The way e-ink works - using the natural reflection of light - I don't think colour is possible. All the colour ebook readers are backlit LCD technology. I prefer e-ink over LCD for serious reading as it places far less strain on the eye in my experience.
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Amazon Kindle
- Thread starter RisseN
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Far less? I disagree with you. I haven't had any eye strain on e-ink compared to an actual book
But yes, e-ink > lcd-reader.
Kindle has made a HUGE difference for me. I used to have a massive library of printed books and whenever I relocated I paid more to move my library than the rest of my stuff. Over the years I've paid a lot of money to move books. And it was back breaking work every time. Since the arrival of ebooks I've culled a large % of my printed library (sold + donations). Whispernet is amazing as I can now get all my markings, bookmarks and notes anywhere at any time. Big issue now is that Amazon and their datacentres - as well as the internet and its coms tech - must survive LOL!
Speedster
Honorary Master
Colour e-ink is in development, but hasn't really taken to market yet. There are rumours around that the next Kindle series will have colour e-ink displays.
Except possibly for magazine subscriptions, there's no real point to colour on a kindle. I have an Amazon US account, and if I compare the price of a downloaded book to the retail price in SA, the downloaded version is typically 25 - 30% of the price. A huge saving. I didn't think I would enjoy the kindle. The only reason I tried it, is because I got it as a gift, and it's absolutely AWESOME. Books which I haven't read, I preferred to download and read on the kindle.
If you look at sites like piratebay, you can download thousands of titles that work on the kindle. The only issue with these titles, is that they were scanned and OCR'ed, so they have the odd spelling / OCR mistake, but for the price you're paying (nothing), you can look past these typos.
Amazon doesn't delete these titles from your kindle.
If you look at sites like piratebay, you can download thousands of titles that work on the kindle. The only issue with these titles, is that they were scanned and OCR'ed, so they have the odd spelling / OCR mistake, but for the price you're paying (nothing), you can look past these typos.
Amazon doesn't delete these titles from your kindle.
It's wonderful for sitting at a desk and using for textbooks/magazines. It's crap for reading books (it's heavy).
So I see it is Apple's fault that ebooks are not as cheap as what they should be (Greedy Fu#&ers):
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/46864-apple-and-publishers-nearing-e-book-settlement.html
Hopefully soon we'll be getting cheap ebooks (like they should be given the reduction in manufacturing and distribution costs compared to hard copies).
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/gadgets/46864-apple-and-publishers-nearing-e-book-settlement.html
Hopefully soon we'll be getting cheap ebooks (like they should be given the reduction in manufacturing and distribution costs compared to hard copies).
Ja, have read it's significantly heavier & a fair bit slower to refresh the screen (makes sense, more than 2x the screen area & it's still e-ink)
Guess the solution would be to have both.
Terencek
Expert Member
One of the restrictions not mentioned, to getting e-books using a South African address is that many (if not most) of the free or almost-free ebooks offered by Amazon and some others are simply not available to us because of copyright. The same goes for some of the interactive content offered for the Kindle, such as various games if you're into that.
On the other hand if you are prepared to dig and don't lie awake with an aching conscience at night, there are any number of sites offering any number of both legit and illegit ebooks. And what is mentioned on one of the replies above about such 'backdoor' ebooks merely being poor OCR-ed texts is just not often the case; most have been well-converted to the most popular unrestricted ebook formats (.mobi or .epub) with due care and attention and work just the same way as a book bought from Amazon or Apple: i.e. you can resize the fonts on the fly, they flow correctly, most have proper chapter breaks etc.
And of course there are tens of thousands of genuinely legal out-of-copyright texts from sites like gutenberg.org
On the other hand if you are prepared to dig and don't lie awake with an aching conscience at night, there are any number of sites offering any number of both legit and illegit ebooks. And what is mentioned on one of the replies above about such 'backdoor' ebooks merely being poor OCR-ed texts is just not often the case; most have been well-converted to the most popular unrestricted ebook formats (.mobi or .epub) with due care and attention and work just the same way as a book bought from Amazon or Apple: i.e. you can resize the fonts on the fly, they flow correctly, most have proper chapter breaks etc.
