8+ Readers in comparison

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

http://computershopper.com/back-to-s...s-for-students

They write in this article about 5 ebook readers but for some unknown reason they didn't mention about jetBook.

Price: Frankly, all of these devices are more expensive than they should be, and prices will no doubt drop in the coming months and years.

The cost of jetBook less than $200 and it can be perfect solution for students and especially for ESL students because it comes preloaded with dictionaries for different languahes.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

http://ebook-reader-review.toptenreviews.com/

Ranking:
#1 : Kindle 2
#2 : Sony 700
#3 : Sony 505
#4 : Astak EZ Reader = BeBook
#5 : iRex 1000S
#6 : Cybook Gen3
#7 : iRex iLiad
#8 : Foxit ESlick
#9 : iRex iLiad Book Edition
#10: Jetbook

Of course, I don't agree.

Some examples, why I disagree:
- Ranking iLiad Book Edition lower only can be explained by having no WLAN. But lots of the others don't have it as well. Why is iLiad with WLAN #7 and without #9?
- Touchscreen is cool and still rare. I like thumbnail view. But still, Sony 700 has got the worst display, I'd NEVER rank it #2.
- I don't use my BeBook because of its "plasticy" feel. I'd rank it lower.
- Lots of guys have been suggesting to add Jetbook to my collection. Interesting that it ranks last. Can't comment though, never have seen it live.

Wrong ranking. They write that jetBook has support for TXT, PDF, FB2 formats only but it has support for Mobi, PRC, RTF and ePub since April. They write that price for jetBook $299 but real price is $199. Sony 700 must be #10 for sure.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by hjenkins

Thanks for clarifying that. I should stop researching this issue because I keep coming across information that stops me buying something.

Just read that there will be a 10" iPod by xmas and they are obviously targeting the eReader market. Being in colour would be great - not sure what the reading experience would be like. Having internet browsing access will be great.

I did have my eye on the new colour Flepia but not sure it's speed is good enough yet.

regards
Helen

Using both Kindles, I've got Amazon's iPhone application as well.
When traveling, sometimes I use iPod touch or iPhone for a quick read.
From 2000 to 2004, I've been reading on PDAs.
All of that was/is okay for me.
But in direct comparison, eInk does have its advantages:
- Battery lasts at least 10 hours. My iPhone drains the battery faster than I can watch.
- In bright sunlight, I have to find the right angle on iPhone, eInk doesn't mind about lighting conditions or viewing angle.
- I'm not too fond of iPhone. Calling itself "business phone" and didn't even have "copy and paste" for 1.5 years....
I'll carefully check the specifications of any Apple device.
But of course: Color is extremely interesting and Apple always is worth comparing...And they certainly would give a boost to the publishing market, probably directly competing with Amazon...

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Wrong ranking. They write that jetBook has support for TXT, PDF, FB2 formats only but it has support for Mobi, PRC, RTF and ePub since April. They write that price for jetBook $299 but real price is $199. Sony 700 must be #10 for sure.

I disagree with almost the entire ranking...

[hjenkins]

Originally Posted by valeednasir

Yeah, I was very inclined towards iLiad, but didn't feel it's worth the price.

So, Kindle DX it is. In fact, I just ordered it .

Just curious... if you were offered an iRex iLiad for free or a Kindle DX for free... which would you choose?

regards
Helen

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by hjenkins

Thanks for clarifying that. I should stop researching this issue because I keep coming across information that stops me buying something.

regards
Helen

Lucky you. For me, it's exactly the opposite. The more I read, the more I find which I MUST have.
Already more or less decided to buy the 2 new Sonys, makes # 10 and #11...

[pboss]

Oh come on, the whole idea of ranking is flawed. Each set of demands/needs requires its own specific list. Change your medication and your list will change.

[richman]

Yeah, I think it makes a difference if you own them compared to just trying them out for a few minutes and having as a job to make a review.

