Which device do you use? - Page 2

Professor · 07-31-2008, 11:31 PM

Hanlin V3 is my best choice after I compared devices in each brand.

HowGozit · 08-09-2008, 07:49 AM

I used to use a standard desktop PC back in in the late 90's. I also used mobipocket on the original Palm Professional (1 whole megabyte of RAM - yay).

I bought a Rocketbook Plus in 2000, still works to this day and very well. (EB-1150 is the upgrade that you can still get). This thing STILL has a 20 hour battery life - but its a bit heavy - about 700 grams. I also experimented with the Franklin eBookman 901/911. They were a really nice form factor - but the display was dull and using AAA batteries was a pain.

Nowadays, I just bought a Sony 505. Brilliant device. I have been using tablet PC's for a while, and I always have a Windows Mobile PDA tucked away in a pocket for when I'm in a queue or can't reach into my bag for the company tablet, the Sony or a UMPC I lug with me fairly often (Asus r2Hv).

If I'm on the train and doing work on the tablet, then I usually don't bother switching to the Sony - I just run MSReader and continue on with whatever book I'm in - I keep copies of my library on most devices. If I intend to read, then I nearly always reach for the Sony nowadays. Magazines I subscribe to and read via Zinio - I read them on a tablet.

Now and again I actually read a paperback. My family always comment when I do that...

Ross..

JSWolf · 08-09-2008, 09:01 AM

If I was buying a Sony Reader PRS-505 now, I'd get the red one. But, my blue one will just have to do. I can highly recommend the 505 in any color.

carld · 08-09-2008, 09:24 AM

I have a Kindle, and enjoy it. Having the best selection of ebooks was important, and I've so far found Amazon's prices to be lower than other sites. I find I use Whispernet fairly often, and prefer to mail items to the Kindle rather than going through the bother of hooking up the USB cable.

HarryT · 08-09-2008, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

I have a Kindle, and enjoy it. Having the best selection of ebooks was important, and I've so far found Amazon's prices to be lower than other sites.

That's not the case. For the vast majority of books, the prices are the same (within pennies) for all the major formats. I've been doing a lot of price comparisons recently.

pshrynk · 08-09-2008, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If I was buying a Sony Reader PRS-505 now, I'd get the red one. But, my blue one will just have to do. I can highly recommend the 505 in any color.

I'm not so sure I could recommend the pink one...

The Kindle in every color it comes in is my choice.

RickyMaveety · 08-09-2008, 11:28 AM

Kindle .... love my Kindle.

carld · 08-09-2008, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That's not the case. For the vast majority of books, the prices are the same (within pennies) for all the major formats. I've been doing a lot of price comparisons recently.

Yes, I've seen you post that before, but it does not reflect my experience. So far all the books that I've looked at have been cheaper on the Kindle, sometimes substantially so.

HarryT · 08-09-2008, 11:49 AM

Someone on the Kindle forum recently posted a list of all the books they'd bought in the last month (or whatever the time period was). If you look at that thread, I illustrated that all the books on the list, with the exception of one, were actually (slightly) cheaper at Fictionwise than at the Amazon store.

There obviously are exceptions, but, by and large, prices really are pretty similar for all the formats. That is thanks to the Kindle - its effect has been to drive down prices for other eBook formats.

Do you have any examples in mind of books which are cheaper for the Kindle than for other devices?

pshrynk · 08-09-2008, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Someone on the Kindle forum recently posted a list of all the books they'd bought in the last month (or whatever the time period was). If you look at that thread, I illustrated that all the books on the list, with the exception of one, were actually (slightly) cheaper at Fictionwise than at the Amazon store.

There obviously are exceptions, but, by and large, prices really are pretty similar for all the formats. That is thanks to the Kindle - its effect has been to drive down prices for other eBook formats.

Do you have any examples in mind of books which are cheaper for the Kindle than for other devices?

Was that with or without club membership? My problem with Fictionwise purchases is that Secure Mobi does not run on the Kindle, so I tend to look at Amazon first when shopping. Which is, I suppose, the reason Amazon has their business model set the way they do.

HarryT · 08-09-2008, 12:21 PM

I found that for most books, FW prices were a little cheaper than Amazon if you're in the FW "club" and a little more expensive if you weren't. If you buy even a modest number of books from them, though, then the club very quickly repays itself.

No particular reason to use FW if you have a Kindle, though, is there? Amazon are more convenient. I buy at FW because I don't have a Kindle.

pshrynk · 08-09-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I found that for most books, FW prices were a little cheaper than Amazon if you're in the FW "club" and a little more expensive if you weren't. If you buy even a modest number of books from them, though, then the club very quickly repays itself.

No particular reason to use FW if you have a Kindle, though, is there? Amazon are more convenient. I buy at FW because I don't have a Kindle.

Well... The DRM thing slightly sticks in my craw. It doesn't keep me from using it and I'm not a fanatic by any means. However, I have been an FW customer for many years and would very much like to give them as much of my custom as possible.

