Kindle the better travel books... all 1000 of them in one device!

I'm sure that most everyone who travel on long trips to dive locations like to have a good book or 2 to read. Unfortunately with airline regulations, 1 or 2 books in the cabin is all you can carry on nowadays. I'd also stopped buying new books and only shopped in 2nd hand book stores as a eco-effort to reduce paper waste. Ebooks became easily available in the last 5 years but the devices to read from were far from great. Reading from the laptop caused eye strain from the LCD contrast and also you were limited to 3-4 hours at the most. It's also not a very wieldy way to read. The iPhone, PDA and smart phone route was also a problem with backlit screens in sunlight and the screens are really small.

In Nov 2006, Sony released the PRS-500. Fearing my glaringly obvious lack of new thoughts and falling into illiteracy, this x'mas gift was aimed to help me pass time on my many trips overseas to remote places. The screen with the E-ink and no back light gave great contrast with no eye strain. The interface was nice but it didn't come with a charger ( it could be USB charged) and the titles at Sony's own ebook website was limited. The silly thing is the Sony had no mac support so uploading the books to the read was a pain. Still I'd over 500 books in the memory card and PRS-500. By mid 07 though, the device strangely was repossessed by the giver because she said so!

Fearing repercussions of taking back gifts given, I was given the newly launched Amazon Kindle E book reader as a gift with my favorite authors in it. This ebook reader was backed by Amazon's vast book store and even newspapers from round the world, all downloaded via CDMA wireless once you order it from Amazon.com. The only problem was that it had a proprietary format that previous ebooks, .docs, rtf and pdfs have to be transcoded into before you can upload to the device.

So anyhow, ebook readers are probably the best travel companion next to the pda/smartphone/music media player. They are easy to use and the batteries last a few days before charging. Hardbacks and other new releases tend to be slight cheaper purchased as ebooks although they certainly aren't a bargain (older books like Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea go for 99 cents on amazon).

There are even sites with free ebooks:

http://feedbooks.com

http://manybooks.net

Happy reading on the road.

My wife is an avid reader. I bought her a Kindle Christmas a year ago. She absolutely loves it. It works fabulous for traveling, being very handy while saving weight and space. Top price for books when she began using it was $9.95 US for a book, though I take care of the Mastercard statements and a majority of the books she reads are substantially less than that, some as low as $1.00 USD. Now she says rumor exists the prices might increase to $14.95 for some selections. Also, the batteries don't last as long as I believe they should. It takes a couple months to get one from Amazon as they're continually on back order.

Julie gave me a Sony PRS-700 for christmas. It looks very cool, but I havent read a book on it yet. Drew, any underwater or photography books around?

Still I'd over 500 books in the memory card and PRS-500. By mid 07 though, the device strangely was repossessed by the giver because she said so!

Old girlfriend; alimony ???

I have the Kindle and like it. I like the ability to easily download journals / newspapers as well.

It will be nice if they ever manage to do something like this with color and high image quality - I like my picture books.

Julie gave me a Sony PRS-700 for christmas. It looks very cool, but I havent read a book on it yet. Drew, any underwater or photography books around?

You'll find that images don't do well on the screens, coming out B&W and looking like it went through the outline plugin. That is the issue with E-Ink. Another thing is pdf files. I can't read them as the Kindle and the old PRS500 displays only in full screen. Text ebooks are best. I would've liked the PRS505 instead of the Kindle as the interface is much better. But the wireless download is nice...when I'm in the country!

Can you use them on planes during take-off and landing? I used to read books on my Palm device (when I used to travel a lot) but I was always forced to "switch the device off" (which doesn't actually mean anything with a Palm) during take-off and landing as it was considered an electronic device.

Can you use them on planes during take-off and landing?

I recall my wife stating they're good for these situations and don't need to be turned off, but from my observations sitting next to her during air travel, the airline stewardess don't seem to have a firm grip on this concept...

I don't usually read during the first 30 mins of take off any how... too busy passed out. But yes, it is an electronic device so you can't use it during take off/landing. It's not heavier than a thick hard cover book so the safety issues are unreasonable. But I think those regulations were written in the 50s and 60s and not really updated much. They added cellphone usage only because of the effect on navigation, now (contentiously of course) proven by several studies (obviously the EU don't feel it's a problem since they approved the use of cellphones in flight last year!). The kindle does use CDMA for downloading books so you'd have to switch that off in the plane.

