Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book Readers > Which one should I buy?

Notices

View Poll Results: What is the best pdf reading ebook device?
Kindle 1 10.00%
Kindle II 1 10.00%
Cybook Opus 1 10.00%
Astak Pocket Pro 3 30.00%
Jetbook Ectaco 2 20.00%
BeBook 1 10.00%
Foxit eSlick 0 0%
eBookwise reader 1 10.00%
Voters: 10. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 11-17-2009, 03:11 PM   #1
s7whitecoral
Junior Member
s7whitecoral began at the beginning.
 
s7whitecoral's Avatar
 
Posts: 9
Karma: 10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Device: eBookwise-1150
Exclamation Hi Everyone - Need some clarification and direction

Hi all,
This is my first post on this forum and I'm kinda going to just try and post as much of my concerns as possible so that y'all can help address them.

I'm a major tech dummy ...as in I'm completely lost when it comes to understanding technical aspects of tech stuff. I'm interested in getting an
e-book reader but there seems to be so much information out there that I'm at a complete loss as to what I should go with. I need a reader that will handle PDF documents comfortably since I read a lot of fiction that is in PDF format. I keep finding the term DRM free ??? or DRM again ??? I don't get what that's all about...

What I'm really sure about is that I don't want anything from Sony...so that's one brand that's out of the game...I'm from Canada and I believe that pretty much excludes the Kindle as well (Although I just saw today that Amazon Canada is now shipping Kindle units to Canada...don't know what that's all about)...but suppose I did get a Kindle unit...here's my question to you...I buy all my ebooks from Fictionwise, Bookstrand, Loose Id, Changeling Press, EC and various other smal publishers; does that mean that if I had a Kindle I wouldn't be able to transfer my .pdf files into the reader? Does Amazon have access to my books even though I didn't purchase them from their store? or is it even possible to load the Kindle with non-Kindle books? aargh!!! so freakin' confusing!

I read about several different devices, from all the various forum discussions as well as researching online...there were two products that really caught my eye since they seem to be supporting PDF documents pretty well. The Foxit eSlick and the Astak Pocket Pro EZ reader; however, I've also read that the Foxit has piss poor customer support and is already struggling to provide good feedback in regards to any issues that may be arising with the units. On the other hand, Astak seems to be doing really well with customer support. The Cybook Opus was another one mentioned...but apparently it has a major habit of freezing which is a total No-No in my book.

I need some feedback on what to do...or what to look at...please bear in mind that I do have a macbook so when you're giving advice about changing formats on the PDF...I'll need really detailed information. Although, I really would prefer not to have to deal with re-formatting all my books since I have over a thousand and growing ebook library.

I also don't want to have to pay an arm and a leg for the device. So there you go...I apologize for the excessive length of the post but I really need the help.

Thanks so very much.
I look forward to hearing from all of you.
s7whitecoral is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2009, 07:30 PM   #2
wallcraft
reader
wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
wallcraft's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
DRM is encryption added by publishers. If any of your PDFs can only be read by Adobe Digital Editions, then they have Adobe DRM. This is ok because the Opus and the EZ Readers support Adobe DRM (for both PDF and ePub formats). Note that the BeBook is essentially identical to the EZ Reader (both are Hanlins, and both have 6" and 5" devices).

To test if your PDFs need to be shifted to a different ebook format, I suggest trying out Sony eBook Library on your Mac (I have only used the Windows version, but I assume the Mac version is similar). Its viewer works for PDFs almost exactly like mobile Adobe Digital Editions on EInk devices. If the PDFs look ok when you select a non-default font size (M, L, XL, XXL) in eBL, then they will work ok on an EZ Reader (say). I know you don't want a Sony, but you are only using eBL for testing. Also, EInk devices typicaly have a landscape mode, which is missing from eBL.

Note that there might be a "best" PDF viewer in your list, but in general there is no "good enough" PDF viewer in the current crop of 5-6" EInk devices. They can all be pretty bad on a significant fraction of all PDFs. However, PDFs created as ebooks are usually better that those created from scientific journals (for example).
wallcraft is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-17-2009, 08:19 PM   #3
desertgrandma
Enjoying the show....
desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.desertgrandma ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
desertgrandma's Avatar
 
Posts: 14,270
Karma: 10462841
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Arizona
Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir
Here is the info on the Kindle Available in Canada. Remember that if you do order, and are not satisfied in any way, you can return it within 30 days, no questions asked. Just pay return shipping. Here is the link for the Kindle page.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireles...pf_rd_i=507846

Also, if your' pdf's are not drm'd you can convert them easily using Calibre, a program developed by our own Kovid Goyal.

Choose country:
Canada
We are excited to now ship Kindle to Canada. Customers in Canada will enjoy:
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Think of a book and you could be reading it in under a minute

Free Wireless: Free 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle. No monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots. For non-U.S. customers, there are also no additional charges for wireless delivery in or outside your home country. See Coverage Map. See Wireless Terms and Conditions

Growing Selection: Over 300,000 English-language books to choose from; plus U.S. and international newspapers and magazines are available for your country. Because publishers give us eBook rights on a country by country basis, available titles for your country will vary from our current U.S selection. We are actively working with publishers to get the rights to all titles for every country and adding this selection every day. Check the Kindle Store to see available titles.

