Are You Ever Tempted to Buy Multiple Readers?

[llasram]

I technically have two devices -- a PRS-500 and PRS-505, but the 500 is caput (broken screen). I'm tempted to get get another device which supports other e-book formats to better work on conversion to those formats, but down that path lies madness.

[vivaldirules]

I hate gadgets, but I wish I had three: a Kindle, tablet netbook or slate PC, and my current Sony 505. I want the tablet because I'd like to more easily read PDFs, Word DOCs, LITs, and any and all formats without fooling with conversion and DRM. Unfortunately, Amazon has by far the largest selection of ebooks and you can only read those if you have a Kindle so I want one of those stinking things, too. It's not a happy situation, in my opinion.

[acidzebra]

Originally Posted by Lilly

I then deDRM, make an LRF version and load it on my PRS-505. I read 75% of the time on my PRS-505!

For the record, you mean you buy in MobiPocket format and strip the DRM off of that, right? Because AFAIK Amazon's AZW format hasn't been broken yet, or am I behind the times?

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I hate gadgets, but I wish I had three.

You, sir, have a very interesting definition of hate.

---

As for the thread topic, I have only the prs-505 right now. If the Iliad drops in price I might buy one for "in-house" reading and fiddling with the embedded linux on it, but I don't see myself traveling with it - too big and the battery life is a little disappointing.

[ProDigit]

I'm owning the 505, but I guess for me it's a gadget to learn more about technology.
I was amazed by the 505,and still think it's a best buy,if you can create your own ebooks,or somehow have a lot of pdf's around.

The 505 does not display pdf's very well; this was one of the reasons I wanted another one.
I had been looking to the Iliad, where I just simply adore the idea of having a flipping bar over the click knobs on the reader.
The 700 doesn't say me much. I am not turned on by the page flipping through using (scratching, and wearing out)the touchscreen.
But the Iliad is pretty expensive, and the 700 has the same resolution as the 505.

Plastic logics reader would be interesting, though I will probably dislike the pageswaps, I love the idea of increased resolution, and larger screen.

We still need to know the price of these devices.

If there's one reason why I would want a Bebook, is because of it's linux.
I somewhere hope to be able to create a program, or discover something about the OS, no ordinary user knows.
Maybe how to turn on or off a clock, or perhaps how to migrate certain Linux games to a reader like this.
But honestly my lack in programming experience, the bad availability of the Bebook, and probably also financial lack to buy the device had been a great showstopper to me.

Perhaps unconsciously I satisfy myself saying I'd not learn more from a bebook or cybook, as I did from the PRS-505; thinking that the devices are nearly identical.

I so much wished,someone was capable to bring games like minesweeper, or solutaire; or perhaps a text based (like DOS or shell based) adventure game to the device, which we could edit and modify through a regular Linux distribution on the home PC..

Perhaps I'm asking too much, thinking that a Bebook will give me more possibilities.
I could be wrong.
I hope some sort of Linux based Open OS could be created that'll run on all systems (including the Sony, Bebook,Cybook, hanlin, Iliad,plastic reader, etc...)

That way it will be easy for programmers to create little programs of their own,or just port some extra feats/updates/programs into the reader, which a user could install and enjoy.

I mean,a program (non book based) Calendar would be nice, with user predefined background pictures.
- An agenda is another 'easy' thing to add in Linux.
- A clock
- A couple of games, like mentioned above (there are many more that do not need 3D acceleration cards to be played, eg: Sudoku (already added in Sony reader), 4 in a row, boardgames like chess, dammen, go, monopoly; perhaps even a simplified version of billiards, or pool; ...
- A software based dictionary (non book based)
- A simplified xls, doc,or ppt reader
- A minifox-like internet web browser to display htm/html
- ...

If it where possible to create such an OS,with these programs installed we probably need about 64-128MB of disk space at least,and need to make use of external SD cards to host our books and other data.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

For the record, you mean you buy in MobiPocket format and strip the DRM off of that, right? Because AFAIK Amazon's AZW format hasn't been broken yet, or am I behind the times?



You, sir, have a very interesting definition of hate.

---

As for the thread topic, I have only the prs-505 right now. If the Iliad drops in price I might buy one for "in-house" reading and fiddling with the embedded linux on it, but I don't see myself traveling with it - too big and the battery life is a little disappointing.

Yes it has. I deDRM all my Amazon books! Send me a PM if you need help! Amazon topaz book is the only one you cant deDRM but I've yet to run across one yet. There's a thread I started in the Kindle forum, I believe it titles This Sony Lover has a kindle (not exact title but close), there's a bunch of clues how you can tell if its Topaz or just regular AZW before buying!

[=X=]

Originally Posted by Lilly

That was the exact reason why I got the Kindle. The Kindle does spoil you though. Even though, I buy all my books using a computer instead of whispernet, all you have to do is push a button that says send it to my Kindle, turn whispernet on the kindle and the book magically appears on the Kindle. I then deDRM, make an LRF version and load it on my PRS-505. I read 75% of the time on my PRS-505!

