Quote:
Originally Posted by Worldwalker
Most of the options are things that would be useful on a tablet computer, not an ebook reader. Nearly every feature on that list is one meant for doing something other than reading.
I'm with Mr. Ploppy. I want features for reading ebooks. I don't want color. I don't want video, audio, Web browsing, email, and all the rest; I have a netbook for that. I want features to make it a better ebook reader, not a half-assed computer. I want to read books. Oh, and I hate touch screens, and will not buy one.
What do I want?
- a good, crisp e-ink screen
- fast page turns
- conveniently located, well-thought-out, and ergonomic controls
- plenty of internal memory
- SD card capability
- fast library scanning/updating (I hate you Sony)
- good PDF rendering (I don't need annotation)
- multiple options for organizing my books
- easy book browsing
- a favorite book list (useful for often-used reference books, for instance)
- the ability to get to any of my thousands of books in seconds
- a text-based interface*
- book status marking (unread/reading/read)
- ability to read any common ebook format and many obscure ones
- choice of text size and font, both default and per book
(bonus if the settings can be managed in calibre)
- some means of easily attaching any book light (a fold-out bracket?)
In other words, I want features that improve my experience reading ebooks. That's what I'm buying the thing for. The ability to do things other than reading ebooks is meaningless to me. Having a video player on an ebook reader, for instance, makes as much sense as having a dishwasher in my refrigerator. I want the world's best ebook reader, not the world's most half-assed ebook reader/video player/Web browser/music player/cell phone/PDA/pickle jar.
* Were I an illiterate moron only capable of pointing at pictures, I wouldn't be buying an ebook reader, now, would I? |
I wish I read the comments before I voted. I pretty much agree with this guy. He's articulated much of what I think, and some things I hadn't thought of.