Help in deciding which ebook reader

[molesm]

Hi, am new to ebook readers and have never had one, just read the one on a PDA about 5 years ago, that I found acceptable experience. I have spent a fair bit of time looking at all the different devices, and have not really got much further on in deciding which ebook reader to go for. Therefore I thought I would humbly ask the people of this forum to help me out. I have set out a list of what I am looking for in a reader device.

Requirements
Very good display apparently the sony prs-600 (sony touch)suffers from reflection due to its touch screen but is better but not perfect in the prs-900 (sopny daily)is this common among touch screens, and how bad is it really in the store it looked worse than the prs 300 (sony pocket)

The cybook opus has a screen which apparently can be set to non flashing mode where the screen does not go black in between pages but does suffer from ghosting. To me this sounds like a very good option. What do people think of this feature or is the black screen unnoticeable after a while, or is this available on more devices

Folder support

Expandable memory

The ability to quickly resume reading, so either a fast start up time or a screen lock type

Epub format I think (don’t have any ebook yet, but seems to be going that way and don’t want to be locked into a device)

wants
I think I would prefer a small device that could be held in one hand for easy reading when standing up.

Do not really like QUERTY keyboards as don’t annotate, and this makes the device larger

Would like a 3G connection to download newspapers not sure if I will do this or not but would like the option

Cost while important, if a device was to do exactly what I wanted then I would not have a problem with spending a fair bit, but not much more than the sony daily editions $400, of whatever it is in sterling when it comes out


devices
Sony general – poor epub support?, do they support folders, no non flashing mode

Sony pocket – no expandable memory

Sony touch – poor screen, but do have that great looking case with the built in light

Sony daily – not excellent screen, but better than the touch and not available yet in the UK

Bebook mini – No support for non flashing mode, no 3G

Cybook opus – flashing light when turning pages, slow start up no screen lock, lots of people complaining about crashes (fixed by dec 24th 09 update?), no 3G, not fast to start up and no screen lock

Pocketbook 360 - flashing light when turning pages , No support for non flashing mode, no 3G

After writing this I am leaning towards the bebook mini, perhaps not the most stylish of devices, but does come close to meeting all of my requirements and wants. However should I wait and see if there are any other good devices coming, but then as with all technology end up waiting for ever.

As a side note some people on this forum complain about poor epub formatting, how common is this.

[dsvick]

Hey there, welcome.

Have you seen the eReader MAtrix? It has an easy to follow and compare listing of all the major (and most of the minor) readers out there.

[HarryT]

Forget the "flashing" thing. 99% of people find that, after using an eInk device for a couple of hours, they simply don't "see" it any more - your brain just filters it out.

Unfortunately every device is a compromise - if there were clearly one device which was the "best", life would be a lot simpler; unfortunately, there isn't.

As you see from my profile on the left, I have a lot of different eBook readers. The one that I use day to day is the Sony PRS-600; I find that its features are, for my requirements, the best. My favourite 5" device is the Pocketbook 360. Excellent folder support and a good range of options.

[molesm]

Originally Posted by dsvick

Hey there, welcome.

Have you seen the eReader MAtrix? It has an easy to follow and compare listing of all the major (and most of the minor) readers out there.

Yes, but still confused, I suppose my main questins are

1) what is the "non flashing" mode like on the cybook opus
2) What is the screen like to live with on the sony touch or other touch reader devices
3) Any new deivces round the corner that are small with 3G
4) On the larger ebook devices, do they need to be held with two hands for comfort, and if so is this a problem

[molesm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Forget the "flashing" thing. 99% of people find that, after using an eInk device for a couple of hours, they simply don't "see" it any more - your brain just filters it out.

Unfortunately every device is a compromise - if there were clearly one device which was the "best", life would be a lot simpler; unfortunately, there isn't.

As you see from my profile on the left, I have a lot of different eBook readers. The one that I use day to day is the Sony PRS-600; I find that its features are, for my requirements, the best. My favourite 5" device is the Pocketbook 360. Excellent folder support and a good range of options.

