Arthritis- need lightweight easy to use ereader

[jwalleser]

I am looking for recommendations for a lightweight portable reader that is easy to use.I would like to be able to get cost effective books for it. What would be a good one to get. I am so very confused, and not terribly technologically literate-at least my grandchildren tell me that!

[desertgrandma]

Welcome to MobileRead, jwalleser.

Lots of opinions on this one, I'm sure. Here's mine.

You mention arthritis in your hands. The Kindle 1 would be my choice. Why that one over the K2?

Because the 'page turn' buttons are so large, and they are on each side of the device. A very light touch is all it takes to turn pages, or go back. You wold find out very quickly where to put your hands so that you don't inadvertently click.

The Sony is also a good choice. Library ebooks are easily downloaded, altho books from the Sony store are more expensive.

E-book readers are a Godsend for those with physical problems.

[DDHarriman]

Hi

The Cybook is the best choice - 175 grs.

Best regards,

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

Welcome to MobileRead, jwalleser.

Lots of opinions on this one, I'm sure. Here's mine.

You mention arthritis in your hands. The Kindle 1 would be my choice. Why that one over the K2?

Can you still get a Kindle 1, or do you need to go to second hand shops for that?

Assuming you're from the States, jwalleser, and you mentioning the books musn't be too expensive either, I'm afraid our desert granny might be right. Even though the Kindle is ugly as, well, I think it's ugly!, the books you can get from Amazon are generally cheaper than anywhere else...

[jwalleser]

Actually, I have been considering aa Jetbook that someone recommended. \it is lightweight, but I think that the sreen is small. Why isn't there a store where you can see thses actual products. I am leery of buying something withour actually seeing it first.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Can you still get a Kindle 1, or do you need to go to second hand shops for that?

Even though the Kindle is ugly as, well, I think it's ugly!, the books you can get from Amazon are generally cheaper than anywhere else...

You do need to go private sellers for a K1.

Sweetpea, the Kindle1 is most certainly not ugly.........would you like to meet me outside and discuss this?

Seriously..........if someone had told me I would buy the K1 sight unseen.........but back then there weren't quite the choices there is now.

Regardless of which device you decide on, just be sure you can return it if it doesn't suit your needs. Some people here have gone thru more than one before they found the right 'fit'. Thats why its important to buy from a reputable source.

[Elsi]

Originally Posted by jwalleser

Why isn't there a store where you can see thses actual products. I am leery of buying something withour actually seeing it first.

The Jetbook is available at my local Fry's Electronics store. (Well, it's not all *that* local, but you know what I mean.) They also have the Sony 505, Sony 700, BeBook, and something by Astak which I think is the EZ Reader. That's the largest set of readers in one location that I have seen.

My experience with the Sony 505 and Kindle 1 is that the buttons are much easier to press on the Kindle. Some have complained that they are *too* easy to press, but for me it was a matter of figuring out the best way to hold the device. I think that the weight of a device is not as significant as whether or not it is comfortable in your hands and the buttons are easy to push. If you're reading while seated, you can rest the reader on your thigh (if nothing else) to keep from having to support the whole weight (slight though it may be).

[emellaich]

jwallesar,

I believe that ereaders are wonderful -- I have been using various versions of them for ten years now. However, there are a few things that might influence your decision.

1) Lightweight: If you have arthritis, I'm not sure weight is your only concern. These things are basically big screens with frames around them. If you hold them one-handed then you end up "pinching" them by the side or bottom of the frame in order to hold them -- since you don't want your fingers on the actual screen. I'm not sure that this pinching grasp would be that comfortable for someone who has arthritis in their hands. The simplest solution would be for you to use a two-handed grip. With such a grip all of the readers are light enough an will be comfortable for you.

2) Technology literacy. Where this comes in to play mostly is in the ease of getting books. If you want to keep things simple you will be limited to a few book sources that have built-in compatibility with your ereader. More on this in the paragraphs ahead.

3) Cost effective: the most cost effective source of books is Gutenberg, here on Mobileread, and certain independent book sellers, especially Baen.com. Gutenberg and Mobileread offer over 100,000 free books, but they are generally classics (ie mostly written before 1923). Baen.com is an excellent book source for free and low cost books, but it specializes in Science Fiction and Fantasy and has fewer books 500 to 1,000?

Another source is your library. Some libraries 'loan' electronic books. I understand that if your library doesn't, you can get a guest membership to the NY Metro Public library for about $100 per year. My understanding is that reading these books is somewhat easy on the Sony (depending on the library's format), but takes much more work for some other readers.

Now that we have gone through the sources of free books, we get to the purchased books. If you want current releases of popular books you will need to purchase them. These books not only cost money but they have special 'protection' features that will tie them to your reader so that you can't give them away to all of your friends. Because of this, you will need to buy them from a store that supports the type of reader you buy.

