Yeah - which one? :)

[Lovecraft]

Yes, I'm after the first reader, and I've just gone through the choices.

Other than the readability of the text on the screen, my primary interest is the support of some formats. I want the reader to open the following files without any conversion:

- .TXT
- .HTML
- .PDF
- .RTF
- .DOC

So, the big-brand names were, predictably, the first to go (too bad about Sony's refusal to support HTML - and although Kindle 2's ease of access and Amazon's free global 3G network are attractive - but the lack of support for proper formats disqualifies it...), and right I'm looking at three models from Bebook and Pocketbook.

- Bebook Neo / Boox 60 (how many names does this device have in the world? :P There are at least two other names I've seen it under, and it's the same thing inside the box, every time...) - certainly looks interesting, although the lack of support for .DOC files makes me hesitant.

- Pocketbook 302 - seems very similar, feature-wise, but supports .DOC. Unfortunately, I've been reading that the screen is too shiny and has bad glare...?

- Pocketbook 360 - attractively small, with an okay price, too. The lack of such features as touch screen, playing sound files, etc., makes it a bit less attractive, but still... However, I'm unsure of that screen size, after all. Isn't it too small? (Are there any 1:1 photos of the 360, with fonts set to more or less the size in a standard paperback?)

So... which one of those? Or is there any other good choice?

Or shall I wait for something else that's on the horizon?



Oh, and there's one more question... What is it with the ridiculous differences in prices in USA vs Europe? The prices are essentially the same for all devices - 300, 400, 240... - except that it's 300 dollars in USA and 300 euro in Europe! I know that compared to Europe, hardware in the US has always been as cheap as fuel, but still... that's insane.

[banjobama]

All I can say to help you is that I saw a Youtube video of the PocketBook 302 and the screen looked very sharp and good, better than my Sony 600. In the video it looks shiny because the person didn't remove the protective plastic.

Here is the video link.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Lovecraft

Oh, and there's one more question... What is it with the ridiculous differences in prices in USA vs Europe? The prices are essentially the same for all devices - 300, 400, 240... - except that it's 300 dollars in USA and 300 euro in Europe! I know that compared to Europe, hardware in the US has always been as cheap as fuel, but still... that's insane.

I would assume that a European seller - at least within EU - would collect VAT (and import tax, perhaps? ... but an American seller may need to pay that as well). That would be needed to be added to the price. Not that they can't also have a higher revenue - after all, prices also reflect what the market can bear.

[Zetmolm]

the big-brand names

If you just look at feature sets and quality, the three models you're looking at deserve to be the big-brand names very soon!