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Thread: Kindle VS hardcover

  1. #1
    Only african to own a PC! Cider's Avatar
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    Kindle VS hardcover

    Hi Guys,

    So in the market to grab some books.

    I was looking at Routing TCP/IP Vol I + II.

    A friend mentioned that I should rather get a kindle, his version was easy reading etc but reading off a computer screen is not my thing.

    Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
    Albert Einstein

  2. #2
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    I still prefer paper because -

    I can read while floating in the pool;
    I can easily look at 2 pages at once;
    I can loan the book to a friend;
    Leave it in the sand a beach without it being damaged or stolen;
    .
    .
    .

  3. #3
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hardcovers (or soft) for me....................you can write in the margins and spill beer on them.

    That always put me off .pdf files because I couldn't edit them with my notes using the free reader software.

  4. #4
    Only african to own a PC! Cider's Avatar
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    Hmm, exactly what I thought.
    But the books are so freaking expensive its crazy.
    The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
    Albert Einstein

  5. #5
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    I was under the impression that the Kindle allowed one to make marginal notes though it isn't as easy with that tiny keyboard.

  6. #6
    Disgruntled Postal Worker fourdc's Avatar
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    I love books especially hard covers.

    I own and use a Kindle for recreational reading, I'm not going to be making marginal notes in Sherlock Holmes, plus the classics are free. My 2600 subscription is only is $11.88 per year, instead of $6.99 per issue. Trade books or text books, I want the "real thing."

    My problem is with the publishing industry, an electronic issue of a book has zero manufacturing cost so the price of an electronic issue should be significantly lower than a hard cover but it isn't. Then again the publishing industry is screwed up anyway. I have 2 college students and I attend classes as well, textbook publishers are raping US students. I can shop overseas markets and buy the same textbook for less than half, including the shipping back to the US. If you're shopping for textbooks check out http://www.bigwords.com
    ddddc

    "Somehow saying I told you so just doesn't cover it" Will Smith in I, Robot

  7. #7
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    The publishers must pay royalties even on electronic versions of a book. In addition they do have manufacturing, distribution, administration and marketing costs so there is a marginal cost for every e-book. Manufacturing costs for e-books include the rights to publish, the cost of conversion from print to electronic format, etc. That cost must be amortized over the anticipated number of unit sales. Distribution costs include the costs of maintaining servers, networking connections, etc. Those costs are not insignificant. An OC3 cost approaches $40k per month.

  8. #8
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    I prefer the old fashioned hardcover/softcover method. + my 5yr old son loves to go "Treasure Hunting" at the local charity shop/s for interesting books.

    Even though these kindle devices can make reading more convenient/practical if you will, nothing beats opening a hardcover that's been sitting on the shelf for ages, and breathing in that awesome book smell.

  9. #9
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    The main advantage of an electronic solution to my mind is its portability. You can store or carry one hell of a lot of reading material without the bulk and weight.

    I don't see portability as being much of an advantage for textbooks, although I do recall managing a project some years ago to put repair/maintenance manuals on engineers' laptops.


  10. #10
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    Our high school (among others) has switched to Kindle for 100% of the text books and required reading materials. They are saving lots of money over purchasing hard cover books. Each student is assigned a pre-loaded Kindle that matches their curriculum. They can also purchase insurance to cover lost or damaged Kindles. Gone are the days of students walking to school with a 25 pound backpack. All they carry now is a notebook, Kindle and a few papers and pens.

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