So, what would your PERFECT eBook device be like?

[LDBoblo]

Good resolution, good contrast, good speed, good physical ergonomics, good input method, good software and UI.

With perhaps the exception of ergonomics, we have none of the above yet.

[Zerhackermann]

Personally I hope that the "synergy" bug stays out of the e-readers and they just concentrate on replicating and enhancing the "book" experience. Of course that is a vain hope, eventually every device tries to do it all and ends up doing none of it very well. But really, if it doesnt help me read and manage my library, I dont want it. And I am an unrepentant gadget freak.

But if there were one thing I could choose with a wish, it would be to have a screen that duplicates high quality text on paper and magazine color (i.e. photographs) that is also physically resizable from pocket sized to coffee table book sized

[scoff]

If the whole edge is only $490, where is the wacom enabled 9.7 inch e-ink device for < $490?

[Solitaire1]

Basically my Sony PRS-505 is nearly perfect. The following improvements would make it perfect:

- Remove the MP3 player function or make it a fully functioning player with features comparable to the dedicated audio players.

- Provide a high-resolution full-color screen and iIncrease the screen size to 6.5 inches by 10 inches (the size of a standard U. S. comic book) so I can read comic books in full color on the device (this would also be great for other types of books).

- Add both simple (meaning the basic tags) and complex (meaning everything in the standard) HTML to the list of supported formats.

- Provide the ability for the user to easily add fonts to the device and set the default fonts without having to tinker with the device's firmware.

- Add a user-replaceable external battery so that the user can change batteries on the go.

- Provide a simple alternative to the EBook Library software (comparable to the Content Transfer program for Sony audio players) and allow full ebook management on the device (adding and deleting ebooks, creating collections and loading ebooks into them, and sorting the collections).

[Lo Zeno]

My HanLin V3 has almost everything I wanted from a dedicated reader, especially the widest possible range of supported formats (really, it reads ANYTHING).

To be perfect, it would need: page-turning buttons on BOTH sides of the device, support SDHC (it supports only SD), ebook-browsing by cover image, color e-ink display, and some kind of connectivity (3G or WiFi are both ok, though 3G is preferred).
BUT I should be able to turn connectivity on and off at will, and not be always, continuously connected.

[BigWaffles]

Like others have said, I just want to read. That being restated, here's what I would like to see:

A 6" e-reader for easy to carry basic reading with:
8Gb internal memory or SDHC card reader (not a deal breaker)
No WiFi
No MP3
No Text to speech
Folder view for organization
Thin and light.
Good battery life
Low price. Would like to see under $200
Non-glare screen
Mini USB for charging and book transfer
Multi-format support

Also, I would like to see a large format reader with an 8.5 x 11 inch screen with true native PDF support. This would be the stay-at-home/take-to-work reader for reference material. Same features as above but heavier is acceptable.

A stripped Kindle 2 (minus MP3, text-to-speech, & wireless) with SDC, folders, and under $200 would be ideal for the 6" reader (are you listening Amazon?).


C.P.T.

[LDBoblo]

I find it funny how people can have such low standards for a perfect device, taking modesty of demands to such a ludicrous extreme.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I find it funny how people can have such low standards for a perfect device, taking modesty of demands to such a ludicrous extreme.

I'm kinda depressed at how little people are willing to spend on perfect devices

[Greg Anos]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I find it funny how people can have such low standards for a perfect device, taking modesty of demands to such a ludicrous extreme.

Look at it this way, for many people the devices are relatively close to what they want. This is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Myself, I would like my BeBook/Astak to have one of the new bistable, color, fast screen tech that may make it out the door, and better e-pub reader firmware, (I use openinkpot and FBReader doesn't do a great job with epub and images.) I want it for the screen change speed not just for color.

I've had both touchscreen and non-touchscreen e-readers, and i find I prefer the non-touchscreen type. (go figure). I don't want connectivity, and will disable it if present, but I want it to have a SDHC (at a minimum) and would prefer SDXC card slot.

Secondary features (nice but not necessary). If there is audio playback, back it with quality. That means being able to read WAV and FLAC files, not just MP-3.

