E-books and iPhones etc.

[Big Mike]

Ok, so here's the deal. I like to read and there is a (well several) new book I'd like to get. It's not out in paper back and as much as I like owning hardcover books, I don't like reading them in bed. I'd love to get an E-reader like a Kindle etc., but the problem is that if I do, my wife and I will be fighting over it. Getting two would be nice, but let's not break the bank here.

We both have iPhones and I've been reading a few (free) things via iBooks.

So I want to ask people's opinions of reading on a phone vs an E-reader. I'm sure the E-reader is better, but should I even bother to buy iBooks? And also, I want to know if, when I buy a book on iBooks, is it accessible to other devices (my wife's phone). I can't find an answer to that one.

 

[Light Guru]

The only time ill do any reading on my iPhone is when im waiting for something. the screen is just to small for regular reading, I do all that on my iPad.

As far as the other person being able to also use books purchased from the Apple iBook Store, as long as you are both using the same iTunes account that is not an issue.

 

[Designer]

Don't overlook the free ones you can download from your local public library. I think those are the only ones my spousal unit reads. Most of the good ones have a short waiting list, just like a paper book, and after a certain length of time they are deleted from your device.

(edit) If you do much reading in the dark, you will need a device with a backlight.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

As far as the other person being able to also use books purchased from the Apple iBook Store, as long as you are both using the same iTunes account that is not an issue.

Yep.

Also, if you're strictly looking for something to read with, I personally own an iPad 2 and love to read with that. The iPad would integrate nicely with your iPhones. The iPad is a very good size for reading, it feels just about the right size in your hands. The iBook app is rich and full-featured making it a pleasure to use.

Perhaps consider a used iPad 1 or 2 to keep costs down.

 

[Overread]

Honestly I cannot imagine trying to read on a mobile phone screen. Sure ok for emails and short messages, but a whole book? Bah tiny screen and my thumb would be numb within moments of having to turn the page every half a sentence.



E-reader wise I've experience of the Kindle and Amazon setup, I've not used the iPad/Pod/tech stuff.
The e-ink of the Kindle is really fantastic, you honestly cannot tell it from regular print and you get no glare or eyestrain that is more common with bright LCD screens and the similar. The only times you can get some problems are in very bright lighting when it shines at you a bit like any reflective surface (but honestly even paper shines you out in strong light). Heck when I got mine I spent 10 mins trying to peel the protective screen cover off the screen before I realised that it was the actual screen itself and that the type is that good.

From there the kindle is pretty basic, its an electronic book and nothing else. It can do a couple of other things, but at its core its a text book pure and simple. It won't distract you with emails, phone calls, the internet or anything; it just gives you your books to read.
You get access to all of Amazons Kindle store and any purchases you make are tied to your kindle account (if you buy your kindle through amazon unless you specify otherwise, it comes tied to your account already so no setup needed what so ever (you can change this at a later date if you want)). This means that any purchases you make on Amazon are stored on Amazon itself, so you can remove them from the Kindle if you want and download them at a latter date.
US side you can also gift ebooks to each other through amazon (annoyingly this feature is not present for the UK/European market at this point in time).
It also has an insane battery life (if you turn the wireless net connection off) lasting for weeks and weeks between charges.

Also don't forget that there are several periodicals which you can get on the Kindle - although some of these might better suite the Kindle Fire series where they have colour displays (although note that then you're back onto a tablet rather than an e-reader so no e-ink feature and also all the other slew of additional things like email and the like)

Downsides -
It's got no backlight, it really is a book pure and simple.
It tends to get a bit confused with images in books so for any technical manuals its not that good. It does show them, but they tend to be hard to read compared to a proper book. The US Does have a larger screen kindle which is generally viewed as better for images and also PDFs (which the kindle views as an image as opposed to a document, on the small ones this means you have to scroll left to right for every line to read it - although you can always convert them to a text document to read normally).


Overall I love my kindle - its lighter and easier to read than big paperback and hardback volumes and it doesn't try to do any fancy things - its a simple functional tool (ps most of them also have ear phone ports or even their own speakers so you can listen to audio books - its also got a text to audio function, but that is plagued with "computer" style speak and is, ok if you need it, but not ideal). About the only feature I get annoyed with is the fact that I can't set my own backgrounds when its in powersave mode (you can hack it to do this of course) - other than that it does what I need it to do and I love being able to travel and read without having to carry a tonne of books.


If you go the Amazon path I've got the larger version with keyboard, comes it at the same size as a paperback volume. Far as I know the keyboard version is now only sold with the free 3G feature which does ramp the price up, and honestly most of the time you wont' need anywhere online connection for book access (and if you're in any country where you can't get to a computer chances are 3G probably isn't there either). I've not used the keyboard much, mostly for a bit of searching in the shop when I want a specific book, otherwise I tend to do most of the shopping on my computer - just buy on Amazon and its ready to download the next time the Kindle has a connection. With that in mind you could both get copies of the cheap kindle without much worry about the missing keyboard (unless you really want to leave notes in books - short ones at least).

 

[nmoody]

The girlfriend and I share and amazon account and have her kindle and phone as well as my phone and tablet hooked up to the same account. This allows our library's to be the same and we don't have to purchase anything twice. We also don't have to fight over the kindle because we can use any device that has the kindle app installed.

 

[Big Mike]

Thanks everyone.

