What sort of ebook reader do we really want?

[radius]

Some disagreement from me...

Originally Posted by Timboli

Personally, I want the following in an ereader.

2. Screensaver, that is the current or last book read, cover.

No way. I don't want to world to know when I'm reading Sorority Girl Sleepover Nightmare

3. Decent impact proof cover, with transparent front.

Again no. I find that covers increase the weight of the device but provide almost no protection the way I use ereaders. If I want protection I'll get a full on case.

That said, I thought the brown cover that Sony shipped with the silver PRS-505 was very attractive, even if heavy and not that protective.

8. Decent storage, supplemented by USB thumbstick.

This implies that the reader is at least as thick as a USB port. I don't want to see that. I think microSD cards are common enough that we can use those for expandable storage.

But increasingly, I think it is becoming easy enough to pull your books from the cloud on demand so that local storage is not a big selling point. (mind you I personally keep all my books locally on my PC and transfer via USB haha)

12. Shown as screensaver instantly by a button click ... device remains off.

I don't understand how this is different from just hitting the screen off/lock button and the screen displaying the book cover or screen saver. Don't basically all devices do this today?

[frenshprince]

My perfect Ereader will be a mix of a kindle Voyage and a Kobo Aura One.

kindle Voyage : build quality, contrast and sharpness, reactivity, french dictionary.

kobo Aura One : screen size, font tweaks, screensaver cover, Google Search

[trewelu]

The realistic part:
1. Have page turn button on bottom like prs-t1/pocketbook touch lux series.
Sometime I hold using left hand, sometime using right hand, this button placement allow gripping like real book and can be used with either hand

2. front light, with easy on/off like aura HD, or even intensity level like inkpad 840
Sometime I read outside when it is already night and this will be nice to have feature. The intensity should be able to set at very low. I always use 1% when I had the aura hd.

3. Splashproof with with lockable touch screen (maybe like h20/aura one but with extra feature)
It would be nice to be able to read during drizzle/ rain. No worry for damage and no accidental touch. Button will be required to operate.

4. External micro sd card
Just in case I need more storage, or even split the collection to different microsd to make the collection looked cleaner in the reader (i.e, have a separate microsd for manga, IT books with each have different genre set).

5. Scratchproof / hard to break.

6. Decent battery life. At least 1/2 month reading for 30 minutes a day like most e-reader is fine with me.


Now the unrealistic part:
1. Can shrink/expand as needed. If I read walking, I would prefer 6 inch. If I read while relaxing at bed, or reading comic, I would prefer 8 inch. If I read pdf document I would like a 13 inch one like DPT-S1 with stylus for taking note easily.

2. Can either be 1600x1200 grayscale for sharper text like inkpad, or 800x600 color screen like color lux. It would be even better if it can be done without reducing resolution, and just a toggle to render as grayscale for less distraction. This is mainly for occasional color page or color coded text in programming book

3. Not that expensive, not that hard to buy

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by trewelu

6. Decent battery life. At least 1/2 month reading for 30 minutes a day like most e-reader is fine with me.

Half a month at 30m a day is a 7.5h battery life. That would be totally unacceptable for me. It's a quarter of what I get on my Kindle.

[trewelu]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Half a month at 30m a day is a 7.5h battery life. That would be totally unacceptable for me. It's a quarter of what I get on my Kindle.

My bad. I mean 1 or 2 month, not half a month. Kindle probably has 2 month battery life @30m. I said 1 month because my prs-t1 was advertised as 1 month and i feel i can use it for a very long time before i need to charge. So I would prefer 2 month, but 1 month is fine.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by trewelu

My bad. I mean 1 or 2 month, not half a month. Kindle probably has 2 month battery life @30m. I said 1 month because my prs-t1 was advertised as 1 month and i feel i can use it for a very long time before i need to charge. So I would prefer 2 month, but 1 month is fine.

Thanks for clarifying that . Yes, I agree that one or two months at 30m a day is fine.

[ApK]

Funny, as I see it
This sentiment:

Originally Posted by barryem

I think the focus of the design of an ereader should mostly be about reading.

Is completely 180 degrees violated by this:

That's why I like my reader to have 3G, so when I'm reading and I encounter something in the book I want to know more about I can quickly pull it up on Wikipedia. I almost never used 3G to download books or shop for books but it's an important reading feature.

