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

[nekokami]

I have to admit, the increased contrast might get me as well. I have very good night vision, but I have to really crank up the font size on my iLiad to be able to read at night using the little LED clip on book light I got to avoid keeping my husband awake. And not all my books are amenable to this kind of tweaking.

[Just4Fun]

Some offerings that would get me to open my pocketbook:

• Larger display for reading technical PDFs/Magazines/Newspapers.
• Plastic Logics prototypes for sale in USA (I'd hawk my house for one of those big and skinny beauties.)
• Color
• Adjustable fonts. Love that feature on my Kindle.
• Greater contrast between background and fonts.
• Ability to adjust the contrast (if possible given the technology).
• Built in reading light or some kind of option that would include a clip on "built for the unit" type of reading light.
• Ability to read multi format documents without conversion.
• Even better book-like 'feel' to the device.
• A device that keeps and merges the best elements of all of the current and past readers.
  
  Whew!

[moz]

OK, feature list to get me to replace the Sony 505:

• better contrast
• slightly bigger screen at higher resolution - 200ppi or so and 7" to match a paperback page
• more memory, deal with it better
• better UI - easier page turning and library navigation
• fewer bugs. Stories of bricked books scare me.

For that feature list I'd pay another $300 or so, but not for a while. It's just not really compelling.

But the big step of to me would be the "eNotepad", something that I can write in as well as read from, and ideally with better connectivity. To be honest, even if it was hardback size I would buy it if it meant I could dump my cellphone and paper notebook.

• more contrast as resolution as above
• bigger screen, folding out to A5 or so
• touch screen/sketchpad
• image library separate from book library (store what I draw)
• cellphone with bluetooth headset
• ideally a reference library too - books that I can search kept separately from ones that I just read.
• on screen keyboard mode for sms/email
• (and for bonus points) colour and camera. If this was hardback size I wouldn't argue with a phone-size LCD on the front with a 2-3MP camera so I can "scan" stuff and view colour images. Keeping the main screen in black and white is fine by me.

Finally, content is the real king for me. If someone could tie in the various online magazine subscriptions and get them to settle on a common format that would rock. Currently it's almost easier for me to scan a paper magazine than download an issue of MakeZine or VeloVision. I don't object to DRM in the short term, I'd buy a subscription that was DRMed as long as I was guaranteed the non-DRM editions later - either at the end of the year or emailed to me after a few months. I demand to be able to read the magazine in 20 years time.

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

Backup, boys! When's the last time you did?

I just spent the best part of a year ripping and scanning music CDs, partly for this reason. Some CDs I had to try in four or five readers before I could get a clean rip. Scanning the artwork persuaded me to buy an A3 scanner, it's just too annoying having to stitch scans together manually. I've also upgraded to a pair of 2TB WB MyBooks for backup, TrueCrypt 5.0 to make sure MY backup stays mine, and a pair of 20" LCDs to read on. Oh, and a Sony reader for portability. But backup... religiously. Everything gets backed up off the RAID5 array at least weekly, and every month or so I swap the off-site backup drive for the one in the house. It's just too hard to replace all the content (I take a lot of photos). But also, dumping 50kg of music CDs was also a big win for me. Even a (big) PC and a couple of external drives is smaller than that many CDs.

[PHugger]

I'm not looking to replace any time soon, but in order for me to even be tempted it would have to be:
1. Much, much faster
2. More durable
I'm not much interested in adding any features. The Sony is very good for linear reading, but is much to slow for anything else like reference books. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Some of the other readers have taken the approach of adding features that poorly mimic those on a PC. I'm happy with a reader AND a computer or PDA. When I'm reading I usually want to be away from the computer........ (c8




PCH

[astra]

I would be interested in:

1. bigger screen - 9.7" (so PDf files can be viewed in a landscape mode without any editing).

Following up by nice features but absolutely not neccessary (only if implementing the features would not downgrade a current set of features my Sony PRS-505 has).

2. dictionary support - more wanted than the next feature.

