MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Do you know what you REALLY need in an e-reader?

ChrisC333 · 04-23-2010, 01:39 AM

LOOK AND FEEL:

On close inspection, the claim that the dedicated e-reader experience was “like reading a real book” as some advertising blurb likes to suggest, seemed pretty flimsy too.

Sure, it’s more like holding a book than, say, a chainsaw - but the comparison isn’t particularly close. Even if the weight happens to be similar to some lighter books, the ‘heft’ in the hand is quite different. As mentioned, the viewable area isn’t similar either. One’s either a fairly scrawny plastic device with a smallish grey-on-grey display area (or some kind of shiny computer gizmo with it’s own range of pros and cons), and the other is....well... a book, which looks and works differently. It’s probably better to treat them as different reading experiences with their own individual characteristics.

I also found that I hold paper books quite differently.

With a paper book you need to hold in a way that stops it from closing. You also need to vary your grip depending on whether you're reading the left or right pages, and how far through the book you are. Getting each page to lie flat enough also needs to be addressed, and in reality you're generally reading on a partly curved surface. I didn’t realise how many hidden book taming skills I’d acquired over the years until I suddenly didn’t need them to read! The e-readers on the other hand all have a somewhat different range of controls to operate. The positioning of the controls may or may not suit a particular buyer and can take a little time to get used to on some machines.

CONCLUSION:

For my money, and own usage needs, there’s no point in get hung up on whether it’s “book-like” or not. All that matters is that I can enjoy the content in comfort without the device itself intruding.

OTHER:

A few additional considerations did also crop up. Light conditions, battery life, and accessibility to material being three that were worth thinking about. In my case, the ability to read in full sun is not required because in our climate I’ll always sit indoors, or at least in the shade, to read.

Longer battery life is always handy but, again, not crucial for me as I never actually need to read for hours at a stretch unplugged. Setting up charging routines hasn’t been hard. In addition, all of my favourite reading spots are within easy cable length from a power point so I can charge and read/work if necessary.

Accessibility hasn’t been a big problem either as all the devices I’ve used have reasonable on board storage and most can use the home wifi to connect to the internet. Of course the software on many e-readers limits the formats you can read (and therefore who you can buy books from) but the computers can run any software I choose. This can be a huge bonus if you need to deal with any complex or unusual formats.

PRICE:

I must admit that my inner Scrooge certainly came to the fore when I was asked to shell out several hundred dollars for a modest little device that doesn’t even display colour, and that’s been marked up a good chunk for the local market. Grumble grumble... But once I started looking at tablet PCs I couldn’t see any logic for being a tight-arse about it. If the machine will do pretty much everything that a desktop PC does, then why not apply a similar budget? Sure, the screen is smaller, but it makes up for that with being portable and handy to use anywhere round the house. Even I draw the line at lying on the couch clutching a full sized desktop computer....

FINAL CONCLUSION:

Reading means much more than just paperback novels to me. It covers everything from text and email messages to online magazines, news, reference, sheet music, material with heavy graphic content, etc. Currently, the clear winner for me is a tablet PC such as the 12” HP TM2. But who says you can only have one device anyway?

But the real bottom line is that you can make all the priority lists you like, and still end up buying something because it just clicks for you and you fall in love with it for no particularly logical reason (Just like choosing a partner really...).

Right now, I’m so starry-eyed about my HP tablet that I haven’t even bothered with a pre-nup agreement....

How about you?

04-23-2010, 01:39 AM	#3
ChrisC333 Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 2031 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: West Australia Device: Acer eM250 Netbook, iTouch, iRiver Story, HP TM2 Tablet	LOOK AND FEEL: On close inspection, the claim that the dedicated e-reader experience was “like reading a real book” as some advertising blurb likes to suggest, seemed pretty flimsy too. Sure, it’s more like holding a book than, say, a chainsaw - but the comparison isn’t particularly close. Even if the weight happens to be similar to some lighter books, the ‘heft’ in the hand is quite different. As mentioned, the viewable area isn’t similar either. One’s either a fairly scrawny plastic device with a smallish grey-on-grey display area (or some kind of shiny computer gizmo with it’s own range of pros and cons), and the other is....well... a book, which looks and works differently. It’s probably better to treat them as different reading experiences with their own individual characteristics. I also found that I hold paper books quite differently. With a paper book you need to hold in a way that stops it from closing. You also need to vary your grip depending on whether you're reading the left or right pages, and how far through the book you are. Getting each page to lie flat enough also needs to be addressed, and in reality you're generally reading on a partly curved surface. I didn’t realise how many hidden book taming skills I’d acquired over the years until I suddenly didn’t need them to read! The e-readers on the other hand all have a somewhat different range of controls to operate. The positioning of the controls may or may not suit a particular buyer and can take a little time to get used to on some machines. CONCLUSION: For my money, and own usage needs, there’s no point in get hung up on whether it’s “book-like” or not. All that matters is that I can enjoy the content in comfort without the device itself intruding. OTHER: A few additional considerations did also crop up. Light conditions, battery life, and accessibility to material being three that were worth thinking about. In my case, the ability to read in full sun is not required because in our climate I’ll always sit indoors, or at least in the shade, to read. Longer battery life is always handy but, again, not crucial for me as I never actually need to read for hours at a stretch unplugged. Setting up charging routines hasn’t been hard. In addition, all of my favourite reading spots are within easy cable length from a power point so I can charge and read/work if necessary. Accessibility hasn’t been a big problem either as all the devices I’ve used have reasonable on board storage and most can use the home wifi to connect to the internet. Of course the software on many e-readers limits the formats you can read (and therefore who you can buy books from) but the computers can run any software I choose. This can be a huge bonus if you need to deal with any complex or unusual formats. PRICE: I must admit that my inner Scrooge certainly came to the fore when I was asked to shell out several hundred dollars for a modest little device that doesn’t even display colour, and that’s been marked up a good chunk for the local market. Grumble grumble... But once I started looking at tablet PCs I couldn’t see any logic for being a tight-arse about it. If the machine will do pretty much everything that a desktop PC does, then why not apply a similar budget? Sure, the screen is smaller, but it makes up for that with being portable and handy to use anywhere round the house. Even I draw the line at lying on the couch clutching a full sized desktop computer.... FINAL CONCLUSION: Reading means much more than just paperback novels to me. It covers everything from text and email messages to online magazines, news, reference, sheet music, material with heavy graphic content, etc. Currently, the clear winner for me is a tablet PC such as the 12” HP TM2. But who says you can only have one device anyway? But the real bottom line is that you can make all the priority lists you like, and still end up buying something because it just clicks for you and you fall in love with it for no particularly logical reason (Just like choosing a partner really...). Right now, I’m so starry-eyed about my HP tablet that I haven’t even bothered with a pre-nup agreement.... How about you? Last edited by ChrisC333; 04-23-2010 at 01:49 AM.