Travel Technology - Sony Reader or Kindle restrictions on the plane?

I'm pretty close to picking up a Kindle or a Sony Reader (or one of the cheaper asian knockoffs I see floating around online now), but I have one nagging question...

Will an FA ask me to shut it off during takeoff and landing? It'd be a pain to have to stop reading for those two 20 minute periods on the plane, maybe even enough of a pain to avoid buying the thing entirely and stick with normal books.

I'm sure there are many FTers who have these devices and can answer the question :)

All electronic devices must be off and stowed during takeoff/landing. It's an electronic device. Ergo....

(Let's not get into a debate about the validity of the rule here; it's enough to say the rule applies.)

Anything with an on/off switch has to be turned off -- at least that's one of the announcements I hear at times. I usually turn off my Sony Reader to avoid unnecessary confrontation, even though I realize that the guy next to me with his camera is violating the same rule. I take it as an opportunity to browse through the inflight magazine. Most of my flights are international (and thus long), so the few minutes don't really bother me.

As for the cheaper Asian knock-offs... ultimately you should look at and consider what books you can put on the device. Kindle and Sony Reader have dedicated stores. Make sure you get the books you want for the device you buy.

As for the cheaper Asian knock-offs... ultimately you should look at and consider what books you can put on the device. Kindle and Sony Reader have dedicated stores. Make sure you get the books you want for the device you buy.

You have been able to read books electronically for a long time and there are plenty of sites which sell books that will work on virtually any platform - ereader.com (http://ereader.com), fictionwise.com (http://fictionwise.com), baen.com (http://baen.com), ebooks.com (http://ebooks.com) etc. The market is much, much bigger than just the offerings you get from Amazon and Sony.

You have been able to read books electronically for a long time and there are plenty of sites which sell books that will work on virtually any platform - ereader.com (http://ereader.com), fictionwise.com (http://fictionwise.com), baen.com (http://baen.com), ebooks.com (http://ebooks.com) etc. The market is much, much bigger than just the offerings you get from Amazon and Sony.

I agree with this this statement though the same is true in music. iTunes was not the first place to offer MP3 downloads, and the iPod was certainly not the first MP3 player. However, the way iTunes and the iPod integrated together the entire process is what revolutionized the market. The Kindle, hands down, does this when it comes to ebooks. It may not be the most ultimate, feature packed, highest resolution machine, though it comes together quite nicely and in the end it just works as it should.

I agree with this this statement though the same is true in music. iTunes was not the first place to offer MP3 downloads, and the iPod was certainly not the first MP3 player. However, the way iTunes and the iPod integrated together the entire process is what revolutionized the market. The Kindle, hands down, does this when it comes to ebooks. It may not be the most ultimate, feature packed, highest resolution machine, though it comes together quite nicely and in the end it just works as it should.

Just remember that it doesn't 'just work' if you are overseas - you can't download any new books while you are outside the US.

Just remember that it doesn't 'just work' if you are overseas - you can't download any new books while you are outside the US.

You cannot download them wirelessly, but it can be done via USB.

As to the original question, yes, they are supposed to be shut off. I have seem many folks continue reading anyways.

I would take a look and find out if the books that amazon sells for the kindle have the same restrictions as the mp3s

the only way we (non US) can buy mp3 files is by actually creating an amazon account from the US and downloading them there (I imagine it also requires a US based payment method)

good thing for colocated servers in the US ^ (well and my wife's cc.......once I had a brand new amazon account created....I didnt dare to use any of my non-US issued credit cards)

Actually, it is not just the few minutes after takeoff and before landing... you probably cannot use these devices while waiting to take off either, and at a place like JFK, that can easily be an hour on the taxiway.

Actually, it is not just the few minutes after takeoff and before landing... you probably cannot use these devices while waiting to take off either, and at a place like JFK, that can easily be an hour on the taxiway.

This is the #1 reason why I stay away from these devices.

I work the crossword puzzle in the SkyMiles magazine until they give the o.k. to turn on electronic devices.

This is the #1 reason why I stay away from these devices.

It's more than worth this kind of inconvenience to be able to carry multiple books without actually having to carry the book. I just got back from vacation, during which time I read more than 10 "new releases" on my Kindle. My shoulder thanks me for using a Kindle instead of trying to carry all those books !

