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redhead · 23-03-2016, 11:35

When we leave the dock this summer I'll have to join the 21st century and get an Ereader. I did a search and the entries are all from 2010 and earlier.

Let me just say, as an insomniac, this will be an important transition as I spend hours most nights reading. I don't mind because it's been like this most of my life and I'm used to it. I even find moments of enjoyment when the boat is rocking or I hear small waves lapping at the stern.

I'm used to falling asleep for brief periods holding a book and can't imagine "cuddling" a Kindle or whatever but I'm pretty sure I'll adjust.

What do you like? Is Amazon the best place for the books?

Thanks all.

Shrew · 23-03-2016, 11:44

I like traditional Kindles because they are not backlit. As a result they can be clearly and easily read in direct sunlight like a book. Also like a book, they need an external light source.

However, the battery life is weeks, not days, which is the most compelling reason.

Backlit devices like an iPad or Kindle Fire are more difficult to read in direct sunlight and battery life is a more frequent grind.

I have yet to find a published book that I can't get on my kindle.

vjm · 23-03-2016, 11:55

Kindle Paperwhite. Books through Amazon. Very long lasting battery, easy on the eyes.

sailcruiser · 23-03-2016, 11:56

I have the first linked product but will get whatever the equivalent of the second (paperwhite) is when mine goes. I like that the second is visible in sunlight AND has a light for reading. To read mine in the dark I need a book light and that gets cumbersome but is certainly manageable. If you plow through books as I do Kindle Unlimited may be worthwhile. ($10/mo)

My prior ereader was a nook from BN. Book prices were higher and I am not confident BN will survive as most brick and mortar book stores are gone much to my dismay.

$79.99
Kindle, 6" Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I15SB16..._nwU8wb065Q22R

$119.99
Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Built-in Light, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQVZDJM..._FxU8wbV0ZAMHW

HTH

SC

Paul54 · 23-03-2016, 12:21

I have an earlier Kindle black and white and a Kindle Fire. I too thought I would miss holding a real book, but I don't. I love the back lit screen for reading late at night. No need for reading light. Plus I can store a ton of books without needing lots of shelf space.

I currently am hooked on my Ipad. I use it for reading, email, and as a navigation device. I like to be able to pop open my GPS and check if I have drug anchor at all, while lying in bed for the night reading.

Amazon/Kindle books are reasonably priced. I read a lot so I now have Kindle Unlimited. It is about $10.00 a month. You can have up to 10 books at a time downloaded on to your reading device for just the monthly fee. Reload when you have a good internet connection then read while off line.

**roverhi** · 23-03-2016, 14:03

For reading text in the sack, the Kindle is way superior to a book. Much lighter and easier to read when laying on your side. If you fall asleep while reading, you don't lose your place. Of course, the ability to carry a veritable brick and mortar library with you at all times overwhelms a back pack with a few books in it. The new Kindles with backlight are even better than the old non backlit ones. The backlight means you have no need for an external light source when reading at night or other low light conditions. Battery life is a bit less but still get weeks of use between charges. Still very readable in bright sunlight.

The Kindle is no substitute for a paper book if there are photos, illustrations, or maps that are a needed part of enjoying the read. The pictures are just too small to pick up the detail needed to understand what is trying to be conveyed. A case in point was reading Longitude. Read the book initially on my Kindle and it was a very interesting story. Someone recently gave me a coffee table version of the book with large illustrations and diagrams. Liked reading the paper version way better though it was a total pain to read it in bed so gave up and stuck it in my reading cubicle. Reading the book was way better on a dinosaur book where I could get the full impact of the prints than reading it in the Kindle.

Still no way I'd give up my Kindle Voyage, however, for the vast majority of books that I read.
Kindle Voyage vs Kindle Paperwhite: Which Amazon e-reader should you buy?

redhead · 23-03-2016, 14:34

Funny you should mention Longitude, I just picked up a special edition (tooled leather cover, gilt edged pages) free at the book exchange in our marina laundromat. Can't wait to get started.

Lake-Effect · 23-03-2016, 15:13

I won a Kobo Touch e-reader in a draw a few years back. It's one of the e-ink type which means it doesn't have its own backlight, but it is readable in anything from direct sunlight to a candle or small LED gooseneck light. It goes for almost a month on a charge.

One very cool thing about an e-reader is that you can have several dozens of books on it. So even when overnighting on our 19' microcruiser, we have a mini library aboard. This might include Chapman's, Bowditch, books on navigation or destinations, a good first-aid guide, repair manuals, etc.

Most old classics are now out of copyright and are usually available as free e-books somewhere (eg here)

RaymondR · 23-03-2016, 22:12

I'm on my third Kindle and I would never go back to paper books, the logistics alone was a nightmare and I once bought bed bugs aboard in a second hand book and getting rid of them required a lot of effort (As far as I know bed bugs cannot propagate in cyberspace but I would not put it past the little mongrels to eventually find a way)

I have also registered a slate and one of my computers and can download and read from my library on them. I have never tried transferring an ebook downloaded to either of them to the Kindle so don't know if that works.

Would not be without an ebook reader and would not go back to paper books whilst living on a boat.

**Hudson Force** · 24-03-2016, 02:26

For a dinosaur question I'll present a dinosaur answer.

I keep about a dozen paperback books in a bag by my bed. When I finish several I trade them at laundromats in marinas or used book stores. Most of my books are free and my total costs for books remains insignificant,- maybe $10 to $15/ year.

I can toss my book in the dinghy, shove it in my back pocket or back-pack, leave it in the rain or lose it without concern.

As a dinosaur, I'm not much concerned with electronic devices and I sometimes feel restricted by owning them. When I walk to the grocery store without a cell phone my younger friends think this is a wild and dangerous risky adventure.

Unteathered dinosaur!

Stumble · 24-03-2016, 07:33

Yet another vote for the Kindle paper white. Both me and my wife are voracious readers, and being able to carry our entire library (about 2,000 books ) is just to enticing. These days I simply won't buy a book unless it is in ebook form, or has diagrams of some sort which I still prefer in print or on my iPad.

In addition to kindle prices which are reasonable, I would also check out Project Gutenberg which has almost every out of copywriter book I have ever thought of available for free.

Crew of Turning · 24-03-2016, 08:52

Using a KOBO HD GLO and am enjoying it so far, it was an xmas gift. It is versatile and a devil of a friend gave me a flash drive with 5000 books on it which I dumped into Calibre on my computer. However I am a switch hitter as I still have a horde of paperbooks. Usually one of each on the go at all times. Both physical and digital work for me. Lots of old stuff out of copyright is out there.

valhalla360 · 24-03-2016, 09:04

Pretty much any flavor of tablet works fine.

Lots of sources for online books many free.
I agree if there is a picture or map, they aren't as good but I often find, I can pull it up in the browser online and switch back and forth to zoom in.
Even a cheap tablet will give you 4-5hrs of reading and if it's night, turn down the brightness and it will extend the battery life. It's the wifi, games and processor intensive apps that kill batteries quick. I don't find reading to be an issue. Unless you are really hurting for power onboard, it's pretty much a non-issue.