If you need to be able to read an e-book in daylight, then an e-reader probably makes sense. If not, most current phones are more than capable of serving that purpose.
@Cerridwyn@werehatrack That’s why I bought a Kindle Scribe, the 10" screen is wonderful. From the early Kindle days I’d always had an eye on the 9" Kindle DX, but it was too expensive, and then discontinued and unsupported.
My first e-reader was actually a Sony Believe it or not. Yes they made them for a while but kind of like betamax they didn’t quite make it I guess should be the right word for it they were really much better than the early Nooks. Because at this point in time Amazon was not in the e-reader business yet. When the Nook Color came out again before kindle. Barely. I did the pre-order thing and picked mine up the day it came out. It was really cool. Much cheaper than a tablet. And you can even get those Nook to Android SIM cards. I never did but I remember it was a thing and I think I even saw it talked about here somewhere back about 10 years ago. Or maybe it was longer than that and it was the other place I really don’t remember.
I got my original Sony because I was teaching part-time and the school I was teaching at which was online yes back then online. And they stopped giving out paper copies of the textbook we were only getting e-copies and sitting at a computer to read was just not something I was going to do. And the Sony came with I forget how many free books, you know public domain type books and then of course you start buying more. And then I went back to a convention on the East Coast instead of having to take 10 books to get me through a week in New Jersey and Pennsylvania or Maryland or wherever I was, I had one tablet, e-reader, and I was sold
@blaineg@Cerridwyn Side note: here is an example of the correct use of the word “hack.” (I am a former ESL teacher who can get quite curmudgeonly over the faddish and frivolous use of that word.)
@pooflady I mourn the diminishing availability of books in the previously common “mass-market paperback” form factor. I bloody well do not want hardcovers, they take up too damned much space!
@chuckf1 mini 2 then mini 5 here. It’s really a great option. After I got the 2 to replace a failing original iPad, I haven’t used my kindle much at all. It’s a very nice size for utility and portability and it’s also an iPad so it’s pretty useful besides.
I’ve never had an ereader. And I’ll admit. I stopped devouring library books a decade ago. But I do have a number of series/authors I might be able to get back into.
I can’t imagine reading actual novels on my phone though. For a lot of reasons.
I think at least a book sized tablet without high eyestrain due to brightness. But honestly I would want it to work with a local library program.
I was bringing home stacks of books from hardy boys to the entire Star wars expanded universe to Stephen Ambrose to honor Harington. And just random books in sections I liked across history and sci-fi. Dune and all the prequals/sequals. Tom Clancy. James Weber.
The workload of college and prevalence of cable tv/internet at college did tamper some of that. Simply due to time and exhaustion. Then when I moved here the main branch gave me crap about applying there for a library card than the satellite branch. Which is not a thing.
Anyway. If anyone has a recommendation for an Actual ereader or a suitable tablet. I might look into that.
I still think Id prefer just having hands on the book. But a lot of stuff is just not going to be there without going to a regional library and even then…
@unksol There are a couple of apps you should look into, Libby, being the big one. Allows borrowing library books, your local may have a different local app they recommend. Works on all devices, borrowing books on an e-reader either happens from your computer (using the library app and transferring it) or directly on the device using the app.
@dkaine there’s some statewide library effort that uses libby and the state website. Could still use a good (cheapish) ereader/tablet recommendation. The phone is fine for websites in desktop mode but I can’t imagine reading a book like this. Not turning the pages would already be weird/not relaxing.
Still need to get off my ass and get a library card lol. I’ve never heard of a main library sending you to a branch to get a card. Must have been something with the “city” of 20K vs the county
@dkaine@unksol I just bought a Kindle Paperwhite, 2021 version, scratch and dent, at Woot for $45. It’s my favorite of the Kindle line, the warmth adjustment is really nice.
You can run Libby books through your Amazon account.
@sammydog01@unksol just to make sure this was clear you have the option to use Libby thru your Amazon account, but you don’t need an Amazon account to use Libby. Plenty of people use Libby on their phones, tablets, other android based e-readers, or computers.
@dkaine@sammydog01 I figured. But thanks for clarifying. With Amazon stuff… Sometimes they do weird things. Never mind some of their “licensing” around books you buy. Add supported stuff.
I kinda figured they were going to be the best ereader simply because they were the only ones who put any effort in there to support their monopoly…
Have a Kobo I adore (eff Bezos Bookz) and still buy an insane number of printed books – just depends on what’s right for each title. (The Kobo, though – if you’re a person who has cause to refer to very long tech standards regularly, there’s nothing like that gadget for making those PDFs portable and palatable.)
