E-Readers In Town Yet?

[Drew Aitch]

Hi Forum

I know this was brought up some months ago, but just out of curiosity, has anyone between then and now been able to pick up a good, thin, large screen e-reader in Chiang Mai?

I know the Apple i-pad is around now, but I don’t really need all the bells and whistles that come with that. I'm just looking for a nice big (bigger the better) bright screen e-reader and nothing else.

I've had a good look around couple of months ago, and it was hard just getting some places to know what one was!

Anyway, worth asking for the sake of a short post

Aitch

[whiterussian]

ditto...

Hurry Burma, start churnin out the fakes!!!

[cm das]

I had a Kindle delivered from Amazon last month & I'm very happy with it so far. Their wireless service covers Chiang Mai so you can access the Kindle store from anywhere in town (& most of the country). The price was just drastically reduced as well. With customs & shipping it wasn't cheap but well worth the cost in my opinion.

[Thakkar]

I had a Kindle delivered from Amazon last month & I'm very happy with it so far. Their wireless service covers Chiang Mai so you can access the Kindle store from anywhere in town (& most of the country). The price was just drastically reduced as well. With customs & shipping it wasn't cheap but well worth the cost in my opinion.

If you don't mind my asking, what was the customs duty?

[Shipwreck]

I've tried 'e-books' on my laptop but I still find myself liking regular old paperbacks.

What is the attraction to e-books?

[Drew Aitch]

What is the attraction to e-books?

Not a lot if you're going to read them on a regular bulky computer or laptop. A lot of folks download hard to find material from the internet then still choose to print it out and read the paper copies.

But the great thing about having a stock of e-books + e-reader is that many of the new generation e-readers are wafer thin, have ultra bright screens, and are very lightweight (unlike notebooks with all their bulk). They also have a very long battery life compared to notebooks, and the ability to take them anywhere you please without taking up any real space, is a godsend.

What's more, you can literally have access to thousands of books to read stored in a single skinny e-reader. Imagine how much space and weight that'll save when packing y' bags ready for a trip!

There are also zillions of -books that are only published in PDF format, especially those that cover educational courses and the like.

I never have liked sitting up in bed balancing a hot notebook to read stuff, but laying down with something a bit smaller than a sheet of A4, lighter than a novel, cool to the touch, and with a never-ending list of titles to chose from (including daily newspapers from around the world), all accessible in a nanosecond via a silky-smooth touch-screen.

The quick access, easy search features, and more reading material than an average life expectancy could possibly get through, has to be one huge attraction. This will definitely be the way that most folks shall be reading in the not too distant future, especially the younger generations.

There's still something warm and comforting about physically holding a paper book and flicking through its pages, but hard copies are not going to be monopolising, but sharing, all reading matter within the next few years.

Just look at how newspapers have lost out recently to online NEWS, and that's before the e-readers have even got a foothold in the marketplace! Almost everyone will own one of these convenient e-readers within 2 to 3 years from now, of that I'm sure

Aitch

Edited July 25, 2010 by Drew Aitch

[jayjay0]

What is the attraction to e-books?

Not a lot if you're going to read them on a regular bulky computer or laptop. A lot of folks download hard to find material from the internet then still choose to print it out and read the paper copies.

But the great thing about having a stock of e-books + e-reader is that many of the new generation e-readers are wafer thin, have ultra bright screens, and are very lightweight (unlike notebooks with all their bulk). They also have a very long battery life compared to notebooks, and the ability to take them anywhere you please without taking up any real space, is a godsend.

What's more, you can literally have access to thousands of books to read stored in a single skinny e-reader. Imagine how much space and weight that'll save when packing y' bags ready for a trip!

There are also zillions of -books that are only published in PDF format, especially those that cover educational courses and the like.

I never have liked sitting up in bed balancing a hot notebook to read stuff, but laying down with something a bit smaller than a sheet of A4, lighter than a novel, cool to the touch, and with a never-ending list of titles to chose from (including daily newspapers from around the world), all accessible in a nanosecond via a silky-smooth touch-screen.

