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cahnPenultimate 2011 post -- eventually I'll get to 2012!
I am embarrassed to admit it, but I have a little... harem of small electronic devices. Besides my cheap free cell phone, I have an iPod Touch (4th gen I think?), a 3rd-gen Kindle, and an iPad 2. The first I bought myself, and the second and third were presents from my family. 2011 was also the year of the e-reader for me; it was the year I went from primarily a print reader to primarily an e-reader user. (Most of my books are still read in print, but before this year I would complain when I couldn't get them in print and had to use an e-reader, while at this point I am more likely to complain that I can't get them on e-reader.)
iPod Touch: I don't have an iPhone or other smartphone, and I don't intend to get one for as long as I can get away with it, as I am really very strongly opposed to this idea of spending money on a device for... the pleasure of spending more money to be connected to that device. I have the iPod Touch instead (although my version does not have a camera, and K convinced me that the iPhone 4 takes awesome pics, and I'm in the process of figuring out how to get an old used one to activate as an iPod-Touch-with-Camera). This, out of all my devices, is the one that is worth the money to me for sure. It played music for me when I was in labor. It is always in my pocket with my to-do lists, my books and fics-to-read (mostly on stanza, some books on kindle), and, when I have wireless, the interwebs.
Pluses: it is small; it is really light (one advantage over an iphone); it fits in my pocket and can be carried anywhere; it fits on one hand (very useful for breastfeeding and for traveling with infant sleeping on lap); lit screen means reading at night is easy; and Stanza is a really excellent reader, allowing touchscreen adjustment of brightness (really useful when trying to read in a dark room, or when one is changing brightnesses rapidly, as when traveling) and much better search function than the kindle reader or any other e-reader app I've found, that unfortunately won't be supported after the latest update, boo hiss. Super easy to download fic off of AO3.
Minuses: it is sort of like catnip to a small child, so I can't really use it around her. Can't read PDF's easily.
In a world where almost everyone else I know has a smartphone (even our nanny has a smartphone), I suppose that it might not make sense for me to recommend this, but anyway, I love mine to bits and pieces. If I had to do it again, though, I'd get a used version; you can pick up a used iPod Touch for less than $100, these days.
Kindle 3: This one is worth the money for me personally, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone else. Before I got my iPad (see below), I used it for free internet access in places that didn't have wireless, and I share an account with my sister so I get access to any books she buys, both of which are stunning features that really make it worth it for me. I actually use my Kindle the most for book-reading for books that are easily loaded onto it (that is, books from my sister and books/samples from amazon; gutenberg texts are more easily loaded onto my iPod, which is where I tend to read those). I use it a lot for reading samples on amazon; if I'm not thrilled with the book, which is the vast majority of the time, but I still think it's interesting, I'll then go check it out from the library.
Pluses: Screen not backlit and so easier on the eyes. No backlit screen also means small child is not irresistably attracted to it. Mechanical buttons mean I can jam them with my elbow while doing dishes or suchlike. Plastic construction means I don't worry so much about it falling or getting banged up a bit (and in fact it has gone through a fair amount of trauma with good results). Button design is nice on this one; the dual next-page buttons are pretty awesome and I kind of miss them when using the iPod/iPad. Easy to get samples off of amazon. Quite light.
Minus: Can't read in the dark because no backlit screen. Doesn't fit in pocket. It is a PAIN to navigate with the 4-way controller instead of a touchscreen. Doing anything but reading straight through a book is really difficult and annoying. Can't read PDF's easily. Annoying to load things on it from anywhere but buying them from amazon. Needs azw/mobi files and not epub. Doesn't do anything but function as an e-reader.
iPad 2: Present from parents so that we could do facetime and so that I could do tech support with their iPad. I did not realize that iPads actually required tech support, but my parents have managed it ("How do you change the volume on this thing?" "Have you tried the volume buttons?"). I do not find that it would have been worth the money for me had I bought it myself, but my parents often loudly proclaim that it was totally worth the money for them, and honestly, since I don't have an iPhone-with-facetime they'd probably never see their grandkid otherwise, because she won't sit still for a video chat (or else she tries to destroy my computer keyboard).
It is very good for consuming media. All of the TV and movies I've watched in the last year, except for long-planned "dates" with family (and even then, for instance, it took us A WEEK to watch The King's Speech), have been on the iPad, because it's just so much more convenient than a TV, for me. I do not like it for creating media (e.g., writing) because the keyboard is hard for me to use, and buying one of those Bluetooth keyboards would, I feel, sort of defeat the whole purpose. However, it's better than the iPod or kindle for writing things down.
Since the iPad does not require a locked-in contract, I do turn on the 3G for a month at a time when I have business trips, and it has been quite useful for internet access on said trips, especially for downloading academic pdf's.
Pluses (for e-reading in particular): can read pdf's (I've even used it for reading sheet music). Lit screen. I think there are apps that will let you read things and annotate, though I haven't figured them out yet. Like iPod, easy to coordinate between e.g. AO3 and e-reader app.
Minus: Even turned down to the lowest level the thing is BRIGHT -- hard to use it, oh, when in the same room as a clingy toddler who ought to be sleeping. A little too big and heavy to be used while walking around (the way I read on the iPod or Kindle).
(I know a couple of you are looking at e-reader-ish devices; any questions I didn't cover, feel free to ask!)
