I need help with Jane Austen, Please!

[12]

Can y'all help me out?

(Sssshhhhh!!  Can you keep a secret?)

I have decided to get my girlfriend a [a nice handheld device for reading Kindle books] for xmas.

(I wanted to get her a kindle but she doesn't use a purse or a pack very often so she would then have to either carry it in hand every day or leave it at home. Not a good option.)

If i buy her the [something else] she can carry in in one of her cargo pockets (she wears cargos ALL THE TIME).

So. here is where i need help.  Since Ill be buying [it] to my account i really want to buy and pre-load some awesome books to [it] before i give it to her.  She says she really like Jane Austen's Pride & Pred, says her Fave book. but hasnt read any of her other books all the way through yet.

SO!  i want to buy and preload a complete Jane Austen collection for her [it]. BUT i want to get it from amazon since i DO NOT want to be bothered with cords and all. And i dont even have [it] yet. so i just want to buy it to my Kindle now and jusy easily load it to her [it] once i get it and DL the Kindle app to it.  

So... i am really confused by all the Austen choices. some say theyre illustrated. some comments say thetre abridged.  I don't know what to do!!

A little help?  Please?

What Jane Austen collection would you recommend?  (by the by, price doesnt matter. i just want to get my girl the best one avail from amaz)

Thx!

M.12


ps - also,
I havent bought [it] yet because i'm hoping for a good sale between now and end of month Nov.

However.  If i can't find a better deal ill be going for the (my words, in a really poor attempt to summerize the deal...) 'buy one year of audible.com subscription up front and get $100 off of [it] (or many other devices) at Amazon' deal they got going now with Amaz & audible.

[disregard, please]

It's going to be a great Xmas!  I just love her face when shes surprised & Happy!

Thx again!\\M.12


11/18/09 Edited/Update: Please disregard my post above. It was originally a nice, decent post about how a guy could get his GF a super nice Christmas present.  But then it got all pimped out, even with a F* billboard ad in the middle, to be a nasty ad for someone to be making profits off of me, my life, & my Girlfriend's Christmas present.

WOW. How unKool is that?  Seriously?!  Neither me nor my GF are your Whore.  Do not alter my posts and insert your money grubbing links into them.
The above post was Edited to remove your huge obtrusive pimp ads (that were added by someone other than myself and after i posted originally) that made me and my post look like a complete

• .  and. yes. <<<by that i do mean AH.

And THAT! is why i will not post to your site anymore.  Adios!  Peace out my Brothers!  Matt.12

[danfan]

Funny, I touched on the confusion of all the Austen books on my blog last week! 
If you have a Kindle, I'd recommend downloading some samples. And for the free public domain versions, download the whole book to your Kindle. Without reviews, it's the only way you'll see what the formatting is like.

If you get a collection in 1, look for an interactive table of contents. Personally I wouldn't care about illustrated, although with iPod presumably they will be in color.

[Cindy416]

I agree with the suggestion about downloading some of the samples to see which you prefer. Personally, I'd steer clear of the abridged versions, since I love Jane Austen's ability to turn a phrase.  I'd hate to see parts of her books deleted to save space. 

Your friend is sure to love your generous gift. We all need friends like you!

[chiffchaff]

I second the advice to avoid abridged versions.  I bought the 99 cent collection called "Classic British Fiction: Jane Austen's Complete Novels" and have a couple of minor quibbles with it.  The font is fixed as Times New Roman (not my Kindle font) and the line spacing is a little odd in places.  Otherwise it's fine.  If I were to do it over, I'd download a sample of the illustrated mobi version, not for the illustrations but to see if the formatting was better.

As for finding a deal on the touch, I've been an Audible subscriber for years and love it so I don't think you can go wrong with the deal you've already found on Amazon!

[The Hooded Claw]

Have you thought about how difficult it is to read for an extended period of time on the iPod screen?  Between being small and backlit.  I'm told that the Sony PRS-300 fits in cargo pants pockets (I haven't confirmed that), and it definitely has a much larger screen of eInk that is easier to read.  No Audible subscriptions for them, of course.  Jane Austen is in the public domain, so should be available from Gutenberg, but you would have to load it up through USB rather than wireless.  Most Staples stores have a PRS-300 on display that you could look at.

As I understand it, Apple controls the price of the iPods pretty tightly, so I doubt you're going to find a substantially better deal than what you've found.

My recollection is that if you buy iPods directly from the Apple website, you can get them engraved for free or for a modest charge.  Might make it a particularly memorable gift!  I'm not sure if this can be combined with the Audible deal, however.  Since the Audible deal requires buying into a subscription for some modest amount (I don't remember, but perhaps $15 or so?) each month, you're either going to commit your friend to this, or else you'll have to pick up the subscription fee for her each month for a year.  I presume you've thought of that, but just thought I'd mention it.

If you get these kinds of Christmas gifts, can I please, please, please be your new best friend?!?!?!     Seriously, a great gift, and it sounds like you've thought about it a lot!

