ASUS EEE PC as e-book reader?

[DocGo]

The eeepc is ok as book reader but the Cybook works so much better...Better battery life, more portable.
I own an 8G eeepc and just recently got the Cybook Gen 3 which I absolutely love.

[dgillette.rm]

Like a couple of others, I own both an eee pc and a sony 500. I have had the sony longer and would not consider reading ebooks on the eee. I never read ebooks on my palm when I had it. Screen size problems mostly. I understand wanting to carry fewer devices, but in this case I think two is the answer. Sony may not be the best choice for ebooks, but it is better than trying on an eee.

[huari]

Thank goodness, I have an understanding partner. She hasn't killed me yet with all the gadget clutter. An old work bonus brought this mess, but I'm having fun in mid-life.

I agree with weatherman and dgillette.rm about the eee as a good computing device capable of reading but that a dedicated reader is superior.

I've read ebooks on my palm tx, my wife's Sony PRS500, PDFs on eee and now stuff on the Kindle.

E-ink is indeed preferred for reading over lcd
-less eye strain
-less power
-greater print on paper like quality

The small screen on the Palm TX was great for ultraultra mobile portability, but it is eyestraining reading a novel. My middling eyes are not what they used to be.

Sony was great to read on but, hard to share with my wife since it's Hers .

Asus eee pc was great on the bus, here goes the reading experience:

-open lid
-hit power button to wake from sleep
-hit Acrobat tab to read
-scroll around the trackpad to shift the large font text to accomodate the small screen real estate
-stop reading and close lid because of eye strain or battery warning
-it was worst when I had to exit the bus quickly and was lost to reading, almost missing my stop
-the eee is really suffering from poor barely 2 hrs battery life.

The new Kindle is great
-instant on: hit alt-font to wake from sleep
-surf for new content or hit search to find old title
-read, read, read without having to worry about power, eyestrain, scrolling around to read the rest of the text or sleeping the device
The above I think would apply to other dedicated e-ink readers: Cybook, Sony, etc

Granted I love my 4G xandros Asus eee for all the extended functionality: PDF, FBreader which covers all of the stuff I read except the Kindle DRM and Sony DRM books -plus I get to learn Linux, bash, and browse as another wifi device when the macbook is being used. I can't wait until Asus puts out a larger capacity battery; the eee really needs it.

Best,
tony

[mogui]

The EEE comes with FBReader. There is no icon for it under any of the tabs in the user interface, but just navigate the File Manager to /usr/bin/FBReader and set it as a favorite. Then it is easy to get to.

FBReader will read many popular eBook file formats. I have used the common ".prc" files, rich text files, HTML files and plain text. See the FBReader site here for more information about file types. There is also the native ".fb2" type and the Open Reader format file type which are automatically loaded into the library if they are found on the file path (configurable). FBReader is an open-source project, so it has an evolutionary advantage over most other readers.

The FBReader screen can be made to rotate. I like to hold the EEE like a book, with the keyboard section in my right hand. It is no heavier than a hardback novel and my hand is right there by the down arrow for page turning. The screen can be rotated by typing "R", and you can go into the tools menu to tell FBReader which direction you prefer it to rotate. By pressing "Enter" the FBReader will go into full-screen mode.

As I said, the EEE is light enough to hold like a book. I find myself using all the same reading positions I use when holding a hardback book. Those of you who like to fold the cover back will be out of luck here, but I don't care because I don't like you much anyway. You have ruined too many of my paperbacks.

Many of you would not think seriously of reading on your laptop, but the ability to hold the EEE like a book makes it do-able. The screen fonts are configurable and so is line spacing. You can make it look the way you want it to. If you are lucky enough to have a belly, it makes a nice prop when reading. If not, then I suggest ice cream and lots of rest.

We all know that the battery on the EEE lasts about 2,8 hours. Even less, if you are listening to your tunes on it while you read. Asus is now shipping the EEE with the 4400 mAh battery rather than the 5200 because (I have read) of shortages. There are rumors of a 7600 mAh battery on the horizon. Those of you with eInk readers are giving me a big hahaha rght now because your battery life is so superior. but I have a secret weapon. It is a long power cord. I can plug in my EEE right next to my favorite reading spot. So I am not thinking of my EEE as a portable reading device that can be free from it's umbilicus.

So what do I do on a long plane ride? I use my Sony Reader, of course. My Treo is always in my pocket so I usually have a book going on it too. You can always buy more battery packs for the EEE, but carrying five or six of them for a long flight just doesn't appeal to me. This is where the eInk readers really shine.

I have read many posts that say eInk is easy on the eye. But, you know, I can vary the brightness of the backlight on my Treo and my EEE just from the keyboard, so it is very easy to find a comfortable reading level.

