Author Topic: The Dying E-Reader?  (Read 17998 times)

Regolith

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #25 on: February 28, 2018, 02:02:29 AM »
I tried to order a Nook but due to some crazy mix-up I was sent a Nork.

Awkward!

And that's why you don't order from shady Chinese websites....
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freakazoid

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #26 on: February 28, 2018, 07:32:22 AM »
I much much prefer the dead tree version, but I do have a paperwhite and it is really nice. Convenient to use in certain situations, like being on an airplane and they turn the lights all the way down because it's night technically.
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TechMan

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #27 on: February 28, 2018, 09:01:48 AM »
I tried to order a Nook but due to some crazy mix-up I was sent a Nork.

Awkward!

Are they happy to be out or are they trying to kill you?
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

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TechMan

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #28 on: February 28, 2018, 09:02:30 AM »
Hey, that's cool. Thanks Andy.

Ben, you are welcome.
Quote
Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

Bacon and Eggs - A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a pig.
Stupidity will always be its own reward.
Bad decisions make good stories.

Quote
Viking - The problem with the modern world is that there aren't really any predators eating stupid people.

2nd_to_one

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #29 on: February 28, 2018, 01:09:57 PM »
They are Nook Simple Touch Readers, not the tablets.  Not sure if they run a Jail-breakable OS.

Mine was (I have since passed it on to someone who preferred B&N over Amazon) a Simple Touch as well.  It has been quite some time so I don't remember exactly which instructions I followed but a quick search will get several hits.  Here is one example https://lifehacker.com/5889158/turn-a-99-nook-into-a-fully-fledged-android-tablet-in-four-easy-steps.

Regards,

Steve

just Warren

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #30 on: February 28, 2018, 01:22:47 PM »
Are they happy to be out or are they trying to kill you?

He sure seemed happy to be trying to kill me.

I was so looking forward to having 'Atlas Shrugged 2: Shruggin' Even Harder, Bitches!' read to me, but every time I tossed the book at him he just screamed "die, Yankee die!" And I'm not even a Yankees fan!

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TechMan

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #31 on: February 28, 2018, 01:34:49 PM »
He sure seemed happy to be trying to kill me.

I was so looking forward to having 'Atlas Shrugged 2: Shruggin' Even Harder, Bitches!' read to me, but every time I tossed the book at him he just screamed "die, Yankee die!" And I'm not even a Yankees fan!



 :rofl:
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Hawkmoon - Never underestimate another person's capacity for stupidity. Any time you think someone can't possibly be that dumb ... they'll prove you wrong.

Bacon and Eggs - A day's work for a chicken; A lifetime commitment for a pig.
Stupidity will always be its own reward.
Bad decisions make good stories.

Quote
Viking - The problem with the modern world is that there aren't really any predators eating stupid people.

slingshot

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #32 on: February 28, 2018, 04:50:09 PM »
I got a paperwhite (black lit version with download capability (like a phone)) a couple years ago.  I read VERY few books for pleasure on paper anymore.  I did switch to using my tablet for most of my reading however because I like to be able to enlarge or zoom in a tiny book map (such as common in SciFi and fantasy novels) to get oriented geographically.  I haven't used my Kindle this year yet, but I read just about every day on my tablet.  I have probably purchased 10 books so far in 2018 in the kindle format.

At first I didn't want to read novels on a tablet, but they have become lighter and I prefer them now.  The screen resolution is better than my kindle too.  I don't see changing from the Amazon format (kindle) anytime soon.  I honestly don't even know what aps to download for other e-readers.  I've asked and I never get an answer other than someone waving their hand.

I like the convenience, but some authors/book publishers are pushing the prices up. Seems like $1.00/100 pages is about typical and anything higher than that I hesitate buying.  Years ago I would have been in heaven with a Kindle if such a thing existed along with the cell towers/technology to support it because I lived way way out in the country and book store visits were events and I often spent hours browsing.  Now, I do just about everything online.

Just about ready to flush (ie to the trash can) the many boxes of paperback books I have stored.  Never or seldom ever go back to re-read something like I thought I might.
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Ben

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #33 on: February 28, 2018, 04:55:39 PM »
because I like to be able to enlarge or zoom in a tiny book map (such as common in SciFi and fantasy novels) to get oriented geographically. 

This is an area where, surprisingly to me, E-readers still lag terribly. Even if only in grayscale, you would think they'd be able to handle images, etc. well by now, but they still don't. Any reading material that's heavy on images, charts, etc., I still go dead tree if I'm reading the whole book, or computer/tablet if I'm just needing to see some images or whatever.
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lupinus

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #34 on: February 28, 2018, 04:57:35 PM »
On a tablet or phone or whatever have you tried adjusting the color options? I normally do audiobooks these days, but when reading an ebook I finding having it set to sepia makes it much more pleasing to my eye. Both for pure readability, and something about it just makes it seem more....bookish.

