I am really struggling with a decision. I know most of the arguments comparing the two (size, eink vs backlit, price, etc etc), but what I would like to know is for those of you who are avid readers which of the two could you not part with if you could only have one?

If I had to choose, I would choose the iPod Touch only because I find it serviceable enough as an ereader and I cannot live without its other features (it replaced, for me, three other devices!) But with that said, I do really enjoy my Sony and read more on it now than I do on the iPod Touch. I also like that the Sony looks more like a book so it is less conspicuous to read around co-workers who assume an ipod is just for music and games.

For me, I do play games and listen to music/watch video on the ipod, so I would want it regardless of the ebook aspect. There are days I travel lightly and carry only that, there are also days I bring the Sony too. There are times where the Sony is a much better choice for me (e.g. at the gym, I can't read a tiny screen while moving) and loading content is easier on the Sony as you don't need an internet connection.

So I guess it comes down, for me, not so much to whether the iPod Touch is a good reader or not but its other functions. If I had to choose, I would privilege those other functions, but it does not mean it would be my preference for reading.

As an avid reader, I'd give up my iPod Touch. I could easily go back to my Palm, which has many of the same features as the iPod Touch, (music, audiobooks, reading apps limited video as well as its PIM features). The iPod Touch is more robust than my Palm but I'd survive without it.

I would *not* be reading as mush as I am now if I only had my Touch or Palm. In fact, just owning my Kindle had kicked me back into being an avid reader (I haven't been one in some years).

While I can read on my iphone, and read my first full length novel on it the other night. I would say I would keep my eb1150 over the iphone as a ereader.

My main gripe? iphone you have to turn the pages ALL the time. With even a slightly larger screen I feel like I don't have to change the page as much. I also find the larger eb1150 is more comfortable to hold, where the iphone is a tad small for long periods of time, even with my little hands. I also like being able to push a button to switch the page, with the iphone you have to touch the screen.

The bright side, the contrast of the text with the iphone screen is very crisp and it is lighted, I found it comfortable on my eyes. I don't have an eink reader normally so I am used to having a lcd type screen.

Also being able to order kindle books is great, because there have been books that I have wanted but have not been released through other ebook seller websites. The bad news? Being able to instantly order books could cause my book reading expenses to go up exponentially!

Overall it is probably a personal preference.

The iphone is great because it is multifunctional, which is why I have it, and I will keep books on it for times when I don't have my eb1150 with me. But my eb1150 will be my primary ereader.

Amy

I have both. I much prefer my EZ Reader, but I Touch is very servicable. For me, the battery life is the Touch downfall as a eReader.

If I could have an Iphone the decision would be moot, as that is definitely the way I would go. But I cannot afford the ongoing cost of the iphone. So, the Touch or a dedicated reader are my only option. My biggest problem with the reader is the limited text size. The Sony, the only one I would consider, only has 3 sizes and in some books even the largest is to small. So, some books I might never get for my reader and the thought of really wanting to read a certain book and having to read it on paper while my $300 reader sits idle would bug the snot out of me.

Thanks for the input, but I am still not sure which way to go. The battery life and small screen of the Touch has me concerned. I know my regular cell phone is a pain with it having to be charged every 3rd day and all, and I don't hardly use it. So, I bet the Touch would even be worse. That does not sound appealing at all.

I can't part with my iPhone. I have a Sony Reader but I almost always read with my iPhone (same screen as the iPod touch), which is always with me. Plus, it's really great to check out and try the many apps in the App Store -- for the times when I'm not reading.

My main problem actually is which ebook reader to stick with: eReader or Stanza. Both of which are continually updated and just gets better.

Good luck!

I have both a Sony 505 and an iPod Touch. If it's solely for the function of reading, I'd give up the iPod Touch. Reading on the Sony is just more comfortable for me, and there's just no comparison when it comes to battery life. The Touch comes in handy for reading in cases when I don't have the Sony with me (it's small and easy to carry around). However, the Touch is so useful in many other ways besides reading that I would be hard pressed to give it up entirely.

If you're going some place where you don't have wifi access (ergo, no easy access to content), do consider that it's a pain transferring a bunch of ebooks to the iPod Touch. You basically have to save each book one by one via wifi while you're still at home. I guess that's akin to trying to figure out which paperbooks to bring with you when you travel. However, isn't one of the advantages of getting an ebook reader being able to bring a whole library of books with you so you have a wealth of reading selections to choose from?

My wife has an iPod Touch and I would give it up easily because if I was to purchase a new DAP, I'd go with one of the Cowon models that play more music formats and is not made by Apple. Also, the battery life of the iPod Touch is terrible to use as a dedicated eBook display device.

I gave up the Sony, as I rarely used it, but the Touch is my keeper. Certainly the Sony had some specific advantages, the eInk is very nice, and the battery life is great. The Touch is just a better all-around device, for me at least.

The battery life is not nearly as good, but reading for two to three hours a day, I still only need to recharge every three days or so. The wireless access to my usual sources of ebooks (eReader, Feedbooks, Smashwords, etc.) is great. It is always handy, and I can read in any light, or lack thereof. Transferring files from the desktop is a weakness, no question, though Calibre seems to work well for most people. For myself, I find that most of my content is direct-download so it not been much of an issue.

Your mileage may vary. Ultimately, it comes down to how you'll use it. As someone mentioned, if you don't have any WiFi access, the Touch would be a very poor choice. I only have WiFi at home, but it is all I need and very useful.

Good luck with your decision.

The Bandit

Thanks all. I think the decision may be moot because I am finding too many faults with the ereader to possibly even consider it now. There are some major obstacles that it just can't seem to get past that as of yet I have not seen on Ipod books.

What might just save the Ipod as a reader for me is the new Kindle app. I found access to Amazon's complete Kindle library to be a huge advantage. No klugey formatting or applications needed to get the books to the Touch. Just buy and load. Loooove that. Will most likely go with the Touch.

Another question now arises. Do any of you Touch users find it annoying to be turning pages all the time. Because you gotta be turning pages constantly and frequently right?

Does that get old. Me, with my poor eyesight will have the font so high that there will most likely not be more than 3 words per line and thus I will be turning pages every 5 seconds. Issues with that?

Will you enjoy reading small text on a small screen through a haze of fingerprints and having the battery die in the middle of reading?

Do any of you Touch users find it annoying to be turning pages all the time. Because you gotta be turning pages constantly and frequently right?

Does that get old. Me, with my poor eyesight will have the font so high that there will most likely not be more than 3 words per line and thus I will be turning pages every 5 seconds. Issues with that?

It does not bother me at all, though it is one of the reasons I do not use the Kindle app. Both Stanza and eReader apps can be set to page turn with a tap rather than a swipe. It may seem a rather subtle difference, but I find the swiping gets old rather quickly, while the taps don't bother me. I do keep the font fairly large when I read without my glasses (which I often do in bed).

The Kindle app is not quite as mature as Stanza and eReader, so some of the options, are not available. I expect we will see some revisions in the future, but for now the Kindle app is pretty bare bones. Some of the other options offered on one or both of the others include custom fonts, colors (including inverse or custom night schemes), screen rotation, dictionary integration, margins/line spacing and others. Of course, neither offers access to the Kindle books or whispersync functionality, so another trade off.

The Bandit

Will you enjoy reading small text on a small screen through a haze of fingerprints

My answer is, at least to the latter premise, "Yes". I have almost never noticed a "haze" of fingerprints on my iPod Touch, and, when I have noticed similar (full sun perhaps), I've wiped it on my shirt/shorts/whatever to clean it. I am a frequent user of it, mostly with applications that require touching the screen continuously, but "fingerprints" have never been a problem worth noting to myself. I cannot empathise with the reactions of those who do find them bothersome.

and having the battery die in the middle of reading?

Well, as my usage patterns would generally have me only reading this for rare moments of unexpected downtime away from home, I'd only foresee me reading on it for 10's of minutes rather than hours. If I used it as my primary reading device, that would be in bed, where I'd inevitably have my charging cable handy to keep it charged. So, this would also likely not be a problem worth noting to me.

Having both, if I had to give up either, I'd easily give up the Iliad. The iPod Touch is a multi-application device out of which I get a hell of a lot of non-reading-related use through its available applications (and then there's the music), and even if I didn't want to actually read on it, in the absence of the Iliad I can still get all the pbooks I want. For preference to read on, however, the Iliad wins by a large margin.

Cheers,
Marc

If I had to give up one, I'd give up my iPod touch in a heartbeat over my Sony. I don't read at all on my iPod though.

My answer is, at least to the latter premise, "Yes". I have almost never noticed a "haze" of fingerprints on my iPod Touch, and, when I have noticed similar (full sun perhaps), I've wiped it on my shirt/shorts/whatever to clean it. I am a frequent user of it, mostly with applications that require touching the screen continuously, but "fingerprints" have never been a problem worth noting to myself. I cannot empathise with the reactions of those who do find them bothersome.


I quite agree with this. The issue of fingerprints is a red herring.

Both.

iPhone/Touch = With you all / most of time = Convenience, small and
EXTREMELY capable as a dedicated reader! (battery life and 'finger
prints' is negligible), Conversion required from PDF and other formats...

PRS700 = Excellent for extended reading with multiple volumes and search
based research. Excellent PDF handling and ease of use.

Both, have their uses and advantages and that why I use BOTH!

Does that get old. Me, with my poor eyesight will have the font so high that there will most likely not be more than 3 words per line and thus I will be turning pages every 5 seconds. Issues with that?




I found that having to change pages so frequently annoying. But I am also a very fast reader.

I have an iPhone. It's an excellent general use device and I have used it to read ebooks. I like the device and would buy it again. However, I have had to hack it to get certain features I happen to need. The phone unhacked is almost worthless to me.

I've just ordered a Sony PRS 505. When that arrives I'll update the comment to include a comparison between the two. I expect I'll much prefer the Sony to my iPhone for reading, but then again the iPhone is with me at all times regardless of whether I plan to read. Unless I carry the 505 with me everywhere I go, the multifunction portability of the iPhone really adds to its convenience.

If I could get an iphone, the decision would be over. I would get that. But for many reasons, I can't. So, it is either a Sony reader or an Ipod Touch. Still trying to decide which to get. Have not gotten either yet. I can't get both. By the time I decide there will be a new reader out and a new Touch out and the decision may be easier.

Still reading paper for now and have no pocket device.

By the time I decide there will be a new reader out and a new Touch out and the decision may be easier.

Don't bank on it being easier decision - and to be honest, it's always going to have to be your decision, whatever our opinions.

I think the question really is what are you going to use it for most of all? I have an iPhone and a Cybook, my wife has an iPod Touch and a Cybook; the Cybooks are for reading, nothing else; I read occasionally on my iPhone if I find myself hanging around whilst out and about. My wife never reads on her IPT.

If you mostly want a device for reading, then get a reader. Most of them will also play MP3 files in one way or another, but that's about the extent of their versatility. If you want to be able to use it as a PDA, listen to music, pick up your email, access the internet and make Skype calls from wifi hotspots, watch the odd movie, play a few games, oh, and read a book occasionally, then go for the iPod Touch. Like others have posted here, I have no problem reading on the iPTs screen, and find the whole 'fingerprint and battery life' complaints absurd.

I'd also suggest you try out both devices before making the purchase - perhaps using the 'view a device in a cafe near you' list on these very boards.

Best of luck with your decision - let us know what you go for.

Cheers, Pete.

p.s. I wouldn't want to be without either of my devices, but if push came to shove I can't imagine being without iPhone/iPT, so the Cybook'd be history :eek: - though for reasons other than reading...

Given the choice between giving up the CyBook or the iPod, it would be the iPod without hesitation. The iPod is a useful "toy"; the CyBook is an essential part of my life :).

I am really struggling with a decision. I know most of the arguments comparing the two (size, eink vs backlit, price, etc etc), but what I would like to know is for those of you who are avid readers which of the two could you not part with if you could only have one?

I have an iphone and a Sony 505. If I had to make a choice, I'd take the iphone, and if it were a Touch rather than an iphone, I'd take the Touch, assuming that I'd have a separate phone - and even if I had no other programs on the Touch (not even iTunes) other than reading programs and Safari.

I use the 505 along with calibre to read internet articles, magazines and public domain books. I don't tend to read ebooks that I have to purchase, in part because I use a mac and do not have easy access to as many current ebooks as I would if I could access Amazon or the Sony bookstore, which does not work with a mac. But that's fine, because there's a lot of good public domain reading out there.

But on my iphone, I have discovered a quartet of apps which make it astonishingly useful as an ereader. The apps are Stanza, Kindle, Google Books and Instapaper Pro.

The Stanza app is my main iphone reader. I use in conjunction with Stanza Desktop. This app allows me to buy books directly from Fictionwise, plus sync with the Desktop to get nearly any public domain book I want. (edit: I have just learned how to use calibre to move books into Stanza, and it is a bit easier to do. http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/user_manual/faq.html?highlight=iphone)

Kindle and Google Books are essentially emergency alternatives to Stanza. The Kindle app is the one I use least, simply because as I said, I don't tend to buy recent ebooks. Plus I don't like Amazon for reasons I've articulated on another thread, and try not to use it except as a last resort. But nevertheless, it affords the best access on the iphone to current ebooks, if I can't find them on Fictionwise. Google Books is a bit clumsy to use on the iphone, but once you locate a book you want to read it's easy enough to use. However, I don't know if it stores books on the iphone or accesses the file via the phone network, so it might not perform as needed on the Touch. I use it mainly for certain pdfs that won't translate to Stanza.

So far, what I have listed is essentially a combination of iphone apps which basically compete with my 505. Because of the Kindle app, I could get a little more by way of current ebooks on my iphone, but the Sony combined with calibre gives me magazines and newspapers not generally available on the iPhone. I might add that calibre can be used to get all kinds of internet articles & upload them to the Sony, but the same could be done via the Stanza Desktop, although not as neatly & easily.

The app that pushes the iphone over the top for me is Instapaper Pro. http://www.instapaper.com/ It works as a Firefox ad-on and as an iPhone app. The app comes in a free version and a 10 buck pro version.

First, you put Instapaper on your toolbar. Click on the button & it saves a copy of the web page you are viewing to a server somewhere. You wind up with a list of all the articles you have saved, in either web page or text format. You can read them in your browser if you want.

But on the iphone, once you've selected your articles via Firefox on your computer, you sync the app and all your downloads are on your iPhone. In the pro version, you can resize the text, email the article, touch any embedded links to invoke Safari, and exit/return to the same point in the article, as a kind of bookmark. Plus, you have something called "tiltscroll" which allows you to just tilt the iPhone back & forth to have the text/webpage slowly scroll while you read it - no need to touch or swipe.

So...with this combination I can get most of what I want to read on my iphone. I can get a bit less on my 505.

The 505 is easier on the eyes. The 505 can show more text per page, and is therefore a little easier to dive into & push the device out of your consciousness.

But the iphone goes wherever I go. On the whole, it requires less fiddling with to load it with reading material. I have found that it does disappear from consciousness as I read. The Stanza app page turning is by a tap (better than a swipe) and it uses a page-curl effect that has a psychological "flow" effect by dragging your attention from the bottom right of the page to the top left of the next one (better than the fadeout/fadein of the 505.)

And the cherry on the top of the sundae is that I also have access to iTunes, with the audiobooks, podcasts, music and even videos.

If all I read were ebooks, and if I always had a large pocket or briefcase with me, or did all my reading at home - I might chose the 505. But given that I always seem to be going somewhere, I'd take the Touch.

Funny thing is, I often find myself reading on my iphone at home, even though I have the exact same material on my 505 or on my computer. :D

Wow, this is a tough question. I'd probably give up the sony before I'd give up my iphone. But I never read books on my iphone. I tried that with an old Dell Axim and it was just not friendly on the eyes. If I gave up the sony I'd be reading paperbacks again.

