I have no idea if my library has the service, but right now I am not interested in having a Kindle or any other device as there is nothing like a book in your hand.
I absolutely agree that there is nothing like a book in your hand and I would never give up that pleasure. But I do weigh myself down with books whenever I go anywhere so in those cases I think it could be useful. Not to mention worrying about losing those library books.
That's one of the reasons i got a SOny reader. When i travel some times i take library books and they are heavy and of course i am always afraid i will leave one behind The second reason was that it was compatible with the library e-book loans and free books on Google.
How does a library "loan" work with an e-reader? Does it simply disappear from the reader after two or three weeks (unless renewed, of course)?
Although the device is out of my price range currently, I'm getting a stronger hankering to get one of these. I'll have to wait until the price comes down a bit. I just heard a suggestion that it might be wise to wait on the purchase since so many companies are jumping on the bandwagon and adding new attractive features to the readers daily. The competition should drive the prices down, too. But I really do want one as soon as I can manage!!
Hang in there Moseyer, I think the prices will go down, just like the Blu-Ray players. I believe the library loan does disappear in two weeks from what i read.
Yeah, that's what I'm waiting for too. I'll buy one eventually, but I want them to work the bugs out of it first and for the price to come down. Sure would be nice. How many books does your's store Mudqueen? Can these be stored on a disk ? If so, it would be a wonderful back-up for our real books. At least we'd still have them if the real ones were destroyed somehow.
My device holds 350 and since they are downloaded to your computer first ( i have the SOny reader without the wireless, bells and whistles) whatever the harddrive on your computer can hold is your limit. If you buy e-books from Borders they store them so if some thing happens to your computer you can re-download. I believe Amazon has the same system.. I have 32 books on mine now and that's more than enough if i travel. SOmeone in the scientific or acedemic field might need the top model that stores 1000 books, with the wireless connection, note and highlight abilities but for me that's like buying a airplane hanger to park your car.
I love, love, love my Kindle. Whenever I leave the house I throw it in my purse. Just feel lost without it. I will admit that I use it so much that the arthritis in my thumbs is acting up from turning the pages but then again I don't have to tote around a heavy book. There are pros and cons. But I still love my Kindle.
Ellen
I just ordered a Kindle for my daughter for Christmas. When I first saw it on her wish list I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but when I thought about it more it made a lot of sense for her. Unlike me, she buys a lot of new books. It will cost her less to download them than to buy them at the store and you can now download many public domain books for it for free. She hates buying hardcovers because they are too big and heavy but sometimes does anyway if it is by a favorite author, so this will let her buy newly published books without having to lug around a hardcover. She also has a long commute on public transportation, so it will be nice for reading then. The main downside (besides the outrageous price) seems to be that it will reduce the number of hand-me-down books I get from her ;)
Perhaps you should get one for yourself and you all can swap e-readers. The SOny pocket is under $200 and i am very happy with mine. I did hear the higher priced readers have e-book swapping capabilities.
