I don't get it

Why is it that I can buy a paper book online from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble and have it sent all the way to Sweden without any problems with stepping on the European publisher's toes, but if I try to buy an e-book they're all, "Can't do that! You're violating our rights as publishers!" or something?

I don't get it!!

Because customs can't randomly pull that aside and charge an extra tax like they can with real items coming into the country.

I asked for a Kindle last Christmas for basically ONE reason - I am taking online classes and I HATE reading books on a computer screen. Well, I got the Kindle (LOVE it!) only to find out that my textbooks are not Kindle-compatible.

Also, although local libraries have e-books available to check out, they are ALSO not Kindle compatible. Reading is probably my #1 hobby, I am usually reading 2-3 different books at any given time, and I am the person who checks 10 books out of the library at a time. I my Kindle, but I refuse to pay $15 for an ebook from amazon.

Sadly, book publishers are going to soon find themselves in the same situation as the music industry - for anyone who knows how to look, ebooks are just as illegally available as albums. I won't go into a long tirade about this (listening to music is probably my second favorite hobby... ) but I will say that it is going to be interesting to see what happens to all the money-hungry corporations that have been producing the books and CDs for so many years...

Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral

I asked for a Kindle last Christmas for basically ONE reason - I am taking online classes and I HATE reading books on a computer screen. Well, I got the Kindle (LOVE it!) only to find out that my textbooks are not Kindle-compatible.

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I'm sorry to hear that but I'm not surprised. Monopoly is the name of the game, pun not intended, lol.

Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral

Sadly, book publishers are going to soon find themselves in the same situation as the music industry - for anyone who knows how to look, ebooks are just as illegally available as albums. I won't go into a long tirade about this (listening to music is probably my second favorite hobby...

) but I will say that it is going to be interesting to see what happens to all the money-hungry corporations that have been producing the books and CDs for so many years...

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Hehehe, yeah, I have gone that route when I haven't found the book I want.
Usually when the book I want to read is no longer in publication and I can't get hold of it any other way. I read almost exclusively in English and the library doesn't always have what I want then. However, if it's still in publication I will buy the book in paper form if I liked it. I do the same with music or movies I stream on the interwebs. (yay for Spotify and Icefilms!) ESPECIALLY if it's been published by a small company or self-published. I bought this for example, 'cos it's really frikkin' awesome. (shameless plug )

The whole e-book thing gets my goat though...

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Because customs can't randomly pull that aside and charge an extra tax like they can with real items coming into the country.

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... That makes sense. Dammit. If I earned enough to pay taxes I'd be outraged.

That must be so frustrating!! I don't have a kindle yet but I do have the kindle app on my blackberry. I can't wait till I can get my kindle!!

That's so wrong!

Maybe I need to actually see a Kindle; but I don't know how it would be any different than reading on a computer screen except being able to hold it. I love curling up with a good book and reading off the screen does tire my eyes. The only reason I'd want a kindle or anything like that right now is that I know an old acquaintance of mine has a book out available only as an e-book on Amazon. I don't know that his writing is my usual choice; but hey support the ones you know right?

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

Maybe I need to actually see a Kindle; but I don't know how it would be any different than reading on a computer screen except being able to hold it. I love curling up with a good book and reading off the screen does tire my eyes.

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I feel the same way.

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

Maybe I need to actually see a Kindle; but I don't know how it would be any different than reading on a computer screen except being able to hold it.

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You're right, you don't know. Kindles and other good quality e-book readers do not look like regular lcd screens. Instead the screen simulates a book page in color and lighting - and because of the type of screen they use. This is done to help with eye fatigue, which by the way you get from paper books, too. (and why I wear glasses, reading messed up my eyes)

Two questions to those who think e-books are terrible. How do you increase the font size on a book that you already bought so it's more comfortable to read? And do you like trees?

I don't own any of them there newfangled e-book readers. I don't even own a small laptop that I can cart around and thus read at my own (almost) convenience. I just read on my computer Never had any problems with that unless I'm really tired.

I would love a Kindle however I feel like part of it would just take away from the whole sitting down with a good book feeling and vibes. Plus it wouldnt be all that good for me anyways because I still plan on owning every Nora Roberts book imanginable in book form...So Id end up buying them twice...


I guess I just talked myself out of buying a Kindle....darnit....that was gonna be my 'now that bf has a job can I save up and buy this'...guess I gotta find something else to want.

Originally Posted by 3CatsN1Dog

I would love a Kindle however I feel like part of it would just take away from the whole sitting down with a good book feeling and vibes. Plus it wouldnt be all that good for me anyways because I still plan on owning every Nora Roberts book imanginable in book form...So Id end up buying them twice...

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Nothing says you have to buy them twice. Nothing makes you buy each book in multiple pressings already, or do you do that, too? You may only be able to find a few of them in ebook format anyways, especially some of the older J.D. Robb books.

