8+ Readers in comparison

[tomereader]

Thanks Yeah I guess I'm going to have to settle on one main format, although besides the charts having some ade/mobi there was also some other drm called wolf? that I never see talked about but probably an error on the comparison charts showing it and ADE or was it mobi on one player...

Well hopefully it wont happen to me but 10% of legally blind people are sightless and audiobooks would be the only alternative to braille for still enjoying books

I have the NLS talking tape and digital player but wanted a smaller more portable player combined if possible with an ereader....

you discussed the font controls and differences in different models having less or more choices in font sizes but is their any uniformity at all would the largest font setting of your readers be equal to or greater than a point 18 font?

That is one bit of info not on any comparison chart, the charts just list the number of possible sizes without giving a starting/ending font

wish they would just say: our reader has 7 sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 like that...some manufacturers sites give you videos and show the font size possibilities but still don't label them in any way as to their size

[jen6060]

hi mgmueller. On your regret re your ipad model, that you should have bought higher specs (64gig), - how large are file sizes actually for newspapers and magazines? I did buy an ipad myself on a recent US trip - got 64 gig, not by design, but by default bec all other models were sold out. That ipad, however, is a sort of family toy now that my kids like to play with it.. So i may get one for myself.. I was hesitating over the price of course! So far on our family toy I have bought only one mag, and did a trial download of one newspaper.. I suppose to free up space, you have to do frequent deletes? thanks!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by jen6060

hi mgmueller. On your regret re your ipad model, that you should have bought higher specs (64gig), - how large are file sizes actually for newspapers and magazines? I did buy an ipad myself on a recent US trip - got 64 gig, not by design, but by default bec all other models were sold out. That ipad, however, is a sort of family toy now that my kids like to play with it.. So i may get one for myself.. I was hesitating over the price of course! So far on our family toy I have bought only one mag, and did a trial download of one newspaper.. I suppose to free up space, you have to do frequent deletes? thanks!

I haven't checked the size of Zinio magazines on iPad. But on Mac or PC, some easily can have some 100MBs. I guess, on average it's about 30MB per Magazine.
I tend to collect. I don't archive the older issues and reload them on demand. I like to have them all at hands. And then, having for example 3 years of Mac magazine, you easily end up with 10GB and more of data.
Zinio (I've mailed them) told me, they're working on 2 features:
- Being able to batch-download more than 1 book at a time on iPad.
- Being able to move them from iPad to your Mac/PC.
Unfortunately, the Mac/PC magazines aren't compatible to the iPad ones.
In general, I find the iPad version a compromise so far. I miss the PC features annotation/notes. When having >>300 issues, I'd like to see some possibility, to search for specific articles. On PC, I've added notes.

I tend to the idea of using 2 iPads. One for multimedia (movies and magazines are the main memory killers) and the other for the rest.
Even on my 32GB version, I permanently have to delete apps, to be within the 11 desktops limit.
And I permanently (at least every single day, often more than once per day) have to charge my iPad. So I could use 1 with WiFi on and the other with WiFi off. 1 for surfing and watching movies, 1 for reading magazines and newspapers solely.
But like you, I consider the costs. And I consider the weight and size of 2 units when traveling. For now, I solve this issue by always having 2 units with me. On today's business trip (I'm leaving in 1 hour and will be back tomorrow evening, usually my trips only are 2 days) I'll take iPad and Kindle DX Graphite. Before it was iPad and Pocketbook 360. But DX Graphite is my newest gadget, so I'll have to check it out of course...

[emai7s2]

Hi mgmueller,

Some time ago I wrote for advice about touchscreen units for editing purposes.

You mentioned:

Of the readers you've named, I'd choose iRex 800.
Second choice would be Sony 900 (for your needs).
In addition, I'd take a look at BeBook Neo as well. Only 6", but tons of features. Personally, I prefer iRex 800, but BeBook Neo has lots of fans out there...

Today I was at a book store and spent a good hour or so with the Sony PRS-600 (since the Sony 900 isn't available in Austria). Just for fun I took the SD card out of my Palm and popped it into the PRS-600. To my surprise, the Sony instantly recognized all the files on my card which were in .txt and .pdf format (no matter where they were stored on the card).

