On 1/13/2016 7:51 PM, Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 1/13/2016 2:02 PM, Frank wrote:
On 1/13/2016 2:17 PM, Don Y wrote:
SWMBO is complaining that the library is turning more and more to
ebooks (do away with the brick&mortar facilities and let amazon
act as the "library" -- some sort of contract they've hammered out).
[snip]
[These are all issues that my "solution" avoided...]
I've got the cheapest Kindle and even though the screen is only 7 inches
it is very readable because you put books in their format.
I'm sure their Kindle Fire is better as there is a touch screen and color.
Amazon will let you download the reader to any machine as they want to
sell books but there is plenty of free stuff from them or others, e.g.
the Gutenburg project - http://www.gutenberg.org/
Then there is free software where you can inter-convert formats for the
reader programs - http://calibre-ebook.com/
+1 on Calibre, Don. It's a FANTASTIC program.
Yes, as I mentioned in my reply to Frank (alongside this reply of yours),
I already use it on my tablet PC. My technical library is a hodge-podge
of different formats (cuz folks can't seem to PICK ONE! : ). I have
PDF, MOBI, EPUB, PS, DJVU, CHM, CBR, INFO, man(1) pages, etc. I've been
slowly trudging through it and converting everything to PDF -- so I can
just use a PDF reader to access all of that content.
Also, if you have access to the
usenet (doh!) there are a number of binary groups there that post books in the
epub and mobi format.
I don't think she is interested in accumulating ebooks. Rather, just
wants to be able to *access* them -- without being chained to a PC.
We've been steadily working on ridding ourselves of paper (books,
magazines, bank statements, financial records, canceled checks, etc.)
though she still has a rather large collection of "art" books
(probably 40 linear feet) and I still have (a similar amount) of
technical references that simply aren't available in other forms.
[OTOH, I managed to get rid of nearly 80 "xerox boxes" of paperbacks
over the years!]
Regardless of what reader SWMBO winds up with, Calibre
will catalog them, convert them to the needed format and load them to your device.
All she wants is to be able to grab a book from the library and *read* it.
With the *paper* books, this was easy: wait for book to arrive, check
it out, read it, return it -- done! No technology involved beyond
her library card.
But, it's clear the library is looking to shed staff and facilities
and moving to a virtual library is one big step in that direction
(I think we have ~20 branch libraries *in* town -- lots of staff
and facilities to maintain)
She's like paper books? Help her with the transition and recommend that no
matter what reader she buys, that she buys a "cover" for it. I went with
Barnes and Noble's Nook reader and was quite happy with it. Then I bought an
iPad 3 and have abandoned the Nooks in favor of the iPad. Love it and works
So, on the iPad, you have to invoke an *app* to get at the books?
fine for me. With the cover you can hold the Nook or iPad as if you were
holding a book. Makes getting used to the eReader very simple.
I don't understand why the "cover" makes a difference? E.g., with my tablet
PC, I just set it on my lap, counter/desk or against my propped up legs
(if reading in bed). Holding it in my arms would be tiring as it is
rather large...
I can't see how putting it *in* something would make it any better (?)
[Though I have a screen protector film on the display to keep the
pen from scratching the plastic]