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I've been on the hunt for a sleeve for my new netbook (review coming on Wednesday!) but got waylaid by the cuteness of this Kindle cover. Love the festive pattern, as well as the special water and moisture resistant neoprene padding. Fabulous! It's $30 at Etsy, from seller kimoleybags. Kindle Cover Case
Readers, what are your favorite online shops for colorful technology sleeves? And, what are your thoughts on the Kindle — the price recently dropped to $139, I noticed…
(L-1)
Shayna
Still waiting for some sort of e-book subscription service a la Rhapsody to come out… my free library card for the hundreds of books I read each year isn’t a major line item in my budget, unlike spending $10/e-book for hundreds of books…
Ru
DITTO! I read too much to commit to an e-reader.
KZ
B&N Nook can get library books. I’ve borrowed e-books through New York’s public library. Kindle can’t because they don’t support the epub format, but it might be worth checking out your local library’s ebook selection.
Shayna
Sadly I live in the ‘burbs where the e-book offerings are not yet de rigeur… Unless there’s a way to sign up with a non-local public library :-(
Forestgirl
I hear that the Philadelphia library does non-resident cards. Check out mobileread[dot]com, there have been lots of discussions about this question.
L
Agreed with Shayna – I read too many books. Also, I read too fast for a regular size Kindle. I borrowed my mother-in-law’s and had to page down every couple of seconds, it was annoying. The big Kindle is also much more expensive ($379) than the regular size.
anon
I have a kindle and there isn’t a page down feature…i read pretty fast and find that its no slower than reading a book if you have the settings set correctly (to give you an idea of my reading speed — I did the multiple choice section of the bar exam two complete times and still got done before anyone else).
L
Ooo, I didn’t know that. How do you change the settings? How does it scroll/change pages? I will have to fiddle with a borrowed one again to see if I can get it to work. Your reading speed sounds similar to mine.
anon
There is a button you press on the side of the page — I hold my thumb on it (sort of hard to describe but very intuitive) and push down when I get to the end of the page. It then goes blank and a new screen comes up. I thought at first that the going blank and new page coming up would annoy me…but it is similar to turning a page in a book — there is that moment with no words — and it gives that sense of accomplishment of “turning a page” (unlike, say, scrolling down on a computer screen). I love that I can adjust font size b/c sometimes my eyes are just tired and the bigger font makes me happier.
Bottom line, I thought the kindle wasn’t made for speed readers…but after 3-4 days of reading with it, it really felt just as comfortable as a book. Now when I read books, they feel…awkward.
Me too
I spend waaaaaay too much of my time in front of a screen and the last thing I want to do is read books for leisure on a screen as well! Give me a nice, worn paperback any day. Love, love, love the public library.
Anon
This. It makes me sad to think that my children might not get to enjoy all of the magic that was the public library of my childhood (story hours, weekly trips to select books, etc). The thought of a 5 year old with an e-reader makes me want to cry.
Yes, I’m old and crotchety at heart. Get off my lawn! :)
Ru
Awww, you’re making me sad. I didn’t even think of 5-yr-olds with e-readers. For shame!
My parents never caught on when I was little that the biggest punishment they ever could have given me was to take away my library card. They would just take my book away and I would merrily go to the library the next day and take out another one =).
Elle
Similar story – I actually ENJOYED being grounded as a kid b/c I loved to stay in my room all day and read. No tv, no friends over – it was a perfect Saturday to me! Plus, then I didn’t have to explain to my friends who were “way cooler” than me that I was passing up an opportunity to “hang out” with them to read a book not for homework but … for FUN (Gasp!).
Deep down, I think my mom knew that being grounded wasn’t really a punishment for me but did it anyways!
mew
Same for me. Being sent to my room was a pleasure. I was an adult before my mom caught on. On my cranky days now, I wish some one would send me to my room!
Shayna
Yes — me as well :-) I still list my library card (which I’ve had since I was 6) as one of my most prized possesions!