I moved around a bunch, and even now, my apartment isn’t conducive to having my books move with me (most currently live in climate controlled storage, and I happily pay the rent on that unit, even after having pruned that collection a couple of times over the years). E-reader (kindle, phone, whatever) has been where it’s at for a while now. Can’t wait until I have my own library complete with rolling ladder.
The e Reader is great for reading in bed with a spouse who falls asleep faster. No need to keep a lamp on. I read both physical and Ebooks, but there is so much more available at the library for free in physical form.
@Oldelvis That is our situation: I usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of my head hitting the pillow; my wife does not and she reads for a while before turning off the lamp. Our solution? A simple sleep mask - works for me.
@kittykat9180 I wish our stupid cats could entertain themselves by reading. Instead, they are outside the bedroom door whinging to be fed at daylight. Guess who has to get up to deal with them?
@Cerridwyn@f00l@Kyeh thanks, I’m interested in text to voice while driving because I just got hearing aids (which gives away the fact that I went to too many rock concerts and drove loud farm equipment all night for too many nights)
@Cerridwyn@f00l@Kyeh@pskemp2 I’ve never tried text to voice but I listen to audiobooks while driving and doing housework. I just use my phone and a neckband speaker. You can get books free from the library or cheap at Chirp.
I have an e reader but lost the cord a while ago and it just dawned on me that Its probably a generic charging cord. I hasn’t read on my phone bc it’s to heavy and and hurts my arm. I still love to read actual books, the weight and feel is right to hold.
For all you who have ereaders but like a good deal, there is thing (named for the amacrap ereader) called stuff your kindle days. This is for free or near free books. They are generally genre specific and mostly independent authors (epubs) or first in series
The F/SF one is coming soon. I need to stuff mine for the trip to worldcon (my nook that is). I still have some of the hugo novels that I haven’t read but they didn’t strike my fancy and the pdf format is less conducive to old eyes
If you watch any YouTube cause you’re old. And not ticktock. And you don’t login. Because you know. You’re sane.
You will get these constant. “The government/company/blah is trying to stop this so buy this remarkably stupid fake product now. A “insert company/country here” engineer got fed up with thing one and just made up miracle thing two and buy this before they stop you”
Ai medicaid advantage commercials.
But maybe the worst are the "I bought my husband a book he wrote for his birthday "
“You can just have their name on a book! Just give our AI some prompts and we’ll ‘write’ a book full of AI slop and put your name on it. This is so funny/coo!l”
@sammydog01 still not following but we can agree to disagree. Logging in gives them more data which gives them more data to serve what they think are more likely to be successful ads based on the algorithm.
It obviously lets you do other things. Subscribe to channels etc
I’m going to get an ad I’m going to skip either way. True. But it’s disgusting they don’t regulate it and allow obvious scams.
Ads have never made sense to me but they must work on someone
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The author has a publishing deal coming this year. So you can’t buy it yet. But you can read the self published version for free with his permission. I’m intrigued by just the intro. Start and end. Read the middle at the site if it… Intrigues you
“An antimeme is an idea with self-censoring properties; an idea which, by its intrinsic nature, discourages or prevents people from spreading it.”
Yes.
If you need to be able to read an e-book in daylight, then an e-reader probably makes sense. If not, most current phones are more than capable of serving that purpose.
@werehatrack size really does matter
@Cerridwyn And sometimes, smaller is better. It can work both ways.
@Cerridwyn @werehatrack That’s why I bought a Kindle Scribe, the 10" screen is wonderful. From the early Kindle days I’d always had an eye on the 9" Kindle DX, but it was too expensive, and then discontinued and unsupported.
My first e-reader was actually a Sony Believe it or not. Yes they made them for a while but kind of like betamax they didn’t quite make it I guess should be the right word for it they were really much better than the early Nooks. Because at this point in time Amazon was not in the e-reader business yet. When the Nook Color came out again before kindle. Barely. I did the pre-order thing and picked mine up the day it came out. It was really cool. Much cheaper than a tablet. And you can even get those Nook to Android SIM cards. I never did but I remember it was a thing and I think I even saw it talked about here somewhere back about 10 years ago. Or maybe it was longer than that and it was the other place I really don’t remember.
I got my original Sony because I was teaching part-time and the school I was teaching at which was online yes back then online. And they stopped giving out paper copies of the textbook we were only getting e-copies and sitting at a computer to read was just not something I was going to do. And the Sony came with I forget how many free books, you know public domain type books and then of course you start buying more. And then I went back to a convention on the East Coast instead of having to take 10 books to get me through a week in New Jersey and Pennsylvania or Maryland or wherever I was, I had one tablet, e-reader, and I was sold
@Cerridwyn I had a Nook Color, and hacked it to run plain Android. At the time it was a good way to get a decent tablet.