Given the choice between giving up the CyBook or the iPod, it would be the iPod without hesitation. The iPod is a useful "toy"; the CyBook is an essential part of my life :).

I can't criticize your take on your CyBook, and its relation to your life, but I'll guarantee you that the iPod is no toy.

It's a portable music library. I'm pretty serious about music. Particularly serious music. I've done the Ring Cycle twice, & will do it again. Seen Copland conduct the Chicago Symphony, not to mention Solti & Muti. And the best preparation for any concert or performance is to download whatever is being performed to my ipod, and couple it with lectures from outfits like The Teaching Company.

It's a portable college. I've listened to hours upon hours of lectures from the Teaching Company, on my ipod - music, religion, theatre, history - you name it.

It's a portable storyteller. I have audiobooks galore. If you have merely read Harry Potter, and not listened to Jim Dale's audiobook reading, you have not really enjoyed yourself as much as you might think. And if you have read Angela's Ashes, but not heard McCourt reading it, there's more you've missed.

It's a portable encyclopedia. Any time I want to know something, I have all this knowledge right in my pocket, waiting to be learned.

And it's a portable library. I'm speaking as a bookworm from the time I was, well, I dunno. I can't remember not being able to read. Probably since I was three or four. I've read in tents and in trees and under the blankets with a flashlight. I'm one of those guys who reads several books at a time, stashed strategically around the house, in my briefcase, & at work. In fact, the hardest part of using my 505 is that I have to remember to haul it around with me. It tends to stay by my easy chair. But my ipod, in it's iphone incarnation, spends more & more time following me around...

Do don't dis the iPod. It is a very versatile tool for educated living. :thumbsup:

I would give up my Kindle before my iPhone, but if I just had my iPhone I'd never read on it (except the occasional reference or absolutely having nothing else to do). I don't think the two can even compare...

I just can't stare at that tiny screen (backlit) especially.

Well, what it comes down to is most, not all, with Iphones, would take them over their readers. Unfortunately, I am not getting much feedback from Touch users since that is the only 'I' device I can consider. I was afraid that might happen. Not being a phone I think most think of the Touch as a fancy mp3 player and not a 'serious' device.

Plus, I have been thinking about the price. I would never be happy with anything less than a 32g and the real price of that with tax, extended warranty, protective case, and a smattering of apps would be clost to $600. And that is way way to much for a little pocket entertainment device. Period. On the other hand paying over $300 to read books I can continue to read at no additional cost on paper is a tough call as well considering the device does nothing else.

Thanks for the input all and I see your arguments both ways. Bottom line I will never be content with just one of these, so, I better skip them both for now. Just keep saving til I can afford both. Thanks.

Mrgauth, the iPod touch is basically an iPhone without the phone and camera. If you want a 32 gig and the price is too high, just go with an eink device. Personally, I'm still happy paying $300 for one, considering the easy access to so many free books, plus the discounts and no shelf space. I'm a huge reader though, so it really pays off for me. If you aren't, then the iPod is a better choice, since you can do multiple things on it.

I have a Sony 505 and an iPhone with Stanza. I used to do all my reading on my Sony but lately I've been reading more and more on the iPhone. After a couple of minutes I stop noticing the small screen and just focus on the story. With the added advantage that I always have the phone with me.

That said whichever the original poster chooses I think he'll be pleased.

This is an interesting thread. I just got a 505 and shortly after I decided I wanted an Ipod touch. When I realized I wanted one, I didn't even realize you could ebooks on them. I have since decided to hold off on the Ipod touch for a short while...maybe in the next month or two, I'll get one. However, I really don't think I'd be doing much reading on the Itouch, if I had the 505. The 505 is just as easy to take with me anywhere. I wanted the Ipod touch for the other applications and games that it has. But If I do end up getting an Ipod touch, I know I won't regret having both. ♦

Not being a phone I think most think of the Touch as a fancy mp3 player and not a 'serious' device.

Wrong wrong wrong. The phone part is nice, but the Touch has all the essential stuff. A Touch is just the iPhone without the phone - and even then, with all the free wifi around, you can actually get phone connectivity via skype, and of course, internet connectivity here & there.

What the Touch really is, is an extension of your home computer. Think of it as a speedboat for your yacht! When you head off in the speedboat, you just take along the essentials, depending on your destination.

Plus, I have been thinking about the price. I would never be happy with anything less than a 32g and the real price of that with tax, extended warranty, protective case, and a smattering of apps would be clost to $600. And that is way way to much for a little pocket entertainment device. Period. On the other hand paying over $300 to read books I can continue to read at no additional cost on paper is a tough call as well considering the device does nothing else.

Yeah, price is a problem. You could probably survive with a 16g, though, if you do a bit of management once a week. You don't need the extended warranty. You are more likely to lose or drop it than to have something go wrong that the warranty covers. My rule is that I only buy warranties for laptops. Apps cost little or nothing. The ebook apps are all free.

But you are still looking at 400 bucks, with a case plus taxes.

This is an interesting thread. I just got a 505 and shortly after I decided I wanted an Ipod touch. When I realized I wanted one, I didn't even realize you could ebooks on them. I have since decided to hold off on the Ipod touch for a short while...maybe in the next month or two, I'll get one. However, I really don't think I'd be doing much reading on the Itouch, if I had the 505. The 505 is just as easy to take with me anywhere. I wanted the Ipod touch for the other applications and games that it has. But If I do end up getting an Ipod touch, I know I won't regret having both. ♦

What I'm finding is that my 505 stays at home. Now, I do have an iphone rather than a Touch, so I'd be carrying it anyway. But what seems to be happening to me is that my 505 has become just another book. It has not displaced my treebooks, in part because I tend to buy used, and in part because what I buy used is not generally stuff that's available in ebook format.

The test of my 505 is going to be next week, when I'm traveling. I am not taking any treebook with me. Usually, I take four books on the plane in my briefcase, and pack another four or five in my luggage. And I also take several magazines.

I quite agree with this. The issue of fingerprints is a red herring.

It's really quite astonishing. If I look at the screen of my iPhone, I can see that it's all smudged up. But somehow, that has exactly no impact on my viewing experience.

The iPhone screen is a marvel. About ten years ago, I got my eyes lasered, having become extremely nearsighted from all the reading I did in the womb. I had one eye corrected to 20/20, and the other to 20/40, in order to limit my need for reading glasses. While I do use reading glasses for comfort, for treebooks, computers, and my 505, I can get along without them, and I flat don't need them for reading the iPhone.

Now, that's amazing enough. But here's the thing - it turns out that I have a minor defect in my 20/40 eye, apparently an artifact from the laser surgery. I never even noticed it until I got the iphone. The screen is that clear and sharp.

I'd also suggest you try out both devices before making the purchase - perhaps using the 'view a device in a cafe near you' list on these very boards.

Sage advice. If you can, try them out under real world conditions. I tend to get a little carsick when I read my 505 on the bus, but I don't have that problem with my iPhone. I figure it must have something to do with how I hold them, or maybe with how much eye-travel is required to read each. But the fact remains...

I would give up my Kindle before my iPhone, but if I just had my iPhone I'd never read on it (except the occasional reference or absolutely having nothing else to do). I don't think the two can even compare...

I just can't stare at that tiny screen (backlit) especially.

Different strokes, & all that. But the Stanza has a reverse screen feature, that puts white type on a black screen. It's supposed to be spouse friendly, for reading in bed, or maybe for dealing with glare while you catch some rays on the beach. You might try it for your backlight issue.

Plus on Stanza, you can adjust the backlight down down down....

I thought I would leave the Sony at home too. But I find that even when I am actually, truly reading for work, people never believe it when they see me using the Touch and the Sony looks like a regular book. So I do take it to work with me and am reading less on the iPod now that I have it.

It does not bother me at all, though it is one of the reasons I do not use the Kindle app. Both Stanza and eReader apps can be set to page turn with a tap rather than a swipe. It may seem a rather subtle difference, but I find the swiping gets old rather quickly, while the taps don't bother me. I do keep the font fairly large when I read without my glasses (which I often do in bed).


