Trying to decide for learning/enjoyment reading...

Oumi · 04-05-2011, 12:47 AM

Hi all! Sorry that my first post will be a "Help what should I buy?!" post, but I could really use some expert advice.

I would like an eReader and as I suspect most people find, am struggling to settle on one. I started out wanting a Kindle, but am a little concerned about the Amazon restrictions and also the fact I'm in Australia.

After a little more reading, my ideal eReader would feature as much file support as possible (BeBook's list of supported files really appeals to me), and the option to purchase from as many different places as possible (is Kindle really restricted to Amazon? I would like to avoid that kind of restriction). Ease of use is endlessly important (I seriously hate bothering to put anything on my iPhone because I find iTunes so tedious to use - would love a drag 'n' drop function).

In terms of use, I want to buy a lot of books that feature graphs, images, colour charts, advertising examples, and so on. This is the biggest reason I'm reluctant to just stick with my iPhone (small screen etc). As well as using it for the usual reading of novels, etc.

On the more optional side, I liked that some models of Bebook allow you to browse the internet. It's not all that necessary, and again, an iPad would win here except for horrible iTunes.

I'm still leaning towards a BeBook but after several hours of reading, there's so much info on restrictions, so many opinions, etc that I'm feeling a wee bit lost.

I see that the Kobo Reader from Angus & Robertson is only $179.00 right now, but I'm a bit concerned because Border and A&R have gone into receivership. Does anyone know how limiting the Kobo is to those particular groups of stores? From reading their website, it doesn't SEEM to be, but I really don't want to get caught with a device locked to a store that may mysteriously vanish over night (I know that sounds slightly paranoid, but there it is).

Apart from that, the usual concerns are relevant (crisp, clear screen, battery life, etc.)

Sorry for such a mess of a post; any help anyone can offer would be ridiculously, greatly appreciated! Thankyou so much all.

Edit: Forgot to add, would like a device where I could easily upgrade if possible. E.g. if I buy Device X, and later upgrade to Device Y (from a different brand or something), would like to not lose all my books or have to re-purchase.

Anke Wehner · 04-05-2011, 05:39 AM

Regarding switching devices: The books sold at kobobooks.com are epubs, nearly always with ADE DRM - that seems to be the most widespread system, and isn't proprietary. Sony uses the same, as well as Overdrive (which provides ebooks to libraries in the US).
I can read books bought at Kobo on my Sony Reader, for instance.

I had a Hanvon 610 for a short while, which did not come with any management software, you just dragged and dropped files. On the other hand, it was quite slow when I tried to look at PDFs with images... I think the instruction manual that came with it took 4 seconds for a page change.

GeoffC · 04-05-2011, 10:23 AM

Welcome to Mobileread ….

As well as comments in this thread, have a look here for some technical detail etc ... >>> ereader-matrix ...

grumpy3b · 04-05-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anke Wehner

Regarding switching devices: The books sold at kobobooks.com are epubs, nearly always with ADE DRM - that seems to be the most widespread system, and isn't proprietary. Sony uses the same, as well as Overdrive (which provides ebooks to libraries in the US).
I can read books bought at Kobo on my Sony Reader, for instance.

I had a Hanvon 610 for a short while, which did not come with any management software, you just dragged and dropped files. On the other hand, it was quite slow when I tried to look at PDFs with images... I think the instruction manual that came with it took 4 seconds for a page change.

all DRM is proprietary by definition. Now if you mean ADE is not limited to a given brand of readers that is basically true.

Also do you have links to validated stats that prove ADE is the "...the most widespread system."? I am not looking to discuss if one company's DRM is better that another as that is the discussion for the playground, rather I would hope you are passing valid details over your personal prejudices against other DRM schemes.

As I recall it is B&N who uses their own form of DRM which is a variation of ADE but not compatible with other ADE based devices? I am not sure about that only pointing out it is all too confusing.

Oumi · 04-05-2011, 05:58 PM

Thankyou all for your comments.

