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Thanks to all those who recommended a Kindle
A while ago there was a post comparing e-books and hard copies. After chatting with a few people, I was convinced to spend the money on a Kindle to replace reading on my laptop.
It's an amazing difference and I'd recommend it to anyone who reads on a "normal" screen. My eyes don't get tired, night reading is more comfortable, I've got 40 books in my pocket, the screen really is glare free, and I've charged it once in a week and a half.
So if you read e-books, get a reader with the e-ink screen. It's worth it, and thanks to those who convinced me.
Glad you're enjoying it! Which model did you go for?
I got the Paperwhite. I don't need a data connection but the screen light is a must, so I went for the middle option.
I love mine as well, but I never understand why people say the screen is glare-free. Because that hasn't been true on any of the several Kindles I've owned.
It has as much glare as a normal book, which is practically nil unless the angle is just right.
I don't find that to be the case. Usually the glare is just as bad as on a regular screen. Is it because my brightness is too low?
Do you have the e-ink Paperwhite, or a Fire, which is basically just an Android tablet like any other?
I have a Paperwhite, but the glare is also present on my Kindle Keyboard and Voyage.
I leave the screen light off during the day. When I was outside I could read fine but when I checked my phone I had to turn the brightness up and hide it in my shadow. So I definitely see a difference.
If you want cheap books, check out heyebooks.com. If they don't have a book you want, just follow their instructions to request it and they usually get it within 24-hours. I am not sure how they source them all, but it has been an easy way to find those books the library won't carry and I have had a hard time finding.
My guess would be outright piracy or at the very least grey market reselling based on the following information:
The fact they use hotmail/gmail/yeahnet email addresses for official contacts is a red flag.
The fact the site is riddled with spelling mistakes is a red flag.
The fact all of their multiple listed domains are registered using whois privacy is a red flag:
abcebook.com, heyebooks.com & abcebooks.cc (which their footer mentions is expired/was taken down)
The fact the books will be sent to you via email attachments is a red flag.
The fact your purchase isn't sent to you for up to 5-12 hours is a red flag.
The fact that every book is only $1.90 is a red flag. You know the saying about too good to be true.
The fact the site doesn't appear to support https anywhere, even at registration/login is a HUGE red flag.
Does the checkout page at least have https support?
What payment processor are they using (if any) and is it legitimate?
Is it paypal and if so what email address is used?
Given how sketchy the site looks I am not about to sign up to find the answers to those questions.
Based on all that I very much doubt they are a legitimate vendor and I wouldn't trust them with my credit card information or even knowledge of what my paypal account is. IMO you need to seriously reconsider purchasing from them again and I would recommend refraining from promoting them to others as well.
Thanks, I'll definitely check that out.
IMO you really shouldn't. See my comment
belowabove.Thanks, I just read it. You saved me some time cause I would have got to checkout then bailed due to HTTPS. If a site can't even manage that at checkout then you're screwed.
That post gave me the idea to get one for my wife's birthday, it was either the following day (or day before) Amazon Australia finally stocked Kindles so it seems to be a must. What did you end up going with? we have been at all sorts and have no real idea what would be best
I went for a Kindle Paperwhite. Kindle since it's the main e-book brand, Paperwhite 'cause it's the cheapest one with a light. I haven't seen the others in person so I can't give a comparison, but I can say the Paperwhite is lovely to use. I've loaded on my library from my laptop, which only took 5 or so clicks in Calibre.
that's fantastic. I'll have to direct her to this thread, thank you
What file extensions can you read on it? EPUB? PDF?
Kindles can't read EPUB unless you jailbreak them and install an app that can. They can read PDFs, but not very well, since you can't do things like resize the text. The primary formats for Kindles are MOBI and AZW3. (Anyone can feel free to correct me if I'm off on something.)
If the formatting is a sticking point for you, you can use Calibre to convert them to the right format.
As Trial said, it needs certain formats. Calibre is a free e-reader but it also does file conversions. Add your file to Calibre, plug in your Kindle, then 5 or so clicks and you'll have correctly formatted books. I converted some EPUBs and it carried across chapter links and footnotes.