I use the Instapaper app in the pro version, which has a setting that allows the print to scroll based on slightly tilting the iphone/pod. It works very well - better than the tap, in my experience.

What would be very nice would to be able to move to the next page by a simple to & fro tilt. Combine that with the curl effect in Stanza, & I think it would be a psychologically satisfying reading experience.

The iPhone screen is a marvel. About ten years ago, I got my eyes lasered, having become extremely nearsighted from all the reading I did in the womb. I had one eye corrected to 20/20, and the other to 20/40, in order to limit my need for reading glasses. While I do use reading glasses for comfort, for treebooks, computers, and my 505, I can get along without them, and I flat don't need them for reading the iPhone.


With respect, the iPhone screen is a perfectly standard 320x480 LCD screen, neither better nor worse than any PDA with the same screen (which many have). It is no "marvel" ;).

I use the Instapaper app in the pro version, which has a setting that allows the print to scroll based on slightly tilting the iphone/pod. It works very well - better than the tap, in my experience.

What would be very nice would to be able to move to the next page by a simple to & fro tilt. Combine that with the curl effect in Stanza, & I think it would be a psychologically satisfying reading experience.

I tried using the tilt/scroll feature for a while -- it seemed like a perfect fit for those times I was stuck standing on the bus and had only one hand free. Unfortunately, I could never seem to hold steady enough, it was just too sensitive, and text would keep shifting as I was trying to read. Very uncomfortable.

Eventually I got quite used to holding the Touch in one hand and tapping with my thumb, and it has become a very comfortable position. On the other hand, I am also not using Instapaper much these days, so it is something of a non-issue.

The Bandit

If having an ebook did not COMPLETELY replace paper books, I would not even consider an ebook. Just too much money to not go 100% on it. So, that is a factor as well I need to consider. Could I live without ever buying a paperback again? Might mean missing some really good books.

I dunno. May have to skip the whole ebook thing afterall now that I mull that over...

If having an ebook did not COMPLETELY replace paper books, I would not even consider an ebook. Just too much money to not go 100% on it. So, that is a factor as well I need to consider. Could I live without ever buying a paperback again? Might mean missing some really good books.

I dunno. May have to skip the whole ebook thing afterall now that I mull that over...

Do you have anyone who could buy you an ebook device as a present? That'll get rid of the guilt :)

My system for buying works like this. I check for the ebook first. If it's not available (or it's overpriced, not often), I check the library. If the library doesn't have it, then I get the pbook. Since i'm in PA, I can go to any library with an access card, so I go to the really good library 20 miles away. With this method, I've only bought maybe 10 pbooks in the past year (and a few of those were because I had a bookstore gift certificate). And I only do it this way for convenience. I'd much much rather read an ebook than a pbook.

If you are thinking about a Kindle, and need to offset the costs, you can do two things (among others, of course), to earn amazon gift certificates. One is if you have a coinstar machine nearby (like in a grocery store), they'll waive the coin counting fee if you choose the option of getting an amazon gift certificate. And then start picking change up off the ground :D

Also, I use a search engine that gives me "bucks" for using their search engine, and those bucks can be used to buy gift certificates. I've been using them for months and they don't spam, and send the gift certificates in a very timely manner. If you used their engine every day, you could earn a $5 gift certificate in two weeks. It's not a lot, but it helps and it's easy. Here's the link:
http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=121492
*disclaimer* Yes, I get credit for referrals. You are more than welcome to just go to the main site if you don't want me to get credit. I use the credits for Starbucks gift certificates :D

I wish. Nope, not gonna happen. And honestly, that is what it comes down to-guilt. In this crazy world there are sooooo many better things to spend my money on that I have a hard time justifying it. Of course, realize that this is coming from someone who has not been on vacation for 16 years because I don't want to waste the money. I am very frugal.

If these readers were $99 I think not only I but 1/2 the population would be all over them easily. Maybe someday.

As for saving coins I do have a coin basket with about $125 in it and I often do take them to a coinstar. Didn't know you could get Amazon gift cards from them. Cool. Will have to check that out. That is a good idea. I would not get a Kindle, as I don't like the screen, but they do sell the Sony PRS's.

You all have been very thoughtful with the suggestions and all and I am mulling it all over. Funny thing is though, this whole time I have been buying ebooks like I had a reader. How wierd is that?!

With respect, the iPhone screen is a perfectly standard 320x480 LCD screen, neither better nor worse than any PDA with the same screen (which many have). It is no "marvel" ;).

Interesting. Somehow, when the screen is downsized to the iPhone size, it seems terrific. Whenever I show my iPhone to someone, they remark on the clarity.

But it is a marvel, nonetheless. You are just too used to the marvelous to see it! :)

I tried using the tilt/scroll feature for a while -- it seemed like a perfect fit for those times I was stuck standing on the bus and had only one hand free. Unfortunately, I could never seem to hold steady enough, it was just too sensitive, and text would keep shifting as I was trying to read. Very uncomfortable.

Yeah, the bus ride can be a problem, depending on the driver, and on whether you have a seat.

Eventually I got quite used to holding the Touch in one hand and tapping with my thumb, and it has become a very comfortable position.

What I'd like is to be able to just flick my wrist a little, & get the next page. Or at least, I think I'd like it.

On the other hand, I am also not using Instapaper much these days, so it is something of a non-issue.

I find myself using Instapaper more & more. Unfortunately, I can't put it on my work computer, so when I'm browsing around (on my lunch hour, honest, officer!) I have to do a "send link" to my home computer, or my iPhone, & IP it later.

It occurs to me that the reading experience is being deconstructed. First, it moved onto television. The books went to Masterpiece Theatre, the magazines to 60 Minutes, and the newspapers to the Evening News. Now the reading experience has migrated to computers on blogs, podcasts, audiobooks & RSS, and is on its way to ebooks and telephones. Meanwhile, reading itself is being broken up into "chunks" that fit the various media accessing the reading material. What works on my Sony 505 does not always work on my iPhone, & vice versa. The kind of stuff I read on my iPhone via Instapaper is really not worth downloading to my 505, even using the Bookit widget that sends things to calibre. What I listen to on audioblogs wouldn't work on television.

If I had to choose, it would be my Iphone (Not a touch I know but more), because, it does just act as an e-reader for me, but theres the other things as well.

Having said that - both go with me almost everywhere.

If I had to choose, it would be my Iphone (Not a touch I know but more), because, it does just act as an e-reader for me, but theres the other things as well.

Having said that - both go with me almost everywhere.
If you had an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone, which would you then choose?

I would choose my Sony Reader over my touch easily. I like the touch as a more portable book reader for when I dont want to take my prs-505. In all actualality I think I am going to sell my Touch on fleabay soon. Its slick with a nice capacitive display, but it doesnt handle MP3s well, it doesnt handle videos well, and the appstore is overrated with the best program being stanza out there.

I have an iPhone which i would give up for anything but i would keep my Sony Reader over my ipod touch anyday

I stopped using my iTouch altogether now that I have my Sony PRS-505. I got used quickly to using the iTouch before I owned the Sony, but now I find it increasingly difficult to use it for reading.

I would keep both, my Sony reader and my Touch go everywhere with me.

I have neither device, so I'm not directly answering your question, but I was in the same position agonizing over getting an iTouch or an iPhone for several months, with the possibility of giving up physical books for ebooks as a factor, though the quality of internet access (both reading and writing) was my main concern. I was looking for an alternative to the sub-2" screen on my SE W580i phone, which caused noticeable eyestrain.

The solution I found was "none of the above;" I ended up with the MSI Wind U100, a netbook. While it can't serve me as an on-the-go MP3 player, neither could the iPhone or iTouch, due to the exorbitant cost of the larger-storage models, which are still too small. As a reader, I'm finding it superb. So long as I adjust brightness to my lighting conditions, I get zero eyestrain from the display, even reading in the dark in bed. The one con is the weight--at 3lbs, it's perfectly comfortable to prop on my chest in bed or cradle in my lap on the train or in an armchair, but you're not going to hold it up in front of your face for very long unless you're a bodybuilder or a Sherpa. If you have any interest in comic books, it also works great with CDisplay.