@blaineg @Cerridwyn Side note: here is an example of the correct use of the word “hack.” (I am a former ESL teacher who can get quite curmudgeonly over the faddish and frivolous use of that word.)
Still reading the occasional novel on my Kindle 3 Keyboard. I really prefer it to the newer touchscreen models.
I have a Kindle but rarely use it. I read paperbacks, lots of them.
@pooflady I mourn the diminishing availability of books in the previously common “mass-market paperback” form factor. I bloody well do not want hardcovers, they take up too damned much space!
@werehatrack And I usually read in a semi-reclining position with a book on my stomach - no hardbacks, they’re too heavy to hold.
I use my iPad Mini 7 as an e-reader. Great size for reading and the print on the screen is very sharp.
@chuckf1 mini 2 then mini 5 here. It’s really a great option. After I got the 2 to replace a failing original iPad, I haven’t used my kindle much at all. It’s a very nice size for utility and portability and it’s also an iPad so it’s pretty useful besides.
I’ve never had an ereader. And I’ll admit. I stopped devouring library books a decade ago. But I do have a number of series/authors I might be able to get back into.
I can’t imagine reading actual novels on my phone though. For a lot of reasons.
I think at least a book sized tablet without high eyestrain due to brightness. But honestly I would want it to work with a local library program.
I was bringing home stacks of books from hardy boys to the entire Star wars expanded universe to Stephen Ambrose to honor Harington. And just random books in sections I liked across history and sci-fi. Dune and all the prequals/sequals. Tom Clancy. James Weber.
The workload of college and prevalence of cable tv/internet at college did tamper some of that. Simply due to time and exhaustion. Then when I moved here the main branch gave me crap about applying there for a library card than the satellite branch. Which is not a thing.
Anyway. If anyone has a recommendation for an Actual ereader or a suitable tablet. I might look into that.
I still think Id prefer just having hands on the book. But a lot of stuff is just not going to be there without going to a regional library and even then…
@unksol There are a couple of apps you should look into, Libby, being the big one. Allows borrowing library books, your local may have a different local app they recommend. Works on all devices, borrowing books on an e-reader either happens from your computer (using the library app and transferring it) or directly on the device using the app.
@dkaine there’s some statewide library effort that uses libby and the state website. Could still use a good (cheapish) ereader/tablet recommendation. The phone is fine for websites in desktop mode but I can’t imagine reading a book like this. Not turning the pages would already be weird/not relaxing.
Still need to get off my ass and get a library card lol. I’ve never heard of a main library sending you to a branch to get a card. Must have been something with the “city” of 20K vs the county
@dkaine @unksol I just bought a Kindle Paperwhite, 2021 version, scratch and dent, at Woot for $45. It’s my favorite of the Kindle line, the warmth adjustment is really nice.
You can run Libby books through your Amazon account.
@dkaine @sammydog01 I figured something like that might be the best option.
The through your Amazon account part is a no thank you for me. Personally.
@sammydog01 @unksol just to make sure this was clear you have the option to use Libby thru your Amazon account, but you don’t need an Amazon account to use Libby. Plenty of people use Libby on their phones, tablets, other android based e-readers, or computers.
@dkaine @sammydog01 I figured. But thanks for clarifying. With Amazon stuff… Sometimes they do weird things. Never mind some of their “licensing” around books you buy. Add supported stuff.
I kinda figured they were going to be the best ereader simply because they were the only ones who put any effort in there to support their monopoly…
That’s also… Meh…
@dkaine @unksol Buying a used Kindle and opening an account just to borrow library books seems like a pretty good fuck you to Bezos. But whatever.
@dkaine @sammydog01 lol bezos writes off the hardware. But if it works well as an ereader with the library. Yea.
I’m theory I still like holding a book but might have to try it. I need to relocate time better anyway
Current book. Very interesting even if a little challenging to read (technical):
Next up:
Have a Kobo I adore (eff Bezos Bookz) and still buy an insane number of printed books – just depends on what’s right for each title. (The Kobo, though – if you’re a person who has cause to refer to very long tech standards regularly, there’s nothing like that gadget for making those PDFs portable and palatable.)
@missag I have a Kobo Mini. It is so close to perfect for me.
The e-reader software for Android is good, and my Samsung tablet has a full paper size screen. But it does get heavy after a while.
