What eReader to get? -NONE

[zenmonky]

warning rant
There isn't an ereader worth buying on the market unless you have a gadget fetish, which is ok. Why? First, the generic 6 inch models are useless for anything other than paperback novels. These books are common and can be read for free from the greatest thing before the internet: the library.
Second, the larger format ereaders are too much money. Ereaders must come down below the price of the cheapest laptop. How can i justify paying more for something that is essentially a specific purpose computer than I would pay for a full functional netbook with a windows or linux os? Ive seen a $100 netbook on engadget recently. Im not hard up, i just know that paying $800 for an irex only make me another person walking around with a dorky status symbol. I understand the economics of scale but they are still too expensive.

[richman]

yeah, contempt prior to actually having one and condemning them all is one way to approach different NEW gadgets.

I did think like you did before I bought one , so who am I to tell you that your thinking doesn't make sense. It does. But owning one for a few weeks and then coming down on this type device is another option for some of us.

I choose to try out the 505 for a few days before I realized it was something I found useful.

As to reading stuff , if you have word docs, pdf's in searchable format (meaning not scanned), and epub and other ebooks from web, this device is pretty useful.

Battery life is what sold me 3 weeks with device left on. And making the font sizes the way I like them (can't do that with paper book). And instant TURN ON .. 1/2 second and turn off ... and putting on the ereader all the books I love on one device is feature I like.

[lilac_jive]

Wait, why are you saying this if you are getting a 505? I spent $300 on my 505 and would do it again in a heartbeat. My library has a poor selection of the books I want to read, plus I am constantly traveling and packing way too many books. Now it's not a worry. I can read wherever I am (device fits in my purse), and have a large selection of books at once. I also get a fairly decent discount on books. The 505 does not bother my eyes, unlike my iPhone and my netbook (yes, you are right about the gadget freak part, but my 505 is my favorite on the list).

Yes, I read general fiction. Lots of it. Lots of people out there buy it too, and don't get it from the library.

It's not for everybody. Maybe it's not for you. What's the big deal then?

[doreenjoy]

Hey, congratulations on making the decision so quickly.

Personally I enjoy these benefits:
* Having multiple books with me without adding additional weight to my bags (I have back problems)
* Long battery life
* "Instant On" -- no need to wait for the OS to boot up
* Far, far easier on my eyes than an LCD (though others disagree)

Bliss to you, dude.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

Hey, congratulations on making the decision so quickly.

Personally I enjoy these benefits:
* Having multiple books with me without adding additional weight to my bags (I have back problems)
* Long battery life
* "Instant On" -- no need to wait for the OS to boot up
* Far, far easier on my eyes than an LCD (though others disagree)

Bliss to you, dude.

I second two and three...forgot about those.

[grimo1re]

Libraries aren't free in every country.....and you depend on their collection. My local library is free but the collection sucks #@$$%. Not to mention, the portability.

The question is, of course, why go on MR (so clearly devoted to these gadgets) and start this thread?

I suppose I shouldn't feed the trolls...

[HansTWN]

Even if the libraries are free -- it costs time and money to get to the library. And what if you live in a small town or anywhere the selection is not to your liking?

And if I liked reading on a computer screen I would use my laptop and not spend 100s on a netbook that is both a lousy reader and a lousy computer. If I just want something I can always take with me to read a chapter or browse a little then I can just use my phones. But neither give me a reading experience like the dedicated reader. So the way I see it a netbook is the actual "dork status symbol", unless you buy it as your only computer because you can't afford anything else.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by zenmonky

... I understand the economics of scale but they are still too expensive.

My CyBook has saved me money.
I get to read thousands of books for free, in a convenient format, that would otherwise have cost me hard cash to buy as pbooks.

[Mathlete]

My $400 espresso machine has saved me money.
I get to drink thousands of cheap lattes that would otherwise have cost me hard cash to buy at Starbucks.

My $16,000 swimming pool has saved me money.
I get to swim thousands of laps that would otherwise have cost me hard cash to pay in club memberships.

My $2,900 racing bike has saved me money...

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Mathlete

My $400 espresso machine has saved me money.
I get to drink thousands of cheap lattes that would otherwise have cost me hard cash to buy at Starbucks.

Exactly!

[tmoody]

I've reached a point where my house is overflowing with books that I'll probably never open again, but have been unwilling to part with. But I part with them anyway, giving them to public or prison libraries. But I grow tired of that cycle, and in any case feel that I've done my part to share the wealth of books. I like the idea of having access to many books without stuffing yet more paper into the house. It's worth it to spend a few hundred to get that.

Todd

[zenmonky]

...but none suits me. and i warned you, it was a rant. ive been mostly lurking this site for over 2 yrs waiting for something worth buying and only seeing more 6" crap come out.

i owned a sony prs505 and sold it after a month of trying to justify my wise decision. 6" screens are junk. i read quite fast and can eat 5 to 10 books on a nice day off. not a true speed reader but too fast to be scrolling around a page. especially real pdf files. i have a lifetime of reading ahead a me downloaded from torrent sites. stuff that doenst come from book stores, librarys or popular authors.

maybe a dx or 1000s? im not getting satisifying reviews from either.

i glad you guys are satisfied with your devices and are saving trees. keep come back to these forums and validating your decisions with each other. ill have to wait.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by zenmonky

...but none suits me. and i warned you, it was a rant. ive been mostly lurking this site for over 2 yrs waiting for something worth buying and only seeing more 6" crap come out.

Just because you haven't found one that suits your needs does not mean they are all worthless. Not everyone has the same needs and wants you do.

That said, I do think you're smart for waiting until the right device comes along for you even though it may seem the wait is forever. There are so many new ebook readers coming in the next year that you'll be much closer if not on target to what you need. Good luck in your hunt.

[Gideon]

You realize that most eReaders FLOW text, right? The 6 inch screen is VERY comfortable to read with and unless your displaying PDFs, work great.

At any rate... rant away. My Kindle has more than paid for itself already.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by zenmonky

warning rant
There isn't an ereader worth buying on the market unless you have a gadget fetish, which is ok. Why? First, the generic 6 inch models are useless for anything other than paperback novels. These books are common and can be read for free from the greatest thing before the internet: the library.
Second, the larger format ereaders are too much money. Ereaders must come down below the price of the cheapest laptop. How can i justify paying more for something that is essentially a specific purpose computer than I would pay for a full functional netbook with a windows or linux os? Ive seen a $100 netbook on engadget recently. Im not hard up, i just know that paying $800 for an irex only make me another person walking around with a dorky status symbol. I understand the economics of scale but they are still too expensive.

Hi, zenmonky, and welcome to MobileRead.

It's ok to rant and feel strongly about something. You must be prepared, however for those who wish to validate their fetish (your words) as they disagree with you. There may be a rant or two against your rant.

You'll get a full range of responses to your rant; many will disagree with you, of course. However, many of us feel the way you do, in that prices need to come down. Hopefully, as sales continue to climb - both in Readers and in ebooks - your Dream Reader will not be too far in the future.

You say you've been lurking for two years, which is good. In perhaps another two years (or 4 or 6), the kind of Reader you're looking for may be available and at the price point that satisfies your pocketbook. In the meantime, many of us are very happy with our Reader of choice.

In the meantime, have fun!


Don