What's the #1 item you check before buying an ereader

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by benham

This is an interesting observation because the type on my blue Sony 505 appears easier to read then my wife's silver Sony 600

That's what I've found also; and that dark blue would work for me.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

The Sony 650 comes in black, or is WiFi a must?

If it was cheaper, I'd get it. Personally, I think Sony's new readers are overpriced.

For me, WiFi is irrelevant for an eInk device.

[AGB]

I voted "other", as I have several things that it needs to have before it comes across my threshold to buy. I can't say that one is more important than the other, because a lack of any of them would mean I wouldn't buy it.

But anyway (in no particular order):
Formats supported:
A) It needs to support PDFs, Epubs and RTF
B) it should support borrowing from my local library (ADE)
C) it should support DRM'd material from more than one supplier (i.e. I don't like the tieing me into, say, B&N, Amazon/Kindle, or iTunes/Apple.




The design of the thing:
A) It can't be made of soft(ish) plastics as I'm hypersensitive to most such things. Preferably a metal casing.
B) It should have no keyboard, as I prefer a reader to maximise the real estate on what's important: The screen.
C) It should have an e-ink screen, not an lcd.

D) Hardware buttons, especially if it has WiFi or 3G.

E) it should have a memory expansion slot. Preferable normal SDHC cards, but miniSDHC and microsdhc would work too.

Either one of those criteria not met, and I'm not buying.

[SensualPoet]

I had been looking at the Sony eReader in Canada from 2008 onward but they were SO expensive -- $500ish -- and tied to a Sony bookstore which didn't seem to have a lot of content (most only available in the US). When Kindle 2 arrived in Canada, I jumped.

The device (and bookstore) was the most important driver.

I had a relationship with Amazon for a few years; they were in the book distribution business; the Kindle had some intriguing things like 3G wiki access anywhere. At the time I didn't know anything about file formats, drm, etc.; I eally also liked the "instant delivery" over Whispernet. All this was Nov 2009 -- the same time I found MR. I loved the Kindle 2 immediately, including eink, and the portability.

When the Kobo came out, I bought that -- for the device.

It was Canadian, had access to library books (something I discovered after the Kindle 2 I might enjoy), provided a much better bookstore than the Sony bookstore (where many titles remained US only). I also discovered the form factor -- smaller and lighter than the Kindle 2 -- was unexpectedly a huge plus. I used the Kindle 2 and Kobo about equally for several months. Kobobooks also had an edge over Kindle in discounts but Amazon has a wider choice of books.

I also choose the Kindle 3 Wifi for the device (and bookstore and price).

With a fine ePub reader and a Kindle 3, I am covered for formats and don't care about drm. I love the smaller form factor of the K3 -- it matches the Kobo -- and wifi turns out to do everything I need. I have wifi at home, in airports and on holiday; I still love the Whispernet feature and instant delivery.

The Kobo is the only device I have handled before buying. I would still consider a Sony but they only sell the PRS-350 and -650 here in Canada -- touch yes but no connectivity and screens no bigger than 6". Inexplicably, while the Kobo and Kindle are $150-$180, Sony's 6" device is $250 and they don't bother to sell the -950 larger edition here.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It's all relative. If Bob Keeshan was still alive, I'm sure he'd find a pocket for that iPad!

You really are dating yourself if you can remember the name of who played Captain Kangaroo.

[JSWolf]

How many here find out how good the firmware is other then it supporting the formats you want?

I've read about a lot of readers that have firmware that is not optimal regardless of the hardware.

[OtterBooks]

And it surprised me a bit that book's availability is not one of the main features when choosing an ereader, not as per this poll. Which makes me think: or users simply do not care if they will find their favorites books online or not...

I think it's because when it really comes down to it, for most people there is no appreciable difference in selection between the readers. Yes amongst the several million books there's stuff in one format and not the other, but the chance of the occasional obscure singular format books you want being consistently on the same side of the fence is so unlikely that you may as well not worry about it unless it regards one particular work or body of work that you can't live without.

edit: I shouldn't suggest that only 'obscure' books don't make it to both formats. Just sayin' no matter which way you go, you may run into something that's only available for the other.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by jocampo

And it surprised me a bit that book's availability is not one of the main features when choosing an ereader, not as per this poll. Which makes me think: or users simply do not care if they will find their favorites books online or not... or DRM cracking replaces that fear or obstacle.

If you have more than one reader, and one of those is a WinCE one, you're almost required to crack DRM. So, when I bought my Sony (which is my first device that I use regularly that doesn't support mobipocket), I didn't care at all that it didn't support mobipocket. I had removed the DRM from my books and the conversion from mobipocket to epub is easy (besides, I reformat them into PDF anyway, so I can read the same books on my Mini as on my Sony, page number wise).

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How many here find out how good the firmware is other then it supporting the formats you want?

I've read about a lot of readers that have firmware that is not optimal regardless of the hardware.

If i read the device is constantly rebooting, I might care. Otherwise, who cares, if it does what it is supposed to do: show books...

[astra]

Guys, when you compare font types 505 vs. 600, do you compare ePub vs. ePub or LRF vs. ePub?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You really are dating yourself if you can remember the name of who played Captain Kangaroo.

What'd you say sonny? Speak up. My ears ain't what they once was.

Yeah, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Greenjeans, Bunny Rabbit, Grandfather Clock ... Now there was a kid's show!

And could he have carried an iPad in those pockets? Heck, he coulda' carried an iMac!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Yeah, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Greenjeans, Bunny Rabbit, Grandfather Clock ... Now there was a kid's show!

I'm a Bullwinkle guy. Best kid/adult cartoon ever.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

I'm a Bullwinkle guy. Best kid/adult cartoon ever.

Rocky and Bullwinkle are OK if you you like the newer stuff (said the old man).

[benham]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You really are dating yourself if you can remember the name of who played Captain Kangaroo.

Not as much as if you can remember qho played Clarabell The Clown on the Howdy Doody Show.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by benham

Not as much as if you can remember qho played Clarabell The Clown on the Howdy Doody Show.

There were several, but Keeshan was the first.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by benham

Not as much as if you can remember qho played Clarabell The Clown on the Howdy Doody Show.

Keeshan (the original Clarabell) was fired in a salary dispute and went to CBS to create his Captain Kangaroo character. Lew Anderson was the Clarabell who spoke Clarabell's only words, "Goodbye, kids," on the last episode of Howdy Doody. I remember watching that scene when it was originally broadcast. It was heartbreaking.

My sister and I used to fight every day over watching my show (Howdy Doody) or my sister's show on the another channel (the original Micky Mouse Club).