:)

It's more than worth this kind of inconvenience to be able to carry multiple books without actually having to carry the book. I just got back from vacation, during which time I read more than 10 "new releases" on my Kindle. My shoulder thanks me for using a Kindle instead of trying to carry all those books !

:)

Fast reader or a long vacation! Did you do anything but read?

Fast reader or a long vacation! Did you do anything but read?

My reading speed has been consistent at around 3,000 words per minute since 4th or 5th grade (5th grade was when they tested our reading speeds). That translates to a decent length paperback lasting a couple of hours. My Sony 505 is a godsend for trips and long flights. Now I can carry essentially an infinite number of books on that, and *1* physical book for the periods I can't use the Sony, instead of a stack of paperbacks that fill up my briefcase.

Right now, mine has about 200 books from various free sources, and a couple of dozen purchased books on it, but the cheap 4GB SDHC card will hold a couple of thousand before running out of space.

Bob

Fast reader or a long vacation! Did you do anything but read?


Fast reader..... :)

I don't recommend taking your Kindle to the beach though ! :)

Fast reader..... :)

I don't recommend taking your Kindle to the beach though ! :)

Why on earth not?

I went on a week's vacation to Mexico in December. Both my friend and I took our Kindles to the beach everyday. The screens not only look fantastic in sunlight, but they're a pleasure to hold whether you're lying on your back or your stomach.

If you're a klutz and worried about dropping it in the sand, you can either use a sealed waterproof bag (I use one of these to read in the bath) or something like MEdge's leisure jacket, which isn't waterproof but offers protection for just about everything except immersing the device in sand or water.

As for reading on planes, well, if you're using a cover and not sitting on the aisle, you can probably get away with it, especially when you're sitting at the gate or on the tarmac for long periods. I do turn it off (well... to sleep) from actual takeoff to 10,000 feet and prior to landing. I bring along a couple of magazines to read during this time.

Like the previous posters, I either take along some magazines to read or take the opportunity to glance at the CO magazine.

I admit that I'd have some reservations about taking my Kindle to the beach on a windy day without a ziploc. And I dunno how a ziploc would affect visibility. Actually, if I had a chair I think I'd be fine using the Kindle bare, but I'd worry if I were lying on a towel.

The waterproof bag I use in the bath is fine to read with -- the major disadvantage is that you can't use the scroll wheel, so you have to make sure you've selected what you're going to read before closing it up. Ziplock is a lighterweight plastic, but as long as the bag is clean, it should work ok.

My Sony 505 is a godsend for trips and long flights. Now I can carry essentially an infinite number of books on that, and *1* physical book for the periods I can't use the Sony, instead of a stack of paperbacks that fill up my briefcase.


That's exactly why I got my wife (a non-geek) the original Sony Reader... I got tired having to schlepp a half dozen books on vacation trips (or buy English books at foreign bookstores at ridiculous prices, just to have them later abandoned in the hotel room after she finished them). I then borrowed hers for a solo trip to give it a try, and loved it, so when the updated version (505) came out, I upgraded her for better ergonomic button placement and inherited the older 500 model. While I had DRM in general, I accept it on the Sony Readers because she doesn't buy books to keep forever (they are use-once-then-pass-on entertainment items). Books I expect we'd want to use for a long time I buy the old-fashioned way, printed on dead trees.

That's exactly why I got my wife (a non-geek) the original Sony Reader... I got tired having to schlepp a half dozen books on vacation trips (or buy English books at foreign bookstores at ridiculous prices, just to have them later abandoned in the hotel room after she finished them). .....

Exactly! I call those "airplane books", and I choose them based on thickness, having some level of entertainment value, and NOT being anything I'd want to keep. And you're absolutely right, the cost of buying more isn't too bad in the US, but selection drops and prices soar when you are in non-English speaking countries. They know they have reading addicts like us over a barrel. :-)

Bob

I was on a chairlift in Utah today and all of a sudden remembered I had posted this thread almost 3 weeks ago :)

Thanks for the replies guys, I guess my suspicions were confirmed... I know I can read the magazines, the question was totally based on convenience/annoyance. Usually when we hit 10k feet I pull out the laptop and start watching a movie anyway.