Classic Okay I Looked at the Kindle3

[ProfCrash]

I know people who backpack with their e-readers. While it is possible to use a solar charger to recharge an e-reader, it is a bit of a pain in the butt. You have to want to buy a solar charger, you have to be in an area that gets enough sunshine, and you have to be able to put the charger out long enough for it to be charged enough to read on. For folks like these, battery life and weight is important.

Most of the serious backpackers I know cut off excess cord length and strap length in order to save weight. I know folks who saw their toothbrush in half to save weight. So carrying an extra battery would not be in their game plan.

I am not saying these folks are the majority of e-book reader users but that they are out there. I would not be surprised that people who are serious backpackers and readers are loving e-book readers and are looking for ones with long enough battery life that they can use them for an entire trip week or so long trip.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by DiamondDave

Aren't there solar-powered chargers out there?

There are. Know where I can get a free one?

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I know people who backpack with their e-readers. While it is possible to use a solar charger to recharge an e-reader, it is a bit of a pain in the butt. You have to want to buy a solar charger, you have to be in an area that gets enough sunshine, and you have to be able to put the charger out long enough for it to be charged enough to read on. For folks like these, battery life and weight is important.

Most of the serious backpackers I know cut off excess cord length and strap length in order to save weight. I know folks who saw their toothbrush in half to save weight. So carrying an extra battery would not be in their game plan.

I am not saying these folks are the majority of e-book reader users but that they are out there. I would not be surprised that people who are serious backpackers and readers are loving e-book readers and are looking for ones with long enough battery life that they can use them for an entire trip week or so long trip.

So true; and well said.

[LynnO]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No car. Books cost money, ebooks don't.

So does the nook or kindle. You can buy paperback books for 25 cents used, all over the place, which is what I do. But to each their own. I couldn't go without books, so I usually choose a couple of these solutions- my nook, the car charger and a couple backup books.

You can also buy devices that recharge devices using batteries, buy a backup battery etc. You could get rechargeable batteries, use them to recharge the nook and then use them all over again.

However for the cost, hitting the used book sales would likely be a much better bargain. I live in small town and had absolutely no problem keeping myself stocked up with 25 cent books.

[LynnO]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

I know people who backpack with their e-readers. While it is possible to use a solar charger to recharge an e-reader, it is a bit of a pain in the butt. You have to want to buy a solar charger, you have to be in an area that gets enough sunshine, and you have to be able to put the charger out long enough for it to be charged enough to read on. For folks like these, battery life and weight is important.

Most of the serious backpackers I know cut off excess cord length and strap length in order to save weight. I know folks who saw their toothbrush in half to save weight. So carrying an extra battery would not be in their game plan.

I am not saying these folks are the majority of e-book reader users but that they are out there. I would not be surprised that people who are serious backpackers and readers are loving e-book readers and are looking for ones with long enough battery life that they can use them for an entire trip week or so long trip.

I'm definitely not that hard core, and probably wouldn't bring an ereader backpacking. Sure seems like a Kindle might be the answer for hard core backpacker/readers.

Edited to add- and don't forget that paperback book pages can be used to help start the fire once you've read them. Something that has come in handy in past experiences.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by LynnO

So does the nook or kindle. You can buy paperback books for 25 cents used, all over the place, which is what I do. But to each their own. I couldn't go without books, so I usually choose a couple of these solutions- my nook, the car charger and a couple backup books.

You can also buy devices that recharge devices using batteries, buy a backup battery etc. You could get rechargeable batteries, use them to recharge the nook and then use them all over again.

I mostly read classic literature - Verne, Poe, Wells, Twain, Dickens, etc. That stuff is completely free and readily available.

Solar and other portable battery chargers cost money and become another gadget to carry around.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I mostly read classic literature - Verne, Poe, Wells, Twain, Dickens, etc. That stuff is completely free and readily available.

Solar and other portable battery chargers cost money and become another gadget to carry around.

It seems to me if you are going to be hiking into the woods (since you said no car), you are going to want something as light as possible. Unless the rumored (not even vaporware) Nook ditches the LCD and the replaceable battery, its still going to be a fair bit heavier than the Kindle or indeed any other reader on the market.

Since you are away from it all, you aren't going to need wifi. Your insistence on 4 GB internal storage is probably unrealistic -- yes Kindle has it, but most other readers don't; they let you add an external SD card (yes I know it costs money... but for goodness sake, if you can't afford a 2-4GB SD card, you probably shouldn't be looking at an eBook Reader in the first place).

Essentially, you want a company that will custom build a reader to your specifications at your desired price. I don't think that is going to happen.

One last thought. If you read all classic literature, there is no particular need to worry about formats since that stuff is all available in any format you want from Feedbooks, Manybooks.net and PG. Shoot, you could even get a device that only supports moldy old formats that aren't used by any modern devices.

--
Bill

[boswd]

I just say TubeMonkey check out the new Kobo coming out in October, sounds like it's going to be exactly what you are looking for

no key board or lcd screen
epub for library books
comes in a matte black bezel
long battery life.

good solid ebook platform.

Good price as well with wireless connection when you're not hiking.

If you are waiting for a Nook 2 for one we have no idea when that is going to be and two I would be shocked and amazed if they ditched the LCD screen, which is the reason why you get 5 to 8 days between charges. This is their main selling point and drove many people like myself to choose the Nook over other ereaders.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by LynnO

I'm definitely not that hard core, and probably wouldn't bring an ereader backpacking. Sure seems like a Kindle might be the answer for hard core backpacker/readers.

Edited to add- and don't forget that paperback book pages can be used to help start the fire once you've read them. Something that has come in handy in past experiences.

If I ever go backpacking again my Kindle is coming with me. Put on a KlearKase and toss it into the pack. I don't go anywhere without a book. A K3 would weigh less then a paperback and it would allow me to carry a ton of books.

The only reason I brought this up is because people were asking where you could go where 5 days charge is not enough.

The only time I worried about using a replacable battery for my K1 was travelling from Washington DC to Sydney, Australia. I read for 13 hours on one charge and didn't need a second battery. It sounds like I would not be able to say the same thing about a Nook. I am assuming that a normal days reading is 2 hours, so 5*2 = 10 and the need for another battery. The K3 would be more then fine on that plane flight.

For normal usage, in the home or places were it is easy to recharge, the Nook's battery life is fine. Heck, the IPad's battery life is fine. But when I am travelling or camping or any other place where charging is challenging or requires extra gadget, battery life is going to be important.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by boswd

If you are waiting for a Nook 2 for one we have no idea when that is going to be and two I would be shocked and amazed if they ditched the LCD screen, which is the reason why you get 5 to 8 days between charges. This is there main selling point and drove many people like myself to choose the Nook over other ereaders.

Kobo's battery life isn't long enough. It's listed at two weeks compared to the Kindle's one month.

My top three criteria for an eraeder are: library books, battery life, and body color. Anything else is pretty much fluff to me. I don't care about keyboards, LCD navigation panels, touch screens, Pearl displays, web browsers, games, note taking, highlighting, dictionaries, etc.

Now that the other major ereaders have upgraded, it's time for B&N to do the same. The holidays are fast approaching.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

It seems to me if you are going to be hiking into the woods (since you said no car), you are going to want something as light as possible. Unless the rumored (not even vaporware) Nook ditches the LCD and the replaceable battery, its still going to be a fair bit heavier than the Kindle or indeed any other reader on the market.

Since you are away from it all, you aren't going to need wifi. Your insistence on 4 GB internal storage is probably unrealistic -- yes Kindle has it, but most other readers don't; they let you add an external SD card (yes I know it costs money... but for goodness sake, if you can't afford a 2-4GB SD card, you probably shouldn't be looking at an eBook Reader in the first place).

Essentially, you want a company that will custom build a reader to your specifications at your desired price. I don't think that is going to happen.

One last thought. If you read all classic literature, there is no particular need to worry about formats since that stuff is all available in any format you want from Feedbooks, Manybooks.net and PG. Shoot, you could even get a device that only supports moldy old formats that aren't used by any modern devices.

Not backpacking. Dropped off.

Anything I have to purchase to bring the specs up to those of the Kindle's, means my final price is going to be that much higher. Cost then becomes a factor.

I read some modern stuff and library books are mostly ePub.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

For normal usage, in the home or places were it is easy to recharge, the Nook's battery life is fine. Heck, the IPad's battery life is fine. But when I am travelling or camping or any other place where charging is challenging or requires extra gadget, battery life is going to be important.

Totally agree. For everyday day use, I wouldn't care if I had to charge the battery as often as my cell phone.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Kobo's battery life isn't long enough. It's listed at two weeks compared to the Kindle's one month.

You do know that battery life is based on a ton of assumptions about usage and can easily be off be 50% or more?

The year old Sony PRS-505 I am currently using probably has a rated battery life of about 2 weeks, but I frequently get more out of it. I am sure there are Kindle 3 users who are burning through their batter in a week.

--
Bill

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

You do know that battery life is based on a ton of assumptions about usage and can easily be off be 50% or more?

The year old Sony PRS-505 I am currently using probably has a rated battery life of about 2 weeks, but I frequently get more out of it. I am sure there are Kindle 3 users who are burning through their batter in a week.

--
Bill

I'm aware of that.

And there are also K3 users who are getting four weeks out of it.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Not backpacking. Dropped off.

Anything I have to purchase to bring the specs up to those of the Kindle's, means my final price is going to be that much higher. Cost then becomes a factor.

I read some modern stuff and library books are mostly ePub.

You can get a 4 GB card for $10.

I can understand battery life being something of an issue, but I doubt any company (besides Amazon) is really going to try that hard to get the battery life in practical usage to be more than 2 weeks.

So a new Black Kobo with an 4GB SD card is the same price as the Nook. It probably has a battery life as long as you are likely to see anywhere other than the Kindle (even assuming the Kindle really gets a significantly better battery life) and it can read library books.

--
Bill