E Readers
 

I am looking at getting an E Book reader

My main motivation is that I have 4 book cases full of books, and probably at least one or two more's worth... I like the idea of being able to keep books I like reading without taking up a lot of space, since I live in a one bedroom flat.

But besides all of them Ive looked at looking expensive, what really concerns me is the lack of storage. Ive looked at the Sony model (because from what I read Amazon Kindle only support their own file format and not the more widely used format), but it stores a woefully small number of books.

What I havent been able to find from researching online is if you can plug in say a USB memory stick into a Sony reader (or any other type)... that way I'd be able to keep say 8GBs worth all the time on me. Or can they even take one of those little SD memort cards? Or are you stuck with the low level of storage the unit comes with?

On Sony's own ereader website.

PRS-900BC | Reader Daily Edition™ | Sony | Sony Style USA

Click on Specifications:

hmm, cheers. I cant see anyone selling the PRS 900 in UK, but the PRS 600 is on sale here, and probably has the same function.

Im looking at something called Elonex 511EB now. Its the e-reader Waterstones sell, and its like half the price of the Sony

Yes, the PRS600 has the same function.

The other one you are talking about also can use micro SD cards. I have no clue about the quality of the reader though

Elonex 511EB - 5" eBook Reader: (Free 4GB Micro SD Card) (Book) (2009): Waterstones.com

I refuse to read a book on a computer, that's because I guess that in many ways, I am old fashioned and I usually give them away to my friends who read as much as I do.

I love the feel of "real books".

http://gadgetsin.com/uploads/2010/03...k_reader_1.jpg
I just bought this, the KOBO ereader yesterday. It's $150, which is a good deal cheaper than the sony or the kindle. It has no backlit screen, which is easier on the battery life, is very lightweight and has a small footprint, which I find great for slipping into my pant's cargo pocket for reading at work. It has a 1 GB internal memory and will take an (up to 4GB) SD memory card. I can sync it to my laptop with a USB cable, download books either from the KOBO site, or from my computer in PDF format, or from my public library in either PDF or EPUB format.
The operating system is licensed under the GNU license, and is free to download to read on your desktop, or on your smartphone. I was reading KOBO ebooks on my blackberry for about a month before buying the ereader tablet. I can sync books between my desktop, the reader and my smartphone with bluetooth, so I'll always be able to pick up where I left off, which can be pretty handy.

iPad

/thread

The iPad isn't an e-reader. It's a multifunctional device that's hardly optimal for ebooks.

The sad truth of the matter is that ebook readers are in their infancy. There are problems/drawbacks with every single one of them. But we are, at least, past the prototype/early innovation stage and are starting to hit the mainstream. In a few years time, we'll look back at these current devices and chuckle a bit, I think.

That said, pick a device based on your own reading habits. Do you really need that many books loaded on the device all at once? Do you know the number of titles they hold, or are you looking merely at the storage capacity in MB? Realize that non-illustrated books take up less than 2 MB in most cases, so even a conservative guess would put a 2 GB storage capacity as being able to handle at least 1,000 books. I'd say it could probably hold as many as 1,500 if not 2,000, especially if your books are novels. Even if you are buying books with nice covers and other elements, you should certainly be able to hold at least 100 or 200. Just how many books are you wanting to carry around with you? Are extra keydrives for storage okay with you?

I'd be more concerned about the reading experience itself (i.e. the screen type and size, turning pages, getting/purchasing books, etc.) than with the capacity.

Can you elaborate a bit? I've found the iPad to be a perfectly capable e-reader. It has a built in e-book store store, plenty of space, it's backlit for when you want to read in less than optimal lighting conditions but can also become dim if you need, and the UI is phenomenal. Not only that, but because it's multifunctional you can surf the web, check emails, and a million other things without having to bring a netbook with you.

will, the ipad isn't classified as an e-reader. It may do the functions but it's not the sole purpose. With what you're saying, any netbook or laptop would be just the same especially once you load the kindle app, so would a good number of smartphones and PDAs.

My comment was meant in a general sense. Anyone could use it to read ebooks, and I'm sure it does a decent job. But it has drawbacks and limitations: the screen is light- (and heat-) emitting, which means you could have viewing problems on the beach. Also, it starts at $549 and goes up to $879 (CAD), which is a cost barrier for many, especially if you just want to read books. (Also, I'd be worried bringing that to the beach for various reasons.)

It's a great multifunctional device that's in between a laptop and a smartphone, but it isn't optimal for ebooks. I'd sooner get a Kobo ebook reader ($150) and involve my laptop and iPod Touch in my reading.

I'd use the Kobo app. :) Or Stanza.

The Kobo comes pre-loaded with 100 books (the classics: War and Peace, Treasure Island, Tom Sawyer, Tale of Two Cities, etc) and I've loaded the 11 ebooks that I purchased from Kobo, 14 pdf books, and 1 that I just took out from the library. Total space taken: 322 MB with 522MB left to go.
Navigation is dead simple with one big 5-way button on the face and 4 buttons on the side to access functions like type size.

That's pretty cool. I played around with it a bit when I was in Indigo the other day. It took me a while to get over the fact that it's not a touchscreen (I've been spoiled by my iPod Touch). But it certainly seems worth the $150.

