Pages in topic:   [1 2] >
Poll: Do you use an e-book reader?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Sep 13, 2020

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you use an e-book reader?".

This poll was originally submitted by Rita Utt. View the poll results »



 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:04
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
No Sep 13, 2020

Been there, done that. I tried a Kindle and returned it. I couldn't see the text that well and didn't enjoy the experience. I much prefer to read a real book.

The two uses I might have for it would be for long plane trips and for making notes and saving quotes. I don't have any long trips on the horizon and could always use a real book instead. As for notes and quotes, there's always paper.


Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Anouk B. Bello-Burkart
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:04
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No, I don't use e-books Sep 13, 2020

I love everything about a real book from its smell to flipping the pages until the end…

Angus Stewart
Thayenga
Elaine Ruby
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Kaisa I
Ida Koczor
Christopher Schröder
 
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic
Anastasia Kingsley Kinkusic  Identity Verified
Member (2011)
Croatian to English
+ ...
Audio books 📚 Sep 13, 2020

In order avoid overtaxing my eyes, I prefer listening to audio books at night.

I also prefer the printed page to a Kindle. If you were to ask my 19 year old son, he thinks they’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. Look mom how cool - they self-illuminate. 😊😀


Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Muriel Vasconcellos
 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 22:04
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
Yes and no Sep 13, 2020

I do have a Kindle which was given to me as a gift, and it has some amazing features, but it is lacking in three very deal-breaking ways:
1. You can't see what time it is while you read.
2. You can't view the titles of ebooks based on their file names (it uses metadata only).
3. You can't sort ebooks into folders, and you can't scroll through all ebooks all at once quickly.
(and I might as well add #4: it can't read RTF or HTML)

So, when I do read ebooks, I u
... See more
I do have a Kindle which was given to me as a gift, and it has some amazing features, but it is lacking in three very deal-breaking ways:
1. You can't see what time it is while you read.
2. You can't view the titles of ebooks based on their file names (it uses metadata only).
3. You can't sort ebooks into folders, and you can't scroll through all ebooks all at once quickly.
(and I might as well add #4: it can't read RTF or HTML)

So, when I do read ebooks, I use my Android phone with an app called Cool Reader (for RTF, MOBI and EPUB files) or Xodo (for PDF).
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:04
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Only for Italian books Sep 13, 2020

I use a Kindle to download Italian books because ordering the actual books to be sent here to the UK is expensive, and takes too long.
But I try to minimise my use of Amazon at all times. It is not part of my life to give money to Jeff Besos. He has too much already and doesn't pay his taxes.


ipv
Rachel Waddington
 
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Kay-Viktor Stegemann
Germany
Local time: 22:04
English to German
In memoriam
Yes, no more paper books for me Sep 13, 2020

I'm using a standard Kindle without any backlighting. That way I can read forever without recharging. I have given up on paper books entirely, a lightweight e-reader feels more comfortable, and taking a stack of books with me while travelling is a breeze.

Rita Utt
Jorge Payan
Wolfgang Schoene
 
Alexandra Speirs
Alexandra Speirs  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:04
Italian to English
+ ...
tablet Sep 13, 2020

My husband has a Kindle, but I don't like it and use it only rarely.
On the other hand I have installed the Kindle app on my tablet and this is much more satisfactory.
I get a bigger page and the whole thing seems to work better.
Unfortunately it is linked to Amazon, so if I get e-books from any other source I just have to make do with my husband's Kindle.


 
Josephine Cassar
Josephine Cassar  Identity Verified
Malta
Local time: 22:04
Member (2012)
English to Maltese
+ ...
I don't much like to but Sep 13, 2020

I read them on my iPads (I have an old one I still use and a new one) as I have no more space anywhere and I'm a hoarder when it comes to books. I love the feeling of paper but have been forced to read on my iPads. I hated Kindles as they are too small for me though I like the fact that they do not reflect light and you can easily carry them around. Our public library is extremely well stocked when it comes to borrowing e-books and audio books so I do use e-books a lot especially with deliveries... See more
I read them on my iPads (I have an old one I still use and a new one) as I have no more space anywhere and I'm a hoarder when it comes to books. I love the feeling of paper but have been forced to read on my iPads. I hated Kindles as they are too small for me though I like the fact that they do not reflect light and you can easily carry them around. Our public library is extremely well stocked when it comes to borrowing e-books and audio books so I do use e-books a lot especially with deliveries taking ages with Corona virus.Collapse


 
Said Mwamba
Said Mwamba
Congo, Democratic Republic
Local time: 23:04
French to Swahili
+ ...
Yes Sep 13, 2020

Despite that I'm still reading real books, e-books are amazing. Especially when it comes to saving quotes while reading since I don't like to do it on book pages.
It's easy to walk around with your library. Something impossible with real books.


