ebooks are not a choice

seamad · 10-31-2008, 03:05 AM

Hi all,
my name is Peter, I'm Italian and I'm approaching ebooks for the first time.

In my professional life I read a lot on the screen, but it was always on a pc screen as I used to work in IT.

Now I relocated in the Mekong's delta, may be not in the middle of nowhere but surely very near to it.

Having a huge amount of books back in Italy I slowly started to bring them here, but it's a real slow process to bring books on the plane due to weight restrictions.

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) is a 6 hours bus ride from where I live and it's the nearest place with a good choice of books.

So it's ebooks! Do I like to read on a screen? Not sure, may be because I'm forced to read on a laptop screen and my laptops (two 15.4" and one 17", I cant live without experimenting with programs, probably it comes from my working experience) aren't so mobile after all.

Anyway I installed Mobipocket Reader and started reading; not bad at all, I miss the paper sensation but I will survive; the books I brought suffer from the humidity you get here and deteriorate quickly.

But I need a device to bring around. Having surfed the net a little bit I'm almost decided for a PRS 505: the reader is a mature one, the price is the cheapest one and it offers everything I (think I) need.
The only problem is that with a hundred bucks or so more I could get an eee Pc 901 that doesn't weight too much, has a good battery life, has colors (some books do have color pictures) and does a lot more.

Is it a possibility or it's my love for computer that misleads me?

Dave Berk · 10-31-2008, 04:10 AM

Hi Peter and welcome to the forum.

As iterated here on the forum many times, you cannot compare Eink screens to regular LCD screens. Reading from an Eink screen is more akin to reading from plain ol' books than to reading from the laptop. I know it may not look like a big deal from the clips you have seen on the net, but trust me, it is. It's a whole different experience.

Slite · 10-31-2008, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Berk

Hi Peter and welcome to the forum.

As iterated here on the forum many times, you cannot compare Eink screens to regular LCD screens. Reading from an Eink screen is more akin to reading from plain ol' books than to reading from the laptop. I know it may not look like a big deal from the clips you have seen on the net, but trust me, it is. It's a whole different experience.

Especially if you plan on reading for any length of time....

And welcome to MobileREad

pdurrant · 10-31-2008, 04:55 AM

I think you'll be happier with the EInk reader rather than just a very small PC. The eInk screen is much, much nicer to use.

Do look at the Bookeen CyBook as well, as that has the best Mobipocket support. But if the Sony is significantly cheaper for you, that has the same screen - you'll just need Calibre to do conversions for you. (The Sony eBook store is rarely the cheapest place to get eBooks, and also limits choice.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by seamad

Hi all,
my name is Peter, I'm Italian and I'm approaching ebooks for the first time.

In my professional life I read a lot on the screen, but it was always on a pc screen as I used to work in IT.

Now I relocated in the Mekong's delta, may be not in the middle of nowhere but surely very near to it.

Having a huge amount of books back in Italy I slowly started to bring them here, but it's a real slow process to bring books on the plane due to weight restrictions.

Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) is a 6 hours bus ride from where I live and it's the nearest place with a good choice of books.

So it's ebooks! Do I like to read on a screen? Not sure, may be because I'm forced to read on a laptop screen and my laptops (two 15.4" and one 17", I cant live without experimenting with programs, probably it comes from my working experience) aren't so mobile after all.

Anyway I installed Mobipocket Reader and started reading; not bad at all, I miss the paper sensation but I will survive; the books I brought suffer from the humidity you get here and deteriorate quickly.

But I need a device to bring around. Having surfed the net a little bit I'm almost decided for a PRS 505: the reader is a mature one, the price is the cheapest one and it offers everything I (think I) need.
The only problem is that with a hundred bucks or so more I could get an eee Pc 901 that doesn't weight too much, has a good battery life, has colors (some books do have color pictures) and does a lot more.

Is it a possibility or it's my love for computer that misleads me?

ficbot · 10-31-2008, 06:56 AM

Hi Peter, welcome, I was in the same situation a few years ago, living in a small town in a foreign country with not a huge access to new books. Ebooks would have made things so much easier! I am glad I have discovered them now at least, but back then they would have made such a difference

Patricia · 10-31-2008, 06:59 AM

I've got both a Sony Reader and a small EEE. The battery life on the EEE is about 3 hours and it's quite heavy to hold. You can arrange to rotate the screen so as to hold it like a book.
The Sony is much lighter and more pleasant to read with, in my opinion. And the battery lasts for a long time. The result is that I almost never use the EEE for reading, when there's the option of using the Sony.

