A question for expericned ebook readers.

[Larry Z.]

I enjoyed reading on almost all of my ebook devices, but have to say I really liked the backlighting of the Rocket Ebook series - both black & white and color versions. I like to read late at night, and I'd prefer to turn off the lamp at some point.

For me the best ebook readers are the ones that have such a pleasant interface that I simply lose myself in the book. I, for one, like to forget I'm using a device after awhile, and be left to dwell on the content therein.

The perfect ebook reader would combine the backlight of the Rocket ebooks, the great page-turning bar and hardware buttons of the iLiad, and the size/fit/feel of the Sony Reader. Of course e-ink is awsome in bright light - and both the iLiad and Reader have great displays.

From the original Rocket ebook through the Treo's, pocket PC's, Libre and now the iLiad and Reader; I've tried them all and ultimately think that what really makes the reader is a great book... (Pun intended...) So the fewer hoops we collectively need to jump through, the better our experience.

Just my 2 cents...

Larry Z.

[lady_morana]

I wish I could afford a new reader....that its main purpose is reading books. With the nice texts and the bright easy to read screens.

But alas, I am poor and would rather spend my money on other joys.

So I have 2 main ways to read ebooks.

First, my original book reader. A Mobile Pro.
Yes, I know, it is larger and has a keyboard. But it has a nice size screen that is bright unless you are trying to read in the sunlight. And I can do actual work on it.

Since my favorite book reading software is UBook, with the help of BookDesigner, I can read almost any book presently released on the market.
For manuals with pictures I have a PDF reader on my old mobile pro. Maybe three or four out of a thousand books I cannot get on my Ubook.

My new luxury is an Axim 51V. Again, I mainly use Ubook software, but I also have Adobe reader and MS LIT installed. I also have a voice text reader for when I am driving, It can finish reading my book to me.

So I have found that you do not have to have an expensive bookreader to enjoy ebooks. I have even sold Mobile Pros to friends who want to start cheap in ebooks.

[JSWolf]

WHat size screen does a Mobile Pro have?

[NatCh]

8.1 in DSTN passive matrix, according to CNET.

[JSWolf]

Larger screen then the Sony with a lower resolution.

[HarryT]

Same as the old CyBook (same screen, I suspect). Pretty horrible screen - can only be read in dim light, and because it's not an "active matrix" screen it has a very small range of "viewing angles".

[UncleDuke]

i get bothered in the uk with the flickering of the screens all at 50 hz rather than 60 hz, after a while it stops, same with screens, bright ones hurt my eyes, the sony reader is passive or call it reflective and i can read for hours, not so one laptop

[lady_morana]

The specs of my old thing is at
http://media.twango.com/m1/original/...7d4263819f.pdf

Yes, the screen is dim in bright light but I can read sitting in my truck as long as the sun isn't shinning directly on the screen.

It was not originally purchased as a book reader. More for play and homework. Over the years, it has evolved into a trustworthy friend.
It recently came off the hood of my truck around a curve going about 35 MPH, It is in a neoprene case and it just bounced it's way out of the road and onto the grass. It has been under about one inch of water and took 4 days to dry out. Both times, it started right back up. I am also on the my third Axim. The first was dropped in it's leather case. The button on the side(X5) was hit and the screen was no longer a "touch" screen. The second (v50) got some wires crossed somewhere and started smoking one day. By that time, it had been dropped several times. I have actually lost count of the number of times I have dropped the mobil pro, both off the hood of the car and just normal clumbsiness. But it still works

Yea, it is old. But they are cheap these days. They do have a nice size screen, if dim. My friends that do have these like them because they have the large screen and you can change the screen and font around on the uBook reader. They do not really read outside or in bright light. (we all work third shift)
One friend will have it open on the pillow next to her and have it on auto-scroll. When she falls asleep reading and fails to keep the screen alive, it shuts down and keeps her place. The attached keyboard makes it easy to prop open on somethng soft like a pillow.

I will wait on the new book readers until I break my new Axim. I would love one with the large bright screens.

[KDawg]

I've been reading ebooks since the late 90s on a variety of Palms and now on a Sony Reader. I find that higher resolution is better. I certainly believe there is such a thing as too much contrast - I like my Palm TX brightness cranked all the way down and I use an off-white background in the day and a black background at night. And I find that eink with reflected light is far more comfortable than a backlit Palm.

After trying a few different night reading solutions with the Sony Reader I found one I like. I don't like the white LEDs for night reading - too white, too bright. I found a head-lamp at Target with a single red LED to keep from spoiling night vision. I don't really want to put it on my head but I find laying it on the pillow by my head, pointed up at the Reader works best for me at night.

[JSWolf]

What I am using at the moment is an ear light. It's an LED light attached to my ear.