Forestgirl
But the screen is SO different! The screen on a Kindle or Nook or Sony Reader looks like paper, not at all like a computer….
Legally Brunette
But, as you say yourself, it’s still a screen. The last thing I want to do is look at another screen after a long day at work. I just love physical books too much to make the switch.
JessC
This. I love looking at and thumbing through my little collection of books that I absolutely love.
Forestgirl
Lol, you can still do that! I do, I have all my favorite books in physical form. I just read new books on the Reader. But to each their own. :-)
Law-Less
This x 1000.
kng
i’d love a kindle dx (the bigger one) case recommendation. i’m smitten with the cole haan cases, but they don’t make them for the dx yet. also think the kate spade nook cases are adorable, i’m open to anything and have seen some adorable options on etsy, but nothing i’m ready to commit to yet. i bought the dx about a month ago and love it
kng
ps- don’t forget about the free pre-1900 books you can download, classics are classics for a reason
Knocked knees
Has anyone heard of getting knock knees corrected as an adult? I’ve had this problem since birth and I had corrective braces as a kid but I never wore them consistently. My knees point inward and I feel self conscious wearing skirts/dresses that show my knee caps. I know it’s not the biggest deal in the world, but I’m curious if I could get them fixed at this point in my life (I’m 30).
Any thoughts?
Anon
I don’t know anything about getting this corrected, but I can tell you with 100% confidence that no one notices this as much as you do (if at all).
Knocked knees
Thanks. People do notice though – when I walk down the street I see people looking down at my legs, and it bothers me. I also had a friend, in a very nice way, ask me about it.
Right now I just wear skirts/dresses that cover the kneecap, but soooo many cute dresses out there are shorter and don’t leave enough fabric at the bottom to drop down the hem.
K
I don’t have any experience with this particular problem but I do have lots of knee problems so I would suggest asking your GP for a recommendation to a good orthopedist. An ortho should be able to give you a realistic assessment of whether the problem can be corrected and if so, what it would entail.
love real hosiery
Also, a good seamstress can probably add a strip of color-coordinated fabric at the bottom of the hem to create longer lengths in skirts and dresses….looks like a boarder style then. Just a thought as you explore options. Maybe people look at your legs because you are cute and so forth, not initially because of the knock knees? Just a thought.
nonA
Love everyone’s love for reading! E-books are so overpriced – the price of a regular hardcover includes perpetual loaning/reselling for the life of a book, but an Ebook is basically 1 user 1 time. For favoritse I know I will want to reread its one thing, but I won’t take a chance on a book I might not want more than once.
Forestgirl
Just because someone has an ebook reader doesn’t mean they don’t love to read! I LOVE reading, and I love my Sony Reader too! I’m completely a library person, so now I just check out ebooks for my Reader. It is amazing, and makes reading on the subway and on trips SO much easier. You can hold the largest book in the world comfortably in one hand and take as many books as you want on trips without having to worry about the weight.
I’ll still read the occasional “pbook” (i.e., physical book), too, though. :-)
v
Seriously. Really, people – the eReader is great for people who tend to buy most books or whose libraries have good electronic lending programs. If you just like to check out books from the libraries, that’s great, but for people without good or convenient libraries or who like to own all their books, the Kindle and its like are a good option. Let’s not draw artificial little superiority lines.
And I’ve found that most non-new books are not $10/book – anything in the public domain is free, publishers are often giving out free books, and other older books tend to be more like $5 or $6.
Anonymous
Wait, there are electronic library books?
Anon
Hmm, my comment is awaiting moderation so I’ll try again.
Definitely, if your library lends them. For instance, the NYPL’s selection can be found here: http://ebooks.nypl.org/
Check out http://search.overdrive.com/ to search for libraries near you.
Forestgirl
Yes! My comments are awaiting moderation (probably ’cause I tried to link to sites?) but check out overdrive[dot]com to look for a library in your area.
JessC
I doubt most people think that people who buy eReaders don’t love reading – there are just some of us who love the physical books. Call me weird or old fashioned, but I love the smell of old books.
