eReader options

[Ed Pawlowski]

Actually both. If you run out of room you can leave books on the Amazon (or B&N) server and get it again later.

[Don Y]

Yes, as I mentioned in my reply to Frank (alongside this reply of yours), I already use it on my tablet PC. My technical library is a hodge-podge of different formats (cuz folks can't seem to PICK ONE! :< ). I have PDF, MOBI, EPUB, PS, DJVU, CHM, CBR, INFO, man(1) pages, etc. I've been slowly trudging through it and converting everything to PDF -- so I can just use a PDF reader to access all of that content.

I don't think she is interested in accumulating ebooks. Rather, just wants to be able to *access* them -- without being chained to a PC. We've been steadily working on ridding ourselves of paper (books, magazines, bank statements, financial records, canceled checks, etc.) though she still has a rather large collection of "art" books (probably 40 linear feet) and I still have (a similar amount) of technical references that simply aren't available in other forms.

[OTOH, I managed to get rid of nearly 80 "xerox boxes" of paperbacks over the years!]

All she wants is to be able to grab a book from the library and *read* it. With the *paper* books, this was easy: wait for book to arrive, check it out, read it, return it -- done! No technology involved beyond her library card.

But, it's clear the library is looking to shed staff and facilities and moving to a virtual library is one big step in that direction (I think we have ~20 branch libraries *in* town -- lots of staff and facilities to maintain)

So, on the iPad, you have to invoke an *app* to get at the books?

I don't understand why the "cover" makes a difference? E.g., with my tablet PC, I just set it on my lap, counter/desk or against my propped up legs (if reading in bed). Holding it in my arms would be tiring as it is rather large...

I can't see how putting it *in* something would make it any better (?)

[Though I have a screen protector film on the display to keep the pen from scratching the plastic]

[Don Y]

Ah, OK. We don't have any magazine subscriptions. She just recently commented on yet another attempt to get her to RE-subscribe to a magazine she had years ago: "I saved the old issues and all they do is recycle the same articles..."

Ditto. I find that if I have to spend any time with a document, I will print a copy -- then "recycle" the paper when I'm done with it. Some of the datasheets for the components that I use might be 1000+ pp so this leaves me cringing (even with a duplex printer, that's a whole ream of paper!). But, there's something special about being able to flip back and forth between relevant sections just by sticking a finger "in" the document at the right spot(s).

[E.g., it may describe the device pinout in one chapter and details of a specific *set* of pins in another; and details of yet another set of pins in a third!]

OTOH, keeping paper originals of things eats up shelf space at an incredible rate (a few feet per project)! So, digital forms for "long term storage" seem to be best.

[E.g., I think my MULTICS manuals are about 2 feet of shelf space]

[Unquestionably Confused]

Nope. I use Calibre to email an epub to a mail account accessed exclusively on my iPad. I click on the attachment and select "Open in iBook" (a native application on iOS) OR, if I am home and access the home network, I just point Safari to the Calibre server and I can search, browse, etc. all my books. Click on the one I want and tell Safari to open it in iBooks.

Once you accept it either in email or Safari a copy is stored on the iPad until such time as you delete it in iBooks.

Depends on the size of the tablet or reader I suppose. That tip was given to me by a friend who suggested that having a cover to hold it like a traditional book is a more natural transition to an ereader from a paper book. It worked well for me, but, as always, YMMV

[Susan Bugher]

I'm a fan of ebooks (read about one day) but I seldom borrow ebooks from my local library because the books I'd like to read are seldom available

- they don't offer them or there are 90 people "on reserve" ahead of me (YMMV). IMO your wife should try borrowing some books on a device your already own before you spend money on a new device.

I did a bit more reading about supported devices for OverDrive. I have two Nooks and it appears neither of them will work with the OverDrive app ..

"Borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video from your library using OverDrive on your NOOK."

NOOK Device

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 NOOK 7.0 NOOK by Samsung [Tab 4 10.1, S2 & E] NOOK HD Tablet NOOK HD+ Tablet

Current Nook offerings at B&N: . "NOOK GlowLight Plus?" is NOT on the list. of Overdrive supported apps.

Susan

[Don Y]

This seems like a roundabout way of doing it (?)

Why aren't you just "copying" it to the iPad? Why go through the email step? Is there no other way to move files onto the iPad? (dunno, never used one)

I only use Calibre for (one-time) conversions. My library is mirrored (currently on two drives, but that can change) as are most of my "precious" files. But, I have a "distributed" RAID array, of sorts, (too "involved" to discuss here) and just copy the file(s) of interest onto whatever device needs them (e.g., the tablet PC if I am just trying to read something)

So, what happens when you run out of disk? Can/do you move that copy off to a backup archive?

How is it "inadequate" without the cover? Too small? Too slippery?

I.e., does your iPad have/need a cover for similar reasons?

[Don Y]

Wow! I read about one (real) book a week (500pp) -- leisure, not counting technical literature -- and thought that was pretty aggressive! I figured an hour a day for leisure was a huge set-aside!

