Comments on Boston Gal's Open Wallet: I was dreading this day

I have to say your aversion to the Kindle is commo...

2009-11-12T13:35:59.075-05:00

I have to say your aversion to the Kindle is common among the uninitiated.

It may be a cult but riding the T every morning I see more and more Kindles on the Redline. It is the only piece of technology I would never go without again.

(And the free books don't hurt either! I find all sorts of authors I would never pay for - or go to the library to try)

And for the folks who say going to the library and getting books for "free" is far more economical need to go back and check their econ books. The opportunity and information costs associated with making good book selections are not insignificant and Amazon's fancy algorithms do a mighty fine job. Between travel, time at the gym, and my commute I am never without something to read thanks to Jeff Bezos

I've been beta testing a Kindle for school, but I'...

2009-11-12T13:22:01.155-05:00

I've been beta testing a Kindle for school, but I've also been using it for work reading and I'm absolutely in love with it.

Well, not with the Kindle, per se. There are a lot of problems that I wish Amazon would address, but the ease of reading on an ereading device is amazing. At the end of the semester, I will be buying this or another device for sure.

Oh... and if you ever do buy a kindle, under no ci...

2009-11-12T12:37:29.743-05:00

Oh... and if you ever do buy a kindle, under no circumstances should you go to the Oberon Design website... Can't believe I spent another $80 on a cover, but it does look awfully nice.

Been using a kindle for about 6 months now and lov...

2009-11-12T12:35:33.635-05:00

Been using a kindle for about 6 months now and love love love it. Yes, I do spend more on books now and have had to learn to stop buying new ones while I still have unread ones, but, I think reading more is a good thing and worth the cost. Also, as was mentioned, there is so much difference between reading on a kindle vs reading on a lcd.

I'm a librarian, and on top of that a bibliophile....

2009-11-12T11:09:15.653-05:00

I'm a librarian, and on top of that a bibliophile. I broke down and got one purely for travel. Now I prefer it. Since I read while doing almost everything it's easier as a hands free device. No holding pages open while trying to bite into a sandwich. No adjusting the book while lying on my side (since it's like having a book that prints only on one side). And it's lighter than most paperbacks.

My only complaint is, it doesn't have every title I want (yet!), and during this "transition phase" (where publishers are slowly catching on that this is the new reality) some titles have a waiting period while the print version comes out instantly. I'm looking at you Stephen King!

As far as cost goes. Yes it was pricey, but if you buy a lot of books new, it works out since most new titles are only $9.99 (versus $35 or so in hardback). And the space saved traveling is worth it. I travel quite a bit.

while I like the concept, and like the Kindle itse...

2009-11-12T08:37:28.881-05:00

while I like the concept, and like the Kindle itself. (There is also an iPhone app for Kindle!) I personally feel that there is still something about being able to flip through a book that is so appealing.

Especially with a technical book like "Programming in Objective-C 2.0" by Stephen Kochan. Such a reference book really does not lend itself well to the Kindle factor. You need to flip back to prior sections.

I think I can still resist eBook readers for a whi...

2009-11-12T07:43:38.420-05:00

I think I can still resist eBook readers for a while. Audio books are my great vice. Love them in the car. Still thankful the public library is still going. I can go online and request any book in the system and have it sent to my local branch library.

That's a nice long list of free books. I never go...

2009-11-11T23:11:47.579-05:00

That's a nice long list of free books. I never got into the online reading thing becaue it strains my eyes too much and I love the feel of a book.

There are indeed several free e-books.... Amazon l...

2009-11-11T21:43:20.021-05:00

There are indeed several free e-books.... Amazon lists 5-12 free ones per month, in a number of categories. There are so many low-cost and free e-books already available that it makes the $200+ price of an e-book reader rather economical.

I have had a Kindle for just over a year, now, and I would say that 40% of the books loaded on it were acquired at no cost.

if you ever use a Kindle, you'll quickly understan...

2009-11-11T21:11:02.814-05:00

if you ever use a Kindle, you'll quickly understand why so many buy it. It's nothing like reading on a laptop screen. It is far easier on your eyes...not to mention lighter, and easier to hold.

If I sound like a Kindle junkie, that's because I am. Don't put it on a credit card -- but if you have the cash, and travel frequently (I do), it's worth every penny.

It is now the only device I use on a plane, and I've never seen anything that makes plane trips go faster.

-Erica

Boston Gal, you should check out your public libra...

2009-11-11T20:26:24.271-05:00

Boston Gal, you should check out your public library--most major cities and consortiums have digital content available. You can read lots of books on the computer in pdf, and even download audiobooks. See here: http://bpl.org/electronic/ebook.asp