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Which eBook Reader is the Best?
Mistress.Erin writes "I cannot decide between Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader. I've read some
reviews, but their motives can be somewhat suspect. So, I come to the most tech savvy group around to ask: which eBook reader is the best? If not Kindle or Reader, then what?" We've discussed this question before, but things have changed a bit since 2005.
I've read some reviews, but their motives can be somewhat suspect.
I'm actually more curious about why you wrote that than I am about the eBook readers in question.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
if you need an explanation as to why "not Sony," you don't read /. enough.
Personally I find both Kindle and Sony's reader too large. I use a Toshiba E805 PocketPC with VGA (640x480) to read books with either EReader.com's free reader or Mobipocket. The price is equivalent, about $400, but you can do far more with the PDA, it will surf the web decently, show movies, play games, play music, etc. You can even get a phone PDA that will let you download books and all kinds of other stuff over the air. I have a T-Mobile Dash and although small the screen is definately good enough to read books on too.
None of the above. Electronic books currently are nothing but publishers trying to kill used book resale, and I don't see why anybody should stand for it.
is competition good, or is duplication of effort bad?
Most people who try an eReader really like it. Having pages in a book flip around and trying to hold the book open is a slight inconvenience. And the instant gratification of downloading the next book of your favorite series on demand is a big win. (especially with devices like Kindle)
Hyperlinks, bookmarks and notes are another powerful feature of an eReader. I only wish that you could share this meta data with other users more easily.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
I'm not sure what kinds of eBooks the OP plans on reading, but using the Linux-based Nokia N800 or N810 internet tablets as eBook readers using FBReader is pretty popular. You can use the tablet for lots of other cool stuff too. You won't be able to read DRM'd stuff though.
My Palm TX doubles as my ebook reader. My Sony Clie before that. I have never had an issue with using either except in bright daylight. I don't buy DRM'd material and so far have never had a problem with getting material in PDF, PRC/PDB, or text. I could actually handle more formats if so inclined.
Basically, why buy an e-reader? So far none of them seem very good based on specs, so double up on your tech usage until they get a lot better.
In most contexts people are referring to the last one, A device you can upload documents to for reading. Sometimes it can also refer to the first one. Some people argue that a dedicated reader is stupid and that they should just get a PDA or tablet PC, but that overlooks certain design decisions incorporated into dedicated readers should as incredibly long battery life, ergonomic design (for holding in your hand for long periods), and typically light and minimal design so it's simple to transport. Sometimes they also incorporate a light if the display is not backlit or otherwise illuminated.
Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
I'm with you. And, I went to my local library and got a card. And now, I have access to thousands of titles for the cost of my tax dollars.
I think a big part of the popularity of the e-readers is because it's just another gadget. Folks will come up with plenty of rationalizations as to why they need it or how it's so superior to a book. But that's the consumer mentality, I guess. It goes the same for fast cars (need them to merge with traffic!), SUVs (safety after all and I have kids!), computers, cameras, etc...
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
I do my reading on a Pocket PC, with uBook, which is great software. I haven't used FBReader but it looks good from afar. Can anyone compare them?
When I saw the tiny Asus machine, "ebook" was the first thing I thought of. Battery life is not great, but I'd be willing to plug it in on the couch/in bed, reserving battery power for being away. My Pocket PC only runs for a few hours too, and it's almost always enough to get me back to a charger-YMMV.
Why not consider the Iliad? It's an open (linux) platform, has wifi, a better screen than either of the others, and you can annotate books & make notes w/ the stylus. A bit pricier, tho:
http://www.irextechnologies.com/products/iliad
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Yes. These steps sound so trivial, as compared to, let's say, opening a book. I'd absolutely go for one of these.
Every expression is true, for a given value of 'true'
Two reasons that there is value to an ebook reader over PDA or laptop:
1. The eInk screen is substantially easier to read. The Sony 2G is actually uncanny... looks like stickers stuck on the screen. The Kindle is much less contrasty and harder to read.
2. Battery life. eInk does not use significant power unless you are turning the page, so the battery life of these things is on the order of 1week plus with heavy usage. When I have used laptops or PDAs for reading, the batteries die quickly (before I want to stop reading).
Comparing the two.
Sony:
Much more contrast on screen. Very easy to read.
Smaller
Lighter
Much more intuitive user interface. It has multiple choice buttons for navigations.
Better physical design with buttons in convenient positions
Feels more solid and less cheap than Kindle
Software allows you to retag and organize files.
DRM and limited store is a big minus.
Better multiple format support
Kindle:
Staggeringly bad industrial design. Only really one good way to hold the thing without hitting one of the buttons which inexplicably are found on every side.