Anyway, you might consider a netbook. For me, it met the cost-to-utility ratio where none of the "i" products could (and a dedicated reader definitely could not). You have a lot of options these days in the $275-$400 price bracket. What sold me on the Wind were the price ($300) and good reviews of the keyboard. For battery life, the eeePCs are much better, but I plug in at home and at work and never run out of juice between. The only times I run down the battery are reading on the porch, which is pretty easily remedied by getting up and doing something while it charges back up :D

I stopped using my iTouch altogether now that I have my Sony PRS-505. I got used quickly to using the iTouch before I owned the Sony, but now I find it increasingly difficult to use it for reading.

It's happening the other way around for me - I'm reading more & more on my iPhone. But the reason is that most of the books I read in e-form are not available to me on my 505, due to the disregard Sony has for Mac customers.

In fact, I am seriously considering getting a Kindle because of (1) the sync between the Kindle App and the Kindle when one reads a particular book, and (2) the larger universe of new books available from Amazon because of the aforesaid neglect by Sony of the Mac.

But putting all that aside, the fact of the matter is that because of the different ebook apps available for the iPhone/Touch, the iPhone/Touch wins if I had to go with just one reader.

The major advantage the 505 has over the Kindle is that it is smaller and therefore more portable. But my 505 is staying at home these days, because I have all the portable access I need with my iPhone.

With portability no longer in play, I am beginning to consider my ebook reader as being in two parts - the home base reader and the iphone. But all too much I find that the books I can get for my iPhone I can't get for my 505, but I could get for a Kindle.

Since I discovered the new improved Stanza and especially the ability of reading on black background with white letters - I'd prefer a slightly orange/yellow tone like on the 770 but white will do - I have been using the iTouch more than the 700 for some books, with the 700 more for others.

It's essentially about text flow vs speed of reading - I read faster on the Touch since I can scan the whole screen at a glance, but there are books not suitable for that where I need to have a bigger chunk of text for scanning.

Since the Touch is my main portable music device, I would always have one such for the car irrespective of e-reading, so the question is if that would be enough and the answer is mostly yes, but I would always want a bigger screen device - needs not be eink btw - for selected books, so in a nutshell I would definitely give up the 700 since the Touch is more versatile and is good enough for most ebooks but I'd rather have both

Boy, that's a hard question. I don't have an iPod Touch, but if I had to choose between my e-book reader and my mp3 player *and* PDA (which is basically what a Touch would be for me)... I'd keep the e-book reader. But not without a whimper.

I can read e-books on my PDA, but the display is a lot less comfortable to read, and my e-book reader (a Kindle) is much more capable in terms of contacting the web, and obtaining new books, than my current PDA. Part of that is where I live--rural Tennessee, meaning wifi is available at home and at the library (and the only reason I have WiFi access there is that my husband works at the local college) and nowhere else, while Whispernet has pretty good coverage.

I really like that my PDA can function as my auxiliary brain and beep to remind me of chores and appointments, but I could go back to using a paper calendar and such.

I love my mp3 player, not least because it can record to mp3 (which the iPod touch can't do, as far as I know), but day-to-day I use it most for listening to the radio (which the iPod touch also can't do). But I could get a little radio for pretty cheap if I gave up the mp3 player, and I now have another, better mp3 recorder, and I could live without the tunes if necessary.

But I really really would hate to have to live without my magic book.

I'm thinking about getting an iPod Touch, because both my PDA and my mp3 player are getting a bit old and battered, but haven't made the move yet. Maybe for my birthday, or for Christmas, I'll ask for one.

To answer the original question, I would keep my Kindle, but the I wouldn't willingly give up my iPod Touch. It's handy when I'm somewhere I don't want to have to carry the Kindle. But it also has other uses--like all the games and apps. It functions as a PDA for me, and my grandson loves all the preschool educational games I have on it.

I solved the finger print problem by using the "Product Image Power Support Anti-Glare Film Set for iPod touch" by Apple. It's matte finish pretty much eliminates the finger print problem. Using it as a reader when away from home does require pre-planning as books must be loaded while having access to the Internet.

My Sony Prs-505.

The reader and ipod perform two different functions, albeit with some crossover: ereader-books, ipod-music.

I can listen to music on my PC (home and work) and my car stereo when traveling. The ipod touch is just a convenient way of keeping my tunes with me and available for listening. Although my reader has mp3 capability, I never listen to music on the reader.

The ipod can't touch the ereader for reading books. I like to read 6-8 books a month plus daily newspapers on my reader. Trying to read this much on a ipod would drive me crazy. The ipod screen is much to small for extended reading.

If you have to choose between the two, choose based on which function you prefer: music or reading. If you want to use the ipod primarily for music and infrequently for reading, (i.e. on plane trips etc.), by all means, buy the ipod. If you plan to read a lot buy a dedicated reader. The reader will be much easier on your eyes.

In either case: Enjoy!!

If you are thinking about a Kindle, and need to offset the costs, you can do two things (among others, of course), to earn amazon gift certificates. One is if you have a coinstar machine nearby (like in a grocery store), they'll waive the coin counting fee if you choose the option of getting an amazon gift certificate. And then start picking change up off the ground :D

This is actually how I purchased my ereader. I took about a years worth of spare change, ($250), and used a coinstar Amazon certificate to buy my Sony prs-505. Until now I've been absorbing the 9% fee for converting my coins to cash. Never again.

This is actually how I purchased my ereader. I took about a years worth of spare change, ($250), and used a coinstar Amazon certificate to buy my Sony prs-505. Until now I've been absorbing the 9% fee for converting my coins to cash. Never again.

I roll my own change. I find it oddly satisfying.

But if I could get Sony gift certificates from the coinstar? I'd be on that so fast!

I use both everyday and can't see giving up either. It's kind of like asking a parent which of their kids they would give up. (btw The answer is normally all of them.)

I have reading apps installed on the Touch but I never use it for reading. I do have it as a backup if I broke my Cybook. If I had to choose I would give up the Touch before the Cybook.

If I had to give up one or the other. I would give up the touch. I have not bought a pbook for myself in since I got my first reader.

I am happy with my reader and wouldn't have it anyother way.

I have an ipod touch, a hanlin v3, a sony prs-505, and a Hanvon n516 (the latter three are all e-paper based readers). I would never, ever, even consider reading a book on the ipod touch. Notice I don't even list my ipod touch in the list of reading devices I own. For me, there is no question. Without e-paper, I would just read paper books. An e-book on LCD? Thanks, but no.

I have an ipod touch, a hanlin v3, a sony prs-505, and a Hanvon n516 (the latter three are all e-paper based readers). I would never, ever, even consider reading a book on the ipod touch. Notice I don't even list my ipod touch in the list of reading devices I own. For me, there is no question. Without e-paper, I would just read paper books. An e-book on LCD? Thanks, but no.

I have an iPhone (yes, with stanza installed) and a Sony PRS-505. For the rest the same as above. I adore my iPhone, but I can not read extensively on a backlit active screen. I read lengthy stuff (30+ pages) from e-Ink, or from paper. Or not at all.

I have an Iliad, N95 and now recently have come across a used but good ITouch(got it mainly to get used to the itouch/iphone concept).
I am avoiding getting a new apple device as i want to see if they will release one with expandable memory and better camera in iphone (hopefully may know after june).

I use my n95 mainly for music, camera and RSS via mobireader. Hope to pit the itouch against it now. The Iliad is for the more serious, tech books or the very kiddish, comics. :D

Hope to put the n95 and the itouch to good use esp since I am really babying my Iliad and so leave it at home all the time.

I would keep my Kindle 1 over my I pod Touch. Even though I live in a rural area & do not have the whispernet access. I have to use my computer to get my books, unless I travel 3 hours to get somewhere with wispernet.
I find I read on my Kindle & use my I pod touch for music & a few games.

Hmmm looks like I'm gonna be the contrary one here then :)

I owned both a Sony PRS-505 and an Ipod Touch. I got rid of the Sony, I hated it. Given the choice between reading on my itouch or an E-ink device the touch wins hands down every time.

First of all I mainly read in bed on my side and the touch is the perfect size to hold in one hand and with stanza it couldn't be easier to turn pages, my eye-sight is very good so I have no problem with reading a small font so I'm not turning pages every second though that wouldn't be a problem as at least with stanza the page turn is instant, that could never be said about the Sony. The Sony was just too big to hold comfortably in one hand and the button positions for me personally were awful. The screen going black when it turned a page was just too off putting for me it detracted from the enjoyment of the book.

The second reason again comes from reading in bed as i like to read with the light off, I read for 3-4 hours a night and I read till I fall asleep, if I have to move to switch the light off I'm awake again and it's another couple of hours before i fall asleep (weird I know...) the touch is perfect for this as it switches itself off after 3 minutes.

I've never had a problem with reading off an lcd screen and being an optician (no longer practicing) I also know that the majority of people who complain of eyestrain when doing so are having a psychsomatic response because they've been "told" that's what will happen. The main reason a lot of people have these problems is they get into a kind of "staring" mode and forget to blink.

The last advantage of the touch over the Sony is the size, the Sony just isn't comfortable unless you're sitting up and can use both hands if you have to and I very rarely read like that, in fact the only time I can think that I do is when travelling on the coach to football games.

Feel free to shoot me down in flames but E-ink in my opinion has a long way to go before it will replace my backlit LCD or Pbooks, though I keep looking at all the new developments hoping one day it will :)

The second reason again comes from reading in bed as i like to read with the light off, I read for 3-4 hours a night and I read till I fall asleep, if I have to move to switch the light off I'm awake again and it's another couple of hours before i fall asleep (weird I know...) the touch is perfect for this as it switches itself off after 3 minutes.


This was actually a big advantage I hadn't anticipated with my Wind--the lowest brightness setting is perfectly comfortable to read in the dark, so when I'm nodding, I just lower the lid and set the netbook on my night stand, which makes a much smoother transition to sleep for me than setting a book aside and setting off the light.

I hadn't considered the page-turns issue, but it's something I find more immersive in my netbook than in pbooks, that I have instantaneous one-button page turns.

This was actually a big advantage I hadn't anticipated with my Wind--the lowest brightness setting is perfectly comfortable to read in the dark, so when I'm nodding, I just lower the lid and set the netbook on my night stand, which makes a much smoother transition to sleep for me than setting a book aside and setting off the light.


Now you see that wouldn't work for me even the simple act of having to move to put the netbook on the night stand would wake me up again.

I've been reading e-books now for over 10 years starting with a Palm IIIc with palmreader through various ipaqs to my current itouch and they've always had the advantage that I can read in the dark and when I fall asleep they just drop out of my hand and switch themselves off.

Now you see that wouldn't work for me even the simple act of having to move to put the netbook on the night stand would wake me up again.
Lol, sometimes I just nod off with the notebook still sitting on my chest. Alas, when I do move, and accidentally drop the laptop, I instantly become wide awake. :sweatdrop

Needless to say, I've found reading on the iPhone to be much safer, albeit, the clip on the case does poke me on the side, sometimes.

Lol, sometimes I just nod off with the notebook still sitting on my chest. Alas, when I do move, and accidentally drop the laptop, I instantly become wide awake. :sweatdrop

Needless to say, I've found reading on the iPhone to be much safer, albeit, the clip on the case does poke me on the side, sometimes.

;) it's happened once or twice that I conked right out with it on my chest or in the crook of my arm, but the first I try to shift the weight wakes me before disaster strikes.

I have both a sony 505 and an iTouch. I would rip the arms off of whoever tried to take either one from me. The iTouch does sooooooooooooooooo many things. I use it for most of my computer needs, only turning on the desktop occasionally. My 505 is perfect for when I want something that looks like paper. I like them both - and if I had to chose only one of them, I would probably pick the iTouch, due to the sheer number of things I can do with it, but I would mourn the loss of my 505.

It really ultimately depends on your reading style - what position do you read in, what font size is your preference, etc...

I've never had a problem with reading off an lcd screen and being an optician (no longer practicing) I also know that the majority of people who complain of eyestrain when doing so are having a psychsomatic response because they've been "told" that's what will happen. The main reason a lot of people have these problems is they get into a kind of "staring" mode and forget to blink.


Are you serious? Are you freaking serious? Please, tell me reading the font at the attached size is OK. Because I read like that a lot, and let me tell you, it gets my eyes sore. Please, tell me I'm not making myself go blind. Because I read really fast, and turning pages gets annoying. And BTW, can I see a screen shot of your stanza setup?

Are you serious? Are you freaking serious? Please, tell me reading the font at the attached size is OK. Because I read like that a lot, and let me tell you, it gets my eyes sore. Please, tell me I'm not making myself go blind. Because I read really fast, and turning pages gets annoying. And BTW, can I see a screen shot of your stanza setup?

Erm yes I am serious, I am "freaking" serious... Reading at that font size is fine, if you're capable of resolving each letter at that font size then why would you think it was a problem and might send you blind (bit of a drama queen over-reaction there but oh well...)

If you read really fast (as I also do) then guess what, you have to turn pages, annoying or not sorry there's no way around that it's one of those annoying facts of life.

If anything I'd be more worried about those backgrounds on your inverted pages, they do make the font hard to read in places which will probably give you a headache eventually.

If you tell me how to take a screenshot and post it then I will be more than happy to show you my stanza setup, though it's simply the same as your first shot, black on white with a small font, I never use the inverted view I'm not a fan of it.

Wow... Thanks a lot. To take a a screenshot, you hold down the power button for 2.5ish seconds, then tap the home button and then release the power button. It will make a flash, and then you can access that screenshot from you computer when you plug it in, as you would a regular camera.

Ok Here's a screenshot of my stanza setup.

Ok Here's a screenshot of my stanza setup.
:eek: It's available in ebook format? Where?

Probably not a terribly good idea to post screen shots of "dodgy" books.... :).

:eek: It's available in ebook format? Where?

I'm sorry to say it's one of my own making. I read these books at least once a year sometimes more and as I own them in hardback they're a bit awkward to carry with me everywhere so I spent about two weeks a couple of years ago taking pictures with my digital camera and then converting them.

Taking the photos didn't take that long but the converting, editing and proofreading took forever!!

I used to look every few months to see if they'd been released yet as I'm quite happy to pay for them when they are, but I have to admit I haven't looked for a while.

Probably not a terribly good idea to post screen shots of "dodgy" books.... :).

I'm a bit hazy on the law here but I believe as they have not been released in this format I'm perfectly within my rights to do this as I own the books in their original format? I would be happy if somebody could confirm this.

If they ever do get released I'll be buying them so I believe it isn't a problem I could be wrong.

*sigh* That's too bad. Been looking for some of my fave titles on booksonboard, fictionwise, etc, but there's still quite a bit of them that's not available. Oh well, at least the Legend of Drizzt books were released in ebook format this month (it coincided nicely with the booksonboard gift certificate reward promo :p) so I've got quite a bit of reading material to go through.

As for the legality of the screenshot, it was just one page. I believe that's still considered fair use. Now if he starts distributing a digitized copy of the whole book, then he's in trouble. :p

As for the legality of the screenshot, it was just one page. I believe that's still considered fair use. Now if he starts distributing a digitized copy of the whole book, then he's in trouble. :p

Heh, the only person (to my knowledge) who has a copy is my Stepfather who also owns the books. It was actually him who got me reading David Eddings in the first place. He's too much of a beginner with computers and e-books in general I believe to have given them to anybody else so I think I'm pretty safe :)

I've got paperback copies of the 12 books (Belgariad, Malloreon, Belgarath, Polgara). Haven't read the Rivan Codex yet, but I've been meaning to. I think the Pawn of Prophecy was the second fantasy book I've read. The first one was The Crystal Shard from the Icewind Dale Trilogy (Forgotten Realms) by R.A. Salvatore. I stayed in a dormitory in high school and we weren't allowed to watch TV so reading was one of our favorite pasttimes (not that I wasn't already an avid reader before). We were just swapping books and that's what got me started on the fantasy genre.

Nowadays, though, I prefer reading on the iPhone than the actual books. I often read in the dark so the backlit screen is really useful, hence, the reason I'm trying to get copies of my books in ebook format. Heck, I'll probably put the paperbooks in storage or donate them to the library if I can get digital copies. I'm quite low on space... :sweatdrop

I've got paperback copies of the 12 books (Belgariad, Malloreon, Belgarath, Polgara). Haven't read the Rivan Codex yet, but I've been meaning to. I think the Pawn of Prophecy was the second fantasy book I've read. The first one was The Crystal Shard from the Icewind Dale Trilogy (Forgotten Realms) by R.A. Salvatore. I stayed in a dormitory in high school and we weren't allowed to watch TV so reading was one of our favorite pasttimes (not that I wasn't already an avid reader before). We were just swapping books and that's what got me started on the fantasy genre.

Nowadays, though, I prefer reading on the iPhone than the actual books. I often read in the dark so the backlit screen is really useful, hence, the reason I'm trying to get copies of my books in ebook format. Heck, I'll probably put the paperbooks in storage or donate them to the library if I can get digital copies. I'm quite low on space... :sweatdrop

Blimey where did you go to school that you weren't allowed to watch telly!!! Sounds like some militant school or something! (note: I did mean militant not military just in case anybody else jumps in to nitpick ;) )

I have to admit I read mostly sci-fi until I was given POP and after that I was hooked, I rarely read anything other than fantasy now (with the odd exception I still re-read Harry Harrisons Stainless Steel Rat and Deathworld series every so often).

I used to own thousands of books and never had the space to keep them all I've started replacing them all within the last two years or so with e-book versions (I will admit to using darknet versions before then but I realised I get so much enjoyment out of these pieces of literature that I wanted legal versions). I ended up selling all the books I've been able to replace to a local second hand book store for 10p a book figuring somebody else might be able to get some enjoyment out of them at a fraction of the cost of buying them new.

Pretty much the only thing missing from the e-book experience in my view is the sheer enjoyment I used to be able to get from spending a few hours a week browsing through second hand books stores. You could pretty much guarantee that the person running the store would be only too willing to discuss the books you were looking at in great detail...

I'm a bit hazy on the law here but I believe as they have not been released in this format I'm perfectly within my rights to do this as I own the books in their original format? I would be happy if somebody could confirm this.

If they ever do get released I'll be buying them so I believe it isn't a problem I could be wrong.

The 2nd half of the "Belgariad" (books 4 and 5) of the original series is available as an eBook, and has been so for several years. The first half of the series, oddly, is not.

Blimey where did you go to school that you weren't allowed to watch telly!!! Sounds like some militant school or something! (note: I did mean militant not military just in case anybody else jumps in to nitpick ;) )
Science high school in the Philippines, kind of like the "magnet" schools in the US. We were allowed to watch but there was only one TV in the whole dorm (common room) and we weren't allowed to bring our own, not to mention there was a "curfew" on TV viewing. When you've got a hundred people fighting for the TV, the odds are somewhat against you. The only appliances we were allowed to bring was an electric fan and a radio. No desktops either. There's a computer room with some ancient PC's (286's) and printers where we could do our homework. Laptops were okay but bringing them was discouraged. The dorm including electricity was free (gov't subsidy) so we couldn't really complain.

The 2nd half of the "Belgariad" (books 4 and 5) of the original series is available as an eBook, and has been so for several years. The first half of the series, oddly, is not.
I just did a search again and you're right, they're available. I guess the reason I didn't see them before is I filter all my searches to include only those available in Microsoft Reader format (and more recently, Adobe ePUB). Looks like the Belgariad is only available in Mobipocket.

Very late to this thread, but I wanted to share. I have a HanLin V3, which I got in April. Very pleased with it, no major complaints and very few minor ones. A few weeks ago, I got an iPod touch primarily as a portable web browser for a short vacation I was going on. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I decided to leave my V3 at home while I traveled with my Touch. I was surprised to find how well I adapted to reading on it. With Stanza permanently set to display white text on black and dimmed down as low as environmental conditions would allow, I found I could read as much as a couple of hours at a time (as much as I would read on my Hanlin) and not get eyestrain. And I am someone who works with my laptop on the dimmest setting at all times and still gets a headache after a couple of hours. Now, I actually have to force myself to use my poor, neglected HanLin.

A month ago, I was eagerly awaiting the V5 as a more portable option. Not only has that changed, but I can see myself disposing of my V3 in the very near future. If Apple comes out with a new Touch with better power management, I'll definitely be getting that. However, the battery life on the Touch is quite acceptable for my use as it is. If just reading, I could get it to last three days without recharging, a day or two with using a bit of wifi and some games.

BTW, I'm someone who hardly ever uses my cellphone -- I keep it for emergencies. I do not find the iPhone enticing at all.

I'm someone who hardly ever uses my cellphone -- I keep it for emergencies. I do not find the iPhone enticing at all.
The iPhone kinda sucks as a phone. All my previous cellphones beat it in the phone category. For me, the draw is internet anywhere you have cell service. Extremely useful given I can't get free wifi in a lot of places. I read a lot of fanfics and I really enjoy being able to download a newly updated fic to Stanza in the middle of the day.

If you can easily get wifi, then yes, getting an iPod touch is much more cost-effective.

Have to agree with ilovejedd, the iphone sucks as a phone but when combined with everything else it does it more than makes up for its shortfalls in my opinion.

I must admit though I prefer to read on my itouch than on my iphone (I bought the touch a long time before the iphone came out in case anybody wonders why I have both), the iphone just isn't fast enough in the page turning category because of all the extra stuff it's doing while stanza is running. The itouch is much much nippier, page turns are instant rather than taking a noticable and distracting amount of time on the iphone.

If you don't want a phone or as ilovejedd mentioned you have easy access to wi-fi hotspots (or you simply load up with loads of books before you leave the house!!) then I would definitely recommend an ipod touch either G1 or G2 whichever you can get cheaper so I'd say you definitely made the right choice ;)

... the iphone just isn't fast enough in the page turning category because of all the extra stuff it's doing while stanza is running.
...

This, perhaps, may now be compensated for by the faster iPhone 3GS, though these are the words of hypothesis rather than experience.

Cheers,
Adrian

This, perhaps, may now be compensated for by the faster iPhone 3GS, though these are the words of hypothesis rather than experience.

Page turns on my iPhone 3GS using Stanza or the Kindle app seem faster to me than on the Kindle 2 that I used to have. (I returned the K2 due to a number of issues...like how large it was, hard to hold, etc.).

I was going to buy a 'real' reader when something smaller than the Kindle 2 became available, but so far I'm really happy with the iPhone and don't plan to buy a dedicated reader anytime soon.

I have a K1, have had a rocketebook, a Dell Axim x51v and have a touch. My touch replaced my pocketpc, k1 and ipod. I love it. I'm nearsighted, so I do very well with smaller fonts. Love that I can read in bed and it turns off once I'm asleep.

Suzie

I have an Iphone 3G, 2 Windows Mobile phones, one of them has a screen that is a tad bigger than the iphone. And a Sony Reader. I may use one of the phones to sneak in a chapter when I am out, but do much prefer the Reader.

I returned a K2 because it was too dark and hard to read. Much harder to read in normal light than a book or a newspaper. The K2 looked like wet newspaper. I just got the new iPhone 3gs and use it with Stanza. Love the iPhone. I always have it on me and I can read in any light---outdoors or in bed at night.

I just got a 3G S, replacing an HTC wm 6.1 phone. I love the iPhone, it has a much better screen than my HTC, and much, much better UI than WM 6.1 (and after trying WM 6.5, I have given up on WM for the foreseeable future.)

