Please Help Me Find the Perfect Ebook Reader!

[bystander]

Hi, I've been reading many of the posts here avidly over the past few days, and I have a better idea now of what I want in an ebook reader, but none of the people here have had exactly the same priorities as I have.

I have a few questions, so please help me out on any of them if you can!

A few facts: I'm in the US. I also use a Mac, but I can get access to Windows if I have to. I will be reading novels 80% of the time on this (great big long, fantasy ones, usually, and non-fiction maybe 20% of the time). I want to make this ebook reader a replacement for buying books from a bookstore.

Priorities (in order of importance)

1. Readability. I have fairly poor vision, and if the text is too small (typical paperback book size is fine, but no smaller), or if the contrast is too poor, or there is a glare, I won't be able to read the book.
   
2. Ability to support at least a few formats very well. By this, I mean, that there is at least one format that will look like a normal novel, with no strangeness or formatting flaws. (E.g. it has text justified.)
   
3. I have tons of .lit books on my computer already, and while I'm pretty sure that none of the readers can use this file type, if there is something I could convert it to that would look good on one of the ebook readers, I'd love to hear about it.
   
4. Some sort of bookmark system and folder hierarchy would be great.
   
5. I really would like to be able to manage the books on the ebook reader manually, as if it were just another hard drive, but I can stand some sort of forced application to do that if that's not an option.
   

I don't care about note-taking ability, audio, wifi, or dictionary lookup. I would never use any of those.

From my research it seems that I am excluded from:

• The Kindle: The best looking/designed of the lot. However, my understanding is that you have to pay Amazon $.10 for the "privilege" of using a format other than theirs on your $350+ machine. That's pretty dumb. Plus I would never use that keyboard.
  
• The two Sonys: Require a Windows machine for ebook management? Is this true, and if so, is there any way around it? I can get to a PC occasionally, but I don't want to have to do it every single time I want to add an ebook.

Please let me know anything I've forgotten, or tell me more about any of the readers. I am open to anything. Please advise; I will be eternally grateful!

[lilac_jive]

I'm almost positive you can convert .LIT into LRF, so I'll say you should go with the Sony 505. Like other readers, you can zoom in sizes (skip the 700 because of the glare). We have quite a few people on here who have a 505 with a Mac, they use Calibre to manage their device, or VMWare. As a PC owner, I can't help you with that, but I do know there is a work around. It has a bookmark function (so does the Kindle), but I personally like that it's easy to move books from the computer to the device without having to worry much about redownloading. You can also put books in collections on the 505.

You probably wouldn't go too wrong with a Kindle either, but I say the Sony because it's cheaper. I'll clarify one thing for you though, no one that I know of on here has reported being charged by Amazon for the ten cents for transfer. I didn't like that either, and they could still decide to charge people for that. The Sony is an excellent device and, with a few adjustments, could do exactly what you want it to do. I don't think you could go wrong.

[wallcraft]

If you LITs are DRM-free then Calibre (has its own forum here) can convert them to MOBI or ePub or LRF. This means that they will work well on all mainstream EInk Readers. If they have DRM, then ConvertLIT can strip the DRM, and it runs on the Mac once you get a key from your Windows PC running MS Reader. If you are not willing to strip DRM (which is thought by some to be illegal in the US) then your DRMed LITs are boat anchors so far as dedicated reqading devices are concerned.

If you eyesight is really bad, then the Cybook may be your best bet, see E-Reader with Biggest Text Size?. However, I suggest waiting until the current MOBI vs ePub issue is sorted out at Bookeen (probably by next week). If your eyesight is only poor, then any EInk Reader is probably ok. You may need a stronger light than for reading paperbacks, but usually it is enough to increase the font size in low light.

Amazon does not charge for your own ebooks if you transfer them to the Kindle by USB (the charge, which is now $0.15 per MB, is for wireless download). It only reads MOBI, but Calibre can create those for you. The Kindle's big advantage is the Kindle Store, which is the best single source for US-licensed ebooks. If you want maximum buying convenience the Kindle is the only choice, but it is expensive (Amazon's ebook prices are relatively low though).

[JSWolf]

The best solution is to wait for one of the readers with a larger then 6 inch screen to come out that fits your needs. The problem with a large enough font is that it doesn't look all that good on a 6 inch screen.

