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Lemurion · 03-08-2010, 11:27 AM

I just got a Droid last weekend, and one of the very first things I did was set it up to read ebooks. While I do have a 505, sometimes it's just a bit too big to carry around, but I always have my phone with me. So what I want to do is not only give my impressions of the Droid as a reader, but also compare it to my Sony.

First, the Droid itself. For those who aren't familiar, it's an Android 2.0 smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Probably the biggest standout feature is the screen: it's 3.7" with 24-bit color depth at 854x480 resolution (267dpi). It's the best screen I've ever seen on a mobile device.

After reading Nate's review, I downloaded two reading apps: eReader and Aldiko. I'd heard great things about Aldiko, and I wanted eReader because I already have a fair number of eReader format books from Fictionwise.

I started with eReader, and while I really liked some features, I have to say it's a mixed bag. The combination of Fictionwise bookshelf integration and DRM support is handy. (I would prefer DRM ePub support so it could share with my Sony, but eReader gives me access to new fiction which is nice).

Pagination works fairly oddly, as it gives page numbers for the current section, not the book as a whole (I was getting page 2 of 7 in the editorial in an issue of F&SF) but it works. It also switches automatically between portrait and landscape modes depending on how you're holding the phone.

Page animations looked off in landscape mode (you get some garbled text) but on the whole I had no problems.

Next I moved to Aldiko, and was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't do DRM, but I found it feels faster than eReader. I also liked being able to go to Webscriptions on the device and automatically download a book to Aldiko.

Page animations are faster, without the garbled text, but the reading experience was otherwise the same.

In both applications, I found landscape orientation easier to read (unlike the Sony Reader, which is much easier for me in portrait). I also found myself gravitating toward night mode, which is unusual for me, as I normally don't care for light text on a dark background, but it worked better on this device.

In comparison to the Sony, the text is crisper (higher DPI will do that) and page turns are faster. However it is backlit, with all that implies. Thinking about it, it may be that I've grown more sensitive to backlighting since I've had the Sony and that may be why I prefer night mode on the Droid. I think I'm going to be using the Droid more when I'm out, and leaving the Sony at home.

Battery life is good for an LCD based device, though the display sucks power like nobody's business.

03-08-2010, 11:27 AM	#1
Lemurion eReader Posts: 2,750 Karma: 4968470 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad	Droid :) I just got a Droid last weekend, and one of the very first things I did was set it up to read ebooks. While I do have a 505, sometimes it's just a bit too big to carry around, but I always have my phone with me. So what I want to do is not only give my impressions of the Droid as a reader, but also compare it to my Sony. First, the Droid itself. For those who aren't familiar, it's an Android 2.0 smartphone with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Probably the biggest standout feature is the screen: it's 3.7" with 24-bit color depth at 854x480 resolution (267dpi). It's the best screen I've ever seen on a mobile device. After reading Nate's review, I downloaded two reading apps: eReader and Aldiko. I'd heard great things about Aldiko, and I wanted eReader because I already have a fair number of eReader format books from Fictionwise. I started with eReader, and while I really liked some features, I have to say it's a mixed bag. The combination of Fictionwise bookshelf integration and DRM support is handy. (I would prefer DRM ePub support so it could share with my Sony, but eReader gives me access to new fiction which is nice). Pagination works fairly oddly, as it gives page numbers for the current section, not the book as a whole (I was getting page 2 of 7 in the editorial in an issue of F&SF) but it works. It also switches automatically between portrait and landscape modes depending on how you're holding the phone. Page animations looked off in landscape mode (you get some garbled text) but on the whole I had no problems. Next I moved to Aldiko, and was pleasantly surprised. It doesn't do DRM, but I found it feels faster than eReader. I also liked being able to go to Webscriptions on the device and automatically download a book to Aldiko. Page animations are faster, without the garbled text, but the reading experience was otherwise the same. In both applications, I found landscape orientation easier to read (unlike the Sony Reader, which is much easier for me in portrait). I also found myself gravitating toward night mode, which is unusual for me, as I normally don't care for light text on a dark background, but it worked better on this device. In comparison to the Sony, the text is crisper (higher DPI will do that) and page turns are faster. However it is backlit, with all that implies. Thinking about it, it may be that I've grown more sensitive to backlighting since I've had the Sony and that may be why I prefer night mode on the Droid. I think I'm going to be using the Droid more when I'm out, and leaving the Sony at home. Battery life is good for an LCD based device, though the display sucks power like nobody's business.