Ebook readers in the UK?

[redbaron101]

Originally Posted by kacir

Pixmania in UK sells Cybook.

BEWARE!!!:
$1 = 1£

Now, you may click.
You have been warned.
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/1246...k-reading.html

I think most prices for any of the ebook readers are overpriced (compared to what you can buy them for in other countries). i think if i finally pluck up the courage and go for the hanlin v3 (r2) i would probably buy from here:

http://www.apoloxxi.com/epages/apoloxxi_com.sf/en_GB

Its a spanish company but ships to the uk as well. The do all the main ereaders (sony 505 / cybook / hanlin / iLiad)

[redbaron101]

Originally Posted by Riocaz

Not taken off?

Given there is all of 1 available on the highstreet and most expensive one out there. Did you really expect it to "take off"...

I would suggest not writing off the market until there is some actual competition...

hi riocaz, i was referring to the fact that out of all the ereaders that are available (and there are a number of different ones have been for around for a number of years now) in all the other countries and theres still only the iliads available in the uk suggests that the ereader market in the uk hasnt really taken off. If you are going to "wait for any actual competition" in the uk, then your wait is most likely going to be a long one!

[kesey]

Originally Posted by redbaron101

If you are going to "wait for any actual competition" in the uk, then your wait is most likely going to be a long one!

not too long. The Sony 505 goes on sale on Sept 5th 2008 at Waterstones.

[madmandegge]

I've gone for the star-e-book (with the hope I can flash the cybook firmware onto it), managed to get it for just under £100 brand new, but I think this was total luck, the same seller has them for £240 + £10 P&P, as does their online shop.

I still think anything like the new 505 shouldn't be £200, when in the USA its $300! Even with the currently low exchange rate, that's still £160 compared to the £200 here.

I agree it hasn't really taken off in the UK, but then again I doubt many people want to pay £200 for a device, and to be honest I don't blame them, it's a lot of money!

[HarryT]

Don't forget, though, that the UK price includes VAT. £160 + VAT is £188, so £199 isn't really too far off. They can't keep adjusting the pricing every time the exchange rate varies.

I must respectfully disagree with £200 being a lot of money for a "gadget". Most of my friends would, I think, spend that amount of money on something "cool" without stopping to give it too much thought. It's "iPod-territory", price-wise.

[Riocaz]

Originally Posted by kesey

not too long. The Sony 505 goes on sale on Sept 5th 2008 at Waterstones.

You beat me to it.

[Flub]

About a month ago I was on holiday in Toronto. While in a shopping mall in Pickering I wandered into a Sony store and spotted the 505 for $300CAD. This is Canada so that's obviously without tax. It doesn't work out much different to the UK price once you add VAT.

It's certainly a lot less than I paid for my Iliad.

[HarryT]

You have to look at what you're getting for your money, though. Eg, the CyBook Gen3 is considerably more expensive than the Sony, but for me personally, the additional features make it worth paying extra for; for others, they won't. It's a matter of looking at the features and making an informed decision.

[dadioflex]

Edit.

[madmandegge]

I suppose you're right with saying some people will spend that on a gadget, having said that I also know of those who would not spend anywhere near that much on a gadget, so it's obviously all personal opinion.

It does seem to be as mentioned in other threads, that you certainly don't see a lot of ebook readers in the UK. I haven't actually seen one person carrying one or reading with one, anywhere.
I'd be willing to put this down to the price, as there don't seem to be many other limiting factors.

Having said that, with the release of the PRS505 here soon, I may have to eat my words!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

Harry - I think you have a better class of friends than I do.

I work in the IT industry in which people tend to be:

1. Quite well-paid.

and:

2. Have a love of "gadgets".

Put the two together and there you are. I've shown my various book readers to people I work with and while they all think it's a fascinating technology, none is a sufficiently keen reader to buy one. I don't recall anyone being put off by the price, though - probably most have bought other gadgets in that price range. One the other hand, the wife of one of my friends is an English teacher, and she was absolutely "blown away" by my Gen3 and instantly demanded (and received!) one for her birthday which happened to be in a few weeks. She's now an avid eBook reader!

[redbaron101]

damnations! I just about decided I was going for the Hanlin v3 (r2), now the sony 505 being offered officially in the uk is just too tempting!

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by redbaron101

damnations! I just about decided I was going for the Hanlin v3 (r2), now the sony 505 being offered officially in the uk is just too tempting!

Redbaron - before buying the Hanlin, I'd take a very careful look at the formats that it supports. If you want to buy commercial eBooks, you may find its lack of support for such formats a real issue. MobiPocket support has been promised for it in the future, but it's as well to take such promises with a pinch of salt until it actually turns up for real.

If it's a choice between the V3 and the Sony, I'd go for the Sony, without a doubt.

[redbaron101]

Originally Posted by dadioflex

That Spanish site shows the Hanlin at 300 euros, right? That's about 230-240 quid, depending on the exchange rate. But the Bebook (re-badged Hanlin) site has them at £229, with a €25 discount if you use one of the many email addresses floating about this very forum. Is there a reason the BeBook is to be avoided in preference to an actual Hanlin?


Harry - I think you have a better class of friends than I do.

There seems to be a few versions of the hanlins rebadged eg lbook, digibook, walkbook, bebook etc. I've read the lbook firmware tends to be quite good, and some of the earlier batches of hanlins v3 were not Vizplex. Also the original v3 only has something like 32mb onboard flash, whereas the new v3 have 450Mb. Not sure about all the other versions, some say the other hanlin clones have slightly different hardware as well - its like the R4's and M3's all over again (for those of you familiar with NDS chips)

[redbaron101]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Redbaron - before buying the Hanlin, I'd take a very careful look at the formats that it supports. If you want to buy commercial eBooks, you may find its lack of support for such formats a real issue. MobiPocket support has been promised for it in the future, but it's as well to take such promises with a pinch of salt until it actually turns up for real.

If it's a choice between the V3 and the Sony, I'd go for the Sony, without a doubt.

well funnily enough the 505 was my first choice in this long voyage looking for the holy grail, I kind of went towards the hanlins after a while because of the bang for buck factor, plus sonys ended up being more expensive buying commercially from abroad. however with the sonys now being available within arms reach in the uk, this changes the picture all over again.