You kind of imply this already but I'll ask anyway. Do you prefer the 505 to the Kindle? Aside from the dictionary is there a feature the kindle has you wished the SONY had?

Had I not bought so many books already I probably would have bought the Kindle by now. For now I'm just waiting for some family member to show enough interest in reading were I can justify buying them such a gift. My sister in law bough my brother a 505 and it has been sitting in it's bubble wrap since June ( He does read, he just has not transitioned to reading eBooks yet)


=X=

[=X=]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I hate gadgets

Blasphemy!

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I'd like to more easily read PDFs, Word DOCs, LITs, and any and all formats without fooling with conversion and DRM.

Buy a PocketPC/Windows Mobile. You'll have native support for eReader, PDF, RTF, HTML, Word, LIT, and MOBI.
For secure books (LIT, MOBI, eReader)

=X=

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

You, sir, have a very interesting definition of hate.

I hate gadgets but I accept them, sometimes, if they bring something I want. It is offensive to me to think about fooling with three different devices to fill my desire to be able to read any ebook available in any format.

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by =X=

You kind of imply this already but I'll ask anyway. Do you prefer the 505 to the Kindle? Aside from the dictionary is there a feature the kindle has you wished the SONY had?

Had I not bought so many books already I probably would have bought the Kindle by now. For now I'm just waiting for some family member to show enough interest in reading were I can justify buying them such a gift. My sister in law bough my brother a 505 and it has been sitting in it's bubble wrap since June ( He does read, he just has not transitioned to reading eBooks yet)


=X=

I'm a shame to say, I've never used the Kindle dictionary. In fact, I don't even know how it works! I only read modern fiction and romance, so I don't have a need for it. Beside the Amazon bookstore the ONLY thing I like more about the Kindle is the Whispernet and that's because I can get sample of books anytime I want them. I prefer mine PRS-505. If Sony add some type of whispernet and Amazon opened their ebook store for non Kindle owners then mine PRS-505 would be perfect. That does not mean I don't love mine kindle because I do and will recommend it to anyone. In fact my Mom who lives in Miami wants a reader and I told her the Kindle is the best option for her. The kindle really makes things easy for those who just want to turn on their reader and buy a book without bothering with a computer.

[slayda]

Originally Posted by Lilly

I'm just weak and gadget freak!

I resemble that remark!

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by ProDigit

If there's one reason why I would want a Bebook, is because of it's linux.

JFYI, all current readers (including Sony and Kindle) run Linux.

[rixte]

Well I switched to Kindle after the second time my Cybook broke, and for me, at least, it's a superior device - much more comfortable to hold and easy to navigate - and although I don't use it very often, the wireless is great when I do.

But I still get really tempted by the Sony as a backup device, particularly the shiny red version. I've managed to hold off for now.

Although in the past I've had dual devices, namely an Ipaq at the same time that I had a Rocket Ebook. And I have had various versions of palm treos and centros that work in an emergency - that helped a LOT when I was between e-ink readers when the first Cybook was broken.

[lisreed]

I have both a Sony & Kindle. I bought a kindle in April and I have had a Sony since September I think. I like them both and probably will be keeping both. I thought I would part with one but I can't! I have never been too much in gadgets like my husband so having 2 readers is still less gadgets than he has!

I like Sony's size and looks much better and if there store had the level of ebooks and prices that I see at the kindle store it would probably be my only device. I constantly find bargains at kindle store. I recently for instance got the next 2 Daniel Silva books I wanted to read for 3.29. I have caught on that the kindle store has bargains you really have to search for and they prices will jump up after a couple weeks or so. Last month I got a Heinlein book and a historical fiction book I had been meaning to read for the bargain price of 35 cents! So its things like that why I keep the kindle. And I actually do prefer the page turn buttons on kindle. They are light to the touch which is great for me since I sometimes have problems with tendon strain. I just wish the device was as thin as the Sony. I also like the font they chose on the kindle. I find it easy to read with and I like the dictionary and also like that I have 6 fonts to choose from. There are times on the Sony that a book in medium I think is a bit to small but large is to big. I never experience these problems on the kindle. I really do hate the white color! But I have bought a decalgirl skin in a blue design and that helps.

For the SOny, along with looks I really like epub. I have bought a few titles from British ebook sellers that I can't get anywhere else. So thats been really cool. In general I think both epub and Sony's format looks better than the kindle format does. Less issues that I sometimes see with kindle books like gaps between words and such.

[delphidb96]

Lily,

I have four, (2 Cybook Gen3s, 1 PRS-500 and 1 Netronix EB-100) and I'm looking to expand to a BeBook and either a Kindle or an iRex iLiad so that I have the spectrum of device models covered. I find that having two Cybooks lets me run Cybook firmware on one and OpenInkpot firmware on the other - which is a novel experience.

Derek

[pagansoul]

I have been looking at the Sony 505 for months but always talk myself out of purchasing one. I love my Kindle and in a pinch, my iphone. I read pdf and magazines with my 13" Macbook. I don't really need a Sony but they look so nice.