The right reader for a guy who knows exactly what he wants it to do

[Donnageddon]

When iron tools were introduced, literature lost it's soul. How can anyone read a stone tablet chiseled by iron? It just doesn't have the same je ne sais quoi!

:0

[theusualuser]

Fair enough. You've convinced me. Although I think I'll probably have to buy a wheelbarrow of some sort to carry them around in, which could get pricey.

Any recommendations on good places to buy chiseled tablets? Does Amazon or B&N carry them, or would I be more likely to find them at Wal-Mart?

[Donnageddon]

Originally Posted by theusualuser

Any recommendations on good places to buy chiseled tablets? Does Amazon or B&N carry them, or would I be more likely to find them at Wal-Mart?

Pricey indeed... and almost impossible to come by. I found one that at least comes close.

They just don't chisel stone tablets the way they use to.

[GA Russell]

My problem with stone tablets is the shipping.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by theusualuser

I DO care about (in order of importance):

1. Price AFTER any necessary add-ons (chargers, batteries, SD cards, etc.)

2. Price versus the screen. It's very important to me that the screen is crisp and the text is easy to read. If I'm going to spend $100 or more on a device that's supposed to keep me from getting eye strain rather than just read the ebook on my PC, it had BETTER have a nice screen.

3a. Is it going to last. I'm probably going to end up with a 1 year warranty on just about anything I buy. Is there a brand that really has stood the test of time?

3b. Ease of accessing my books. How are they organized? Can I jump to a particular page? Table of Contents? Can I sort them by author, or genre, or what have you?

4.Fonts - I'd like to be able to choose from some fonts if it's at all possible. I'd also like several different font sizes.

5. Does the company have good support. If I do end up having to deal with a defective unit, I'd really like the company to be able to work with me on getting it taken care of in a timely manner.

So, with all of those things in mind, what do you think is the right reader for me?

Another question: (maybe this needs another thread?) Are lithium ion batteries fairly cheap to replace? I want this unit to last for quite a number of years if that's possible, so I'm assuming I'll wear at least one battery out.

Ooh, just thought of another question. E-ink screens versus TFT vs. SiPix. Is there really enough of a difference that one format is clearly dominant? I mean, I've heard great things about the Kindle 3's screen, but I've heard that some people like the Jetbook better because the TFT allows for instant page turns with no annoying blink (is it really all THAT annoying?). I know nothing about Sipix. Someone please inform me!

I only have experience with the Kindle.

1) K3 WiFi is $139. Toss in a cover, say $40 = $179.

2) K3 has the top of the line e-ink screen. Great screen, very crisp very clear.

3a) My K1 is running strong with its first battery. 2 years and counting. I would expect your K3 to last a long time as long as you don't abuse it.

3b) Collections allows you to sort your books how you want them. Easy to do, easy to use. Navigation within books is easy enough. The TOC is one click away.

4) 8 font sizes and I believe 2 or 3 font types available.

5) Amazon CS is great. People who have had problems get very fast trun around and great support.

I wouldn't worry about the battery. My K1 is running on its original battery 2 years later. No real problems there. THe K3 battery has a better battery.

[cjottawa]

Originally Posted by theusualuser

I'm completely open to just about any ebook reader out there. The ones that I've studied the most are the Kindle 3 and the various flavors of Jetbooks and Libre Pros. So, here are my qualifications, and I'll let you tell me what fits.

I don't care at all about:

-Wifi

-3G

I thought I didn't either. Then I bought a 3G Kindle and learned I could host my ebook library via DropBox. You might consider springing for this.

-DRM (stripping it is just a google search away)

-Extra formats/Lack of formats. If it supports MOBI or EPUB or FB2, I can make the necessary conversions with Calibre (after I strip the DRM, that is).

-How long it takes to charge OR having to leave it there to charge. I figure I'm smart enough to plan ahead and have it charged when I'm doing some heavy reading.

Good man. File formats are such a no-brainer so many people get held up on. eInk devices will hold a charge long enough to be a non-issue as well.

I DO care about (in order of importance):

1. Price AFTER any necessary add-ons (chargers, batteries, SD cards, etc.)

...

3b. Ease of accessing my books. How are they organized? Can I jump to a particular page? Table of Contents? Can I sort them by author, or genre, or what have you?

K3 includes a charger and USB cable, however, you would need to buy a cover separately. How expensive that is will depend on whether or not you want a built in light.

• No built-in light: inexpensive (Amazon's cover: $35 - others $7.99+)
• With built-in light: Amazon's lighted cover: $60.
• Alternative: third party cover and a clip on light. (wait for a sale or it approaches the price of the lighted case)

I can only speak directly to the Kindle 3 by saying the collection system isn't overly advanced. It's designed for quickly "tagging" documents much like you add labels to Gmail inbox items.

