/lit/ - Literature

I have a Paper White, and I fucking love it.

I would think the normal kindle has a built-in dictionary as well.

>>4426681
Yeah, I just looked it up and it does, it doesn't have a translation feature which I don't need so I'm mainly interested in the screen.

If money's an issue, I'm sure you'll be more than ok with a normal one.

Paperwhite is nice but it doesn't really matter unless you're gay.

The paperwhite is worth the extra money. Especially if you read a lot of pdfs (and chances are you will if you own an ereader), zooming in on and handling the text is much easier. The same thing goes for the touch interface.

also the light is pretty nifty too

I use a regular, cheap kindle but i bought my father a paperwhite. Biggest difference aside from the light is that the paperwhite doesn't have physical page-turn buttons, you have to swipe or tap the touchscreen to turn the page.
Also the interface is much busier, displaying the books as pictures of the cover rather than in a list.
I can see where these things wouldn't bother someone as anal as I am however.

the light is worth the difference poorfag

>>4427330
>Especially if you read a lot of pdfs (and chances are you will if you own an ereader)
What?

>>4427332
You can change between the list and the pics.

And pretty much this.
>>4427337
The light comes in handy so much more. My mom has the regular and she needs a light with her whenever she reads in the dark.

>>4427332
You don't have to display the books as covers, you can have them displayed in a list as well

And the swipe/tap function is much easier than the button, I read using just one hand as a result

>>4427351
Not all books are available in mobi format, so you sometimes you have to make do with pdf instead

>>4427374
Name one.

>>4427366
>>4427361
Both these guys are correct that you can have it as a list that is rather simple and that the light is well worth the extra cost. Apart from reading in bed without a light, even low light conditions are no problem at all. It's great.

That all said, the swipe/tap function can be annoying, particularly on the book selection screen and the notes/highlights pages. If you take a bunch of notes pretty much count on needing to import it to your computer somehow to be at all manageable. There is no "jump to" function for the notes and it only registers swipes (which can sometimes be misinterpreted as taps).

Anyway, that all said, the paperwhite is still vastly superior. I just wish they had included a tactile button just for the sake of it.

>>4427377
fuck off you shitposting fuck

you cannot be that stupid

>>4427386
>Calling someone out
>Shitposting

Okay, you just continue sitting in your corner being a special little snowflake.

>>4427374
>Not all books are available in mobi format, so you sometimes you have to make do with pdf instead

Yes, but the claim that you will read many pdfs if you have an ereader is pretty weak. The only books that are only available in pdf are rare or academic in nature.

>>4427386
If resorting to a pdf is so common surely he can name an example or two.

>>4427403
>>4427390
>>4427395
ok. heres a few

-Gardner's Art through the Ages A Global History - Volume I & II
-Fashionable-Nonsense-Postmodern-Intellectuals’-Abuse-of-Science-Alan-Sokal-Jean-Bricmont
-Looking Awry An Introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture (October Books)
-Minima Moralia Adorno
-the-elements-of-euclid
-Digital Photography for Dummies,6th Ed. - (Malestrom)

not particularly "rare or academic in nature", are they?

>>4427438
Haha, you actually did it.

>>4427445
you rused him good!

>>4427438
Actually those are all what I would describe as "academic", basically textbooks, theory, or manuals are pdfs.

>>4427486
>Non-fiction = academic

no.

>>4427507
But there are plenty of non-fiction books that are available in mobi. Jacques Lacan, Postmodern Intellectuals, Euclid, are not your regular nonfiction bro. But sure, you can pretend that not having books like those available in mobi will cause ereader users to read "a lot" of pdfs.

>>4427509
this is actually the dumbest, most petty internet exchange ive been a part of, so i will stop after this. i said "a lot", because i myself have a large number (somewhere around 90) of pdf files on my kindle. yes, many/the majority of nonfiction books are availabel in mobi. and yes, "Jacques Lacan, Postmodern Intellectuals, Euclid" may be irregular nonfiction. iidon't even care. this is the first day of 2014. what the fuck am i doing

>>4427549
so you're saying i win. that's all i wanted to hear.

>>4427583

How much better are these kindle/nooks than a smartphone? I enjoy reading .pdfs on my nexus but have never owned any form of tablet. Is it worth the investment?

Are there any e-readers suited for science/engineering books / pdfs ?
I heard those have problems with the Kindle.

>>4427366
Lol, because touching the screen instead of a button right next to the it makes any difference but avoiding greasy thumb prints on the screen?
I read with one hand on the normal kindle just fine.

Here's what I did, OP
>buy the now cheap old Nexus 7
>e-read with the benefit of doing everything else

>>4427837
Reading on your phone, tablet or computer will tire your eyes relatively quickly. The kindle however uses electronic ink, so the reading experience is just like that of a book's

Take it from someone who used to read on his phone, buy the kindle

>>4427842
Pdfs can be read on most ereaders. The paperwhite in particular is pretty good in that department

>>4427377
Uncle Fester's Practical LSD Manufacture

>>4427549
>>4427509
>2014
>not converting 90 .pdf to .mobi with one click.

>>4428251
have fun with your shit formatting

>>4427486
I just had to get a pdf of On the Marble Cliffs because there weren't copies in any other format that I could find.

>>4428256
Very rarely have I ever had a problem with formatting. If I do, I use a different program and it works fine.

Is it just a hipster thing to hate e-ink? I don't understand it.

>>4428148
bullshit

you're on the computer all of the time reading posts and you never get tired. your eyes have adapted to reading off a lit screen

i got a kindle fire and i have the brightness at minimum and reading is comfortable as hell on it

I have a basic kindle 4th gen - it works fine so there's no way I'm spending money to upgrade to be able to read in a dark room.

Ask yourself where/when you'll be reading from it and whether a paperwhite will be a worthy expense.

If most of your reading is at night in bed, next to your spouse, then a paperwhite would be worth i,t so you don't disturb them with a reading lamp on.

If you're reading on the train, during the day then you won't benefit from the light and could save some cash getting a cheaper model.

>>4428289
Not that guy, but I've had trouble converting pdf to mobi in every single case. Formatting has been shit 99% of the time, no matter the settings or the programs I use. My main converter is Caliber, but with pdf, nope.

>>4428289
You're the exception then, .pdf files generally format really poorly to epub or mobi without tweaking something.

>>4428298
>>4428299
Weird. Try mobipocket creator publisher version if calibre doesn't work for you.

I guess I don't convert as many .pdf's as you guys, or else you need to OCR them first or something.

Normal cheap kindle has dictionary, wi-fi, internet browser.
No light but that's part of what makes it cool, and also makes the battery last really long, like 3 months, the more powerful kindles don't last as long.

>>4428298
The formatting usually doesn't bother me at all.
Each book will have its particular quirk in formatting (all italics, random paragraphs, page numbers and headers in the middle of text) but really after 10 pages you learn to filter them automattically in your head.
Worse is when a pdf was made from OCR scanning.

>>4428340
Eh, it bothers me a lot so I just never convert .pdf files. They're few and far between though, if I really want to read it I'll just read it at the computer.

>>4427307
I would not discount how awesome the backlight is. I have used it way more than I thought I would. Especially love to read it at work when most of the lights are off.

I own a couple devices, and I have a bit of extra cash laying around. Is a kindle worth it? I hate reading on a computers, so I buy from a bookstore in the local mall. Not the best selection, but the library here is worse. I own a desktop, laptop, and a microsoft surface pro.

>>4431387
Buying a Kindle made me go from reading 2-3 books a year to reading 20 or more. It's the best purchase I have ever made.

Make sure you get an e-reader Kindle, not the Kindle Fire. The e-ink screen is what you want.

>>4431394
I'd love to be able to read more books. I recently purchased about 15 books in the last month, from Catcher in the Rye to Ender's Game to even the first four Terry Pratchett books, and I haven't started a single one yet.

>>4431405
In that case I would recommend you give the Kindle a try.

Just started using my paper-white today (christmas present) and its fucking awesome. Nearly looks like an actual sheet of paper and you can read it in the sun. So convenient for buying new books as well.

>>4431430
>buying
hahaha good one

Paperwhite, it's more ergonomic.

>>4431123
It's a frontlight, not a backlight.

I'm new to this e-book stuff. How viable is it to read on an Android phone or tablet? What formats are common? PDF? What apps?

>>4431430
Calibre will be your friend from now on - look it up

can a paperwhite kindle read ANY pdf?

>not kobo aura hd
are you all hopeless plebs?

>>4427377

I've only been able to find "The Plague" by Albert Camus in PDF, anyone have it in mobi?

>>4431706
come on anon

http://en.bookfi.org/s/?q=The+Plague+camus&t=0

>>4431706
Theres a Camus mobi torrent floating round with all his books

In any case it shouldnt be hard to find the mobi for 'the plague' considering its popularity

The regular Kindle is superior to the PW in terms of interface. At least to me, a D-PAD and page up/down on both sides are more useful.