MickeyC · 10-31-2008, 12:09 PM

Hi Peter and welcome to the Forum. I used to read on an iPaq but really like the Sony now

jrdixey · 11-02-2008, 05:11 PM

Interesting situation to find yourself in!

I would think communication networks would influence your choice, being in the developing world. What is the infrastructure like? Do you have high speed wireless/Internet connections?

jrd

mtravellerh · 11-02-2008, 05:18 PM

I just love my EEE as an ebook reader with FBReader software. It is light and easy and I much prefer it to any bigger screened computer that I own for reading (especially in bed

) BUT I have a friend who has an eInk reader (Sony) and believe me, it is another, better world.

10-31-2008, 03:05 AM	#1
seamad Member Posts: 21 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: prs505, cybook Gen3 (no more), Kindle V3, Archos 7 HT	ebooks are not a choice Hi all, my name is Peter, I'm Italian and I'm approaching ebooks for the first time. In my professional life I read a lot on the screen, but it was always on a pc screen as I used to work in IT. Now I relocated in the Mekong's delta, may be not in the middle of nowhere but surely very near to it. Having a huge amount of books back in Italy I slowly started to bring them here, but it's a real slow process to bring books on the plane due to weight restrictions. Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) is a 6 hours bus ride from where I live and it's the nearest place with a good choice of books. So it's ebooks! Do I like to read on a screen? Not sure, may be because I'm forced to read on a laptop screen and my laptops (two 15.4" and one 17", I cant live without experimenting with programs, probably it comes from my working experience) aren't so mobile after all. Anyway I installed Mobipocket Reader and started reading; not bad at all, I miss the paper sensation but I will survive; the books I brought suffer from the humidity you get here and deteriorate quickly. But I need a device to bring around. Having surfed the net a little bit I'm almost decided for a PRS 505: the reader is a mature one, the price is the cheapest one and it offers everything I (think I) need. The only problem is that with a hundred bucks or so more I could get an eee Pc 901 that doesn't weight too much, has a good battery life, has colors (some books do have color pictures) and does a lot more. Is it a possibility or it's my love for computer that misleads me?

11-02-2008, 05:11 PM	#8
jrdixey Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: iPod Touch	Interesting situation to find yourself in! I would think communication networks would influence your choice, being in the developing world. What is the infrastructure like? Do you have high speed wireless/Internet connections? jrd Last edited by jrdixey; 11-02-2008 at 05:14 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
OS Choice Question	Polydwarf	Alternative Devices	4	02-07-2010 11:53 AM
I have my choice but	upnseams	Which one should I buy?	8	11-07-2009 09:06 PM
A choice between 3	Philomath	Which one should I buy?	7	08-07-2009 05:26 PM
Not an easy choice	mjmcleod	Which one should I buy?	12	07-28-2009 01:47 AM
best choice for me?	lordofazeroth	Which one should I buy?	6	12-10-2008 03:41 PM

10-31-2008, 04:10 AM	#2
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	Hi Peter and welcome to the forum. As iterated here on the forum many times, you cannot compare Eink screens to regular LCD screens. Reading from an Eink screen is more akin to reading from plain ol' books than to reading from the laptop. I know it may not look like a big deal from the clips you have seen on the net, but trust me, it is. It's a whole different experience.

10-31-2008, 06:56 AM	#5
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Hi Peter, welcome, I was in the same situation a few years ago, living in a small town in a foreign country with not a huge access to new books. Ebooks would have made things so much easier! I am glad I have discovered them now at least, but back then they would have made such a difference

10-31-2008, 06:59 AM	#6
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I've got both a Sony Reader and a small EEE. The battery life on the EEE is about 3 hours and it's quite heavy to hold. You can arrange to rotate the screen so as to hold it like a book. The Sony is much lighter and more pleasant to read with, in my opinion. And the battery lasts for a long time. The result is that I almost never use the EEE for reading, when there's the option of using the Sony.

10-31-2008, 12:09 PM	#7
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi Peter and welcome to the Forum. I used to read on an iPaq but really like the Sony now

11-02-2008, 05:18 PM	#9
mtravellerh book creator Posts: 9,635 Karma: 3856660 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Luxembourg Device: PB360°	I just love my EEE as an ebook reader with FBReader software. It is light and easy and I much prefer it to any bigger screened computer that I own for reading (especially in bed ) BUT I have a friend who has an eInk reader (Sony) and believe me, it is another, better world.

Advert

Advert