iPad and Kindle: The demise of the Book

[alexis_the_tiny]

I keep thinking, in our lifetimes will we see the end of books being printed at all?

Absolutely NOT! I have ebooks by the dozen on my computer and am eyeballing my first Kindle purchase. But that said, I have one entire floor to ceiling shelving unit filled with books. And I still buy books. Although they tend to be second hand because I think old books look (and smell) nicer and occasionally, you find a really awesome inscription on the inside. I live for finding gems like that.

[CycleTherapy]

FYI.... I just bought a Kindle recently. I was a dyed-in-the-wool, honest to goodness, give me the real deal book worm. But now that I have used it , I would not give it up.

My advice is to pay the extra $50 and purchase the $189 model with both wi-fi and 3G. For $50 you will have 3G for life. If say, you are traveling in a car, away from Wi-fi, not only can you purchase/download a book... but people, you can access the web, for free ! It's a full function web browser, (Google or Yahoo, you choose) you can pull up say, mapquest for directions while in the car,favorite blog sites even email... sure, it doesn't have a color screen but who cares ? To be able to add that functionality (3G, web browser etc) to something you are already purchasing, I say throw in the extra $50 and really have a full functioning device in your hands.

[ShubieGA]

My friends gave me a Kindle for b-day and Christmas (good friends! ). I love my Kindle for traveling, which my job requires. As I am a fast reader, I usually drag a couple books along. But at home I still like to hold a real book. The hard part is when I find a good e-book, it's tough to share with friends!

[CycleTherapy]

Shubie, I don't know if you are a dog lover, but I just finished a novel (via Kindle).. "A Dog's Purpose" by W. Bruce Cameron. I absolutely loved it. I can't stop thinking about the story. Download a sample and see if it's something you would like.

Regards,

[emily_in_nc]

My advice is to pay the extra $50 and purchase the $189 model with both wi-fi and 3G. For $50 you will have 3G for life. If say, you are traveling in a car, away from Wi-fi, not only can you purchase/download a book... but people, you can access the web, for free ! It's a full function web browser, (Google or Yahoo, you choose) you can pull up say, mapquest for directions while in the car,favorite blog sites even email... sure, it doesn't have a color screen but who cares ? To be able to add that functionality (3G, web browser etc) to something you are already purchasing, I say throw in the extra $50 and really have a full functioning device in your hands.

Do you mean that for that $50 you get internet access without a monthly charge?? If so, that's going onto my Christmas list!

[BikeDutchess]

I'm not sure that's the case. It talks about web browsing, but then the terms and conditions say the following:

2. Wireless Connectivity
Use of Wireless Connectivity. Your Kindle uses wireless connectivity to allow you to shop for and download Digital Content from the Kindle Store. In general, we do not charge you for this use of wireless connectivity. Your Kindle may use wireless connectivity to make other services available to you for which we may charge you a fee, such as personal file download and subscriptions when you are located in another country. The fees and terms for such services are located in the Kindle Store and may change from time to time. If your Kindle functions with third party services, such as WI-FI access points, a third party may charge you fees for the use of those services.

Your Conduct. You may use the wireless connectivity provided by us only in connection with the Service. You may not use the wireless connectivity for any other purpose.

I'm confused on whether that allows you to pull up mapquest and such on 3G without extra charges.


Edited to add:
Never mind. Elsewhere it says:

Kindle's new web browser is based on WebKit to provide a better web browsing experience. Now it's easier than ever to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle. Experimental web browsing is free to use over 3G or Wi-Fi [in the U.S.].