It does help to figure out where the pro reviewers are coming from, I have seen Video reviews from TV type people that give a good ereader a 2 star rating because they didn't like the book store that is tied to the ereader although they liked everything else about ereader. I like amazon user reviews or places like this place that go into pro's and con's of these devices from people that own them. And you can ask them if a device can be good for this or that. And get feedback from owners.
I look for sturdiness, screen clarity, gadget beauty, battery life, formats, and I'm not interested in wifi or whispernet, or how many books are on amazon or sony. But other people could rate those things higher and take off lots of points for lack of wifi or whispernet.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by hjenkins

Just curious... if you were offered an iRex iLiad for free or a Kindle DX for free... which would you choose?

regards
Helen

Iliad, without a doubt. At least that one looks good...

Originally Posted by pboss

Oh come on, the whole idea of ranking is flawed. Each set of demands/needs requires its own specific list. Change your medication and your list will change.

I agree. Ranking doesn't make sense. A comparison list of features is perfect, but don't put numbers on that.

[hjenkins]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Iliad, without a doubt. At least that one looks good...

I'm glad to hear that cause I finally decided to get one. I got it from eBay and although second hand, I believe (hope) it's in good condition. It's flying over to me as we speak.

Here in Australia it costs about $1,299 and I got it for about $710 so happy with that.

PDF's are 90% of the stuff I read so I wanted something that would handle that easily as it could become a huge source of irritation if I had to convert and fiddle with page setup measurements or read it landscape all the time.

Anyway, just wanted to post that eBay is a good source to look at if you don't want to pay full price for an e-reader. Triple check the seller's ratings and only buy from 100% sellers if you can.

regards
Helen

[hike_gc]

I've been following this thread and am still debating which device I am going to buy. I discovered this website a couple days ago and have to say the information here is a lot more useful than any of the other reviews I've been reading.

I'm having a hard time swallowing the Kindle. It seems the most proprietary product out there. Am I really strictly tied to buy Amazon's content? I mostly read classics and some newer books. PDF support would be nice although it sounds like that technology could use some work. Wireless access is very low on the priority list. If I plan ahead, I should have more than enough content loaded on the device to get me through any traveling. And what bookworm would be caught without several books lined up to read?

What I really want is a quality product for a decent price that is the least restrictive about what content I can load on it.

Unless someone can really sell me on the Kindle, it's down to Sony or Irex. I was ready to buy the ilead book edition until I saw the firmware is no longer being updated. I'm curious to see the new Sony devices later this month. I know Sony also has propriety content but it doesn't seem as limited. Or is that just my imagination? The irex products are expensive but they seem solid and the ability to play suduko would be nice.

This newcomer awaits your advice

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by hike_gc

I've been following this thread and am still debating which device I am going to buy. I discovered this website a couple days ago and have to say the information here is a lot more useful than any of the other reviews I've been reading.

I'm having a hard time swallowing the Kindle. It seems the most proprietary product out there. Am I really strictly tied to buy Amazon's content? I mostly read classics and some newer books. PDF support would be nice although it sounds like that technology could use some work. Wireless access is very low on the priority list. If I plan ahead, I should have more than enough content loaded on the device to get me through any traveling. And what bookworm would be caught without several books lined up to read?

What I really want is a quality product for a decent price that is the least restrictive about what content I can load on it.

Unless someone can really sell me on the Kindle, it's down to Sony or Irex. I was ready to buy the ilead book edition until I saw the firmware is no longer being updated. I'm curious to see the new Sony devices later this month. I know Sony also has propriety content but it doesn't seem as limited. Or is that just my imagination? The irex products are expensive but they seem solid and the ability to play suduko would be nice.

This newcomer awaits your advice

Hi,

I totally understand your difficulties to decide.
I'm struggling myself about the new Sony devices....

Concerning Kindle:
Amazon uses 2 formats: .azw and .tpz.
.azw is about 90% of their books and is a modification of .prc (Mobipocket). They've bought Mobipocket about 1 year ago, so all the "tools" available for Mobipocket can be used as well respectively have been modified accordingly.
Meaning: You can strip .azw from DRM (Digital Rights Management = kind of copy protection, which prohibits conversion) and convert Amazon's books in all the other formats.
So, your books from Amazon aren't bound to Kindle forever, you can port them to other units if needed.
On the other hand, you can modify standard .prc files to work on Kindle. There are plenty of webshops for .prc, you don't have to rely exclusively on Amazon.
BUT: So far, Amazon's webshop usually has the best prices AND the biggest coverage. Normally, no need to go elsewehere.

