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lizzybeth05 · 02-23-2009, 01:16 PM

I am considering purchasing a mobile device for reading eBooks, but the more research I do, the more confused I am becoming. It seems that there are many issues to consider related to the functions & features of the individual devices as well as the types of book formats that the devices will support.

The various book formats is the source of most of my confusion, and I am hoping that some of you can help me filter through all the jargon that I do not understand to determine the best device for me.

I live in NYC and as a result I spend a lot of my time on public transportation. I have taken to reading various books (typically fiction, very light reading) as a way to pass the time. Constantly carrying a book (and sometimes multiple books) is getting annoying, so the idea of a lightweight electronic device is appealing. However, if I stare at a computer screen for very long, my eyes become irritated and vision can become blurry, so I would like a device where the print looks like paper (This technology is called eInk or ePaper, right?)

Besides that, the main issue for concern is the formats that the device will support. I have looked into the Amazon Kindle, and most books that I am interested in appear to be available through their store (and at a pretty good rate in comparison). However, if I choose to upgrade the device in the future, I would be forced to stay with an Amazon reader, as there files can not currently be read by other devices (right?).

I have also looked into Sony’s Reader 700 & 505. Both look promising, but again it appears that they don’t support a lot of formats. They say that they support their format (BBeB) as well as ePub, TXT, RTF, Adobe® PDF, however I haven’t found any places that offer txt or rtf files, and from my understand reading eBooks in PDF format can become annoying as the font can not be resized (is this correct?)

Basically, I don’t want to be looked into buying from once source (if I can help it) and in the future I don’t want to be locked into purchasing a new reader from the same company so as to not loose my library.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thank you in advance for your help.

02-23-2009, 01:16 PM	#1
lizzybeth05 Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NYC Device: none	Which eReader should I purchase? I am considering purchasing a mobile device for reading eBooks, but the more research I do, the more confused I am becoming. It seems that there are many issues to consider related to the functions & features of the individual devices as well as the types of book formats that the devices will support. The various book formats is the source of most of my confusion, and I am hoping that some of you can help me filter through all the jargon that I do not understand to determine the best device for me. I live in NYC and as a result I spend a lot of my time on public transportation. I have taken to reading various books (typically fiction, very light reading) as a way to pass the time. Constantly carrying a book (and sometimes multiple books) is getting annoying, so the idea of a lightweight electronic device is appealing. However, if I stare at a computer screen for very long, my eyes become irritated and vision can become blurry, so I would like a device where the print looks like paper (This technology is called eInk or ePaper, right?) Besides that, the main issue for concern is the formats that the device will support. I have looked into the Amazon Kindle, and most books that I am interested in appear to be available through their store (and at a pretty good rate in comparison). However, if I choose to upgrade the device in the future, I would be forced to stay with an Amazon reader, as there files can not currently be read by other devices (right?). I have also looked into Sony’s Reader 700 & 505. Both look promising, but again it appears that they don’t support a lot of formats. They say that they support their format (BBeB) as well as ePub, TXT, RTF, Adobe® PDF, however I haven’t found any places that offer txt or rtf files, and from my understand reading eBooks in PDF format can become annoying as the font can not be resized (is this correct?) Basically, I don’t want to be looked into buying from once source (if I can help it) and in the future I don’t want to be locked into purchasing a new reader from the same company so as to not loose my library. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you in advance for your help.