I got an even bigger surprise when I found out I could easy annotate & mark up my .txt files with a stylus - for some reason I was thinking that only .pdf files could be marked up. This is a huge benefit for me, since I generally keep all my documents, wherever possible, in .txt format (I find I can use .txt on virtually every electronic device I own). So I think the PRS-600 could be used as a useful alternative to printing out documents for correction purposes.

The next thing I noticed is that the annotate function does not work in zoom mode while viewing .pdfs - so while I could zoom a .pdf to view really small text, I was unable to use the annotate feature while zoomed. I might stop by the store again and look at the .pdf in landscape format, and see if that is any improvement. Viewing the text in landscape format didn't even cross my mind today.

The screen is perhaps not as sharp as as other units mentioned in this thread, but it seems more than adequate for my needs. I am a bit concerned about reports of the screen blanking out when exposed to strong sunlight, but that seems to affect only certain production runs.

The touchscreen is absolutely essential to me, since I will probably treat any unit I get as a modified PDA. I've used styli and touchscreens since the mid-1990's, and find non-touchscreens to be rigid and unforgiving.

I also really like the solid feel of the PRS-600 - I liked the robustness of the unit when I held it.

Would the PRS-600 come with an English OS/built-in dictionary, even though it's sold in a German-speaking country? I suspect it's similar to PDAs - the first time you turn it on it asks you which language you want to use during the set-up process.

The local price has dropped from EUR 299 to EUR 249 (I see the price is $170 in the U.S.). Not cheap, but seems reasonable enough.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by tomereader

Thanks Yeah I guess I'm going to have to settle on one main format, although besides the charts having some ade/mobi there was also some other drm called wolf? that I never see talked about but probably an error on the comparison charts showing it and ADE or was it mobi on one player...

Well hopefully it wont happen to me but 10% of legally blind people are sightless and audiobooks would be the only alternative to braille for still enjoying books

I have the NLS talking tape and digital player but wanted a smaller more portable player combined if possible with an ereader....

you discussed the font controls and differences in different models having less or more choices in font sizes but is their any uniformity at all would the largest font setting of your readers be equal to or greater than a point 18 font?

That is one bit of info not on any comparison chart, the charts just list the number of possible sizes without giving a starting/ending font

wish they would just say: our reader has 7 sizes 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 like that...some manufacturers sites give you videos and show the font size possibilities but still don't label them in any way as to their size

That's a tough one.
To my knowledge, there's no standardized naming convention.
Some just state "medium font" for example.

If that's helpful to you, I could take pictures of my readers, each in maximum font size for direct comparison.
I can take pics of all readers (5 per day or so), but maybe you can prioritize?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by emai7s2

Hi mgmueller,

Some time ago I wrote for advice about touchscreen units for editing purposes.

You mentioned:


Today I was at a book store and spent a good hour or so with the Sony PRS-600 (since the Sony 900 isn't available in Austria). Just for fun I took the SD card out of my Palm and popped it into the PRS-600. To my surprise, the Sony instantly recognized all the files on my card which were in .txt and .pdf format (no matter where they were stored on the card).

I got an even bigger surprise when I found out I could easy annotate & mark up my .txt files with a stylus - for some reason I was thinking that only .pdf files could be marked up. This is a huge benefit for me, since I generally keep all my documents, wherever possible, in .txt format (I find I can use .txt on virtually every electronic device I own). So I think the PRS-600 could be used as a useful alternative to printing out documents for correction purposes.

The next thing I noticed is that the annotate function does not work in zoom mode while viewing .pdfs - so while I could zoom a .pdf to view really small text, I was unable to use the annotate feature while zoomed. I might stop by the store again and look at the .pdf in landscape format, and see if that is any improvement. Viewing the text in landscape format didn't even cross my mind today.

The screen is perhaps not as sharp as as other units mentioned in this thread, but it seems more than adequate for my needs. I am a bit concerned about reports of the screen blanking out when exposed to strong sunlight, but that seems to affect only certain production runs.

