Few questions to buy the first ebook reader

[cfvl]

Hi everyone,

I already read some stuff here but I still have some questions

There is any ebook reader where we can remove, or something like that, the DRM (maybe with calibre? how it works?) and read the PDF's in the ebook ?

Does software 'Primo' works? It's like I was print the PDF and then save it again.

I want one ebook reader just for read PDF, I have thousands of PDF files on my computer, how can I see if they have the DRM ? I'm saying this right ?

If the PDF does not have DRM, can I upload them to ebook reader and read it normally as I read a normal book ?

Does Irex have this specification ?

What do u recomend for this need?

Thansk all

cfvl

[jbcohen]

Well don't know anything about the IRex, hopefully some one will be along that knows about that reader so I wouldn't talk to the specific reader, but I do have some general comments to make here. First your specifications do to discriminate amoung the electronic book readers, in other words you need to be more picky then you have been. Reading PDFs is pretty much universal amoung the book readers with the expection of Kindle (I have nothing against a Kindle or Kidlers, I am primarily a Kindler myself). Next think about my statements below and think about which one best describes you, pick the one that best describes you and go with the reader that is listed next to that description, the kindle has been omitted becuase it works with its own proprietary format:

1) Do you want touch screen with on board disctionaries - Sony PRS
2) Do you want touch screen but do not need dictionaries - Nook
3) Want touch screen but also want color screen - Nook Color
4) I need the simplest reader possible - Kobo
5) I am going to read non-english books - Bookeen
6) I want to be able read absolutely any format that I come across - Etaco Jet Book Lite
7) I have a smart phone such as a Android based phone or a Blackberry and I would like to get a reader for $0 - The go to Amazon, Borders, Barns and Nobles, Mobi Pocket, Overdrive and download free readers on your phone. If you do not have a smart phone already the cost here may be too high, problem here is that the screen is rather small.

DRM is not something that is done on the reader its done on your PC, you buy the book and using Calibre and one of its plug-ins you strip the DRM then put the book on your reader. So its a multi-step process: 1) Buy book; 2) Download book; 3) Strip DRM using Calibre and plug-in; 4) Upload result to reader.

The situations where you would be best to forget about PDFs and consider a Kindle is:

1) I can see myself with an very big electronic book library
2) I want to be able to buy oddball books such as Andy Mc Dermotts' books - Let's face it Amazon has everything.

[cfvl]

first of all, thanks for the quick response

I think that ebooks with less then 7" are small, but I've got to do more research and see one IRL working
touchscreen is not mandatory.

the ebook readers with color screen are eInk too?

I have a smart phone, samsung galaxy S but as I said before, it's too small to read ebooks, only 4" screen.

Could you tell me how I see if the PDF I have is DRM protected?

So if I use Calibre I can put any PDF in any ebook reader that support PDF and read it with no issues and good quality image, right?

thanks once more

cfvl

[ProfCrash]

There are no color e-ink screens.

Your larger screen e-ink readers, that I know of so this is an incomplete list, are

Sony 950: 7 inches, probably best of the PDF readers as it has reflow

Kindle DXG: close to 10 inches but the PDF is average. There is no reflow

Pocketbook 902/903: I think e-ink but I don't know much about them

[jbcohen]

Obviously Prof knows something about screens that I don't.

You are looking at DRM in PDF the wrong way, lets turn the question upside down. What PDF books don't have DRM. The answer is 99.9% of all electronic books you find out there have DRM and very few do not such as the ones from BAEN, Mobile Read's Library and Project Gutenberg don't but all of the rest do. So if it is important to you to have them non-DRMed then you will need to get adept at stripping the DRM.

Understood about the screen size, my berry has one that is four inches as well and I am ok with that size.

If you are interested in large screen sizes you might look at a big format reader such as the Kindle DX. It will cost you and arm and a leg but its large format and its restricted to Amazon provided books. Most will have a seven inch screen.

If you can be satisfied with the seven inch screen then start looking for more charactersitics that you want.