If you want to keep things technically simple, my opinion is that the Kindle is the way to go for purchased books. You can connect to the online store without using a computer. Alternatively, you can use the web to buy a book on Amazon, and it is automatically sent to your Kindle with no work on your part. The Amazon store also has one of the largest selections, and has some of the best prices -- most bestsellers are $9.99 with popular older books being less expensive. There is also a constant supply of promotional books for free or $0.99.

4) Eyesight: You don't mention anything about your eyesight. But, you do mention being a grandparent with arthritis. One of the great things about ebook readers is that they let you increase the font size to more readable levels. However, if you need very large sizes this will mean that you won't fit much text on the screen. If this is a concern for you, then you may want to consider a larger device so that it can fit more text. The only one that really fits the bill these days (if you are in the U.S.) is the Kindle DX. Personally, I am more of a Kindle 2 fan, but the DX is probably a good choice if you have eyesight limitations. The DX is relatively light, its still smaller than a sheet of paper and it weighs 1 pound 3 ounces; however it is definitely not a one-hand device for you.

All told, I would probably recommend a Kindle 2 or DX for you followed by a Sony.

5) Jetbook: I've never used one, but from the comments here it looks like a great device. However, for your purposes there are a couple things you need to be aware of:
a) It supports mainly non-protected files. Not always, but generally this means free stuff like Gutenberg. If you want to read popular books it may take a bit more technical adventuresomeness (is that a word?) -- this is the main reason I didn't recommend it.
b) If you do have eyesight problems you need to be aware that as a 5" device it will have the smallest screen. You will still be able to enlarge the font, but relatively few words will fit on the page.
c) I hear that Bed Bath & Beyond carries it for $250, and that you can use one of their 20% off coupons on it for a $200 price. It is probably cheaper at egghead.com ($170 on sale) but if you want to touch one you can go to Bed Bath & Beyond.

Finally, for all of these devices you will need a reading light. They don't 'shine' the way computer screens do, and there are real advantages to this. However, if you have older eyes you will find that they are quite difficult to read in normal room lighting.

Sorry for the novel, but I hope this is useful.

[rjfarrell]

Emellaich,

That is one of the best op postings i have read in quite a while. Fair, true to the facts as we know them.

I have a Sony 505 and 700. I must say I truly am passionate about my Sony 505. I love checking books out from the library.

My mother-in-law had a tough time with the book transfers initially on her 505 we got her for her birthday, and set up was truly tough with her on the phone 3000 miles away. But she seems to be ok now with checking books out from the library.

At the end of the day, however, I think the Kindle would be easier for folks who need "the most simple, no nonsense, non-techie way to get a book on the reader" ebook reader.

Comfort while holding/using the e-book reader is very effected by the case. For Arthritic hands, I would think a little thicker would be better than thinner. Make sure to get a thicker, softer case. A planner with the date pages removed might be a good idea.

Good luck. If you love to read, you will love an e-reader!

[Alisa]

One little thing I'd like to add about Kindles, is that they have one other kind of control in addition to buttons. The Kindle 1 has a scroll wheel and the Kindle 2 has a multi-directional controller that you push up, down and side to side. I don't know if one of these things would be easier for you than the other.

I actually went to my local Fry's today and got to see the Jetbook, two Sony's and the EZ Reader side by side. I didn't find the Jetbook's display to be as crisp. Maybe it was the font choice in the book. The 700 was also a little fuzzy as many have noticed due to the touchscreen layer. Regardless of the display, I agree that you'll want a good reading lamp and possibly a clip on light if you like to read in bed and have a partner who would like to sleep.

[jwalleser]

I thank everyone for all the info. I found, on Amazon, where you can try to contact someone locally who owns a Kindle to show it to you. I have left an email and hopefully will get to see one. A Kindle seems to get the highest recommendations. Everyone has been so very helpful. This is a great forum. Thank you.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by jwalleser

I thank everyone for all the info. I found, on Amazon, where you can try to contact someone locally who owns a Kindle to show it to you. I have left an email and hopefully will get to see one. A Kindle seems to get the highest recommendations. Everyone has been so very helpful. This is a great forum. Thank you.

If you'd like to let us know where you are from perhaps someone from here would be avaialbe also.....

[Sydney's Mom]

Yes, we would be happy to show you, if possible. I love my kindle 1, and wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

The power went out this weekend (very bad storm) and until my kindle ran out of battery, I was a happy camper!!

[tompe]

Originally Posted by DDHarriman

Hi

The Cybook is the best choice - 175 grs.

I definitely think it is a better choice than Sony. Examining a friends Sony 505 I was surprised at how heavy it felt. It was not as convenient to hold with respect to weight as the Cybook. On the other hand the buttons on the 505 was much better than on the Cybook.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by DDHarriman

The Cybook is the best choice - 175 grs.

It's certainly the lightest, and I love mine. But the page turn button isn't good for someone with arthritis (in their hands).