The quick access, easy search features, and more reading material than an average life expectancy could possibly get through, has to be one huge attraction. This will definitely be the way that most folks shall be reading in the not too distant future, especially the younger generations.

There's still something warm and comforting about physically holding a paper book and flicking through its pages, but hard copies are not going to be monopolising, but sharing, all reading matter within the next few years.

Just look at how newspapers have lost out recently to online NEWS, and that's before the e-readers have even got a foothold in the marketplace! Almost everyone will own one of these convenient e-readers within 2 to 3 years from now, of that I'm sure

Aitch

Well it sounds good to me. The big question is how much are the books. Will the news papers cost money. For myself it it is just a matter of checking a list and sitting back with nothing else involved other than paying. I would probably end up with far more books than I needed.

I tried to get some stuff from Amazon and got a horrific run around from them. One thing they would not deliver my game to me in Canada. I was told that if I go to the British branch they will deliver here in Thailand. Is this indeed the case.

Thanks in advance

Drew you should get out more.

[jaideeguy]

here's a short list/reviews of what's available out there with most of their features.....not sure what is available here http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/index.html they all have their pros and cons.

let us know what you end up with

[cm das]

The customs on my Kindle was something like $40, can't remember exactly. It was paid up front, along with the cost & shipping. I got the Kindle from the main Amazon (US) website.

Edited July 26, 2010 by cm das

[jayjay0]

I was checking Amazon and they have a great selection of books. Some as low as $2 can't get that here in Chiang Mai. They have a international down load to.

There was a earlier post with a link to e books readers it was very informative many thanks for it.

[cm das]

The Kindle store (part of Amazon) does have great selection. Many other sites do as well. I've downloaded dozens of public domain books for free through gutenberg.org & feedbooks.com. Sacred-texts.com is another fantastic resource if you're into that kind of thing.

I was a Kindle skeptic til I actually saw one & then learned that it's easy to convert word docs & pdfs to be able to read on the Kindle. (Current Kindles can read pdfs but they can't zoom, so depending on how the pdfs were generated/scanned, often they can be difficult to read). Now I'm a believer. I love being able to take it anywhere & decide at the spur of the moment what I'm going to read.

[Drew Aitch]

Since opening this post, i have done a bit of research on e-readers, and it seems that most countries around the wor1d (third world countries aside), seem to be selling e-readers now in the high street along with all other popular products. I'm just curious why Thailand is not yet selling these with all their other electronic computerised imports! My only guess is that there's little demand for them here at the moment, or perhaps they are readily available all around the capital but just not advertised!

Who knows! Maybe the portability and instantly accessible access to written news and news worthy sites (such as Wikipedea, which seems to be banned by many ISPs), means that lightweight e-readers, are not a welcome product in some countries.

After all, it's not easy to conceal a notebook, but a trendy e-book that's as thin as a dinner plate, as big as A4, with Internet capability, and the ability to hold tens of thousands of instantly retrievable pages, is perhaps not a medium that's overly welcome in some countries.

Aitch

[sarahsbloke]

It's cos Thais don't read ..... so no demand.

I'm expecting a Nook to turn up later this week, been busily downloading books for the past month

About 400 of my favorite books, and all the latest releases in Calibre ready to go.

Another 16GB sitting unorganised on my PC.

Aren't torrents fun!

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Since opening this post, i have done a bit of research on e-readers, and it seems that most countries around the wor1d (third world countries aside), seem to be selling e-readers now in the high street along with all other popular products.

Heck, I see them in vending machines at airports.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

it's definitely the future. I know diehard old cranky book readers who have tried the Kindle and are just hooked. Not interested at all in going back to paper books.

they remember where you stopped. can search for words. adjust screen brightness, change font size. make notes and quotes for easy retrieval. Text to voice if your eyes get tired. Lots of improvements and getting better and cheaper. Would not surprise me if they start giving them away for signing up with a ebook seller.

it's like the difference of carrying around a tape player with a bunch of cassette or carrying an Ipod.

Multimedia integration and other improvements will soon leave books with the likes of floppy disks and typewriters.

