i Book

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

ok... here is where I show my age .... I know little to nothing about these hi-tec fancy things......

 

My wife will read anything anywhere and numerous times over. If I had a dollar for every book she has bought in the last 30+ years I would likely be able to retire now. Not complaining... if she had the money I spent on cars and motorcycles... she would have a lot more books.

 

I see these book readers... I think they look great but do not know anything about them or how one get the books loaded on and costs. What is a good one what is a bad one if I was to get her one for Christmas.....

 

Any help................

[SMSgt]

I read a lot as well. My wife has asked several times if I wanted a Nook or Kindle. I have told her that I don't want an electronic book. I like the feel of a book in my hand and watching the book mark moving through the book.

I have a neighbor who loves his Nook and lots of people do but I guess I'm just a little old fashion.

I know this doesn't help a great deal but you might ask, somehow, if she wants one.

Good luck and have a Merry Christmas

Kent

[dingy]

I am leaning towards the Kindle Fire. Ones like the Nook use an e-Ink process that is not backlighted. Somewhat akin to actually reading a book though I guess.

I like the Kindle Fire color version which is very similar to an LCD computer screen. $199 at most retailers. 7" screen, so it is smaller than the Apple IBook, but more convienent for wife to put in purse and not have to carry an extra bag.

Very nice graphics on the one a coworker has just gotten also.

It also acts like a web browser when it is within a WIFI signal. screen will switch from portrait mode to landscape depending on how it is being held.

Gary

[Phoneman1981]

Hello: My Wife started out reading ibooks on an Apple Ipad $500. Great to carry with us on the scooter for email and internet access also. She thought she would miss the book shopping experience at various book stores, but soon learned the convenience of shopping for ibooks was very very convenient. Our 5 year old grandson took a liking to the Ipad so I purchased my wife a WiFi Kindle reader for $150, she really likes it, easier to see the text in direct sunlight. Thinner than actual book. Smaller and lighter than the Ipad. No more books laying around the house in need of hauling or trading with others. Just my thoughts. Hope this helps?

[midnightventure]

I loaded free Kindle software onto my netbook. Then I downloaded a bunch of free old books from the Gutenburg Project. Old westerns,science fiction, Mark Twain. Zane Grey, Max Brand, Andre Norton. It's amazing how quick they download. I just bought my first book today from Amazon. A book on hammock camping.

[Jayceesfolly]

I just bought a Kindle Fire for my wife and she loves it. Has WiFi plus internet and e-mail, all in a smaller package than the Apple iPad. She has mobile hotspot on her iPhone so she can connect to the Internet anywhere to down load books, and all the other stuff on the Internet. Plus you can transfer files from a computer to the Kindle Fire and have all your information, right at your fingertips, in a very small package. I am going to buy one for myself to take with me when I travel. Plus, as noted above, Gutenberg has thousands of free books to download.

[RedRider]

Check with your local library and see what format they support - Kindle or Nook (likely both).

 

That way, your wife can borrow books rather than buy.

 

RR

[Hummingbird]

I've deliberately ignored all of the 'readers' because my wife prefers to listen as opposed to reading. So my question is "is there something that downloads a voice instead of text ? "

 

[jbillerzippo]

I just purchased the Kindle Fire for my Wife for Christmas. I'v had a Ipad for the past year an like it very much. But the price for the Kindle is hard to beat.

[Mike G in SC]

My wife is big on Kindle, for several years now.

She reads on the back of our RSV rather than stare at my helmet.

I can usually tell from the jab in the back,,, used to be paperbacks.

 

She has also given them to her daughters, grandkids and her sister.

Not sure how all it works but you can add user names to your account.

I think they can grab books you have paid for. Classics like Moby Dick are free.

You can also extend the account to PC's and such.

 

As for reading on the bike,,, please restrict to passenger.

It usually puts me to sleep.

 

Mike G

[Wizard765]

OK Here is my take.. we just bought my wife a Samsung Tab 8.9.

 

IF you want it just for reading then the e-ink versions would be the way to go. They can be read in any lighting situation that a book can be read in (outside, inside, room lighting, sunlight etc) and the battery holds up for weeks.

 

IF you want to do more than read (email, browse the web, etc) then the Kindle Fire or the Nook or the new Kobo Vox would be a better choice. In all these cases they are like a small tablet although in most cases they are tied into the system they came from. IE Amazon for the Kindle. Battery life is about a day (7 hours of continuous use)

 

There are numerous tablets available today that have the whole operating system such as the iPad 2 and the Samsung Tabs.. These have access to the whole market place as well as being faster.

So it comes down to what you want to do with it.

