Does anyone actually use an e-reader or a laptop at the beach? Bright sunlight washing out the screen, sand in every available nook and crevice…the pocket-size paperback still has a lot of life left in it, for my money.
I once bought a digital book from Amazon that required a reader for me to read it on my computer. Fast forward to when I upgraded my computer:
I thought I should be able to simply transfer the files to my new computer and still be able to read it. Nope, the reader would not even open the file. It could see it, but when I tried to open it, I would get an authentication error.
So I went back to Amazon to see if I could re-download it, only to learn that they had abandoned the format I had originally downloaded it in and switched to a different reader. The book was no longer even available for download.
Now they have kindles. Sorry, but if I am going to pay the same amount for a download as I would for a real book, I will be buying real books only.
If you have one the new electronic readers with the eInk screen then you can read it outside, the more light the better. On the flip side you need a light to read inside. I have a Kindle and rarely get my books from Amazon and those that I do are immediately “disinfected” of the DRM so I won’t lose access to the book should I change devices.
I have read at the beach with my Kindle in a zip lock bag. Battery life is measured in days so I don’t need a backup generator. However, if you are reading on a backlit LCD device you would need a generator because you would have to turn the screen brightness all the way up which uses the battery quickly.
Most of my ebooks are free downloads that I would otherwise have to pay for if I wanted the dead tree version.
zero over 14 years ago
Only way to read one of that hack’s books is at night -using each page to feed a bonfire…
Kira_no_futago over 14 years ago
King’s novels never scared me much. Or impressed me much. Mostly I laugh. Glad to know I’m not totally alone in being unimpressed, though.
kejohns Premium Member over 14 years ago
FEWER polar bears!!!
pschearer Premium Member over 14 years ago
A haunted hotel. A haunted dog. A haunted car. A haunted teenager. Etc., etc., etc. Why do people keep reading that man?
peter0423 over 14 years ago
Does anyone actually use an e-reader or a laptop at the beach? Bright sunlight washing out the screen, sand in every available nook and crevice…the pocket-size paperback still has a lot of life left in it, for my money.
conean over 14 years ago
Sorry, peeps. I am a “constant reader” and proud of it.
bald over 14 years ago
sorry, but i think those ebooks are a terrible idea especially at the beach like SCAATY_423
besides, if you want to go in the water, who will watch your stuff. people will leave a real book alone but steal any electronic device.
runar over 14 years ago
Why I will never buy a Kindle: http://www.geardiary.com/2009/06/19/kindles-drm-rears-its-ugly-head-and-it-is-ugly/
gobblingup Premium Member over 14 years ago
And books can be happily passed along to friends. Plus they look better in my bookshelves. :-)
1148559 over 14 years ago
I won’t touch one of those things myself.
I once bought a digital book from Amazon that required a reader for me to read it on my computer. Fast forward to when I upgraded my computer:
I thought I should be able to simply transfer the files to my new computer and still be able to read it. Nope, the reader would not even open the file. It could see it, but when I tried to open it, I would get an authentication error.
So I went back to Amazon to see if I could re-download it, only to learn that they had abandoned the format I had originally downloaded it in and switched to a different reader. The book was no longer even available for download.
Now they have kindles. Sorry, but if I am going to pay the same amount for a download as I would for a real book, I will be buying real books only.
tallmomof2 over 14 years ago
If you have one the new electronic readers with the eInk screen then you can read it outside, the more light the better. On the flip side you need a light to read inside. I have a Kindle and rarely get my books from Amazon and those that I do are immediately “disinfected” of the DRM so I won’t lose access to the book should I change devices.
I have read at the beach with my Kindle in a zip lock bag. Battery life is measured in days so I don’t need a backup generator. However, if you are reading on a backlit LCD device you would need a generator because you would have to turn the screen brightness all the way up which uses the battery quickly.
Most of my ebooks are free downloads that I would otherwise have to pay for if I wanted the dead tree version.
lfanterickson over 14 years ago
triman, that was my first thought. Unless it only kills smaller polar bears…