I asked about your findings, because I'm one of those booknerds who opens the bill at the end of the month and says, "Holy crap!" rather than shopping wisely. So any help from someone who does watch the prices is a blessing.

HarryT · 08-09-2008, 12:30 PM

Most books that FW sell are available in Microsoft Reader format which, if legal where you live, is of course very easy to remove the DRM from and then convert to Mobipocket. I just buy the Mobi versions myself, but I know a lot of people buy and convert the Reader versions.

pshrynk · 08-09-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Most books that FW sell are available in Microsoft Reader format which, if legal where you live, is of course very easy to remove the DRM from and then convert to Mobipocket. I just buy the Mobi versions myself, but I know a lot of people buy and convert the Reader versions.

What would I need to have, in order to do that?

HarryT · 08-09-2008, 12:34 PM

You need a machine running Windows, Internet Explorer, and an "Activated" copy of Microsoft Reader in order to download the Microsoft Reader files. Then, to remove the DRM and convert to Open eBook (OEB) format you use "ConvertLIT" (Google for it -- it's free). Finally, to convert OEB to MobiPocket you use the free MobiPocket Creator software. The whole process takes about 30 seconds - it really couldn't be easier.

08-09-2008, 07:49 AM	#17
HowGozit Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 2226 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Australia Device: Sony PRS650, Kobo, Asus Tab 8, iPod Touch, Galaxy Tab, Surface Pr2	Lots of devices - eink is growing on me though. I used to use a standard desktop PC back in in the late 90's. I also used mobipocket on the original Palm Professional (1 whole megabyte of RAM - yay). I bought a Rocketbook Plus in 2000, still works to this day and very well. (EB-1150 is the upgrade that you can still get). This thing STILL has a 20 hour battery life - but its a bit heavy - about 700 grams. I also experimented with the Franklin eBookman 901/911. They were a really nice form factor - but the display was dull and using AAA batteries was a pain. Nowadays, I just bought a Sony 505. Brilliant device. I have been using tablet PC's for a while, and I always have a Windows Mobile PDA tucked away in a pocket for when I'm in a queue or can't reach into my bag for the company tablet, the Sony or a UMPC I lug with me fairly often (Asus r2Hv). If I'm on the train and doing work on the tablet, then I usually don't bother switching to the Sony - I just run MSReader and continue on with whatever book I'm in - I keep copies of my library on most devices. If I intend to read, then I nearly always reach for the Sony nowadays. Magazines I subscribe to and read via Zinio - I read them on a tablet. Now and again I actually read a paperback. My family always comment when I do that... Ross..

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07-31-2008, 11:31 PM	#16
Professor Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Hanlin V3	Hanlin V3 is my best choice after I compared devices in each brand.

08-09-2008, 09:01 AM	#18
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,756 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If I was buying a Sony Reader PRS-505 now, I'd get the red one. But, my blue one will just have to do. I can highly recommend the 505 in any color.

08-09-2008, 09:24 AM	#19
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I have a Kindle, and enjoy it. Having the best selection of ebooks was important, and I've so far found Amazon's prices to be lower than other sites. I find I use Whispernet fairly often, and prefer to mail items to the Kindle rather than going through the bother of hooking up the USB cable.

08-09-2008, 11:28 AM	#22
RickyMaveety Holy S**T!!! Posts: 5,213 Karma: 108401 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: San Diego, California!! Device: Kindle and iPad	Kindle .... love my Kindle.

08-09-2008, 11:49 AM	#24
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Someone on the Kindle forum recently posted a list of all the books they'd bought in the last month (or whatever the time period was). If you look at that thread, I illustrated that all the books on the list, with the exception of one, were actually (slightly) cheaper at Fictionwise than at the Amazon store. There obviously are exceptions, but, by and large, prices really are pretty similar for all the formats. That is thanks to the Kindle - its effect has been to drive down prices for other eBook formats. Do you have any examples in mind of books which are cheaper for the Kindle than for other devices?

08-09-2008, 12:21 PM	#26
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I found that for most books, FW prices were a little cheaper than Amazon if you're in the FW "club" and a little more expensive if you weren't. If you buy even a modest number of books from them, though, then the club very quickly repays itself. No particular reason to use FW if you have a Kindle, though, is there? Amazon are more convenient. I buy at FW because I don't have a Kindle.

08-09-2008, 12:30 PM	#28
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Most books that FW sell are available in Microsoft Reader format which, if legal where you live, is of course very easy to remove the DRM from and then convert to Mobipocket. I just buy the Mobi versions myself, but I know a lot of people buy and convert the Reader versions.

08-09-2008, 12:34 PM	#30
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You need a machine running Windows, Internet Explorer, and an "Activated" copy of Microsoft Reader in order to download the Microsoft Reader files. Then, to remove the DRM and convert to Open eBook (OEB) format you use "ConvertLIT" (Google for it -- it's free). Finally, to convert OEB to MobiPocket you use the free MobiPocket Creator software. The whole process takes about 30 seconds - it really couldn't be easier.