New and Craving an E-Reader!

Nola_Gal · 11-25-2008, 09:40 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm new here so I thought I'd introduce myself. I live in New Orleans and have always loved books. Over the years I collected hundreds of books until it became clear to me that they were taking over my house. (It was probably clear to everyone else much sooner but...

) Anyway, I have made great progress in finding many of them good homes.

That's when my interest in ebooks started. It would be really easy for me to restock my library but I'm trying to avoid that. Right now I read on my laptop and on my blackberry. The blackberry is good but the screen is really small. I'd love to get an eInk reader but there are so many choices. That is what brought me to this site. I'll be looking around trying to learn what I can before I inevitably pull the trigger!

Thanks,

Nola Gal

grooks · 11-25-2008, 10:54 PM

Welcome to the site. You will get lots of opinions and help on any device you are considering. Check the Wiki link in the upper left corner of the website. Lots of great information on readers and formats including the famed ebook reader matrix.

BookishDreamer · 11-26-2008, 09:00 AM

Welcome, Nola Gal!

Dreamer

Taylor514ce · 11-26-2008, 09:09 AM

Welcome! The choices for e-ink readers boils down to:

1. Cybook, very well-regarded here (on MobileRead, that is). Depending on your location, warranty support would be the only quibble. Check BooksOnBoard.com for US deals and support.

2. Sony, the 505 and the 700. I have a 505 and it has no shortcomings for the way I use it. Sony has their own format but there are ways for the reasonably computer literate to get other formats onto the device. One of our members, Kovid, has written a utility many of us use for format conversion, called "calibre". Look at both of them in person before picking one, as both have pros and cons.

3. Amazon Kindle. Same screen as the Cybook and the Sony 505. The benefits of the Kindle are, due to it being an Amazon product, it is closely linked to the Amazon store, and so has the widest and cheapest content authoring. It will link to the store directly from the device, if you're in the US. In my opinion, the Kindle makes no sense at all for non-US consumers.

Slite · 11-26-2008, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Welcome! The choices for e-ink readers boils down to:

1. Cybook, very well-regarded here (on MobileRead, that is). Depending on your location, warranty support would be the only quibble. Check BooksOnBoard.com for US deals and support.

2. Sony, the 505 and the 700. I have a 505 and it has no shortcomings for the way I use it. Sony has their own format but there are ways for the reasonably computer literate to get other formats onto the device. One of our members, Kovid, has written a utility many of us use for format conversion, called "calibre". Look at both of them in person before picking one, as both have pros and cons.

3. Amazon Kindle. Same screen as the Cybook and the Sony 505. The benefits of the Kindle are, due to it being an Amazon product, it is closely linked to the Amazon store, and so has the widest and cheapest content authoring. It will link to the store directly from the device, if you're in the US. In my opinion, the Kindle makes no sense at all for non-US consumers.

Or the Astak EZ Reader which is really a Hanlin V3 in disguise.

Taylor514ce · 11-26-2008, 09:16 AM

I see that you do live in New Orleans, so ignore my "if you live in the US" comments.

Slite, I've never seen a Hanlin or Astak for sell anywhere in the US.

Slite · 11-26-2008, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

I see that you do live in New Orleans, so ignore my "if you live in the US" comments.

Slite, I've never seen a Hanlin or Astak for sell anywhere in the US.

Hmmm, I thought Astak had launched their EZ-Reader, but I might be mistaken

MickeyC · 11-26-2008, 12:27 PM

Hi Nola and welcome to the Forum

carandol · 11-26-2008, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slite

Hmmm, I thought Astak had launched their EZ-Reader, but I might be mistaken

According to their website
it's released in November, so that would be any day now! I've got a Bebook which is a European version of the same machine, and I'm very pleased with it.

EDIT: Another thought -- what format are the ebooks you have already? That could well determine which would be the best reader for you.

Nola_Gal · 11-28-2008, 09:32 AM

Thanks everyone for the welcome and the replies!

Most of the books I have now are in the mobi format. Some I've bought and some I've converted from the Gutenberg site.

If I'm really honest with myself, I want a Kindle so that I can have access to the Amazon content. That being said, I really don't like being so tied to one retailer. Sure, Amazon isn't going anywhere but isn't that what everyone said about lehman brothers, AIG etc...The other real downside to the Kindle is the wait. According to the website, the wait is 11 to 13 weeks.