I am embarrassed to admit it, but I have a little... harem of small electronic devices. Besides my cheap free cell phone, I have an iPod Touch (4th gen I think?), a 3rd-gen Kindle, and an iPad 2. The first I bought myself, and the second and third were presents from my family. 2011 was also the year of the e-reader for me; it was the year I went from primarily a print reader to primarily an e-reader user. (Most of my books are still read in print, but before this year I would complain when I couldn't get them in print and had to use an e-reader, while at this point I am more likely to complain that I can't get them on e-reader.)
iPod Touch: I don't have an iPhone or other smartphone, and I don't intend to get one for as long as I can get away with it, as I am really very strongly opposed to this idea of spending money on a device for... the pleasure of spending more money to be connected to that device. I have the iPod Touch instead (although my version does not have a camera, and K convinced me that the iPhone 4 takes awesome pics, and I'm in the process of figuring out how to get an old used one to activate as an iPod-Touch-with-Camera). This, out of all my devices, is the one that is worth the money to me for sure. It played music for me when I was in labor. It is always in my pocket with my to-do lists, my books and fics-to-read (mostly on stanza, some books on kindle), and, when I have wireless, the interwebs.
Pluses: it is small; it is really light (one advantage over an iphone); it fits in my pocket and can be carried anywhere; it fits on one hand (very useful for breastfeeding and for traveling with infant sleeping on lap); lit screen means reading at night is easy; and Stanza is a really excellent reader, allowing touchscreen adjustment of brightness (really useful when trying to read in a dark room, or when one is changing brightnesses rapidly, as when traveling) and much better search function than the kindle reader or any other e-reader app I've found, that unfortunately won't be supported after the latest update, boo hiss. Super easy to download fic off of AO3.
Minuses: it is sort of like catnip to a small child, so I can't really use it around her. Can't read PDF's easily.
In a world where almost everyone else I know has a smartphone (even our nanny has a smartphone), I suppose that it might not make sense for me to recommend this, but anyway, I love mine to bits and pieces. If I had to do it again, though, I'd get a used version; you can pick up a used iPod Touch for less than $100, these days.
Kindle 3: This one is worth the money for me personally, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone else. Before I got my iPad (see below), I used it for free internet access in places that didn't have wireless, and I share an account with my sister so I get access to any books she buys, both of which are stunning features that really make it worth it for me. I actually use my Kindle the most for book-reading for books that are easily loaded onto it (that is, books from my sister and books/samples from amazon; gutenberg texts are more easily loaded onto my iPod, which is where I tend to read those). I use it a lot for reading samples on amazon; if I'm not thrilled with the book, which is the vast majority of the time, but I still think it's interesting, I'll then go check it out from the library.
Pluses: Screen not backlit and so easier on the eyes. No backlit screen also means small child is not irresistably attracted to it. Mechanical buttons mean I can jam them with my elbow while doing dishes or suchlike. Plastic construction means I don't worry so much about it falling or getting banged up a bit (and in fact it has gone through a fair amount of trauma with good results). Button design is nice on this one; the dual next-page buttons are pretty awesome and I kind of miss them when using the iPod/iPad. Easy to get samples off of amazon. Quite light.
Minus: Can't read in the dark because no backlit screen. Doesn't fit in pocket. It is a PAIN to navigate with the 4-way controller instead of a touchscreen. Doing anything but reading straight through a book is really difficult and annoying. Can't read PDF's easily. Annoying to load things on it from anywhere but buying them from amazon. Needs azw/mobi files and not epub. Doesn't do anything but function as an e-reader.
iPad 2: Present from parents so that we could do facetime and so that I could do tech support with their iPad. I did not realize that iPads actually required tech support, but my parents have managed it ("How do you change the volume on this thing?" "Have you tried the volume buttons?"). I do not find that it would have been worth the money for me had I bought it myself, but my parents often loudly proclaim that it was totally worth the money for them, and honestly, since I don't have an iPhone-with-facetime they'd probably never see their grandkid otherwise, because she won't sit still for a video chat (or else she tries to destroy my computer keyboard).
It is very good for consuming media. All of the TV and movies I've watched in the last year, except for long-planned "dates" with family (and even then, for instance, it took us A WEEK to watch The King's Speech), have been on the iPad, because it's just so much more convenient than a TV, for me. I do not like it for creating media (e.g., writing) because the keyboard is hard for me to use, and buying one of those Bluetooth keyboards would, I feel, sort of defeat the whole purpose. However, it's better than the iPod or kindle for writing things down.
Since the iPad does not require a locked-in contract, I do turn on the 3G for a month at a time when I have business trips, and it has been quite useful for internet access on said trips, especially for downloading academic pdf's.
Pluses (for e-reading in particular): can read pdf's (I've even used it for reading sheet music). Lit screen. I think there are apps that will let you read things and annotate, though I haven't figured them out yet. Like iPod, easy to coordinate between e.g. AO3 and e-reader app.
Minus: Even turned down to the lowest level the thing is BRIGHT -- hard to use it, oh, when in the same room as a clingy toddler who ought to be sleeping. A little too big and heavy to be used while walking around (the way I read on the iPod or Kindle).
(I know a couple of you are looking at e-reader-ish devices; any questions I didn't cover, feel free to ask!)
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Date: 2012-01-13 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-17 04:29 am (UTC)