I don't use dictionaries, and I don't take notes, so those features are meaningless to me.

[Marseille]

Originally Posted by Rootman

I see the merging of tablet PC an ereaders as being inevitable, I mean as color e-ink , OLED or something else screens that sip battery juice the screens ability to reproduce color and moving images will be there.

I'm all about pixel qi right now. e-ink is expensive and slow, and puts too many restrictions on other uses. A good LCD that can switch back and forth between backlighting and using reflective layers for the display means you still have video, gaming, better magazine support and other applications in your toolbox, at a fraction of the cost of more limiting tech.

The bigger advantage to a tablet paradigm instead of a retailer-dedicated device is being able to read from multiple stores by way of their reader applications instead of being primarily tied to one source. Either a Windows or iPhone OS tablet would provide a lot of flexibility on that front. Android and Windows Mobile may well get the right applications to serve the same need later on.

I can also see the need for cell phone wireless AS WELL AS WiFi wireless to take advantage of speed or closed systems not available over cell phone. Perhaps te cell phone access by subscription and WiFi access built in as default.

My ideal device won't have a carrier data radio at all, much less the cost associated with it. I get that some people want it, but the couple of hours a week where I don't have wifi access are hours I can live without connectivity. Wifi alone has me more than covered.

[DaleDe]

Not to sidetrack the thread but it is interesting to look at a thread from 4 years ago this month to see what people wanted. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5843
It was focused on E-Ink when there were only 4 current devices and other 2 were available outside of Asia, the Sony PRS500 and the iRex iLiad. The other two were Jinke devices, the V8 and V2. At that point the original Sony Libre had be discontinued. The wiki reader matrix of the day showed 4 devices.

Dale

[Penforhire]

Perfect? A heads-up projection system, simulating something larger than a Kindle DX. Maybe a headset that optionally shutters the outside world. The effective contrast ratio has to be slightly better than current e-ink. Color of course! Wifi for PC file transfers. Let's say voice-controlled input or annotation. How about eye-tracking for page flips (e.g. stare at Page Forward button or similar)?

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

I find it funny how people can have such low standards for a perfect device, taking modesty of demands to such a ludicrous extreme.

Well, I'd also like my ebook reader to OCR & convert scanned PDFs, play music I've tagged to the book I'm reading, keep a spreadsheet of "books I've read" and "books I'd like to read next," and have a gentle-but-persistent alarm that tells me when I'm about to miss my stop on the train because I'm too engrossed in the book.

But I was sticking to features I thought were possible with today's technology with a bit of innovation, not features that a Star Trek ebook reader might have.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Well, I'd also like my ebook reader to OCR & convert scanned PDFs, play music I've tagged to the book I'm reading, keep a spreadsheet of "books I've read" and "books I'd like to read next," and have a gentle-but-persistent alarm that tells me when I'm about to miss my stop on the train because I'm too engrossed in the book.

But I was sticking to features I thought were possible with today's technology with a bit of innovation, not features that a Star Trek ebook reader might have.

All those features are doable today-someone just needs to implement them!

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by phenomshel

I don't know about having it all, but I'm so spoiled from reading on my netbook now, that I can tell you I will never go back to a device that doesn't read everything natively. That pretty much leaves out every e-ink device currently on the market, unfortunately. I also love the ability to search for an author's bibliography on a whim, (I read a lot of series). I do still want something with a tablet or slate form factor, though, or maybe dual screen like the Edge or the MSI dual screen device.

As I state nearly every post, this is only my opinion. I don't expect it to tally with anyone elses. Which means that I don't want to justify why I want what I want, and I don't want to argue about it. It's just my opinion.

Rejoice, as this is exactly how I feel as well! Not that I'm spoiled from reading from a netbook, as I never had one and never will have one, but from personal experience with other types of readers. One WinCE, one Windows, and one dedicated, I'd say I'd go for the windows reader first, WinCE second and sorry, dedicated last.

My next reader must have touchscreen though. Couldn't care less about 3G, never understood the hype with that...