Josephine Cassar
Liena Vijupe
 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:04
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Text Sep 13, 2020

Muriel Vasconcellos wrote:
I couldn't see the text that well and didn't enjoy the experience.

One reason I like a Kindle is that you can adjust the font and the size of the text to prevent eyestrain.

However, I first started using a Kindle in my former career, which involved long international trips several times a year in which I'd be in a different city or (in Europe) different country every night. This meant packing really light, and chunky paperbacks for the plane just wouldn't fit in my hand luggage. So the e-reader was a genuine boon back then.

I personally find that the books vs e-readers issue is... a non-issue. They can and do coexist.

A cheap, poorly printed paperback for the beach is not an aesthetically pleasing experience, and I'm happy to use Kindle for such books. For a favourite book or author I might seek out a hardback from a niche publisher such as Slightly Foxed, or a secondhand Folio Society edition because the physical pleasure of such items complements the contents.

But let's be honest, most printed novels are not works of art: they are mass-market consumables. (Obviously books on cookery and art, which may depend on high-quality pictures, are a different kettle of fish.)

Regards,
Dan


IrinaN
Marina Taffetani
Liena Vijupe
Rachel Waddington
 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 16:04
English to Russian
+ ...
Don't leave home without my old Kindle... almost Sep 13, 2020

Almost ancient, wi-fi only, no lit screen, no reflection. Battery lasts forever, simple and sturdy. excellent for beach/outdoor reading. I'd be very upset if I lose it or it gets stolen, mostly for sentimental reasons because it will be like losing an old buddy but it cost me 78 dollars nearly a decade ago, and it's much less sensitive to the environments such as beach sand, salt and humidity than much more expensive Ipads.

At home ~85% of my reading is paper books. To be honest, I
... See more
Almost ancient, wi-fi only, no lit screen, no reflection. Battery lasts forever, simple and sturdy. excellent for beach/outdoor reading. I'd be very upset if I lose it or it gets stolen, mostly for sentimental reasons because it will be like losing an old buddy but it cost me 78 dollars nearly a decade ago, and it's much less sensitive to the environments such as beach sand, salt and humidity than much more expensive Ipads.

At home ~85% of my reading is paper books. To be honest, I don't read much at home at all but I'm on the road more than half a year cumulatively. It became a part of a ritual of returning home from another trip: a shower, a meal, a glass of wine, tons of attention to/from my cats and then, when the furry family quiets down, I retire to one of my old favorites. This completes the "back home" feeling. My library is not modern; almost all my paper books are of very respectable age but the temptation is still there and new additions find their way to my shelves now and then, but only a few.

If I were a home dweller, I think I'd be reading primarily paper books.

I also have Kindle on Ipad and it's great at the hotel - I don't need to keep the lights on. This is the only minus of my Kindle, no reading in the dark so when I go on trips that do not present the opportunity to read outdoors, I just leave it at home.
Collapse


 
Paulinho Fonseca
Paulinho Fonseca  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:04
Member (2011)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I Love it. Sep 14, 2020

Anywhere I go, I have all my books.

Wolfgang Schoene
 
Wolfgang Schoene
Wolfgang Schoene  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 22:04
Member
English to German
+ ...
Do you use an e-book reader? Sep 14, 2020

ProZ.com Staff wrote:

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you use an e-book reader?".

This poll was originally submitted by Rita Utt. View the poll results »



I have about 500 books and running on my shelves in my home.
I have about 8000 books in my e-book reader which I couldn't possible host on my shelves.
So, yes, I do have an e-book reader (3 actually) and am very happy with it.


 
Mair A-W (PhD)
Mair A-W (PhD)
Germany
Local time: 22:04
German to English
+ ...
Both Sep 14, 2020

I like my e-Book reader for:

- reading in bed without the light on
-- particularly when:
-- camping
-- visiting people who don't have a bedside light
-- sharing a room with someone who wants to sleep

- reading foreign languages I'm learning, for the dictionary lookup feature (and if necessary the 'translate' feature)

- easy access to English books while living in another country

I like my paper books because I .
... See more
I like my e-Book reader for:

- reading in bed without the light on
-- particularly when:
-- camping
-- visiting people who don't have a bedside light
-- sharing a room with someone who wants to sleep

- reading foreign languages I'm learning, for the dictionary lookup feature (and if necessary the 'translate' feature)

- easy access to English books while living in another country

I like my paper books because I ... like paper books
Collapse


 
Pages in topic:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Do you use an e-book reader?






Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »
Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »