It's fun to upgrade to exciting and cool technologies. It's got that certain appeal. However, sometimes tried and true devices outlast fad devices.

This poll is meant for dedicated ebook readers and not PDA/Palm/Smartphone types of readers (sorry).

This poll tries to find out if the eBookwise 1150 is the only ebook reader you use or have used. It will give an indication of the migration path taken by many of us to embrace (current and past) ebook readers.


EDIT: See the First week's Poll results (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showpost.php?p=162903&postcount=13) for some interesting trends...

so far, i only have an ebookwise, but i am planning to buy an e-ink device one day. so i did not vote (yet...), because there is no really accurate answer for me... can you add one ?

so far, i only have an ebookwise, but i am planning to buy an e-ink device one day. so i did not vote (yet...), because there is no really accurate answer for me... can you add one ?

Hey, no fence sitting; the poll is for the present. :curtsey:

I started with a Palm 72s for ereading, then got my EB 1150, then my Sony 505.

I still love and use my EB1150 though. Just a great piece of technology, and I miss the backlighting, touch dictionary and ability to mark up copy that the Sony reader lacks.

I started with a Palm 72s for ereading, then got my EB 1150, then my Sony 505.

I still love and use my EB1150 though. Just a great piece of technology, and I miss the backlighting, touch dictionary and ability to mark up copy that the Sony reader lacks.

I started with the REB 1100 (great B & W), then had to have the REB 1200 (great color), then picked up a backup REB 1100, then some Sony Clie PDAs, then nothing. I had saturated my use of different ebook readers.

Then along came the eBookwise 1150, and my content world opened up again! I actively used the ebook readers again. My wife now has the EBW 1150 and my kids each have a REB 1100. No one uses the Sony PDA for reading ebooks. Since then I have mostly prepared my own content and was able to get a backup REB 1200.

By the way, the REB 1200 is the most enjoyable, whereas the Sony Clie TH-55 with its ereader software the least enjoyable of the lot (relatively speaking).

The Sony PDA used a very small bold font (swiz 21 12pt) which allowed the maximum possible text on screen and still legible. It was a great combination but waned in comparison to the (larger screen) dedicated ebook devices.

I will probably hold-out for a color e-ink device as my next ebook reader, but it must have the 'features' of the REB 1200 / EBW 1100.

Come on eBook Technologies, Inc., what are you waiting for....

Although I use the Cybook the most, due to the screen and its light weight, I actually prefer all the other features of the EB1150: the touch-word dictionary lookup, the ability to write on the screen, page number display, the ergonomics of the buttons, the backlight. If somebody could put those features on an e-ink (as others have said) and keep it lightweight, I'd be in ebook heaven. I don't care about color, since I read mainly mysteries and classics.

Lelah

Hey, no fence sitting; the poll is for the present. :curtsey:

ok ok if you insist ;) i have only an eb1150 for the present.

as nrapallo and lmarie have said, what i *really* want is a new eb1150 with e-ink screen (and lighter). i don't care about the backlight, actually i prefer not to have one. color would be nice, but not *necessary* ; few of the books i read in paper have any color besides the cover. if eb1150 doesn't make one before i decide i can afford to get myself a *really* *expensive* present, i will get a Cybook Gen3.

nRapallo, I had no idea that eBook Tech Inc was still a going concern. I notice on their web site that what you call a EB 1100 is called a ETI-1. It look like an interesting product, but they state that it is "only for enterprise, training and military direct customers".

How did you get your ETI-1?

nRapallo, I had no idea that eBook Tech Inc was still a going concern. I notice on their web site that what you call a REB 1200 is called a ETI-1. It look like an interesting product, but they state that it is "only for enterprise, training and military direct customers".

How did you get your ETI-1?

Ebay is your friend!

My first one, several years ago, was from ebay seller 'togoWare' (who also sells Photo Album Software for the REB1200 (http://www.togoware.com)) and was in 'A-1' condition.

The second one, several months ago, was in worst condition but I managed to get it "back to life" by sending it into ETI and having the firmware updated. I originally got it for parts (battery and such) but it now works fine!

By the way, check out ETI's e-ink prototype (http://www.ebooktechnologies.com/toureinkproto.htm) , the ETI-3?, that they have been working on for what seems like ages!

The "ETI-Proto Device" looks interesting, but does not seem to be offering anything much different than the PRS-505. Maybe when more details are known and if it has a breakthrough price point, it might be something special.

Here is for hoping!

This poll does not seem to fit my situation.
I have the following devices:

Franklin Bookman 901
Ebookwise 1150
Palm TX 3
iLiad
Cybook Gen 3

I have also used a Fujitsu 1000 and a Fujitsu 3400 for ebook reading.
The Fujitsu 1000 is very old and heavy but I could read it outdoors because it had a mono transflective screen.

The eBookwise 1150 beats them all in terms of ergonomics and ease of use. I just wish it had an e-ink screen.

This poll does not seem to fit my situation.
I have the following devices:

Franklin Bookman 901
Ebookwise 1150
Palm TX 3
iLiad
Cybook Gen 3

I have also used a Fujitsu 1000 and a Fujitsu 3400 for ebook reading.
The Fujitsu 1000 is very old and heavy but I could read it outdoors because it had a mono transflective screen.

The eBookwise 1150 beats them all in terms of ergonomics and ease of use. I just wish it had an e-ink screen.

I almost bought the Franklin ebookman 911 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_eBookMan) as my preferred ebook reader, but the battery situation scared me away.

As I was trying to ignore (small screen) PDA/Palm type of ebook readers, in this poll, the second last poll category was meant for people in your situation, i.e.

9. eBookwise 1150 and mixture of above ebook readers

(sorry - last word should have been plural!)

Maybe, I should have put in a special category, to handle situations like yours, namely:

11. eBookwise 1150 and any other ebook reader I can get my hands on! :D

Oh, well, in the next poll!

Ok, March Break is over and what have we learned, here, about our beloved eBookwise 1150 (still under $140 I may add!)?

Well, for starters, roughly 30 responses does not make for accurate results, but what the heck:

1. Just over a third (35%) of us have only the EBW 1150, which means they are relatively new to the whole NuvoMedia/SoftBook/Gemstar legacy world. They have not yet learned to stray.

2. That leaves almost two-thirds (60%) with either older legacy readers (like me) and/or newer e-ink devices.

3. Of those with e-ink devices as well, almost half (47%) have multiple ebooks readers (and probably hoards of other gadgets). The Sony ebook reader seems the upgrade path of choice with almost one in three (33%) making that decision. The Amazon Kindle only had about 10% support as the only other ebook reader EBW1150 owners have as did the Cybook Gen 3.

4. No-one chose to 'upgrade' solely to the (most) expensive e-ink device, iLiad. Can we assume EBW 1150 owners to be more frugal?

5. In the end, just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlighting be THAT important?

Thanks to all who participated!

just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlghting be THAT important?

Yes. Well, self-lighting, not specifically back-lighting. If an e-ink unit came out with integral side-lighting in the bezel, and didn't mess up the ergonomics as so many seem to, I'd check it out. At the moment, shoving an OLPC dual-mode screen and an SD slot into an ETI-2 chassis seems the best option physically. Frankly, 900x1200 B&W (and lesser, typically 840x630 color) resolution is better than e-ink. It's self-lighting when needed, low-power (even if not ultra-low, like e-ink), inexpensive ($28 for just the screen, an old post I read somewhere said, though with the dollar's collapse it might be higher now), and at 7.5 inches a tad bigger than most e-ink 6-inchers. Except for battery fetishists and "I could never stare into a screen for hours" souls, an OLPC is generally a better option than current e-ink. An OLPC screened unit could go for an eBookwise price and be not only an ebook viewer, but also a video player.

In the end, just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlghting be THAT important?

heu... in direct contradiction to the poster above me, No. not for me, at all. actually i hate the backlighting and wish i could turn it off completely (i am one of those souls who actually *does* stare into a screen for hours, every day, for my work, and my poor eyes are really tired at the end of it). luckily i can turn it down quite low, enough not to really bother me, but it's still noticeable. and with the backlight reduced so much, the display suffers, because the contrast must be ajusted to compensate so i lose a bit of detail. to be honest i don't even really want a "frontlight" or whatever (although i wouldn't refuse it), because i find it much more comfortable to read in ambiant light with a lamp, than in a dark room (horrible eye strain, that).

i don't know what an OLPC screen is but if i interpret correctly and it can switch between backlit and reflective display, then great ! why not. if the quality / resolution etc. is good.

actually i actively covet an e-ink screen, and if ETI does not make one soon (within probably 1 to 2 years, or whatever time it takes for the next generation of e-ink readers to come out *or* the price to drop significantly) i will buy a Gen3 ; what i love about my eb1150 is not the backlight, it's the buttons :p.

