Author Topic: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?  (Read 9589 times)

Frank of Denmark

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Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« on: March 12, 2013, 06:54:25 AM »
I am the very satisfied owner of the Amazon Kindle, and even though the books in the Danish libraries are free, they do not have a lot of books written in english. My arguments in favour of the kindle being a mustachian device is as follows:
1. The price of a translated book is about 50 dollars if its one of the international bestselling authors e.g Ken Follett, Stephen King or Tom Clancy. My average saving on each book is 35-40 dollars.
2.I might just be rationalizing the purchase, but i think its a nice way to keep my english current.
3. I have my entire collection in one VERY small place, and there is no use/waste of paper involved.
4. No Danish tax on purchased books.
5. 1,8 million pre-1923 titles for free. After 75 years the titles become Public Domain.
6. Do you how much 9 large moving boxes full of books weigh or how much space they fill up?
7. Fast delivery (wireless transfer paid for by Amazon)
8.The Kindle owners library:borrow one book/month for free.

Disclaimer: I have not purchased Amazon stocks, and this is by no means intended as an " Amazon commercial". I am simply very pleased with amazons device and would like to hear your input. I know that one of the pillars of badassity is slashing costs, so please be gentle.....


BPA

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2013, 07:07:40 AM »
It may not be a mustachian device for everyone, but it seems like it is for you.  It's important to find the solutions that fit our own lives, I think.

I read what kindle books I have on my laptop, or kobo books on the kobo app on my cheap Blackberry Playbook. 

lauren_knows

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2013, 07:56:54 AM »
I was really considering a kindle a few months ago.  But then, as I went to my library one weekend, they were having a book sale.  I grabbed 2 grocery bags full of books (50 books maybe?) for $5.  Whenever I get through those, I'll consider an e-reader :)

mushroom

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2013, 08:03:11 AM »
Just depends on whether you are Mustachian with it or not.

My MIL buys new books on it constantly with the click of a button. She has also owned about 6 or 7 different Kindle devices, some of them at the same time.

I've had one Kindle that I got as a gift for the past 3 years (although I'm waiting for it to give out so I have a good excuse to buy the new backlit one!). I adore my Kindle, perhaps because I don't have a smart phone nor a tablet and I love to read. I read tons of free classics and library books on there. Plus when I was traveling around the world for a year, I used the 3G wireless to browse websites and check email for free, borrow free guide books of whatever country I was in, and download free audio guides to learn foreign languages from Italian to Japanese. I stored maps and documents on there to show to hotel receptionists and grumpy airport security officers when I didn't have access to a printer. Good English books can be hard to find/expensive abroad, so I saved a ton of money by borrowing them from the library.

Done by Forty

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2013, 09:13:27 AM »
My kindle was a gift and the most mustachian bit seems to be borrowing e-books from the library (for free, of course). 

Reepekg

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2013, 11:47:21 AM »
A 3 minute reading of bibliotek.dk confirms that just like in the good old USA, you can have your local library order an English language book for you from the collections of (almost) any library in DK.

Kom nu Frank! :-D

A kindle can be somewhat mustachian because of the reduced paper book consumption, the free 3G, and the one-fingered salute to SKAT... but a pure mustachian would forgo the device altogether and just use the free kindle app/software on your PC in combination with google books and your library. 

P.S. Your English is fine and will probably stay more current reading the MMM forum than Tom Clancy

feistygg

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2013, 01:55:10 PM »
I love my Kindle, won it online, but do have to be careful I don't give into impulse book purchases. I have Amazon Prime right now (not mustachian, but between the BF and I being in school, and watching the free tv it's a wash) so I do like being able to watch free tv now and again. And the "library" they have can be fun...

Debbie M

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2013, 08:43:05 PM »
I just got a hand-me-down Kindle from my mom.  I've been reading her books, but she says if we're both trying to read the same book at the same time it doesn't work, so she's not using her new one.  That's no good!  So I'm going to have to set up my own thing.  Looking forward to the free classics and library books.