Forestgirl
That’s fine and valid, but I was responding more to the sentiment that people who love reading couldn’t love an ebook reader.
Forestgirl
That’s valid, but I was responding more to the sentiment that people who love reading couldn’t love an ebook reader.
Forestgirl
Oops, sorry. Accidental double post.
JJ
I just ordered the new Kindle (the Wifi and 3G version) and I can’t wait to use it. My husband and I each read about a book a week and had previously just bought every book we read on Amazon Prime. Our library didn’t have as large a selection as Amazon and they often didn’t get new releases out promptly, so it wasn’t worth the effort. The Kindle will actually be cutting costs for us (you can share the books you buy with 6 Kindles per Amazon account and there are many, many classics that are free or have negligible prices) and considering that most of the books that we read are hardbacks, 9.99 per is a deal.
My husband also refuses to sell or donate our old books for whatever reason, so from a purely selfish standpoint, I’ll be thrilled to not have to find storage for the books we’ll be reading in the future. And I’ve never been one to care about how a book smells (not to insult those who do, I just don’t).
Anonymous
Threadjack! Has anyone else tried out the new Gap 1969 jeans? I hate to be so predictable, but their marketing campaign is getting to me, and I found myself thinking “huh, those are cute” as I walked by a bus stop banner today.
I’ve gone over to Sevens, but am perfectly happy paying less, and have fond memories of Gap jeans from high school. I also feel like someone was saying positive things about Lands End Canvas jeans- any thoughts there?
No real style preference, although I can’t get behind the new boyfriend-style rolled jeans. Skinny/straight leg/bootcut are about all I do.
L
I have the “always skinny” (I think). They fit well for a while, but are now too big (I got them about 3 months postpartum and was still losing weight). They are a heavier weight denim than the Citizens I have (note, the citizens are from about 2003). Nice for colder seasons but not for summer!
Clerky
I have tried on the Curvy fit bootcut jeans. They are fine, but my experience with Gap jeans is that they look really great in the beginning and then start to look awful and faded after a few months.
If you’re interested in bootcut jeans in a dark wash, I recommend CJ Cookie jeans. You can buy them at Nordstrom, usually on sale for about $80 or so. They are more pricey than the Gap, but they look nice and are especially flattering for those of us with hips/butt.
After buying so many pairs of cheap jeans, I’m trying to just buy a few expensive jeans that last a while. Anyone have good luck with the Paige Premium Hiddens Hills jeans? I want to buy them but wish they would go on sale!
Anonymous
I have the Paige Skyline Drive with the higher rise (not high rise, just not super low rise) and LOVE them. A year and many, many wears later and they’re still going strong. I get compliments on them all the time.
A.M.
I bought a pair of Cookie Johnson jeans at Nordys that I fell in love with in the dressing room. You are right, they flatter curves very well. But after not even half a day of wear they completely stretched out at the knees and made my legs look massive and stumpy. Thankfully Nordys took them back sans tags. Maybe it was just the wash that I had (I got the indigo bootcut) that stretched, but I’d be careful.
When I returned them, however, I got Kut bootcuts which have held their shape really well through two days wear. They aren’t as dark and are a heavier denim but I really like them.
Anonymous
I ordered some, as well as the perfect trousers Kat posted on Friday. I am traveling now and won’t get them until September but I’ll post a review.
MJ
Yes–I am super-tall (like a 36″ inseam) and I love the curvy jeans. Like all premium denim, they’re tight at first and then stretch a tad (or too much) and then I wash them again. They have looked great for about six months and I wear them 1-2 a week. I think they’re a great deal, particularly when on sale. I’ll take Gap jeans at ~45 on sale vs. $150 JBrand or whatnot any day. They are good quality for the price.
I am really curious about Land’s End’s new non-mom jean cuts…Anyone tried yet?
AN
Got the bootcut. They’re great but I wish I had gone down a size as they stretch after I machine washed them. I don’t tumble dry them, normal air drying.