So who would buy an EEE to use as an eBook reader? Someone who wants to have the functionality of a laptop and is able to use the device plugged-in most of the time, and who needs a good quality reader that can handle many different file flavors.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by mogui

...
The FBReader screen can be made to rotate. I like to hold the EEE like a book, with the keyboard section in my right hand. It is no heavier than a hardback novel and my hand is right there by the down arrow for page turning. The screen can be rotated by typing "R", and you can go into the tools menu to tell FBReader which direction you prefer it to rotate. By pressing "Enter" the FBReader will go into full-screen mode.

As I said, the EEE is light enough to hold like a book. I find myself using all the same reading positions I use when holding a hardback book. Those of you who like to fold the cover back will be out of luck here, but I don't care because I don't like you much anyway. You have ruined too many of my paperbacks.

....

So who would buy an EEE to use as an eBook reader? Someone who wants to have the functionality of a laptop and is able to use the device plugged-in most of the time, and who needs a good quality reader that can handle many different file flavors.

Hey, good idea!
I didn't know the display could be shifted 90 deg. I'll give it a try.

I also agree that the Sony is better as a reader but you know what? When you meet low lighting conditions, the EEE outshines it.(pun intended) A reason good enough to have both!

[basschick]

i got my eee pc saturday, and as much as i love it and find it very useful, it's not so great if you get eyestrain from staring at backlit monitors. but it's a great little unit to take to a coffee place and work away from your desk.

i will admit, though, that the tiny keyboard is rough to use - and i'm only 5' 3" with hands in proportion - so i got a thin standard keyboard with no 10key on it to carry along, and that works very well so far

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by HarryT

That sounds a bit like reading on the old CyBook. It got so hot that you risked a serious injury if you read with it on your lap without any clothes on (which I have been known to do ).

I'm unable to drink my coffee this morning because of this image in my mind, Harry.

The coffee no longer tastes good.

Don

[derekaustralia]

Hey

Great Forum, Just bought the asus eee 701 at Jb Hi Fi for $250. took it home and and was skeptical , looked a bit rugged and plasticy after looking at all the titanium xp machines in store. and battery time of 2.8 hours Geez

Loaded up linux desktop which takes seconds and loaded one of my ebooks into adobe through a usb flashdrive. It sucked. Reading text is way too small on full screen and when you zoom in on the page it keeps original format so you have to slowly scroll down while reading till you reach bottom of page. hmmmm only then can you flip on to the next page. id give it 5 minutes b4 you d be throwing the thing out the window.

Went on line and I see some of the Asus eee books are shipping with ebook software fbreader It apparently is in the internet section of the desktop. Discovered like many people that I did nt have the said icon in my internet desktop. But looking through the master directory and FBReader, its There!

So I decided Id try a few ebooks through fb reader.It reads html txt and fb2 files well, but doesnt understand some punctuation in rtf files. Its also a bummer it doesn t read pdf and lit files which 90% of my files are. So I converted some books using abc amber lit converter and book designer 4 was also good. the end result on fb reader is excellent. You can designate key presses for absolutely everything text size background/font colour so a dull grey background is nice to read black text off .eyestrain is at a minimum. And when you increase the size of the reading font it re formats the text so no more side scrolling at a snails pace inbetween page flips. It is a present for my wife who at the moment is literally chewing her way through vampire novels steph meyer etc.

two reasons I bought it. I have to be serious about deforestation of our planet and (ok I know enough already)and also I dont like the whole control thing IE.- the Kindle or the Swindle I like to call it and the the Sony DRM thing. It sucks.What annoys me already is the computer architecture in these ebook readers is so antiquated. Hello ZX81 Black and white screens. No pictures or b/w pictures if your e lucky. tiny memorys and all at an extortionate price.And you are totally at their(the companies) mercy. So until someone like apple decide to push the boundarys with something like they did for music with the Ipod, I will stick with the Asus eee. Its a great machine. Ive ordered an extra 5 hour battery and a car charger for it. it is purely gonna be for ebooks.Theres not much here in Australia ebookreader wise apart from DA Direct, and their stuff is too expensive E ink or No E ink.If I buy on ebay im stuffed because if problems occur shipping returns will burn a nice hole in my pocket. From what I ve seen it is a good sensible choice

One last thing At the moment as said earlier the best way to access FBreader is to save as favourite and load from file manager favourites.

I decided in my wisdom to try and install an Icon on my desktop for fbreader but in the end taking somebodys advice online I lost the whole desktop and got a nice black screen for my efforts.Niccee! Not to worry I reset the machine to restore factory settings and Im back to normal again Has anybody else added the icon onto their 701 desktop?. Also the settings on fbreader dont seem to be saving so I have to redo settings everytime. Its a brand new machine. Im sure some kind soul will help. If I do get any info from Asus I will share on this post

Cheers

Derek in the Sun >O< Its 28 outside, gotta go and catch some....later

P.S Hopefully the library on the wall will begin to shrink now Whew!! A close call

[yvanleterrible]

Have you tried rotating your display 90 degrees? That is FBReader's greatest advantage on the EEE. It is light enough that it feels like an ordinary Pbook when you hold it.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by derekaustralia

Went on line and I see some of the Asus eee books are shipping with ebook software fbreader It apparently is in the internet section of the desktop. Discovered like many people that I did nt have the said icon in my internet desktop. But looking through the master directory and FBReader, its There!

