Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book Readers > Which one should I buy?

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 07-19-2007, 02:55 PM   #1
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
Brick and Mortar

Before I posted, ran a search to see if this has been asked before.

I'm in the central alabama area and I'd like to walk into a store and play with some of these portables that you folks are using for reading ebooks. I don't really know if I want something UMPC, something along the lines of the nokia 770 or an E-ink device. It would help if I could play with them first. Anyone got any suggestions as to what major retail chains might carry something like this?

FYI: I work at Best Buy and the only thing even remotely close is the palm tungsten but it's too small for me. I'd love it if we had a bigger selection since that employee discount is extremely satisfactory in most cases.

I called Circuit City and they don't have that sort of thing. Office Depot doesn't have anything on their website about this kind of stuff. Where else could I check?

Thanks in advance for the info,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 03:05 PM   #2
JSWolf
Resident Curmudgeon
JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
JSWolf's Avatar
 
Posts: 73,510
Karma: 126422064
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
Actually, best Buy does sell the Sony Reader. But it is an online item only. Borders sells the Sony Reader and you should be able to find a store that has one to look at. Also, if you have a Sony Style store nearby you can play witrh a Sony Reader there too.
JSWolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 07-19-2007, 03:17 PM   #3
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
the two closest borders locations are Dothan and Huntsville which are both hours and hours away from me, being just north of Montgomery.

The closest Sony Style is in Florida.

And my discount doesn't work online

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 03:40 PM   #4
RWood
Technogeezer
RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.RWood ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
RWood's Avatar
 
Posts: 7,233
Karma: 1601464
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Device: Sony PRS-500
Not sure if there are any in your region; but Fry's carries it. I know that they are a California based chain and have stores at least as far east as Dallas-Ft. Worth. Not sure if they get as far east as you. Some CompUSA stores had them but about one half of the chain has closed.
RWood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 03:46 PM   #5
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
RWood,

the closest Fry's Electronics is in Georgia.

I remember there used to be a CompUSA in Birmingham....yep. It's still there. That's only about an hour and a half and I'm actually going up there to the IMAX to see Harry Potter. Maybe I can make a sidetrip. Right now that's pretty much my only option. It's a bummer to live in the sticks

Thanks and keep em coming if you think of anything else,
Dave

EDIT: Ah crap. Birminham doesn't have it in stock. Only Huntsville...

Last edited by hoodaman; 07-19-2007 at 03:50 PM.
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 07-19-2007, 03:52 PM   #6
JSWolf
Resident Curmudgeon
JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
JSWolf's Avatar
 
Posts: 73,510
Karma: 126422064
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
Quote:
Originally Posted by hoodaman View Post
RWood,

the closest Fry's Electronics is in Georgia.

I remember there used to be a CompUSA in Birmingham....yep. It's still there. That's only about an hour and a half and I'm actually going up there to the IMAX to see Harry Potter. Maybe I can make a sidetrip. Right now that's pretty much my only option. It's a bummer to live in the sticks

Thanks and keep em coming if you think of anything else,
Dave

EDIT: Ah crap. Birminham doesn't have it in stock. Only Huntsville...
Just take advantage of the $50 credit card offer and just buy one.
JSWolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 04:16 PM   #7
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
see that's what I was trying to avoid. I haven't experienced the technology first-hand and I wanted to make an educated decision as to whether I should buy something E-Ink based or LCD based. I don't like to "blind buy" stuff like this. I play guitar as well and I NEVER buy before I've played the guitar in the store and found one I've clicked with. As it stands right now however, there's nothing in my area that carries the technology. It may end up being put on a christmas wishlist. That gives me more time to research and the 2nd generation E-Ink stuff should be out by then...
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 08:05 PM   #8
JSWolf
Resident Curmudgeon
JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
JSWolf's Avatar
 
Posts: 73,510
Karma: 126422064
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
LCD will drain the battery a lot more. The Sony reader can last like 2-3 weeks depending on your usage. No LCD reading device can go that long.
JSWolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 11:14 PM   #9
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
Yeah, I knew LCD was a battery killer much moreso than E-Ink but I've got a bunch of american comics and I'd like to read those on whatever device I get which pushes me in the direction of something full color LCD based.

I can see that I've got to figure out EXACTLY what I want this thing to do and what I can live without. There's no perfect device yet from the look of it but there may be something close if I look in the right place.