3. word search through a particular book.

[europas_ice]

I'm a little surprised that several people are rooting for a bigger screen. I wouldn't want a device any bigger than my Sony at any price -- lightweight portability is very important to me.

[Dave Berk]

Originally Posted by europas_ice

I'm a little surprised that several people are rooting for a bigger screen. I wouldn't want a device any bigger than my Sony at any price -- lightweight portability is very important to me.

I also want a bigger screen. Not by much. Just another inch in height. The could add this without changing the size of the unit overall. So the device wouldn't be any bigger. Also a better resulotion - very important. Better contrast and brightness. Faster page turns isn't that important to me, I got used to it, I don't notice it anymore. On the other hand, touchscreen eInk, a la iPhone, is a feature I wouldn't mind having.

But what I would really want is a more durable device. I want something more like my flash mp3 player. A device that can survive being chucked across the room... being dropped into a bag... something that will feel robust, more like a real physical book and less like an electronic device.

[astra]

Originally Posted by europas_ice

I'm a little surprised that several people are rooting for a bigger screen. I wouldn't want a device any bigger than my Sony at any price -- lightweight portability is very important to me.

I would like to have one for home use mainly.
I really love hardback printed books. I like the size of the text and how much of the text fits into the page. A bigger screen, such as 9.7" would allow me the same luxury but on eInk instead of a heavy book (the best font size for me is when I creat a book in BD with base font size 10, then go to medium size, however, it reduces the amount of text that fits into 1 page, so I use mostly small size....but dream of medium...(now, I feel like I have said something wrong, so I clarify - small/medium zoom in sony reader!))

Also I would like it for reading technical PDFs without any conversions. Even if I have to travel with it, you should agree that 9.7" eInk reader is easier to travel with than with 1400 pages tome of Windows XP Professional 070-270.

[nekokami]

I read a lot of journal PDFs. Many of them use a two-column format, and that's quite painful to read while panning around the page.

[astra]

Frankly speaking mine are one-column books, so in landscape mode it will be possible to read 1/2 page without any editing.

[ColdSun]

When I can get a backlit reader that has good battery life, storage space and doesn't cost $400. Until then I'll stick with my DT-375 tablet and my ebookwise-1150. I expect a much higher quality contrast and screen than the old ebookwise.

I know the technology is there. Use the same stuff as OLPC!

[Dylrob]

Originally Posted by europas_ice

I'm a little surprised that several people are rooting for a bigger screen. I wouldn't want a device any bigger than my Sony at any price -- lightweight portability is very important to me.

This is why I'm interested in flexible eInk technology. It can potentially give the best of both worlds: A relatively large display, useful for viewing at least 99.9% of the PDFs out there, on a device that's light weight and folds down to fit in your purse/bag/jacketpocket/etc.

[ehubbard]

I have had a Sony eReader for awhile now. I'm hungry for something like the Sony with a built in night light.

Faster page flips would be okay... but a freaken night light and I'd upgrade as fast as I could afford it..

Seems so simple... reading these posts.. I didn't see a lot of people asking for a built in night light. How weird! they all want fancy features like touch screens.. full oses.. wi-fi.....

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by ehubbard

I have had a Sony eReader for awhile now. I'm hungry for something like the Sony with a built in night light.

Faster page flips would be okay... but a freaken night light and I'd upgrade as fast as I could afford it..

Seems so simple... reading these posts.. I didn't see a lot of people asking for a built in night light. How weird! they all want fancy features like touch screens.. full oses.. wi-fi.....

I guess I am so used to reading books with a lamp or light turned on and I use my eBook Reader that way to... so it isn't unusal. And pretty much and clip on book reading light will work on a reader too.

BOb

[alia]

Color, maybe... I'm just so comfortable with my Cybook that I can't imagine switching out any time in the near future. Plus re-uploading all your books to another mobile device is kind of a drag. And I bought the BooksOnBoard 2-year warranty. Basically, a new device would have to be some sort of car with wings that can fold up to pocket-sized.