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02-06-2012, 03:31 PM
Re: (...)
I know of Kindle and Nook - are there others? Who of you have which? I have lots of questions -
if using only for cookbooks (me), any reason to spend more for color?
How much are batteries for these things? Do they last very long? Can you use them plugged in to make batteries last longer?
Hopefully you all who have these can walk me thru it a little.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
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I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas. I love it and the color. I've been using mine more for watching movies and TV shows (like Downton Abbey), and using it for Facebook than reading so far. I did download a couple of free books just to see what it looks like and how it works. The text is not in color anyway so if you were using it primarily to read recipes color would not be needed. I also spend a fair amount of time playing Angry Birds on it while waiting in the school parking lot. You don't need to be near wireless to play games (but you do need wireless to watch shows/movies or access the internet). Once you've purchased a book and downloaded it, it is there until you delete it so no wireless is needed to access your books. There are no batteries to be changing. You just charge it like you do a cell phone. I want to say I think mine has a 3-4 hour battery life between charges. I use mine plugged in if I'm close enough to an outlet so I don't use up all my battery power so fast (but the cord for the charger is not very long) but being in a kitchen you have outlets all over the place so that shouldn't be an issue. If you buy one, buy a protective case and screen protector to guard against droppage and scratching - both are cheap.
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Thanks Trixxee - I just came back here after doing a search and found that
Kindle - Maryann and Cis have Nook - Denise and Erin have
so hopefully all will check in. Now, that I've decided to buy one, I'm so anxious to decide which way to go. Hope they come on soon.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
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I have the Kindle Keyboard 3G, and love it also. However, now that I've seen the Kindle Fire, I will want to be upgrading sometime.(Color is always more fun!) The only advantage to the one that I have right now is that with the 3G, you can download a book anytime, regardless of whether you are in a wi-fi area. I do not usually stay connected to the internet except when I want to purchase a book or download one from my library. The reason is that the battery lasts much longer that way. My Kindle will stay charged for 2-3 weeks, even with daily use, as long as I'm not online. When online, it seems to wear down in a 3-4 days. I leave it plugged in only long enough to charge it. You asked what other types of e readers are out there. Here is a list of the Brands and style that my library is compatible with. There may be others out there, but I'm guessing that these are the most popular. http://overdrive.com/files/ebook-cheat-sheet.pdf
Maryann
"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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Maryann, how do you get on the internet? Your internet service? I have a Verizon Wireless receiver, can I use tha?
(Roy is helping me word these questions - we're so dumb in this area)
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I have a Kindle the regular kind, and I use it for reading and playing word games. I almost went ahead and got a Kindle Fire they look awesome, but I think I am going to get a iPad 3 when they come out and use it pretty much for a laptop/tablet. I love the Kindle and plan to keep it for reading as it is not "back lit" I have a few cookbooks downloaded and it's fine, but I bet color and pictures would be much nicer, so if your planning to use it mostly for that then I'd go with Kindle Fire or an iPad
Cis
Empress for Life
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Okay, I'll do my best to explain this. Ron says that we have a wi-fi router. That is so that we can stream from Netflix to our tv. So, I can go on-line on my Kindle either using wi-fi at home, or if I'm not at home, or not in a wi-fi area, I can go online using the 3G.
However, I will say that I rarely go online away from home, so it's not really necessary, just a convenience. Also, the online experience on the Kindle is not the best because the screen is small and it's slower than just doing it on my PC. But, for downloading books, it's great. It only takes seconds and it's done.
Ron said he's pretty sure you wouldn't have to buy a wi-fi router because the kindle comes with a USB port to plug into your computer, so you could go on-line that way to download books from your library or to purchase.
I agree with Cis, the ipad is awesome. Just not high on my list of priorities at the moment due to cost.
Maryann
"Drink your tea slowly and reverently..."
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Thanks everyone for being so patient with me and taking my hand thru this process.
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Maryann, I am told that iPad 2 will go down in cost when iPad 3 comes out. As it is, iPad 2 probbly already does everything I'd ever need, but SIL said I should wait and go with the new one, however, they are pricey, you are right. So maybe iPad 2 will be a good bet, when and if the price comes down. Meanwhile for what Jean is describing, she might be happy with Kindle Fire wifi only, it supposedly has much better internet capability than ordinary Kindle. I will always use my Kindle for just reading, it's the perfect size, for everything else, I'm looking forward to the iPad just have to decid 2 or 3
Cis
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Here are my .02. I got a Kindle Fire when my laptop was on the fritz. It was ok, I used it to play a few games and download my email. I did download a couple of books, but did not really enjoy reading them. For me, it was just too small. I did check out a couple of recipes as well, but again too small for me. I compared it to DD's ipad and it is amazing what the few extra inches add. I returned the kindle for a refund when my new laptop arrived. I had thought of keeping it, but realized I was not enjoying as much as I thought I would.
So I too am waiting for the ipad 3 to come out. I have been saving my pennies so I can purchase a good one with wifi. Living Cookbook will have an ipad app by the end of the year, so that will be super cool. DD and SIL use theirs all the time to cook.
I have been using my laptop 90% of the time now, so I've been slowly getting accustomed to a smaller screen (from 24" in the desktop to 17" in the laptop). For me, the hardest part will be not using a mouse, so I am practicing on my laptop, but still pretty much hate it. Nevertheless, to see if I would read a book on it, instead of buying the paperbacks, I downloaded the last 2 books of Pretty Little Liars (I know, but it is my guilty pleasure) to my laptop and read them there. You can use the kindle or nook app on a pc. It was actually ok and nice not to have to hold the book.
I would suggest you try reading a couple of books on it if you have a laptop and see how you like it. Amazon has some for as little as 99 cents and even some free one. Also download a free pdf cookbook and use it and see if you like it.
If I remember correctly, you can read anything on a Kindle, but only books from B&N on the Nook or is it the other way? Anyway, worth checking out.
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