Amy
I love books, and at one point worked in an independent bookstore. But I got a Kindle a few months ago, and I loooove it. It’s totally not like staring at a computer screen – after I got used to it, it was just like reading a regular book, I don’t even think about the fact that I’m reading on a screen. My Kindle is really light and easy to hold, and I can also adjust the screen orientation so if I need to hold with one hand while I’m doing something else (like taking a bath, or rubbing a little boy’s back as he falls asleep) I can find the best orientation for doing that. Plus, there’s just something great about being interested in a book, downloading it, and reading it within 5 minutes of thinking about it. No waiting for the mail to deliver your book, no waiting to get to the bookstore, where they may or may not have what you’re interested in.
What made me finally get a Kindle was when I was going on vacation, trying to figure out how many books I could cram into my carry-on, and I realized – I used to travel with a portable CD player and a folder full of CDs too, but I don’t do that any more, because I have an iPod. Just as I gave up my portable CD player when better technology made an alternative possible, I felt like I wanted to advance to the next level of technology for books. I don’t reread most books anyway and I was generally paying way more than $9.99 for new releases I wanted. The library was not a viable option for me because new books are waitlisted as soon as they come out, and it could be months before your name comes up (the waiting list for the last Harry Potter book was 21+ months). I also don’t have that much time to read and therefore don’t go through books that fast. Plus, Amazon has a lot of books priced well under $9.99 – I just read the first Shopaholic book and I got it for $.89. I am really happy with my Kindle and don’t see going back to buying paper books unless they’re for ongoing reference or they’re picture-heavy. Paper books are great but they are also expensive, bulky to carry, a pain in the butt to store and move, and have basically no resale value (our local used bookstores are so inundated nowadays they only buy about one out of every 25 books they see). I think it’s great my son will be able to carry around all his books with him in one slim, lightweight device rather than lugging around a bunch of paper books. I just had to buy a textbook for a class I’m taking and it was over $100 – all I can say is the faster they make e-textbooks the better, because it will almost certainly drive prices down. Kindles are awesome!
anon
Yay! I couldn’t agree more with this post. I [heart] my kindle
Beth
I 2nd that!! I absolutely love my Kindle. Especially as I basically live on planes and commute on the subway. It is so much lighter and easier. I am an incredibly fast, voracious reader and I find I read EVEN more than I did pre-Kindle.
Anon lawyer
I got a Kindle for Christmas last year, and I absolutely love it. Since then, I’ve bought about 60 books for it, and have read about 50 of them. I love it for travel — never have to worry about lugging a carryon full of books, and never have to worry about running out of reading material. Our house is overrun with books (multiple bookcases in every room, piles on every available surface, etc.), so I’m happy to be able to store some on my Kindle.
divaliscious11
This.
Forestgirl
Yes, I agree!
RoadWarriorette
I resisted getting a Kindle for a long time for these exact reasons–I love to read, I love the feel of physical books, you can’t resell, etc. But now that I have it? I LOVE it. It is the best thing for travel, honestly. I used to take 5-6 books for a four day business trip, but now I can just take my Kindle. Plus if you read faster than planned and finish all of your books, you still have tons to read. I have just lent my Kindle to a couple of friends so they can read some books.
Plus, the PP who doesn’t have room in her house for any more books–that is me too! I literally have no more room for any more books. Also, I tend to re-read my books a lot. I enjoy having a large collection, but I am just running out of room to put them all!
I have this cover and I love it
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001S0EXEK/ref=oss_product
K
I really like your green cover!
RR
I have that same cover in a vertical orientation and love it. Love my Kindle!
K
For everyone complaining about the price of books for Kindle — here is the way I justify it: I read, on average, a novel a week, mostly on the weekends. I could go to the movies every weekend for three hours for my escape, or I could spend X more hours every weekend reading. If movies and Kindle books are roughly the same price, I’m getting more hours of entertainment for my dollars with a Kindle book than with a movie.
