My son is an avid reader, and he's stuck to the computer (he reads a lot of the old books on gutenberg).

I want my computer back, and him not in front of the screen.

I also want to go out and have him be able to take his "books" with him.

Happy boy......happy family.

Now, this needs to be not too expensive......he is a boy and it needs to not be easy to break.

Any suggestions?

Sue

I'd suggest getting something like an older-model Pocket PC or Palm machine - they're available very cheaply on eBay - both of which offer a lot of flexibility when it comes to choice of reading software.

I'd avoid the "eInk" readers; they are expensive and have rather delicate screens; I don't think they'd survive the typical 10 year old very long!

Any brands you could recommend?

Sue

I can't give you any advice on Palm machines (which I know a lot of people like), but my personal preference is for Pocket PCs. Of those, I've always used HP "iPaq" models, which are extremely well-built and reliable. Any model iPaq would make a good bookreader - in fact, they are what I read on myself for many years.

That is, assuming that your desktop machine runs Windows. Pocket PCs are Windows-specific.

Any brands you could recommend?

Sue

Hi Sue,

I bought a very cheap refurbished hp iPAQ rz1710 for my daughter last year (she was 11 then). It is still working well. She is using it in a protective bag - just in case. The 3.5 inch screen is a bit smallish but she doesn't complain. I myself, still read on my Axim v50, which has a slightly bigger screen (3.9 inch) but costs not just slightly more :-(

Cheers,
Klaus

Hi Sue,

I bought a very cheap refurbished hp iPAQ rz1710 for my daughter last year (she was 11 then). It is still working well. She is using it in a protective bag - just in case. The 3.5 inch screen is a bit smallish but she doesn't complain. I myself, still read on my Axim v50, which has a slightly bigger screen (3.9 inch) but costs not just slightly more :-(

Cheers,
Klaus

oh, and I forgot - I would recommend the µBook reader program (it's now even available for Palm OS). It copes with almost any format you throw at it (except lit, of course). IMHO, it is well worth the 12 US$. You may want to check it out at www.gowerpoint.com

oh, and I forgot - I would recommend the µBook reader program (it's now even available for Palm OS). It copes with almost any format you throw at it (except lit, of course). IMHO, it is well worth the 12 US$. You may want to check it out at www.gowerpoint.com

I'd second the recommendation. uBook is my favourite bookreader.

Could also try an Ebookwise 1150. It's not too expensive.

Could also try an Ebookwise 1150. It's not too expensive.

True. The main reason I suggested a Pocket PC / Palm is that there's all sorts of other "free stuff" for them that would probably interest a youngster as well as the reading aspect of it - games, etc.

My son isn't really into games. He IS really into older books, like the gutenberg texts. Think Tom Swift (i think he's read all that are online:), Pony Rider Books, and the list goes on.

I want a dedicated book reader so that I can have my laptop back, lol! And he can take it outside when we travel.

How many books can the ebookwise take? Can it take pdfs? Can it take a 10 year old handling it?

Sue

My son isn't really into games. He IS really into older books, like the gutenberg texts. Think Tom Swift (i think he's read all that are online:), Pony Rider Books, and the list goes on.

I want a dedicated book reader so that I can have my laptop back, lol! And he can take it outside when we travel.

How many books can the ebookwise take? Can it take pdfs? Can it take a 10 year old handling it?

Sue

It is fairly rugged but the screen is breakable so it needs some care. It cannot take PDF's directly. They need to be converted. PDF's are a problem for all readers in that they are generally targeted at full paper sizes (letter/A4) and don't scale well to the smaller screens. The maximum memory on the eBookwise is 128M which can hold several hundred books but it is easily updated from a computer to change the books on the device. There are lots of free books on this web site for this reader.

Dale

And more as we do more conversions too. And any eBook on the site in Mobipocket format that is not already in IMP format for the 1150 can easily be converted using mobi2imp. In fact, after I create a Mobipocket edition, I use mobi2imp to convert to imp and post.

How about books like the wowio books?

www.wowio.com

Could I change their format?

Sue

If he like drops it from the playground from his pocket....is it dead?

I think wowio is PDF files, locked ones too, unless I'm remembering something else .... (I haven't ever used them, so I could easily be mixed up)

You can't do much of anything with PDFs, locked ones especially I'm afraid. :unafraid:

An EB1150 is a bit large for a pocket, but yeah, it should probably be kept off playgrounds. :D

See this thread (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19470). I just loved my sony S320. Enough built-in memory for a dozen books, and it will defnitely fit into a kid's pocket. He just has to remember not to sit down with it there.

