EReader - Blog Posts
I’m still crying over the beauty that was the Sony Reader. Cell service, stylus, dictionary, touchscreen, audio and came in a robust case.
Amazon killed E-ink innovation. But it's back.
Amazon killed E-ink innovation. But it’s back.
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what i love about ebooks
i’ve noticed that quarantine is making a lot of people buy a bunch of stuff online, so why not contribute to the problem?
jk—please be thoughtful with your purchases.
and as for those who are like “it doesn’t fEeL tHe sAme aS a REAL bOOk”… hear me out, okay?
it’s not just handy for people who can’t leave the house or are worried about shipping… 1. i can read whatever book whenever i want if i don’t like what i’m reading, i can get something else within minutes even if it’s 3 am and i’m not near a library, which is like… amazing?
2. it’s portable this little device can obviously hold sooo many books in the same space that a single paperback takes up (or less). that’s insanely convenient for people who need to pack lightly while traveling (heavy bias here). 3. i can actually find where i left off i can never remember to bring bookmarks, so i usually end up using the nearest object to hold my place, which is really bad (for multiple reasons). i try to remember page numbers, but i just don’t have that kind of storage left in my head hehe, so i love the digital bookmarking option and the feature that automatically saves what page i’m on in case i forget that too. 4. i can read in the dark my bedside lamp doesn’t need to announce to the world that i’m still awake at four am… i don’t need to blind a sleep-deprived driver or a *finally silent* infant on a plane by turning on overhead lights… or break my wrist while holding a flashlight for hours under the covers… yeah. it’s pretty sweet. 5. i can read outside on the *rare* occasion that i leave the house, the sun usually ends up ruining it for me. the bright light in combination with the white pages only worsens my contact prescription, so the black page option is heaven (and that’s not the only color, folks!). i also really appreciate the fact that a strong beach wind can no longer snatch a page from between my fingers—ha. 6. no one has to know what i’m reading the anonymity of reading on a kindle seems like such a trivial thing, but it’s definitely stopped the is the guy across the aisle judging my book choice? thoughts that interrupt my reading every few seconds on the bus. with no cover to show, how is anyone going to know if i’m reading what’s considered “trash”? 7. it’s more comfortable anyone who’s ever tried to read in bed knows the struggle of trying to lie down while propping up a big-ass book for hours without killing your arms —this thing is light and slim enough that you won’t feel like an amputation is necessary. 8. it’s better for class there’s a search function that makes it super easy to find a certain part in case i want to reread or quote it, which can be lifesaving when i’m writing a paper for literature. besides that, there are plenty of highlighting options and tools to annotate if you’re interested. 9. the dictionary feature it doesn’t happen often, but when there’s a word i don’t know, i’m going to find out what it means—i have to restore my dignity somehow, okay? when i read, my phone is usually halfway across the room, and let’s be real, i’m not going to walk all the way over there to get it, so the fact that i can just tap the word to explore it is really handy. 10. it’s a great tool for language-learning first of all, the translation feature’s got your back. also: text-to-speech and audio books can save your ass on pronunciations, and audible stories even offers a bunch of free preschool books to start out with. your reading and listening comprehension skills are going to be fire after this.
Amazon is removing our right to download Kindle books onto our computers on Feb 26.
What does this mean? It means, if you buy an ebook from Amazon and you want to use a different ereader, you will not be able to download the file onto your computer, remove its DRM using Calibre, and transfer the book to any device of your choice. After February 26, you’ll be locked to Amazon’s ecosystem indefinitely. Books will only be transferable between Amazon devices and apps. You do not own the ebooks you buy. Amazon can (and has) remove ebooks from your library.
Download them now and use the Calibre to remove the DRM. I highly suggest buying ebooks from other places from now on. Links to resources below.
Video about Amazon removing downloads
Article explaining how to download Calibre and remove DRM
Alternative Ebook/Physical Book Stores
Bookshop.org
ebooks.com
Barnes and Noble
Halfpricebooks.com
Pango
Thrift Books
Free Ebooks
Project Gutenberg
Libby/Overdrive (libraries)
The Internet Archive
Alternative Audiobook Apps
Audiobooks.com
Libby/Overdrive
Chirp
Libro.fm
Using a Kindle without Using Amazon
If you’re like me, you have a kindle and you’re not financially in the position to buy a new $130 ereader from a different brand. So what are you to do? The best thing you can do is use Libby/Overdrive. It’s very simple. The Libby app has an option to link your Amazon account to the app and so when you borrow a book from your library, it’ll automatically go to your kindle.
You can also sideload books onto your kindle if the file is compatible and DRM free. Here’s an article listing DRM free book sources.
Supporting Indie Authors
Now this is where things get tricky. Most indie authors make the bulk of their sales on Amazon. It’s awful, but that’s the nature of the beast. Use your own discretion when buying indie books from Amazon. Check and see if that author sells their books on other platforms or buy their book physically (if the option is available) so that you actually own the book you buy.