I'm thinking of getting an eReader

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MindDetective

MindDetective

I have a little birthday cash to spend but I get the impression that the eReader market is a bit young, still. The [ame="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4506511917&ref=pd_sl_a6eh7sgtv_e"]Kindle [/ame]just doesn't seem all that appealing at all. [ame="http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&Ns=Prod.isNewProduct%7C1&catalogId=10551&N=4294954528&categoryId=8198552921644523780&viewTaskName=CategoryDisplayView"]Sony[/ame]'s eReader seems nicer, if for no other reason than it has a touch screen instead of menu buttons. Those are the major contenders and other eReaders exist but all of them seem to have problems. Even Barnes & Noble's not-yet-released [ame="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp"]Nook [/ame]looks like it is relying on a secondary (color) LCD touch screen for menu navigation, which means that note-taking is likely to be cumbersome. The ever delayed [ame="http://www.plasticlogic.com/ereader/index.php"]Que [/ame](pronounced 'cue') looks good too but isn't coming out until next year some time (years after it was first announced) and is using some pretty novel technology that may require some finessing in subsequent generations.

So is there a good eReader out there? Should I settle for the Nook (which isn't all that expensive, really) until the technology improves? I really want it for PDFs and documents above all else (the Que seems targeted towards this) but it would be nice to have library access too (Sony for that.) An eReader seems so useful but maybe we're just not there yet. What do you guys think?
 
E

elph

I want something like the Kindle DX. However, the price is still too steep for my liking. Anything you get, make sure you can load your own PDF, DOC, TXT, & such on it (I'm pretty sure this is standard though). eBooks are also priced too high for my liking ($10 - $15/each even after mass market paperbacks are released (which go for $3 - $7 - and I can't trade, lend, or sell my eBooks). However, there are other ways of getting a hold of eBooks.

I'm holding out high hopes for the Que. It's the size I want, I just hope it's the price that's decent. I do like how Kindle does give you complete wireless access to Wikipedia & Wikitravel. It can be handy if you're bored and in need for something to read quickly. I believe Asus is working on 2 as well, but info on those hasn't been much better then any of the others that are still in the works.

Like you said though, the market is still young, and it's still a novelty more then anything to have an eReader.
 
fade

fade

Staff member
I couldn't stand reading something on a Kindle. It totally strips the book porn from the book.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

MindDetective;279290][quote=drawn_inward said:
I'm shopping around for one of these as well. I can't really decide on one. I'm leaning toward the Kindle the most though.
Click to expand...
What is selling you on the Kindle? It seems to me to be the least featured of the eReaders.[/QUOTE]

I really don't have a big reason to go with it. After taking a look at the links in your post, I am less sure about it.

I like that Sony has more compatible stores and can get the Google books.

Does the Kindle have expandable memory? It looks like the Sony does. I don't know if that would even be an issue though. Also, is the Sony wireless?
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

drawn_inward;279318][quote=MindDetective;279290][quote=drawn_inward said:
I'm shopping around for one of these as well. I can't really decide on one. I'm leaning toward the Kindle the most though.
Click to expand...
What is selling you on the Kindle? It seems to me to be the least featured of the eReaders.[/quote]

I really don't have a big reason to go with it. After taking a look at the links in your post, I am less sure about it.

I like that Sony has more compatible stores and can get the Google books.

Does the Kindle have expandable memory? It looks like the Sony does. I don't know if that would even be an issue though. Also, is the Sony wireless?[/QUOTE]

I think the ONLY way to put things on the Kindle is through wireless. The Sony Reader Touch doesn't seem to be wireless but the Sony Daily Edition will be when it comes out (in December, I think?) The Nook (also December) will have wireless but it was only announced officially today and I read that wireless may only work in the stores at first. I have read the Sony ebook library is a pain to navigate, though. They all seem to have detractors.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

It just seems like no one has all the features I would like to see, but it might as well just be a tablet pc if I put in all the features I want.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

drawn_inward said:
It just seems like no one has all the features I would like to see, but it might as well just be a tablet pc if I put in all the features I want.
Click to expand...
I feel the same way, really. I keep coming back to having to wait until the technology comes together.

---------- Post added at 08:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 PM ----------

Also, the rumors seem to be pretty strong for an iTablet from Apple. It is said to be a super-sized iPod touch with a 10.7 inch screen (diagonally). People have been speculating about the iTablet for years, so take it all with a grain of salt, but you can Google for some sources to check on the rumors. It won't use eInk but it will likely do everything an eReader can do and more. Worth the speculated twice the price of an eReader? Maybe...
 