[Harmon]

[QUOTE=bystander;443113]

A few facts: I'm in the US. I also use a Mac, but I can get access to Windows if I have to.

I use a Mac, and have a Sony 505 and a Kindle 2.

Priorities (in order of importance)

[LIST=1][*]Readability. I have fairly poor vision, and if the text is too small (typical paperback book size is fine, but no smaller), or if the contrast is too poor, or there is a glare, I won't be able to read the book.

My vision is okay, but I'm 61 so it's not what it used to be. I can read without reading glasses because I'm nearsighted in one eye, but I'm more comfortable with reading glasses.

You definitely do not want a Sony 700. The screen has glare problems, and the touch screen is really a press screen, and the letters are not as well defined as on the Sony 505 or the Kindle 2.

As between the 505 and the K2, the 505 seems to me to have a little better contrast. The screen tint is shaded more toward the greenish on the 505, more toward the gray on the K2. To my eyes, this makes the 505 a little brighter, but it's only really evident when they are side by side.

The K2 has a better font gradiation, because it has six possible sizes to the 505's 4 (3 standard, and a 4th, larger one in landscape mode - the K2 doesn't do landscape.) I find it easier to find a comfortable font on the K2, but the 505's largest standard font is larger than the K2's, and the landscape font is relatively huge. Further, you can adjust the font size on the 505 using Calibre, by changing the font size on the ebook itself. Of course, you have to go through this exercise for each book you want to read. I don't think this works for the K2 right now. I set up a book with a minimum font size of 18, but as far as I can tell, it did not translate to the K2 - the K2 appears to me to have suppressed the change.

[*]Ability to support at least a few formats very well. By this, I mean, that there is at least one format that will look like a normal novel, with no strangeness or formatting flaws. (E.g. it has text justified.)

You won't have a greater or lesser problem with that on either reader. As far as I can tell, that's more a function of the book itself, not the reader.

[*]I have tons of .lit books on my computer already, and while I'm pretty sure that none of the readers can use this file type, if there is something I could convert it to that would look good on one of the ebook readers, I'd love to hear about it.

I don't think you'll find that a problem on either reader. Both Calibre and Stanza Desktop offer conversion options, so long as your files are not DRMed. You will be able to find a useful format.

[*]Some sort of bookmark system and folder hierarchy would be great.

Both readers have bookmark systems. Sony's is a little easier to use since it's one push of a button to put it on or take it off. The K2's system requires two or three steps to work. The Sony has a useful one level but expandable folder system called "collections." You use Calibre and tags to establish them. The K2 lacks a folder system.

[*]I really would like to be able to manage the books on the ebook reader manually, as if it were just another hard drive, but I can stand some sort of forced application to do that if that's not an option.

You can do that with both. They show up as external drives on the Mac. But I'll bet you wind up using Calibre for this function.

I don't care about note-taking ability, audio, wifi, or dictionary lookup. I would never use any of those.

Me either, although the dictionary access on the K2 is nice.

From my research it seems that I am excluded from:[LIST][*]The Kindle: The best looking/designed of the lot. However, my understanding is that you have to pay Amazon $.10 for the "privilege" of using a format other than theirs on your $350+ machine. That's pretty dumb. Plus I would never use that keyboard.

It's probably more like a nickle a book, judging from the size of most ebooks. But both Stanza Desktop and Calibre are free (but donate to Calibre!) and offer more flexibility in doing conversions. You can upload to both the Sony & the K2 via USB.

[*]The two Sonys: Require a Windows machine for ebook management? Is this true, and if so, is there any way around it? I can get to a PC occasionally, but I don't want to have to do it every single time I want to add an ebook.

And now you have hit on it. I originally bought the Sony 505 because I like Sony products. And it's a nice ebook reader. But in the few weeks I've had it, I have become increasingly frustrated by the need to have access to a PC to update firmware, to use the Sony Bookstore, and to authorize the Sony to read Adobe Digital Editions. There are other, smaller and Mac friendly bookstores around, and they seem to cater to SF&F readers. To the extent that you want to access the books they sell, the Sony is a bit more open. But I am constantly finding that I can't get a book I want, even from these smaller stores. And since I have a Mac, I am excluded from the two largest commercial ebook sellers on my 505, but have access to the largest one on my K2.