Similar applies for all the other units. Most of the units offer 1 DRMed format. If it's .prc for example, you can shop from various sources. But when switching your reader, you may have to strip DRM and convert to your new platform anyway.

If I'd have to suggest: Sony and Amazon obviously are market leaders, mainly because of having additional revenue streams via selling content.
Actually, this 2nd revenue stream is way bigger than hardware sales.
So one can imagine the R&D power of, let's say, Amazon vs. iRex.
On the other hand, 2 or 3 creative engineers in those smaller companies can change everything...

Being in your shoes, I'd ask myself 2 questions:
- Do I already have DRMed eBooks (for example from past experience with PDAs or mobile phones) or do I tend to a specific format?
If so, I'd always choose a unit, providing that specific format natively. Stripping hundreds of eBooks from DRM can be a pain...
For PDFs, for example, I'd clearly suggest iRex.
- Are there specific features, you MUST have? For example "Text to Speech", dictionary support or lookup function will be showstoppers for most of the units.

P.S. Regarding "most proprietary": Sony's bookstore format .lrx isn't stripppable yet. You can't convert these so far.
But you can purchase from different sources. Sony is capable of .epub, which already is kind of THE standard format out there.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by hike_gc

I've been following this thread and am still debating which device I am going to buy. I discovered this website a couple days ago and have to say the information here is a lot more useful than any of the other reviews I've been reading.

I'm having a hard time swallowing the Kindle. It seems the most proprietary product out there. Am I really strictly tied to buy Amazon's content? I mostly read classics and some newer books. PDF support would be nice although it sounds like that technology could use some work. Wireless access is very low on the priority list. If I plan ahead, I should have more than enough content loaded on the device to get me through any traveling. And what bookworm would be caught without several books lined up to read?

What I really want is a quality product for a decent price that is the least restrictive about what content I can load on it.

Unless someone can really sell me on the Kindle, it's down to Sony or Irex. I was ready to buy the ilead book edition until I saw the firmware is no longer being updated. I'm curious to see the new Sony devices later this month. I know Sony also has propriety content but it doesn't seem as limited. Or is that just my imagination? The irex products are expensive but they seem solid and the ability to play suduko would be nice.

This newcomer awaits your advice

You mention the Kindle, so I'll presume you're living in the States. Just to let you know, IRex is (supposedly) working on a new 8" screened device. Which should cost at around $400. You can find a news story about that in the news forum.

And about the Kindle. You can only a few formats on it. But, it's possible to shift almost any format to almost any other format (using Calibre, for exampe). Notice the "almost"! Not every format can be easily shifted. If you do buy DRM'd books anywhere else but Amazon, you will have to remove the DRM and (if it's not in a mobipocket format) shift it to mobipocket.

[hike_gc]

I do not currently own any ebooks. I've been delaying actually purchasing any until I own a device but have been looking at various shopping sites to see what is out there. I am located in the US.

I've read about the new Irex due out (soon it seems) and the new Sony 600. Both look like good products but I won't be on the pre-order list for any products. I'd rather read the user reviews and then decide. As for the Kindle. Well, there is a part of me that says Kindle won't stay top of the heap forever. Maybe it's the rebel in me, but I cheer for the underdog. There are some great products in development and it is only a matter of time until someone gets the PDF thing right (at a reasonable cost) as well as some of the other annoyances I've read about with these devices.

I do hope to purchase a device before the end of the year. If someone were to offer me an ereader device free of charge, I would take the iRex because I think it is a great product. However, the balance of my bank account and the need to pay my rent will be the deciding factor on which device I ultimately purchase. I do appreciate this forum and am learning a lot!

[hike_gc]

I think I need to step away from my keyboard (and this forum) and let all this information slosh around in my brain for awhile.

A couple more questions first though.

I like to listen to audio books and see all these devices offer audio. Is it good quality audio or should I stick with my MP3 player for the audio books?

My other question is regarding the grayscale levels. I see everything from 4 to 16. How good are the 4 level devices, really? The material I will likely read won't have many pictures, mostly just text.

I'm now looking at the Astak EZ Reader. Somebody please talk me into(or out) of it. I haven't found any user reviews of this model, so it must just now be shipping.

I really appreciate all your feedback!