kindle or paper? pros/cons help?

I love the Kindle, especially for homeschooling!  It is easy on the eyes – very much like reading a book.  It is easier to hold than a book.  (and mine even has a cover with a light in it that makes it heavier – and it is still easier to hold than most books.)  Turning the page is just pressing a button that is right near where the hand is.  The kids can see pictures – at least on the books we have used.  And I can size it to a bigger font to make it easier for them to read too. (they like a font about 2 sizes bigger than my prefered font.)

No color version.  Not for the Kindle.  There are other ereaders that have color, but they are not as easy on the eyes as they use the same type of technology as a computer or smart phone.

Not only would I repeat the purchase, I would (if I could) buy one for each child over the age of about 6.)

You can also read pdf files on them (I find I have to turn it sideways often when doing pdf’s or the print is too small and if you zoom cursoring is a pain…) – I have read books like planning your CM education on it – and with our math program last year the lessons were a pdf file so I saved money by reading it off my Kindle instead of printing them or having to be at the computer.

If you get the 3G version, you can access the internet (a little limited, but pretty good – no videos, and if you click a link that would open another window it won’t let you go to it….) for FREE anywhere.  I have used it to access my gmail or my google calendar, also the google map.  It isn’t a great web browser, and is experimental so not guaranteed… but there are not data charges or anything with it.

Now all that said, there are some books I still prefer on paper.  Planning CM education is one, and there have been others.

I currently have about 300 books on it.  I haven’t paid for any of them at all. (I use a lot of free resources….)  I haven’t even touched the surface of the free things out there.   

Supposedly soon, the libraries will be able to loan out Kindle books…. maybe within a year.  I’m making no guarantees on it… but am sure hoping for it.  The library where I am already has an elibrary – it just doesn’t work with a kindle yet (does on the computer with the right program.)   I am hoping it comes soon as that would open up more recent books to me for free.

anyway – as much as I love books – I LOVE my Kindle!

We have a KOBO and it isn’t back lit either so nice on the eyes. I love it for my “fluff” reading, free books, books I don’t mind paying a few dollars for and wouldn’t want to take up space in my house. Ther are books that are still a priority to have and hold a read and keep on the shelf. And then there are e-books that I say woohoo for. I LOVE to have the KOBO near when baby has nursed and fallen asleep. I don’t find that I notice the page turning button is a bother. Light and easy to keep in the diaper bag. Children think it is SO fun to read on becuase they are children and love neat things. I haven’t found it diminishes their appreciation of actual book either. DD9 has been lovingly enjoying her first Lamplighter book and has a small favorites library of her own books started. I am not sure if  the new KOBO touch is colour or not. I have the 1st generation, no Wifi, which suites me fine. DH loves that he can get new releases cheap on it. My sister made a good point about authors probably getting paid more per book sale as they have no publishing overhead and shipping costs being absorbed KWIM? Like when mucisians get paid for downloads etc…

I have a love/hate relationship with technology.  Just learned how to convert a file in publisher to a PDF so I could email it.  My calendar is a little wornout Hallmark variety.  I have a cell phone but don’t even program numbers into it.  Although I am pretty fast at texting.   

We have a Kindle.  I’ve read one book on it but dh uses it all the time.  It’s handy for me in certain situations like when ds had surgery a few months ago.  I definitely see its value and am glad we have it.  I have such a hard time, though, with my day to day reading.  I operate a homeschool lending library with 15,000 living books, many out of print (50 7′ bookcases) and it just is not the same holding the Kindle as it is holding a wonderful old book.  But that’s just me.  I’m in the older crowd here, and am doing well with the technology I have to use, but I defintely enjoy my books. 

-This thread is great as I have been considering a kindle.  Any thoughts about the virtues of the Kindle vs. the Nook?-

I personally like the Kindle more than the Nook.  I had problems with the touch screen and when the machine changed pages, the black screen inbetween pages was giving me a headache.  It seemed to last longer than the kindle’s page change.  But that is just me, and I don’t like to much technology.  The kindle is a little less techniqual than the Nook.

You can go to Best Buy and they have all the e-readers out and on so you can play with them and see which one you like better. 

I like the Kindle too.  Benefits over IPAD for us are – SUPER easy to read and easy on the eyes – we don’t miss color at all, but then again, the books we are reading probably don’t have color illustrations anyway.  Also, because it’s not AS pricey as the IPAD – I don’t mind letting my 5 and 7 yo use it.  I’m not sure I would be as generous with an IPAD.  We don’t have an IPAD, so I can’t speak from experience, but those are my perceived benefits – it’s also smaller than an ipad, I like taking it to church – there’s a free ESV download which makes it the smallest, yet still readable Bible I have.

Hope that helps!