To do that kind of external research, you need to STOP reading. That's totally the opposite what you say the focus should be.

Not disagreeing about the value of the feature, I love that about my e-readers, but its a bizarre characterization of the feature, unless you left out a phrase like "except for one thing..."

[barryem]

Well, yeah, when I stop reading to look something up I've stopped reading. I can't disagree. I'm not sure that saying the focus of the design should be on reading is the same thing as saying they shouldn't consider anything else. And I'm not convinced that looking things up isn't part of reading, at least for me.

Things tend not to be that black and white. It's entirely possible to focus on something and still deal with the things around that something. A gun designer can focus on creating an accurate and deadly weapon and still make it comfortable to hold.

But I do thank you for trying to find a bit of hypocrisy. I never know when some of that might sneak in and it's good to have help avoiding it.

Barry

[HarryT]

I prefer to look things up on my phone. Not only is it a lot easier to do, but it means that I don't lose my page on my Kindle.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by barryem

But I do thank you for trying to find a bit of hypocrisy. I never know when some of that might sneak in and it's good to have help avoiding it.

Barry

I was going to attribute it to confusion of terms. I don't know you well enough to know if it was hypocrisy. Now, if Apple said the same thing to market their ereader, then, yeah.....

[JoOrwick]

1. 8"-9" screen
2. E-ink Carta, 300+ ppi
3. Amazon's software with EPUB support
4. Good PDF renderer
5. Expandable storage
5. Waterproof
6. Good frontlight uniformity with Kobo's blue light reduction
7. <300$

[deborakaye]

My preferences:

1. Must have buttons. My Kindle Voyage buttons are fine.
2. Organization: folders (or collections like the Kobo)
3. SD card storage or more built-in memory.
4. More font sizes, especially in the middle to larger size.


I realize this sounds like I should use a Kobo and I have one, but the touchscreen really doesn't work for me when I'm reading. I have to swipe or touch several times to get page turns, and it takes me out of the story.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by ApK

I was going to attribute it to confusion of terms.

I never get confused. Or do I? Well, who knows!

Barry

[meeera]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I prefer to look things up on my phone. Not only is it a lot easier to do, but it means that I don't lose my page on my Kindle.

Why would you lose your page?

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by radius

Some disagreement from me...
No way. I don't want to world to know when I'm reading Sorority Girl Sleepover Nightmare

No-one said anything about being mandatory. Choice should always be on offer.

Again no. I find that covers increase the weight of the device but provide almost no protection the way I use ereaders. If I want protection I'll get a full on case.

You must use them a funny way then. I always search high and low for a decent cover, which must be strong and padded. The weight they add is less than a standard hard cover all told. The world is full of cracked screens for ereaders, phones and tablets, because people don't think wisely. You can avoid most damage with a decent cover and intelligent use, but some protection can only be gained by being inside a metal brief case ... unless a vehicle runs over it.

That said, I thought the brown cover that Sony shipped with the silver PRS-505 was very attractive, even if heavy and not that protective.

My favorite so far, would be the one for the Kindle Keyboard with the built-in light ... black and a nice rough texture ... almost like an old-fashioned bible.
Then again, I got a really good cover for my 9.7" Samsung Tablet, and a perfectly matched large padded pencil case, which it fits in cover and all.

This implies that the reader is at least as thick as a USB port. I don't want to see that. I think microSD cards are common enough that we can use those for expandable storage.

Either or works for me, but I don't want my ereader to be too slim. I want it to look and feel like a leather bound book, not be like reading a large credit card ... I want substance.

But increasingly, I think it is becoming easy enough to pull your books from the cloud on demand so that local storage is not a big selling point. (mind you I personally keep all my books locally on my PC and transfer via USB haha)

Each to their own, but choice should always be available.

I don't understand how this is different from just hitting the screen off/lock button and the screen displaying the book cover or screen saver. Don't basically all devices do this today?

Not sure how many do, but mine only show a set number of images, none of which are my ebooks. Some newer devices from what I hear, do show a book cover, but I've not seen it myself ... and really, without color and without a transparent one at that, then while better than no book cover, it is not what I and I am sure many others ultimately want.