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All4Fun · 03-16-2009, 02:59 PM

Before stumbling on this forum, I thought I knew which ebook device I would buy. Then I gained more knowledge from the community here and now I'm undecided. Sometmes I wonder if "ignorance is bliss".

Armed with more knowledge, my choices are limited to the Sony PRS-700, Sony PRS-505, and the Cybook Gen3 device. As a Canadian resident, the Kindle is not a viable choice.

My desire is the ability to perform a dictionary search while reading a book: +1 for Cybook. "Maybe" dictionary support in the PRS-700 by way of firmware update although nothing confirmed.
Cost: Sony PRS-505 is the cheapest of the 3 and I already consider ebook readers on the expensive side. $200 CAD for an ebook reader would have been my "sweet" spot but that doesn't seem like that's going to happen for a little while still. No winner here.
Format support (All of my ebooks are in mobi, ereader, or PDF format): Cybook for the mobi support. Other formats can be converted to the appropriate format by Calibre I suppose. I don't think this is a "real" issue for selecting a device.
Supports epub: Sony devices today...talk of Cybook in next firmware although not confirmed.
Viewing quality: PRS505 or Cybook (some complain about the PRS-700 contrast vs. the PRS-505 and it's more expensive)
Backlight: Sony PRS-700
Availability: The Sony devices are readily available locally from the Sony stores. The Cybook device is only available online and is currently on backorder (Cybook bundle). How will Books on Board (BoB) handle a repair issue with the Cybook with only online contact? BoB is out of the U.S. (I'm in Canada) but don't list a phone number. I don't know.

My gut tells me that the Cybook is the right device for my requirements but I'm holding out for epub support and maybe HTML hyperlink capability. It does make me a little uncomfortable that I can only get this device from BoB and it's on backorder (and more expensive than the PRS-505). I've seen the Sony devices and they appear to be well engineered. If only they had dictionary support, I'd be all over the Sony devices.

What also has me in a kerfuffle is that I carry a Blackberry Bold smartphone that already has Mobipocket and eReader support. It also has dictionary support (for mobi books) and backlight support and is always with me. With the exception of the screen size and frequent page flips, I have the ability to read all of my ebooks with no issue. So, I'm now questioning whether I should spend upwards of $300 at all for a dedicated ebook device although it would be an improved reading experience I suspect.

The indecision continues...

03-16-2009, 02:59 PM	#1
All4Fun Zealot Posts: 149 Karma: 937 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad, Blackberry Bold	The indecision continues... (made decision now) Before stumbling on this forum, I thought I knew which ebook device I would buy. Then I gained more knowledge from the community here and now I'm undecided. Sometmes I wonder if "ignorance is bliss". Armed with more knowledge, my choices are limited to the Sony PRS-700, Sony PRS-505, and the Cybook Gen3 device. As a Canadian resident, the Kindle is not a viable choice. My desire is the ability to perform a dictionary search while reading a book: +1 for Cybook. "Maybe" dictionary support in the PRS-700 by way of firmware update although nothing confirmed. Cost: Sony PRS-505 is the cheapest of the 3 and I already consider ebook readers on the expensive side. $200 CAD for an ebook reader would have been my "sweet" spot but that doesn't seem like that's going to happen for a little while still. No winner here. Format support (All of my ebooks are in mobi, ereader, or PDF format): Cybook for the mobi support. Other formats can be converted to the appropriate format by Calibre I suppose. I don't think this is a "real" issue for selecting a device. Supports epub: Sony devices today...talk of Cybook in next firmware although not confirmed. Viewing quality: PRS505 or Cybook (some complain about the PRS-700 contrast vs. the PRS-505 and it's more expensive) Backlight: Sony PRS-700 Availability: The Sony devices are readily available locally from the Sony stores. The Cybook device is only available online and is currently on backorder (Cybook bundle). How will Books on Board (BoB) handle a repair issue with the Cybook with only online contact? BoB is out of the U.S. (I'm in Canada) but don't list a phone number. I don't know. My gut tells me that the Cybook is the right device for my requirements but I'm holding out for epub support and maybe HTML hyperlink capability. It does make me a little uncomfortable that I can only get this device from BoB and it's on backorder (and more expensive than the PRS-505). I've seen the Sony devices and they appear to be well engineered. If only they had dictionary support, I'd be all over the Sony devices. What also has me in a kerfuffle is that I carry a Blackberry Bold smartphone that already has Mobipocket and eReader support. It also has dictionary support (for mobi books) and backlight support and is always with me. With the exception of the screen size and frequent page flips, I have the ability to read all of my ebooks with no issue. So, I'm now questioning whether I should spend upwards of $300 at all for a dedicated ebook device although it would be an improved reading experience I suspect. The indecision continues... Last edited by All4Fun; 04-13-2009 at 01:48 PM.