HowDroll

HowDroll

MindDetective said:
I think the ONLY way to put things on the Kindle is through wireless.
Click to expand...
Nope. You can plug your Kindle into your comp's USB port and upload things the exact same way you would with the Sony reader. Otherwise, it would have been completely useless when I was living in Europe last year :) This is also useful for making backups; even though Amazon stores everything on their servers, if you keep a backup on your own computer, you can avoid a 1984-style fiasco.

I have a Kindle and I sell Sony e-readers at my job, so I know a good deal about both. Honestly, I prefer the Kindle hands-down. I generally love touch screens, and if the Kindle 3 comes out with a touch screen I might be persuaded to upgrade my Kindle 1, but the one on the Sony e-reader is difficult to use. You need the stylus out to really use it effectively, which sort of defeats the purpose of a one-handed e-reader. I also couldn't imagine swiping between pages in bed when I've gotten use to reading with just one hand on the buttons of my Kindle. The amount of books available on the Kindle also blows Sony out of the water, and the pricing is usually much better--that's completely ignoring, of course, the tens of thousands of books available for free through Project Gutenberg (and those available illegally through bookchan and other places.) I don't know much about the Nook, but any sort of LCD screen is going to sap battery life pretty quickly. That's the beauty of e-ink technology; I read for several hours a night, and I have to charge my Kindle once a week at the most. Sure, the Nook is sexy, but I don't see it truly revolutionizing the market--and I'm expecting an announcement about the Kindle 3 anytime now.

All that aside, what the e-book war is going to come down to is 1) availability and 2) pricing. That's it. All the pretty features aside, whoever is going to get the most ebooks out there for cheap is going to move the most units. Right now, Amazon is winning in my opinion, but Barnes and Noble and Sony are pulling some interesting moves. The ball's in Amazon's court now.

---------- Post added at 11:32 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:28 PM ----------
MindDetective said:
[/COLOR]Also, the rumors seem to be pretty strong for an iTablet from Apple. It is said to be a super-sized iPod touch with a 10.7 inch screen (diagonally). People have been speculating about the iTablet for years, so take it all with a grain of salt, but you can Google for some sources to check on the rumors. It won't use eInk but it will likely do everything an eReader can do and more. Worth the speculated twice the price of an eReader? Maybe...
Click to expand...
Meh. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if Apple did indeed come out with an iTablet, but honestly, I wouldn't buy one for reading ebooks on anyway. Trust me--as someone who used to read ebooks off of her phone when she was bored at work--backlit screens cause an intense amount of eyestrain if you read for more than perhaps an hour or two. E-Ink--which isn't backlit, but works more like an etch-a-sketch--is where it's at.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

HowDroll;279602][quote=MindDetective said:
I think the ONLY way to put things on the Kindle is through wireless.
Click to expand...
Nope. You can plug your Kindle into your comp's USB port and upload things the exact same way you would with the Sony reader. Otherwise, it would have been completely useless when I was living in Europe last year :) This is also useful for making backups; even though Amazon stores everything on their servers, if you keep a backup on your own computer, you can avoid a 1984-style fiasco.

I have a Kindle and I sell Sony e-readers at my job, so I know a good deal about both. Honestly, I prefer the Kindle hands-down. I generally love touch screens, and if the Kindle 3 comes out with a touch screen I might be persuaded to upgrade my Kindle 1, but the one on the Sony e-reader is difficult to use. You need the stylus out to really use it effectively, which sort of defeats the purpose of a one-handed e-reader. I also couldn't imagine swiping between pages in bed when I've gotten use to reading with just one hand on the buttons of my Kindle. The amount of books available on the Kindle also blows Sony out of the water, and the pricing is usually much better--that's completely ignoring, of course, the tens of thousands of books available for free through Project Gutenberg (and those available illegally through bookchan and other places.) I don't know much about the Nook, but any sort of LCD screen is going to sap battery life pretty quickly. That's the beauty of e-ink technology; I read for several hours a night, and I have to charge my Kindle once a week at the most. Sure, the Nook is sexy, but I don't see it truly revolutionizing the market--and I'm expecting an announcement about the Kindle 3 anytime now.