The girlfriend and I share and amazon account and have her kindle and phone as well as my phone and tablet hooked up to the same account. This allows our library's to be the same and we don't have to purchase anything twice. We also don't have to fight over the kindle because we can use any device that has the kindle app installed.

This interests me. I could buy one simple E-reader (probably as a gift for the wife) but then also use my iPhone (via Kindle app) to access our books when she's hogging the Kindle.

I don't so much mind reading on my iPhone so far. The small screen and constant page turning isn't so bad, but the bright backlit screen could get annoying.

The main problem that I've been reading about, which concerns iBooks, is that the format is proprietary. In other words, it's hard (maybe impossible) to buy a book on iBooks and then read it on a non-apple device. Where as other companies make their books easier to share, or they are simply open source.
So that's why I'm hesitant to follow my impulse and just buy a $20 book on iBooks.

 

[Overread]

Ahh yes I'd forgotten about that - you can store the same book from Amazon on up to 3 (I think) devices at the same time, so you could easily share two Kindles through one Amazon account without any problems - though note that the Kindle shop works by one-click-buy only - as a result whoever has their card linked up to the one-click-buy feature will get charged (something to consider if one reads more than the other and doesn't want to have a surprise account bill at the end of the month).

Also check out calibre - E-book management
I use it to help manage my Kindle. For Amazon books its not an issue, but for regular text documents or free ebooks (from legal sources) its fantastic for converting (it can convert into multiple formats) and also editing book details and making sets and the like. It also detects a connected kindle and lets you upload stuff to it instantly - its a really neat free package to help with ebook management - esp when you start having independent books not sold through the Amazon Store.


PS - I've no idea if you can combine ibook and Amazon book supplies together in any way - far as I know their books come with copy and other protections and can't be adjusted and the like (though I'm totally open to someone showing that they can be used across platforms).

 

[cgipson1]

Read a lot of Kindle on my Iphone and Ipod Touch, and my Ipad, and on my Kindle (old style keyboard type)... depends on where I am, and what I have with me.

I find my Iphone / Ipod Touch very easy to read from.. using a single hand, while eating lunch with the other. The Kindle app really works well.

Kindle is nice.. as long as there is light. The new Paperwhite version with built in light looks really nice!

Ipad? My least favorite due to the size, and weight! Have to use two hands... and I hate the screen glare from room lights.

 

[ronlane]

Mike,

I have a barnes and noble account that my wife and I share. She reads on her phone most of the time and I use my original iPad. I did have the nook, but have since willed that to my daughter, who also loves to read. I think you should be able to share an account on amazon as well. I prefer the bigger screens of the ereaders and the iPad, but in a pinch, I will use the iPhone to read on.

You can also read from your pc or laptop with the Kindle app or the Nook app. (Not my favorite way to read but it is an option.)

Hope that helps some.

 

[sm4him]

I'm in the Amazon account/Kindle camp. I mostly use my Kindle Fire for when "book reading", but I love that I can then access the same book on my phone via the Kindle app, or my home computer, or my work computer.
I also upload "independent" pdf ebooks onto my Kindle Fire--my camera manual, some dps photography ebooks, some science fiction books that my son has sent me in pdf format.

One question I have (since I live alone and don't have to "share" with anybody!)--If you share an account, and you both have a Kindle (or Kindle app), could you read the same book AT the same time? And if you can, how would you mark where you last read? For instance, I might be reading a book and I'm on page 57 when I fall asleep. Next time I open that book, it starts me right back on page 57. But what happens if someone ELSE comes along and opens the book, and goes back to the beginning? You might have to just make sure one person is finished before the other starts reading it.

 

[nmoody]

Thanks everyone.

The girlfriend and I share and amazon account and have her kindle and phone as well as my phone and tablet hooked up to the same account. This allows our library's to be the same and we don't have to purchase anything twice. We also don't have to fight over the kindle because we can use any device that has the kindle app installed.

This interests me. I could buy one simple E-reader (probably as a gift for the wife) but then also use my iPhone (via Kindle app) to access our books when she's hogging the Kindle.

I don't so much mind reading on my iPhone so far. The small screen and constant page turning isn't so bad, but the bright backlit screen could get annoying.

The main problem that I've been reading about, which concerns iBooks, is that the format is proprietary. In other words, it's hard (maybe impossible) to buy a book on iBooks and then read it on a non-apple device. Where as other companies make their books easier to share, or they are simply open source.
So that's why I'm hesitant to follow my impulse and just buy a $20 book on iBooks.

Yup the kindle app is must more readily available on more devices than iBooks which is why we use it. And with the kindle app on some devices you can import books of other book formats. I know this works on computers an the actual kindle, not sure about iOS devices though.

 

[Overread]

sm4him - far as I know the page you last read will be information only stored on your Kindle itself, so it shouldn't be syncing to a different unit at all for page reads.

Far as I know you can read the same book on two different machines without any problems at the same time (if there is any possible problem then just turning off the wireless connection would solve it since then it would have no knowing what you were doing on it - and heck if you're not using the net at the time the kindles wireless should be off anyway to conserve battery life).

 

[Big Mike]

I just ordered a Kindle (basic). My anniversary is next month so it will be a gift for my wife.

I'm guessing that I'll be relegated to using my iPhone, rather than the kindle...but oh well, I'm sure I'll get to play with it on occasion. If we really like it, maybe well consider another one...maybe a fire.

 

[ronlane]

Mike, maybe she'll be so happy with it and return the jesture for Christmas, if you're a good boy.