I had a look at the Kobo Reader last night and I was suitably impressed by it, but when I asked them "What happens if the store has to close?" (With the trouble both Angus & Robertson and Borders are in, I think it's a valid question.) She told me she had no idea and nobody knew and if it were up to her, she would steer well clear of a Kobo just in case. I know that Kobo themselves say there will be no issue no matter what happens, but it still sits a little uneasy with me. So I have scratched that off the list.

In my searches last night I found a unit for $90 with a 12 month warranty and a 21 day return policy. While the company themselves freely admit it is a 'no frills' ereader, it ticks enough of my boxes that I've been seriously considering it overnight and have settled for this one. I'll go and pick it up this afternoon and provide a full review.

My view is that for $90, if my unit only lasts the warranty period, I'm still getting a year worth of ereader for less than $100 with the features I like. It's not restricted to any one company and the transferring system is simply drag and drop (which I love!)

grumpy3b · 04-05-2011, 06:04 PM

man I feel old. I suppose the POV that $100 for the use of a device is not much when a tank of gas is nearly $100 now. Makes me think that horrible thought "when I was a kid, a tank of gas was $5-$10" and crap man that was just over more than 4-decades ago when I was around 10-12 yrs old.

ProfCrash · 04-05-2011, 06:41 PM

My problem with the Kobo is that it does not provide the same functionality as a Kindle or a Nook or a Sony. The last I heard, Kobo's still could not bookmark pages and there were other issues with things like taking notes, using the dictionary, and the like.

It could be that those problems have been corrected and I have not seen the posts saying so but I would check.

I think you can get around the geographic restrictions for the Kindle and BN by picking an Address in the US and using gift cards as your credit card for purchasing books. An ISP blocker helps as well.

Oumi · 04-05-2011, 06:42 PM

Don't worry I remember the horror when my family went interstate and petrol was NEARLY $1.00 a litre! We discussed it for ages and months later were still saying, "Can you believe that? Nearly a dollar! How ridiculous!"

Oumi · 04-05-2011, 06:46 PM

Are most e-books black and white? The ereader I've chosen has a colour screen (which will be super handy for PDFs). But is there any option to purchase colour ebooks?

ProfCrash · 04-05-2011, 06:52 PM

Any e-reader that uses e-ink will be black and white. If you want color you will have to buy an e-reader with an LCD screen.

Oumi · 04-05-2011, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oumi

Are most e-books black and white? The ereader I've chosen has a colour screen (which will be super handy for PDFs). But is there any option to purchase colour ebooks?

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Any e-reader that uses e-ink will be black and white. If you want color you will have to buy an e-reader with an LCD screen.

I realise that I need to buy a colour device to view colour. But my question was, are e-books generally published in black and white only? Is it only some books that are published in colour?
A comment has been made to me previously that e-books are generally only published in black and white - in which case I need to take this into consideration before placing too much priority on a colour screen.

ProfCrash · 04-05-2011, 08:41 PM

Sorry, I thought you were asking about color e-ink screens for viewing color.

I have yet to come across an ebook that I needed color for. I think color is probably beneficial for magazines, crafting books, cookbooks, and text books. How many paper books do you buy that are in color? If you buy books that use color, then a color screen would make sense for you.

Oumi · 04-06-2011, 12:21 AM

So does that mean, yes, if a book features any colour at all in its paper version; the ebook version will as well? I've basically been told that all ebooks are "grayscaled".

Obviously I don't want/need your typical novels in colour, but for any educational books featuring graphs/charts/etc, colour would be nice but I've been led to believe that regardless of how much colour is used on paper; it will be black and white as an ebook, even with a colour screen ereader.

dadioflex · 04-06-2011, 02:19 AM

No to confuse thinks more but your original post stipulated: "crisp, clear screen, battery life, etc." - neither of which you are likely to get from a $91 colour device. Not to sound patronising, but is it possible you've been swayed from your original intention by the prospect of colour?

