Reader to get from a visit to US

drasha · 01-02-2012, 05:25 PM

Hi,

I would like to consult your opinions on choosing an ideal reader for my needs.

I have no experience with readers so far, aside from holding a Kindle for a minute or two, so I do not know what exactly to need/expect. But I am going to US next week for a conference and I thought that I could bring back something nifty that normally costs twice as much in my country.

What I would like my potential e-reader to have:

long battery life,
good contrast,
support for UTF-8 (well, support for letters with unicode number less than 383 is enough),
USB support,
no vendor lock-in (I am willing to play with it a bit and root/load custom firmware if the device is technically superior, but I would prefer if it were good enough for me out-of-the-box),
support for different formats (drm, no-drm and it should be able to handle some more complicated scientific pdfs with larger pictures, tables and multi-column layout).

What would be a nice bonus:

Wifi + some sensible browser and mail client,
rootable / having good alternate firmware,
audio (no speakers necessary, jack is enough),
czech localization.

What it should not be:

sony.

And that's about it... I have skimmed through some reviews and forum posts and I personally found Hanlin devices interesting because of the support for many formats and perl e-ink, but reviews were quite mixed. Also the Kindle looks the best from technical point of view, but Amazon does not sell in Czech republic and I don't really fancy their drm, remote-wipe capability, and so on...

Thank you for reading this and sharing your thoughts

Billi · 01-02-2012, 05:53 PM

drasha, welcome to MR!

As you need support for different formats and for complicated scientific pdfs you should choose a 9,7" reader. There are Kindle DXG, Pocketbook 902/912 and Onyx M92. Browse the three subfora for these devices here, there you will find some direct comparisons of the devices.

deadgloves · 01-02-2012, 08:36 PM

Based on all your requirements up until that last one I would have suggested sony.

That removed Booken or Kindle will both probably fit your needs.

As far as formats... if you use 3rd party software like Calibre to manage you're collection it can convert the books to whatever format your device requires and upload it with just a few clicks. Makes life easier and removes that limitation from your ereader requirements.

JSWolf · 01-02-2012, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drasha

support for different formats (drm, no-drm and it should be able to handle some more complicated scientific pdfs with larger pictures, tables and multi-column layout)

Because of this, I would have to say given the cost of a good large screen eink reader, to forget an eink reader and go for a large screen tablet. I just don't see an eink reader being for you. You'd do best with a good Android tablet. But one bigger then a 7" screen.

JTM65 · 01-02-2012, 10:29 PM

+1 on deadgloves comment. I had the same list of points that you did, so I got the Sony PRS-T1. It seems to meet all your requirements. I expect mine to be delivered any day now. Why the no Sony requirement, if you don't mind my asking?

JT

HarryT · 01-03-2012, 01:20 AM

"Complicated scientific PDFs" rules out any 6" eInk device. Jon is right - get an iPad or another similar tablet.

drasha · 01-03-2012, 02:18 AM

Thanks everyone for answers.

As it seems that those PDFs (or rather their reasonable support) is the biggest problem, I think that I am willing to relax that requirement and read them on my notebook instead.

I like the idea of ereader mainly because of the form factor and long battery life. If I have bought a tablet I would have neither...

After processing your thoughts I suggest these altered requirements:

Should have:

6" e-ink screen (those 9"+ are imho overpriced),
good quality display,
support for czech letters,
no vendor lock-in

USB support has moved into the bonus section. The rest stays the same...

Thanks again, waiting for your input.

HarryT · 01-03-2012, 03:19 AM

I'd suggest either Kindle Touch or Sony PRS-T1. Both are excellent; the Kindle uses Mobipocket (and you're not locked in to Amazon - don't be misled by that), the Sony uses ePub. If you have Czech-language books available in ePub format, that would sway the selection towards the Sony, which is, I think, the nicest of the 6" ePub devices currently on the market.

drasha · 01-04-2012, 04:21 PM

Hi HarryT,

thanks for your suggestions... however, as it was the requirements, Sony is out of the game.

