1st time purchase, no clue what to look for.

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by w33

DRM, etc.
-I'm not sure how it works for books but I'd like to be able to store books I buy on my pc too, as well as be able to buy&download on my pc and then upload to the ereader. Are any of the brands limited in that sense?

are you happy to read with someone else's ideas of fonts...
-if there's a reader that has everything else I want, but lacks this customization it's fine, but generally I'd prefer to have the option to customize

are you expecting to end up with a large collection of books that you want to easily manage into shelves (collections)
-that sounds like something I'd want to do.

Is there any reason not to go with something like PocketbookSense (PB630) over Voyage?

Dictionaries
-are Kindles the only ones that have good dictinary? It's somewhat important to me as I'm not native speaker, but read mostly in English.

A touch simplistic, but it is pretty accurate to view the situation presently as there being two main book formats - Amazon uses its own and everyone else uses Epub. Currently both can have their drm stripped fairly quickly.

Kobo, Tolino and Pocketbook all allow user added fonts.

Kobo, Tolino and Pocketbook, in my opinion, allow better library management than Kindles.

The PB630 has a poorer screen than the Voyage. The best 6" screens now offer 300dpi sharpness (I do think the extra dpi makes a difference). The Kindle Paperwhite and higher models all have 300dpi screens. The Pocketbook Touch HD has a 300dpi screen, as do the Tolino Shine 2HD and Tolino Vision 4HD. Currently, Kobo seem to have stopped selling a 6" reader with a 300dpi screen.

I feel the in built English dictionary used by Kindles is the best, most complete of the dictionaries and the Kobo the least complete. The Pocketbook has the worst method of accessing the dictionary when reading.

[HarryT]

The Kindle has the best dictionaries by a considerable margin. The Kobo also has good commercial dictionaries, although not as good as those of the Kindle. Devices such a Pocketbook can only use user-supplied dictionaries which tend to be more "word lists", and certainly aren't up to the standard of either Kindle or Kobo.

Perhaps worth noting, too, that you can buy additional dictionaries in the Kindle Store and add them to the device. I don't believe it's possible to add additional dictionaries to the Kobo (is it?).

[church mouse]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Kindle has the best dictionaries by a considerable margin. The Kobo also has good commercial dictionaries, although not as good as those of the Kindle. Devices such a Pocketbook can only use user-supplied dictionaries which tend to be more "word lists", and certainly aren't up to the standard of either Kindle or Kobo.

Perhaps worth noting, too, that you can buy additional dictionaries in the Kindle Store and add them to the device. I don't believe it's possible to add additional dictionaries to the Kobo (is it?).

The Tolino uses a dictionary based upon Wiktionary and my experience is that its English dictionary is actually better in use and content than the Kobo English dictionary (that may just be my poor luck in which words I happened to want to look up).

[meeera]

Originally Posted by w33

DRM, etc.
-I'm not sure how it works for books but I'd like to be able to store books I buy on my pc too, as well as be able to buy&download on my pc and then upload to the ereader. Are any of the brands limited in that sense?

No. I suggest starting to use Calibre now to import and organise your books. If you wish to remove DRM, Apprentice Alf has the tools.

Originally Posted by w33

are you happy to read with someone else's ideas of fonts...
-if there's a reader that has everything else I want, but lacks this customization it's fine, but generally I'd prefer to have the option to customize

[...]

are you expecting to end up with a large collection of books that you want to easily manage into shelves (collections)
-that sounds like something I'd want to do.

These both lean you toward Kobo (as does your waterproofing wish). There is no easy way (that I'm aware of) to organise Kindle collections from Calibre. I believe they need to be done by hand from the device.

Originally Posted by w33

Dictionaries
-are Kindles the only ones that have good dictinary? It's somewhat important to me as I'm not native speaker, but read mostly in English.

And this leans you toward Kindle.

Have you said what country you're in yet?

[w33]

Decided to grab Paperwhite and see how I feel about that. If it's fine I'll just grab oasis or whatever the 'cool' model is when it breaks or if it lasts me long enough. I'll just have to be a bit careful in the bath tub. And if not my kind of thing I know what the other options are now.

Is there any piece of software other than Calibre that I'll need?

[barryem]

If you get a Kindle you might want to install Amazon's Kindle for PC on your computer. Calibre will need to have it installed for certain operations. The usual procedure is to download your books to Kindle for PC, drag them into Calibre and convert them.

If you'll only be reading on the Paperwhite you can forget all that. Just download directly to the Paperwhite from Amazon.

Personally I think the Paperwhite is an excellent choice. The only thing it lacks that you asked for is waterproofing and for the bathtub you might try putting it into a baggie. I'm not sure how well the touch screen works through a baggie but it probably will. I do know you can see the screen just fine through it.

Amazon also has some waterproof containers for Kindles. I have no idea how good they are.

Barry

[BearMountainBooks]

Kobo is the only vendor that has a waterproof/water resistant model (I'm still not suggesting you read underwater...) Others have overcome that by putting a plastic bag around the reader for the beach, tub reading, etc. That product is the H2O.

I'm a little afraid of Nook because I always wonder if they will go out of business. There is a new model out: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nook...=9781400501656

Kindle (Amazon) has the most selection when it comes to readers (and small tablets that can be used as a reader). They're all on sale right now, so you could get a relatively inexpensive one for an entry point. I have an older model and like the fact that it has page turn buttons. I LOVE the page turn buttons.