Plus, I don’t have to tell my husband how many books I’ve bought/read — he doesn’t know! Bonus!
luluaj
Agreed! Nevermind the fact that the e-reader cuts out a trip to the bookstore or waiting for a ups guy. I’d love to be able to use the library but my local branch has limited hours.
I have the Nook and I love it. You can borrow e-books from the library and you can also “lend” them to your friends for two weeks (provided your friend has a Nook or other open source e-reader). You can also read any book for free while physically in a Barnes and Noble.
mew
I must be in the minority here, as I’m an avid reader and LOVE my Kindle. In fact, for me, it seems the pros outweigh the cons.
And I say this as someone who was convinced that I would hate reading books on the screen. Because I love everything about physical books, the look, the feel, the smell!
I can’t speak to any of the other e-readers but I don’t find that the Kindle is tough on my eyes. What I’ve found is that the backlighting on screens is what strains my eyes and makes reading uncomfortable. Since the Kindle is not backlit, I just don’t feel that strain. For me it is a lot like reading on paper, with the advantage that I can make the print larger at will.
Pricing on e-books is inconsistent. Some e-books seem to cost more than the paperback version, some less, but almost all are cheaper than hardback. And I expect that over time pricing will come down. I also expect, that over time we may even get to the point where some limited lending/borrowing of e-books from friends is possible.
Nor has my book buying borkend the bank. But maybe I’ve always just had a bigger book budget than most people. (Hey, I’d rather have a new book than new shoes, a new bag, and sometimes, even more than lunch.) Even when I was broker-than-broke I managed to set aside money to buy books. Now it seems like I just have one more buying option.
And I can’t beat the convenience factor. My books shelves are still groaning, but I don’t have to find as much space for new acquistions as I used to. Amazon has always been great for allowing book-shopping in my p.j.s and now I get instant gratification as well. Don’t have to wait 5 – 7 days for that book I didn’t know I needed to show up.
That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped using the library. I probably never will because there will alwys be books I don’t want to buy/feel that I want to keep. But my public library is small with a budget that has been cut to almost nothing in the last couple of years. It has also laid off staff, stopped buying a lot of new books, has no parking, and has cut back on its hours to a point where if I’m working at all, I can’t get there. And since I’m going to read, if I can’t borrow books, I’ll buy them.
Really, the only thing I don’t like about the Kindle is that I can’t take it into the tub with me when a need a good, long soak. So I’m still getting a fair number of real books, from the bookstore or the library, for that.
K
Someone on the WSJ Juggle blog “tub-proofed” her Kindle by placing it in a large ziplock bag. I haven’t tried it (bathtub? and book? No time!), but I would think it would be safe enough (and the Kindle is certainly lighter than most books I have read in the bathtub…..)
v
I do it all the time with the ziploc bag; frankly, I think it’s safer for me than a physical book, which I always manage to splash at least a bit of water on.
I haven’t found a satisfactory solution to the beach or pool, though, where I don’t want to leave it unattended while I’m in the water.
mew
I’m just to scared of electronics encountering water to try! But you are right, the Kindle is a lot lighter than many of my books.
Elle
Question. (as you will see, I clearly do not have a kindle) I have heard that when you purchase a book on Kindle, you only have access to it for a certain period of time (I’ve heard 1-2 years) and that the book is deleted once that time period expires. Is that true? Or does it stay in your e-library for as long as your kindle works?
Forestgirl
That’s not true.
Elle
Thanks – I thought that sounded suspect.
divaliscious11
No. amazon does keep an archive of the books you purchase, though so if you replace your kindle etc… you can retrieve the books you’ve purchased. Each drive holds about 1500 books….
N
I tried out a Kindle, and loathed it. Not necessarily for the experience of reading on a screen, but the fact that I couldn’t switch pages with a simple tap on the screen, and instead had to press a button to do so. Pressing a button where I would normally just turn the page really broke up the reading experience for me, and I did not care for it. And I know it is meant to look like paper, but if I want something to look like paper – I get the paper version.