The touchscreen is absolutely essential to me, since I will probably treat any unit I get as a modified PDA. I've used styli and touchscreens since the mid-1990's, and find non-touchscreens to be rigid and unforgiving.

I also really like the solid feel of the PRS-600 - I liked the robustness of the unit when I held it.

Would the PRS-600 come with an English OS/built-in dictionary, even though it's sold in a German-speaking country? I suspect it's similar to PDAs - the first time you turn it on it asks you which language you want to use during the set-up process.

The local price has dropped from EUR 299 to EUR 249 (I see the price is $170 in the U.S.). Not cheap, but seems reasonable enough.

I haven't got it with me (traveling), so I can't check for all languages available. It's about 10 "core languages", wherever you buy your reader. English of course is "core".
You can switch back and forth, without flashing or restarting or something like that.
I've seen the "sun fading effect" on one Sony 505 and did not on a second one. Just luck, I guess. Seems to happen for all brands (same screen) for some units...
Sony 900 has less glare than Sony 600. But if you're fine with 600 already: Even better.
You can further reduce the glare by using a screen light.

I'm with you concerning touch screens. And I prefer styli over fingers anytime...

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by emai7s2

Hi mgmueller,

Some time ago I wrote for advice about touchscreen units for editing purposes.

You mentioned:


Today I was at a book store and spent a good hour or so with the Sony PRS-600 (since the Sony 900 isn't available in Austria). Just for fun I took the SD card out of my Palm and popped it into the PRS-600. To my surprise, the Sony instantly recognized all the files on my card which were in .txt and .pdf format (no matter where they were stored on the card).

I got an even bigger surprise when I found out I could easy annotate & mark up my .txt files with a stylus - for some reason I was thinking that only .pdf files could be marked up. This is a huge benefit for me, since I generally keep all my documents, wherever possible, in .txt format (I find I can use .txt on virtually every electronic device I own). So I think the PRS-600 could be used as a useful alternative to printing out documents for correction purposes.

The next thing I noticed is that the annotate function does not work in zoom mode while viewing .pdfs - so while I could zoom a .pdf to view really small text, I was unable to use the annotate feature while zoomed. I might stop by the store again and look at the .pdf in landscape format, and see if that is any improvement. Viewing the text in landscape format didn't even cross my mind today.

The screen is perhaps not as sharp as as other units mentioned in this thread, but it seems more than adequate for my needs. I am a bit concerned about reports of the screen blanking out when exposed to strong sunlight, but that seems to affect only certain production runs.

The touchscreen is absolutely essential to me, since I will probably treat any unit I get as a modified PDA. I've used styli and touchscreens since the mid-1990's, and find non-touchscreens to be rigid and unforgiving.

I also really like the solid feel of the PRS-600 - I liked the robustness of the unit when I held it.

Would the PRS-600 come with an English OS/built-in dictionary, even though it's sold in a German-speaking country? I suspect it's similar to PDAs - the first time you turn it on it asks you which language you want to use during the set-up process.

The local price has dropped from EUR 299 to EUR 249 (I see the price is $170 in the U.S.). Not cheap, but seems reasonable enough.

I didn't check. Neither the European nor the American price.
But if it's really € 249 vs. $ 170, it's way cheaper for you to order from the US.
With shipment, tax and customs, usually the original price in $ ends up in about the same amount in €.
So you would receive Sony 600 from the US for ca. € 170.

Rough estimate:
$ 170 = € 130
Shipment = $ 40 = € 30
Customs (if you're lucky, you don't even have to pay it) = € 30
Probably you won't get it for € 170, but definitely below € 200. (*)
You can order from B&H photo for example, so you don't have to pay any fees to some 3rd party.

(*) The formula "original price in $ ends up about the same amount in €" is most accurate for more expensive gadgets.
For Sony 900, which was $ 299 when I bought it, it has been an exact match.
For $ 170, in relation cost for shipment are too high.

BTW: Rumor has it, there might be announcements for new Sony models within the next 2 or 3 months.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by HarryT

...The nook has major shortcomings, the most notable of which is no folder support, hence no way to sensibly organize a large (or even not so large) book collection; I'd find that completely intolerable.