Want to turn up the contrast on the screen.
Bizaarr user interface that requires scrolling and multiple clicks with a secondary lcd screen to perform simple functions.
Keyboard take a lot of space.
No software to tag and oragnize files. So the list of files on the device is unweidly, long, and filled with incomprehensible tags from Gutenberg, Manybooks, or Fictionwise.
Very restrictive DRM which cancels out its advantage of having a much larger and easier to use store for books.
Wireless is good for subscribing to periodicals, not much else.
Amazon has a staggeringly inefficient mail-in system for conversion. No conversion has worked well so far, strange spacing and formatting even in simple documents.
They need simple PC software to manage the thing. The self-contained bit is inefficient and a waste of wireless and organization.
I figure there are three kinds of reader:
1. Like me - buy and keep books forever. Neither reader much good because DRM keep you from owning the books forever, just until the store dies or you want to change to a better competing reader.
2. Buy books read and resell - no right-of-resale with either device.
3. Buy "beach books" and throw them away. Both readers were made for you with the Kindle having a better store.
bbaston on Groklaw received his XO laptop (see this story) seems to think that it will work really well for that purpose. I'm going to find out in a few weeks. Give one, get one!
The thing about the Kindle is that it has a lot of eBooks available that are
- not mostly old things that are public domain
- not too expensive
The Kindle appears to be the first eBook reader for which someone who is a reasonably avid current reader has a chance of satisfying most of the reading needs with, without spending a lot more money (other than the initial cost of the device itself). As far as the device cost, note that this is offset somewhat by the reduced storage costs. For someone who buys and keeps a lot of books, the savings in not needing to buy as many bookshelves could actually be more than the cost of the unit!For those looking for an eBook reader that also lets you read your own files, and things like that, the Kindle isn't there. But for those looking for something that is an alternate way to deal with books, it looks like the best so far.
ebook readers are solid state electronics. They can (if engineered properly) take a lot of G's.
.lit format.
I have dropped my PDA onto hard surfaces many times over the years and it is still ticking.
I don't see why an ebook reader couldn't be any different.
As a matter of fact, I have had my HP3150(?) for several years and I love it as an ebook reader. It is a perfect size, has a backlight and since it is a monochrome screen, I find that it is easier to read than the full color LCDs of more modern Pocket PCs. I replaced the battery pack in it last year so now I can get well over 10 hours of continuous use out of it with the backlight on.
Another nice thing about using a Pocket PC as an ebook reader is that you can also read other formats like PDF and HTML, however, I find that it is best to use the free Word-to-Reader plugin from MS to convert documents to the
My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
Landing and Takeoff take about 30 mins max.
On a 7 hour flight, it is a tiny slice of time. Am sure any ebook would have run out of juice by that time and reading during landing is the least of your worries, unless you travel by Business/First class.
If you are THAT concerned, get a paperback.
"Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
I think you have (inadvertently) hit the nail on the head. I wouldn't buy an e-book reader that was, well an e-book reader.
I prefer a device with a decent screen (a nice 4" Transflective VGA screen works well) that I can use for a multitude of things, listening to music (or in my case BBC Podcasts), browsing the web, reading my email, reading documents (normal office documents and PDF's), watching a film, displaying the photo's on my camera etc... On top of that I would like it to be a diary, calender, address book and note taker.
That basically describes a decent PDA. The killer is the display if you can get a PDA with a decent display you are on to a winner. For me it is about having something that is useful on a day to day basis (i.e. the scheduling and communications element) as well as having general entertainment value (listening to Music / podcasts etc.. say in the car or at lunch). As well as also being there if I am travelling, commuting or decide I want to read something whilst I am out.
I prefer my phone to be a separate entity, simply due to the fact that battery technology wont give me 10 hours of mp3s + reading a book whilst leaving me a decent standby and talk time at the end of it, but then that is a personal choice, plus there is nothing to stop you carrying a spare battery.
The ability to carry multiple Gb worth of data (my PDA has both CF and SD slots so I use my SD slot as removable media) that are accesable on both the PDA and other computing devices is also a killer feature, so are charging from USB and wifi.
I would never shell out a large amount of cash on a single purpose device, simply because I would mean another gadget to carry around, charge and maintain.
How the hell is this a factor? Its not like if you get an eBook you suddenly can't use a library. If you buy an eBook reader - guess what? - the thousands of books for free at the library are still there!
Not true. If the proponents of eBooks had it their way, over time normal books would be phased out.
And once no one remembers how great it was to borrow from thousands of books for a flat rate,
it becomes much easier to have libraries outlawed. Do not think I'm joking - publishers would love
to see that happen.