Mine isn't backlit, but I like it anyway, and no backlighting is good for battery life.  I don't like that I'm afraid to use it while waiting at the bus stop if there's even the tiniest sprinkle.  But I do like that I can prop it up on the bed next to me and just reach out when I want to "turn a page."

My mom likes it for being able to take a lot of books on trips, especially ones with long flights.

And when you' start to want bigger type, you can use it read whatever you want rather than being limited to large-print books.

mushroom

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2013, 07:07:59 AM »
@Debbie: if you keep the wireless off, it shouldn't be a problem to read them at the same time. Just set stuff up on the Kindle so you can stay off wireless while you're reading your mom's books. If you want to add library books, you can download to your computer first and then transfer via USB to stay off wireless.

destron

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #9 on: March 13, 2013, 08:39:15 AM »
I have a kindle and I love it, but I don't think it is mustachian if you have a good library around. I don't really care, though, because it is a minor cost for me with great benefits. I bought it when I was living in a small apartment that was beginning to fill with books. I use the library to get books when possible, but the library has been underfunded for many years and they simply do not have a lot of books. Between buying a few books at discount price, reading free books from Project Gutenberg and borrowing real-paper library books, it hasn't trimmed too much off my 'stache over the years (Got it about 4 years ago). The advantages have been an extremely lightweight source of entertainment. I took my kindle with me on multiple extended backpacking trips and, due to the battery lasting for weeks at a time, I never lacked for some good reading during relaxation time. I keep it in my bag to which it adds virtually no weight. And, best of all, I really enjoy reading on it. I actually read more with a kindle and a cup of coffee in my reading chair than I do with a paper book. I think it is because I am not conscious of how much I have read due to not turning any physical pages. I would say it is worth it if you read more than 20 books a year and enjoy reading on the road.

In your case, I would say it is because you are reading English books and keeping your language skills sharp.

mm31

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #10 on: March 13, 2013, 10:31:45 AM »
Just monitor your impulse-buying tendencies. I think they are a good value for voracious readers. I have a friend who reads 4 books a month, on average. An ebook reader is worth it for her because she wastes less space and paper buying and piling these books. On the other hand, she is spending ~$40/month on books.

I don't have one because I do most of my reading on vacation. I also have a slight preference for physical because you can truly take them anywhere and read them anytime. The ebook reader won't do well on sand, and you have to have batteries to use it   

MtnGal

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #11 on: March 13, 2013, 12:40:58 PM »
It can absolutely be a mustachian device. And it can be a big money sink. It depends on how you use it. I have not bought a single book since I changed my ways and it can be super easy to find a book online at the library at any time.

But for Denmark... sorry I do not have an answer for you!

chucklesmcgee

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #12 on: March 13, 2013, 02:06:09 PM »
...you have to have batteries to use it...

Well just the internal battery. And that'll charge from an outlet or almost any device with a USB port. And a Kindle lasts for several hundred page turns before needing a recharge.

Arbor33

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2013, 06:17:54 AM »
As I'm sure you're aware, there are ways to get free books for your kindle. Some legal through libraries, some not so legal through borrowing from other people's collections.

I recommend the older kindles with the non-touch screen displays. Battery lasts a lot longer, and they're much cheaper when purchased used.

If you wear a patch and have a wooden leg, this link may help. Just be cautious of the waters your steer your ship into.

http://www.reddit.com/r/opendirectories
Edit: There are Not Safe For Work (NSFW) things on the subreddit.

« Last Edit: March 18, 2013, 06:31:48 AM by Arbor33 »

BlueMR2

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #14 on: March 14, 2013, 06:53:11 AM »
I think it can be a fine device if it serves a purpose for you.

For me, not so much.  I prefer to either borrow locally or use paperbackswap.com to read real books at greatly reduced cost.  I've got a Sony e-reader that I paid way too much money for that I've only used a couple times.  I tried several (including Kindle) before purchasing and the Sony was the best of the lot at the time.  However, my mistake was buying the best device out of a category of devices that doesn't suit any need for me!  I strongly dislike the whole e-book experience, so it's been very anti-mustachian for me!

