On 1/13/2016 8:14 PM, rbowman wrote:
I've got an older Kindle Keyboard:
which is equivalent to the current Paperwhite

I've been very happy with it. You can either buy from Amazon or sideload via
the USB port. Many of the Amazon books are free or very inexpensive if you're
not into the NYT best sellers.

I'm not sure if the titles she reads are strictly on the NYT best seller list
but they are most definitely "new issues". We can't, for example, get a
title issued in the past 12 months through interlibrary loan (if our library
doesn't have the title). So, you're pretty much stuck waiting for them
to buy some copies -- and *hoping* they do!

Calibre can convert from a number of formats to the mobi format. Instructions
for sideloading are here;

The way our library works is the eBooks are actually received from Amazon.

Yes, I think at least some of the "etitles", here, come direct from Amazon.
Some sort of hybrid personal+library account; so it's not *just* the
library that is acquiring it.

Some models are 3G. The 'special offers' are very non-intrusive. Basically you
get a varying selection of ads when the device is turned off, not some popup
every time you turn the page.

(sigh)

"This toilet paper brought to you by..."

The Kindle app is available for tablets and PCs also as well as the hardware
Kindles. If you're connected (3G or WiFi) your material is synched; read to
page 103 on the Kindle at home, and when you go to that book on a PC at work,
you'll be on 103.

Then, the document and state are stored in the cloud?

She typically just reads at home. I.e., if the library would *loan*
a device preloaded with the book she wants she'd be happy. (well,
more happy than if she had to find a device to start with; less happy
than if they just gave her a *book*!)

Battery life is excellent as long as the WiFi is turned off. A charge lasts
several weeks instead of several hours with a tablet.

Different experience, of course. You're not really "interacting" with
an ebook.

While I still like paper,
the Kindle experience is almost as good and if you're traveling it beats a
heavy bag full of books.

When I (used to!) travel, I would buy/take a single novel (~500pp) for
the trip. The ~2+ hour wait in the outgoing airport plus the ~2+ hour wait
in the returning airport would be just enough time to finish it. A pad and
paper for the actual plane ride(s) -- reading on a plane is too sedate
for my preference.

One nice feature is the dictionary. It comes with an english dictionary but I
purchased a German to English dictionary. Put the cursor over an unfamiliar
word and it pops up a definition most of the time. German being German, some of
the compound words or verb forms don't work smoothly.

Holdsemfromfloppen?

Hmmm... a *regular* dictionary may be helpful for her. When she opts
to read things that get a bit technical, I get lots of, "Don, what does..."
queries.

(sigh) I'll have to put something in her hands and see how she likes
it. Despite having moved my leisure and technical libraries onto
"media", I still gravitate towards titles that I can "hold" in my
hands -- esp leisure reading.

[We have a fair number of used book stores, here. And, the public library
has frequent sales of discarded/donated titles. So, I can often find something
there for $1/title. Or, $5/bag! Then, donate it *back* when done.]