MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Yup, another one of these. Help an open-source vigilante?

SmokeAndMirrors · 08-27-2011, 06:08 AM

Hey everyone. This is my first post, and I was wondering if I could get a little help.

I'm totally new to the e-reader thing and I want to get one in the near-ish future. I'm a student and a writer. I spend a frackload of time staring at a screen, and to be honest, it sort of hurts. I saw a Kindle a week or two back and became thoroughly convinced this is what I need. That SCREEN. Ohmygod. I love my paper, but I don't like carrying it around and I don't like killing trees.

There's an issue though. No way I am getting a Kindle. Or a Nook. Which brings me to my first and most important criteria for an e-reader.

1. Open-source. I am a total nerd over this. I run Linux on my desktop and my netbook, and I have an Android phone which is soon to be rooted. I hate DRM, and I hate "walled gardens." I don't want a device that tries to lock me out of my own possessions or prevent me from purchasing elsewhere. An e-reader which has a DRM-free store would be a major, major plus in my book. I know I can strip the DRM, but I don't want to support a company that practices that as a rule.

So that's the big'un. Here's the rest of what I think I'm looking for. Feel free to tell me if I'm asking for the impossible or if I am likely to be mistaken.

2. Price. I'm looking for affordable. $150 and under.

3. Travel-friendly. Apparently some e-readers with internet connectivity don't work outside the US? I travel a lot.

4. Preferably with news and magazines as an option. I wouldn't call it necessary, but I'd like it.

5. Wifi would be good. If there's something that's not a Kindle which has free 3G that would be cool, though. As long as there is a way to turn off the wifi/3G to preserve battery.

6. I'd prefer touch-enabled over a physical keyboard.

7. Something that reads a variety of formats would be a major plus.

8. And of course, it would be grand if it played nice with Linux, or ran Linux itself... since everything I own is Linux.

I was looking into the Kobo Touch. Does that sound like a likely candidate for me? If there is something coming out in the next month or two likely to fit my needs, that would be good to know.

Also, do e-readers with wifi typically allow you to browse? I sometimes have readings assigned that are listed in a repository on the school website, which you then download and view as a PDF/Doc Viewer. It would be good if I could download those straight on the e-reader, although it's not a huge deal - I typically have my netbook with me at school if I would need to transfer the file instead.

I leave myself in your experienced hands. Thanks for chugging through this behemoth of a post.

- SaM

08-27-2011, 06:08 AM	#1
SmokeAndMirrors Addict Posts: 280 Karma: 2064388 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: MN, US Device: Kobo Touch, Asus Eee Pad Slider	Yup, another one of these. Help an open-source vigilante? Hey everyone. This is my first post, and I was wondering if I could get a little help. I'm totally new to the e-reader thing and I want to get one in the near-ish future. I'm a student and a writer. I spend a frackload of time staring at a screen, and to be honest, it sort of hurts. I saw a Kindle a week or two back and became thoroughly convinced this is what I need. That SCREEN. Ohmygod. I love my paper, but I don't like carrying it around and I don't like killing trees. There's an issue though. No way I am getting a Kindle. Or a Nook. Which brings me to my first and most important criteria for an e-reader. 1. Open-source. I am a total nerd over this. I run Linux on my desktop and my netbook, and I have an Android phone which is soon to be rooted. I hate DRM, and I hate "walled gardens." I don't want a device that tries to lock me out of my own possessions or prevent me from purchasing elsewhere. An e-reader which has a DRM-free store would be a major, major plus in my book. I know I can strip the DRM, but I don't want to support a company that practices that as a rule. So that's the big'un. Here's the rest of what I think I'm looking for. Feel free to tell me if I'm asking for the impossible or if I am likely to be mistaken. 2. Price. I'm looking for affordable. $150 and under. 3. Travel-friendly. Apparently some e-readers with internet connectivity don't work outside the US? I travel a lot. 4. Preferably with news and magazines as an option. I wouldn't call it necessary, but I'd like it. 5. Wifi would be good. If there's something that's not a Kindle which has free 3G that would be cool, though. As long as there is a way to turn off the wifi/3G to preserve battery. 6. I'd prefer touch-enabled over a physical keyboard. 7. Something that reads a variety of formats would be a major plus. 8. And of course, it would be grand if it played nice with Linux, or ran Linux itself... since everything I own is Linux. I was looking into the Kobo Touch. Does that sound like a likely candidate for me? If there is something coming out in the next month or two likely to fit my needs, that would be good to know. Also, do e-readers with wifi typically allow you to browse? I sometimes have readings assigned that are listed in a repository on the school website, which you then download and view as a PDF/Doc Viewer. It would be good if I could download those straight on the e-reader, although it's not a huge deal - I typically have my netbook with me at school if I would need to transfer the file instead. I leave myself in your experienced hands. Thanks for chugging through this behemoth of a post. - SaM Last edited by SmokeAndMirrors; 08-27-2011 at 06:26 AM.