I think wowio is PDF files, locked ones too, unless I'm remembering something else .... (I haven't ever used them, so I could easily be mixed up)

You can't do much of anything with PDFs, locked ones especially I'm afraid. :unafraid:

An EB1150 is a bit large for a pocket, but yeah, it should probably be kept off playgrounds. :D

Locked PDF's cannot be read on any standalone Reader, not just the EB1150. The unit is pretty big to be placed in a pocket but this is what helps the reading experience since the page is about the size of a paperback book as opposed to a shirt pocket sized reader. The eb1150 does have an armored covering and the shape helps the user to hold firmly on to the device. While it can be broken it is unlikely to be dropped accidentally by slipping out of your hand. I suppose a case could be obtained to help protect the screen from damage in a backpack. I haven't looked for one but otterbox makes some very good rugged cases.

Edit: I don't see a proper size box from otterbox but the Seahorse SX-120 would seem to be ok.

Dale

After reading this thread, I signed up with wowio and downloaded a few books to see how they work on a Pocket PC. This is what I discovered:


wowio books are password protected, but they can be copied to and opened up on a pocket pc. FWIW, I was also able to copy and open the books on my Cybook.

Unfortunately, they do not display well on a pocket pc. Reading them would require scrolling back and forth for each line of text. Unless the book is saved with tags, the books cannot be reflowed to work well with the smaller pocket pc screen. Because the books are password protected, I could not tag them in Adobe Acrobat after I downloaded them from wowio.

Surprisingly, I could convert the wowio books into Mobipocket format, using Mobipocket's convert PDF option. The books aren't beautiful, but at least they can now be read on a Pocket PC with Mobipocket installed.

BTW, wowio seems like a really great place to get free books. I like their philosophy and I know I'll be downloading books from them.

After reading this thread, I signed up with wowio and downloaded a few books to see how they work on a Pocket PC. This is what I discovered:


wowio books are password protected, but they can be copied to and opened up on a pocket pc. FWIW, I was also able to copy and open the books on my Cybook.

Unfortunately, they do not display well on a pocket pc. Reading them would require scrolling back and forth for each line of text. Unless the book is saved with tags, the books cannot be reflowed to work well with the smaller pocket pc screen. Because the books are password protected, I could not tag them in Adobe Acrobat after I downloaded them from wowio.

Surprisingly, I could convert the wowio books into Mobipocket format, using Mobipocket's convert PDF option. The books aren't beautiful, but at least they can now be read on a Pocket PC with Mobipocket installed.

BTW, wowio seems like a really great place to get free books. I like their philosophy and I know I'll be downloading books from them.

Have you received any advertisements yet? Good to know they are only password protected and not DRM'd. If they can be converted to Mobipocket then the mobi2imp.pl perl script will make them into fine eb1150 books.

Dale

Have you received any advertisements yet? Good to know they are only password protected and not DRM'd. If they can be converted to Mobipocket then the mobi2imp.pl perl script will make them into fine eb1150 books.

Dale

Oh, so that's the catch then, eh? There was one advertisement in the front of the book....ah well.....I guess they have to make money somewhere.

Are there any cases you can SEE thru that protect it? Not just a carry case....or is this overkill?

Something light and.....dare I say ballistic?

Sue

Otterbox!

http://www.otterbox.com/products/pda_cases/1900/

DaleDe mentioned he didn't see the size I needed in an otterbox?

Any ideas on it?

Sue

YO, this otterbox thing is nice......but almost as expensive as the ebookwise?

Anything good but less expensive, or a better source?

I am not buying for the military, just a standard boy, lol.

Sue

DaleDe mentioned he didn't see the size I needed in an otterbox?

Any ideas on it?

Sue

My favorite is otterbox. I have an email into them about coming up with a larger box for eBookwise and UMPC devices which are about the same size. Otterbox is good for PDA's with a readable screen for about $50.

Meanwhile the Seahorse box is cheap (about $20) and good for storage. The case that comes with the unit is fine for me but a 10 year old can be a bit forgetful. My thoughts are that, when using the device the child will be ok and careful. When tossed in a backpack the child will expect that it will protect itself and toss the bag around which could be problematic hence the idea for a little cheap insurance.

Dale

Any suggestions?
an old second-hand PDA would be perfect.
I was using an old Cassiopeia A-20 for years.
With a reading device THE most important feature is big display.
The Cassiopeia A-20 or A-11 have unusually big display for this kind of device. They are also hopelessly obsolete and unusable for anything but reading books in their built-in pocket word.
Send me a private message if you want to know more.