Amazon Kindel

[geoffrey mendelson]

On Feb 3, 2011, at 8:30 PM, Amichai Rotman wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Any of you got the Amazon Kindel?

I have a nook. I got it because my wife is on several librarians  
lists, and everyone on them said they were buying the Kindle for the  
school because of some deal, but were buying nooks for themselves.

> I was thinking of buying one (the WiFi $140 model) and was wondering  
> if it's a good idea.
>

If you read a lot ebooks, probably. It depends upon what you want to  
do. The nook has a failing, IMHO that you can not zoom, rotate or  
change the contrast on scanned PDF files. It displays a full page scan  
on the full screen. I have thousands of books, mostly electronics that  
were "rescued" by people taking out of copyright (or never  
copyrighted) books and scanning them. The files are PDF files  
containing JPEGS.

It also depends upon if you a querty keyboard (and can stand such a  
small one) or a small touch screen.

The main selling point of the Kindle is that it reads Amazon.com DRM  
protected books using the proprietary .mobi format. It does not read  
the open standard epub books. You have to convert them (easy if there  
is no DRM). The nook reads epub with B&N's special DRM. The eVrit also  
uses epub, but with a different DRM.

So if you want to buy books from Amazon, buy a Kindle. If you want to  
buy books from B&N buy a nook. If you want to buy books from  
Steimatzky, buy an eVrit. If you don't want to buy books from anyone,  
and just want to read open or free books, then it does not matter  
which one you buy.


> The eVrit reader seems to be total waste of money - 900 NIS for 50%  
> of the features and power...

What's missing? The eVrit has a lot of advantages, native Hebrew  
support, it's a local product so you can get one easily and service if  
you need it. It also has a full screen touch screen, which the others  
don't. The Kindle has no touch screen at all, and the nook a small one.

The wifi on the nook is useless, it only lets you buy a book from B&N,  
I understand the Kindle is the same.

By the time I bought a nook, cheap case and Florida sales tax, it was  
650 NIS. Shipping and VAT was free as it was brought as  gift by a  
tourist. Lacking a tourist, for 250 NIS more, the eVrit looks a lot  
better to me.

If it had been 900 NIS when I bought the nook, I would have bought the  
eVrit instead.

I expect the will be on sale soon, it's time for a new model, and they  
have come out with an eVrit app for the iPad/iPod, so most people who  
would of bought one will be buying an iPod touch or iPad instead.

BTW, the scanned PDF files read nicely on an iPad.

> I'd appreciate your input.
>

At $250, the color nook is a much better buy.

> Thanks!
>
> Amichai.

Geoff.


-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to misquote it.