What are the major differences between the Sony, Cybook and EZReader? I like the mobi format but don't have a lot invested in it so far so I'm open to change but would like to have access to a wide variety of content.

carandol · 11-28-2008, 10:02 AM

The Sony Reader is tied into Sony in the same way that the Kindle is tied in to Amazon, so your reasons for being dubious about the Kindle would apply to that too.

Don't know a lot about the Cybook and it's file reading abilities, but from the point of view ergonomics, the EZ Reader has two sets of buttons for turning the page, which increases the ways you can hold it and in which hand. The screens are identical.

I notice that the EZ Reader doesn't mention that it reads Mobipocket files. This is odd, because the Bebook (a European version of the same Hanlin V3 device) certainly does. But different companies rebrand the same device and then produce their own software, and maybe they haven't got a license to do Mobipocket yet. Definitely worth finding out for sure before buying. It's actually very easy to install any of the different versions of the V3 software, so you could run the EZ Reader with the Bebook software, but you may not want to go down that road!

ProDigit · 11-28-2008, 11:29 AM

You seem like someone that potentially will buy lots of books,and therefor the Kindle will be better suited for you.

Partly because on Amazon books are about $4 cheaper than on Sony shop.
As long as you buy 10 ebooks, the price difference between a Kindle and Sony reader can be won back with the books.

The only downside I find, is that if you ever want to read generic documents on the kindle reader,you'll need to email them to Amazon Customer service.
After which they will scan them for you, and put those documents into your account.
Having many documents to send can be frustrating on both sides.
Sony reader offers the option to convert every document to the .lrf fileformat.
Any scans you have, of eg

ersonal documents like loveletters of a long forgotten lover of the past (for those who want to carry them on their reader) can be home converted.

The Sony reader also directly supports .txt and .pdf fileformat. And it supports it quite ok compared to the other models out there!
The kindle supports Mobi but does not support PDF.
PDF documents need to be sent to CS, for scanning and conversion.

The Astak mentor was originally planned for november, however other sources say production got delayed untill Q2 2009.
Same goes for Plastic Logics with their plastic logic reader.

If you mainly view PDF files, you might consider the Iliad or it's bigger brother.
Mainly because they have a higher resolution, and you can make annotations on it's touchscreen.
The con of this reader is it's pricetag and the lower battery life.

Sony reader does not support the Mobi format. Cybook does.
Most comparison info can be found here:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

Nate the great · 11-28-2008, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

The only downside I find, is that if you ever want to read generic documents on the kindle reader,you'll need to email them to Amazon Customer service.
After which they will scan them for you, and put those documents into your account.
Having many documents to send can be frustrating on both sides.
Sony reader offers the option to convert every document to the .lrf fileformat.
Any scans you have, of eg

ersonal documents like loveletters of a long forgotten lover of the past (for those who want to carry them on their reader) can be home converted.

...

Sony reader does not support the Mobi format. Cybook does.
Most comparison info can be found here:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

The Kindle also supports Mobi. And you don't have to send files to Amazon for conversion; you can do it yourself with Mobipocket Desktop, MobiCreator, or MobiGen. Look here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...dle+content%5D

pilotbob · 11-28-2008, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

The only downside I find, is that if you ever want to read generic documents on the kindle reader,you'll need to email them to Amazon Customer service.

Why? What's wrong with the USB port?

BOb

JSWolf · 11-28-2008, 11:54 AM

The 505 & 700 also handle ePub format.

11-25-2008, 09:40 PM	#1
Nola_Gal Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: laptop; blackberry	New and Craving an E-Reader! Hello everyone, I'm new here so I thought I'd introduce myself. I live in New Orleans and have always loved books. Over the years I collected hundreds of books until it became clear to me that they were taking over my house. (It was probably clear to everyone else much sooner but...) Anyway, I have made great progress in finding many of them good homes. That's when my interest in ebooks started. It would be really easy for me to restock my library but I'm trying to avoid that. Right now I read on my laptop and on my blackberry. The blackberry is good but the screen is really small. I'd love to get an eInk reader but there are so many choices. That is what brought me to this site. I'll be looking around trying to learn what I can before I inevitably pull the trigger! Thanks, Nola Gal

11-28-2008, 09:32 AM	#10
Nola_Gal Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: laptop; blackberry	Thanks everyone for the welcome and the replies! Most of the books I have now are in the mobi format. Some I've bought and some I've converted from the Gutenberg site. If I'm really honest with myself, I want a Kindle so that I can have access to the Amazon content. That being said, I really don't like being so tied to one retailer. Sure, Amazon isn't going anywhere but isn't that what everyone said about lehman brothers, AIG etc...The other real downside to the Kindle is the wait. According to the website, the wait is 11 to 13 weeks. What are the major differences between the Sony, Cybook and EZReader? I like the mobi format but don't have a lot invested in it so far so I'm open to change but would like to have access to a wide variety of content. Last edited by Nola_Gal; 11-28-2008 at 09:36 AM.