I ended up downloading Stanza to my iPhone – and I love that to read on. It gives me the seamless reading experience that I get with books, but without the added weight to my bag. Pre-Stanza I would bring 2-4 paperbacks in my bag at the time – I’m a really quick reader – which naturally made me lug around a lot of additional weight. This summer, I loaded up the iPhone with e-books, and set off on my two week summer holiday.
I had everything I needed on the phone, and did not need to bring extra books, nor did I need to bring an additional e-reading device. My phone was more than enough.
(I won’t be throwing out my paper books, but at roughly 2,000 books in my library, my apartment can’t take much more than essential purchases of books at this point, so it is good to also have an alternative to those books I used to buy in paperback but don’t really need to cuddle up with.)
Forestgirl
Hmm. I hold my thumb on the button on my Sony and simply need to press down to turn the page–it requires far less hand movement (just apply pressure!) than actually reaching up to turn the page of a book. But to each their own, of course. Clearly not every piece of technology will suit every person.
AE
I love my Sony reader, especially because it is touchscreen.
Anonymous
Any suggestions on how to find a custom tailor to make work clothes? I’ve pretty much given up on trying to find skirts that fit (I’m tall and like my skirts to cover my knees, which is nearly impossible to find). I have NO idea how to go about finding someone (my dry cleaners don’t have suggestions). Any thoughts? I’m in Atlanta if anyone has any specific recs.
Ms. Basil E. Frankweiler
You may want to try eShakti. I’ve purchased items from them before and have been pleased. The clothing is reasonably priced and they ask for many measurements including your height and then make the item to your specifications. And if you want some extra backup they allow you to customize your clothing for an additional $7.50.
Anonymous
Did you try Yelp? Menswear tailors are far more common than women’s ones. I’d call menswear tailors to ask for recs for women’s tailors. Also, ask some of your recently-married friends where they got their dresses made or tailored.
LInLondon
Sorry, threadjacking:
I’m lower-upper management at a job with an outrageously fickle boss who has very tight purse strings and rarely lets anyone travel for work (except his Chosen Ones). I recently proposed a trip to a region where I have (pretty much single-handedly and independently) developed some really excellent relationships. I pitched this to my boss’s boss (with my boss’s knowledge/approval) and she seemed to go for it, though cautioned me that Big Boss will require convincing. So, she asked me to get in touch with my contacts and feel out how receptive they’d be to a visit by my company (I know a lot of them will go for it).
Big Boss is now proposing a new level of job that will take over all of the traveling/schmoozing. Though I think I would be amazing at it and will throw my hat in the ring for it, work politics makes it unlikely that I’ll get this new job (aforementioned Chosen Ones, etc).
Now, I’ve held off on getting in touch with my contacts because everyone is gone for the summer, but they’ll be coming back soon. Now I’m worried though that I’ll put all my effort into this and I’ll be hitting up the people that I have spent several years earning the respect of, only to have this opportunity usurped by someone who has no idea what s/he is doing.
If you were me, would you approach Boss’s Boss about this? And, if so, what’s the tactful way of saying “Look, no one else in this company ever spent the time building relationships in this region and I’m not putting my name to something that I’ll ultimately not take part in or have control over?” I obviously want to be tactful, but I am excellent at what I do and don’t want to be pushed out of the way. Thanks for any words of wisdom :)
Kaye
Well, what do you have to lose? Definitely go to your Boss’s Boss, explain that you developed all of these relationships, point out why you’d be good at this new job, and tell him that you’d like to be considered for it.
In terms of putting in all the effort to travel to the region and talk to these contacts when that role might be quickly taken over by someone else… is there a way you can politically capitalize on having developed those relationships? If yes, then I’d put in the effort. If no, then why bother. But I’d be surprised if there really was no way to get this accomplishment noticed. The new person in the full-time shmoozing job, for example, would probably appreciate it if you had a whole list of people you could introduce him/her to, which could turn into a bargaining chip for you.
