the paper I recieve at the house. It would go to the Kindle. Not only that, I am in the middle of 6 books. They are piled up on my shelf. With this, they would all be in the Kindle and I would have my shelf space. WOW.

I have a question though. More might come later.

If you already subscribe to a mag and want to get it on the Kindle how do you do the conversion? I guess the same would apply for a newspaper.

How do you pay for your books that you download? If they are $9.99 each (or whatever the cost is) how are thy paid for?

How do you get beyond the $300 price tag (or thereabouts)?

Thank you,
Red Rock