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Amazon

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Dod101
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Amazon

#408877

Postby Dod101 » May 3rd, 2021, 12:38 am

Om the whole, as a keen reader, I am happy with the service that I get from Amazon. However, I placed an order for five books last evening. Today I got an email saying that two would be delivered between 11 am and 12 noon which they duly were. However in the meantime, another email arrived advising me that the other three book would arrive between 4pm and 5pm which they also did. Result was that I had two Prime Amazon vans at my door within five hours or so. Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?

Dod

servodude
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Re: Amazon

#408879

Postby servodude » May 3rd, 2021, 12:51 am

Dod101 wrote:Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?


Your place could be between two of their warehouses
- so you could give it a pass from a "possibly minimising the distance travelled" point of view
- but it was probably just to make you feel like a valued customer or guilt trip you in to using a kindle ;)

- sd

dealtn
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Re: Amazon

#408905

Postby dealtn » May 3rd, 2021, 9:28 am

Dod101 wrote:Om the whole, as a keen reader, I am happy with the service that I get from Amazon. However, I placed an order for five books last evening. Today I got an email saying that two would be delivered between 11 am and 12 noon which they duly were. However in the meantime, another email arrived advising me that the other three book would arrive between 4pm and 5pm which they also did. Result was that I had two Prime Amazon vans at my door within five hours or so. Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?

Dod


You have the option of having the 5 books delivered together (possibly slower though).

So are you saying, with respect to the planet, it is Amazon that was being "silly"? If it's important enough to you it is the customer choice here that has dictated the less environmentally responsible option.

Dod101
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Re: Amazon

#408914

Postby Dod101 » May 3rd, 2021, 9:39 am

dealtn wrote:
Dod101 wrote:Om the whole, as a keen reader, I am happy with the service that I get from Amazon. However, I placed an order for five books last evening. Today I got an email saying that two would be delivered between 11 am and 12 noon which they duly were. However in the meantime, another email arrived advising me that the other three book would arrive between 4pm and 5pm which they also did. Result was that I had two Prime Amazon vans at my door within five hours or so. Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?

Dod


You have the option of having the 5 books delivered together (possibly slower though).

So are you saying, with respect to the planet, it is Amazon that was being "silly"? If it's important enough to you it is the customer choice here that has dictated the less environmentally responsible option.


I am not aware that I asked for or specified anything. I simply ordered the books. It did not matter to me whether they arrived within 24 hours or not. Anyway no matter; I have them now but it does seem to me to be rather wasteful.

Dod

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Re: Amazon

#408924

Postby dealtn » May 3rd, 2021, 10:09 am

Dod101 wrote:
dealtn wrote:
Dod101 wrote:Om the whole, as a keen reader, I am happy with the service that I get from Amazon. However, I placed an order for five books last evening. Today I got an email saying that two would be delivered between 11 am and 12 noon which they duly were. However in the meantime, another email arrived advising me that the other three book would arrive between 4pm and 5pm which they also did. Result was that I had two Prime Amazon vans at my door within five hours or so. Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?

Dod


You have the option of having the 5 books delivered together (possibly slower though).

So are you saying, with respect to the planet, it is Amazon that was being "silly"? If it's important enough to you it is the customer choice here that has dictated the less environmentally responsible option.


I am not aware that I asked for or specified anything. I simply ordered the books. It did not matter to me whether they arrived within 24 hours or not. Anyway no matter; I have them now but it does seem to me to be rather wasteful.

Dod


At the checkout with multiple orders you have the delivery options, one of which is "group my items together" so you get a single delivery.

If the environment, be that packaging, or delivery, is important to you, then select that option. Companies not offering that option might attract the criticism you had, but Amazon (mostly) isn't one of them.

AsleepInYorkshire
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Re: Amazon

#408929

Postby AsleepInYorkshire » May 3rd, 2021, 10:20 am

Dod101 wrote:Om the whole, as a keen reader, I am happy with the service that I get from Amazon. However, I placed an order for five books last evening. Today I got an email saying that two would be delivered between 11 am and 12 noon which they duly were. However in the meantime, another email arrived advising me that the other three book would arrive between 4pm and 5pm which they also did. Result was that I had two Prime Amazon vans at my door within five hours or so. Is this reasonable or just plain silly when we are supposed collectively to be saving the planet?

Dod

Have you tried Kindle reading?

Our lass and my daughter both have one and both use often.

Not sure if it's a planet saver but strikes me as a more convenient use of one's time

AiY

Dod101
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Re: Amazon

#408940

Postby Dod101 » May 3rd, 2021, 10:44 am

I have a kindle but seldom use it I must say. Apart from being much cheaper and getting instant access, both of which are positives, I just cannot get into a good book on my kindle. Something about the printed book.

Dod

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Re: Amazon

#408954

Postby servodude » May 3rd, 2021, 11:33 am

Dod101 wrote:I have a kindle but seldom use it I must say. Apart from being much cheaper and getting instant access, both of which are positives, I just cannot get into a good book on my kindle. Something about the printed book.

