So you have a ebook device. When will you upgrade?

[TallMomof2]

I do miss having different fonts, the Kindle default font is okay but a little on the "thin" side I wish I could at least bold the font.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Exactally right. a 5 or 6inch device is great for fiction and recreational reading that is all text. But, I want a bigger one for work. technical texts that have alot of diagrams and sample code etc. Something I can put on the desk next to me. Of course, I could probably buy a third monitor for the PC, but that's not as portable, can't take into meetings, etc.

I was sifting through a box of papers this weekend. I'm married to a packrat and stumbling across a box of unsorted papers in my garage is not an uncommon occurrence. About 2/3 of it was printouts of electronic documents he no longer needs: specs, manuals, RFCs. These are things that were a bit long to be comfortable reading on the screen so he printed them. Of course when he printed them, he lost the searchability. I see this every day here at work, people reading a spec on paper for comfort and so they can take notes while they have the electronic document open so they can search. Then off the paper goes into the recycle bin after the project is done. If I could have search and annotation in a large-format reader, it would be totally worth it as a second purchase. I'd keep my Kindle for novels, but this would be my constant companion at work.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I see this every day here at work, people reading a spec on paper for comfort and so they can take notes while they have the electronic document open so they can search. Then off the paper goes into the recycle bin after the project is done.

People at my office print emails and file them. Figure that one out.

BOb

[MaggieScratch]

Originally Posted by Alisa

If I could have search and annotation in a large-format reader, it would be totally worth it as a second purchase. I'd keep my Kindle for novels, but this would be my constant companion at work.

Oh my gosh, yes! I would love something like that for correcting scanned texts. I could use a tablet computer but I'd like something smaller, like the size of an iLiad. Then I would still use the Cybook for regular reading.

[mogui]

Are you kidding me?
I am not sure. I have a talent for kidding myself at times. So I will try to explain why this is an upgrade.

I travel often, so I carry my Sony reader for reading in absolute comfort while lounging on a hotel bed or on an airplane. I have my Treo 650 for the PIM functions, the phone, and the ability to read books on the run. Then I carry a laptop so I can have connectivity and do a few other nerdish things on the road.

The Sony Reader is wonderful, but I have had it a year now and find that the battery doesn't hold up qute as long, and I miss backlighting. Still, I take it with me always.

Of course the Treo is always in my pocket. It stays beside me when I sleep. When I am in the shower it is on the sink counter. More and more I am relying on it for book reading when I am in a taxi, or just having a dull moment in a restaurant when nobody else speaks English. I plug it in every night, so battery life has not been an issue. And, yes, I like reading on it. The backlight is adjustable right from the keyboard, so I never feel eyestrain.

The laptop has been a headache. it is an older HP. It needs external prostheses to accomplish modernity such as WiFi and Bluetooth and even USB 2.0. So I carry a bag of wires and dongles.

I found myself in Shanghai the other day, and with nothing important to do I asked myself, "Self, why don't you buy you a new computer?" I had been tempted by the EEE for some time. It has the portability I need. It hardly makes a lump in a backpack. It is the size of a hardback novel and as easy to hold. It has better WiFi than the HP.

So I bought it. Yesterday was rainy so I played with the Xandros Linux. There is no icon for FBReader, so I navigated the File Manager to the /usr/bin directory and made FBReader a favorite so I can get to it easily whenever. I did the same for a couple of other handy apps. I could aways open them from the terminal (ctl-alt-t) but the File manager pops up anyway because the EEE detects my 4G SDHC card on power-up.

FBReader looks OK so far. You can rotate the screen and hold the EEE like a book. It is light and comfortable this way. Others report that FBReader is quite good. I will see for myself in the next few days.

So will I carry three reading devices? I must have my Treo, and I surely do need a laptop. Maybe the Sony Reader will get left behind on the next journey. Sorry old friend. The EEE has a long power cord, so reading at home or hotel is easy and battery life is not an issue. For air travel, I may pick up a spare battery for my Treo as I do take the occasional 14 hour flight.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's not too far removed from buying a paper book. You are buying the sheets of paper, but not the "ownership" of the contents. You can't go out and re-publish that content and sell it for yourself. Generally speaking, you have no rights at all over that content.