Low Book Prices: New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases are $11.99, unless marked otherwise. You'll also find many books for less - over 100,000 titles are priced under $5.99

Learn more about Kindle features on the Kindle product page


Important Product Information for Your Country

* Your international shipment is subject to customs duties, import taxes and other fees levied by the destination country. We will show you these fees upon checkout. Learn more
* Kindle ships with a U.S. power adapter and a micro-USB cable for charging your Kindle via a computer USB port. The U.S. power adapter supports voltages between 100V - 240V.
* You can transfer personal documents to your Kindle via USB for free at anytime. Wireless delivery of personal documents is currently not available. Learn more
* Wireless download times can vary based on 3G or EDGE/GPRS coverage, signal strength and file size.
* Kindle books, newspapers, and magazines are currently priced and sold in United States dollars
* Blogs and the experimental web browser are currently not available for your country. You will have free access to Wikipedia.
* Kindle includes a 1-year limited warranty. See details
* Use of the Kindle is subject to the Kindle License Agreement and Terms of Use

desertgrandma is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-17-2009, 09:04 PM   #4
s7whitecoral
Junior Member
s7whitecoral began at the beginning.
 
s7whitecoral's Avatar
 
Posts: 9
Karma: 10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Device: eBookwise-1150
Desert Grandma - Question

In regards to the Kindle, can Amazon access my personal folders on the device. I'm just thinking of the whole debacle where they pulled a book from all their users devices...I'm worried about privacy issues with that particular product.

You mentioned Calibre, how exactly does a program like that work? Do I open a file through it and it converts itself to the chosen format?
s7whitecoral is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2009, 12:02 AM   #5
PhishStyx
The me that I am
PhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheesePhishStyx can extract oil from cheese
 
PhishStyx's Avatar
 
Posts: 413
Karma: 1078
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: In my house! Duh!
Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s
This is really going to throw you. I say none of the devices you mentioned are good for PDF's. The older Kindle doesn't read PDF's. Personally, I think 6" devices are just too small to display pdf's in a legible manner.

Last edited by PhishStyx; 11-18-2009 at 12:15 AM.
PhishStyx is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-18-2009, 12:11 AM   #6
wallcraft
reader
wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.wallcraft ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
wallcraft's Avatar
 
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
Quote:
Originally Posted by s7whitecoral View Post
You mentioned Calibre, how exactly does a program like that work?
Calibre has its own forum here. It has a command line capability as well, but typically you interact with it via its graphical user interface (GUI). Note that this is a cross-platform app, so it might not be very Mac-like in how it does things. This is again something you can try out immediately, it has its own built-in ebook reading capability and one thing to try is converting PDF to MOBI or ePub and seeing how well the conversion does.
wallcraft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-18-2009, 02:15 AM   #7
AprilHare
Wizard
AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
AprilHare's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,981
Karma: 11862367
Join Date: Apr 2008
Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2
Why no Sony device wanted?

Last edited by AprilHare; 11-18-2009 at 02:16 AM. Reason: Correction
AprilHare is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2009, 07:26 AM   #8
s7whitecoral
Junior Member
s7whitecoral began at the beginning.
 
s7whitecoral's Avatar
 
Posts: 9
Karma: 10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Device: eBookwise-1150
I've never been a fan of the Sony brand...it's strictly a personal preference thing...
s7whitecoral is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2009, 08:18 AM   #9
Laura81
Addict
Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 360
Karma: 407796
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Victoria, Australia
Device: Paperwhite 5
Why did someone vote for the ebookwise being the best PDF reader? It doesn't even support PDF format natively!
Laura81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2009, 09:36 AM   #10
Ea
Wizard
Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Ea ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Ea's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,490
Karma: 5239563
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Denmark
Device: Kindle 3|iPad air|iPhone 4S
The Kindle doesn't handle PDF natively, and if you use Amazon's conversion service, it's basically converting the PDF in the same way calibre does - with varied results. It sounds like your books are all text, and my guess is that they would convert quite well.

Download calibre, import a couple of books and try to convert then. Then you can use the viewer to see how the end result will look like on a reader.
http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/download_osx

Remember that if you've bought multiformat books at Fictionwise, you can download in another format.
Ea is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-20-2009, 09:52 PM   #11
Laura81
Addict
Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Laura81 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 360
Karma: 407796
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Victoria, Australia
Device: Paperwhite 5
I've tried calibre, I got really poor results with it. I get the best results with a program called ABBYY PDF Transformer 2.0.
Laura81 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-21-2009, 08:20 AM   #12
AprilHare
Wizard
AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.AprilHare ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
AprilHare's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,981
Karma: 11862367
Join Date: Apr 2008
Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2
Quote:
Originally Posted by s7whitecoral View Post
I've never been a fan of the Sony brand...it's strictly a personal preference thing...
I was never persuaded by brands but by what's good
It's only a coincidence there is so much Sony stuff at my place
AprilHare is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
ebook reader, information, need help, questions

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A clarification re: US Kindle store ChaoZ Amazon Kindle 4 10-01-2010 04:31 PM
Classic Clarification? desertgrandma Barnes & Noble NOOK 4 01-11-2010 01:51 PM
A little help and direction... stevejay Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) 12 02-19-2009 05:24 PM
Clarification, please. desertgrandma News 4 08-24-2008 12:18 PM
BookDesigner - clarification needed on a possible setting? Dr. Drib Sony Reader 1 07-14-2007 05:39 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:52 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.