Who has the oldest fully function reading device?

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Hardly an electronic eBook reader, however. Film is not electronic, it was an electric film reader. It would be a real push to say this is electronic.

Dale

No one said anything about Ereaders?
The title is Who has the oldest fully function reading device?
I guess a paper book would even qualify!

I'm pulling your leg there DaleDe!

But I've never seen a portable micro film viewer before. Did it use batteries?

[yvanleterrible]

For those who believe flexible screen are only in some deep future take a look at these threads.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=plastic+logic

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=plastic+logic

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=plastic+logic

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=plastic+logic

[Lemurion]

The oldest thing I have is my iPaq 3950 - and that's practically modern.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Or try our Wiki https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EBooks

Dale

It's not complete... Not even one word about the Franklin eBookman!

I got two of those, still in working order, the EBM-900-501 (bought that one in November 2003) and the EBM-901 (which has a backlight) (bought in March 2004). I finally replaced those with a Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 600 (which is still in use by my husband) (got it second hand from my mother in March 2005) and then with a Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 720 (bought in July 2005)

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

It's not complete... Not even one word about the Franklin eBookman!

I got two of those, still in working order, the EBM-900-501 (bought that one in November 2003) and the EBM-901 (which has a backlight) (bought in March 2004). I finally replaced those with a Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 600 (which is still in use by my husband) (got it second hand from my mother in March 2005) and then with a Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox 720 (bought in July 2005)

It is complete but certainly not exhaustive and doesn't cover every eBook device that was ever produced but the wiki itself does have this data. In history I included all the events that I considered significant breakthroughs in technology. Franklin is included for its earlier products but that Franklin eBookman did not break any new ground in my opinion. What makes it a significant release in your mind?

Perhaps I could make a list of all devices but then the Loox still wouldn't make the list since it is not a dedicated device or even a device that is focused on eBook reading as a major part of the product.

DAle

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It is complete but certainly not exhaustive and doesn't cover every eBook device that was ever produced but the wiki itself does have this data. In history I included all the events that I considered significant breakthroughs in technology. Franklin is included for its earlier products but that Franklin eBookman did not break any new ground in my opinion. What makes it a significant release in your mind?

Perhaps I could make a list of all devices but then the Loox still wouldn't make the list since it is not a dedicated device or even a device that is focused on eBook reading as a major part of the product.

DAle

The Loox is just my current reading device, and no ebookreader, I was more talking about the ebookman. Wasn't it the first reader Franklin made primarily for reading novels (in contrast to the specific uses their previous readers had).

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

The Loox is just my current reading device, and no ebookreader, I was more talking about the ebookman. Wasn't it the first reader Franklin made primarily for reading novels (in contrast to the specific uses their previous readers had).

Yes, but Franklin is not a major player and even this one is really a PDA with a focus on eBooks. It is not a dedicated device. I could list it, there is an article on it in the wiki but it did not break any new ground except for Franklin. It was really a promotion for selling lots of batteries I believe, particularly in 1999 when rechargeables weren't nearly as good as they are now.

By the way, can you tell me how big the screen is (not including the dedicated input area)?

Dale

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I bet... that you're one of many people who do not like aPple computers and who, by some kind of I don't know what feeling will go out of their way to spit on aPple. I bet that you've never touched a Touch because of the aforesaid... reason.

Man you're missing on something TRULY functional! Why?

I do not like Apple computers for the same reasons as yvan stated. If I can't get into the guts of the thing and customize the hell out of it, it makes me crazy.

That said ... I do own both iPods and iPhones. Not because I don't wish I could make modifications or maybe even change the stupid battery myself, I do!!, but more because the features were better than the competition. I really wanted to like a Windows Mobile smart phone, but the general design of the ones I tested simply sucked.

So, I'm making due with my iPhone (which I really wish either came with an SD slot or 32 GB of memory standard .... I've already filled up 16 GB) until something better comes along.