Thats what I was thinking too. But on Amazon Ive had amazing luck finding all her books used and in good shape. Right now out of all the ones shes printed under Nora Roberts Ive got all but 2, one I have ordered and the other is literally unattainable. Ive also gotten a head start on finding her JD Robb ones cuz I promised myself I would start getting those till I got the Nora Roberts ones. Im not positive if Ill push for a Kindle as my big 'I want' thing or an IPod Touch. Even with BF having a job we arent planning on getting our TV turned back on so I thought an IPod would be neat to have to be able to buy tv shows and I can take that with me to watch them when we go places.
LOL Im so confused.....its weird knowing that we are actually going to have extra money outside of bills and living expenses. We calculated that we will have almost 1700 extra a month out of his pay after subtracting bills and fines.

Originally Posted by 3CatsN1Dog

Im not positive if Ill push for a Kindle as my big 'I want' thing or an IPod Touch. Even with BF having a job we arent planning on getting our TV turned back on so I thought an IPod would be neat to have to be able to buy tv shows and I can take that with me to watch them when we go places.

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Well, if you get that you can get an ebook app for it. The only difference will be the screen, that a dedicated reader like a kindle has a better screen design for it. But it could get you by for a few books. Besides, surely you read other books than just Nora Roberts. And if you go somewhere you could have a dozen books or more with you - you can't do that with paper books unless you want to give up luggage space.

LOL..Im going to hang my head in shame right now...But nope I dont really buy any other books other than hers. I do have a few that are by other authors but all from the same genre...romance. Judith McNaught and Johanna Lindsey are the only other authors that I get books by.

As for the luggage space...BF gets one bag and the rest of the space is mine..LOL my car my stuff!! Haha good thing we dont travel!!!

Originally Posted by Mystik Spiral

I asked for a Kindle last Christmas for basically ONE reason - I am taking online classes and I HATE reading books on a computer screen. Well, I got the Kindle (LOVE it!) only to find out that my textbooks are not Kindle-compatible.

Also, although local libraries have e-books available to check out, they are ALSO not Kindle compatible. Reading is probably my #1 hobby, I am usually reading 2-3 different books at any given time, and I am the person who checks 10 books out of the library at a time. I

my Kindle, but I refuse to pay $15 for an ebook from amazon.

Sadly, book publishers are going to soon find themselves in the same situation as the music industry - for anyone who knows how to look, ebooks are just as illegally available as albums. I won't go into a long tirade about this (listening to music is probably my second favorite hobby...

) but I will say that it is going to be interesting to see what happens to all the money-hungry corporations that have been producing the books and CDs for so many years...

Click to expand...

DH asked me the other night if I thought I might want a Kindle. And I don't know. I read rather fast, so the idea of waiting for the page to turn electronically might make me a little crazy. Although I've heard that page-turning really isn't much of an issue with Kindle. The idea of paying $15, though, is insane. That's just my opinion, but for that price I can have the book in softcover.

Like you, it's nothing for me to take 10-12 books from the library a week. I just love to read and, for the most part, will read anything I can get my hands on. I am usually reading 2 or 3 books at one time, although, if it's a really good book, I'll stick with that one til it's finished. (And yep, I love my music, too.) I love flopping down in bed on a cold winter's day with a cup of hot chocolate, several good books, and my cats. Life is good when that happens. I don't have as time during the summer to read because I'm always doing things outside, but in the winter, I devour reading material.

I do like the idea of having books on the Kindle.....instead of on my bookshelves! And I really like the idea of saving trees. I don't like spending that much money for an electronic book. But that's just me.

Depending on what you read, you can get some ebooks cheaper straight from the publishers, especially if the publishers are ones that only release to ebook.

I don't know how the laws are in Sweden, but if torrents are not illegal it's the way to go
I have an ipod touch and you can get any ebook on it no matter what format- kindle, barnes and noble and any other file extension..it's awesome, and it's small so there is no issue of not being able to curl up with it...
I used to read on my laptop before that and that didn't bother me.

Originally Posted by ut0pia

I don't know how the laws are in Sweden, but if torrents are not illegal it's the way to go

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Well, our government got this little thing passed So yeah, you can probably infer from that that torrents are still illegal here too. But I try to limit myself to only downloading things I can't get a hold of otherwise, like books that have been out of print, or Asian drama shows that they don't sell with English dub

For those of you wondering, reading on a Kindle is much different than reading on a computer screen, IMO. And to me, it's not even so much the computer screen that bothers me, it's that I want something small that I can hold in my hand on the couch!!

But the Kindle does have a very eye-friendly screen. It truly does simulate a book with white background and black print. Winchester - the page turn only takes a second. And there is nothing like putting hundreds of books in your purse.

I still check out from the library, and I still buy used books at the library's annual used book sale (I love libraries, BTW... )... I wish that publishers would start doing something like some record labels do. Well, I should clarify that I'm not a mainstream music fan, most of the bands I listen to are "indie"... And I buy records (yes, records, NOT CDs... ) directly from the label quite often. I'm not sure how the big guys work (Sony, Warner Bros., etc...) but a lot of the smaller labels will give you a web address and password to download MP3s of the albums that you purchase from them. Now that would be kind of cool for books to do, I think.

Anyhoo, I tried to take a couple pics of my Kindle, but the flash screws up the look of the screen. I can't figure out how to turn the flash off ( ) but this might give you an idea:

^You can buy directly from smaller publishers if you wish to. It just depends on what you read.