Still got and use my trusty Rocket reader, which I had great difficulty purchasing from the US of A. Unfortunately, I could never persuade them to sell me any of the later models. I always thought that was a bit weird, because Fictionwise always liked to take my money for ebooks but wouldn't sell me anything to read them on. Perhaps they thought I was going to read them through ESP or some sort of mental osmosis.

Tommy

I recently got my eBookwise. I was planning to buy a sony reader. But someone on the forum was selling their eBookwise at a great price and I couldn't resist! I love this device. Now that I've used it for a few weeks, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be as comfortable with the sony reader. I like the sturdiness of the eBookwise. I don't have to handle it delicately for fear of damaging the screen or any of the other parts. I didn't think I would ever need the rotating screen feature (I'm right-handed). But it turns out the feature is very useful when you are lazing in bed and reading!

Bottom line I don't see myself going for another device unless this one is damaged beyond repair! Given the reputation of the eBookwise, I don't see that happening for a very long time :)

Although I have to admit, I may decide to get one of the e-ink devices if the prices drop drastically in the future. Just for the experience!

i hate the backlighting and wish i could turn it off completely
You can turn the backlight off completely, and the screen is still readable. I typically set contrast at the second space in "Accept these changes?" and brightness at the start of 'these', but I've run it at zero brightness and found the display readable. It's dark, of course, and without backlight reflections become more of an issue, but given reasonable external lighting and careful angling I can read with no problem.
i find it much more comfortable to read in ambiant light with a lamp, than in a dark room
Contrarily, I find it cozy to read in the dark, without having to waste power on room lights.

The OLPC screen (http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2006/09/13/olpc-screen-is-clever-but-very-odd) is the one in the One Laptop Per Child computer. At 4.5x6.0 inches it can fit a slighty-wider ETI-2 unit, and at 200 dpi it's sharper than any e-ink screen. People who've seen both say that in purely reflective mode OLPC looks better, both for its sharper letters and its whiter background. E-ink is good for two things: purely reflective viewing and low-power. OLPC isn't as low power, but it does reflective more sharply and can do color, which seems a better combo to me. Pixel Qi (http://www.pixelqi.com/products) plans on commercializing the OLPC screen soon.

You can turn the backlight off completely, and the screen is still readable. I typically set contrast at the second space in "Accept these changes?" and brightness at the start of 'these', but I've run it at zero brightness and found the display readable. It's dark, of course, and without backlight reflections become more of an issue, but given reasonable external lighting and careful angling I can read with no problem.

my contrast is set a little higher than yours, but brightness is about the same. i have tried to turn the backlight off altogether, but it lost too much legibility, and between reflections and loss of detail when i turned up the contrast to compensate it was easier just to keep a minimum of backlight. especially since, as regards "careful angling", i read in all kinds of crazy positions ! so the fewer "angle" constraints, the better.

Contrarily, I find it cozy to read in the dark, without having to waste power on room lights.

i have the impression that a lot of people do ; i find it really suprising, because especially if my eyes are *already* tired (as they usually are, at the end of the day), it can be physically painful to me to do this. i must have defective eyes. :blink:

The OLPC screen (http://www.theinquirer.net/en/inquirer/news/2006/09/13/olpc-screen-is-clever-but-very-odd) is the one in the One Laptop Per Child computer. At 4.5x6.0 inches it can fit a slighty-wider ETI-2 unit, and at 200 dpi it's sharper than any e-ink screen. People who've seen both say that in purely reflective mode OLPC looks better, both for its sharper letters and its whiter background. E-ink is good for two things: purely reflective viewing and low-power. OLPC isn't as low power, but it does reflective more sharply and can do color, which seems a better combo to me. Pixel Qi (http://www.pixelqi.com/products) plans on commercializing the OLPC screen soon.

i didn't recognize the acronym but i thought that must be what you were talking about. i would like to see one of these screens in person ; they sound really interesting. according to the article you linked, the color display still could stand to be improved for text / straight lines etc. but for concept and price it seems pretty amazing... and defnitely a big leap forward in display technology. i can't wait to see what the 2nd generation will do...

Without backlight, the text on an eBookwise is essentially dark blue on dark olive. (I know it's black, but it feels dark blue.) Not the best, and certainly a color combination I'd override on a web page, but I have read with those settings for an hour or so, as an experiment. But minimal backlight certainly makes reading easier. I mostly read lying in bed at night, so I don't deal with odd angles. Or sunlight, since I rarely get out.