[jayjay0]

Since opening this post, i have done a bit of research on e-readers, and it seems that most countries around the wor1d (third world countries aside), seem to be selling e-readers now in the high street along with all other popular products. I'm just curious why Thailand is not yet selling these with all their other electronic computerised imports! My only guess is that there's little demand for them here at the moment, or perhaps they are readily available all around the capital but just not advertised!

Who knows! Maybe the portability and instantly accessible access to written news and news worthy sites (such as Wikipedea, which seems to be banned by many ISPs), means that lightweight e-readers, are not a welcome product in some countries.

After all, it's not easy to conceal a notebook, but a trendy e-book that's as thin as a dinner plate, as big as A4, with Internet capability, and the ability to hold tens of thousands of instantly retrievable pages, is perhaps not a medium that's overly welcome in some countries.

Aitch

Out of my league but didn't Thailand just make a move towards getting 3G when all ready 4G is in use. Kind of like a concentrated effort to stay behind the times. Trying to hold on to there third world ties.

[Drew Aitch]

I had a Kindle delivered from Amazon last month & I'm very happy with it so far. Their wireless service covers Chiang Mai so you can access the Kindle store from anywhere in town (& most of the country). The price was just drastically reduced as well. With customs & shipping it wasn't cheap but well worth the cost in my opinion.

Which Kindle did you get cm das? I see the Kindle 2 is very reasonably priced at just $190 (give or take), but the Kindle DX does seem more appealing with its huge screen. Mind you, at a 90% higher cost than the Kindle 2, it should have something extra to shout about! Also, how long did it take to arrive from the point of purchase to the time you had it in your hand?

Cheers

Aitch

[uptheos]

I'm sure e-readers are the way to go and I'm all for progress and certainly not knocking them. However, I couldn't bear the thought of having zillions of books awaiting, just for the sake of having something to read. Throughout my life, my choice of reading material has been governed by circumstances and changes in my thinking. Therefore, I have always found it rather special to browse through a bookstore, with a particular theme in mind, hoping for and often finding a little gem. I usually have two or three books maximum that I need to get through and stacking up zillions of books on an e-reader, would for me be quite pointless.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Amazon came out with a new Kindle in the last day. New features and lower price. $139

Battery life is now 1 month.

New Kindle

Edited July 29, 2010 by CobraSnakeNecktie

[Thakkar]

The customs on my Kindle was something like $40, can't remember exactly. It was paid up front, along with the cost & shipping. I got the Kindle from the main Amazon (US) website.

Thank you. $40 seems reasonable, especially as it's pre-paid and there's no hassles involved.

[jayjay0]

The customs on my Kindle was something like $40, can't remember exactly. It was paid up front, along with the cost & shipping. I got the Kindle from the main Amazon (US) website.

So what size did you get and how munch was the total price taxes and all. in a revue I read it said it cost about $130 more for the international one. That was the DX model

A question. Can you browse and order books on the Kindle.

My self I was sold on the Kindle DX but the price put me off. At my age I want to give my eyes every advantage I can so readability is important to me.

[Drew Aitch]

Hi Forum

Just a couple of quick questions here, if anyone can help?

Firstly, is there an actual Thai translation for e-reader? Every time I've enquired at computer stores, I get a blank expression followed by a "no, no".

I've even tried saying things like, same, same i-Pad but different! Still to no avail

And finally, has anyone come across that Chinese version on the i-Pad called an i-Ped? I've not seen any, but by heck they’re so cheap one could almost lose it and not get too upset!

Cheers

Aitch

Edited August 31, 2010 by Drew Aitch

[cm das]

Sorry, just coming back to this thread. To answer some old questions:

I have a Kindle 2. Unfortunately mine was purchased as a gift for me about 2 weeks before they dramatically lowered the price. The retail price at the time was 250$. Customs was, as I mentioned, about 40$. Shipping maybe another 30$. Delivery took around 10 days. The Kindle 2 is the smaller size, Kindle Dx is considerably bigger. Both the 2 & DX have the same international capability - that is free wireless access to the Kindle Store from most countries, including Thailand. The fastest connections aren't available here, but you can still download a book in a matter of minutes (as opposed to seconds in N. America, Europe, etc.). So within Thailand you can certainly browse the store & order books (not sure if you can browse through book before you order). Billing happens automatically through your amazon account (if you don't have one already, you'll get one when you order the Kindle).

