Newbie with Many Questions

[Julia M]

Hello, I am overwhelmed with questions. I have tried reading all of the posts, but have found even those confusing. I recently had a theft of my portable electronics. I had a Sony ebook reader, an iPod, a cell phone and Palm Pilot. Now I just have my cheapie phone.

I need to start over and it seems like it would make sense to try and combine things. I am trying to be cost effective, also.

I travel a bit, and want to be able to easily carry books, music and movies.

I am thinking of getting a Palm Centro phone and iPod Touch.

I don't need a fancy phone and don't particularly want to pay a monthly internet fee. We already have alot of iPod music (I have 2 teens and one preteen) and movies.

I want to be able to download books. Does the iPod touch allow the Kindle application? I wouldn't use it alot, but would like to be able to buy a book if I was traveling, for example. I also want to be able to download library books (which I did with my Sony). The downloads from our library are PDF's or something called Mobi something. You check them out, and after three weeks you lose them. Can I download books that are in my SOny library?

The iPod touch isn't a phone, correct? Do you have to pay for an internet connection, or is it just free at places where there is free wifi? I figured 32 GB would be enough to store the music I want (maybe 200-300 songs), 15-20 movies and a bunch of books. How much space does an average (300 page) book take up? I can get a first generation refurbished for $300 or second generation for $350. What's the difference? Will it impact my ability with books?

Is there a different way I should be thinking of how to do this? I am trying to be cost effective and can get the Palm Centro for about $30 (extending our contract-no biggie, since we just extended it for the kids a month or so ago). I don't have to pay for internet, just use it as a phone in our current plan. Then about $300 for a device that can get me music and books. Down the road, I would probably buy an ereader device, but just can't aford it right now.

ANy comments are much appreciated and please be kind....I am just not that technologically savvy.

Thanks

Julia

[desertgrandma]

Hello, Julia, and welcome to MobileRead.


those who read on their phones should be chiming in soon, I prefer a dedicated ebook device.....can't read on the tiny screens.

Good luck with your choice, and sorry t hear about the thefts! If theirs any justice, they won't be able to read English.!

[daffy4u]

I can answer a few of your questions.

- Yes, the Kindle for iPhone app will work on the iPod Touch (I have it on mine)

- I haven't tried downloading library books with it. You may have to check with your local library to see if they support the iPod Touch. If one of the other reading apps like Stanza or eReader can handle the library books, you're probably good to go.

- I have a 16GB 1st generation iPod touch with 527 songs on it at present. I don't keep a lot of video on it. I'll download it (TV shows mostly), watch it an delete it, so I haven't run into a space problem. eBooks are very small files. One of the largest books I have is Stephen King's "The Stand" which is 3.28 MB but most I have are less than .5 MB

- I don not believe you can read books from the Sony store on your Touch

- The only major differences that I'm aware of between the 1st and 2nd iPod Touches is the 2nd generation is a bit slimmer and has a physical volume control dial (1st generation colume control is via the touch screen).

Hopefully someone with more answers will jump in.

[wallcraft]

The KindlePID/KindleFIX utility will allow MOBI library ebooks to be read on a Kindle and (I think, but I have not seen confirmation) on the Touch. In the case of the Touch you would also have to jail break the device.

Stanza has announced support for Adobe PDF and ePub on the iPhone/Touch. It isn't available yet, but is due 2Q09. If you have PDF/ePub ebooks (or get them from a lending library) these will then work. Note that Adobe DRM can now be stripped, so you could read these ebooks on any device if you are willing to remove the DRM. Stanza can also read eReader ebooks now, so it can be your only ebook reading software if you like the way it works.

If your Sony ebooks are in the LRX format (Sony with DRM) then they can only be read by a Sony or a Windows PC. It is possible to convert DRM-free LRF ebooks to other formats. If you used Calibre to convert to LRF, then your best best is to run the original through Calibre again and convert to ePub (for Stanza) or MOBI (for jail-broken Kindle).

[Leep]

First, I don't recommend reading for any length of time on an iTouch. I much prefer my Kindle for regular reading, but the iTouch does do the job in a pinch.

The easiest way that I have found is to put ebooks that I might want to have available on my iTouch is on the bookwork\oreilly site. Unfortunately, the DRM must be removed and they must be converted to epub to do that. But they are easily accessed one or several at a time, just like a library. There are also some instructions on this site about using Calibre to provide the same function, although I have not yet tried this.

Your other alternative is to have a Kindle2 and iTouch and deal with Amazon. You can have any books that you purchase through Amazon synced to both devices so that you can read a book on either on and sync your place in the book to take up where you left off on the other device. The downside of this solution is that Amazon controls your reading content, and with their recent positon on KindlePID, other sources for ebooks may become a thing of the past on the Kindle.

cheers

[ficbot]

I have read for great lengths of time on my iPod Touch with no problems. I use eReader and buy books from Fictionwise. The multiformat ones can also be used on my new Sony Reader. I love reading on the iPod Touch and have read almost 50 books on it. You only need wi-fi when you are doing internet-related activities. I can load my ebooks into eReader and read on the go without needing to be near wi-fi.

My big issue with the iPod Touch was that I enjoy reading on the treadmill and found the tiny screen not steady enough for this and so I really wanted a dedicated reader. I am happy with my new Sony and will read a lot on it too. But I still enjoy reading on the iPod Touch and have no problems with it.

[dordale]

Originally Posted by Leep

Your other alternative is to have a Kindle2 and iTouch and deal with Amazon. You can have any books that you purchase through Amazon synced to both devices so that you can read a book on either on and sync your place in the book to take up where you left off on the other device. The downside of this solution is that Amazon controls your reading content, and with their recent positon on KindlePID, other sources for ebooks may become a thing of the past on the Kindle.

cheers

Just a small clarification--you don't actually need a Kindle to buy Kindle books if you have an iPod Touch. I have an iPod Touch and have added the Kindle reader to it. I now have access and am able to purchase Kindle books from Amazon and they will be sent directly to my Touch when I connect through wi-fi. They're then available for reading anytime I want.

I actually haven't bought any Kindle books yet, but have downloaded a few of the sample chapters to read.

dordale

[LittleMe]

As stated above the "iPod Touches is the 2nd generation is a bit slimmer and has a physical volume control dial".

The Touch also has a speaker for casual listening, if listening to music or any videos for any length of time I recommend earbuds still. The Touch has Nike+ built-in no need for the external dongle.


I find between the free Apps Kindle, eReader, and Stanza the books I want to read are pretty much covered. The iTunes store also sell ebooks but I find those ebooks are expensive and I didn't like App program that was used for the ebooks called Iceberg. There is another called Tree Frog (?), but I haven't tried that one so no review for that one.
I have read a few books on my iPod Touch and I thought it was a good experience. Now if I had the money for a Kindle I am sure I would prefer that, but the iPod Touch works for me.

The iPod touch isn't a phone, correct?

Correct

Do you have to pay for an internet connection?

No, unless you are at a place or is it just free at places where there is free wifi?" Correct, unless you are at a place where you have to pay for Wi-fi access.
http://www.jiwire.com/ is a good website and now free app to find free Wi-Fi Hotspots.


A refurbished iPod Touch is a good idea. You can check and search these sites to find a deal.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/hom...od?mco=MTE3Njc
http://www.apple-discounts.com/
http://dealmac.com/
http://www.smalldog.com/

Edit: Forgot to add welcome to the forum.