Backlit reader for declining eyesight

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I'd look into the Sony tablet. It has a nice formfactor for holding.

True, I'd forgotten about that one. It is a really nice tablet.

[Synergi]

Amazon gives 100 dollars off a Kindle Keyboard or iPod if you sign up for audible at 15 bucks a month for a year. I think that is worth 1 book a month but its not a bad deal with the 100 off the device..

[dbeman]

Originally Posted by Algiedi

I was indeed expecting the iPad to show up in the first answers :P

While I trust the iPad to do exactly what I need, there's a couple of things to consider

* The price/usage ratio: it's really really expensive - which is justified seeing all that it can do - but buying a several-hundreds-dollars uber-multimedia device just to read books on it would be overdoing it.

You can get a refurbished iPad from apple.com for $399; still twice as expensive as a Kindle Fire or nook Color but well worth it considering what you want this device to do.

Originally Posted by Algiedi

* The possibility of mugging: my mom takes the bus around town sometimes late at night. An aging lady, alone at night, walking around with an iPad... I don't feel too good about it.
Although I suppose any kind of LCD-screen device would be a potential target, I'm assuming that the recognizable iPad is more desirable than others.

Yikes. Nothing I can say will help you here. While there was certainly a great deal of crime in the city I grew up in, there was still a sense of honor amongst thieves; and the elderly and handicapped were certainly off limits. Times have changed however, I guess no one is safe now.

Originally Posted by Algiedi

I've been doing a quick Googling and from mentions in other threads, it seems that an Aluratek reader would get pretty close to the mark.
Anyone's got feedback on that? (or other alternatives)

Its the 7 inch screen that worries me...you may not be able to enlarge the font as much as she needs without having to make a lot of page turns.

A bit out of scope for these boards...but would audiobooks be a better fit? The devices that play them are smaller and easily concealed from would-be muggers; and content is available through audible.com, itunes, and even some public libraries.

[pidgeon92]

I agree about audiobooks. I love them. And they are perfect for listening to while you are doing something else, like driving, cooking, doing your nails....

[Algiedi]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

The Touchpad is a great device. I love WebOS.

Another one to look into that isn't pricey and is probably easy(ish) to get in France is the Pocketbook IQ. It is geared specifically toward ebook reading:

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

Thanks a lot! Yet another good suggestion.

Originally Posted by Synergi

Also, I don't know how technical your mom is. I know mine doesn't mix with electronics. I still have to drive 20 miles to set her VCR clocks as I have been for the last 30 years. You may want to keep it simple. I agree, take her to a store and see if she can work them. I think a dedicated ereader might be a good option, but if she wants backlit, don't skimp on the screen. IPS with good viewing angles and good pixel density is the way to go..

Thanks a lot for your very precious feedback on the pixel density issue! I wouldn't have known to look for that if you hadn't mentioned it.

As for store-browsing... Ebook readers are still somewhat of a non-event in France, and I don't even think I could find an old Kindle in a second-hand store (so once again, eyes-on feedback like yours is really neat!). Maybe in Paris, but definitely not where I live (rural areas ftw).

Thankfully my mom's pretty handy with electronics (or when she isn't, she knows to Google), and I don't think an English interface would be too much of a problem.

Originally Posted by SmokeAndMirrors

Audiobooks. Some people love 'em, some people hate 'em - personally I'm not a huge fan. But they're out there, and lots of vision-impaired people swear by them.

Yeah she's already got a few audiobooks, but once again culture & language limits the choice : she's a big science-fiction & police novels fan, and it's not the most common kind of material around here. I'm however trying to get her to try some english books & audio, if only for the broader range of titles it would offer.

Originally Posted by dbeman

Its the 7 inch screen that worries me...you may not be able to enlarge the font as much as she needs without having to make a lot of page turns.

Yeah I dunno how annoying it could get, even with a rather fast page turning.

[tomereader]

Is archos headquartered in france? Might be easy to find them....

http://www.archos.com/

they also make arnova tablets
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...arnova&x=0&y=0

my experience with archos has been hit or miss I have a 5 inch archos that works well except for its battery life, but in trying to gift a friend with one I returned 3 7 inch tablets

being legally blind, large fonts help but for me having a high contrast between text to background is what makes the reading easier... gold text on a black background works great for me

this tool might help you and your mom decide if changing text/background color would help

http://www.wtv-zone.com/phyrst/color/contrast.html

edit -> forgot to post the very active site devoted to archos products http://archosfans.com/
and its founder Charbax usually has a youtube video of every model

[sian]

i recommend apple i pad 2 for ebook reding etc . that and commodore have done far more for disabled peole and visual impaird people than any other company todate.

i will try a viewsonce andriode view pad 7 but cant comment on how good the apps and device is for me to use.

but for now i would recommend apple.

[ScalyFreak]

While I love my Touchpad (don't really used it for reading since I have my 950 for that) you should keep in mind that it is considerably heavier than most eReaders. If your mother is elderly, her wrists and fingers don't have the strength they used to have, and handling a large tablet (android, WebOS, or other) may be unpleasant or difficult for her due to the weight. Something to keep in mind, and yet another reason why it might be a good idea to go into an electronics store together and let her actually try out and lift/play with the various devices on display.