So I decided Id try a few ebooks through fb reader.It reads html txt and fb2 files well, but doesnt understand some punctuation in rtf files. Its also a bummer it doesn t read pdf and lit files which 90% of my files are. So I converted some books using abc amber lit converter and book designer 4 was also good. the end result on fb reader is excellent. You can designate key presses for absolutely everything text size background/font colour so a dull grey background is nice to read black text off .eyestrain is at a minimum. And when you increase the size of the reading font it re formats the text so no more side scrolling at a snails pace inbetween page flips. It is a present for my wife who at the moment is literally chewing her way through vampire novels steph meyer etc.

I'm using FBReader under Puppy Linux on an old Fujitsu LifeBook. Aside from what you mention, it handles MobiPocket and Plucker files among other things. Since most of my ebook library was is or had been converted to those formats for use on my Palm OS PDA, it meant I could transfer and read mostly everything I already had.

FBReader on Linux was set to be the default application for opening PDB (Plucker) and PRC (MobiPocket) files. So rather than create a desktop icon for FBR, I created a desktop pointer to my ebook folder. When I want to read, I drill down to the book I want and click the directory entry in the file manager. FBR is invoked to read the book.

Works fine here, and I'm quite pleased.
______
Dennis

[derekaustralia]

Hi agin

Yes Yvanleterrible we rotate the display 90 deg.My wife is reading from the EEE right now.She loves it!... Maybe too much lol.Its about the same size as an A5 book and looks and feels like a real book.Can you really go wrong for the money? $250 aussie.

DMcCunney Interesting what you say about pdb and prc files. i havent come across them. I guess book designer will convert to these formats. what programs do you use to convert from pdf?.I have up to now been trying to convert to fb2 format as I was led to believe it was fb readers chosen format.but its ahard to find conversion software that works really well. Just obtained Asus EEE for dummies online which has lots of useful hints on the machine and linux.

But seriously change the screen colour to a grey colour to prevent eye strain. set up what keys you need to operate the Fbreader software and youre away.Sit down hold it in youre fingers like a book, grab a coffee and enjoy. Plus you can skype or browse the net wirelessly and watch avi movies no worries.only downside so far is battery life 3 hours so ive ordered a bigger beefier battery which will give me 5 hours playtime.

ok thanks for the info everyone and great forum

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by derekaustralia

DMcCunney Interesting what you say about pdb and prc files. i havent come across them. I guess book designer will convert to these formats. what programs do you use to convert from pdf?.I have up to now been trying to convert to fb2 format as I was led to believe it was fb readers chosen format, but its hard to find conversion software that works really well. Just obtained Asus EEE for dummies online which has lots of useful hints on the machine and linux.

PDB and PRC files originated under Palm OS. Both are Palm Database files. Palm OS devices can only have Palm Database files in RAM. A program on a Palm device is a Palm Database containing "resources", which are the actual program code. All files in RAM on a Palm device will have a PRB or PRC extension. All Palm Database files have a header as the first record, and Palm OS uses entries in the header to know if they are programs, and what programs use them if they are data.

The Plucker desktop application converts HTML files to a form the Plucker view on the Palm device can use, and gives them PDB extensions.

MobiPocket Creator converts source files to the format used by the MobiPocket viewer,and can apply either a .PRC or a .MOBI extension. Mobi Creator can use HTML files, Word or RTF files, text files, or PDF files as input. How well it does on PDFs depends on the PDF. My experience has been that one column PDFs with in-line illustrations convert fairly well, but anything else is problematic. Mobi Creater rips the source to HTML and creates the Mobi file from that, so it's possible to go in and massage the generated HTML before creating the book.

By preference, I get stuff in HTML format and convert for Plucker, but I've accumulated a fair bit in Mobi format from places like MobileRead.

FBReader provides some support for an assortment of formats, though some are better supported than others:
http://www.fbreader.org/docs/formats.php

Depending on what you want to read, it might already be available in a format FBReader handles, like ePub or Mobi, and not require conversion.

I just found it a happy coincidence that FBReader supported the two ebook formats I use the most when I looked at putting my ebook library on my notebook.
______
Dennis

[magicmonster]

The ubook/ybook reader for PC's there is in the options a single or double column feature. I use the pocket pc version for reading on my Dell Axim x50v and have since they came out.

Have you all seen the eeereader from Asus that is going to be coming out? Dual touch screen that can even brouse the web. The price is expected to be $ 165.00 WOW! If so I will be ordering this....