Want best reader for downloading magazine articles, almost bought jetBook for $179

[brettmiller]

This week, there was a free ebook, Suze Orman's 2009 Action Plan (for download until 1/15/09) at http://www.oprah.com/download and it was 227 pages long! I truly did not want to print this out and lug it around, but it got me wanting an e-book reader again.

I only subscribe to 1 magazine through the mail, USNews & World Report, but I have been reading articles from Newsweek,Time, and other sources a lot. Usually, I click the "Print Version" link a lot and use up a lot of paper, ink and staples so I can read these when I am not working and near a computer. This is not an environmentally sound practice, nor is it a smart money decision.

I was excited by the Kindle presentation until I learned that I would need to pay for Kindle versions of the magazines I currently read for free, and I did not see a way to upload anything I wanted to read like PDFs, etc.

I saw the jetBook on sale at Frys for $179 today and almost went and got it but thought I should read some reviews on this before investing.

I would like a reader device that can quickly download any number of pdfs, txt, html and docs and display them without having to spend the time converting them to a compatible format. I also would like the option of buying electronic books online.

From what I'm reading, having a device that will reflow the text is very important as well.

The backlit LCD vs. eInk doesn't really matter to me. Also, I don't need my reader to have its own transmitter so it can download without being connected to a computer (though this was an impressive feature of the Kindle).

Forum members: from what I've written, what would be my best option at the best price?

Thank you.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by brettmiller

I saw the jetBook on sale at Frys for $179 today and almost went and got it but thought I should read some reviews on this before investing.

Wow, that is an excellent price.

But, do read all the myriad of threads on PDF and how they can be difficult on these small format readers. If you haven't already that is.

The PRS-700 seems to be the BEST for PDFs that have graphs and charts and such in them. For text only the 500 and 700 will do reflow. There is talk that the Jetbook will soon support this too.

However, if you want full size PDF rendering the iRex iLiad or DR1000 might be more appropriate... but they are twice plus the price of the 6inch readers.

BOb

[kovidgoyal]

You can read time,newsweek and a hundred other magazines (both subscription and free) on the SONY readers using calibre. Calibre will soon allow you to read them on devices that support the MOBI format as well, so the choice of reader is moot unless you care about PDFs in which case I recommend the 700

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

You can read time,newsweek and a hundred other magazines (both subscription and free) on the SONY readers using calibre. Calibre will soon allow you to read them on devices that support the MOBI format as well, so the choice of reader is moot unless you care about PDFs in which case I recommend the 700

A few days ago I compared Calibre's generated Newsweek vs. my print copy for Jan. 13th. Calibre's version included (almost?) everything. Sorry, I forget if there was anything missing (other than some pictures), because I was so astounded that it included every major story, even all the letters to the editor.

You'll miss the layout of the print magazine (we often underestimate the effect of the editor's choice of layout and pictures to signify story importance). But the savings in clutter and paper is very nice.

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Calibre will soon allow you to read them on devices that support the MOBI format as well, so the choice of reader is moot unless you care about PDFs in which case I recommend the 700

Yikes!

Kindle + Calibre = big increase in use of Calibre.

Kindle + Calibre = cancellations of Kindle paid newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

A few months later ... Publisher's websites' RSS feeds changed, Calibre magazine and newspaper collections don't work well.

A few months later ... big decrease in use of Calibre. Calibre becomes mostly a freeware translator. Sony Reader market share decreases.

Sony, where are you? Pay some money to Calibre now, before everything goes haywire!

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by jj2me

Kindle + Calibre = big increase in use of Calibre.

Kindle + Calibre = cancellations of Kindle paid newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

Doubtful. 99% percent of Kindle users don't know or care about calibre or worry about their subscription fees.

BOb

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by jj2me

A few months later ... Publisher's websites' RSS feeds changed, Calibre magazine and newspaper collections don't work well.

As long as publishers make their content accessible as websites, calibre will still be able to fetch the content.

[jj2me]

Ah, thanks guys for the reassurance. Calibre is really wonderful, providing such varied usefulness.

Point taken also about Kindle users. The posts I see from them are so partisan that it reminds me of the iPod faithful. It's been over 50 years since the theory of Cognitive Dissonance was published, and we all succumb to it to some degree. But iPod and Kindle people are different.