[earlgrey]

How do,

I have a collection of programming books and little room to put them, however I do like books to reference and find them easier to read then standard e-books and webpages on a computer screen. Has anyone used an e-book reader such as the kindle and are they worth the money? Also are they effective for learning?

[sbell1099]

I have 2 ipads and i'm going to say nope. I just get distracted however they do lower the amount you have to carry. So go for a kindle or cheap android tablet

[hookiethe1]

I've been wondering about them too, not for myself as I don't read, but my wife reads books like it's fun or something and I was thinking of getting her one, but it's tough to sit and read pages and pages of text even on a high def LCD, so I was wondering how comfortable the kindle display is to look at after a while.

[lordofduct]

the kindle goes for a monochrome non-glare screen. Think something like the Gameboy (the original) but less green and better quality.


Still I'm not to fond of the kindle or similar products. I like books for numerous reason, some aesthetic, others not. Aesthetically I think books look, smell, and feel so much nicer. Functionally I like that I can really own and rip into a book... write in it, fold bits of it, etc.


For leisure reading, I probably could go with a kindle. Stupid fiction that I just read, to read.

But for the books I love... I'm the type who buys hardcover 1st editions of the books I love. A kindle will NEVER replace the pride I have in a filled bookshelf.



@hookiethe1 - if your wife is anything like me, she probably won't like the kindle. Just look in your living room or bedroom. If you have a bookshelf full of hardcover books on display... but is constantly in disarray because she is pulling books off said shelf frequently. Then she'll most likely find the kindle a waste...

This post has been edited by lordofduct: 27 October 2010 - 06:28 AM

[earlgrey]

lordofduct, on 27 October 2010 - 05:26 AM, said:

the kindle goes for a monochrome non-glare screen. Think something like the Gameboy (the original) but less green and better quality.


Still I'm not to fond of the kindle or similar products. I like books for numerous reason, some aesthetic, others not. Aesthetically I think books look, smell, and feel so much nicer. Functionally I like that I can really own and rip into a book... write in it, fold bits of it, etc.


For leisure reading, I probably could go with a kindle. Stupid fiction that I just read, to read.

But for the books I love... I'm the type who buys hardcover 1st editions of the books I love. A kindle will NEVER replace the pride I have in a filled bookshelf.



@hookiethe1 - if your wife is anything like me, she probably won't like the kindle. Just look in your living room or bedroom. If you have a bookshelf full of hardcover books on display... but is constantly in disarray because she is pulling books off said shelf frequently. Then she'll most likely find the kindle a waste...

I must say I am also a fan of books i have my programming books lined up in a compartment on my pc desk. I think I will just stick with the books.

[tlhIn`toq]

Go with the iPad

My blogging about my iPad: http://web.me.com/tl.../iPad/iPad.html

The iPad is so much more than a book reader, but is great if that is all you use it for.
It has the Amazon Kindle app. So it can still be a Kindle device. Plus it has Apple's iBooks. And can get any other book reader apps that you need. And does PDF's and text files.

I keep about 50 C# text books on it... SDK documentation... device manuals.

Plus a great VNC application so I can get into the client machine and fix it.
Plus some good network discovery and analysis tools.
Plus I can watch tv/movies on the flight to the client's site.
Plus I can email/IM.

My bulky laptop can stay hooked up in the hotel room and now only gets used for Visual Studio if I need to make a change on site. Otherwise the iPad does it all for my on-the-go.

[WolfCoder]

I think any digital book readers are a waste. If I wanted to read something off a digital screen I'd use this here micro laptop. But I don't I want to actually open a physical book.

I think the whole idea is kind of stupid function-wise, but a valiant attempt market-wise. Kind of like anything Apple puts out.

[hookiethe1]

earlgrey, on 27 October 2010 - 05:35 AM, said:

I must say I am also a fan of books i have my programming books lined up in a compartment on my pc desk. I think I will just stick with the books.

Same here, I have some textbooks in paper and e-format, and if both are within reach I go for the paper every time.

And yeah, I kinda figured that the kindle would be just gimmicky and end up a dust collector for my wife's purposes. I can see some might have a need for it, but for a recreational reader who does most of their reading in the home I don't really see the point (especially since I looked up the cost of e-books and they're not really any cheaper than a paperback).

[earlgrey]

tlhIn, on 27 October 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

Go with the iPad

My blogging about my iPad: http://web.me.com/tl.../iPad/iPad.html

The iPad is so much more than a book reader, but is great if that is all you use it for.
It has the Amazon Kindle app. So it can still be a Kindle device. Plus it has Apple's iBooks. And can get any other book reader apps that you need. And does PDF's and text files.

I keep about 50 C# text books on it... SDK documentation... device manuals.

Plus a great VNC application so I can get into the client machine and fix it.
Plus some good network discovery and analysis tools.
Plus I can watch tv/movies on the flight to the client's site.
Plus I can email/IM.

My bulky laptop can stay hooked up in the hotel room and now only gets used for Visual Studio if I need to make a change on site. Otherwise the iPad does it all for my on-the-go.

Is the iPad any good for prolongued reading?