Thanks Harry, so you dont find the prs 600 too reflective under diffrent lighting conditons then, it looked slightiy more reflective in the light in the shop, but that could have just been me. Glad to hear that you do filter out the flashing

[HarryT]

The touch screen definitely has a slight impact on screen clarity and increases reflectiveness, no doubt about it. But for me, the benefits of the touch screen - annotation, dictionary lookup, searching, etc - far more than outweigh that. Having said that, I read with a good reading lamp. If you're going to read it poor light, it could make a difference.

[molesm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The touch screen definitely has a slight impact on screen clarity and increases reflectiveness, no doubt about it. But for me, the benefits of the touch screen - annotation, dictionary lookup, searching, etc - far more than outweigh that. Having said that, I read with a good reading lamp. If you're going to read it poor light, it could make a difference.

Thnaks again Harry, From your comments I think I might go for the sony, after i have looked into it a bit more. I expect to be using the deivce in lots of diffrent lighting condions, reading at night with a bedside light, on trains, cafe, outside, using the sony case with light, would you say any of these is a define no, or all OK, but some not as good
Matthew

[HarryT]

All those sound fine to me. Places where it won't work very well, are, for example, dark corners of dimly-lit pubs .

[molesm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

All those sound fine to me. Places where it won't work very well, are, for example, dark corners of dimly-lit pubs .

Thanks Harry for answering all of my questions you have been incredibily helpfull, it is very usefull to have someone who has actually seen lot of devices. I think I will almost definlty get a sony, all I have to decide now it do I get the prs-600 now or wait for the prs-900, and put up with its large size, for the chane that I might want to read a newspaper evey day

[PocketGoods]

Hi, molesm! I see the new PocketBook 302 fits to all of your requirements (except 3G). I am not sure about Sony 600 but my Sony 505 does not support folders. This is why I changed first to LBook V3 and later to PocketBook 301+. The Software of PocketBook is really the most "mature" of all I have seen before..

[omk3]

The sonys do not support folders, but they support collections, which is good enough for me. Some people even prefer collections to folders.

I'm not sure that Harry's comments about the lighting are entirely accurate. In fact in a very dimly lit pub you could read fine using a book light. I love my prs-600 and I too use it as my primary reader. However I must admit that the yellowish house lights, even though they look bright enough, are not really comfortable for reading on the 600. You need some bright white light, like led or neon for example. The overhead lights on the plane are great. I suppose the lights on trains must be too, I haven't tried. Cafes, it really depends. Daylight is good, if it's bright.

I heard that the screen of the 900 is better than that of the 600, but I don't know if it's true. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my 600 for anything, but there are people that are bothered by the screen, and you can only decide for yourself if you are one of them.

[molesm]

Originally Posted by omk3

The sonys do not support folders, but they support collections, which is good enough for me. Some people even prefer collections to folders.

I'm not sure that Harry's comments about the lighting are entirely accurate. In fact in a very dimly lit pub you could read fine using a book light. I love my prs-600 and I too use it as my primary reader. However I must admit that the yellowish house lights, even though they look bright enough, are not really comfortable for reading on the 600. You need some bright white light, like led or neon for example. The overhead lights on the plane are great. I suppose the lights on trains must be too, I haven't tried. Cafes, it really depends. Daylight is good, if it's bright.

I heard that the screen of the 900 is better than that of the 600, but I don't know if it's true. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my 600 for anything, but there are people that are bothered by the screen, and you can only decide for yourself if you are one of them.

Thanks for that I think that collections will be fine, I expect to buy the case with the built in light if I get it, but I imagine that there would still be a problem in a room with house lights and the LED light of the case

[omk3]

The led light on the case is not too bright. It works well for me in total darkness (even on the lowest setting), but it doesn't do much to "boost" insufficient lighting from other sources. Some people have used and recommend brighter book-lights, but I don't remember which.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by molesm

all I have to decide now it do I get the prs-600 now or wait for the prs-900, and put up with its large size, for the chane that I might want to read a newspaper evey day

Well, here in the UK, while you might well be able to soon import the 900 (at a premium), I don't think you'll be able to make any use of the wireless, so it's unlikely to be worth it unless you're mostly going to be reading larger-sized pages such as PDFs sized for desktop PC reading, etc. Go for the 600!

[Dulin's Books]

PocketBook models also feature the ability to turn "full-refresh" on or off with lots of othe rcustomizations as well. Also the Boox 60 allows you to switch full refresh on or off