Straight lines in color mode are jaggedy, given the swizzling, but in monochrome, black is a straight-line of off-pixels, so
it's the full sharpness. I really hope someone uses the screen in an ebook device this year.

logically, there's no reason that screen could not also have touch capability, right ? it seems like it could be a really good solution for ETI, given the cost, to maintain a very low-price reader which could also answer the (clearly non-negligible) demand for back-lit screens, while *also* providing the option of a non-backlit, reflective screen. it really seems like the best of all possible worlds, doesn't it ?

i hope Garth Conboy is thinking about that too... :)

i do think it is pretty vital to have low-priced devices such as the eb1150 (but updated, hopefully) available, if ebooks are going to really gain acceptance. before i got mine, i liked the idea, but i was a little worried about spending 350€ only to discover that in practice it didn't suit me at all, which is why i bought the eb1150 as my first device. now i'm convinced to the point of rabid enthusiasm. i imagine there are plenty of others who (could) feel the same way.

I voted for a 1150, and sony... We actually own a REB1100, a Sony 505, and we sold our 2 sony 500s.

I read an article recently that said computor monitors emit positive ions.
Positive ions can cause eye irritation and headaches in a lot of people.
Apparently negative ions are beneficial but they are attracted to and stick on the screen.
Positive ions, on the other hand, are attracted in the opposite direction - to you.
I don't personally suffer by sitting in front of a screen for hours but I know many people do.
I wonder if our hand-held e-readers affect us in the same way?

I have the eBookwise 1150 and a Sony 505. Bottom line ... I use the eBookwise and the Sony ... just sits there. I have to admit that the eBookwise, at least for me, does the job much much better. I love the rubber handle but, guys, the touch-screen is the absolute best. The ability to delete books, the dictionary for us "foreigners", the soft buttons in the right places, the capability to change hands with a simple "rotate" and all with a soft touch of my finger ... this reader is almost perfect and, of course, FAST. Or it's absolutely perfect if you put the low price in the deal too.

Now, the back-lit screen works fine for me because I read in bed at nights but I also use it in broad day light. I just don't let the sun fall straight on the screen. Admitedly the Sony is better for outdoors but so what? I can manage fine with the eBookwise (adjusting the contrast) and that's the end of it.

If they could do s/thing with the battery (to be able to change it with a new one), then I would be the happiest customer on earth!

P.S.: Really thinking of selling the Sony ...

5. In the end, just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlighting be THAT important?

Thanks to all who participated![/QUOTE]


I really think its the cost of the new e-ink readers. That was the main deciding decision on my part to go with the ebook 1150. If they could get a decent e-ink machine under $200 then I would be willing to think about an upgrade.

Amy

Not enough options for me!

In order;

Ebookwise 1150, sold it like a dummy for a,
GEM-2150, sold it when i bought the,
Rocket eBook which I still have,
Bought five more Rockets, sold 1,
Franklin eBookman 911, for sale,
hiEbook, for sale
2 Sharp Mobilon HC-4500s running mobipocket, for sale,
2 Vadem Clio 1050s, runnning mobipocet, may be for sale,
and last but not least a Ebookwise 1150 that I bought Sunday night to replace the one I foolishly sold.

Michael

5. In the end, just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlighting be THAT important?

Thanks to all who participated!



I really think its the cost of the new e-ink readers. That was the main deciding decision on my part to go with the ebook 1150. If they could get a decent e-ink machine under $200 then I would be willing to think about an upgrade.

Amy[/QUOTE]

For me, backlighting is what it's all about. Even a sub $200 e-ink reader won't do.

Michael

Not enough options for me!

While the poll options don't specifically address your situation, you are not atypical and somewhat parallel my own experience, namely:


Ebookwise 1150, sold it like a dummy for a, - Got one
GEM-2150, sold it when i bought the, - Got two
Rocket eBook which I still have, - Got two of its successor, the REB 1100
Bought five more Rockets, sold 1,
Franklin eBookman 911, for sale, - Wanted one, but was scared by battery changing saga
hiEbook, for sale - Wanted one real bad, but then realized there was very little .kml content available
2 Sharp Mobilon HC-4500s running mobipocket, for sale, - Tried the Sony Clie PDA's instead running mobipocket
2 Vadem Clio 1050s, runnning mobipocet, may be for sale,

and last but not least a Ebookwise 1150 that I bought Sunday night to replace the one I foolishly sold. - Good choice! :)