I have looked into Calibre and it looks like it may help me overcome all obstacles with Kindle and my particularly large collection of pdb books. Also I have seen czech books sold in both mobi and epub format, so the format is a non-issue here.

However, I have two questions about the specific suggestion of Kindle touch.

First of all... is the Kindle hardware and firmware-wise superior to other devices? Contrary to reviewers out there, I am not that much interested in the whole Amazon ecosystem, so I am asking if the gadget by itself is that good.
Why touch? As I have gathered, (non)touch control is a matter of personal preference and some even suggest that touch interface is easier for people that are new to ereaders. But are there any other noticable differences? Like the touch does not support landscape mode without rooting, using browser on kindle 4 nontouch is pain in the ass because you cannot reasonable write on it, and so on...

Thanks for your input

MoodRing · 01-05-2012, 04:33 AM

I would suggest a Kindle Touch as you are not locked to Amazon so you can shop around for the lowest price ebooks. There are a few other sites that I have found for dont require you to have drm when buying a ebook on a kindle. Quiteuseful ebooks is a good place to find all the literature for adults. Or try another site for daily deals as groupon.ie, this is the ireland websites so try your countrys site for specific deals for you. Or this blog is useful for doing your research on the kindle.

Shopaholic · 01-05-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoodRing

I would suggest a Kindle Touch as you are not locked to Amazon so you can shop around for the lowest price ebooks.

How do you figure that?

JSWolf · 01-05-2012, 08:30 PM

So why is not being Sony a requirement? All you are doing is leaving out the best ePub capable 6" reader out there.

JSWolf · 01-05-2012, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drasha

Hi HarryT,

thanks for your suggestions... however, as it was the requirements, Sony is out of the game.

I have looked into Calibre and it looks like it may help me overcome all obstacles with Kindle and my particularly large collection of pdb books. Also I have seen czech books sold in both mobi and epub format, so the format is a non-issue here.

You won't be finding any new Czech mobi format eBooks from any publisher that uses DRM as Mobipocket is stopping sales of Mobipocket format. So really, you'll get a Kindle, have to strip the DRM of ePub and then convert to Mobi when you could just forget converting and read natively? This is a silly way to do things.

JSWolf · 01-05-2012, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoodRing

I would suggest a Kindle Touch as you are not locked to Amazon so you can shop around for the lowest price ebooks.

You are locked into Amazon for any eBook that has DRM.

HansTWN · 01-06-2012, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are locked into Amazon for any eBook that has DRM.

Unless you shake hands with your friendly neighborhood apprentice.

01-02-2012, 05:25 PM	#1
drasha Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: none	Reader to get from a visit to US Hi, I would like to consult your opinions on choosing an ideal reader for my needs. I have no experience with readers so far, aside from holding a Kindle for a minute or two, so I do not know what exactly to need/expect. But I am going to US next week for a conference and I thought that I could bring back something nifty that normally costs twice as much in my country. What I would like my potential e-reader to have: long battery life, good contrast, support for UTF-8 (well, support for letters with unicode number less than 383 is enough), USB support, no vendor lock-in (I am willing to play with it a bit and root/load custom firmware if the device is technically superior, but I would prefer if it were good enough for me out-of-the-box), support for different formats (drm, no-drm and it should be able to handle some more complicated scientific pdfs with larger pictures, tables and multi-column layout). What would be a nice bonus: Wifi + some sensible browser and mail client, rootable / having good alternate firmware, audio (no speakers necessary, jack is enough), czech localization. What it should not be: sony. And that's about it... I have skimmed through some reviews and forum posts and I personally found Hanlin devices interesting because of the support for many formats and perl e-ink, but reviews were quite mixed. Also the Kindle looks the best from technical point of view, but Amazon does not sell in Czech republic and I don't really fancy their drm, remote-wipe capability, and so on... Thank you for reading this and sharing your thoughts

01-03-2012, 02:18 AM	#7
drasha Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: none	Thanks everyone for answers. As it seems that those PDFs (or rather their reasonable support) is the biggest problem, I think that I am willing to relax that requirement and read them on my notebook instead. I like the idea of ereader mainly because of the form factor and long battery life. If I have bought a tablet I would have neither... After processing your thoughts I suggest these altered requirements: Should have: 6" e-ink screen (those 9"+ are imho overpriced), good quality display, support for czech letters, no vendor lock-in USB support has moved into the bonus section. The rest stays the same... Thanks again, waiting for your input.