Please let me know anything I've forgotten, or tell me more about any of the readers. I am open to anything. Please advise; I will be eternally grateful!

I have found the K2 to be more user friendly from a hardware perspective. Despite The K2 being larger than the Sony 505, I find it easier to hold, and the buttons easier to use. But the Sony navigation system seems a bit more flexible.

The text refresh is faster on the K2.

Using Calibre, you can get free access, for download to either reader, to a lot of the magazines and newspapers that Amazon charges you to get for the K2. But I suspect that the K2 versions are better formatted for reading.

I find the reading experience to be more booklike on the K2, in the sense that it seems easier to fall into the book, forgetting that it is an electronic device.

If you travel without your computer, the K2's big advantage is that you don't need a computer to buy your next book.

And finally, something you won't care about but makes a big difference to me - the ability to have the same book on my iPhone and the K2, and to sync the two so that I am at the last place I was in the book, no matter which reader I use.

[Ea]

I find that using calibre on a Mac with Sony 505 works really well for me, but then I prefer to buy books where I can strip the DRM in the first place, and I'm not really concerned with buying books in formats that work directly. Plus, I'm in Europe, so access to the Sony store or Amazon.com is not relevant for me. I can't see from your list whether this is an issue.

I generally like the software on the Sony, it's easy to use. Lrf works fine as my format of choice with standard settings, and if you convert in calibre, you can set the base font size to the size you prefer. The only annoying thing is that calibre can't paginate so that will happen on the Reader the first time you open a file. For a long book that can take over 10 min.

I've had to use Windows in VMWare a few times to update firmware and such, but not for getting books on the device, so it hasn't been a problem.

The collections on the Sony works fine for me - I actually prefer it over folders because I can tag one book with more tags. I don't have more than up to 100 book son the Reader - if you want to carry your entire collection, real folder support might be an issue.

[bystander]

Thank you all so very much for your help. While I'm reluctant to leave the Kindle behind (especially after learning my misunderstanding about the download fees), the Sony 505 seems the best choice for me. And I downloaded Calibre, and it seems like it will work perfectly on my Mac.

Again thank you, and I'm sure I'll be back here in a few weeks with more questions on how to use my new Sony!

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by Harmon

I have become increasingly frustrated by the need to have access to a PC to

While the rest of the post was good, I think this could do with putting onto context!

Originally Posted by Harmon

update firmware

So far, a one-off operation for those of us who had V1.0 Readers - new devices have the latest firmware. (Unless you're into flashing custom firmware & something goes wrong and you need to recover via the official flasher app.)

Originally Posted by Harmon

to use the Sony Bookstore

True, but there are plenty of other sources & those of us from outside North America can't use the store even when we are running Windows, so it's not a show-stopper!

Originally Posted by Harmon

to authorize the Sony to read Adobe Digital Editions.

Again, a one-off operation. Once done, you can buy & transfer Adobe DRMmed books using a Mac without needing to go to Windows.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

While the rest of the post was good, I think this could do with putting onto context!

Fair enough.

1. need to update firmware.

So far, a one-off operation for those of us who had V1.0 Readers - new devices have the latest firmware. (Unless you're into flashing custom firmware & something goes wrong and you need to recover via the official flasher app.)

Yep, a one-off, but still an issue. (And my firmware is an earlier number than anther version I've read about, though I'm not sure that means anything.)

As you observe, if I want to flash, say, to change the font to something I like better, or something uniform, I risk something going wrong. Which is why I haven't played around in that fashion, much as I'd like to.

2. to authorize the Sony to read Adobe Digital Editions.

Again, a one-off operation. Once done, you can buy & transfer Adobe DRMmed books using a Mac without needing to go to Windows.

In theory, that is correct. But in terms of what has actually happened to me, it isn't. I managed to get the Sony Bookstore authorization, and actually buy a DRMed book, download it to ADE, & transfer it to my 505. But for whatever odd reason, the victory was temporary. For some reason, the ADE reader program no longer considers my 505 authorized by Sony, & now I have to get back to the Sony Bookstore & do it all over again.

3. to use the Sony Bookstore

True, but there are plenty of other sources & those of us from outside North America can't use the store even when we are running Windows, so it's not a show-stopper!

The other sources aren't good enough. They usually don't have the books I want, and if they do, they don't have them in a nonDRMed format, or a DRMed format the 505 can read. Sony users who are outside North America are - for reasons I don't know - evidently in exactly the same situation as those of us in North America using Macs & the Sonys.

