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Old 11-19-2007, 07:55 PM   #1
jlrjd
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Post Which reader should I buy for my mother-in-law?

My mother-in-law has severe arthritis and her vision is declining.
She cannot hold a full-size for an extended amount of time, due to the weight and her arthritis; and there are very few Large Print paperbacks published these days.
She is not particularly tech savvy, although we got her an iMac a couple of years ago. She is able to do the basics with her iMac, but not really much more. Basics refers to basic e-mail and other simple activities online.
She has no resources re Windows-based PCs, so iMac is the only way to go for her.
Is the Cybook the best option? (due to weight constraints) Is it the only option?
Will the Cybook be easy to work with in terms of downloading books for her with her iMac?
(I have a Sony PRS-500, which she loved, but the weight was marginal for her, and I've heard it's not compatible with her iMac.)

I apologize if this is difficult to read, but any helpful opinions would be appreciated.
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Old 11-19-2007, 07:59 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by jlrjd View Post
My mother-in-law has severe arthritis and her vision is declining.
She cannot hold a full-size for an extended amount of time, due to the weight and her arthritis; and there are very few Large Print paperbacks published these days.
She is not particularly tech savvy, although we got her an iMac a couple of years ago. She is able to do the basics with her iMac, but not really much more. Basics refers to basic e-mail and other simple activities online.
She has no resources re Windows-based PCs, so iMac is the only way to go for her.
Is the Cybook the best option? (due to weight constraints) Is it the only option?
Will the Cybook be easy to work with in terms of downloading books for her with her iMac?
(I have a Sony PRS-500, which she loved, but the weight was marginal for her, and I've heard it's not compatible with her iMac.)

I apologize if this is difficult to read, but any helpful opinions would be appreciated.
If you would install Parallels, then she can use ebook Library to purchase ebooks from the Connect store. Just cannot use that to update firmware.

The Cybook does not require Windows to download books. So that might be better for her.
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Old 11-19-2007, 08:20 PM   #3
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I'm not sure that she would be happy with the Cybook because the page button requires a solid click. I bought a book chair for holding the Cybook and it works really well, so maybe sticking with the Sony and a book chair is a better option.

http://www.ereaderoutfitters.com/eRe...3d881ae7fab71f
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Old 11-19-2007, 08:25 PM   #4
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Sorry I meant to say, assuming you'd be willing to load the books for her.
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Old 11-19-2007, 08:34 PM   #5
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Sorry I meant to say, assuming you'd be willing to load the books for her.
Or now you could buy her a Kindle.

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Old 11-19-2007, 09:43 PM   #6
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The only downside of the Kindle is its weight (10.2 oz, vs 9 oz for the PRS-500). Otherwise it is probably your best option, assuming she is in Sprint's coverage area. It does not need any attached computer, and you can buy new e-books directly on the Kindle. Perhaps a Kindle and a book chair to get round the weight issue.
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Old 11-19-2007, 10:34 PM   #7
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Thank you all for your responses.

The limitation on weight certainly creates issues with the Kindle, since she cannot hold a large hardback book for extended periods. Admittedly, a bookchair looks as though it would help with the issue of the arthritis in her hands.

I looked at the bookchair, and it appears from the images that it would have to rest on a table or other rigid hard surface.

The problem we run into is that she cannot sit at a table indefinitely, which limits the utility of the bookchair. The arthritis in her knees and back will not permit her to sit in a chair rigid enough for her to sit at a table for long enough periods. At this point, the only places she can relax for extended periods is in her reclining easy chair (motorized to help her move from sitting to standing positions and back again) or in her bed (with the Tempurpedic mattress to absorb joint stress). So she must be able to hold onto the book herself (unless, I suppose, there is a bookchair or cradle equivalent that has a lapdesk-type base for her to use in the recliner).

All of which brings us back to: is Cybook the best option, do you think? Just downloading straight from fictionwise and similar sites directly onto the Cybook, without conversion?

I wish I could manage the downloads for her, but I live in another state.

She REALLY loves books, and I would hate for her growing health limitations to deny her those fundamental pleasures in life.
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Old 11-19-2007, 11:32 PM   #8
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The Mobipocket desktop software used to automatically synchronize to the Cybook is currently Windows only but she can definitely download from Fictionwise and copy the book to the Cybook like a disk drive. I'm sure that you could show her the process.

I just thought I'd mention that some people find the page button stiff. Worst case if she has a problem with it I'm sure you could sell it used. I would recommend trying it. I know I wouldn't want to be denied my books.
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Old 11-20-2007, 03:06 AM   #9
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I just thought I'd mention that some people find the page button stiff. Worst case if she has a problem with it I'm sure you could sell it used. I would recommend trying it. I know I wouldn't want to be denied my books.
You could probably glue a 1" to 2" stick to the page turn button to turn it into a joystick which may be easier to use. It would make it harder to resell though...
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Old 11-20-2007, 03:54 AM   #10
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Another benefit of the CyBook which may be of relevance to people with vision problems is that it offers a much larger range of font size options than any other reader I'm aware of. You can make the text pretty much as large as you wish (and I mean ridiculously large).
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Old 11-29-2007, 10:53 AM   #11
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The 505 is defiantly lighter in weight then a Harry Potter hardcover. The Gen3 is as well. I would think the Kindle should be. But it is heavier then the 505 & Gen3.
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Old 11-29-2007, 11:24 AM   #12
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The Kindle is the simplest, because she can buy books directly on the device (if Sprint is available where she lives). It is heavier, and the scroll wheel and keys might be too small. The page turn keys are if anything too easy to press.

Assuming the page turn keys are ok, the only downside to the Cybook is that she will need to use her Mac to buy and download the books. Once the books are downloaded to the Mac, they are transfered to the Cybook as if it was a USB memory stick.

Note that you can buy Kindle books from Amazon on the Mac, and then either download them to the Mac and then to the Kindle (similarly to the Cybook), or just turn on the Kindle's Sprint connection and they will download automatically.
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