A week ago I gave in and bought an Amazon Kindle, based on the overwhelming recommendations (thanks to all who gave their input). While I was searching the Kindle Store for books, I was amazed at how many biblical studies and theology books were already available. For those that are not yet available, there is a link that requests the book to made into Kindle format.
Overall, I would say that the Kindle has rekindled my love for reading. The ability to change the font to something comfortable seems to have enhanced my ability to read at a quicker pace. I also appreciate the ability to highlight, take notes, and share them.
The only real problem that I have encountered is the fonts on some books. I am unsure if this was solely because these were book samples, but with one, the font was very broken where certain letters had curves, like a c or an s. In both cases, it seems that the samples are taken directly from the print of the actual book. Is this the case with a fully Kindle-ized book?
If anyone feels a little generous and would like to buy me some books, here is my wish list: JohnDave’s Kindle Wish List. 🙂
the archives near Emmaus 
I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Kindle for a long time now, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. I like the feel of holding a book in my hand and turning real pages. I would miss that. A lot.
You say you can highlight? Can you export block quotes with your notes in some way? Coz that would be an amazing timesaver when studying!
My son got a NOOK a few weeks ago. I purchased a couple of books to try it out. I was half way through the Jesus Creed and it kicked me out and then the book would not stay open. I took it to the local Barnes and Noble to ask about it. They said, “this may sound like a strange question, but do you like to highlight when you read?” I said,”yes”. They said “there is a glitch that they are trying to repair.” They refunded the cost of the book but I can’t read the Jesus Creed on this NOOK So I get another book and I get half way through it and the same thing happens. I was highlighting again.
What I have learned; I want a Kindle. Nook does not have a wide selection of biblical studies and theology books and it is more expensive. But it is a fun device to read with, for the reasons that you have mentioned
Do you know if it shoes the original languages alright on its screen? Like Greek and Hebrew for example.
*shows
@Barry: I had the same concern, but I have found that I haven’t missed turning pages all that much. 🙂
@Jonathan: I haven’t used the Kindle for studies yet, but I have found the highlighting and note feature awesome. Yes, it should be exportable.
@Jeff: I haven’t had any problems with the Kindle so far. I have read of some, but they seem to be few and far in between. Amazon has a fairly good warranty from what I have seen.
@Mike: I haven’t encountered any Greek or Hebrew yet, but once I do, I will be sure to either respond here or do a post.
My Kindle displays polytonic greek properly as an eBook (i.e. Amazons’ format), and you can display Hebrew within pdf files.
The SBL greek new testament is available is useful format that I (and others) have been able to convert for kindle, and I’ve worked on a hebrew OT in pdf with the right sized pages so that when you fit to screen it works well.
(Pdf in kindle doesn’t have links, and has fixed page numbers, so I’ve made a version with some reference tables so you can find stuff).
So, if you’d like the SBL GNT, LXX, hebrew OT in pdf of Josephus’ Jewish War (in greek) for kindle, I have drm-free copies.
This has peaked my interest and curiosity into getting a Kindle.
@JohnDave: Given what you know and from your experience thus far on the Kindle, do you think it could be helpful in using it as a tool for studies, or would you only recommend its functionality for recreational reading?
@JohnDave, “almost thou persuadest me…”
@JohnDave
What if the thing breaks or just powers out? What is done with the books you purchased? I should probably research this Kindle thing. My birthday is coming up…Haha.
@Simon: Your experiences there are helpful. It sounds like the Kindle has quite some potential with books and files that use the biblical languages. Is highlight possible on PDFs?
@Ryan: I think it would be helpful for more serious study given that there is a highlight and search feature. The Kindle will also alert you to passages that others have highlighted so you can get a glimpse of what others have found important. If anything ever happened to the Kindle device your books would be stored in your account so you could re-download them when the device is fixed.
@Barry: I wish all would have a Kindle as I do, except for no books.
@JohnDave: Do you think the Kindle is the best for Bible reading? Are you reading the Bible on your Kindle? Or are you still using an actual Bible?
There doesn’t seem to be much of a price advantage on some of the books. At least the ones that I’d read. You definitely can’t get used copies of e-books for cheap.
Chris,
I find the Kindle fine for Bible reading, especially when I use a font that allows me to read comfortably. The ESV is free at the moment, or at least when I last checked. I still use the print edition of my study Bible.
Yes, I too am a little disappointed at some of the book prices. I just like the convenience of being able to lug around a set of books on a device. For most of the books I read, they are still fairly less expensive than the print editions.
The Kindle is indeed a fabulous device. Here is a brand new release that you might find interesting: Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) for Kindle. (There is also a Nook version of this Hebrew Bible.) It displays Hebrew beautifully and has advanced navigational features.
From the product description:
Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is a complete Hebrew Bible in an aesthetically pleasing Hebrew script. It contains all of the consonants, vowels, cantillation marks (accents), and other symbols. It follows the text of the Leningrad Codex as digitized by the J. Alan Groves Center for Advanced Biblical Research. This is the same manuscript underlying Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) and Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ).