E readers

woollie · Veteran Member

E readers

The dog lady · Guru

I use my phone as an e-reader (that way I always have a book with me), and I download "borrowed" books from my local library. Never costs me anything smile , and with over a thousand e-books plus more being added daily there is enough available to keep me reading for a long time.

Cloak · Guru

You young folks have good eyes still. I download audio books and listen with an ear pad.

Cheers

justcruisin01 · Guru

woollie wrote:
I was just reading about E-readers and a lot of units charge to download books we [my wife and I ] download books free and never have paid for one and our readers were under $100 so it doesnt need to cost like kindle who is linked to amazonand lots of others

Might have to come out to Creso for a run one day & catch up with you.

JC.

spida · Guru

I have a paperwhite Kindle and was lucky enough to be given a stick with 11,000 books on it - which I have shared with many I have met - so costs me nothing.

wendyv · Guru

I download books for no charge from my local library. Can download up to 20 at a time and they stay available to read for 3 weeks.

snap1946 · Senior Member

wendyv wrote:
I download books for no charge from my local library. Can download up to 20 at a time and they stay available to read for 3 weeks.

hi wendyv

how do we down load from the library please help

cheers mary and snap

-- Edited by snap1946 on Tuesday 1st of April 2014 08:36:56 PM

Jayco Gypsy · Senior Member

spida wrote:
I have a paperwhite Kindle and was lucky enough to be given a stick with 11,000 books on it - which I have shared with many I have met - so costs me nothing.

I was lucky that way as well with over 4000 books which I have added to and share as well. I have a sony ereader and the best part is being able to make the font a readable size for me. It's very rare for me to pick up a paper book these days.

I use Calibre a free program to convert my books to epub as my freebies are kindle format. Works a treat. No need to use the sony software.

NeilandRaine · Guru

I have a KOBO Glow that is just the Ducks Guts. If a new book by an author I like comes out I buy it just like I used to with real books. Sometimes I look for free books. Bit like camping, sometimes I stay at a free camp other times at a caravan park. I do purchase collections of books by a particular author that cost about 5 to 10 dollars for about 30 books. They are in PDF so I use Calibre to convert them to epub

dING · Senior Member

if one searches the net there are thousands of E-Books available for download free

And if one is venture-some there are things called torrents which enables one to download

Just about anything that is in the print format mags,comics,books ect ect

Brenda and Alan · Guru

Hi Mary and Snap,

I download free from Yarra Plenty Library in Victoria. They are somehow associated with Brisbane City Library (not sure what the connection is between them) and I'm sure if you look them up or Google them you will be able to contact them and they will tell you how to join and what you need to do to download. Hope this helps. Brenda.

dING · Senior Member

You have to have a current library card

In Tassie the website is www.linc.lib.overdrive.com

But all the tother states are prob different but the

Main criteria on all of them seems to be a current

Library member card

Oma · Guru

I asked at our local Library about down loading library books. Asked what ereader I have.
An Amazon Kindle. She asked if it is the new Amazon fire.
No! Sorry but the libraries are not compatible with Amazon Kindle which I have, not even the State library at Bris.
My friend downloads to her I Pad no problem.

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Hi Mary and Snap
You have to be a member of a library that have E books you can belong to more than one I am a member of 4 that are within driving distance.
Your library will help you learn how to down load E books
Some libraries subscribe to Overdrive which is the supplier of the E books
Some have borrow box which makes it very easy to download both print and audio books to a smart phone or tablet, there are also other E book suppliers that libraries use.
Many libraries conduct classes showing you how to use your E reader look on you local library website to see the dates for the next course
Overdrive appears to be the most popular in my area
If you are using your computer you will need the program Adobe Digital Editions this program manages you book downloads and will be available on your library website, any library web site that has E books will have information to help you download books you don't have to be a member to read this info, you can also see what books that are available and it is only when you get to the point of borrowing that you have to log in.
If you wish you can read these books on your computer.
It is a bit more difficult to use a Kindle E reader a pubic libraries do not support Kindle format so you need to change the Epub format to Kindle format this can be done using a free program Calibre.
There are various online video tutorials https://www.google.com.au/#q=overdrive+video+tutorials https://www.google.com.au/#q=borrowbox+video+tutorials https://www.google.com.au/#q=adobe+digital+editions+video+tutorials
Hope this is of help.
Cheers
David

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Here is another way to convert Epub format that libraries use to Kindle format.

http://epub-to-kindle-converter.en.softonic.com/

Also video tutorials how to use Calibre https://www.google.com.au/#q=how+to+convert+epub+to+kindle+calibre

Cheers

David

exa41 · Guru

next week Aldi have Ereaders on sale $ 59.95 , looks like we will purchase and see what happens from there.

dING · Senior Member

exa41 wrote:
next week Aldi have Ereaders on sale $ 59.95 , looks like we will purchase and see what happens from there.

