If I buy e-books, can I read them on a PC?
Does it matter if I buy from Amazon (Kindle) or from Barnes & Noble (Nook)?
RS guides are not sold here, others (DK, Lonely Planet,etc.) are sometimes hard to find and always expensive (add shipping, customs and middlemen to the retail price in other countries).
I've been thinking about buying an e-reader or a small (6-7") tablet and I'm not crazy about adding another gadget to my travel load.
I use my iPad mini to buy and load books. You can get a Kindle app, but I use iBooks. It has a search function so you don't have to worry about pagination changes. Maps are not that great.
Like you, I do not want to carry an additional device, so everything I take multitasks.
I would recommend a iPhone 6 Plus or a iPad mini. The iPad mini is a great for reading, holds charge for 8-9 hrs and you can download books from iTunes, nook, etc. I used a mini iPad for the last 3 years but now I use my iPhone 6 Plus because I only have to take one thing with one charger and it will do everything I need, it's a reader, phone, off-line map/GPS unit, compass, e-mail etc. and it fits in my pocket.
I guess I wasn't clear.
Can I read them on a PC? I don't have a tablet or smart phone and don't need either for daily life.
You can read kindle books on PC. Amazon have a free reader you can download.
I don't know about nook as they are not in the UK but I think they just use epub format which there are loads of readers for.
Kindle titles can be read on most any device with a screen. Here is a link for the PCs windows:
Thank you. This sounds like just the thing for me.
Can I put the same book on more than one device - like both my PC's and my iPod Touch?
Yes, you can read the books on more than one device. When you get the kindle books, you set up an account and then you just have to log on to the account on each device and you can access your library.
Thank you all again and again. I just downloaded the app for my desktop and my Touch and bought my very first e-book . . . of course it's an RS. . . . Spain because that's my next destination, less than 6 weeks away.
Now I just hope all the RS books go into e-format soon.
I can see there'll be a learning curve, hope it's not too steep.
So excited !!!!!
Now I just hope all the RS books go into e-format soon
All of Rick's titles should be available via Kindle..been that way for a while.
With your guide books loaded on your Ipod Touch, nobody will know you are part of the Blue Book army while you are sightseeing;)
LOL - I wouldn't mind being identified as a Ricknik - if that's the term. Love not having to carry more in my day pack than necessary.
Chani, Nook books are in a different proprietary format from Kindle books, so they are not compatible. I think you have to have a conversion software to be able to read them.
My e-reader which is a few years old and not top-of-line will connect with wifi and can do email and web-browsing just as like a tablet, just not as functional. So it can be an adequate substitute for a tablet.
Now knowing what to look for, I see that I can download the Nook app to my PC and my Touch if I buy Nook books.
Another option, if you do not need to own the book, is to look for an Overdrive media version in your public library collection. I have used the Overdrive app on my Nook. I am using it on my Surface. I formerly downloaded the app to my HP PC. Overdrive also has the ability to permit reading through your browser.
I have taken RS guides when I travel through this medium. At my library system, I can set the check out time to 21 days, so it has worked for me. If you are interested in exploring this option, see if your library has an e-book collection.
Chani,
It's good to see that you got the answers you were looking for. I also use the Kindle app on both my iPhone and Netbook and it works well, although it takes a bit of practice to learn how to navigate. Using the maps isn't always "user friendly", especially on the phone, but by "pinching and expanding" I can usually get a clear enough view to see what I'm looking for.
While I always find it easier to leaf through a regular book, the E-books are certainly a lot easier to travel with. Nothing like having a Library residing in my shirt pocket.
