Are e-readers still too underdeveloped to be worthwhile?

WibXL

That's a slippery slope. After owning a Sony e-reader and selling it for the reasons mentioned in my earlier post I decided to try out the Kindle app on my iPhone...

...I'm now reading The Anubis Gates on my Kindle that arrived yesterday.

I still prefer the experience of reading a paper book but the Kindle is very good and far easier for me to read in bed.

The thing that I really like at the moment is that all of the Kindle apps sync with each other so I can read a book on my Kindle, iPhone or Mac and so long as I have an internet connection no matter what I'm reading on I'll always be on the right page.

Bursar

Santa brought me a Kindle for Christmas too. I've read a couple of books on it so far, and I'm loving it. I also received the non-lighted cover for it as well - but I think for easier night time reading, I might have to get myself the lighted version.

The browser is pretty good, but navigation around pages is a little clumsy. Hopefully the next version will include a colour touch sensitive screen, like the NOOKcolor.

confused88

The Nookcolor is hardy a step forward. It's an LCD display, not E-ink, which defies the point in my opinion. You might as well get the iPad or any other proper tablet.
E-ink has developed a colour epaper display E Ink: Technology: Display Products: E Ink Triton Imaging Film but the refresh rate and contrast remains the same as in the Pearl screen.

IronGiant

Don't worry I am aware of the slippery slope, but thanks for the warning

psychopomp1

I'm seriously considering getting a Kindle 3 (wifi only model) but i have a question: when viewing PDF files, is the experience just as good as viewing native kindle material? Alternatively if you send the PDF file (long novel) to amazon for free conversion to Kindle format, does the PDF get converted correctly?
Cheers

Peridot

I've used the email conversion facility on some quite large PDFs and it's worked fine. You don't get the same navigation facilities (table of contents etc.) as a native Kindle file but in terms of the viewing experience, yes it's just as good.

Miyazaki

You don't need to email it to the kindle, you can just plug it in to your PC and drag and drop the file to the corresponding folder on the kindle.

mattlongman

I got my Kindle just over a week ago, and I was amazed at just how easy to read the screen was. I read a few books on my iPhone (iBooks) which wasn't actually too bad, but the Kindle blows everything else out of the water. As close to reading a physical book you can get (without, obviously, reading a real book).

I do, however, have issues with buying digital copies of books I already own. So unless they're really cheap (sub £2), I shan't buy them.

GloopyJon

I'm starting to really like my Kindle, having now read half a dozen or so books on it.  I think it will quickly become my preferred book-reading medium.  It's so great to have books all there on the device, and not to have to worry about remembering what page I'm on (I don't like turning down the corners of pages).  I'm actually almost regretting buying the latest Stephen Donaldson in hardback and haven't started reading it yet, although as I have the others in the series in hardback I want to get the whole set.

For light reading, though, it's certainly ebooks all the way from here!  And if I could freely download electronic replacements, I'd definitely consider junking a lot of my books - I currently have about 7 or 8 bookcases in my living room  and wouldn't mind getting rid of some (although they are probably great for the room acoustics!).

The only slight problem I have with the Kindle is accidental page-turns, with the buttons being on the side where I often hold it.  I'd rather just have buttons on the front, I think.

Peridot

I'm glad it's not just me then

I'd much them nearer the top of the device and more difficult to accidently  activate from the side as you suggest.