Reserves, here, are non-renewable. So, you take out a title that has ANYONE waiting on it and you have to return it in 3 weeks. They tend to order ~50 copies at a time so even 100 folks waiting for their arrival means you've got < 6 weeks to wait.

We've learned to keep lots of titles (books, DVDs, CDs, etc) on reserve so there's always *something* ready to consume. SWMBO is a slow reader (and allocates very little time to it) so a typical "best seller" will take most of that 3 week period to consume.

We don't own any small/portable devices. No smart phones. No tablets. Just PC's, tablet PC's and other appliances that simply would not be suited to "reading a book" :-/

Hence the reason for asking about folks' experiences with these devices.

I think that's what my friend had. ePaper display. Very small. Wireless network connection (and little else). I'm pretty sure SWMBO would NOT like that reading experience.

I may just put something on one of the tablet PC's for her and let her

*try* to read/use it...

[Don Y]

How do you find a specific title? Or, are there only a small number of titles on the device at any given time (e.g., dozens instead of thousands)?

I can't see SWMBO using that sort of feature. She's reading for entertainment, not "research". The books that she "studies" are all dead tree implementations so she can put post-it notes in the pages, etc.

I use PDF's for my archive because I can put lots of stuff in that container alongside the "document": illustrations, sounds, animations, source/object code, etc.

And, I can augment documents -- include notes about errors I've found or clarifications of the existing material, etc. (having a pen interface lets me include sketches in those notes!)

Yeah, I don't deal well with audio books. I don't "digest" material as well when it is read to me. And, I think random access is more tedious; if I want to skip back a paragraph (or whatever) to doublecheck how something mentioned there fits with something I'm reading *here*, it's easier to just glance up and hunt for the information visually.

I think the same sort of thing applies to dead tree documents; you have a visual memory of where it was on the page, verso/recto, etc. and can flip through hunting for it based on those remembered criteria.

[Don Y]

So, what happens when the device is "full"?

[Frank]

My Kindle is in my fanny pack and I read it when in a deer stand. Takes up half the space of a paperback and is readable in bright light and even at sunset.

At home, I prefer books in book form.

I know you can sign up with the county library and download books for the Kindle over the internet but they treat it like you borrowed a library book and it has to be renewed every two weeks. Not worth the bother for me as I don't set a time limit on reading a book.

Friend used to go to library for books on tape which could be put on an MP3 player. Think this could also be done on a tablet or Kindle Fire.

[Don Y]

I'm not sure if the titles she reads are strictly on the NYT best seller list but they are most definitely "new issues". We can't, for example, get a title issued in the past 12 months through interlibrary loan (if our library doesn't have the title). So, you're pretty much stuck waiting for them to buy some copies -- and *hoping* they do!

Yes, I think at least some of the "etitles", here, come direct from Amazon. Some sort of hybrid personal+library account; so it's not *just* the library that is acquiring it.

(sigh)

"This toilet paper brought to you by..."

Then, the document and state are stored in the cloud?

She typically just reads at home. I.e., if the library would *loan* a device preloaded with the book she wants she'd be happy. (well, more happy than if she had to find a device to start with; less happy than if they just gave her a *book*!)

Different experience, of course. You're not really "interacting" with an ebook.

When I (used to!) travel, I would buy/take a single novel (~500pp) for the trip. The ~2+ hour wait in the outgoing airport plus the ~2+ hour wait in the returning airport would be just enough time to finish it. A pad and paper for the actual plane ride(s) -- reading on a plane is too sedate for my preference.

Holdsemfromfloppen?

Hmmm... a *regular* dictionary may be helpful for her. When she opts to read things that get a bit technical, I get lots of, "Don, what does..." queries.

(sigh) I'll have to put something in her hands and see how she likes it. Despite having moved my leisure and technical libraries onto "media", I still gravitate towards titles that I can "hold" in my hands -- esp leisure reading.

[We have a fair number of used book stores, here. And, the public library has frequent sales of discarded/donated titles. So, I can often find something there for $1/title. Or, $5/bag! Then, donate it *back* when done.]

[Unquestionably Confused]

I'm relatively new to the iPad - only Apple device I own. My Calibre program resides on a desktop and the "library files (my collection of ebooks (~ 6,000 volumes) reside on a NAS (RAID) For me this was/is the most straight forward way to do it. YMMV. Just saying that for me, the native iBooks application works fine and I personally found it preferable to the Nook or any of the various ereader apps I tried on my Toshiba Thrive tablet. Again, as all this is subjective opinion, YMMV

That's my situation as well. Books on the iPad are there only until I finish reading them. Then I delete them. I don't worry about backups on the iPad as I have have them all stored (and managed by Calibre) on the NAS at home.

My iPad is one of those fairly rare 128GB models so that's not an issue for me, but regardless I only "store" current content there or what's "stockpiled" for my current reading desires. At most there may be twenty books on the iPad at any one time (10 - 15 MB).

It's strictly, I suppose, a matter of personal preference. I have a cover for all my devices and like them. They all function pretty much the same.