[R. M. Reed]

I have read several books on my iPod touch, and the only problem is that I have to keep it out of sunlight. I don't find backlit screens to be hard to read, but some people do.

[legalbs2]

I have an iPod Touch that I purchased at Costco for nearly $50 less than through Apple.  If you are purchasing and paying for the audible subscription, I would go with Amazon's deal; however, if she is paying for the audible subscription, I would say not to go that way.

I read primarily on my iPod Touch, since hubby has taken over "his" Kindle DX.  I should never have said it was for his birthday!  And, you can get great illustrations and photos on the iPod Touch, as well as, audio books.

The iPod Touch is NOT hard on your eyes at all.  I read it inside, outside, and a night.  You can set the text to small to large size and change black text, to white text, to sepia.  The backlight is not high like a computer, so if the text is set for the surroundings, it is not tiring on the eyes at all and my eyes are older eyes.  I have no problem reading in the sunlight.  I just set it with white text on black or sepia.

If you buy the iPod Touch get the 32 megabyte if you expect your friend to store large books.  Otherwise, the 8 megabyte is okay.  I have the 8 megabyte and just delete the books I have read into the Archive.  It is always there if I want it later.  You do not need to store every book on your devices.  Use the archive or your computer etc to store them.

I know your friend will love your very thoughtful gift.

[Anju No. 469]

My friend that got a kindle when I got mine, only uses her itouch to read, her kindle is sitting there gathering dust 

[legalbs2]

My friend that got a kindle when I got mine, only uses her itouch to read, her kindle is sitting there gathering dust 

I know.  I have not read on the Kindle in about two months.  It is just so easy to whip out the iPod Touch and read then check email etc etc.   I love it.

[Rasputina]

My poor kindle is pretty lonely ever since the iphone app came out. I love reading on it.

Anyway, you don't need to buy Jane Austen from Amazon, you can get them from a wide variety of places for free since they are in the public domain and she can read them on the stanza app. Are you planning on sharing your Amazon account with her? Do you share your itunes account and computer with her? If not I wouldn't suggest preloading or prepurchasing anything. You can always give her an itunes and/or kindle gift card so she can buy whatever books or apps she might want.

[jheydt]

I have an IPOD touch and a Kindle 2.  My wife and I usually read while eating breakfast or while eating out and I find reading on the IPOD easy to do.  You can hold it in one hand and turn pages with your finger while holding a fork with the other hand.  I also have downloaded the Kindle app for IPOD from the Apple store and it works great.   I don't do this all the time as I have a standup case for my Kindle and sometimes use that while eating.   I guess after 42 years of marriage we've run out of things to talk about <ggg>  

John

[Cindy416]

I have an IPOD touch and a K2.  My wife and I usually read while eating breakfast or while eating out and I find reading on the IPOD easy to do.  You can hold it in one hand and turn pages with your finger while holding a fork with the other hand.  I also have downloaded the Kindle app for IPOD from the Apple store and it works great.   I don't do this all the time as I have a standup case for my Kindle and sometimes use that while eating.   I guess after 42 years of marriage we've run out of things to talk about <ggg> 

John

Surely not, John. Just remember that there are so many books to read, and so little time in which to read them. I often read when eating out, but usually only do that when I'm alone. I don't see a problem at all with you and your wife both reading if that's what you want to do. Good for you! (You can always talk in the car to and from the restaurant, or on the walk, if you're lucky enough to live close to anything. I'm 8 miles away from the nearest ANYTHING that doesn't have a stem or a stalk on it, so walking to restaurants isn't in my plans. LOL)

[12]

Thank you Everyone for your very Thoughtful replies.

You have all helped me very much. and i am grateful to each one of you!  

...
Eta...
i was going to buy the audible 1-year sub for me and to my account.  i would be happy listening to them on my own. or we could listen the the audiobooks together either while chillin, or in the car on way to Yosemite, or up Oregon coast, or any other trip (O! Canada!)...

(**I also thought i saw somewhere that the audible audiobooks are not (# of) device (downloaded to) restricted because they dont have DRM?  Can anyone confirm this?**)

i was thinkin of buying the [it] to my account (actually i think that's my only choice if i buy from amaz)... then loading about 100 of my kindle books that i already own to [it] that she might like (+ a few more i'm thinkin of buying just for her & to have pre-loaded on [it], to make it even more special a gift). then de-register-ing it and giving it to her to register to her own amaz acct.

if what i've read in the amaz kindle discusions is true, she could keep the pre-loaded books on her 'device' until she choose to remove them. even after its deregistered from mine and registered to hers?

i do realize that i would "spend" one of my limited device downloads on those books to [it].  but i think it would be worth it.  and a kewl gift.

and. Seriously, Thanks again to each of you for every response!!  you have all given me much good advice and input that i am already thinking about before i make the purchase.

m.12

Edited because i had to remove reference to the gift again to avoid huge uninvited ads that I never intended be attached to my post.  Seriously- this IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.