01-04-2012, 04:21 PM	#9
drasha Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: none	Hi HarryT, thanks for your suggestions... however, as it was the requirements, Sony is out of the game. I have looked into Calibre and it looks like it may help me overcome all obstacles with Kindle and my particularly large collection of pdb books. Also I have seen czech books sold in both mobi and epub format, so the format is a non-issue here. However, I have two questions about the specific suggestion of Kindle touch. First of all... is the Kindle hardware and firmware-wise superior to other devices? Contrary to reviewers out there, I am not that much interested in the whole Amazon ecosystem, so I am asking if the gadget by itself is that good. Why touch? As I have gathered, (non)touch control is a matter of personal preference and some even suggest that touch interface is easier for people that are new to ereaders. But are there any other noticable differences? Like the touch does not support landscape mode without rooting, using browser on kindle 4 nontouch is pain in the ass because you cannot reasonable write on it, and so on... Thanks for your input

01-05-2012, 04:33 AM	#10
MoodRing MoodRing Posts: 38 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cork, Ireland Device: none	I would suggest a Kindle Touch as you are not locked to Amazon so you can shop around for the lowest price ebooks. There are a few other sites that I have found for dont require you to have drm when buying a ebook on a kindle. Quiteuseful ebooks is a good place to find all the literature for adults. Or try another site for daily deals as groupon.ie, this is the ireland websites so try your countrys site for specific deals for you. Or this blog is useful for doing your research on the kindle. Last edited by MoodRing; 02-21-2012 at 10:27 AM. Reason: spelling mistake

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01-02-2012, 05:53 PM	#2
Billi Wizard Posts: 3,388 Karma: 14190103 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Berlin Device: Cybook, iRex, PB, Onyx	drasha, welcome to MR! As you need support for different formats and for complicated scientific pdfs you should choose a 9,7" reader. There are Kindle DXG, Pocketbook 902/912 and Onyx M92. Browse the three subfora for these devices here, there you will find some direct comparisons of the devices.

01-02-2012, 08:36 PM	#3
deadgloves Enthusiast Posts: 42 Karma: 2634 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PRS650	Based on all your requirements up until that last one I would have suggested sony. That removed Booken or Kindle will both probably fit your needs. As far as formats... if you use 3rd party software like Calibre to manage you're collection it can convert the books to whatever format your device requires and upload it with just a few clicks. Makes life easier and removes that limitation from your ereader requirements.

01-02-2012, 10:29 PM	#5
JTM65 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Sony T1	+1 on deadgloves comment. I had the same list of points that you did, so I got the Sony PRS-T1. It seems to meet all your requirements. I expect mine to be delivered any day now. Why the no Sony requirement, if you don't mind my asking? JT

01-03-2012, 01:20 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	"Complicated scientific PDFs" rules out any 6" eInk device. Jon is right - get an iPad or another similar tablet.

01-03-2012, 03:19 AM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'd suggest either Kindle Touch or Sony PRS-T1. Both are excellent; the Kindle uses Mobipocket (and you're not locked in to Amazon - don't be misled by that), the Sony uses ePub. If you have Czech-language books available in ePub format, that would sway the selection towards the Sony, which is, I think, the nicest of the 6" ePub devices currently on the market.

01-05-2012, 08:30 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,743 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	So why is not being Sony a requirement? All you are doing is leaving out the best ePub capable 6" reader out there.

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