CupcakeStache

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #15 on: March 14, 2013, 04:32:32 PM »
I think it's mustachian for me, to a degree.

I love, love, love my kindle - I have the kindle keyboard (old version!) and it has lasted for years. I used to travel every week for my job (how unmustachian is that, flying to work every week?!) and my kindle allowed me to bring a virtual stack of books that I could fit in my purse. I'm a voracious reader, so I usually read several books a week.

I carry my kindle with me basically all the time, and use it daily. It's fantastic when traveling, and it allowed me to get rid of 4 large floor-to-ceiling bookshelves (replacing a bunch of those books on the kindle wasn't particularly cost effective though. ahem).

I also re-read books often, so anything I buy will be read many times. I do buy a lot of books, but I also read a fair number of free books, and borrow some through Amazon Prime, and I use the "lend" feature for kindle books when it's available to borrow books that my mom and sister purchase.

I don't think they're for everyone - but if you read a lot of books, and/or travel a lot, it probably makes sense!
« Last Edit: March 14, 2013, 04:36:14 PM by CupcakeStache »

dahlink

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #16 on: March 15, 2013, 01:16:13 AM »
There is an app called calibre here: http://calibre-ebook.com/ that gives you some really cool additional features for your ereader.  It can convert ereader formats to send to your device.  Also, you can add RSS feeds and it will crunch it into a book that you can read on an ereader.  I am just getting my feet wet but it has a lot of support and information on the net about it.  I plan to get outside and read my RSS feeds there instead of sitting in a chair glued to a monitor.  I need that vitamin D.

nikhilm

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #17 on: March 15, 2013, 02:22:44 AM »
I think the most Mustachian and also convenient solution is a combination of the Kindle and the Library.

The great thing about the Kindle e-ink is that its cheap, and the overall build is very robust. Unlike tablets you don't have to worry about using it too carefully. But I almost *never* buy books on the Kindle. Instead I use a variety of browser plugins and websites (depending on what device I am on) to send web articles to the Kindle. This is great for reading longer articles. Instead of keeping a hundred tabs open in browsers, i just queue them up to the Kindle. The Bay Area libraries also allow ebook loans, which I transfer to the kindle (sometimes using Calibre). So my Kindle use is free after the initial purchase. And it saves a lot of space at home and when traveling, and unlike tablets and laptops, you don't have to worry about the battery for any trip less than 15-20 days.

When at home, I do all my actual book reading by borrowing from the library. The Kindle store itself is very non-Mustachian in my opinion. Long form, publisher published Kindle books are not much cheaper than their paperback versions. But you lose the ability to share the book, to keep it around for generations (because ebook formats will keep changing) and you're locked in to Amazon.

Rural

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2013, 05:34:36 AM »
I use Kindle extensively through the library and free books on Amazon and Project Gutenberg. All this on the Google Nexus 7 which I paid cash money for in December and haven't regretted yet. Posting from it now, in fact. :-)

Guardian

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #19 on: March 18, 2013, 08:04:28 PM »

Xtal

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #20 on: March 18, 2013, 08:10:08 PM »
Yes it's Mustachian -- for me.  My county library has a very good selection of eBooks and I always check the library if I want to read something.  I can find what I want in eBook form at the library 50%-70% of the time.  That's pretty good!

If the library doesn't have it in eBook format, I request it in hardcopy format.

If the library doesn't have it at all, I think about it for a while, and if I decide I really want to read something, I buy it.


stigto

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Re: Is the Amazon Kindle a mustachian device?
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2013, 08:28:40 AM »
Amazon frequently has ebooks as low as $0 (if you live in the US). This is a good site to find them:

http://onehundredfreebooks.com/

I live outside the US, so they quote me ridiculous prices. To get around this I've set my kindle address to a US one. You can get a free US address at https://www.goopping.com