When I first voted in this poll, I said EbookWise Only.....but now I have a new member in my ebook reader family. I recently bought an old Franklin Ebookman 911 on Ebay for $31.00. I love my Ebookwise, it will be my primary reader for a long time...however I thought that maybe having a smaller, lighter device might come in handy. And its got MobiReader so now I can download the secure Mobi format books on Fictionwise (It sort of irritated me that I couldn't get those) so now I have more flexibility. Yes I am aware of the drawbacks of the EBookman (bad capacitators, no lighting, etc, which is why it will never be a primary reader), but I have to admit that the size (of both screen and unit) and usability (syncing and transferring files) are just right. Its too bad that someone can't merge the durability, backlighting (don't start E-Inkers!:D) and ergonomics of the Ebookwise with the size and weight of the Ebookman. "Garth are you out there?"

wouldn't it be brilliant if we could build our own ideal readers, by choosing the individual components that suited us, the way you can build your own pc ? i would love that.

DUH! I forgot to mention the touchscreen (or maybe that falls under ergonomics since it saves valuable screen space from clusters of button?:chinscratch:Or NOT). Anyway both my devices have them which is a big part of the appeal.

And yes Zelda it would be GREAT to build our own devices. I do find it funny that I'm drawn to the devices of older technology. But I'm a history geek (to the point of being a Revolutionary War Reenactor) so as Weird Al Yankovic says maybe "I'm technologically impaired". I'm considered a techno geek at my park, but that's just in comparison to the other Rangers, so...not so much.....:thumbsup:

I am LOVING my EB1150!! However, now I am finding authors who I like, but their earlier works are not available to me. They ARE on Kindle however... so I will be adding a Kindle in the future sometime. I have a TON of books to read on my EB1150 though so I can wait :)

Now that I've started reading on an ebook reader, I don't think I can go back to paper! And it is SO much easier to read on a treadmill!!

........ Can we assume EBW 1150 owners to be more frugal?

Well, the affordability was what made me buy it now... well, with Filament's book club. I can make monthly payments for it without adding it to my cc bill. I pay my book club from my checking account.

I do still want a Kindle also (although I LOVE my EBW 1150!) because there are a lot of titles I want that are available for Kindle but not my EBW.

Just putting money aside to get a used Kindle 1 eventually.. but at least now I can READ! Gosh, I don't even want to read an actual paper book now.. :smack: I LOVE reading on an ereader !

Yeah after getting my eb1150 I have pretty much stopped reading regular paperbacks, I just love my little ereader. Its so nice to have all those books in one spot and it takes up so much less space in my small little space. 400+ books take up very little harddrive space, but alot of physical space if I had them as paperbacks!


Amy

Yeah after getting my eb1150 I have pretty much stopped reading regular paperbacks, I just love my little ereader. Its so nice to have all those books in one spot and it takes up so much less space in my small little space. 400+ books take up very little harddrive space, but alot of physical space if I had them as paperbacks!


Amy

I too used to have boxes of paperbacks around the house. Now I have a single DVD with 17,000 books on it.

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_CD_and_DVD_Project

Problem is, now I have boxes of ebook readers taking up space.

Michael

Ok, March Break is over and what have we learned, here, about our beloved eBookwise 1150 (still under $140 I may add!)?

Well, for starters, roughly 30 responses does not make for accurate results, but what the heck:

1. Just over a third (35%) of us have only the EBW 1150, which means they are relatively new to the whole NuvoMedia/SoftBook/Gemstar legacy world. They have not yet learned to stray.

2. That leaves almost two-thirds (60%) with either older legacy readers (like me) and/or newer e-ink devices.

3. Of those with e-ink devices as well, almost half (47%) have multiple ebooks readers (and probably hoards of other gadgets). The Sony ebook reader seems the upgrade path of choice with almost one in three (33%) making that decision. The Amazon Kindle only had about 10% support as the only other ebook reader EBW1150 owners have as did the Cybook Gen 3.

4. No-one chose to 'upgrade' solely to the (most) expensive e-ink device, iLiad. Can we assume EBW 1150 owners to be more frugal?

5. In the end, just under half (43%) are using Gemstar/ETI devices and have not entered the world of e-ink devices. Could backlighting be THAT important?

Thanks to all who participated!

Many of these would apply to me..more frugal, backlighting important...

I went from a Rocketbook to my 1150. Backlighting IS the most important consideration for me, and price second. With programs like ABC Lit and EBW Librarian, etc, format is not terribly important, I can make it fit what I'm using.