You can "hack" it a bit, using special characters like ~ or # and, as above, if you host all your books and have remote access, you have even more options.

Accessing the Table of Contents of a book is very easy on a Kindle and the "back" button works just like a web browser, making it a convenient "undo" when you end up in a spot you don't want to be.

4.Fonts - I'd like to be able to choose from some fonts if it's at all possible. I'd also like several different font sizes.

If file format compatibility isn't intimidating to you, the Kindle font hacks won't likely be a problem either.

5. Does the company have good support. If I do end up having to deal with a defective unit, I'd really like the company to be able to work with me on getting it taken care of in a timely manner.

Amazon goes above and beyond. I have a thread on one issue I had, here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=102527

I can't say enough about how AWESOME Amazon's customer service is.

So, with all of those things in mind, what do you think is the right reader for me?

You sound tech savvy enough to manage whatever you get but I think you're going to miss out on some fun if you exclude the Kindle 3G+WiFi as an option.

[jbcohen]

Kindle is rather expensive for my tastes, got nothing aginst it however.

[theusualuser]

I looked around, and after playing with an Aluratek Libre at Borders, I felt comfortable spending my money on something similar. I had a hard decision between the Jetbook Lite and the Kindle, but in the end I chose the price of the Jetbook over the nicer screen of the Kindle. I snagged a Jetbook Lite for $60 on eBay, so I'm relatively certain that I'll be satisfied with my purchase.

Thanks for all the input, guys!

[soondai]

dude, you're not gonna get more bang for your 139 bucks than a K3.
great screen, great price.

I'm also a vicarious fan of the jetBook lite, available for 100 at newegg

[=X=]

Originally Posted by cjottawa

I thought I didn't either. Then I bought a 3G Kindle and learned I could host my ebook library via DropBox. You might consider springing for this.

Good man. File formats are such a no-brainer so many people get held up on. eInk devices will hold a charge long enough to be a non-issue as well.

That's right formats is just the flavor of the day

• No built-in light: inexpensive (Amazon's cover: $35 - others $7.99+)
• With built-in light: Amazon's lighted cover: $60.
• Alternative: third party cover and a clip on light. (wait for a sale or it approaches the price of the lighted case)

I can only speak directly to the Kindle 3 by saying the collection system isn't overly advanced. It's designed for quickly "tagging" documents much like you add labels to Gmail inbox items.


Accessing the Table of Contents of a book is very easy on a Kindle and the "back" button works just like a web browser, making it a convenient "undo" when you end up in a spot you don't want to be.

If file format compatibility isn't intimidating to you, the Kindle font hacks won't likely be a problem either.

Amazon goes above and beyond. I have a thread on one issue I had, here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=102527

I can't say enough about how AWESOME Amazon's customer service is.


You sound tech savvy enough to manage whatever you get but I think you're going to miss out on some fun if you exclude the Kindle 3G+WiFi as an option.

I couldn't agree with you more. Your comments are spot on.

The only thing I would add is that with calibre and web service, I've found collections and disk space to be a non issue.

Calibre is great for tagging and sorting books and has a great mobile interface.

So if I ever need to find a book, I just point to my K2 to my calibre server and search away.
And since all my books are stored on my home PC I'll delete any books I don't need on my Kindle to keep the disk usage minimal.

=X=

[jbcohen]

My Aluratek Libra Pro can do everything you want for $100 except for chosing different fonts. My Libra Pro costs a lot less then a kindle but look at what you get for the extra $80:

1) The kindle is thiner
2) The kindle is lighter
3) The kindle is faster
4) Kindles can be customized, can put your name on yours
5) Kindles have a search function
6) Kindles can take notes in the margins
7) Kindles have a dictionary

My Libra Pro has none of the above, but I guess you get what you pay for. All in all I think I would rather use a Kindle, but I simply do nto want to pay that much for an ereader.

[The Terminator]

KOBO has two font styles, five print sizes and e-ink screen wont tire your eyes, and with the kindle you cant rent e-pub books from your online library, 100 free classic ebooks preloaded

i own a kobo love it

[cjottawa]

Originally Posted by THE TERMINATOR

KOBO has two font styles, five print sizes and e-ink screen wont tire your eyes, and with the kindle you cant rent e-pub books from your online library, 100 free classic ebooks preloaded

i own a kobo love it

Not entirely correct. You can rent ebooks from your library if you own a Kindle.

To use them on the Kindle would require stripping DRM and converting to a different format.

[Noah98]

I think the price difference between the JBL and Kindle 3 wifi is negligible when you factor in the batteries and SD card required for the JBL.

The JBl is more of a budget reader, while the Kindle 3 is the most well rounded.