But, as for their PC products .... I doubt I'll ever purchase one of those. I prefer my own home builts to any of the desktops they produce, and I freaking LOVE my Toshiba laptop.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I do not like Apple computers for the same reasons as yvan stated. If I can't get into the guts of the thing and customize the hell out of it, it makes me crazy.

That said ... I do own both iPods and iPhones. Not because I don't wish I could make modifications or maybe even change the stupid battery myself, I do!!, but more because the features were better than the competition. I really wanted to like a Windows Mobile smart phone, but the general design of the ones I tested simply sucked.

So, I'm making due with my iPhone (which I really wish either came with an SD slot or 32 GB of memory standard .... I've already filled up 16 GB) until something better comes along.

But, as for their PC products .... I doubt I'll ever purchase one of those. I prefer my own home builts to any of the desktops they produce, and I freaking LOVE my Toshiba laptop.

That's one reason why I wouldn't buy Apple products in general. If it's broken, you can't just go to the local shop and buy a replacement part, you'll need to find a shop that sells apple products.

And I wouldn't ever buy an iPhone or iPod, simply because the battery isn't removable.

My first ebookreader was the ebookman, just because it runs on 2 AAA batteries, the first Loox I bought second hand from my mother, but the second Loox has a replaceable battery, the dock even has a separate battery charger (so I can put the backup battery on it to charge it without it being in my PDA).

The same for my mp3 players, I bought the Creative Muvo, it only needed 1 AAA battery.

And I can make phone calls and text messages with my phone, I don't need anything more.

[radar69]

I had a 10 year old Rocket Book until 2 weeks ago - when I dropped and broke it. Used it all the time.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by radar69

I had a 10 year old Rocket Book until 2 weeks ago - when I dropped and broke it. Used it all the time.

Ouch! My sympathies to you. I dread the day when the 500 kicks it!

[RWood]

The oldest portable device for reading ebooks (other than a portable computer) was a PSION from the mid 1990s. (I have even posted a few books for it in the "Other" section.

My first purchased electronic book was An Electronic Holmes Companion published by PayLogic Systems of Tolland, CT in 1987. It had the complete Sherlock Holmes works (with cross references to the page numbers of the two standard/reference editions) as well as text analysis tools to assist in reviewing the text. It came on a series of 5.25" floppies formatted for MS/PC-DOS. I still have the manual and files.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by RWood

The oldest portable device for reading ebooks (other than a portable computer) was a PSION from the mid 1990s. (I have even posted a few books for it in the "Other" section.

My first purchased electronic book was An Electronic Holmes Companion published by PayLogic Systems of Tolland, CT in 1987. It had the complete Sherlock Holmes works (with cross references to the page numbers of the two standard/reference editions) as well as text analysis tools to assist in reviewing the text. It came on a series of 5.25" floppies formatted for MS/PC-DOS. I still have the manual and files.

the Sony Discman is older dating back to 1990. Franklin had portable Bibles by 1989. See https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EBooks.

Dale

[RWood]

Around here there are three types of stuff -- things we bought and used to death (as the Sony Reader is heading in that direction of using it until it dies of old age), stuff that we got and never seemed to click with as we thought we would (knitting frame for bulky yarn), and stuff that was replaced but somehow never recycled/sold/trashed (PSION is a good example.)

Now that I've found it and confirmed that it works, I will ship it to my "brother" so he can have two of them and let them talk to each other. (Who knows, maybe they will mate and there will be young PSIONs in the spring.)

[doreenjoy]

I'm still using this HP handheld from 1993:

HP OmniBook

They billed it as a "Portable PC" but I only used it for e-books.

I've also owned:
* Psion
* Franklin eBookman
* Franklin ... some other device whose name escapes me
* Various and sundry Palm PDAs for e-book reading
* Cybook Gen 3 from Bookeen (sold)
* Kindle 1 (returned; didn't like the huge form factor)
* Sony 505 (still have)