I looked at the app a bit on my iPod as well. It looks like books are mostly between $10 and $15 each, which seems about right. I couldn't imagine paying more than that for an ebook unless there were special circumstances (textbooks and tech manuals, for example). From what I read just now, the iBook pricing is $10 for bestsellers. But I don't think you can use iBooks outside of the OSX/iOS platforms.

Avoid the JooJoo since it received poor reviews.

The just dropped in price to $189 and you can store 1500 books on it. I have been testing out the Kindle DX and have no issues with the screen.

I have a Nook, and it's not bad. The price just dropped to $199 for the 3G version and $149 for the Wi-Fi version.

Supports epub & pdf, free ebook reading in any Barnes&Noble store.

2GB internal memory, with option to add extra storage with a memory card.

Sorry. Whenever I think of the Nook, I think of this:
I Am Nook - Video Library - The New York Times

I bought this for my wife on mother's day. It was a pre-purchase from Chapters Bookstores, and is available from Borders in the US as of this month. The Kobo flexibility is a real popular point and the ereader is certainly the least expensive device on the market. My wife compares to her sister's touch screen Sony ereader (more expensive and bought for her also on mother's day by an obviously more loving husband!) and claims that the Kobo is lighter, feels better and has a bigger viewable screen. The lack of touch screen is an added cost savings that is soon not missed.

There are still software issues with this reader though, and I am awaiting the firmware upgrade that will allow me to adjust the font size of books that are obtained from non-Kobo store sources.

These readers are supposed to replicate the preading (paper reading) experience by using eInk, providing for soothing contrast of word on background and allows for reading in harsh lighting conditions. Backlit screens such as on a computer or ipad/itouch are said to strain the eyes and are hard to read in bright sunlight, such as when you take a book to the beach. Also, there is very little battery drain on the Kobo (as it is only a reader, with no extra functions such as MP3) so after 6 weeks or so of continuous usage, there has been no need to recharge.

Here's an ereading forum that is very useful:

Good E-Reader Forum - Ereader News, Ebook News and E-Book Downloads

the main site:

Good E-Book Readers - We have the latest Electronic Readers, Your source for the latest E-Reader Sales and Support

Yeah, the great thing about Kobo is that it's not an ebook device with an ebook store and reading software built around it. It's an ebook store and reading software with an optional ebook reader.

The key here is openness. Kobo's strength lies in cross-platform flexibility. The Kobo service supports ePub and PDF, so if you bought a book elsewhere, there's a good chance you can use it in their system. The way it works is you have the software installed on your devices, whether it's your laptop, smartphone, iPod Touch, iPhone, the Kobo reader itself, whatever, and it keeps track of your library.

For example, let's say you start reading Moby Dick on the Kobo reader and you get to page 34 before you get a phone call from your daughter, asking for a ride. You go to pick her up, but she's still inside chatting with her friends before coming to the car. You could either sit around those 5 or 10 minutes and listen to the radio or your MP3 player, or you can fire up your iPhone's Kobo app where it will automagically drop you in on page 34 when you tap on the Moby Dick cover. You know, because that's where you left off on your Kobo reader. So you read to page 41 before your daughter finally gets to the car. You drive home, pick up your Kobo reader, and it flips you to page 41, because, you know, that's where you left off, right?

If I had to choose today, I'd go with Kobo. It's built around a system of ebook reading, not a device. Your bookmarks follow you no matter what device you're reading on.

I haven't tried that aspect, but you are correct. The Kobo reader does have built in bluetooth synch capability with your phone. Actually not a bad reader for $150.

I'm under the impression that the bookmark syncing is automatic. I tried the Kobo app on my iPod Touch. When I exited from the book I was reading, it automatically dropped a bookmark onto the page before it exited. I didn't have to prompt it to do that.

Maybe the bluetooth sync is for loading books initially? The automatic bookmarking should be automatically synced via your Kobo account, and your devices should be set up to automatically log in when you launch the app.... so, bam, your bookmarks travel with you simply by launching each app.

Great reviews and discussion on this!

We're looking at the whole iPad (what exactly does it do? asks DH) versus reader versus utilise that old pc we don't want anymore.

DH likes the idea that I'll scan recipes and reduce the enormous pile of books in the kitchen.
I like the idea of modding my fave forum from the sofa and reading without glasses.
My reading-resistant 12 yo daughter likes the idea of an easier page to read.
We're also considering a reader for my Mum who does dialysis 3 times a week and can only use her left hand during the 4+ hour procedure. She's right handed so everything is a bit tricky. She's so non-tech she can't even use a cellphone but how hard is it to push that button on the kobo?!

I'd heard that the Sony is really good so it's interesting to hear the comparison with the kobo. At the moment, in New Zealand, the kobo is the only one readily available and it's priced pretty well. The iPad hasn't hit the shops yet but it'll be just over twice the price. A good deal for all the added value.

I imagine we'll debate the different technology for a while yet but I think I might try to get a Kobo home sometime soon :)

just to update folks on the Kobo software issues (font size on 3rd party epub files): July 1st saw the release of a firmware upgrade which was dead easy to apply, and fixed all of the outstanding problems. I am currently reading through The Lost Symbol which I signed out of the public library. Comes with a 21 day loan period.

So far the Kobo is fun and easy to use. I am also looking at an Aluratek which is currently on sale at Best Buy for $139.

It's pretty crazy. This week, Amazon is releasing a new version of the Kindle that will sell for $139.

Kindle Cost Cut to $139 as Price War Begins — NYTimes.com