I have had an ebook for approximately 10 yrs now. I used the RocketBook until...well I'm not sure WHAT until, because I remember feeling I *had* to get another one, to be without an ebook was unthinkable...but I found my old rocketbook in the basement the other day, plugged it in, loaded some books on it, and handed it to my son. So it wasn't broken. He also isn't leaving it plugged in so the battery IS holding charge... it does rattle a bit, and I know I dropped it several times so perhaps that was my reasoning? /shrug

I read at night, a lot, and if I leave a light on it disturbs others in my house. So I like the backlight. I do NOT like attached devices...even when I read paper books I used to curse the %%%$^ stupid light. So that cut a lot of books out of the running for me.

I have considered getting a sony or a kindle for some time now, several years at least...always hoping the newest version would have a backlight, and drop in price. I find it hard to justify ~$400 when I paid less than $150 for my 1150. Now the Sony 700 has side lights...which would work BUT it's still $400 AND it has an issue with dust under the screen. Never had that problem with my 1150...

So I will stick with what I have, while realising even still it's not perfect. I miss the ability to rotate the screen ANY which way I wish, like my RocketBook. But then, my 1150 has a MUCH better library menu... I wish it were thinner, like the Kindle or the Sony one. But I'd be giving up a lot of what I like and getting bad things like dust in the screen.

When this one dies I will get another 1150, unless they come up with something that's like my 1150 but skinnier -- and as inexpensive. I wouldn't mind something slightly smaller (But with as big a viewing screen!!) to fit in my handbag better. My handbag keeps getting smaller as the years go by! hehe

I really really wanted a hiebook at one time...They never really became available though, and so again, I'll stick with what I have :)

I have thought it would be nice to have a model capable of decent pictures etc because I'm starting into college again, but, I'll just have to use paper books for my learning I guess LOL.

~Yira

When this one dies I will get another 1150, unless they come up with something that's like my 1150 but skinnier -- and as inexpensive.

My three-year-old 1150 is acting up. I'm used to having to hit reset half the time to turn it on, but now it's become finicky about charging, requiring me to get the cord in to just the right degree, at the right angle, when the unit is inclined just so. I'm hoping it can hold out a few more months, at which time Pixel Qi units may be out, if info is correct. That's the only device that I'd currently consider replacing the 1150 with: good B&W screen, better-than-eInk readability, with backlighting and color, and supposedly not expensive. Pity they haven't shown any mockups yet.

My three-year-old 1150 is acting up. I'm used to having to hit reset half the time to turn it on, but now it's become finicky about charging, requiring me to get the cord in to just the right degree, at the right angle, when the unit is inclined just so. I'm hoping it can hold out a few more months, at which time Pixel Qi units may be out, if info is correct. That's the only device that I'd currently consider replacing the 1150 with: good B&W screen, better-than-eInk readability, with backlighting and color, and supposedly not expensive. Pity they haven't shown any mockups yet.

Sounds interesting..any links I can check out? I know no pics yet but I'm interested anyway :)

My 1150 is still going strong...never a problem. I'ts about 5 yrs old. So I can't justify another one now, but, I'd like to keep an eye on this, because nothing lasts forever and I'll need a new reader someday.... :)

~Yira

Pixel Qi (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42961) screens are based on One Laptop Per Child screens, with integral touch capability. Looks like a ten-inch diagonal is up first, which going from the OLPC's 200ppi screen, means a six-inch by eight-inch screen at 1200x1600 pixels mono, less in color mode.

I just got my eBookwise-1150 a couple months ago to replace a Palm z22 with a battery problem, and I really enjoy reading on it! Price and backlit screen were my biggest issues, and supporting companies less evil than Sony and Amazon was another big issue. I'm fairly happy with the device overall for at-home leisure reading.

I voted "eBookwise 1150 and ebook reader not mentioned above" because I also read on a Palm device. Even though the option specified non-Palm/phone devices, I still counted it because my Palm *is* a dedicated reading device for me. I was not happy with the eBookwise's clunkiness and so bought a Handspring Visor Neo specifically so I could a have a more pocket-friendly portable device for reading on the run.

Thankfully FW has the Blackberry version of ereader now so I am able to read on the run with just my current cellphone and no longer need to lug a non activated Treo 755p around for reading.

If I am going anywhere like the Dr. though I do bring the 1150 with me as I know I'll be waiting a loooong time. ;)