Thread: Can you answer some questions for me?
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Old 09-29-2009, 01:50 PM   #2
delphidb96
Wizard
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Posts: 2,999
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KMA415 View Post
I don't know where this would go in this forum or even a place where I could find this stuff out so I figured what better place to ask than on a forum with people who are used to these things. I read a lot, and I mean a lot, like a novel a day, and I'm tired of carrying 3 or 4 thick books in my bag just to make sure I always have something to read. So I thought I would get one of these readers but I don't know anything about them. Like for instance, are the ebooks the same price as paper books? Is there any way to put books that you've already bought on the devices? What kind of books can be put on there? There's several series that I like and I also like manga and comic books. Also, what reader would you suggest for quick loading (I'm impatient) and storage? I don't need top of the line though, as I'm not looking to spend all my book money on something just to read them on.

Thanks!
There are several good ebook readers out there. Right now, it appears that new models are coming out in sizes such as 5" (diagonal), 7", 8.x" and 10" displays to complement the more common 6" e-ink display size. Also, Microsoft (Courier) and Apple (maybe?) are coming out with 7" LCD-based tablet/ereader devices. Usually, LCD-display ereaders have far shorter battery life than e-ink devices. (If you read for an hour or two per day, with maybe 100-150 "page flips", you can expect the batteries to last for anywhere from 4-7 days before needing recharging.)

Now ebook prices can range from $6.99 (for newer releases) to $26.95 (for example, "The Lost Symbol" ebook was originally priced at $26.95, pre-release orders, but they dropped it down to $9.95 by the time it actually released.) However, pricing changes somewhat with the particular ebook format used. I've noticed most newer books in Kindle *rarely* are priced below $9.95, but the Secure Mobipocket versions from Fictionwise often are listed at $6.99.

As for cross-device compatibility, it's danged near impossible to get a Sony PRS-format ebook to convert to Mobipocket or eReader, but the other way is quite possible. Also, there's this new format (ePub) that appears to be sweeping across the device spectrum (although I'ved not heard of Kindle supporting it). On the other hand, PDF is so display-specific, that it's pretty much useless for most 5" or 6" devices - still, with a copy of Acrobat Pro, you can convert to text and then re-convert to a standard ebook format.

I've been using a Sony PRS-500 for several years and Bookeen Cybook Gen 3s for almost as long and I love them. If you really like to read, get one.

Derek
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