And of course there are tens of thousands of genuinely legal out-of-copyright texts from sites like gutenberg.org
To add to what Terencek said, if Amazon won't sell me a book (through publisher restrictions) I have no qualms about trawling the web. I then usually look for epubs as they are zip files and you can edit the html files in the zip if the formatting bugs you. Converting to mobi is then trivial.
Other Pineapple Smurf
Honorary Master
Just go my wife the Kindle 4 (5 button one) two weeks ago from Takealot (with special offers) for R1050 - my wife loves it. Only problem we have is Amazon do not ship the lighted cover outside the States - it will cost us another R800 from Takealot.
If you love reading then the price of books will not bother you, actually all titles are cheaper than printed. My wife buys seconds hand books and a lot of popular titles are cheaper new on the Kindle. If you can link your Kindle to someone in your family, then even better or join a book club that uses the Kindle.
Also the Kindle replaces the printed book, not the printed magazine - you don't want it in colour, else get a tablet.
Check eBay for the cover... I was fortunate that my Kindle (2nd hand) came with the Amazon leather cover with a little light (didn't even know until I was fiddling with the light and pulled it out
)Lol and coincidentally.... that special offers one is a grey import, so you'd best hope that you don't have warranty issues. (The special offers one is only for sale in the US.)
Other Pineapple Smurf
Honorary Master
CPA CPA CPA
I had no problems registering the Kindle with a South African address, I guess Amazon don't really care in the end.
rrh
Expert Member
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Amazon offers a large number of free ebooks every day - a couple of weeks back they offered 642 on one day, and that wasn't anywhere near the record
Where one is limited is if the free book is by a published author: then, unfortunately, one is at the mercy of said publisher.
I subscribe to a few RSS feeds on the Kindle that include the day's free books. Two clicks - one to open the book's URL, the second to order via 'One-Click' - and five minutes later I can be reading the book.
There is a minor risk in that a lot of the authors are unknowns. However, if the book is free - or reduced in price - one can delete it without a conscience. OTOH I come across quite a few authors - all unknowns - that I have enjoyed.
As someone who grew up reading I think that the Kindle is much better than sliced bread ...
Oh... ooh...
http://www.takealot.com/imports/product/amazon-kindle-leather-cover-black,10808904
They're actually importing the cover now. Expensive, but not that bad for a leather cover.
http://www.takealot.com/imports/product/amazon-kindle-leather-cover-black,10808904
They're actually importing the cover now. Expensive, but not that bad for a leather cover.
My sister in law lives in the US and is coming to SA to visit in June. She has offered to purchase a kindle in the US and bring it with her for me. Basically just saving me the import duties. Is there any risk of it not working here? ie: is there any difference in a kindle ordered through amazon as a US customer versus South African?
I presume she will just order it through amazon, then when it arrives ill use my amazon account to begin buying books. No worries that it will be locked to her account in the US since she would have purchased it?
thanks.
I presume she will just order it through amazon, then when it arrives ill use my amazon account to begin buying books. No worries that it will be locked to her account in the US since she would have purchased it?
thanks.
You will have two options:
a) She can get you the US version (instead of non-US screensavers it has US adverts) at a lower price (but it isn't under warranty here)
b) She can get you the international version, which is a tad more expensive.
But both will work fine here.
You can remove a Kindle from one account and register it under another.
a) She can get you the US version (instead of non-US screensavers it has US adverts) at a lower price (but it isn't under warranty here)
b) She can get you the international version, which is a tad more expensive.
But both will work fine here.
You can remove a Kindle from one account and register it under another.
Ok cool thanks. So she could order the international version but ship it to her US address. Hopefully they dont send her the US version just because it's going to a US address.