The difference is that those of us in NA can switch to the Kindle.

Plus, it seems that everyone I know who has a Windows machine has a problem with it that makes it difficult to get the Sony software installed & operating correctly. Which is one of the many reasons I own Macs. I can get the same result easier and more efficiently on a Mac.

From my perspective, the Kindle is superior to the 505 in two respects, aside from this compatibility issue.

The first is that the Kindle has the Whisperstuff. Reading a book today, I found that I wished to refer to Shakespeare's sonnets, and inside three minutes, I had them. Read the Kindle on the way to work today, and at lunch. Sync'd it after lunch. Going home, taking a couple of short rides involving waiting at bus stops, I read the same book on my iPhone, taking up where it had been sync'd. Very nice.

The second is that the Kindle, despite its larger size, is actually more comfortable to use. I didn't expect that at all. I think it's a combination of the material its made of, plus the better buttons, plus the color contrast between the Kindle and the screen. And I also think that the 505 might actually be too small - this could be a hand size issue.

I'm not an Amazon fan these days, after the things they've been doing in connection with ebooks. But Sony doesn't want me. So I have to choose between two less than desirable alternatives.

I find that I'm reading more on the Kindle than I did on the 505. That's the bottom line, y'know...

[rbarhat]

Thank you all here. I've been looking for a long time for such an extensive review from users. This one's perfect. I had some apprehensions about the sony, but reading this i am getting sure of buying it now. The 505 seems perfect for me now. Thank you again.

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by bystander

Thank you all so very much for your help. While I'm reluctant to leave the Kindle behind (especially after learning my misunderstanding about the download fees), the Sony 505 seems the best choice for me. And I downloaded Calibre, and it seems like it will work perfectly on my Mac.

Again thank you, and I'm sure I'll be back here in a few weeks with more questions on how to use my new Sony!

If 80% of your reading will be novels, you should check the stores where you plan to purchase your books for availability and pricing. of the types you like. Amazon more often than not has the largest selection and lowest prices.

Plus the Kindle doesn't care if you're Mac or PC and can also take advantage of Calibre.

[thorn]

i hope this adds a little something --

re. kindle: amazon content can be purchased via whispernet. non-amazon content can be converted to amazon format (.mobi) using mobipocket creator or calibre, and then moved to the kindle via usb cable. i do this a lot myself, and it's no more irritating than moving copies of files to a flash drive. amazon has announced that the price of whispernet file-conversions will be .15 per mb per file, rounded up to the nearest mb, starting monday. so it's sounding to many of us as if they are going to start charging for that. it won't break me in an emergency (like if i *have* to get an article onto my kindle from work -- i don't carry the cable); but i'll mainly transfer manually, since i've been doing that so much anyway. once i'm moving a bunch of documents at once (like a dozen non-drm pulp titles from manybooks.net or feedbooks.com), it actually gets easier to move them in a clump via usb than to e-mail them. (now that i think about it, i'm not sure that including more than one document attached to a single e-mail works. maybe someone else has done that successfully. "anyone..? anyone..?")

the kindle has a couple of advantages that i think you *might* find useful. one is that it will store 1500 titles. it has nearly 2 gb of storage. the other is that it includes cross-title searchability. meaning that even though you won't need or want the dictionary, you might wish to find which book a particular passage came from. the entire kindle is for all practical purposes completely keyword searchable. i've only got 360+ books loaded, and am still happy to have that feature.

i'm tempted to eventually *also* have a sony or some other, more open device, for native pdf compatibility, and to be able to get e-books from the library. (don't look at me like that. i have more than one bookcase, don't i?) and i have no plans to be brand-loyal to amazon. but i reeeeally like the ability to download samples of text for free. once formatting quality is more reliable, i can see that feature going away; but in my life it helps me remember what i want to buy (i save my wish list for print, and objects); and it allows me to make sure a book is decently formatted before i ever pay for it. i like that i don't have to mess around with getting credited for purchases of badly-formatted material.

but on the kindle, quite a few people dislike that the 'page' color is light gray. if one refreshes the screen, the text becomes darker, and i find that the longer i read, the more consistently dark the text appears to be; but it's clear that there is some variation among devices.

my 2 cents.