Busy (but Geeky) Mom wants freedom from laptop (lots of online fic forum reading)

[DDHarriman]

Hi

Follow your husband advice, I see wisdom there: you get immediate gratification and total direct experience with the reader device - buy it, charge it, read with it.

You can return it (I doubt) if you think the kindle gives you more.
Remember, getting the book is a minutes thing, but reading it is a hours/days thing, and so you will be using your reader for reading much more then for buying/getting books (and a normal computer is perfect suited for doing this, no need for a direct connection with the supplier, or at least not a fundamental decision point).

Ha… and if worried about material for reading, just go to the uploaded outstanding formatted by the members eBooks in this forum, and in a question of minutes you can find easily, eBooks for the first year(s) of use!

Tell us how was the first experience with it, today if you can…

Good shopping,

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by emellaich

1) Since you don't really read current books, and you aren't concerned about DRM the book store is not so much of a concern. That means that if I was going cheap I would look even cheaper than the Sony. I'd consider either the Jetco (about $169 on sale at newegg), or the Astak EZreader (expected to be on sale at Fry's for $219 on the fourth of July weekend). I hear that the Sony is sometimes available for $200, and if you can find it for this price it would fit also. Note that the Kindle 2, I like doesn't have a cover, so you are talking around $400 with a cover. This is around a $200 savings.

I'll put in my bias towards the 505. I have one and would highly recommended it to others.

That said, I would not recommend the Jetbook, it's firmware currently is not good enough. It's ePub engine does not render all files we know the Sony can handle. Also, it's a 5" screen and I do have a bias against readers with a screen size of less then 6" so I would give that a miss. As for the EZ Reader, if you do not live were you can go to an actual Fry's, then the EZ Reader is out as far as the sale goes. Fry's does not ship the EZ Reader so the only way to get one from them is in store.

The reason I'm not recommending a K2 has nothing to do with it being from Amazon. It has to do with compatibility. If Siwickimom gets a 505 and converts to ePub and then say her kids want a reader and decide they want a Cool-er, the books she has will already be compatible. ePub will be compatible across a number of readers at some point. Amazon is only compatible with Amazon unless you are going DRM free Mobipocket either by getting it that way or stripping the DRM. Me personally, I'd rather go with a format that will work across devices so I'm not limited to any specific device. Also, the 505 will allow library books to be used if one does not mind the limitations of PDF or the library supports ePub. My local library does now support ePub so a 505 in that case makes sense.

[Krystian Galaj]

I understand the eInk factor isn't too important, you just want to have something small to read on anywhere. Additionally, eInk screens with their glass substrate tend to break easily when bent or dropped, and replacement costs about the same as the new one.

Perhaps UMPC computer would do the same thing for you? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umpc
It's usually small and light, has WiFi and you can connect to the Net in most places where there are WiFi hotspots, and read fanfiction just as if you read it on PC. And its LCD screen won't break so easily.

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As for the EZ Reader, if you do not live were you can go to an actual Fry's, then the EZ Reader is out as far as the sale goes. Fry's does not ship the EZ Reader so the only way to get one from them is in store.

JSWolf, I understand why your recommendations are different than mine. However, I do want to check on one item. As far as I can tell, you can order the EZReader here:

http://shop4.frys.com/product/583463...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

and they will ship it to you -- no problem. Is there something I am overlooking?

Note: the price shown is $299. That price is considerably higher than the special sale they are supposed to have over the July 4 weekend.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The reason I'm not recommending a K2 has nothing to do with it being from Amazon. It has to do with compatibility. If Siwickimom gets a 505 and converts to ePub and then say her kids want a reader and decide they want a Cool-er, the books she has will already be compatible. ePub will be compatible across a number of readers at some point.

I know I would prefer a reader that supports a ubiquitious format. I wouldn't care so much about DRM if it allowed me to read my books on any device and also transfer ownership to someone else if I want to.

Perhaps in 3 years or so ePub/AdobeDRM or ePub/eReaderDRM will be there and have the selection.

But, TODAY, no store that I see beats the pricing or availability of the Kindle store. That is why I chose to replace my Sony 500 with a Kindle1 rather than a Sony 505. (BTW: I had bought 0 books from the Sony ebook store after having the device for 1 year.)

BOB

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by rgeorg

If money is a factor, download your fiction to a PC (automatically or whatever) and purchase the less-expensive jetBook reader (or 2 of them!). You can then download the text to the device and read it at your convenience. Depends whether or not you are willing to pay a premium for instant-access convenience? It's easily a $200 difference between the K2 and the jetBook (which is also a mp3 player). Your 11-yr-old would probably enjoy it even if you eventually do not, and it would be great for him to read the classics that he'll be assigned to read in school (I say that as a teacher and mother!).

jetBook also has a dictionary (multiple languages in case your 11-year-old is learning a second language in school) and since you are happy - as I am - with non-DRM and some light format-changing - the jetBook is a real bargain at $169 from newegg.com. I am thinking of getting another one for my 16-yr-old - if I lived in the US I would have the second one by now for sure!

Being a busy mom/teacher also, I also like the size and portability factor of the jetBook, I am lugging around so much as it is! My husband enjoys reading -but typically PDF-formatted textbooks rather than fiction - but he's been quite interested in the jetBook lately (after first snubbing it as "too small" ).

But I won't let him borrow mine!

I absolutely agree with rgeorg. My family has 2 jetBooks (I purchased one unit for $199.99 and second one for my wife for $169.99 from NewEgg.com(no taxes and free shipping!)) and we enjoy reading on it. I don't remember any problems with firmware upgrade and ePub files.

[kacir]

From your point of view, it doesn't really matter what device you purchase. You have no problem with obtaining and converting material for your new device. Each of devices has different strengths and weaknesses.

There is one device you should look more closely at: the Astak EZ Reader
Reason is, that EZ Reader and other Jinke produced readers support hierarchical folders.
See our wiki for all OEM dealers. Hanlin V3 from Jinke is sold under quite a few names.

Sony PRS-505 does not support folders, but it has tags, so if you use Calibre software you can organize your material quite efficiently. One book can have several tags, but tags are no hierarchical.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by kacir

There is one device you should look more closely at: the Astak EZ Reader
Reason is, that EZ Reader and other Jinke produced readers support hierarchical folders.

You do know of course the JetBook supports this also.

BOb

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by emellaich

JSWolf, I understand why your recommendations are different than mine. However, I do want to check on one item. As far as I can tell, you can order the EZReader here:

http://shop4.frys.com/product/583463...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

and they will ship it to you -- no problem. Is there something I am overlooking?

Note: the price shown is $299. That price is considerably higher than the special sale they are supposed to have over the July 4 weekend.

Last I looked, Fry's was not shipping the EZ Reader. Guess they've changed their mind on that.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I know I would prefer a reader that supports a ubiquitious format. I wouldn't care so much about DRM if it allowed me to read my books on any device and also transfer ownership to someone else if I want to.

Perhaps in 3 years or so ePub/AdobeDRM or ePub/eReaderDRM will be there and have the selection.

But, TODAY, no store that I see beats the pricing or availability of the Kindle store. That is why I chose to replace my Sony 500 with a Kindle1 rather than a Sony 505. (BTW: I had bought 0 books from the Sony ebook store after having the device for 1 year.)

BOB

Siwickimom said she does not mind removing DRM and converting. This means that she can purchase eBooks and convert them to ePub for a 505 now and use them on a future device later on. That is a good investment.