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slingshot

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #35 on: February 28, 2018, 05:42:45 PM »
Never read anything on a smart phone unless I have to and that includes emails as well.

I personally think e-readers (kindles and so forth) are the future for pleasure reading.  Nooks are likely gone shortly.
It shall be as it was in the past... Not with dreams, but with strength and with courage... Shall a nation be molded to last. (The Plainsman, 1936)

zxcvbob

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #36 on: March 03, 2018, 03:20:08 PM »
The new battery got here today and I just finished replacing it.  The hardest part was getting the front cover off.  In the videos it looks like it's a held under a little lip around the side cover.  It's not, it's glued on.  They sent a plastic spatula (I think it's called a "spudge") with the battery, but it's too thick to get the thing started.  Use a dull single-edge razor blade to pry the front up, then slip the plastic tool in and use it to pry off the front.  Don't be too gentle with it or it will pop back down and you'll have to start over; you're not going to hurt the display with the plastic tool.

After that it was pretty easy.  Use reading glasses.  I didn't and I got away with it, but I'm nearsighted -- and it still would have been easier with a pair of cheaters.  If you lose one or two of the tiny screws, it probably doesn't matter.  There are 11 of them, and that's way more than it needs.  The battery also came with the right size screwdriver.  I was congratulating myself for not losing any screws as I was putting the next-to-last in and I dropped it in the carpet.  ;/ Found it w/o too much difficulty, but if it had been "lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry" I wouldn't have worried about it.  Much. 

It goes back together pretty easily, and the old glue is plenty sticky enough to hold the front down.
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Ben

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #37 on: March 03, 2018, 03:34:02 PM »
Thanks for that update Bob. Especially about getting the cover off. That's always one of those areas where I'm always afraid to apply too much pressure for fear of breakage. Or sometimes I go the other way and figure it's okay to apply force when it's not.  :laugh:

So always good to have a firsthand report! :)
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Pb

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #38 on: March 05, 2018, 09:25:07 AM »
I used a hair drier to soften the glue before I popped the cover off my kindle to replace the battery.

zxcvbob

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #39 on: March 05, 2018, 10:16:05 AM »
I used a hair drier to soften the glue before I popped the cover off my kindle to replace the battery.

That would definitely help.  Mine was cold when I pried it apart; I didn't know there was glue until I had it halfway off.
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KD5NRH

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #40 on: March 05, 2018, 10:37:17 AM »
My wife and I each have a Nook, which we both really like, but with Amazon prime unlimited we tend to just read on our tablets.

Not sure where my Nook got off to, but IIRC, it was fairly easy to root it and install the Kindle app.  Or you can often find older model NOS Kindles going for cheap various places.

KD5NRH

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #41 on: March 05, 2018, 10:41:33 AM »
This is an area where, surprisingly to me, E-readers still lag terribly. Even if only in grayscale, you would think they'd be able to handle images, etc. well by now, but they still don't.

As I recall, the Nook did fairly well even before rooting.  You weren't going to get millions or even thousands of shades, but it looked passable in 256 (as long as it didn't get confused about some of them) and not too bad in 16.  Definitely plenty good for charts and line art.

KD5NRH

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #42 on: March 05, 2018, 10:44:36 AM »
I honestly don't even know what aps to download for other e-readers.  I've asked and I never get an answer other than someone waving their hand.

When I have a choice of formats on the tablet, I generally go with ePub, and use Moon+ Reader.  It just seems more user-friendly than the Kindle app.

I really hope e-paper sticks around for a while, though, as I love the battery life when I'm not going to be near any charging opportunities for a while, but don't have to limit my use to save the battery.  When the lighting is good, I'd also agree it's more comfortable to read on than a tablet.

HeroHog

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #43 on: March 05, 2018, 01:00:35 PM »
SOME Kindles can be "broken" and basically turned into "Android" tablets. Of course, ours aren't one of them...
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KD5NRH

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #44 on: March 05, 2018, 02:26:00 PM »
SOME Kindles can be "broken" and basically turned into "Android" tablets. Of course, ours aren't one of them...

Yet.  Keep watching.  There's a whole community out there dedicated to defeating whatever limits the manufacturers put on the devices.

MechAg94

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #45 on: March 05, 2018, 03:48:26 PM »
Yet.  Keep watching.  There's a whole community out there dedicated to defeating whatever limits the manufacturers put on the devices.
Yeah, I have had a guy at work tell me he knows how to break an Amazon fire stick and set it up to watch all sorts of stuff.  Not sure if I want to do that.
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brimic

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Re: The Dying E-Reader?
« Reply #46 on: March 07, 2018, 09:09:44 AM »
After my original kindle died a few years ago, Amazon let me send it in for a credit toward a Paperwhite. It’s an outstanding reader, but went into disuse when I eventually acquired an iPad. The paperwhite still beats the iPad for reading, but not enough for me to bother with juggling an extra device.
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