Anybody using their ITouch exclusively for books ?

[Fif23]

Is anyone regularly reading whole books on the ITOUCH ?
I have a different device, a 4.3" HTC HD2, and I can't decide if I want to get a 6" Sony or save some cash and just read on my HTC...

It's great, portable, and 1 elecrtic device less (i hate them) in my stash.
But, a lot of times Calibre won't convert the PDF pages properly and I will get half or quarter filled pages.. Making me flip every second.

So, do you like your cellphone reading ? How do you adjust Caliber to fit the document to your screen resolution ?




Many thanks !

[Joe Minton]

I do, almost ;o)

The iPod Touch 4G has the sharpest, clearest screen I have seen. I recommend it over any other reader, including the new Kindle3.

And, yes, I use mine almost exclusively for reading.

Joe

[Fif23]

^
I must say, I just played with the new Iphone 4 for a little bit and IT IS ultra clear ! Nice !!


Do you use Stanza ?

[kkay5]

I have read tons of books on my iPod Touch. I love it because I can read on it in the dark and I ALWAYS have it with me. I do have a Nook so I can read library books on it, but if I am ever able to read library books on my iPod Touch, I will ditch the Nook in an instant!

[aquawater]

IMHO, iPod Touch 4 and iPhone 4 might not have the same display screen. Although Apple promoting their Retina Display on both devices...

To read novel and text-only books in iDevice is wonderful experience.. I love iBooks Apps.. and trust me you will love it too. iBooks for ePub is perfect.
Navigation (page numbering) are calculated again after you resize font size.

[dwharrison]

Originally Posted by aquawater

IMHO, iPod Touch 4 and iPhone 4 might not have the same display screen. Although Apple promoting their Retina Display on both devices...

Apparently the iPod Touch screen, while having the same Retina Display resolution as the iPhone 4, lacks the IPS feature that increases the viewing angles.

[voodoo_pepperweb]

I read whole books on my 1st generation iphone and I love it. I prefer it to my Sony PRS-300. The iphone is always with me, I can read it in the dark, it has a touch sceen, dictionary, and search feature.

However, I don't like reading PDFs on it and that's the one case where the Sony wins. I spent some time trying to get Calibre to convert the PDFs, but got poor results and gave up. I don't need to do anything in Calibre to format epubs and ereader files for the iphone.

[copyrite]

While I am still deciding on what eReader to get I'm reading exclusively on the iTouch. I mostly use the Stanza app, but (free) books in proprietary format for the Kindle or the Nook I read within their specific apps.

Calibre is excellent for getting ReadItLater and Google Reader into an ePub format for reading on the iTouch.

Someday I'll get a bigger screen...

[aquawater]

Originally Posted by dwharrison

Apparently the iPod Touch screen, while having the same Retina Display resolution as the iPhone 4, lacks the IPS feature that increases the viewing angles.

Yes.. that's what I am missing - the IPS feature.
Anyway, I love iBooks for reading fiction novel. Sharing some screens here.

[aagstn]

I'm using iBooks and the nook app on this and I'm very happy with the screen. However, I still use it a lot for music, audiobooks and lots of Plants vs Zombies so its not primarily a book reader.

[Tomsk]

Originally Posted by aquawater

Yes.. that's what I am missing - the IPS feature.
Anyway, I love iBooks for reading fiction novel. Sharing some screens here.

That's not many words per page, although I expect that's easily changed.

BTW is swiping the only way to change pages on idevices? Can page changes be done by simply tapping near the edge of the screen? A tap uses less energy than a swipe

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by Tomsk

That's not many words per page, although I expect that's easily changed.

BTW is swiping the only way to change pages on idevices? Can page changes be done by simply tapping near the edge of the screen? A tap uses less energy than a swipe

Tapping works on either edge - forwad and back.

[JeremyZ]

It would be a waste of money to use an iPod touch exclusively for reading; it does so many other things. But I don't think that is what you meant to ask. I think you meant to ask if anyone uses it as their only reading device.

I just got my 4th gen. iPod Touch yesterday. I don't see myself reading exclusively on it, although it is not bad. The screen is small, so one either needs to use larger text and turn pages a lot or smaller text and hold it closer to one's face.

The eye strain issue is not as bad as I thought it'd be, mostly because it has background modes: Black on white, brown on sepia, and white on black. In the white on black mode, it is not going to be much eye strain at all, because only the text emits light. There are those who insist that it is no strain at all, even with black on white, but I disagree. Between the smaller screen and the fact that it is backlit, it is just a bit more demanding on the eyes than reading a paper book or an e-ink display.

So here's what I think you should do: If you were kind of in the market for an iPod Touch because of apps, games, mobile web browsing, etc., go ahead and get one. Try out an e-reader app and make your own decision as to whether you should also buy a dedicated e-book reader.

If what you really want is an e-book reader, and the size of the device is not a problem to you, buy an e-book reader. They're just all-around better for reading.

If you feel like you won't have problem with a really good, high resolution but small screen for e-reading, and your gut is telling you to go this way, do it.

Tangent: So far, I really like the thinking games and apps, as well as being able to keep up with email at any place that has WiFi. It is really handy to carry around for those times when I'm stuck waiting for something. I can play a game of chess, Boggle, Tetris, etc. I'm a mobile gamer since 1987, when I got my first Game Boy. I'm perfectly willing to settle for less processing power for portability. The jury is still out on some types of games. For instance, I bought Dungeon Hunter and the motion control is just not as good as it would be with a dedicated control pad. But for games that are not so fast-paced, and demanding of precision movements, it is really good. To me, the other stuff is just icing on the cake. I don't have a big need for low quality photos or HD videos taken through a poor lens on a poor sensor. Of course the music player is awesome, as is the ability to watch movies & shows.

So even though (in my opinion) it is inferior as an e-book reader, it may be the better choice overall.

Some folks like to point out that it is easier to read in the dark on an iPad/iPod Touch. That is true. I have an LED headlamp that I keep on my nightstand, and it is the perfect accessory for reading. I just leave it.

Another way to look at it is how long do you read at a sitting? For reading up to 30-45 minutes at a time, there's probably no real advantage to having a dedicated e-book reader. (battery life aside)

[vonCZ]

Originally Posted by JeremyZ

Some folks like to point out that it is easier to read in the dark on an iPad/iPod Touch. That is true. I have an LED headlamp that I keep on my nightstand, and it is the perfect accessory for reading. I just leave it.

I was recharging the batteries in my LED lamp once--sometimes twice--a week before I got my iPad... 'cause I'd often fall asleep while reading and leave the light on most of the night. But the iStuff performs beautifully here: fall asleep, and your equipment soon follows.

[aquawater]

Originally Posted by Tomsk

That's not many words per page, although I expect that's easily changed.

BTW is swiping the only way to change pages on idevices? Can page changes be done by simply tapping near the edge of the screen? A tap uses less energy than a swipe

I set it to a bigger font size. You can set it smaller one, of course..and you can set Full Justification if you need.

Tap for next page can be set to either tap left or tap right.
Tap middle to toggle options.