All that aside, what the e-book war is going to come down to is 1) availability and 2) pricing. That's it. All the pretty features aside, whoever is going to get the most ebooks out there for cheap is going to move the most units. Right now, Amazon is winning in my opinion, but Barnes and Noble and Sony are pulling some interesting moves. The ball's in Amazon's court now.[/QUOTE]

This is interesting to hear. I had heard of a few problems with the touch screen on the Sony, so figured it was still pretty new. I also worry about the LCD screen on the Nook sapping the battery life to be honest, and I'm not sure how much functionality it will actually provide in trade. What I really want to know is how hard is note-taking or highlighting when you have to navigate with a menu? I intend to use my eReader for work documents more than books (although books as well, probably) and could see myself taking notes or highlighting if it wasn't too cumbersome.
 
C

Chazwozel

In case you use a Blackberry.

I use an app on my Blackberry Storm called 'shortcovers'. It lets me buy a huge variety of books as well as download a couple free ones. The app dims the screen a bit so the white light doesn't kill your eyes. The only real drawback is the text size is limited by the size of the Blackberry screen. I like column view type stuff (no side scrolling), so the text size can be a little small. It's no e-reader by any stretch, but I find it convenient enough on the train rides to work.

http://shortcovers.com/blackberry
 
Covar

Covar

I'm just glad the nook will be available in Barnes and Nobles stores. I'll actually be able to get my hands on an eReader before ponying up cash for one. In the meantime I'll stick with Stanza on my iPhone.
 
HowDroll

HowDroll

MindDetective;279775][quote=HowDroll;279602][quote=MindDetective said:
I think the ONLY way to put things on the Kindle is through wireless.
Click to expand...
Nope. You can plug your Kindle into your comp's USB port and upload things the exact same way you would with the Sony reader. Otherwise, it would have been completely useless when I was living in Europe last year :) This is also useful for making backups; even though Amazon stores everything on their servers, if you keep a backup on your own computer, you can avoid a 1984-style fiasco.

I have a Kindle and I sell Sony e-readers at my job, so I know a good deal about both. Honestly, I prefer the Kindle hands-down. I generally love touch screens, and if the Kindle 3 comes out with a touch screen I might be persuaded to upgrade my Kindle 1, but the one on the Sony e-reader is difficult to use. You need the stylus out to really use it effectively, which sort of defeats the purpose of a one-handed e-reader. I also couldn't imagine swiping between pages in bed when I've gotten use to reading with just one hand on the buttons of my Kindle. The amount of books available on the Kindle also blows Sony out of the water, and the pricing is usually much better--that's completely ignoring, of course, the tens of thousands of books available for free through Project Gutenberg (and those available illegally through bookchan and other places.) I don't know much about the Nook, but any sort of LCD screen is going to sap battery life pretty quickly. That's the beauty of e-ink technology; I read for several hours a night, and I have to charge my Kindle once a week at the most. Sure, the Nook is sexy, but I don't see it truly revolutionizing the market--and I'm expecting an announcement about the Kindle 3 anytime now.

All that aside, what the e-book war is going to come down to is 1) availability and 2) pricing. That's it. All the pretty features aside, whoever is going to get the most ebooks out there for cheap is going to move the most units. Right now, Amazon is winning in my opinion, but Barnes and Noble and Sony are pulling some interesting moves. The ball's in Amazon's court now.[/QUOTE]

This is interesting to hear. I had heard of a few problems with the touch screen on the Sony, so figured it was still pretty new. I also worry about the LCD screen on the Nook sapping the battery life to be honest, and I'm not sure how much functionality it will actually provide in trade. What I really want to know is how hard is note-taking or highlighting when you have to navigate with a menu? I intend to use my eReader for work documents more than books (although books as well, probably) and could see myself taking notes or highlighting if it wasn't too cumbersome.[/QUOTE]

Note-taking is one thing that, unfortunately, I can't really comment too authoritatively about on the Kindle. I have a first-gen unit, and they improved upon it pretty vastly for the Kindle 2. The Kindle 2 has a 5-way joystick that lets you highlight individual words, while the Kindle 1 allows you to only select entire lines. I still use it all the time, though. It's definitely easy to highlight and dog-ear pages, but if you want to take notes on either unit, at this point it's difficult to do anything more than the equivalent of a scribble in the margin. However, it does index them and is completely searchable, so that's cool.