Whatever you do, don’t let yourself be pushed out of the way! There’s no shame in pointing out your accomplishments.
Eponine
I have a few questions for those who have e-readers. Which one do you all think is the best? Do they fit easily in your purse? Are they fairly durable? Where can you buy/download books and which readers have the most books available in their format? Are formats interchangeable between readers? If you buy a paper copy of a book on Amazon do you get the right to download it too? If you read books with photos in them do the photos show up in the e-version?
thanks :)
KZ
I have a Nook, and I love it. I chose a Nook for a couple of reasons over a Kindle (I didn’t really consider the Sony ones)–first, it supports the ePub format, which the Kindle does not. ePub is the format that libraries generally use if they loan ebooks, and I wanted to be able to get books from the library. The Nook also has a replaceable battery and a slot of an sd card, if you need more storage space (not likely). The Kindle suffers from the iPod problem–no easily replaceable battery. I also preferred the touch screen menu on the nook to the kindle’s keyboard, but that’s just a matter of personal preference.
Some formats are interchangeable. Some are not. B&N and Amazon have their own formats, and won’t work on the other readers. However, a lot of publishers publish their own in a more open format, such as ePub or a pdf, and those are transferable. Nook and Kindle both have a lot of books available–it kind of depends on what type of books you read.
Currently you don’t get the right to download the book if you buy the paper version. I know this has been an issue with certain authors, and they are pushing publishing companies to try to figure out a way to include a digital copy with physical copies, but nothing yet. And yes, pictures show up, just not in color (for color, you need an ipod). Give it a few years and I’d say they’ll figure out color with the eink.
Anonymous
I had a lot of these questions as well. And what about the iPad? I travel a fair amount and am finding myself enamored with the possibility of being able to use the same device to read, listen to music, watch movies, etc.
Forestgirl
To answer some of your other questions–they easily fit in a purse, they are about the size of a trade paperback, or maybe a touch bigger depending on the model. They are quite durable in my experience, but I have mine in a good cover (the mEdge that someone posted earlier in green). I’ve never had a problem with durability, and I’ve carried mine pretty much every day for more than a year.
I have a Sony, and like the Nook it reads pdf and epub, which means that I can read pretty much any book out there. There are lots of stores to buy ebooks and I think they have all kinds of formats, but epub is really becoming the most common. The Kindle, as has been mentioned, doesn’t support epub. I got the Sony because it is so easy to read library books on it, and I prefer it to the Nook because the Sony is a little smaller, I think, and metal rather than plastic.
If you are really interested, check out mobileread[dot]com, which is a forum with tons of info on ebooks and readers. That’s where I did my research when I was looking into them. Plus they have a huge library of free public domain books in all formats!
Eponine
Thanks for all the info! I am seriously considering this now that I realize you can get library books too.
Eponine
Thanks for the info! I am seriously considering this now that I realize you can get library books.
Eponine
Darn error messages. Sorry for the double post.
KZ
you should also go try them out–most B&N have a nook on display, and I believe some targets are now carrying kindles?
If you want to watch movies and read magazines, or just want all your media in one place, obviously the ipad is the best option (I suspect there will be ipad competitors out soon), but I knew I just wanted ebooks, and the ipad is more expensive +heavier, so I just went with the nook.
Eponine
Ooh, you can watch movies on the iPad? I mostly want something for when I travel (which is often). I am kind of a Luddite. I don’t even have a smart phone. Or cable TV. So I don’t really know how these things work.
Ru
Eponine, thanks for asking this. I’ve been considering purchasing an e-reader for a while and I’m hesitant to purchase one and then have buyer’s remorse.
dee
I have a Kindle and my husband has an iPad. Here is the rundown: if you want something to read on, and only to read on, the Kindle is the way to go. It works better in sunlight and is much, much lighter. There are also many more books available for the Kindle than there are for the iPad.