I do convert from epub to mobi and don't have any problems. I use calibre. Trouble free? Usually. If a book has DRM, it can be another step. Now and then a file gives me problems.

Prices of books are generally the same all over, however Kobo can run higher sometimes UNLESS you have a coupon or use their point/club system. For some inexpensive entry point Kobos, I've posted a few times about just grabbing one off ebay--this seller appears to have new ones, but he doesn't have the H2O (waterproof model): http://stores.ebay.com/spinningnoon/?_dmd=1&_nkw=kobo

Several people on mobileread have bought one and reported no issues with the seller or the units.

I post kobo book coupons on my blog (I'm an affiliate there and Amazon so I'm neutral!) and any deal I can find, whether I'm an affiliate or not. There's a thread here on mobileread with book coupons as well (coupons rarely work with the big six publishers. These are for small publishers like Baen, Smashwords, TOR, and others.)

There's a deal thread on mobileread on the Kindle readers, but Amazon makes them pretty easy to find!

Also, I find the dictionary on my Kindle suffices almost always (I'm a native speaker though so YMMV).

[ZodWallop]

If you are planning to download purchased books to a PC and sideload to your reader, there is no good reason to avoid the Nook Glowlight Plus. It is a nice bit of hardware that is waterproof and has a good, 300 PPI screen. B&N could close tomorrow and your reader would be just as useful now as it was.

However, I think you made a good choice starting out with a Kindle. Amazon does have the best store by a country mile. Goodreads integration is nice too.

I'd recommend familiarizing yourself with Calibre and Apprentice Alf. In a bit, when you're ready for something new if you decide not to stick with Kindle and you won't feel locked in to any ecosystem.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by w33

Decided to grab Paperwhite and see how I feel about that. If it's fine I'll just grab oasis or whatever the 'cool' model is when it breaks or if it lasts me long enough. I'll just have to be a bit careful in the bath tub. And if not my kind of thing I know what the other options are now.

Is there any piece of software other than Calibre that I'll need?

If you want the "cool" model Kindle, forget the PW3 & the Oasis and just get the Voyage. It's the top of the range Kindle.

[w33]

How are the Nook dictionaries though? That's the main reason I decided to go with Kindle.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

If you are planning to download purchased books to a PC and sideload to your reader, there is no good reason to avoid the Nook Glowlight Plus. It is a nice bit of hardware that is waterproof and has a good, 300 PPI screen. B&N could close tomorrow and your reader would be just as useful now as it was.

However, I think you made a good choice starting out with a Kindle. Amazon does have the best store by a country mile. Goodreads integration is nice too.

I'd recommend familiarizing yourself with Calibre and Apprentice Alf. In a bit, when you're ready for something new if you decide not to stick with Kindle and you won't feel locked in to any ecosystem.

I am not locked into Amazon. I can sideload books from other places without Calibre.
I just have to download the correct format.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by w33

How are the Nook dictionaries though? That's the main reason I decided to go with Kindle.

One of the problems with the Nook Glowlight Plus is that the dictionary is grayed out. Please don't ask me why they decided to do something this dumb. It's probably because they're Barnes and Noble.

Anyway I can't read it so I can't tell you if it's any good or not. The definition pops up and it looks like there's a lot of information but the text is light gray and it takes a huge effort to make out individual words and I've never gotten past the first line of text before giving up.

By the way, if anyone knows a solution to this please let me know.

Barry

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I am not locked into Amazon. I can sideload books from other places without Calibre.
I just have to download the correct format.

Yes, yes. However, I was felt like I should address your FUD about books disappearing. Download them. ALF them. Stop worrying.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yes, yes. However, I was felt like I should address your FUD about books disappearing. Download them. ALF them. Stop worrying.

I am so tired of people saying if you buy a Kindle, you are locked into an ecosystem when It is not true.
One does not require Alf to save their books.
I can buy from Baen, Smashwords, or download from Project Gutenberg or the Patricia C. Clarke Memorial Library here and sideload them to my Kindle without Alf.
So your comment is the FUD.

Please do not spread lies. And saying one is locked into the Amazon ecosystem is completely false.

I was not even commenting about books disappearing.

Though I will say if one is concerned about losing their books, Calibre is a very good program.
It is just not necessary for side loading from other places which is what you implied.
Don't ever accuse me of FUD unless you have 100% proof I am wrong.

[issybird]

I think the phrase "locked into a system" refers to content, not devices. It's a distinction that is less meaningful now that the eink reader market has contracted than it used to be. Just the same, DRM content from Amazon can only be read on Kindles and DRM content from B&N can only be read on Nooks. So to the extent that you purchase content from the store linked to your proprietary device, with both Amazon and B&N you are locked into the system.

With Kobo, however, content from the Kobo store can be read on any eink device that reads epubs, including Nooks and Pocketbooks, and hence you're not locked into a system. The phrase has nothing to do with non-DRM content that can be loaded onto any device, converted if necessary, without recourse to Alf for those with legal or moral issues. But the "locked into a system" aspect is why stripping is Scripture at the Church of MobileRead. Amazon's not going anywhere, but that might not hold true for other purveyors as we've all seen. Let's not forget Mobipocket at that.