I'm an English major, and I used it last semester for school but decided to go back to traditional paper books this semester. I honestly didn't mind the note-taking on the Kindle, and it was sometimes cool to have my teacher say "can anyone find what page xxxx is on?" and to pull it up after a 5-second search, but the lack of page numbers was really obnoxious. It made writing papers a chore--MLA has not caught up with the technology yet, and there's no way to cite a Kindle book, so I'd have to go to the library and check out a book just for the page numbers. I could go through my notes and quickly figure out what I needed for the paper instead of flipping through dozens of underlines and notes in a 400-page book, which was awesome, but then I'd have to look it up in a paper book anyway. In a few years, when MLA catches up (or Kindle implements page numbers!) it'll be awesome for college students. For right now, I use it mostly for pleasure reading.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

How about PDFs? I've heard it is a pain converting to the PDF format that Kindles can read. Plus they charge to convert it. That is probably a deal breaker for me since PDFs are what I will primarily use the eReader for.
 
HowDroll

HowDroll

MindDetective said:
How about PDFs? I've heard it is a pain converting to the PDF format that Kindles can read. Plus they charge to convert it. That is probably a deal breaker for me since PDFs are what I will primarily use the eReader for.
Click to expand...
What sort of PDFs? Are we talking about novels in PDF form or some sort of technical documents?

You don't have to have Amazon convert it for you; I use Mobipocket Creator for my PDFs and it works great. Granted, most of them are novels and a few are "For Dummies" books, but it takes me about 20 seconds to do it. If you'd like to send me the sort of PDF you'll generally be using, I can upload it to my Kindle for you and see how it looks.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

They are technical documents. According to sources I've read, sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. For the ones that don't, you have to have them converted.
 
K

kaykordeath

I've been on the fence about a Kindle all along but I'm really impressed with what I'm seeing about the Nook. Granted, as a day of release G1 buyer, I've been very happy with the Android OS and that may have something to do with my optimism on the Nook.
 
Covar

Covar

The most interesting thing about the Nook running android to me is the fact that it won't take someone long to hack it. Won't have to necessarily rely on B&N to keep the software updated and firing on all cylinders.
 
Espy

Espy

Having just moved the billions of books my wife and I have I am thinking VERY strongly about moving towards an e-reader soon. If apple puts out a nice tablet that does this I would consider it first, but the nook LOOKS sweet. I await a kindle 3 though for comparison. Honestly, the market is so young right now I almost feel like I should wait 4 more years till it's matured some.
 
A

Alex B.

I would love one, but I still feel like I'm paying a buck for a book and two hundred for them to print it out for me. They're just way too expensive, for me anyway. As soon as they're in color, sell comic books, and cost like 40-60 dollars I'll give it some serious thought.
 
C

Chazwozel

Espy said:
Having just moved the billions of books my wife and I have I am thinking VERY strongly about moving towards an e-reader soon. If apple puts out a nice tablet that does this I would consider it first, but the nook LOOKS sweet. I await a kindle 3 though for comparison. Honestly, the market is so young right now I almost feel like I should wait 4 more years till it's matured some.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use an e-reader to replace my personal library, but rather to travel with. I like having four wall shelves filled up with books in my office. It makes me look smrt.
 
MindDetective

MindDetective

Espy said:
Honestly, the market is so young right now I almost feel like I should wait 4 more years till it's matured some.
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking too. Then I thought, "I could get a cheap reader now while the market matures!" I'm awaiting hands on reviews of the Nook and the Sony Daily Edition before I make any moves, though.
 
Espy

Espy

Chazwozel;281844][quote=Espy said:
Having just moved the billions of books my wife and I have I am thinking VERY strongly about moving towards an e-reader soon. If apple puts out a nice tablet that does this I would consider it first, but the nook LOOKS sweet. I await a kindle 3 though for comparison. Honestly, the market is so young right now I almost feel like I should wait 4 more years till it's matured some.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use an e-reader to replace my personal library, but rather to travel with. I like having four wall shelves filled up with books in my office. It makes me look smrt.[/QUOTE]

DUDE. I am totally with you, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my library. I've spent YEARS building it up but I swear, my back, having moved it twice in 3 years now has decided that I am an idiot.

Seriously though, I would never get rid of my library, but I would simplify it if I went digital. I'm really in a simplify mode right now, I want to dump all my DVD's and go all Digital and Blu-Ray. Less crap in my house.
 
fade

fade

Staff member
That's what I meant by "book porn". I love the look, feel, and smell of books.

Is it different from reading on a computer screen? Like many, I have difficulty following sentences on a screen for more than a page. I don't know why, but I do.
 
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