paramedicmike Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 Looking to tap into the experiences of people here. Have any of you used an e-reader (Kindle or iPad specifically... yes, I know the iPad is more than just an e-reader) for text books? What have your experiences been? Easy to use? Easy to reference and search for specifics subjects within a text? What are the pros and cons to using a device like this for text books that you've encountered? I've got a lot coming up with school and my need to access texts will not be decreasing over time. I much prefer having a real life book in front of me. (Go ahead. Call me "old school". I won't deny it.) But the versatility in the ability to transport several books without the weight or bulk seems pretty appealing. And could potentially come in handy. So, what say you oh wise denizens of The City? Who's done this? Thanks in advance.
DwayneEMTP Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 Hey Mike, I'm confident that the Nook isn't what you're looking for. Though I have the older version. It's just not versitile enough in my opinion. I gave Babs an Ipad 2 that were were given on my last job, and man, it's pretty amazing. Though I've not tried reading books on it you may want to take that for a test drive before making any decisions. Me, like most of the people I know were, "I want a REAL book in my hands" people until we actually got an e-reader...and then, though I still love books, don't ever look back. Being gone a min of a month at a time, not only are the e-readers really easy to read, they beat the hell out of trying to pack a ton of books. Especially for those of us that sometimes have multiple books going at the same time.. Dwayne
DFIB Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 (edited) I have a kindle and it easy to use. Too easy, A very simple reader. There really isn't a word search option and you have to leaf through the entire book to find the page you want. Also I have not found many textbooks that I can download. Edited October 27, 2011 by DFIB
systemet Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 I have a Kindle. I love it. But it's mostly good for plain text. I've saved a ton of money unethically downloading .mobi format books off the net. I've downloaded some textbooks on it, but the diagrams don't reproduce well, and aren't in colour. It's an almighty pain to move around images and zoom in and out. And the cost difference on most texts is around 5-10%. It's also very difficult to read .pdf documents on. Great screen, great battery life (weeks), very light. Refreshes reasonably quickly. But it's not really functional for browsing, beyond maybe checking your email. The technology doesn't allow for video / animation. But it does a great job of replacing the average paper back book, and takes up a lot less space. I can read for hours without eye strain. It's not back-lit though, so if you're reading in low light environments you need a light source. Works fine in bright sun. I wouldn't use it for textbooks though. I'd get a paper copy. I have no experience with the iPad, but the things I'd be concerned about are (i) cost, (ii) battery life, (iii) eye strain when reading, (iv) whether I'd feel happy pulling out something that expensive to read in a public place, or throwing it around in a work bag.
DwayneEMTP Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 ...I have no experience with the iPad, but the things I'd be concerned about are (i) cost, (ii) battery life, (iii) eye strain when reading, (iv) whether I'd feel happy pulling out something that expensive to read in a public place, or throwing it around in a work bag. (i) $300-$500 depending on the type you decide to get. (ii) Ridiculous in my opinion. About 8 hrs with near continuous use, on hers anyway. (iii) Exactly like reading on the Nook/Kindle, same eInk technology, or whatever it's called. (iv) I got her a screen protector and a pretty good leather case for hers. I do know that the chopper pilots that ferried us back and forth from the oil rigs used them for maint. logs and check lists and they threw them around all over the place. Bouncing them off of the floor, etc. But, perhaps they got a new one every week..who knows. And taking it out in public? They're everywhere now...though may not want to leave it laying around as it's also pretty easy to walk away with. Everything on Babs works in amazing, intuitive ways. I would never have purchased one for that price, we got the better model for a safety reward on a rig. But just about anything you want to do on it you can so without thinking very hard. I'm guessing that textbooks will be the same, but I can't say. I'm hoping someone will chime in that can. Dwayne
systemet Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 (i) $300-$500 depending on the type you decide to get. I didn't realise they were that cheap. They've been going for twice that here, but a lot of things are very expensive. (ii) Ridiculous in my opinion. About 8 hrs with near continuous use, on hers anyway. Any loss of charge over time? I haven't noticed any with the Kindle. (iii) Exactly like reading on the Nook/Kindle, same eInk technology, or whatever it's called. Shows how much I know! I thought they had a back-lit screen. (iv) I got her a screen protector and a pretty good leather case for hers. I do know that the chopper pilots that ferried us back and forth from the oil rigs used them for maint. logs and check lists and they threw them around all over the place. Bouncing them off of the floor, etc. But, perhaps they got a new one every week..who knows. I broke my first kindle dropping it from waist height onto a hard floor. Amazon replaced it free of charge, because it was still under warranty. It wasn't too inconvenient. And taking it out in public? They're everywhere now...though may not want to leave it laying around as it's also pretty easy to walk away with. I read my Kindle on the subway. I figure if someone wants it, they can have it. For $150, I'd rather not get dental work. I'm not sure if I'd feel the same way about an iPad. Everything on Babs works in amazing, intuitive ways. I would never have purchased one for that price, we got the better model for a safety reward on a rig. But just about anything you want to do on it you can so without thinking very hard. I'm guessing that textbooks will be the same, but I can't say. I'm hoping someone will chime in that can. Sounds like a ringing endorsement of the iPad. If I can find one that cheap, I might have to try it out. I'd always thought these were two separate markets, i.e. Kindle = reading books, iPad = laptop replacement, surfing. I still like my Kindle, it's fantastic for reading plain text books. I just wouldn't expect it to do much else.
chbare Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 If you are not willing to throw down $500.00 for an iPad 2, hold out for the new Kindle Fire. It will only set you back $200.00 and has an amazing package of goodies to offer. While I absolutely love my iPad, the Fire looks to be a solid device with an impressive set of features. Not to mention the solid reputation of Amazon. Heck, even as an iPad user, most of my ebooks are read via the Kindle app and not through iBooks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ29t8eHv4g&feature=youtube_gdata_player 1
Just Plain Ruff Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 The Nook has a textbook application now. Not all textbooks are available though. But any format that your textbook comes in can be converted either one way of the other. Epub to mobi back to epub etc etc. But for the money, go with the IPAD.
Eydawn Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 You know me. I'm a tech geek. In my experience with digital textbooks, mostly on my laptop, I *hated* it. Yes, I hate carrying textbooks, and my PT/chiro hates me for it too... but nothing beats the original layout, with pictures, and the ability to flip to an index and flip around to skim for related things in that area of a chapter. I had a developmental psych text that was in digital form (having already had a different version of the class a few years previous with a paper version) and I *hated* reading the digital one. Would I like it better if it were an e-reader? Maybe... can't answer that. But I can definitely answer that the paper text is my go-to. Now, for things like drug references, the smart-device and app is where it's at. I wouldn't solely rely on the e-reader version; I'd have the paper version at home to work with. For portability during clinicals/class I could see having the e-reader. Sorry I'm not more help.... Wendy CO EMT-B
Richard B the EMT Posted October 27, 2011 Posted October 27, 2011 Just bringing to everyone's attention, a note of dissention re the Kindle Fire E-Book reader. The link is that of the National Federation of the Blind, of which Momma B is a (sighted) member. http://www.nfb.org/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=854
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