By taking out tousch screen you have narrowed things down to the: Etaco Jet Book Lite, Bookeen and Kobo. Next question is do you want simple, foreign languege, non-english, languege books or ability to read anything and everything you come across.

For my dollars the most important thing would be the different formats that I can read, which would mean the Etaco Jet Book Lite. Costs approximatly $100 and can read just about anything, I would suggest that you go to the company's web site and look at the Jet Book Lite and see what you think. If you don't like that then lets talk about the other two readers. jetbook.net.

[cfvl]

Hi,

4 inches is too small for me. I want 7inches or more.

Kindle is not a option because they are restricted like you said.

The language in english is just fine, I dont need anything else. Keep it simple.

If the reader have Wifi, better, but is not essencial.

Jet Book Lite is interessant but has only 5". Too small for me.

I saw Sony PRS-950SC but don't find any place in europe that sell him. Do u know where I can find it?

Plastic Logic ebook reader seems amazing too but I dont find any place who sell it

Do you have anymore suggestion ?

With any reader (except Kindle) we can use Calibre or something like that, and upload PDF to the reader and read correctly on them, right? Is how it works?

thanks,

cfvl

[ProfCrash]

I have owned a Kindle for 3 1/2 years and have not run into any restrictions. I know how to get around them if I find them but I have never had a problem buying the books that I want.

Let me know what restrictions you are worried about.

[cfvl]

Let me give you one example.

I bought a book at amazon and that book came with a CD where one of the contents is the pdf of the book. How do I put the PDF in the reader to read it normally?

tks

[ProfCrash]

Load it onto your computer and move it with the USB cord or email it to your Kindle using your kindle email address.

[jocampo]

cfvl,

I strongly recommend you a tablet. Most current eink readers do not provide all the features (and speed) you need to read a PDF book or document.

With an iPad and GoodReader application on it, you will be able to read the document, make annotations, use the TOC, highlight, jump fast and easy among pages and chapters; you can't do that with any of the current eink readers.

The closest eink reader to an "ok" experience, in my opinion, is Kindle DXG. But does not support TOC and it is more suitable for sequential documents or those that you do not need to jump between pages or chapters.

With an iPad, you can use Dropbox application:
-Put the CD inside your computer
-Download or save locally
-Move to Dropbox
-Open the PDF on iPad (from Dropbox) and read on GoodReader

On a Kindle DXG, is like ProfCrash explained. #1 and #2 are the same but now you plug your Kindle via USB cable and move the PDF book onto your Kindle DXG.

For the records, I've seen Sony eink readers and PDF in action, they are good. But the screen is too small for a PDF, in my opinion. They are also too expensive just for being an eink reader only; you pay almost the same for an iPad 1st generation and will get a full fledge tablet where you can do more and faster.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by cfvl

Let me give you one example.

I bought a book at amazon and that book came with a CD where one of the contents is the pdf of the book. How do I put the PDF in the reader to read it normally?

tks

The same way that you would with any other reader: connect the Kindle to your PC with the USB cable, and copy the PDF file to the "documents" folder on the Kindle.

[cfvl]

The problem with the tablet, and the principal reason I dont choose a table is because of the eyes.

I work all day long in front a computer, plus the time I'm on a computer at home.

So for read, I'd like a ebook reader because of the eyes strain unlike a tablet which is the same to be looking at the monitor of a PC.

That's basically the only reason I prefer a ebook reader.

I can download a pdf from the net and pass it to the sony reader eg, and read it without problems?

cumps,

cfvl

[HarryT]

Most PDFs are formatted for an A4/Letter page, and cannot be displayed satisfactorily on a 6" screen.

[cfvl]

Even if the ebook reader has reflow?

If yes, what is the reflow use for?

[HarryT]

Reflow generally doesn't work terribly well. Lines break in strange places and all non-textual elements of the pages generally entirely disappear.

PDF was not designed to be an eBook format, but a digital representation of a fixed-size printed page.