They added cellphone usage only because of the effect on navigation, now (contentiously of course) proven by several studies (obviously the EU don't feel it's a problem since they approved the use of cellphones in flight last year!). The kindle does use CDMA for downloading books so you'd have to switch that off in the plane.

Now this is one thing that I have always found strange. IF cellphones were really that bad and you were a terrorist, wouldn't you just stick a bunch of them in your bag and switch them all on when the plane was in flight? We have to make do with plastic knives and forks but they don't take the cellphones away.

Of course, I don't mind the ban as we'd just end up with people on flights talking on their cellphones.

I should also add that the Kindle's CDMA connection is only for the US. I'm sure Amazon will go international with Kindle 2 but the original Kindle wireless connection is only with Sprint's EVDO system. One can download ebooks onto a SDHC card to be used on the Kindle.

Can you use them on planes during take-off and landing? I used to read books on my Palm device (when I used to travel a lot) but I was always forced to "switch the device off" (which doesn't actually mean anything with a Palm) during take-off and landing as it was considered an electronic device.

Technically yes, practically no. There are two switches on the back of the Kindle. One is just an on/off switch. The other is for downloading. Still, I hear the announcement that "all" electronic devices must be turned off, so I turn my Kindle, electric watch and pacemaker off like a good boy.

I don't usually read during the first 30 mins of take off any how... too busy passed out. But yes, it is an electronic device so you can't use it during take off/landing. It's not heavier than a thick hard cover book so the safety issues are unreasonable. But I think those regulations were written in the 50s and 60s and not really updated much. They added cellphone usage only because of the effect on navigation, now (contentiously of course) proven by several studies (obviously the EU don't feel it's a problem since they approved the use of cellphones in flight last year!). The kindle does use CDMA for downloading books so you'd have to switch that off in the plane.

Interestingly the EU (or at least Air France) appears to be much more strict about using cellphones while taxiing after landing. Generally, in the US it's OK. Two years ago on my arrival in Paris, the stewardess really came down on me (charged half way across the plane to reprimand me) when I took my cellphone out to call my family who had arrived before me that I had arrived. A consolation was, she was great looking.

My Kindle 2 just shipped - I got tired of carrying 20 lbs of books for all trips longer than 3 days and am already worried about the carry-on limitations for my EVA flight in a few months. I did see that Martin Edge's book is available, and that may have to be my first purchase...

I can't wait. I wish it were here yesterday.

Kindle two .. may soon be International as well !!

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/25/further...ational-kindle/

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/24/kindle-...for-a-sim-card/

there is potentially a SIM card space on it .. and they may be in talks with operators world wide .. i bet that last part is slow progress too!

Giles, you just made my day by reminding me that this may be the first and last time that I experience a brief, shining period where I own some technology that my English sister in law does not....

I, owner and user of obsolete camera gear, MacBook, and iPod (I don't even own an iPhone, insert eye roll here) will FINALLY be able to use the smug expression that I have oft practiced in the mirror but never been able to use in real life.... YES!!!!!

(This assumes that Kindle 2 isn't available in the UK by Xmas - if it is, she will inevitably have something that I don't on hers...)

Allison

I've been using a Kindle for months now, and I love it. Prior to that, I used to own a Sony, but I left it in an airplane -- that really stung!

Much prefer the Sony's form factor, but the Kindle for everything else. Sony's software and eBook store is TERRIBLE. Amazon's is great.

Damn, delivery date is March 3....guess I will have to avoid being drunk/broke in a strange city until the 4th (rather, will be drunk/broke in San Diego)...

DON'T PANIC (in large friendly letters).

Ideally, we could use one of these little puppies instead of 40 pounds of critter ID books.

Bob

I read an article on these devices. Interesting thing was that it said you could download software and use an iPod touch or iPhone as a reader. I didn't get the part where it told what type of software and where you got the books.

Thing is they said statistics showed that far more people used their iPhone or iPod touch for reading books than all the other devices together.