Kindle drawbacks?

We used to go kindling for twigs to start the fire; when on holiday I take books in the form of cheap novels, etc and leave them on trains or hotels when finished, pro bono publico, I suppose.

Lovely tangent, Fastcat. When I was a guide, we gathered small stuff called punk to start the fire and slightly bigger twigs - kindling - to get it going before we put the bigger bits of wood on. Happy days!

Amazon Spring Sale - Kindle books from 99p!
I just bought Arguably by Christopher Hitchens for £1.99 (hardback price about £26) and Roy Hudd's autobiography for 99p.

I now have four books waiting for me to finish my current one...

You have to be careful not to fall asleep with your kindle on your lap. If a paperback falls to the floor you lose your place. If your kindle does...........!

Depending on the hardness of your floor, of course.

I have a fairly well-padded case for mine.

I haven't got a kindle but have recently bought an iPad. It has iBooks and free books apps. I think I can also get a kindle app or a kobo app. Which is best?
Do book prices vary with each app and is there a way I can put all the books in one place?
To begin with I am just downloading free classics till I get the hang of it. Popular paperbacks seem to be the same price as the book in the shops which surprises me.

Oh, I'd get the Kindle app - I had it before I got an actual Kindle. The best thing is, that, with the Amazon app, you're all ready to go. And the devices talk to one another, so if, for example, you've been reading something on the iPad, it will sync to the last page read on another device.

I had a Sony e- reader and the whole download was an annoying process, so I gave it away.

Pictures are rubbish, footnotes useless as you can't flick forwards or back easily, Amazon habit in danger of bankrupting us, not a good idea in the bath.
Otherwise, brilliant!

I bought a Kobo reader, the battery life for the first one was rubbish, so I took it back and they gave me a replacement, that one didn't last four days, I took it back, however they sent it off. I have just had an e-mail telling me that there was a fault with the battery; so hopefully it will third time lucky.

No such luck the third one went even quicker.

I love my Kindle - and like others find myself downloading a lot of books. The only drawback is if I find a book I really enjoy I can't pass it on to my Mother (also an avid reader). She isn't tech minded and wouldn't have a Kindle herself (the most she can do is switch on the TV!).

I do miss the feel of holding a real book though

I love my Kindle too, got it last Christmas and use it a lot. It doesn't stop me browsing the bookshops and buying real books which eventually end up in my already overfull shelves. Some books are expensive on Kindle, but some are very cheap. What I really like is reading a tempting review and being able to get that book straight away, in seconds, from Amazon. For instance, I just decided to read Ashenden and there it is, ready to go. What I like less is not having a front cover or a blurb to read first. My grown up children use my bookcase like a library when they visit and of course, I can't lend out my Kindle!

Finally treated myself to a Kindle, much more better than the Kobo-reader.

I have not thought of buying a kindle. Would they bounce when they fall onto the floor when I inevitably fall asleep reading in bed? As it is I do enjoy browsing books off shelves in the library.

Depends on how soft the carpet is Nelliemoser, and how high your bed. And the nature of the fall. A gently sliver onto a soft carpet would probably be ok. A fall from a higher surface onto a harder type of carpet would probably do for it.

As I know to my cost.

I don't know if this is a problem on Actual Kindles, but it is a problem on an iPad Kindle App: there's no way that I can find to copy and paste a quotation from what you're reading onto another document on a computer. I would expect to be able to do that "in this day and age". Correction: I do expect to be able....

Good grief! I couldn't manage anything like that off of my kindle!

It's supposed to be relaxing Bags.

Perhaps one of these newe ones. kindle fire

I might drop a few hints for Christmas! You can watch films as well on them. And loads of other stuff. Bit like a small i-pad I think. And cheaper.

<qoute>Incidentally it's nice to see The Oldie back on the forum scene..

I just hope it won't all suddenly disappear in a hissy fit lke the old one did!</quote>

And make them change the name from 'New Oldie' to 'Mature Cheese'!

And find TC to run it...

@Nelliemoser - re dropping Kindle : I have had many a bedtime book slip out of my hands, but not, so far, the Kindle - it is extremely light, unlike, say a 600-odd page Victorian novel in hardback. But it may still contain that same novel, of course.

Nelliemoser, I bought a cover for my Kindle, very cheap and slightly padded which softens the impact if I drop it, though I don't think I ever have. Don't be seduced into buying one of the covers that costs almost as much as the Kindle itself - they won't give it any better protection.

Why not knit a nice cover for the kindle? Cost next to nothing!!

Give me a book anytime. Will never bother with a Kindle again or any kind of e-reader.

Got a Kindle for my birthday and love it. Great for travelling. Still like 'real' books from time to time though. Doesn't need charging too frequently. Haven't found a downside yet.