Kindle or other ereader?

I have a Kobo Touch and love it!
You can also run calibre with it.

Ooh, tell me more about the Kobo please! It seems like the strongest alternative.

I have an android phone that has a 4.2 inch screen and I have a free e reader program and that works great for me.

See this is kind of where I'm at just now. I have used the kindle app on my iPhone, but the iPhone sucks up battery as it is, so it doesn't feel like a long term solution. It is however free, lit, and instantly available!

The lack of backlighting is part of the whole point of ereaders. It's much easier on the eyes for long term reading. A phone or ipad is fine, but will cause eye strain if you were reading on it all the time.

Am realy interested in this thread because I think I finaly am realising that I do want a kindle/or ereader of some kind. I love my books and have a somewhat romantic love affair with actual books but my carpal tunnel is getting much worse and I find holding a book, even a paperback for more than 2 mins realy uncomfortable now. Dp is feeling the same in that he adores his actual books but because we have never heard someone with a kindle say they wish they hadn't got it we are coming round to the idea more and more

I have a Kobo Touch and love it!
You can also run calibre with it.

Ooh, tell me more about the Kobo please! It seems like the strongest alternative.

I got mine last Christmas before the Kindle touch was available here.
We did look at Kindle but what swayed me to the Kobo was the fact I could buy
books from anywhere and not just Amazon at the time. Also the touch aspect.
I have to confess the choice of colours swayed me too and I got the lilac Kobo Touch
My SIL was here with her Kindle a few months ago and she had a look at my Kobo. She was oohing
and ahhing over it and said she should have got a Kobo instead, mind you she didn't have a touch model
so maybe the Kindle Touch is great too?!
Maybe get to a store that has both and compare them would be the best thing to do?

I'm on my second kindle now - I killed my first one after it got a drenching in bathwater (my bad - the new one has been nowhere near the bathroom!) and those few days when I didn't have one was hell, I missed it soooo much

You don't have to spend a fortune on books from Amazon. A lot of mine are freebies and I also *ahem* acquired a CD of 3000 unauthorised books for £5. A lot oof them are random rubbish but there are also lots of big name books on there.

If you follow Kindle UK - Tips & Tricks on Facebook, they put up several offers each day where books are reduced to a couple of quid or even free for a limited period.

I have a Samsung galaxy tab which I have the kindle app on, I also have the app on my phone so I can carry on reading even if I've left my tablet at home.

As has been mentioned its a pain reading in the sun, but other than that I've no qualms

Thanks everyone!

I'm curious to find out more about the kobo, but the kindle is really appealing. A tablet is not for me - can't afford one, plus I never have time/inclination to do much gadgety stuff anyway, so I just need it for reading. I'm happy doing the bulk of my surfing in random moments from my phone.

Which has led me to revisit the kindle app. It'll be at my fingertips, and it's free! Have downloaded a couple of cheapie books, do will see how I (and my rubbish iPhone battery) get on.

[MrC]

The Kobo's great and an Australian company to boot. I've used both it and the Kindle and I think the Kobo's a bit better. It works pretty well with Calibre and has a delightful quilted back which I thought strange to start with, but it kind of grew on me.

Don't forget to check out Project Gutenberg for innumerable free books:

http://www.gutenberg.org/

Calibre can convert all the formats from there to whatever you want and it has quite a few on offer so you likely won't need to.

It's completely legal and consists of books on which the copyright has expired. I particularly like c 19th writers so it's an absolute treasure trove for me. Please consider donating if you like it as it's run on a charitable basis by people really committed to safeguarding and preserving our literary culture.