The UI on the Paperwhite is terrible. You can't move to the previous/next chapters. You can't see how many pages are left in the whole book. etc etc

>>4431914
>You can't move to the previous/next chapters. You can't see how many pages are left in the whole book. etc etc
Yes you can.

Normal kindle has built-in Oxford English dictionary and the screen is totally readable if you have a lamp. Don't tell me guys you don't have a lamp. Did you read your books previously under the blanked with a flashlight?

Normal kindle has built-in Oxford English dictionary and the screen is totally readable if you have a lamp. Don't tell me guys you don't have a lamp. Did you read your books previously under the blanket with a flashlight?

>>4431914

I also like the physical buttons. I've never liked touch screens in my life. I have old Nokia phone, can make calls without looking at the screen if I want to, they just work so well. Plus your screen stays clean.

>>4432041
>prev/next chapters
Not on my PW. Maybe they fixed that in the 2nd gen PW, but on mine, you need to access the Table of contents and move chapters from there.
Which is like 2 clicks extra than simply tapping the D-Pad on the regular Kindle.

>see how many pages are left
Same as before. You can see "Location", minutes left to finish chapter, minutes left to finish book. The only way to display how many pages you're into a book is by clicking the top of the screen to display that stupid menu.
Which is a click extra for something that should be visible from the start.

is it just as easy to pirate books on the paper white as it is for the kindle keyboard?

>>4427950
how is it btw? i want to buy a tablet and im not sure if i should go with ipad or nexus or something else.
not op

>>4427374
What is Calibre?

>>4432066
this is the 21st century gramps

>>4432580
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr&ei=W-DFUuH7DeP-ygP17oLIBA#q=calibre

click the first one

>>4431394
Definitely this.

>>4427374
>reading pdfs on ereaders

you just hate yourself, don't you

shell out the extra dough for a paperwhite. I love mine.

But the one that supports a memory card.

Kindle DX for full size pdf's.

>>4426610
Paperwhite is really cool, but Amazon's been pretty lazy with a lot of its Kindle content, no page number, poor formatting, sometimes they don't even have bookmarks. So Calibre will be your greatest ally and ePub your only companion.

Does anyone know if there's a good ePub of Moorcock's Elric or Corum sagas? It's been difficult to find a good one.

Why not use a regular tablet?

>>4439681
Battery life.
Seriously, that fucking thing never ends.

Can't be bothered to read through the whole thread so sorry if I'm repeating or going against everyone else.

Kindle Paperwhite is awesome
> that battery life (lasts forever)
> no need for external light source
> easy controls
> extremely clear display
> lightweight and compact

I'm still using this thing from 5 years ago. It's a fucking thin piece of plastic that displays pages from a book one a time, right? The only argument I can think of for a newer version is that you can read in the dark with a lit up screen.

>>4439921
I hear you.

Anybody have any objections to the Nook Simple Touch? $59 is really hard to pass up.

>Using an e-reader
Physical books are so much better. There are basically no benefits to using an e-reader over a physical book.

I prefer the normal kindle because it has page turning buttons. That means you can hold it and just twitch your finger to change pages. On the paperwhite, you have to move one finger from the edge of the kindle and tap the screen to change pages. This may sound minor but to me it's more important than any of the other shit.

>>4440066
Thousands of free/discounted books on a device that weighs 8 ounces. You might as well claim that books have no advantages over clay tablets.

I like the instant dictionary and control+f functionality of an e-reader, too.

I'm a bit on the edge of buying a kindle myself.
To the people that have one, do you buy paperback/hardcover books as well, or just torrent them? Can't decide if I want one, since I really like the feel of books, only if they weren't so expensive.

>>4432230
I have the original PW right in front of me. To go to anothe rchapter you tap the top of the screen to pull down the menu, then click "Go To". Admittedly, there are some books that don't allow you to do this because of formatting issues, but 99% of books will work. And I'm not exactly sure how often I need to switch chapters, that two extra clicks will matter. Furthermore, if you're going from chapter 1 to chapter 30 on a normal kindle, that's quite a bit more clicking than just selecting "Chapter 30" from the dropdown menu.

>see how many pages are left
It may be a personal problem, that one. I have the need or desire to check the pages left because it tends to break my immersion. Am I right to assume that you feel uncomfortable if the name of the chapter and title of the book aren't displayed at the to of the page in a novel?

>>4432457
I have little experience with the Kindle keyboard, but you can convert any pirated book to pdf or mobi with Calibre and read it on the PW.
>>4439994
Go ahead, the argument for the Kindle store being better than the Nook one is a bit pointless, because free books are available online. If personally like that the Kindle is taller, but it comes down to preference. They're both great ereaders.
>>4440284
If I do a second read-through of a book I'll buy a physical copy, but for the most part I torrent them.

