Point 1 - Kindle can play MP3s as well. Your choice then. I don't bother with music playback on mine. I bought it becasue I wanted to read books. I would have thought that even 4GB would still give you plenty of space, but up to you...

Point 2 - The Kindle uses the .mobi format along with the one the Amazon use (can't recall the type). You can use a program called Caliber (http://calibre-ebook.com/) to orgonize your library and convert any (non-protected) e-books from whatever format (text, pdf, , epub, lit), etc) into the .mobi format and then copy then to the Kindle. It's a great bit of free software.

 

Kindle also has a rudimentary browser. It's clunky, but it works, and with free World wide 3G, it's handy.

You can also set it up so you can mail documents to it for free and they get converted to a Kindle friendly format and then down to your Kindle.

Amazon has the biggest number of books available by far, and generally the cheapest.

If you are so inclined, you can download books from 'other sources'

It's great thing for novels but will never replace glossy big books (and neither will an iPad!)

Geezer

 

I've heard about this Calibre Program .... does it mean, for example, that if there is a free book available outside of the Amazon network (which isn't on offer within it) - I could download it from the Internet, swap file type and instal on the Kindle?

Amazon have access to all Kindles .. will they not see something you haven't got from them and do something to your files? They say they back up your Kindle and do all kinds of file management on your behalf (taking total control) that I'm sure they could spot something which didn't come from their stable!?

 

I have stuff on mine that is not from Amazon, they don't care. The only thing you don't get is whisper sync with non-Amazon stuff.

Geezer

 

Yes, that's exactly what you can do, as long as the ebook is not DRM protected.

As per Geezer, most of my books are from other sources than Amazon and I've not had any issues with it.

 

Looks like there are very good reasons why the Kindle is winning the race then?

Is there anywhere you can actually play with one, hold one and see it? Anyone wish their Kindle was a TouchScreen? And anyone wish that it had expandable memory from 4Gb?

Thanks for all the comments

 

Hmmm, I've been a fan of the sony reader for a few years now and always dismissed the kindle as being a bit limited because you cant read epubs on it but I'm starting to change my mind now.
My next e reader was going to be a sony touch screen one, as the one thing that bugs me about my current reader is you have to press the page turning buttons quite hard (quite a few times I've dropped the book down the back of my bed trying to turn the page)
How easy is the kindle to turn pages? Can you do it while half asleep?

 

Simple to turn pages on it.

 

They sell them in Currys now Pete, do you can try one there.

They might not let you in though!

Geezer

 

John Lewis also had one on demo when I went in their last time.

 

Pete, why are you trying to talk your wife into purchase something she doesn't really want? Genuine question!

For me I would buy an I-pad or similar tablet PC, but then if I want a book I buy a traditional book, got enough with carrying two mobiles around, don't want anymore technology to lose

 

I've heard others say to by an ipad instead of a e-book reader. From my point of view, I only wanted an e-book reader as I have a laptop for all the "computer" type things I need to do.

Ipad costs 3x or 4x the cost of a kindle
It's too big to fit in your pocket
Battery lasts days instead of weeks (my Kindle lasts over a month)
Screen looks very natural on the kindle (when I fist got mine, I thought there was a cellophane cover on with the start up instructions, only to find that it was the actual screen text)

BUT, I can see people would prefer to use an ipad for other functions if they also need them, but I can't see why you would get one just to read books..

 

Jack,

That's a bit petty, don't you think? Asking for a thread to be moved that you have not contributed to, because your thread about Apple was moved? Personally I thought yours was OK in NSR and don't see that this needs to be moved either. Just not sure of your reasoning...