Something I miss with the decline of the printed word

[celestial]

I own a lot of different books. I can't say that I've read them all though!

 

[Ghost Rider]

That cartoon reminds me of this little gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cd7Bsp3dDo

I spend most of my time travelling, and today couldn't live without my Kindle. For longer trips, I used to take 3 to 4 books with me, then buy another 2 or 3 during the trip. I now have over 200 with me at any one time. I agree that there's still something special about a "real" book (which I do still buy from time to time if it's a reference book or the occasional first edition novel) but E-readers are great substitutes for throwaway paperbacks and the like.

 

[Wally_Hood]

When I took a cross-country bus trip in the early '80s, I took along a selection of fringe religious magazines and read them openly the entire 3000 miles. Kept seat cruisers at bay for the whole trip.

You have piqued my interest: one person's fringe is another's mainstream. What were some of these periodicals?

 

[celestial]

That cartoon reminds me of this little gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cd7Bsp3dDo

I spend most of my time travelling, and today couldn't live without my Kindle. For longer trips, I used to take 3 to 4 books with me, then buy another 2 or 3 during the trip. I now have over 200 with me at any one time. I agree that there's still something special about a "real" book (which I do still buy from time to time if it's a reference book or the occasional first edition novel) but E-readers are great substitutes for throwaway paperbacks and the like.

"Look at this, now I can't open it!"

200 books? This reminds me of MP3 players with 5,000+ songs... Do people really have that much time in their lives? Or should I say, are people really that fussy?

 

[LizzieMaine]

You have piqued my interest: one person's fringe is another's mainstream. What were some of these periodicals?

Stuff you find in laundromats. Herbert W. Armstrong's publications were most effective when it came to keeping unwanted conversation to a minimum.

 

[Locrian]

Personally I find modern books to be a let down, in terms of design and physical materials. I suspect we have been 'tenderised' for the coming iPad world by having books made less attractive, step by step. But classic books cannot be beat and I find myself turning into a collector.

 

[celestial]

Yeah, there is definitely a lot of cheap copies around. I always try and get the best version I can afford.

 

[Feraud]

I'd take a book over a bright, flickering screen any day. It is a shame that they're not all made out of hemp though.

What e-reader screen flickers? I'm in the market for one and would like to know what to avoid.

It's a great book to read in the bathroom.

This reminds me of visiting my grandparents when I was a kid. My grandfather kept a supply of classic crime, detective, horror magazines in the bathroom.

 

[celestial]

I don't know whether they flicker or not to be honest. However, I do know that using a PC too long is like staring into a light bulb...

 

[DesertDan]

I love and prefer books, but I am finding it harder to read as they seem to keep shrinking the print.
I will be getting a Kindle in the near future though, scalable font and having a whole library at my fingertips is irresitible.

 

[celestial]

 

[celestial]

http://cdn.imore.com/sites/imore.co...2/10/amazon_kindle_fire_vs_ipad_mini_v2-8.jpg

LOL now the iPad looks like the better one...

 

[Feraud]

Based on what I've read so far it appears the basic Kindle is a very good e-reader.
Reviews note the e-ink pearl display mimics the traditional reading surface. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of devices looking to compete with the ipad.
At 70 bucks it's a very affordable option.
I'm not that concerned about the reading habits of creatures 10,000 years from now.

 

[VintageBee]

Based on what I've read so far it appears the basic Kindle is a very good e-reader.
Reviews note the e-ink pearl display mimics the traditional reading surface. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of devices looking to compete with the ipad.
At 70 bucks it's a very affordable option.
I'm not that concerned about the reading habits of creatures 10,000 years from now.

I have both..the kindle is good for reading or watching movies which I can download from Amazon easily...too easily it's lightweight too.
I like the iPad better for the clarity of photos...but it's heavier than my kindle. Both have wi-fi capabilities. I only got the iPad because hubby hogs the laptop [huh]

But I will ALWAYS prefer real paper books with dog-eared pages

 

[scottyrocks]

Another thing you can't do with a Kindle is walk into someone's house and get a good grasp of their personality from what's on their bookshelves, whether it's current best-sellers, genre books, coffee-table volumes, old textbooks, or The Classics. If you go into my living room and look around you'll see a mixture of 1930's agitprop, technical books on radio writing and production, obscure Bible commentaries, collections of humorous essays, Ellery Queen mysteries, baseball histories, and P. G. Wodehouse, which tells you about as much about me as you need to know.

E-Readers may be convenient, but they take a lot of fun out of visiting a friend's home for the first time.

This is an interesting point. For years, in my abodes there have been bookcases filled with books, cabinets first with record albums and cassettes, which dissolved into CDs, and a stereo in more than one room.

These days, there's no shelves, no books (most have been boxed and moved to my office at school), no records, tapes or CDs, and no stereo. My recorded music is on my computer and ipod, and radio-type music comes through the TV from cable's music channels, which broadcast by theme.

Except for the books, it's not that different, except maybe being easier - the music part, that is.

I think I'm gonna put up a book case in the office here at home and put some of my books back.

 

[VintageBee]

This is an interesting point. For years, in my abodes there have been bookcases filled with books, cabinets first with record albums and cassettes, which dissolved into CDs, and a stereo in more than one room.

These days, there's no shelves, no books (most have been boxed and moved to my office at school), no records, tapes or CDs, and no stereo. My recorded music is on my computer and ipod, and radio-type music comes through the TV from cable's music channels, which broadcast by theme.

Except for the books, it's not that different, except maybe being easier - the music part, that is.

I think I'm gonna put up a book case in the office here at home and put some of my books back.

NO BOOKSHELVES???!!!
That's like saying there's no food in the house!
Please! Put up some bookshelves, it will make you happy

I agree with Lizzie, my bookshelves tell all about me! My dearest friend and I share a love of British history books and detective novels! Her books are prominently displayed and always available for sharing

 

[Feraud]

A bookshelf is a fine addition to a home. I enjoy seeing what people keep on their shelves.
Over the course of marriage our family bookshelves have grown to serious overflowing and needed an occasional edit. We donate the extras to the Salvation Army.

 

[hatguy1]

I don't know whether they flicker or not to be honest. However, I do know that using a PC too long is like staring into a light bulb...

Agreed. The eye Dr told me recently that people who look at monitors for long periods (e.g., working on a computer a lot) tend to have dryer eyes and associated issues because humans don't blink as often when looking at computer monitors....

And I agree with other posters about expressing/determining personality etc from books in bookshelves.

 

[scottyrocks]

That's why I turn the brightness down on my screens. And TFL's background is this nice dark gray/'light black' that's easy on the eyes.

 

[Touchofevil]

What e-reader screen flickers? I'm in the market for one and would like to know what to avoid.



This reminds me of visiting my grandparents when I was a kid. My grandfather kept a supply of classic crime, detective, horror magazines in the bathroom.

I have an iPad and the last four (two were refurbished) kindles Amazon has released. I enjoy both the iPad and kindle. I think it depends on how much you are willing to spend and what you want out of your e-reader. The iPad is the better choice if you want the combination of computer and e-reader. The newer kindles (kindlefire) have somewhat closed the gap. They are nice in that although their size has increased, they still are lighter than an iPad. Of course this is all just my opinion for whatever it is worth.