[DianeReardon]

I have long been a fan of ebook formats.  Several years ago, I got an RCA ebook for Christmas - had to buy through their book store and download though a phone line.  Four or Five years ago, RCA discontinued selling and supporting ebooks.  At about the same time, I got my first palm pilot and started downloading ebooks to that.  I now have over 300 books in my ebook account and on my palm (I am on my 4th Palm pilot - love it for more than just reading - actually use it for its intended purpose).  Anyway, my question is - what is to guarantee that the Kindle will be around in four or five years?  FYI - Oprah gave the RCA ebooks to everyone in her audience one year.  Spending that much money on another device and getting burned again would bum me out.

A second question - can you read the Kindle in the dark?  I love to read at night before I got to sleep and my palm is great for that, and my old ebook worked too.  Looks like the Kindle would work too, but can't tell for sure.

Thanks for any info.

 

[Guest]

Kindle will need a book light to read in the dark. There are many clip on style book lights can be clipped to the Kindle or the Kindle cover.

 

[Angela]

Hello Diane and welcome. Sorry I can't answer your 1st question and Mona beat me to the second one.

You never know with technology, but I figure with with the number of books I am able to get right now and the storage capacity on SD, I can accumulate more than I will probably be able to read the rest of my life. So for me, the gamble is worth it!

 

[Leslie]

Hi Diane, Welcome! Glad to have you here.

Like the others, I can't answer your question with authority. Probably only Jeff Bezos can do that. But, I do think that Amazon is committed to the Kindle and will support it for years to come. That's just my feeling. I also think it will become the "tipping point device" for ereaders in general. Look at the users on this forum. I would guess that 98% of the folks here never read an ebook on a dedicated device before getting their Kindles. I didn't -- and I was a very early adopter of the original Palm Pilot (and subsequent versions) so I certainly could have, if I was interested.

As for booklights, this is the one I have and I am very happy with it.

Light Wedge 3 LED Slim Light

L

 

[Ann in Arlington]

I'll second Leslie.  I've looked at e-readers in the past and always thought "that's cool, I'll have to get one some time".  But until the Kindle, I never thought "that's cool, I want one now".  In technology development terms, it seems to me that it's kind of a quantum leap above others and that leap is the Whispernet.  I can be reading posts on this board with my Kindle next to me.  Someone mentions a favorite book or does a review of something.  I can click the link, check it out myself, and either buy it right there or (and this is also a biggie) click for a free sample to peruse at a later date.  It's pretty much as good as browsing a bookstore.  Then I pick up my Kindle and wake it up and within seconds the book or sample is there.  I didn't need to plug the Kindle into anything, the book is just magically there!

I also think the LACK of backlight is a plus.  Sure, you need a light to read by, but that's no different than a paper book.  And I find my eyes get much less fatigued reading on Kindle.  I can't do computer work for any length of time without a light on. . .I can't imagine reading for any length of time when the only light is what comes from the machine and shines into my eyes.  That, of course, is just me.

I appreciate that you already have a large e-library.  I guess as long as other e-readers work you'll still have it.  You might check into whether any of the things you have can be converted.  If they're public domain I'm sure they can. 

good luck with your decision.

Ann

 

[chynared21]

Hi Diane...welcome.

I too had the Rocket ebook....still do. I loaded it with as much content that I wanted and was available for purchase. I think ebook readers were still fairly new and I didn't find a lot of people around here who used them, nor were they offered in stores for some time. I thought when they went defunct that the 3 year support was great but I was so disappointed because I loved reading on it plus the fact that it was backlit.

I personally think the Kindle will be around longer being that this is the technological age we live in...from my fingertips to Amazon's ears

 

[Teninx]

Diane, there is absolutely no guarantee that the Kindle will be around in four or five years. There is absolutely no guarantee that you or I will be around in four or five years, either. I guess the question is "Do you feel lucky?"

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Pay no attention to Teninx.  the Tinfoil hat is affecting his brain.

Ann

 

[Cuechick]

I just want to add, that part of the appeal of the Kindle (at least for me) and the reason I think it will catch on, actually pertains to your 2nd question. It is not a computer screen, it is another technology that reads like a printed page so you do not get the kind of eye strain you can, from reading a backlit computer screen. So yes, you need good lighting to read by. To me this is a plus not a minus, though when I first looked at it I thought I would want to be able to read in poorly lit situations. I still can, now I just use a good portable light. I have the one Leslie recommended, it folds down into a very small, flat component and is easy to throw into your purse and gives me plenty of light to read by.
The other plus, you can read outside on a bright sunny day, something you can not do with a backlit screen!

I really think that the very positive customer satisfaction and word of mouth of K owners will help it to be successful. I remember when some of my friends first got iPods, I really did not get it. Now I would not be with out mine... I really think Kindles are going to be the way the future reads books.

 

[KarenB]

Diane: I had an RCA 1100 and still have the eBookwise 1150 (the next generation after the 1100). I think others here have answered your backlight question and no one can answer with complete authority about the longevity of the Kindle but Amazon has, in my opinion, become a force in the traditional book market so hopefully it can do the same with digital content.
  I think the real question you have to answer is did you buy all your content only from RCA or have you already explored other venues (like Fictionwise or Baen or All Romance ebooks -- if you read a lot of romance)? My understanding from still using my 1150 is, books I purchased at Fictionwise particularly the ones that were multi-format, can be re-downloaded in a Kindle friendly mobi format. The books I purchased directly from RCA years ago can only be read on those readers.
  My 1150 still works but I haven't read a single thing on it since my Kindle arrived. I was worried about the lack of back light but have found that reading in complete sunlight and the ability to purchase books without being anywhere near a computer is ten times more useful for me than reading in the dark. That, however, is just my personal reading preference.
  Good luck with your decision!
Karen B