11-28-2008, 11:29 AM	#12
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	You seem like someone that potentially will buy lots of books,and therefor the Kindle will be better suited for you. Partly because on Amazon books are about $4 cheaper than on Sony shop. As long as you buy 10 ebooks, the price difference between a Kindle and Sony reader can be won back with the books. The only downside I find, is that if you ever want to read generic documents on the kindle reader,you'll need to email them to Amazon Customer service. After which they will scan them for you, and put those documents into your account. Having many documents to send can be frustrating on both sides. Sony reader offers the option to convert every document to the .lrf fileformat. Any scans you have, of egersonal documents like loveletters of a long forgotten lover of the past (for those who want to carry them on their reader) can be home converted. The Sony reader also directly supports .txt and .pdf fileformat. And it supports it quite ok compared to the other models out there! The kindle supports Mobi but does not support PDF. PDF documents need to be sent to CS, for scanning and conversion. The Astak mentor was originally planned for november, however other sources say production got delayed untill Q2 2009. Same goes for Plastic Logics with their plastic logic reader. If you mainly view PDF files, you might consider the Iliad or it's bigger brother. Mainly because they have a higher resolution, and you can make annotations on it's touchscreen. The con of this reader is it's pricetag and the lower battery life. Sony reader does not support the Mobi format. Cybook does. Most comparison info can be found here: https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

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11-25-2008, 10:54 PM	#2
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	Welcome to the site. You will get lots of opinions and help on any device you are considering. Check the Wiki link in the upper left corner of the website. Lots of great information on readers and formats including the famed ebook reader matrix.

11-26-2008, 09:00 AM	#3
BookishDreamer Cultural Artist Posts: 1,128 Karma: 12829 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Georgia Device: Sony 505, Kindle 2	Welcome, Nola Gal! Dreamer

11-26-2008, 09:09 AM	#4
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	Welcome! The choices for e-ink readers boils down to: 1. Cybook, very well-regarded here (on MobileRead, that is). Depending on your location, warranty support would be the only quibble. Check BooksOnBoard.com for US deals and support. 2. Sony, the 505 and the 700. I have a 505 and it has no shortcomings for the way I use it. Sony has their own format but there are ways for the reasonably computer literate to get other formats onto the device. One of our members, Kovid, has written a utility many of us use for format conversion, called "calibre". Look at both of them in person before picking one, as both have pros and cons. 3. Amazon Kindle. Same screen as the Cybook and the Sony 505. The benefits of the Kindle are, due to it being an Amazon product, it is closely linked to the Amazon store, and so has the widest and cheapest content authoring. It will link to the store directly from the device, if you're in the US. In my opinion, the Kindle makes no sense at all for non-US consumers.

11-26-2008, 09:16 AM	#6
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	I see that you do live in New Orleans, so ignore my "if you live in the US" comments. Slite, I've never seen a Hanlin or Astak for sell anywhere in the US.

11-26-2008, 12:27 PM	#8
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi Nola and welcome to the Forum

11-28-2008, 10:02 AM	#11
carandol Evangelist Posts: 423 Karma: 2153430 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: BeBook	The Sony Reader is tied into Sony in the same way that the Kindle is tied in to Amazon, so your reasons for being dubious about the Kindle would apply to that too. Don't know a lot about the Cybook and it's file reading abilities, but from the point of view ergonomics, the EZ Reader has two sets of buttons for turning the page, which increases the ways you can hold it and in which hand. The screens are identical. I notice that the EZ Reader doesn't mention that it reads Mobipocket files. This is odd, because the Bebook (a European version of the same Hanlin V3 device) certainly does. But different companies rebrand the same device and then produce their own software, and maybe they haven't got a license to do Mobipocket yet. Definitely worth finding out for sure before buying. It's actually very easy to install any of the different versions of the V3 software, so you could run the EZ Reader with the Bebook software, but you may not want to go down that road!

11-28-2008, 11:54 AM	#15
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,169 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The 505 & 700 also handle ePub format.

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