 

Reading only

Reading and some web content

Reading web content and all the other stuff like gaming, info apps, etc...

[bongobobny]

For just reading my vote is for the Kindle. If you don't need the color version the B&W ones are superior and a lot cheaper! They can be found for under $100 and work great in all lighting conditions...

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I've deliberately ignored all of the 'readers' because my wife prefers to listen as opposed to reading. So my question is "is there something that downloads a voice instead of text ? "

 

 

Lucky guy! my wife has not listened yet

[Wolf]

I've deliberately ignored all of the 'readers' because my wife prefers to listen as opposed to reading. So my question is "is there something that downloads a voice instead of text ? "

 

 

 

audible.com is great for audio books.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

I read a lot as well. My wife has asked several times if I wanted a Nook or Kindle. I have told her that I don't want an electronic book. I like the feel of a book in my hand and watching the book mark moving through the book.

I have a neighbor who loves his Nook and lots of people do but I guess I'm just a little old fashion.

I know this doesn't help a great deal but you might ask, somehow, if she wants one.

Good luck and have a Merry Christmas

Kent

 

I have asked her and she "is not sure". Her biggest worry is how would she share her books back and forth with her sister who is the same way with reading. She thinks they will have to get the same type so they can share them. Where her sister lives they do not have high speed just dial up internet so she would have my wife loading it for her anyway.

[GAWildKat]

if you buy books through amazon you can lend a book to a friend through the kindle programs. Or do like me and make multiple copies of the book files and share them on CD and give them to her sister. all my books can be loaded on a memory card and added to my ereader.

[Hummingbird]

audible.com is great for audio books.

 

Thanks but now her frugal attitude kicks in - she has yet to BUY any books. She always gets them at the library and I'm forced to listen to some really good (???) books when we go on a driving trip. Which is often enough to make me trade my 09 Silverado on a new 2001 last month.( too many miles)

 

Does the "readers" do voice ? I didn't think they even had a speaker

[GAWildKat]

my reader has many different voice options where I can get a text based book read to me via a speaker or headphones, or get an audiobook. I can play mp3's on mine as well.

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

my reader has many different voice options where I can get a text based book read to me via a speaker or headphones, or get an audiobook. I can play mp3's on mine as well.

 

I am sorry if I missed it GAWildKat but what brand or type of reader is that you are using... it sounds great. I am not a great reader but if I can get books on one of these things that I can listen to on the bus and stuff it would be great too

[GAWildKat]

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/PocketBook-White--Ink-eBook-Reader/dp/B004GHW4AC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323051350&sr=1-1]Amazon.com: PocketBook Pro 902 White 9.7 E-Ink eBook Reader: Electronics@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kv2PLwEDL.@@AMEPARAM@@41kv2PLwEDL[/ame] I use this one, yes it's a bit more pricey but I haven't crashed it like I did the nook just flipping pages.

[Oldseadog]

Kevin, my wife is an avid reader, and has had an Ibook for the last year and loves it. She hasn't bought a hard copy book since. We also like the ability to search the internet and access email while we are on the go.

 

Bill

[Marcarl]

Marca listens to all her books that she downloads onto her i-pod from the local library. Seems to work great for her. The program is called overdrive, and you can find it on your library website. I don't think it cost her a lot, seeing as I can't seem to remember the cost,,, but that might have something to do with 'matter'.

[Cougar]

Going to have my wife try out the newer Sony e-reader for Xmas

FYI, Sony produced the first e-reader made in about 2005 I think.

[saltcreep]

audible.com is great for audio books.

 

Another vote for Audible.

 

I also download podcasts and listen to those... several of them offer short stories, different every week, with a huge backlog of previous shows you can listen to also.

 

I don't have an Ipod, but a zune, but I imagine these are about the same.. in the Zune marketplace there is a section for hundreds of podcasts where you can chose the subject you want and find some good listening stuff in there.

2 of the ones I like -> Pseudopod (horror), Escape Pod (science Fiction)

[kevin-vic-b.c.]

Well, I bought one, well it may be more than a reader but I looked at a few stores.... Sorry Apple but I don't have that kinda cash..... I did not like only being able to deal with Amazon.... and well now she will be able to do her recipes and take and keep her own photos.

 

I bought her a Blackberry Playbook. It is not much bigger than a Kindle or a Nook but is able to do more I think. I keep thinking of the economy and thinking if I do not support the Canadian technology firm who will. I know the units are all made overseas but at least I am doing my part I guess.

 

I am not even sure she will use it but I am going to give it a try for her.... thank you everyone for your input .... I may not of chosen what you have or have suggested but I did the homework and the shopping to compare them.

 

Thank you, it is just