IF you wanted a colour reader I'd say pick an iPad because it does all that you want and so much more - with a con that it's heavy compared to a dedicated reader and you'll get maybe 10 hours reading from it. Or a good, cheap Android tablet for less money but almost always less battery life. ie not a Xoom or a Tab but one of the generic devices or a Tab if you can pick up the first generation cheap. I'd still recommend the iPad over any Android tablet for reading, even though it has the closed ecosystem - in general the lowest priced iPads have far less of a price premium compared to most other Apple gear. The price hops for extra memory are nuts though.

Key question is where are you getting your technical books from? Most PDFs will have been produced in colour for instance. If you already have an archive of technical material in colour, it'll show in colour. If you've a particular vendor in mind, then ask them.

ProfCrash · 04-06-2011, 07:39 AM

An e-ink screen does not display color. So if you buy a Nook Classic, Kindle, Sony, or Kobo you will not see the color in a book.

04-05-2011, 12:47 AM	#1
Oumi Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	Trying to decide for learning/enjoyment reading... Hi all! Sorry that my first post will be a "Help what should I buy?!" post, but I could really use some expert advice. I would like an eReader and as I suspect most people find, am struggling to settle on one. I started out wanting a Kindle, but am a little concerned about the Amazon restrictions and also the fact I'm in Australia. After a little more reading, my ideal eReader would feature as much file support as possible (BeBook's list of supported files really appeals to me), and the option to purchase from as many different places as possible (is Kindle really restricted to Amazon? I would like to avoid that kind of restriction). Ease of use is endlessly important (I seriously hate bothering to put anything on my iPhone because I find iTunes so tedious to use - would love a drag 'n' drop function). In terms of use, I want to buy a lot of books that feature graphs, images, colour charts, advertising examples, and so on. This is the biggest reason I'm reluctant to just stick with my iPhone (small screen etc). As well as using it for the usual reading of novels, etc. On the more optional side, I liked that some models of Bebook allow you to browse the internet. It's not all that necessary, and again, an iPad would win here except for horrible iTunes. I'm still leaning towards a BeBook but after several hours of reading, there's so much info on restrictions, so many opinions, etc that I'm feeling a wee bit lost. I see that the Kobo Reader from Angus & Robertson is only $179.00 right now, but I'm a bit concerned because Border and A&R have gone into receivership. Does anyone know how limiting the Kobo is to those particular groups of stores? From reading their website, it doesn't SEEM to be, but I really don't want to get caught with a device locked to a store that may mysteriously vanish over night (I know that sounds slightly paranoid, but there it is). Apart from that, the usual concerns are relevant (crisp, clear screen, battery life, etc.) Sorry for such a mess of a post; any help anyone can offer would be ridiculously, greatly appreciated! Thankyou so much all. Edit: Forgot to add, would like a device where I could easily upgrade if possible. E.g. if I buy Device X, and later upgrade to Device Y (from a different brand or something), would like to not lose all my books or have to re-purchase. Last edited by Oumi; 04-05-2011 at 12:51 AM.

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04-05-2011, 05:39 AM	#2
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	Regarding switching devices: The books sold at kobobooks.com are epubs, nearly always with ADE DRM - that seems to be the most widespread system, and isn't proprietary. Sony uses the same, as well as Overdrive (which provides ebooks to libraries in the US). I can read books bought at Kobo on my Sony Reader, for instance. I had a Hanvon 610 for a short while, which did not come with any management software, you just dragged and dropped files. On the other hand, it was quite slow when I tried to look at PDFs with images... I think the instruction manual that came with it took 4 seconds for a page change.

04-05-2011, 10:23 AM	#3
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,599 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	Welcome to Mobileread …. As well as comments in this thread, have a look here for some technical detail etc ... >>> ereader-matrix ...

04-05-2011, 05:58 PM	#5
Oumi Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	Thankyou all for your comments. I had a look at the Kobo Reader last night and I was suitably impressed by it, but when I asked them "What happens if the store has to close?" (With the trouble both Angus & Robertson and Borders are in, I think it's a valid question.) She told me she had no idea and nobody knew and if it were up to her, she would steer well clear of a Kobo just in case. I know that Kobo themselves say there will be no issue no matter what happens, but it still sits a little uneasy with me. So I have scratched that off the list. In my searches last night I found a unit for $90 with a 12 month warranty and a 21 day return policy. While the company themselves freely admit it is a 'no frills' ereader, it ticks enough of my boxes that I've been seriously considering it overnight and have settled for this one. I'll go and pick it up this afternoon and provide a full review. My view is that for $90, if my unit only lasts the warranty period, I'm still getting a year worth of ereader for less than $100 with the features I like. It's not restricted to any one company and the transferring system is simply drag and drop (which I love!)