I can't republish a paper book, but I can sell my copy of it. Do people sell their copies of ebooks? How does one tell if the seller is giving me their only existing copy?

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

I can't republish a paper book, but I can sell my copy of it. Do people sell their copies of ebooks? How does one tell if the seller is giving me their only existing copy?

It depends on who you ask. Most ebook retailers say you can't resell the ebook. US law suggests that you can, only no one has pushed the issue.

[MoSo]

I'll likely buy another Kindle (and I already have 2) when we get:

Most important:
-- a dramatic improvement in file structure and maintenance.

Less important:
-- higher "res" screen, most importantly contrast and grey scale.
-- stronger signal in marginal areas (like where I live).
-- a serious speed increase in browsing/"on-line" functions.
-- user assignable buttons.
-- ability to "pool" Kindle books without all being on the same basic account.
-- a flip/folding keyboard.

[JSWolf]

As far as a keyboard goes, I'd go for a detachable eyboard. It would make lugging it around when the keyboard is not needed easier.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

As far as a keyboard goes, I'd go for a detachable eyboard. It would make lugging it around when the keyboard is not needed easier.

But then you never know when you might want a keyboard. They weigh very little so lugging it around isn't as much an issue as you make it out to be. One that folded or slid out of the way makes perfect sense to me. Note taking, dictionary look up, and other tasks make a keyboard handy.

Dale

[slayda]

Already bought my second. First was a Sony 500. Currently using Cybook. When will upgrade? Probably when I have the funds and something interesting comes along. But what I really want is a combination of my Cybook's eink (but in color) for reading in bright light, my Palm TX's PDA functions and speed & back light and the ability to fold/roll/or otherwise be made small enough to fit in my shirt pocket. And of course infinitely long battery life.

[astra]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

But then you never know when you might want a keyboard. They weigh very little so lugging it around isn't as much an issue as you make it out to be. One that folded or slid out of the way makes perfect sense to me. Note taking, dictionary look up, and other tasks make a keyboard handy.

Dale

With 6" reader - I would consider only detachable keyboard. I would never buy anything bulkier than my Sony Reader.

[seajewel]

I have a Sony Reader 505 that I'm enamored of, but I would have gone for Kindle if Kindle had Korean language support, or a hack available. As it is, I probably won't upgrade until a new reader comes out that I can read Korean on, hopefully with my choice of fonts (although i LOVE the kindle default font.. Amazon really did get that right imo), with Amazon's wireless capabilities.

Hardware wise I'd like better contrast on the screen, and a slightly bigger one. Maybe 8''. I think the current 6 inch screens are a little small for my tastes, but might be willing to upgrade if all the other conditions are satisfied.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

But then you never know when you might want a keyboard. They weigh very little so lugging it around isn't as much an issue as you make it out to be. One that folded or slid out of the way makes perfect sense to me. Note taking, dictionary look up, and other tasks make a keyboard handy.

I have a folding keyboard for my PDA. It's less than the size of a thin PB book, and no problem to carry, since I don't carry the PDA in a pocket, either. Briefcase, shoulder bag... lots of options.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by slayda

Already bought my second. First was a Sony 500. Currently using Cybook. When will upgrade? Probably when I have the funds and something interesting comes along. But what I really want is a combination of my Cybook's eink (but in color) for reading in bright light, my Palm TX's PDA functions and speed & back light and the ability to fold/roll/or otherwise be made small enough to fit in my shirt pocket. And of course infinitely long battery life.

My reader is a Palm OS PDA.

If I could get my current device with a larger screen but the same functionality, I'd upgrade. I'm not concerned with putting it in a shirt pocket. My current device is a bit too large for that, and I had a couple of earlier ones fail the Drop Test (tm) because I made the error of putting them in that pocket.

I require color (which eInk does not currently support), and the ability to do other things beside read ebooks, so a Kindle, Sony Reader, Cybook or iLiad holds no interest for me.
______
Dennis