Amazon needs to make the paperweight waterproof. That is the only improvement I would make

(as a shameless bourgie, reading in my pool is the dream)

I just use my DS to read. When I get bored I can play games too.

>>4440463
>shameless
for shame

>>4439643
>Does anyone know if there's a good ePub of Moorcock's Elric or Corum sagas? It's been difficult to find a good one.

find it here

gen.lib.rus.ec/

The real question is:
E-reader or real books?

>>4441492
your question seems biased in its wording

I bought the cheapest nook a year ago and I still use it almost every day. An e-reader is only worth it if you know how to use IRC or some other way to pirate ebooks, though.

>>4426610
I have the normal one. Of course it looks dark in some pictures, it doesn't have lighting. It's fine, if you can read a book you can read a kindle. Fuck PDF files though, fuck them all.

This might sound retarded, but what is the difference between paperwhite and regular tablets? I mean, is the light practically the same? Isn't the whole purpose of e reader not to fuck up your eyes and paperwhite is doing it?

>>4441572
The non-illuminated e-ink readers have matte surfaces that look like paper. It's very easy on the eyes, looks/feels natural and it's a very cool piece of technology to hold in your hand. It's not a proper screen like you'd have in a cellphone or a tablet.

Having an illuminated e-ink display is probably easier on your eyes than an LCD or other digital display, but I would guess that it causes more strain than the regular e-ink readers just from staring at a light source for so long.

>>4441589
Is the illumination on paperwhite coming from exact same source like the one that comes from tablets/regular monitors? Or it simply illuminates the screen from the sides?

The new paperwhite has a back light behind the e-ink screen. That means you don't need another desk lamp or whatever when you read in the dark.

Maybe you're thinking of the Kindle Fire (what I have) which is basically a tablet.

>>4441600
Isn't the light soruce the same in Fire and Paperwhite?

>>4441597
It's a backlight, from what I've seen.

>>4441603

Could be but the screens look entirely different.

>>4440463
Fuck I would waste so much water in the shower. This is not a good idea.

i have a question, are the books you download for an e-reader EXACTLY the same as the original book? word for word everything?!

also i heard kindles suck for pdfs, unless i have calibre?

are book easy to pirate?

>>4444118
No, people like to add their own sentences to the books. You get used to it.

I don't like to read PDF files on an e-reader. The text is usually painfully small. Calibre is hit or miss on PDF conversion.

Very.

>>4444122
wow that totally made me not want to buy an e-reader then.I think i will stick to original books until that gets fixed. I mean it is tempting to purchase one but not if the content isn't word for word. I do like hearing that it has a built in dictionary though, must be nice.

>>4444141
Yeah, the dictionary is crazy sexy cool.

>>4439921
That thing looks god damn ancient. Funny how new it is.

>>4444141
Your leg is being pulled so hard that it is nearly out of socket, and I fear that you will never walk without a limp again, anon.
>I have a question, are the books you download for an e-reader EXACTLY the same as the original book? word for word everything?!
Why wouldn't it be? Official copies and, since you mentioned them, pirated official copies, are not any more likely to have been vandalized than purchasing a book from a book store or checking one out from the library. I believe I downloaded a book a few years ago that was the same ten pages, over and over, for several hundred pages, but that was the only time it happened, and it was rectified by finding a new copy. It isn't like you're going to buy or download a book that has been censored or something.

>>4440476
that sounds fucking awful. the screen is incredibly small and low res

I own a Kindle Fire(non HD) and mainly just use it for reading. Would getting a Paperwhite be an upgrade to my reading experience?

I has its own light, correct? because my favorite time to read is at night in bed with no lights.

>>4428251
bad idea.

I use acrobat to crop the header and page number out, save the document as RTF in acrobat after fixing OCR errors, and then convert using calibre.

Using direct PDF-Calibre is a terrible idea.

or you could just load up your un-formattable non-fiction pdfs onto your wifes ipad and steal it every night and lock yourself in the bathroom for the best pdf experience.

>>4428251
>>4445106
I made guide a while ago on how I digitalize scanned books (it can be applied to vector PDFs as well as scanned pages)

It might be of use for some
>Babby's first OCR guide
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ouvTPXGpxE6kMuea7cH0owR0_1j11WUamW_efYoVeik/pub

>>4445151
as far as OCR software, I find omnipage to be fucking top tier. I use a pirated copy of acrobat portable so it crashes like a bitch when i try to edit.