1. Protects the screen when not in use
2. Allows me to hold the device in two hands as if I was reading a book in the conventional fashion (as opposed to reading a book with the pages on the left and the cover folded back upon itself (hard to describe but take a magazine and fold/hold it so only a single page is viewable at one time and maybe you'll see what I mean)
3. If I want to read it like a magazine folded over, I can as the cover will fold back on itself exposing only the screen of the iPad allowing me to hold it single handed.
4. The case I have also swivels on the back so I can use it to form an easel and set the iPad in a reading position on my desk or table.

[Frank]

I would avoid trying to download a free copy of somebody's swiped copy of a book normally for sale. Too much potential for a malicious virus.

[Don Y]

OK.

OK. But why "emailing" the document? Isn't that just a roundabout way of *copying* it? I.e., you are sending it (via a desktop app?) to a mail server and then *retrieving* it (via an iPad app) just to get it *onto* the iPad (in an "inbox"). Then, saving that "attachment" elsewhere (on the iPad). Can't you just "copy" it, directly?

Understood.

OK. So, the "backup" exists implicitly. The iPad copy is "disposable".

OK. The step I was missing was that you are emailing from your "backup/archive". It's not like the email was the FIRST time you'd touched the document (i.e., it had already been moved to your archive before you ever really *looked* at it)

Understood. I keep a film on my tablet PCs screens but that just protects against the abuse/scratches from the pen. If someone were to set something on it (or drop it!), I'd be SoL.

Ahhhh! OK. The cover is there not so much as a skin but for it's "hinge". Even though you don't have a display on the left side for the verso pages, you have the mechanical *structure* of having those pages "in your left hand".

The documents that I read on my tablet PC tend to be large sheets of paper; the sort you would more easily read "from a stack" (of one sided sheets) instead of flipping through double sided sheets "stapled together" (think about how you'd PREFER to read a 15 page "report")

Understood. This is how I envisioned the cover working. It hadn't occurred to me that it could turn the device into an "open book" form (even though that book only has rector pages!)

OK. Now I see the "closer manifestation of a paper book". Thanks!

[Don Y]

Books shouldn't (implicitly) contain executables. So, the only potential for an "infection" would be a buggy reader implementation. In much the same way that *photos* don't (implicitly) contain code and any exploits are the result of poor "viewer" implementations.

Contrast this with PDF's -- which *do* contain "code" (albeit postscript and/or adobe script).

The "swiped copy" issue should be one of morality/legality. Would you want someone stealing *your* work?

[rbowman]

I tend to throw mine in a boat bag, etc, and the cover improves the survivability, sort of like the neoprene sleeve on the tablet. The one I have can also be used to stand the Kindle up like an easel.

[Don Y]

How do ebook pages compare to print pages? E.g., can you provide a count for some (popular) title that I could contrast with a print version? And, does page count vary based on (chosen) font size?

For example, a recent read (for me) was _Snow Crash_ -- just under 500pp in an ~8x10" format.

I've kept about 4 xerox boxes of paperbacks -- those that I reread the most often or that have some other sentimental attachment. Or, that are hard to find in other forms or lose much of their appeal in non-paper forms (e.g., _Letters from the Earth_ -- ). Or, have quirky little illustrations that complement the "read".

A E van Vogt is my favorite science fiction author (I suspect I have every title that he's written -- even reissues under different titles!). When I encounter one of his titles at a used bookstore (increasingly rare), I simply buy it, reread it and donate it (if I've already got a better copy in storage). This allows me to reread without having to "wear" titles out.

(Having said that, some titles simply don't hold up to use; e.g., _The Yum Yum Book_ was printed on very "stiff" paper so the pages *break* off!)

[rbowman]

I know the feeling... This library buys quite a few new books but they, properly I suppose, cater to the taste of the clientele. Several times I've went looking for more classic titles that I know they had only to find they were sold off to make room for more vampires.

New titles are cheaper in ebooks than paper. Amazon did a good job of price busting; the publishers were not happy.

What I particularly enjoy is the number of obscure books that are available in electronic format.

The ads are mostly for book titles. iirc the 'special offers' model was $30 or so cheaper and I'm not bothered by something that goes away when I turn the device on. epaper is like an etch-a-sketch -- the display doesn't go off with the power.

Yes. If you delete a book from the device it still remains 'archived' in the cloud and can be retrieved. I should do some deleting. One weakness I've found with the model I have is the lack of an effective way to organize the titles. Basically, the last accessed is first on the list.

[Tony Hwang]

You read one book a day? Wonder what kinda book that is. I do eRead a lot. About one book a week, Kobo, Kindle or on iPAD. Local library does not have books I am interested.

[rbowman]

I found that a long time ago except for the magazines covering a moving target. It's rather like the school system; they start a beginning class, work them through to more complex matters, and then restart the cycle in a year or two.

I'm down to 'Circuit Cellar', 'Motorcycle Consumer News', and 'Guns & Ammo'. I don't even remember subscribing to the last one. I certainly haven't paid for it in years but it keeps coming like some of the trade magazines.