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Originally Posted by reech
I moved from a Sony eReader to a Kindle for the following reasons:
- Awful formatting and layout of the majority of ePub books I read (true, this could have been down to the publisher, but I was sick and tired of it)
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I do agree that a lot of ePub eBooks are poorly formatted and the reading expereince when those is not optimal. That does seem to be getting better, but it's not yet better enough overall. That is one of the reasons I strip the DRM so I can fix the formatting and enjoy reading without the formatting getting in the way.
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- Getting ADE to recognise and allow reading on my eReader was hit and miss - also, the Sony eReader Library software would regularaly puke up on Windows 7
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I've never had a problem of ADE not recognizing all the various Sony Readers I have had connected to the computer while ADE was running. And as for eBook Library and Windows 7, no problems at all on 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7. The problem is usually some dodgy software your system is running that causes Reader Library problems. I've installed eBook Library from the days of the 500 on up to the recent version on different computers and different versions of Windows without a problem. So that would suggest it is some other software causing the problem. It definitely is not Windows.
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- The cost of ebooks for the Sony Device were in many cases equal to, or higher than the paperback version; that was even if I could find the book I wanted.
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Was this before or after the agency 6? Before the agency 6, did you shop around at the different eBookstores to see who offered the best price or had a discount/sale going on?
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- Library support was the only thing going for it - but the UK Library system is so backwards, my local library didn't have access to it, and the one national library I could use thought science fiction stories stopped being published in 1962.
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If you do have access to a library or libraries that have good eBook support, I agree, go for a supported device.
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When I'd had enough, I did some research, checked prices, features and behaviours (for the devices AND the books I was interested in) and settled on Kindle.
I've not yet found a book I can't get directly from Amazon (I'm a crap-literature-mainstream reader!) and in most cases, the price is equal to, or less than the paperback. I can also get a load of free books from Amazon's store, or from the websites listed above (as well as Feedbooks, etc.)
Sadly, in the UK, we can't lend books using the Amazon Lending feature, but hopefully that's on its way. In any case, at least now my other friends can easily find books they want to get from Amazon on their Kindle, rather than me having to do some arcane trickery to buy and then transfer the book to their Sony device. Blargh, complete nightmare.
Adobe's format is, to me, the far more 'controlled' one; the UK pricing structure for it is abysmal, and I'm pretty pleased that Amazon doesn't use it.
Horses for courses; if Library Lending is what you want, go for an ePub related device, it'll serve you well. But if you want a light, cheap, easy to use eBook reader with an excellent online store interface and reasonable book prices, go Kindle.
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If Amazon's model works for you, you like the Kindle and not having library eBook access is not an issue, then go for the Kindle. Amazon did one thing right from the start and that is ease of access to their eBooks.
With ADE, you have more to do to get your device setup to handle the DRMed ePub. And if you run out of authorizations, it's not as easy as it should be to get Adobe to fix that.
So yes there are drawbacks to ADE/ePub just as there are to the Kindle. The most satisfied customers are ones who do the research and then decide what device to get.