Thanks,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 11:41 PM   #10
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
Sorry to double-post but since there seems to be no one in my area that sells this stuff, here's my want list in a reader:
  • Lightweight
  • Thin
  • supports txt, html, rtf and possibly pdf natively (may have to convert pdfs for readability)
  • good battery life
  • supports non-drm files, don't care about drm files
  • sub-350 dollar price
  • must be able to read from heirarchal folder structure
  • neat, organized menu for navigating the library
  • bookmark support
  • fast software (read: quick page turns, boot-up, shut-down, file loads)
  • support for a readily available flash-based expansion card larger than 2GB

Note: I would like a color screen if possible but if I have to compromise anything, this would be it. I'll continue to read my comics on the PC if need be.

However, I do NOT want these features included on my perfect device:
  • internet browser
  • video playback
  • audio playback

My mp3 player does all that stuff. It's a waste of money and space.

I'm going to cross reference this list with the matrix and TRY to come closer to making up my mind. But I still wanna see one before dropping a wad

Later,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2007, 11:55 PM   #11
guguy
Groupie
guguy began at the beginning.
 
guguy's Avatar
 
Posts: 191
Karma: 15
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Clermont-Ferrand/Paris, France
Device: PRS-505
Considering your budget and the fact you wanna read american comics
you should be happy with the Asus EEE, a 7" laptop which costs only 199$.
With the 150$ left you could buy additional batteries.

This laptop is to be released in a few days.
guguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2007, 12:36 AM   #12
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
I'll keep it in mind but aside from it's initial "ooh" factor I think it could be optimized in a few areas.

Make the screen swivel around so i don't have to sit with it like a laptop.

I'll definitely need a larger drive than the default 4 gb for my comic books plus my ebooks, which drives up the price more.

nix the speakers and fill the space up with screen.

It's a laptop so it's got extra stuff on it I don't need: speakers, wifi, RJ-45 and RJ-11 jacks, optical drive and a keyboard.

Even at 200 for the basic model I don't really think it's what I'm in the market for.

Thanks for looking out though.

Later,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2007, 12:51 AM   #13
NatCh
Gizmologist
NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.NatCh ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
NatCh's Avatar
 
Posts: 11,615
Karma: 929550
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN
Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3
Here you go, hoodaman: plug your location into this bad boy.
NatCh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2007, 01:11 AM   #14
hoodaman
the new guy
hoodaman began at the beginning.
 
hoodaman's Avatar
 
Posts: 20
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Central Alabama in a little town called Slapout
Device: PRS-505
well now...the sony dealer search comes up with a compusa that's in Hoover but the CompUSA site shows no such store in that location.

Anyway. I did some comparing of what I want to the matrix and the two that I'm sold on for features are the new 3rd gen cybook and the extremely overpriced iRex.

I'm definitely going to be calling that hoover number tomorrow to see if their doors are still open and if so can I play with an E-Ink device just to see. Hoover's about an hour away from me so it wouldn't be too too far to drive...

Thanks NatCh,
Dave
hoodaman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2007, 05:31 AM   #15
HarryT
eBook Enthusiast
HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
HarryT's Avatar
 
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
Don't you think you're being a little "over particular" in your specifications? You have to live with what's available if you actually want a "real world" device. Eg, declining to buy a device simply because it plays MP3s seems to be to be a bit daft - if you don't want to play MP3s on it, then don't.

At $49 for a Sony Reader who gives a damn if it's the perfect device or not? You can always re-sell the thing if it doesn't suit you.

Surely it's better to have something to use rather than wait forever for the elusive "perfect device" that you'll never find, is it not?
HarryT is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Where can I get Bebook Neo? Brick and mortar store! JediEagle BeBook 8 03-31-2010 11:03 AM
Classic Nook not to be available at all brick and mortar stores. Alisa Barnes & Noble NOOK 4 10-28-2009 07:24 PM
PRS-600 Brick & Mortar Stores ratman09 Sony Reader 9 09-09-2009 03:55 PM
Will the Kindle ever be available in brick and mortar stores? smokedragon Amazon Kindle 24 02-12-2009 07:49 PM
Brick-and-Mortar Store Thread Ken Stuart Sony Reader 331 09-13-2007 05:56 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:02 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.