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Old 04-07-2010, 10:17 AM   #1
Xtt
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Absolute best eBook reader?

Hey guys, I know the topic is really horrendous but it does convey what I'm looking for rather well. I've been browsing through the forums and looking over the eBook reader comparison matrix and have come to the conclusion I have no idea what I'm looking for; therefore I was hoping one of you guys would be able to help me with that

Basically, I'm looking for the best eBook reader you can buy or the one that most closely approximates reading an actual book. The iRex iLiad seems to be a favorite around here so I might just end up buying that. Money is really no object as I'd like to buy something I'll enjoy and keep for a while.

Thanks for any advice guys!
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Old 04-07-2010, 10:41 AM   #2
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Well, the absolute best reader is the one that matches your need.

What format do you wanna read ? What kind of books ? Where ?
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Old 04-07-2010, 10:57 AM   #3
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If money is no object, you may wish to buy more than one ebook reader. The one thing you can't really predict is how an ebook reader will change your actual reading habits, no matter how much you just want to emulate the paper-book experience. I have the cheapy, backlit eBookwise 1150, and dinosaur though it is, I've never read so late into the night before, it's great (and doesn't bother my wife like a reading lamp always would before). So, you may consider getting an e-ink device and a backlit device; make full use of the financial wiggle-room you seem to have. I'll have to let others comment on their fancy (and non-backlit) e-ink machines, but perhaps you could let folks know whether you are interested at all in note-taking and/or PDF capabilities.

(N.B.--Just so you know, I would not class my EB 1150 in a "best ebook reader" category for several reasons, although I would rank it highly in a "value" category if you are able to learn a fair amount about the ins-and-outs of ebook conversion. But I'm sure there are other, more sophisticated backlit options too.)
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Old 04-07-2010, 11:12 AM   #4
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PocketBook 360- unless you need/want access to a bookstore directly from the device then i would say possibly the Irex 800 IF the firmware update coming soon actually happens. I knida wish the Irex was a PocketBook or Onyx Boox device. That hardware with the firmware from either of those companies would be my ideal.

I also have to say that I prefer wifi over 3g merely for the 3g implementations being used to direct you to just one store where as the wifi allows you to go get what ever you from where ever you want.
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Old 04-07-2010, 11:22 AM   #5
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The Pocketbook 360 is the best 5" device, I agree with you, but the "overall best" reader currently on the market is, IMHO, the BeBook Neo / Onyx Book 60. It has an excellent screen, a Wacom touch screen which doesn't affect image quality, and excellent firmware, with such features as annotation and dictionary lookup (neither of which the iRex 800 has). 6" is an excellent compromise between size and portability.

The iLiad, as mentioned by the original poster, is a very strange candidate for anyone's idea of the "best" reader. It takes an eternity to boot, has a very short battery life, is much too big and bulky to easily carry around, and has not been supported by its manufacturer for some considerable time.
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Old 04-07-2010, 11:36 AM   #6
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1. What size screen would you like, 5", 6", 7" or 8" or 9.7"? I will only use this as an example but if you live in an area that sells Sony Readers check out the size differences between the Pocket (5" screen), the Touch (6" screen) and the Daily (7" screen).

2. What kind of options would you like to have. Some of the options are touch screens, built-in dictionaries, note taking, collection/folder support, 3g/wifi book downloading, E-Ink vs backlit LCD.

3. What types of books will you be reading most. If you read a lot of technical books with pictures/tables/graphs then you may want to limit yourself to the 7", 8" and 9.7" screens. If you read mostly fiction/non-fiction then a 5", 6" or 7" screen may be more suitable as they are smaller, lighter and easier to carry around when travelling.

4. If you read fiction/non-fiction then take a look at the various ebooks stores and compare prices of the last 10 books you read/purchased. For some ebooks the prices will vary by store and could be a deciding factor for some. Using sites like Inkmesh and Addall will provide prices amongst the various ebook retailers. Also look into whether your public library offers ebook borrowing as this may help eliminate the a few ebook readers that do not support library books.

Once you have specific criteria in hand we will help narrow down the choices for you. Hopefully you can find the ebook reader that fits your needs.
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Old 04-07-2010, 03:00 PM   #7
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The Pocketbook 360 is the best 5" device, I agree with you,
No, the opus is the best 5"

More seriously, "best" is a notion there the depends on your own needs and tastes.
You like the 360 better, I like the opus better. The opus have a better rendering with ePub, that's why Me myself and I prefer it. Even though the 360 have goods ergonomics, multiple level TOC support, and other stuff the opus don't have. But because I think that way don't mean everyone will, you're a proof of it.
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Old 04-07-2010, 04:14 PM   #8
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I don't really think so now, but so far the best potential I see is in the iPad. If some top-notch reading applications are made for it, it could really be a good reader.

If you're sticking with the ultra-low-power group or the reflective screen group, I don't know. The one I have is often praised pretty highly, and I think it's thoroughly mediocre.
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Old 04-08-2010, 02:56 AM   #9
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No, the opus is the best 5"

More seriously, "best" is a notion there the depends on your own needs and tastes.
You like the 360 better, I like the opus better. The opus have a better rendering with ePub, that's why Me myself and I prefer it. Even though the 360 have goods ergonomics, multiple level TOC support, and other stuff the opus don't have. But because I think that way don't mean everyone will, you're a proof of it.
The Opus is an excellent machine, I completely agree. What it's currently seriously lacking is any form of bookmarking in ePub files; hopefully this will be resolved in the forthcoming v2.1 firmware.