Am sure that you will be delighted with the purchase

Most readers hold lots n lots of books so you can fill it

Up with 40 or 50 and off you go for a week or two with

No worries bout running out reading material

Jayco Gypsy · Senior Member

I must be greedy/indecisive just looked at my ereader and there's over 450 books loaded biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin biggrin

justcruisin01 · Guru

justcruisin01 wrote:
woollie wrote:
I was just reading about E-readers and a lot of units charge to download books we [my wife and I ] download books free and never have paid for one and our readers were under $100 so it doesnt need to cost like kindle who is linked to amazonand lots of others
Might have to come out to Creso for a run one day & catch up with you.
JC.

Oooooopssss, didnt notice the spelling as we have another Woolly.

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

If you are going to buy an E reader forget Aldi and spend a little more perhaps on a Kobo for about $100.

This you will get an E reader with E ink you will be able to read outside in full sun, it is just the same as reading the page of a paper back in black print on white paper you will only need to charge the battery every week or so instead of every night.

You do need a light to read by at night as the screen is not back lit, but if this is not convenient you can get a small LED book light that you fasten to the top of your E reader.

Cheers

David

wendyv · Guru

My e-reader is a Sony.
I belong to my local library - the Eastern Regional Libraries in Melbourne. They use Overdrive to download e-books. I log in with my library card membership number, click on the Overdrive panel, which takes me to the library's e-books.
It did take me a while to master the borrowing process. The Sony manual is on the e-reader, which didn't help.
I think the people who have advised you to get instruction from your library are right - I should have done that!

exa41 · Guru

Sorry David , I did not mean to ignore your post but we went to Aldi for supplies and the Ereader was on special and not knowing much about them I thought $25 wasn`t a bad bye .
I have downloaded a couple of books from our library but they are only available for 2 weeks , is this the norm or can I download books on a permanent basis , mind you that this ereader is for the good wife as I usually only read when I need to know something ( must be a time thing) . Naturally if we can get them at no cost it would be better . Its only 4Gb but what use is the storage if you can`t utilise it.

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Hi Dennis
The 2 week loan period is the norm but some libraries allow 3 weeks. Once your loan period expires you can always reborrow that book again.
It's the same as getting a book of the library shelves no one else can borrow that copy until you return that book.
The Overdrive system that some libraries use allow you to return the book early so if you download the maximum number of books and finish reading them before the loan period expires you can return them early and borrow more.
Borrowbox system is different if you borrow the maximum number of books you cannot borrow any more until the loan period expires.
It's best not to borrow to your maximum limit as then you can always return and borrow more and you have a moving expiry period.
There is nothing stopping you from belonging to more than one library.
At $25 that would have to be a good buy, that special does not appear to be available in NSW as I have the latest specials brochure and it doesn't appear there.
Cheers
David

The dog lady · Guru

I can't help but wonder if I am the only person who prefers to reduce the number of electronic gadgets required by downloading books from my library to Overdrive system on my smartphone. Seeing we all carry our phones with us everywhere (don't we?) It means there is always a book on hand if there is an unexpected wait at the doctor/dentist/mechanic or whatever. And no separate light needed at night. With an SD card in my $100 Huawei and the phone's own internet connection I can download as many books as I like wherever there is phone reception (although Bundaberg library has limits imposed).

So can anyone tell me what is so much better about having a separate e-reader?

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

1 The size of the screen.
2 I rarely carry a phone, it sits on the kitchen bench at home most of the time switched off.
3 I can read while sitting outside in the sun.
4 I only have to charge it every 2 weeks.
Though the phone did come in handy, for the time this morning, to go round and change all the clocks at 3 am
Cheers
David

The dog lady · Guru

Roving-Dutchy wrote:
1 The size of the screen.
2 I rarely carry a phone, it sits on the kitchen bench at home most of the time switched off.
3 I can read while sitting outside in the sun.
4 I only have to charge it every 2 weeks.
Though the phone did come in handy, for the time this morning, to go round and change all the clocks at 3 am
Cheers
David

Hmm, OK I can understand 1,2 and 4. Especially 2! But as I always carry my smartphone anyway, 2 and 4 make no difference for me. And I don't seem to have a problem reading on the phone outside, though granted I would never sit out in direct sun.

As for screen size, I used to have a smartphone with a 6" screen, but it didn't like the cuppa I accidently gave it. Clumsiness seemed like a good reason to change to a relatively cheap phone.

So I guess this is one of those situations where it's a case of "different strokes for different folks".

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.