On Wed, Aug 3, 2011 at 8:05 AM, scruffy <[email protected]> wrote: > On Aug 2, 2011, at 6:09 PM, Dave Sikula wrote: > > > My mother-in-law (84 and with no tech savvy) is a voracious reader and > > apparently in the market for an e-reader. My wife asked me if I knew > > anything about ebook rental services (bookswim?). I don't, but thought > > I'd ask you all if you know of any and if there is any clear winner > > between the Nook and Kindle -- or some other reader. > > never heard of bookswim but looking at the website it appears to be > physical books only. > > i would say check out your local library and see what ebook loans they > offer. the selection is likely to be a very small percentage of the physical > books, and due to licensing restrictions they can only loan out a certain > number at a time so you still have to place a hold on popular items that are > checked out. but it may be an alternative to look into. the library's web > site ought to tell you which readers are supported. my library uses the > Adobe format which can be used by Nook, Sony and iPad (which is what i use). > i believe that sometime in the future Kindle will support it but i don't > think it currently does. >
I have not used it yet, but I believe Kindle does support reading PDF documents (I guess I associate that with the term "Adobe format" - but it may be something different). If your mother-in-law is the kind of voracious reader who is already spending money every month on new books (as opposed to borrowing books from friends or the library) then I think she will find that either the Kindle or Nook will save her money within 3-6 months (she would more than make up the cost of the unit in about 3 months if she bought 3 new hardback books a month). My son has an i-pad, and has been reading books this summer on it, and in many ways I prefer the look of that application (looks more like a real book, with virtual page turning and I think much of the book art). But it seems harder to read, especially in outdoor light. What really sealed the deal for me with the Kindle is how easy it is to operate and read - it is effortless to hold in one hand and turn pages back and forth with the side buttons (both buttons are on both sides). Zero tech savy is needed to operate, and very very little to get the books (basically if you can navigate the web pages at amaon.com you can get the books). At first I was waiting to see whether Nook or Kindle would predominate - I don't have any insight into this, but it seems that both are going to be around for at least some years now (B&N seems entrenched enough online that it is unlike to go the way of Borders, and they have a big in with college bookstores, which may help them with the textbook market). I went with the Kindle over the Nook in part because I am just in the habit of getting books at amazon.com. -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