Last edited by HarryT; 04-08-2010 at 03:08 AM. Reason: Typo
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Old 04-09-2010, 12:47 AM   #10
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1. What size screen would you like, 5", 6", 7" or 8" or 9.7"? I will only use this as an example but if you live in an area that sells Sony Readers check out the size differences between the Pocket (5" screen), the Touch (6" screen) and the Daily (7" screen).

2. What kind of options would you like to have. Some of the options are touch screens, built-in dictionaries, note taking, collection/folder support, 3g/wifi book downloading, E-Ink vs backlit LCD.

3. What types of books will you be reading most. If you read a lot of technical books with pictures/tables/graphs then you may want to limit yourself to the 7", 8" and 9.7" screens. If you read mostly fiction/non-fiction then a 5", 6" or 7" screen may be more suitable as they are smaller, lighter and easier to carry around when travelling.

4. If you read fiction/non-fiction then take a look at the various ebooks stores and compare prices of the last 10 books you read/purchased. For some ebooks the prices will vary by store and could be a deciding factor for some. Using sites like Inkmesh and Addall will provide prices amongst the various ebook retailers. Also look into whether your public library offers ebook borrowing as this may help eliminate the a few ebook readers that do not support library books.

Once you have specific criteria in hand we will help narrow down the choices for you. Hopefully you can find the ebook reader that fits your needs.
1. Er, I'd like one that's around the same size as a normal book (hard cover so around 70% the size of a sheet of paper?) if that wouldn't make it too bulky to carry around comfortably. I'd also be ok with a smaller one for the sake of portability.

2. I'd like an e-ink on as it'd help save my eyes and a touchscreen would be a bonus but not necessary. I'm not sure what use a built in dictionary would have for me so I don't think that's necessary, I'd like folder support since I would like to organize my books myself.

3. From what you've said, a small one would be better for me as I'd most likely be reading fiction.

4. I'm pretty new to the whole eBook thing as most of my books have been physical hard copies so maybe I could ask what's the most widely used format? I did a search on AddALL for my author and it turned up Mobipocket, HTML, and PDF @_@

EDIT:
I took a look at the Pocketbook 360 and it seems quite nice aesthetically and since you guys are commending the software, it seems like a solid choice. The battery life doesn't seem to be listed on the site though (except for being 1000 mAh which I'm not quite sure what it means) so if it has a nice long battery life (not sure what's a good battery life either) I'd think I would buy it

Last edited by Xtt; 04-09-2010 at 12:53 AM.
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Old 04-09-2010, 01:48 AM   #11
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Good luck with trying to find "the best" e-book reader! I think it really depends on what YOU want in the device. I don't think any one reader out there is the best really. They all have their pros and cons.

All the best
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Old 04-09-2010, 04:07 AM   #12
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The Pocketbook 360 is the best 5" device[...]
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Originally Posted by EowynCarter View Post
No, the opus is the best 5"

More seriously, "best" is a notion there the depends on your own needs and tastes.
You like the 360 better, I like the opus better. The opus have a better rendering with ePub, that's why Me myself and I prefer it. Even though the 360 have goods ergonomics, multiple level TOC support, and other stuff the opus don't have. But because I think that way don't mean everyone will, you're a proof of it.
I agree with EowynCarter. I had a chance to try the Pocketbook 360 and I ended up abandoning it to go back to my moribund Cybook, and then buying an Opus. The Pocketbook has lots of nice-to-have features and useless (to me, obviously, not to everyone) gadgets, but the reading experience itself felt clunky after the simplicity of the Cybook. The last straw was when I started reading a book with a lot of footnotes, and was unable to find a way to go back to the original page after reading the footnote.

I agree with Harry about the absence of bookmarks, but it's only slightly annoying to me.

Also, I agree with surrealmind: it's impossible to know in advance how you will really use your e-reader. In my case, I found I use it pretty much as I would a paper book, except that I can now carry many different books with me, which has lead to my reading many books at the same time. But that's the only change in my behavior, I think. Even the dictionary function, which I had to abandon when I switched to the ePub format, I don't miss all that much.

Sorry Xtt: the absolute best reader doesn't exist, or rather, it is different for everybody

Last edited by FlorenceArt; 04-09-2010 at 09:23 AM.
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Old 04-09-2010, 09:22 AM   #13
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what I think is really interesting in this discussion is that - so far- no one has mentioned one of the "big boys" i keep telling friends/family/anyone that will listen that there are so many good/better readers to choose from than just the Kindle's and Nooks.
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Old 04-09-2010, 11:48 AM   #14
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what I think is really interesting in this discussion is that - so far- no one has mentioned one of the "big boys" i keep telling friends/family/anyone that will listen that there are so many good/better readers to choose from than just the Kindle's and Nooks.
Yes, Dulin, I have come to the conclusion that the comparison shoppers here do not at the end of the day choose to buy the Kindle, Sony or nook. Can't say why, but there's no doubt about it from what I've seen.
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Old 04-09-2010, 11:55 AM   #15
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Yes, Dulin, I have come to the conclusion that the comparison shoppers here do not at the end of the day choose to buy the Kindle, Sony or nook. Can't say why, but there's no doubt about it from what I've seen.
Maybe this is mostly true of non-US residents? I know that buying a Kindle would make no sense for me, as Amazon does not have (as far as I know) any content in French yet. I suspect the same is true of B&N.
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