[akasha]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

I have a Kepler Pro that has 1 gb of RAM and 16 gb of internal storage. It runs Android 4.0.4. The eReader Store is working on a 4.4 upgrade,but it's not quite ready for prime time yet.

I am still hopeful about the 4.4 upgrade. Will it be available if I don't get it from the eReader store? Unfortunately, it is out of stock there.

I am kicking myself for dithering. The Kepler Pro is now out of stock everywhere but Banggood. I am a bit nervous about ordering from there. Though a lot of people on the forums seem to have had good experiences with them.

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Edit: Oops - I forgot my Nook Glowlight 3! It runs on Android 4.4, but it does not have an sd card. So, you wouldn't be interested. It does offer 8 gb of internal storage, of which about 6 gb is available to the user.

The Nook G3 is still a possibility. I was happy to see the update recently about them removing the sideloading partition. But it will mean I will need to switch files on & off it. And the reviews seem to say it is a bit sluggish, even reading epubs.

As always, B&N seems good at shooting themselves in the foot. The recent layoffs don't inspire me with a great deal of confidence in getting a device from them.

Originally Posted by Richwood

I would add unless you have a enormous library including very large book files such as audio books, comics/manga, recipe books and large PDFs I question the need for expandable memory.

I have a LARGE library. Loads of knitting/craft books with loads of images. Both pdfs & epubs. And yep, cookbooks are super large. Have those too. DIY books. Also also manga. I agree that the typical epub or Kindle file are small enough to store a lot on them. When you get into graphic intensive books, they get big. My largest single file is 0.65 gig. So yep. I am not the typical user.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's either Pocketbook or Onyx that might be able to update from 4.04 to 4.4. But that's a maybe. Most use 4.04 and cannot be upgraded. So if the apps you want to use won't work, just find a Reader that does as much as you want with the on-board software.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I have been taking a look at that. And yep, very few are running 4.4. It is one of the reason I am debating just sticking with a dedicated ereader. I had a Kobo Aura years ago & am still considering the older H2O with the card slot. I liked the 6.8" screen.

The Kobo H2O v1 has a card slot. So it may be the top contender if I don't decide to go with an Android device.

Originally Posted by whatsacubit

I hate PDF's to begin with...(snip) PDF files have been plagued for decades.

I avoid them when I can. But many publishers like having the fixed format with anything that is graphics heavy. Not ideal. Also, most knitting patterns are available only in PDF format. I am lucky that I have Acrobat Pro for work. So I can run OCR on documents that don't have it. But I know most users don't have that ability.

Originally Posted by whatsacubit

I don't blame the manufacturers for this. I blame the eReader community and websites for not keeping tabs on the newest devices for people.

I disagree there. It is up to the manufacturers to have the relevant info on their sites. Some do. But many don't. The forums aren't paid professionals. They are people who care about ereaders & share their own experiences. And I appreciate that so many people take the time to offer their experiences. As for the ereader blogs & such, I suspect the reviewers aren't full time, paid positions. I most certainly could be wrong. But both the websites & forums don't owe us a breakdown of features.

I started with a comparison table on the-ebook-reader.com & created my own spreadsheet.

http://www.the-ebook-reader.com/eboo...omparison.html

It is a good starting point & helped me to start my looking.

Originally Posted by whatsacubit

I'm not sure which version of Android 4.x you get makes a whole lot of difference.

It can. I have two programs I use heavily & think could work well on an e-ink screen. They both require 4.4 or better. So that has made me evaluate if it is worth having Android on the ereader. Or if I just stick to a dedicated ereader & use my tablet for those programs.

So the debate continues. Some day, maybe I will actually make the purchase! *laugh*