Dod


It's a funny one.
I never thought I would get in to a Kindle... and then they had the light put in!
Now I just close it when I want to sleep!

-sd

Dod101
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Re: Amazon

#408959

Postby Dod101 » May 3rd, 2021, 12:04 pm

In fairness to kindle, mine is one of the very early ones and I am sure that they will have improved a lot since then. maybe i should revisit.

Dod

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Re: Amazon

#408973

Postby Urbandreamer » May 3rd, 2021, 12:41 pm

Dod101 wrote:In fairness to kindle, mine is one of the very early ones and I am sure that they will have improved a lot since then. maybe i should revisit.

Dod


Depending upon your point of view the likes of the paperwhite have improved a hell of a lot. They are now waterproof so if when reading in the bath you drop it, no problems. As said they now have lights, so can be read in bed without having a side light on. Huge amounts of memory, if you are only reading. Bluetooth, so you can use them to listen to audiobooks. Magnetic sensor, so opening or closing a cover will cause it to "power up" or down. Better resolution screens.

Downsides are the flip sides of the upsides. Lights mean that they use more power, as does greater resolution. So you need to charge more often than you use to. Audiobooks take a lot more memory, so 8g doesn't store huge numbers.

You covered some of the advantages, however others are a choice of font size or even fonts. Word look-up, if your vocabulary isn't as wide as your choice in books. An e-book reader also weighs a lot less than a copy of "Lard of the RIngs" or many other "books" that had to be split into multiple volumes just so that people could hold them to read. E books themselves also take up zero space in your home or suitcase, while a kindle takes less space than a really short paperback.

Amazon have also added a new feature. If you paid to not be bombarded with adverts then the Kindle can display the book cover when it goes to sleep.

Dod101
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Re: Amazon

#408988

Postby Dod101 » May 3rd, 2021, 1:53 pm

Thanks for that resume Urbandreamer. I will need to take a look again.

Dod

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Re: Amazon

#409002

Postby EssDeeAitch » May 3rd, 2021, 2:26 pm

Off topic to discuss Kindle I know but one thing it cannot replicate is the joy I get from just looking at my book collection (as I am now whilst watching Murphy v Selby playing some captivating snooker).
Oftentimes when gazing at my books I am prompted to pick one out and re-read a chapter or look for something specific which cannot be done with a Kindle. And for all its benefits, a Kindle doesnt smell like a book (at least, the one I owned didn't).

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Re: Amazon

#409022

Postby Urbandreamer » May 3rd, 2021, 4:28 pm

EssDeeAitch wrote:Off topic to discuss Kindle I know but one thing it cannot replicate is the joy I get from just looking at my book collection (as I am now whilst watching Murphy v Selby playing some captivating snooker).
Oftentimes when gazing at my books I am prompted to pick one out and re-read a chapter or look for something specific which cannot be done with a Kindle. And for all its benefits, a Kindle doesnt smell like a book (at least, the one I owned didn't).


You may be right that a Kindle doesn't smell like paper, and I am certainly not going to convince anyone who loves paper to abandon it. I wouldn't want to try to.

However, you are wrong if you think that most paper books have a search facility, unlike electronic documents. E-books that have a table of contents can also rapidly open any given chapter or recipe as well. I don't use "book marks", but again you can rapidly move to a page that you have book marked. A bit like sticking a coloured paper tab to the pages on a paper book. However that might look a bit unsightly in a paper collection. Properly formatted e-books can rapidly move within a book via links. This is useles for fiction, but great in cook books. If you are the sort to write in the margin, then the Kindle allows notes. They are kept on the Kindle itself and can be copied off to refer to if writing an essay.

I also re-read. As for a book collection, just checked and I have 1022 e-books, which I happen to store using calibre. I can search the "library" by author, series, publisher & tags (ie Mistery). I use to have very many book shelves, but am now down to 6 full height ones.

Amazon also offer something called Kindle unlimited. Not all books are covered, but you can read as much as you want for the price of a paper book a month.

One specific disadvantage of e-ink is that it's usually black and white. Great for the printed word. Cover art and photos, not so much. Most colour e-ink readers lack resolution and are somewhat disappointing, while tablets are hard on the eyes and somewhat heavy.

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Re: Amazon

#409024

Postby dealtn » May 3rd, 2021, 4:39 pm

Urbandreamer wrote:
I also re-read. As for a book collection, just checked and I have 1022 e-books, which I happen to store using calibre. I can search the "library" by author, series, publisher & tags (ie Mistery). I use to have very many book shelves, but am now down to 6 full height ones.



I have (over) 1,022 real books. Part of the reason they are all "real" books is the physicality of the collection. I have many bookcases, which are like furniture, the books being the fabric and cushions. I like the look. I can't imagine getting rid of the books, or bookcases (or reading using an e-book reader).

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Re: Amazon

#409037

Postby Urbandreamer » May 3rd, 2021, 5:09 pm

dealtn wrote:I can't imagine getting rid of the books, or bookcases (or reading using an e-book reader).


