Need to get an eBook reader

[Vivan]

I'm looking to get an ebook reader. I don't care about the stores that they have, I just want functionality. I'm at uni so I'm fairly budgeted, so I was looking at the PRS 300 and the Kindle. They're both in the same price range.

They seem to have similar specs except the kindle has a keyboard, but is bigger. Which would you suggest I get?

[brecklundin]

If you are wanting a 5" format reader like the PRS300, I would suggest looking at the Pocketbook 360 instead. It's smaller, lighter and easier to handle.

http://www.pocketbookreader.com/PocketBook_360.html

And there is also a dedicated forum here on MR. The integrated cover is also a very nice feature. Their device has been selling in Ukraine for a while now and they are just ramping up US sales. In fact the contest MR is currently running will be giving away three (3) Pocketbook 360 supplied by Pocketbook.

In my opinion it might be the best quality 5" device currently on the market.

They also have an advantage in that their firmware is quite stable and developed in-house, not like other Hanlin 5" clone devices which seem to use the same firmware coded by the same developers across all the brands.

Of the people who have tried both the PRS300 and PB360, as far as I know all have preferred the 360. So you might want to read some of the threads in the forum here.

[GA Russell]

Vivan, the Kindle is a 6". The Sony 300 and the PocketBook 360 are both 5".

If you have the money for a 6", you might want to look at the PocketBook 301.

If money is a problem, you might want to look at the jetBook, the jetBook Lite and the Aluratek Libre Pro. They range in price from $149 to $179, and have been on sale off and on recently (sometimes with coupons).

[Vivan]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

Vivan, the Kindle is a 6". The Sony 300 and the PocketBook 360 are both 5".

If you have the money for a 6", you might want to look at the PocketBook 301.

If money is a problem, you might want to look at the jetBook, the jetBook Lite and the Aluratek Libre Pro. They range in price from $149 to $179, and have been on sale off and on recently (sometimes with coupons).

I live in the UK, so actually things are more expensive than they are in the US.

[Laura81]

Originally Posted by Vivan

I live in the UK, so actually things are more expensive than they are in the US.

Buy something from the US... that way your money will go a lot further than if you bought one in the UK.

I just bought an Astak Pocket Pro, which is a Hanlin 5" clone. Personally I really like it. Great looking device, easy to handle and reads a number of formats. Also plays mp3's so you can listen to audio books as well, if you are into those that is. You can also get them in 6 different colours.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by Laura81

Buy something from the US... that way your money will go a lot further than if you bought one in the UK.

Well, that's true... as long as you're simply meaning "across the Atlantic"! :-)

If you do go for a personal import (which is how I got my Sony 505 a couple of years ago), the original poster needs to consider the additional costs that postage, VAT, Duty & handling charges will incur, which can easily wipe out the cost savings - it's not that straight-forward.

Anyway, if the OP takes a look at my eBookReaderGuide.co.uk site, they'll be able to have a look at some info about some of the Readers available in the UK along with price comparisons for them.

As for the original question, we'd need to know if the device will just be for reading, in which case the Sony Pocket or the 505 would be high up the list, or if annotation or dictionary support would be useful, in which case they should probably focus on choosing between the Kindle or the Sony Touch.

[Vivan]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Well, that's true... as long as you're simply meaning "across the Atlantic"! :-)

If you do go for a personal import (which is how I got my Sony 505 a couple of years ago), the original poster needs to consider the additional costs that postage, VAT, Duty & handling charges will incur, which can easily wipe out the cost savings - it's not that straight-forward.

Anyway, if the OP takes a look at my eBookReaderGuide.co.uk site, they'll be able to have a look at some info about some of the Readers available in the UK along with price comparisons for them.

As for the original question, we'd need to know if the device will just be for reading, in which case the Sony Pocket or the 505 would be high up the list, or if annotation or dictionary support would be useful, in which case they should probably focus on choosing between the Kindle or the Sony Touch.

Reading, but also reference; I plan to put my textbooks on there so it would be nice to be able to search, which is why I was thinking the Kindle would be a good option.

[Laura81]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Well, that's true... as long as you're simply meaning "across the Atlantic"! :-)

If you do go for a personal import (which is how I got my Sony 505 a couple of years ago), the original poster needs to consider the additional costs that postage, VAT, Duty & handling charges will incur, which can easily wipe out the cost savings - it's not that straight-forward.

Good point. I ordered my PP from the US and am in Australia. I didn't have any additional fees to pay but I know for some reason you get hit with additional fees in the UK. I did of course have postage to pay but it was still far cheaper to buy one there than here.

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Laura81

Good point. I ordered my PP from the US and am in Australia. I didn't have any additional fees to pay but I know for some reason you get hit with additional fees in the UK. I did of course have postage to pay but it was still far cheaper to buy one there than here.

On some items there's duty, and then there's a tax called VAT (value added tax) and finally the carrier usually charge a fee for the pleasure of handling that duty and payment for you.

Edit, added: I'm in DK where the VAT rate is a bit higher - an Oberon Kindle cover which I've been looking at sells for $75. Shipping, VAT plus fees will make the total price approx. $150. I thought 'forget it!'

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Vivan

I'm looking to get an ebook reader. I don't care about the stores that they have, I just want functionality. I'm at uni so I'm fairly budgeted, so I was looking at the PRS 300 and the Kindle. They're both in the same price range.

They seem to have similar specs except the kindle has a keyboard, but is bigger. Which would you suggest I get?

You can only use either Amazon kindle books or de-DRM'd books in mobi/prc format (or txt or PDF) on the Kindle, while Sony's Readers can accept DRM'd epub, which is becoming most common - especially in British bookshops.

You could look for a Sony 505 in other EU countries beside Britain. I saw one sold through amazon.de for 198 EUR or thereabout. Don't know if they ship to Britain, but it might be worth taking a look.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Vivan

Reading, but also reference; I plan to put my textbooks on there so it would be nice to be able to search, which is why I was thinking the Kindle would be a good option.

The Kindle has very good search options, including an "all documents" search. However, "all documents" does not include PDFs. It can search within the PDF you are currently reading, but its PDF viewer is very basic and not well suited to a 6" screen. You may be better off converting any PDFs you have to MOBI ebooks, since the MOBI version will be fully searchable on the Kindle.

[Vivan]

Originally Posted by Ea

You can only use either Amazon kindle books or de-DRM'd books in mobi/prc format (or txt or PDF) on the Kindle, while Sony's Readers can accept DRM'd epub, which is becoming most common - especially in British bookshops.

You could look for a Sony 505 in other EU countries beside Britain. I saw one sold through amazon.de for 198 EUR or thereabout. Don't know if they ship to Britain, but it might be worth taking a look.

I'm not worried about DRM, and I can use Calibre to convert from other formats, so formats aren't a huge issue. I think I'll go with Kindle for searchstuff.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by Vivan

Reading, but also reference; I plan to put my textbooks on there so it would be nice to be able to search, which is why I was thinking the Kindle would be a good option.

What format are your text books available in though - I'd expect that you might end up trying to read PDF books on it, in which case searching won't work with the Kindle, as I understand it (but check) so you might consider if a iRex might be better (although a lot more expensive).

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Laura81

Buy something from the US... that way your money will go a lot further than if you bought one in the UK.

I can't agree with you. By the time you've paid shipping and VAT, you'll probably end up paying pretty much the same as if you'd bought locally. Plus there's the fact that with many manufacturers, if you buy from a different country you are, in essense, buying without a warranty. It's just not worth it.

[Sweetpea]

Yes, that's why I finally decided to wait on the Mini instead of buying the Astak PP...