But the iPad is simply. amazing. There is no other word to describe it. You can watch videos via Netflix on Demand or movies you’ve downloaded from the iTunes store (or TV shows) You can check email. You can play games. It is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. It’s heavier but by no means heavy. And there is a Kindle app for the iPad (free) that lets you access the books you’ve bought for your Kindle and buy Kindle books, so the fact that there aren’t a lot of books available for the Apple reader becomes moot. The iPad is also substantially more expensive – Kindles are not $139 while the lowest-end iPad is $500.
Sharon
Got a Nook, and sorry I did, as my workplace got me an iPad. I can read through either the kindle app, the B&N app, or iPad’s own app. Best of all worlds.
Paige
Two comments:
1.: I have the Sony ereader and I love it. I’m a big reader and I have two giant book shelves full of well thumbed books. Its a PITA to move all of them though. I love having my reader with me and choosing if I want to read an old favorite, or something new that I haven’t gotten to yet. Also, bonus: you can be reading some really gooey chick lit and no one will ever know. No big pink cover with a half dressed man on it to cover up.
2.: I have a cover I love. I’m artsy so I wanted something no one else had, so I also turned to etsy. Well, I didn’t… my boyfriend did (great guy, a keeper). It’s a style like the green one listed above, so you can just open it and still hold it like a book, so not like a sleeve. I like that, since I still like the “book” feel of it.
It was similar to this, but has a great closure, is personally what I want (she’ll draw whatever you want) and has pockets on the inside to hold the reader in place (instead of the pages shown): http://www.etsy.com/transaction/31166748
Eponine
A couple more questions. Where do you buy books for the Sony reader? Do the Sony or the Nook allow you to re-download books the way Amazon does if you lose your reader somehow? Is there any real reason I’d want the 3G one instead of the wireless one if I have wireless at home – i.e. can you do anything with the internet besides download books?
Forestgirl
Sony as an ebook store called the Reader Store. You can buy books there, or at other stores like Fictionwise or Books on Board.
I may be wrong (I have an older Sony), but I don’t think that any of the Sony models currently has 3G or wifi–you have to load books onto the Reader from your computer via USB cable. I find this simple and convenient, but it is different than the Nook or Kindle.
Sony definitely allows you to re-download books, and I’m 99.9% sure that Barnes & Noble does too.
I can’t speak to the wifi vs. 3G issue.
Forestgirl
Yay for Sony Readers! I love mine too.
Can I ask whether the cover you bought is hard? Is there something inside the leather that keeps it from bending? I really like the covers!
Paige
the thing inside the cover it the hard cover that comes with the Sony ereader. So… the Sony comes with a harder cover and I slipped that cover into the decorative cover.
I get compliments about it all over the place. I’ve had people stop me at the airport many times asking me where I got it. I don’t know why the Woman doesn’t advertise that she does them!!
And about not having the wireless with the Sony… I don’t find an issue with it. really I don’t find a NEED to be able to download something RIGHT THIS SECOND and I can save the extra $100 and just download things when I’m by a computer. I don’t find an issue with it at all!
Liz
Is this a Kate Spade product? It looks a lot like most of her stuff.
Anon in Midwest
I got a kindle a few months ago, after seeing one in person at a Target store. I like it much more than I expected, and I think I actually read books faster on it. I was a hold out for quite awhile, as I love physical books, but the kindle is as close as you can come to the real thing.
For a case for my kindle, I bought the Timbuk sleeve, and I just love it – very well padded.
LA
Ooh, I love some of the sleeves on that site! A girl in my law school section got the cutest sleeve for her MacBook Air a few years ago when they came out, and I never thought to ask where because I had a bulkier laptop. Now that I’m thinking of getting an Air, I wish I knew–but these are really similar. I love the sleeve design compared to my current zip-around case. I always put my laptop away and then realize I need it for one more thing–it would be so nice to be able to slide it out of my bag quickly without taking out the entire case, then unzipping. I know there may be better designs (like the binder-style posted) for other devices, but this one looks great for laptops. Thanks for posting Kat :)