I moved around a bunch, and even now, my apartment isn’t conducive to having my books move with me (most currently live in climate controlled storage, and I happily pay the rent on that unit, even after having pruned that collection a couple of times over the years). E-reader (kindle, phone, whatever) has been where it’s at for a while now. Can’t wait until I have my own library complete with rolling ladder.
The e Reader is great for reading in bed with a spouse who falls asleep faster. No need to keep a lamp on. I read both physical and Ebooks, but there is so much more available at the library for free in physical form.
@Oldelvis That is our situation: I usually fall asleep within 10 minutes of my head hitting the pillow; my wife does not and she reads for a while before turning off the lamp. Our solution? A simple sleep mask - works for me.
The cats are divided. Meanwhile, I prefer paperbacks and my favorite authors is Dan Brown.
@kittykat9180 I wish our stupid cats could entertain themselves by reading. Instead, they are outside the bedroom door whinging to be fed at daylight. Guess who has to get up to deal with them?
@macromeh they are lucky they are cute.
which ones read with voice, say, while driving or flying?
@pskemp2 you probably need to read the fine print but as far as I know they all do these days. How well they sound is a whole another story
@Cerridwyn @pskemp2 I think @f00l is a bit of an expert on this - care to weigh in?
@Cerridwyn @f00l @Kyeh thanks, I’m interested in text to voice while driving because I just got hearing aids (which gives away the fact that I went to too many rock concerts and drove loud farm equipment all night for too many nights)
@Cerridwyn @f00l @Kyeh @pskemp2 I’ve never tried text to voice but I listen to audiobooks while driving and doing housework. I just use my phone and a neckband speaker. You can get books free from the library or cheap at Chirp.
I have an e reader but lost the cord a while ago and it just dawned on me that Its probably a generic charging cord. I hasn’t read on my phone bc it’s to heavy and and hurts my arm. I still love to read actual books, the weight and feel is right to hold.
For all you who have ereaders but like a good deal, there is thing (named for the amacrap ereader) called stuff your kindle days. This is for free or near free books. They are generally genre specific and mostly independent authors (epubs) or first in series
for more info
https://www.bookbub.com/blog/stuff-your-kindle-day
The F/SF one is coming soon. I need to stuff mine for the trip to worldcon (my nook that is). I still have some of the hugo novels that I haven’t read but they didn’t strike my fancy and the pdf format is less conducive to old eyes
If you watch any YouTube cause you’re old. And not ticktock. And you don’t login. Because you know. You’re sane.
You will get these constant. “The government/company/blah is trying to stop this so buy this remarkably stupid fake product now. A “insert company/country here” engineer got fed up with thing one and just made up miracle thing two and buy this before they stop you”
Ai medicaid advantage commercials.
But maybe the worst are the "I bought my husband a book he wrote for his birthday "
“You can just have their name on a book! Just give our AI some prompts and we’ll ‘write’ a book full of AI slop and put your name on it. This is so funny/coo!l”
I… Just. I… Parts of me are dying
@unksol I login when I watch YouTube and get ads for flashlights and crochet kits. So maybe try that?
@sammydog01 I refuse to login. I know they are getting data anyway but screw them lol
@unksol Enjoy your conspiracy theories.
@sammydog01 lol what? That’s literally how their algorithm works
@unksol I didn’t say you watched them on purpose or for more than the mandated 15 seconds.
@sammydog01 still not following but we can agree to disagree. Logging in gives them more data which gives them more data to serve what they think are more likely to be successful ads based on the algorithm.
It obviously lets you do other things. Subscribe to channels etc
I’m going to get an ad I’m going to skip either way. True. But it’s disgusting they don’t regulate it and allow obvious scams.
Ads have never made sense to me but they must work on someone
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Some SciFi recommends from Penny arcade if you are familiar
https://www.penny-arcade.com/news/post/2025/06/30/28-decades-later
I have not read these (yet) but as those guys are around
my age and a writer and a artist.
This one in particular sounds interesting
"I always have to make sure that people have read There Is No Antimemetics Division, which I think is the most fun I’ve ever had reading a book "
https://qntm.org/scp
The author has a publishing deal coming this year. So you can’t buy it yet. But you can read the self published version for free with his permission. I’m intrigued by just the intro. Start and end. Read the middle at the site if it… Intrigues you
“An antimeme is an idea with self-censoring properties; an idea which, by its intrinsic nature, discourages or prevents people from spreading it.”
…
"Welcome to the Antimemetics Division.
No, this is not your first day."
An Eredar?