[tlhIn`toq]

earlgrey, on 27 October 2010 - 06:08 AM, said:

tlhIn, on 27 October 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

Go with the iPad

My blogging about my iPad: http://web.me.com/tl.../iPad/iPad.html

The iPad is so much more than a book reader, but is great if that is all you use it for.
It has the Amazon Kindle app. So it can still be a Kindle device. Plus it has Apple's iBooks. And can get any other book reader apps that you need. And does PDF's and text files.

I keep about 50 C# text books on it... SDK documentation... device manuals.

Plus a great VNC application so I can get into the client machine and fix it.
Plus some good network discovery and analysis tools.
Plus I can watch tv/movies on the flight to the client's site.
Plus I can email/IM.

My bulky laptop can stay hooked up in the hotel room and now only gets used for Visual Studio if I need to make a change on site. Otherwise the iPad does it all for my on-the-go.

Is the iPad any good for prolongued reading?

I can read it for hours at a time with no problems. It is backlit so I don't have to clip on an itty-bitty-book-light to read it at night. The fonts are changeable, so if you need 24pt type because of bad eyes you can do that. If you can read sans serif easier than serif fonts then change it.

For those that scoff at eBooks and say "go paper"... There were bookkeepers in love with their paper ledger journals that said that too when computers first came out. Do you still use cassette tapes and scoff and CDs and mp3 players.

If you are only using it to read romance novels and murder mysteries then it is overkill. But when was the last time you picked up a 3 pound paper copy of "The C# bible" and did a performed a search function? When was the last time you were able to copy/paste from a paper book into your word processing document or email?

I fly allot. There is no way I could take 50 text books plus LOTS of documentation (site and device docs) with me all the time. But it all fits nicely in my <1 pound iPad.

The only way I can describe it is... its your entire INTERACTIVE library at your fingertips... plus all the other functionality on top.

[hookiethe1]

But what if you're like me, and you'd rather poke yourself in the eye with a sharp stick than buy anything from Apple???

[Curtis Rutland]

The Kindle is now $135 $189 for the one with 3G, lasts a freaking MONTH on one charge if you turn wireless off, and reads like paper (unlike the iPad or any other backlit screen).

Think about that. You could go on a trip and not bring a charger for it, and it'll work at the beginning, middle, and end of your trip on one charge. And then more once you get home. All that, and you can still turn wireless on (for free, by the way) and buy a new book.

Edit: forgot one other thing. It uses MicroUSB as it's charger, which is the emerging standard for newer cell phones. My dad's blackberry and my HTC Evo both share chargers with the kindle. The iPad shares a charger with iPhones and iPods alone.

I have nothing against the iPad, if it's something you want or need. But don't kid yourself, the two are not analogous. The iPad is a portable "semi-computer." It may last longer than any other laptop, but you're not going to use it heavily for a month on one charge. Probably not even two days. And you're not going to be browsing the web or downloading games or apps on the kindle. The two happen to share one feature, but the kindle is 100% dedicated to that feature, and is much more perfectly suited for it. The iPad does a credible job with it, but since it has a broad focus (and a requirement to have pretty animations and designs) it isn't built with the hardware necessary to provide an optimal analogue to a book.

The kindle is strictly an eBook reader. It plays MP3s and has a primitive browser, but neither are more than just bonuses that almost nobody would use. It's designed to be the closest digital recreation of paper possible. It doesn't have any fancy page turning animations like the iPad, but the difference in reading it is clear. Given the choice to spend four hours reading a backlit LCD screen or (very slightly glossy) paper, which would you pick? It really is noticeably different. I've had a kindle for about six months now, and simply won't read paper books if they come in kindle format now. I do miss being able to quickly leaf through pages to find something specific, but I appreciate being able to do a search, bookmark, highlight, dictionary-on-demand, and instant download new material.

Full disclosure: I don't use it for tech manuals. I use it for pleasure reading.

This post has been edited by insertAlias: 27 October 2010 - 08:11 AM

[tlhIn`toq]

hookiethe1, on 27 October 2010 - 06:37 AM, said:

But what if you're like me, and you'd rather poke yourself in the eye with a sharp stick than buy anything from Apple???

LOL
After you poke yourself in the eyes with the sharp stick, it won't matter which brand of reader/tablet/pad you own but can't see.

[P4L]

hookiethe1, on 27 October 2010 - 08:37 AM, said:

But what if you're like me, and you'd rather poke yourself in the eye with a sharp stick than buy anything from Apple???

I've looked into both (yes, Mac Fans, I've looking into an Apple product so I can learn a new technology, and nothing more), and found that the Kindle doesn't have the glare off the screen like the IPad does. Plus, the Kindle is a book reader, nothing more. When I get into reading a book, I don't need an istant message, email, or some other distraction. I just want to read! Now, if you want to be able to do anything you want, plus read, then go for a IPad, or some other tablet computer.

[earlgrey]

hmm well I won't be buying an iPad, I have to justify the money to the wife haha. A kindle does seem like the best idea for my purposes. Has anyone tried any of the kindle alternatives (other brands of e-book readers)? And for some reason the kindle reminds me of a mini xerox machine ha

This post has been edited by earlgrey: 27 October 2010 - 08:05 AM