04-05-2011, 06:04 PM	#6
grumpy3b Banned Posts: 246 Karma: 14967 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2 (x2), Kindle 1, a couple old PDAs	man I feel old. I suppose the POV that $100 for the use of a device is not much when a tank of gas is nearly $100 now. Makes me think that horrible thought "when I was a kid, a tank of gas was $5-$10" and crap man that was just over more than 4-decades ago when I was around 10-12 yrs old.

04-05-2011, 06:41 PM	#7
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	My problem with the Kobo is that it does not provide the same functionality as a Kindle or a Nook or a Sony. The last I heard, Kobo's still could not bookmark pages and there were other issues with things like taking notes, using the dictionary, and the like. It could be that those problems have been corrected and I have not seen the posts saying so but I would check. I think you can get around the geographic restrictions for the Kindle and BN by picking an Address in the US and using gift cards as your credit card for purchasing books. An ISP blocker helps as well.

04-05-2011, 06:42 PM	#8
Oumi Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	Don't worry I remember the horror when my family went interstate and petrol was NEARLY $1.00 a litre! We discussed it for ages and months later were still saying, "Can you believe that? Nearly a dollar! How ridiculous!"

04-05-2011, 06:46 PM	#9
Oumi Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	Are most e-books black and white? The ereader I've chosen has a colour screen (which will be super handy for PDFs). But is there any option to purchase colour ebooks?

04-05-2011, 06:52 PM	#10
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Any e-reader that uses e-ink will be black and white. If you want color you will have to buy an e-reader with an LCD screen.

04-05-2011, 08:41 PM	#12
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Sorry, I thought you were asking about color e-ink screens for viewing color. I have yet to come across an ebook that I needed color for. I think color is probably beneficial for magazines, crafting books, cookbooks, and text books. How many paper books do you buy that are in color? If you buy books that use color, then a color screen would make sense for you.

04-06-2011, 12:21 AM	#13
Oumi Junior Member Posts: 7 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	So does that mean, yes, if a book features any colour at all in its paper version; the ebook version will as well? I've basically been told that all ebooks are "grayscaled". Obviously I don't want/need your typical novels in colour, but for any educational books featuring graphs/charts/etc, colour would be nice but I've been led to believe that regardless of how much colour is used on paper; it will be black and white as an ebook, even with a colour screen ereader.

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04-06-2011, 02:19 AM	#14
dadioflex Dyslexic Count Posts: 526 Karma: 5041991 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Palm TX, Advent Vega, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle	No to confuse thinks more but your original post stipulated: "crisp, clear screen, battery life, etc." - neither of which you are likely to get from a $91 colour device. Not to sound patronising, but is it possible you've been swayed from your original intention by the prospect of colour? IF you wanted a colour reader I'd say pick an iPad because it does all that you want and so much more - with a con that it's heavy compared to a dedicated reader and you'll get maybe 10 hours reading from it. Or a good, cheap Android tablet for less money but almost always less battery life. ie not a Xoom or a Tab but one of the generic devices or a Tab if you can pick up the first generation cheap. I'd still recommend the iPad over any Android tablet for reading, even though it has the closed ecosystem - in general the lowest priced iPads have far less of a price premium compared to most other Apple gear. The price hops for extra memory are nuts though. Key question is where are you getting your technical books from? Most PDFs will have been produced in colour for instance. If you already have an archive of technical material in colour, it'll show in colour. If you've a particular vendor in mind, then ask them.

04-06-2011, 07:39 AM	#15
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	An e-ink screen does not display color. So if you buy a Nook Classic, Kindle, Sony, or Kobo you will not see the color in a book.