I find the size of the Kindle 2 perfectly fine, but with lots of graphic intensive books you might want the bigger screen on the DX. I also ordered a rugged cordura nylon cover (another 30$). So I can & do throw the Kindle in my bag & take it everywhere. Battery life is very good with the wireless turned off. I get 2 or 3 weeks of daily use. And I do use it all the time. I am still a lover of paper books & I think I always will be. But for convenience, it's hard to beat the Kindle.

If anyone wants to actually have a look before buying, pm me & we'll work something out.

[thaimiller]

It's cos Thais don't read ..... so no demand.

Well ive got at least 150 books in Thai at home that the wife has read, She's reading as many of the stephen King books as she can find now. You always seem to come out with some BS generalizations. :jerk:

Edited August 31, 2010 by thaimiller

[sarahsbloke]

I have a Kindle 2. Unfortunately mine was purchased as a gift for me about 2 weeks before they dramatically lowered the price.

Price drop within 30 days of purchase and Amazon refund the difference to your Amazon account ..... if you ask!

[sarahsbloke]

It's cos Thais don't read ..... so no demand.

Well ive got at least 150 books in Thai at home that the wife has read, She's reading as many of the stephen King books as she can find now. You always seem to come out with some BS generalizations. :jerk:

Sales and marketing are done by generalisation, the one in 100,000 Thais that read books is not a significant sales figure.

[Greenside]

It's cos Thais don't read ..... so no demand.

Well ive got at least 150 books in Thai at home that the wife has read, She's reading as many of the stephen King books as she can find now. You always seem to come out with some BS generalizations. :jerk:

I never did have much luck in finding Steven King books in Thai - if your wife has any she's finished with please let me know and we'll buy a few from you.

[butterisbetter]

Maybe the readers are coming down in price, but the cost of e-books is rising. I looked at purchasing some older books from Amazon and they are a lot more expensive than they would be if purchased from say, Gecko. And that doesn't include the money you get back if you return the book to Gecko. And you don't really own the e-book. You can't just pass it along to friends. It's tethered to you kindle or your ipad. So not only do you have to pay for the machine, but you pay more for the content. I don't get it.

[sarahsbloke]

Maybe the readers are coming down in price, but the cost of e-books is rising. I looked at purchasing some older books from Amazon and they are a lot more expensive than they would be if purchased from say, Gecko. And that doesn't include the money you get back if you return the book to Gecko. And you don't really own the e-book. You can't just pass it along to friends. It's tethered to you kindle or your ipad. So not only do you have to pay for the machine, but you pay more for the content. I don't get it.

Very few people actually pay out money for electronic media these days,

You think all the kids with ipods paid for their music or video collection?

Hard to find anything legit in my area, even the video rental shops are renting copies!

Ever tried to buy a real Microsoft product in Thailand?

[cm das]

Maybe the readers are coming down in price, but the cost of e-books is rising. I looked at purchasing some older books from Amazon and they are a lot more expensive than they would be if purchased from say, Gecko. And that doesn't include the money you get back if you return the book to Gecko. And you don't really own the e-book. You can't just pass it along to friends. It's tethered to you kindle or your ipad. So not only do you have to pay for the machine, but you pay more for the content. I don't get it.

The readers are not cheap. But I have more than 100 books on my kindle & all of them were free. Mostly classics of literature, history, mythology, philosophy... We're talking about public domain books that I can freely pass on to my friends if they have a reader, or just point them to sites where they themselves can browse & download thousands upon thousands of such books. Sure, you have to pay for most recent titles but prices vary and many are cheap. And then you can take a whole library with you wherever you go. It's hard to put a specific price on what that's worth; I know I like it. Anyway, I don't think that it's an either/or proposition with paper books/e-books. I'm glad to say I have a place for both in my life.