Ignoring the bookcase thing, of course you can't. Can you imagine the taste of snake? You may have a smartphone, but many can't imagine that they provide any advantage. The only way to compare is to actually embrace the experience. After that you know enough to decide. Dod has tried a Kindle, and I doubt the improvements to the Kindle will change his mind about paper books.

I find e books great. My daughter experienced them and like Dod prefers paper books.

Try this Youtube link. It's about learning a foreign language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px__qY8v7so

He uses both a e-book and audiobook. After watching it, think of doing the same using paper and c90 tapes. It's a clear example of why "can't imagine" is a very poor statement.

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Re: Amazon

#409039

Postby dealtn » May 3rd, 2021, 5:16 pm

Urbandreamer wrote:
dealtn wrote:I can't imagine getting rid of the books, or bookcases (or reading using an e-book reader).


Ignoring the bookcase thing, of course you can't. Can you imagine the taste of snake? You may have a smartphone, but many can't imagine that they provide any advantage. The only way to compare is to actually embrace the experience. After that you know enough to decide. Dod has tried a Kindle, and I doubt the improvements to the Kindle will change his mind about paper books.

I find e books great. My daughter experienced them and like Dod prefers paper books.

Try this Youtube link. It's about learning a foreign language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px__qY8v7so

He uses both a e-book and audiobook. After watching it, think of doing the same using paper and c90 tapes. It's a clear example of why "can't imagine" is a very poor statement.


You appear to be under the impression I haven't used an e-book reader. Both my wife and daughter read that way, and I have tried too. I already know enough to decide.

I am very happy for others to read whatever they want in whatever mode they want, but my way is what I want for me (and the ancilliary benefits of a physical collection too).

Apologies if my statement was too poor for this thread. I can imagine getting rid of the books, and bookcases. I can conceive what that will mean. Because I can conceive it, and what it means, I can't imagine a situation where I will ever do so. Is that better?

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Re: Amazon

#409052

Postby Urbandreamer » May 3rd, 2021, 6:06 pm

dealtn wrote:Apologies if my statement was too poor for this thread. I can imagine getting rid of the books, and bookcases. I can conceive what that will mean. Because I can conceive it, and what it means, I can't imagine a situation where I will ever do so. Is that better?


I too apologies. I did assume that the statement "I can't imagine... (or reading using an e-book reader)" meant that you had not tried an ereader. If you have, then you obviously do have the information to draw the conclusions that are right for you.

As for getting rid of books. Some people replace books as they ware out or are added to. Ie the 2'ed/ 3'ed edition. I have replaced some of my books with e book versions or audiobook versions. The paper versions just took up room that could be better used. The books went to the British Heart foundation who run our local second hand book shop.

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Re: Amazon

#409086

Postby EssDeeAitch » May 3rd, 2021, 8:00 pm

Urbandreamer wrote:However, you are wrong if you think that most paper books have a search facility, unlike electronic documents.


My original comment was not clear enough. What I meant to say was that simply seeing my a specific book can act as a prompt for me to look something up or re-read a portion of said book.
I would miss that with a Kindle.

But I do not knock the utility of e-readers; they are very practical. For me the problem is that I find them joyless (as did my daughter).

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Re: Amazon

#409151

Postby servodude » May 4th, 2021, 7:34 am

EssDeeAitch wrote:
Urbandreamer wrote:However, you are wrong if you think that most paper books have a search facility, unlike electronic documents.


My original comment was not clear enough. What I meant to say was that simply seeing my a specific book can act as a prompt for me to look something up or re-read a portion of said book.
I would miss that with a Kindle.

But I do not knock the utility of e-readers; they are very practical. For me the problem is that I find them joyless (as did my daughter).


^ that emboldened bit up there; that's me!

Most recently it was a compulsion to revisit "the rats in the walls" by Lovecraft... there's a couple of "variously complete" compilations on my shelf, and.... because they're both around 1kg in weight I now have another I added to my Kindle.

I find they complement each other; it's not bookshelf or Kindle.

There's plenty of stuff that's out of print that I can't find in shops to read that I have on my Kindle... and if I do ever see these books on my travels I'll still jump at having them.

-sd

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Re: Amazon

#409193

Postby Urbandreamer » May 4th, 2021, 9:34 am

servodude wrote:There's plenty of stuff that's out of print that I can't find in shops to read that I have on my Kindle... and if I do ever see these books on my travels I'll still jump at having them.

-sd


Indeed the reverse is also true. I have bought out of print books that I can't obtain ebook versions of.

There is a website that acts as a market place for rare book sellers that may be worth a visit. It use to be owned by Amazon, but they may have sold it or spun it off.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/

The people who list there don't just sell antiquarian books, they also sell mass market books that are out of print. Well worth considering if you want something out of the ordinary.

They don't provide a link, but a web search will reveal this link.
https://www.abebooks.co.uk/books/weird/
Welcome to AbeBooks' Weird Book Room


To be fair, that's mostly books with weird titles.


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