Having said this, the Kindle DX is much closer to reading a book, than any LCD mobile device I've come across. e-Ink is just way better, and not just for size.

So, while I love the iPhone 3G s as a smart phone, for long-term reading, the e-ink devices win hands down.

I was always excited by the e-ink devices. I always wanted one. But they are still too slow to my taste and somewhat bulky to be carried everywhere with me. I like to have an ebook reading device always with me, so iphone/ipod or another universal device of this size is perfect choice for me. This is why I ended up with iPhone.

Before iPhone, I read on all my previous phones (Symbian/Java based). I'm still watching the e-ink developments, but I don't see any chance buying one as long as the page turn is not under half a second or so. I know, I'm weird... ;)

... but I don't see any chance buying one as long as the page turn is not under half a second or so. ...

Before I got one, I was a bit concerned about this as well.

But in real life, it's a non-issue. I don't think about it now, or notice it.

Plus, on the Kindle DX, you turn the pages much less frequently, about as often as with a paper book.

After staring at the screen of the iPhone for about an hour (reading/writing emails and browsing the internet, my eyes get fuzzy when I look in the distance. This doesn't really happen with e-ink (but was much worse with my HTC.)

I don't wear glasses (and I don't really aspire to :-)

I returned a K2 because it was too dark and hard to read. Much harder to read in normal light than a book or a newspaper. The K2 looked like wet newspaper. I just got the new iPhone 3gs and use it with Stanza. Love the iPhone. I always have it on me and I can read in any light---outdoors or in bed at night.
Is it me or am I hearing of too many people not being able t properly see the screen of the K2 in normal light? I have a 505 which has the same Vizplex screen and it's fine in normal light. Is this a problem with the K2?

Is it me or am I hearing of too many people not being able t properly see the screen of the K2 in normal light? I have a 505 which has the same Vizplex screen and it's fine in normal light. Is this a problem with the K2?

I replaced a 505 with the K2, and while after staring at the two next to each other, the K2 seemed a tad less contrasty, it's not an issue in real life, as the experience is the same.

Same for the DX - it appears a bit more contrasty than the K2, when placed next to each other, but in practice are the same.

I think some of the comments re the K2 are from people for whom the K2 is the first e-ink display, and who expected 108+ paper-white, or are used to backlit displays with brightness turned up, and have a "huh" first-glance reaction to e-ink.

Wrong thread

Wrong thread again

I just got an I touch and I was pleased to see that I can order any of the kindle books on it. Way to go Apple and Amazon. Great collaboration.

I'm seriously thinking about buying an Ipod Touch only because it allows access to Kindle books, since Amazon's pricing is often lower than other vendors. Bestsellers are comparably priced elsewhere, but other books can be significantly cheaper on Amazon, not to mention their greater selection.

I wish Amazon would offer access to their titles to anybody, not just people with a Kindle or Ipod/Iphone, as I don't really need another portable device. Hopefully it will pay for itself over time with savings on book purchases.

SteveK

I was pleased to find out about a file transfer aid called diskaid. It is a free app and can be used to transfer files to Itouch. Now I can put any of my books that are in pdf or html form on the itouch. I have used it a lot while waiting in lines or waiting for meetings. The Itouch is great for reading a little bit more of a book.
www.digidna.net/diskaid/

Sondi

I just got an ipod touch about a month ago, and I think I need to change my answer from what I had said before. I would give up the 505. I LOVE my ipod touch and use it alot more than the 505. I actually wish I would've gotten the ipod touch (instead) when I got the 505. Had I done that, I probably wouldn't have a 505 right now...I'd honestly probably be using the kindle, stanza, and b&N apps. I'm reading my first book on the ipod touch right now, and it really isn't so bad. Like someone said, it's alot easier to hold in bed, and I take it with me everywhere I go. However...don't get me wrong, I still love my 505 and I don't plan on parting with it anytime soon. These are the best two purchases I've ever made.

As I mentioned in my previous post in this thread, I was contemplating purchasing an Ipod Touch primarily for its ability to read Kindle books. Subsequently, I have purchased the Touch and downloaded some Kindle freebies and low-cost titles.

I'm quite pleased with the Touch as a secondary reader, but I'm not sure I'd want to use it as my primary reader. It's great for reading for 30 minutes or so over lunch or after going to bed, but I don't think I'd want to read hours at a time on it. The small screen really isn't that much of a factor due to the ease of turning "pages". I still prefer my Sony 505, but I'm also very happy with the Touch.

SteveK

I read a lot of ebooks on PDA since Palm, Windows Mobile, and now iPhone (got it like new at only $380 w/o contract, a bit more expensive than 6-inch e-ink reader). The beauty of them is to have ebooks with you all (almost) the time.

I never expect to read ebook in bright outdoor; but I read a lot on my bed before falling asleep, at lowest brightness setting on my phone (still too bright for me, though).

Most important for me is to read full-content news whenever I can, in train, in vet (sorry), in waiting line, etc. This could be done by retrieving those news through Mobipocket desktop and copy those prc files to my iPhone.

Another important thing is iPhone/touch support Thai language without flaw.

After researching all the ebook readers in market right now, I still cannot find one which supports both mobi/prc and Thai as good as my iPhone.

I use Kindle app on iPhone for mobi enews reading and use eReader to read ebooks (English novels, mostly) because it supports in-book dictionary lookup.

I also use Stanza to read ePub ebooks. GoodReader for pdf with reflow, DOC and Quickoffice.....how versatile my iPhone is!

I do not see battery life an issue at all when reading ebooks because I usually charge my phone every other night. This is good enough.

Having said all the above, I'm still looking for my perfect e-ink reader for in-sofa reading. My ideal ebook reader should at least support Thai and mobi format reasonably well.

I have a Sony and an iPhone 3GS, and basically have abandoned the Sony (my son uses it occasionally). I love the idea of the eInk display, but the page turns were just too distracting for my reading style. But I know others who aren't bothered by it at all.

I got into the whole ebook thing on my iphone. thought it was a great idea, only after reading for half hour i would get dreadful headaches.
i have now bought a dedicated e-reader (ECO reader) and could not be happier, reading for hours with no headache's what so ever :-)

I have a Kindle and I am looking to buy an iPod Touch. I really love the Kindle as an ereader but I would like something mobile that I can use for web, email, and pdfs. Also, the Touch would be nice as a backup ereader.

the Touch would be nice as a backup ereader.

This. I don't like reading on my iPhone for any extended period of time, but it's fine for reading for a few minutes when I'm stuck in a line, waiting room, etc. Conversely, I really like reading off the e-ink screen of the Kindle, but it's too big to lug around with me everywhere. The ability to sync so that I can pick up right where I left off on whatever device I'm using at the moment is the really killer feature - it's like living in the future. :p I hope B&N's implementation of this works as well as the Kindle version.

I have a Kindle and I am looking to buy an iPod Touch. I really love the Kindle as an ereader but I would like something mobile that I can use for web, email, and pdfs. Also, the Touch would be nice as a backup ereader.
I have both the Kindle and the iTouch and love them both.

I rarely read on my iTouch, but do use it every day for many other applications and listen to a lot of audio books on it. With Calibre, it is a snap to get books to read into Stanza which is my preferred reading software when I do use it for ebooks.

Cheers

I cant say much about the Kindle, as its only just available here in the UK, and I have not purchased one yet. I have had a Sony PR505 for little over a year now, and I have to admit I still use it more than I do Stanza on my Iphone.

When you travel as much as I do on business (A lot of it alone) those lonely nights in hotel bars can actually be less lonely as other, often lonely travelers, ask you about the reader and then on to what your reading, and then the usual, what you do for a living and (Especially with those of you from the wonderful USA) What do you make!

If Im reading a normal book, or using Stanza on the phone, I tend to get left alone.

I have a Sony PRS505 and an Iphone and I love them both, but I must say the iphone gets more use as its always with me.

I really enjoy reading on it, I dont find the screen size a struggle even though I have vision problems.

I want to keep them both, but if I HAD to choose the iphone would be the keeper.