I don't have any system similar to folders for my DVDs or for my paper books.
For whatever I purchase, my system always is the same: I order by purchase date.
Same for eBooks. I sort them by most recent. And of, let's say, 500 eBooks I have on each reader, I easily can limit my search. I may not know, whether the one I'm looking for is #250 or #260. But I know for sure, it's not #100 nor #400.
Of course, some may have 3.000 eBooks on their reader....
And others may want to look for all "Umberto Eco" books.

Personally, I either have a very good idea what I'd like to read. Or I simply scroll through the relevant area, for example the 10 most recent business books.

And I can't imagine, someone actually sorting his DVDs by genre or actor...

I only use a system similar to folders when purchasing. In iTunes or the various bookstores I often scroll through "best selling" or by genre. But when I bought it, again I'll easily remember when I bought it and will find its place in my library.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

And I can't imagine, someone actually sorting his DVDs by genre or actor...

You are sooooooo not a girl

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by aceflor

You are sooooooo not a girl

So I guess you've got an entire shelf of movies with "Brad Pitt"? (Actually, he's even got some good movies: Fight Club, Se7en, Twelve Monkeys or Kalifornia).
And you're just starting to build a collection with "Robert Pattinson"? (Had to Google him to spell his name correctly, absolutely can't stand "Twilight" and had to stop the first movie after 15 minutes)....

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

So I guess you've got an entire shelf of movies with "Brad Pitt"? (Actually, he's even got some good movies: Fight Club, Se7en, Twelve Monkeys or Kalifornia).
And you're just starting to build a collection with "Robert Pattinson"? (Had to Google him to spell his name correctly, absolutely can't stand "Twilight" and had to stop the first movie after 15 minutes)....

Dear me... no !!!
Shelf 1 with Edward Norton (so Fight Club yes!)
Shelf 2 with Javier Bardem
Shelf 3 with Viggo Mortensen
and so on...
Do not underestimate me ;-)

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by aceflor

Dear me... no !!!
Shelf 1 with Edward Norton (so Fight Club yes!)
Shelf 2 with Javier Bardem
Shelf 3 with Viggo Mortensen
and so on...
Do not underestimate me ;-)

Viggo Mortensen? That's one of the rare occasions when I don't know what to say...
Edward Norton: American History X
I don't remember Javier Bardem in "Goya's Ghosts". But in "Perdita Durango" (well....) and "No Country for Old Men" (did you read the book?)...

[tomereader]

Thanks for the offer mgmueller!

I am going with the ectaco lite for now (about all I can afford

on the ectaco site they say

"Adjustable Typeface and Size

jetBook Lite features a choice of 6 different font sizes and several popular typefaces so that you can customize your reading experience. Even those who have difficulty reading a conventional book will find it easy and enjoyable to read with jetBook Lite."

but no sizes mentioned BUT watching the embedded video they list 12 16 18 20 24 32 as the font size choices on the pop up window....

I think the pictures of font sizes would be most useful to those with lower vision!

this is about the only area where the manufacturers in general (one has a video JUST about its font sizes) have let me (as a prospective buyer with poor vision) down

[Logseman]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

So I guess you've got an entire shelf of movies with "Brad Pitt"? (Actually, he's even got some good movies: Fight Club, Se7en, Twelve Monkeys or Kalifornia).
And you're just starting to build a collection with "Robert Pattinson"? (Had to Google him to spell his name correctly, absolutely can't stand "Twilight" and had to stop the first movie after 15 minutes)....

Robert Pattinson is a darned good actor. Jumping to fame with a film under his possibilities and being handsome, like Leonardo di Caprio in his moment, don't do him any good (even if he's eschewed the Twilight saga in public), but he's a great actor and he's proven it already in other films. He's a convincing Dali in Little Ashes, e.g.

[jen6060]

hi mgmueller - i'm curious about how you deal with the need for more ADE activations with your numerous readers. Do they give you an open ticket? I just bumped up against the need for more activations, and they've done that for me. But i'm wondering how many they freed up etc, and this thing about - if i sell a reader, and deactivate, does that actually free up an activation for me? It seems from the other posts elsewhere that it doesnt..