Your thoughts on the best non e-ink device?

[Katelyn]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

The 1200 is a great eBook reader but it has poor battery life and very heavy and bulky. It is best used at home but the 1150 is better when traveling (mobileread). The eBookwise is 1150 still be sold while the 1200 is not. I understand the Cybook gen 1 was a nice device too. Used units are often scarce or hard to get repaired or get parts.

Dale

Poor battery life is relative - compared to e-ink, there is no contest. Yes, the 1150 has longer battery life but the small screen, greenish, dingy screen of the 1150 outweighs the shorter battery life (to me). I get about 10 hrs of use before charging which I takes very little time and I can do it while traveling with a car adapter.

Heavy. Yep. Did I mention the large screen size and the clarity of text and whiteness of the screen? Again, one outweighs the other - you decide.

Yes the 1150 is still being sold but you CAN find the 1200 on ebay from time to time. That's where I found mine. Also, the 1200 is still being supported by the maker, eBook Technologies (Garth Conboy is the nicest guy!) and their email response time is phenomenal).

Originally Posted by ashkulz

...My 1200 rarely leaves the house as it's way too bulky (plus it has that problem with the page turn button -- which is flimsy by design)

Bulky - see Heavy. Yep. above .

I've read other posts about the "flimsy" buttons and I just don't see it. I only WISH my Sony 505 has the buttons my 1200 does. Maybe it's an individual reader issue.

You won't convince me that the 1150 is better as a reader than the 1200. You want to say it's lighter and has a better battery life, then yep, I agree. Try reading PDFs on an 1150. No way, no how... no... oh, that's from my political rant - never mind!

Katelyn

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by Katelyn

Poor battery life is relative [snip]

Heavy. Yep. [snip]

Garth Conboy is the nicest guy!) and their email response time is phenomenal).

Bulky - see Heavy. Yep. above . [snip]

Try reading PDFs on an 1150. No way, no how... no... oh, that's from my political rant - never mind!

Katelyn

Ahhhh, I agree, ohhmmmm... (now a peace with oneself)!

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

The 1200 is a great eBook reader but it has poor battery life and very heavy and bulky. It is best used at home but the 1150 is better when traveling (mobileread). The eBookwise is 1150 still be sold while the 1200 is not. I understand the Cybook gen 1 was a nice device too. Used units are often scarce or hard to get repaired or get parts.

Dale

I seem to remember it had Ubook on it too, so an incredible amount of ebook file types could be read. I remember lusting after this device about 7 years ago.

Don

[HarryT]

I still have my CyBook Gen1. Yes, it had uBook on it, together with a couple of other reading apps, too. It was a nice machine - its main limitation was a very short battery life; if you saved power in every possible way, you'd get 4h reading time from it before needing a recharge.

[MrFinch]

I went a-surfing for a while after my last post, and did come across the 1200. Lust, lust, drool, drool etc...until I saw that mere mortals cant buy them (can anyone explain this to me?)

DaleDe, thanks for the ebay tip. eBay Australia of course knows nothing of these things, I think it might be time to register on the US site...

Katelyn, sent you a pm

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by MrFinch

I'd been looking foward to getting my hands on it, because I was going to buy one next. However...the eInk screen is just terrible. In strong light its not too bad (but decidely greyish and dead-looking) and in any other sort of light it looks like the text is floating above the screen.

Well, welcome to the club...I posted a while back that the Sony 505 was so lacking in contrast in normal room lighting that I crossed it off the list before even buying one. I played with it in Borders for a solid 30-45mins.

We bought a Kindle and, well, to my eyes it's display is no different from the 505. Marginal contrast under anything other than bright direct lighting. I don't use it and never will...it's not just due to the display inside but also it's very difficult for me to hold w/o my modifying the case itself. The page turning buttons are not in a reasonable location for me and are far to sensitive. (but I am one guy and lots of folks are perfectly happy or is it delusional? )

The Kindle did not work as a reader for my Mom (thought I could get her a simple device to give her something beyond TV to keep her mind working) but the ergonomics and display killed that idea in short order too. So now my better half uses it...she seems to spend more on books than she seems to actually read though...but she seems content with it...

E-Ink is not an end all nor is it the best option for a fair number of potential users, I knoow...hereasy...oh, well, ...

Outside the Kindle ROCKS and rules the world of readers (or any other vizplex eink device for that matter). But at best I am outside a max of 5% of the time reading...thus indoor is the limiting factor for me too. Still I would LOVE a rugged outdoor readable eink device that fits my needs.

I settled for a Nokia N800 as an ereading device for a variety of reasons. first is the backlight display, next was price, last is I can use a program called XWORD to do the NYT (or any Across Lite .puz format puzzles) xword puzzles on the device. But I am not one to recommend any of the Nokia Nxxx series for the non-geek average joe-consumer type person. The OS is simply not that friendly yet...

Still for the web browsing, decent battery life as well as being able to run xword and fbreader, plus things like Xournal and a few other apps really make up for some of the issues I have with the fussy linux/debian core based OS.

Like you I thought of maybe finding something else a bit larger as a dedicated reader...nothing justified buying anything else. I just have to tap the screen about a zillion more times to turn the pages of a book on the N800...

So I am willing to wait for, well a long while before wasting any more cash on an ereader...and that would be my recommendation, stay with your N770 (or grab a cheap N800 now that it's discontinued.)

[talaivan]

It's a real shame that the REB 1200 was a dead end. With more modern technology (esp. higher resolution and less weight plus a USB port and wi-fi) it could be the best eBook reader period. The problem with e-Ink is that you can't write on it. Yes, the Iliad lets you do so, but it doesn't work very well. You can put notations on the 1200 as easily and efficiently as paper. It also has color. It's still by far the best reader if you have to make written notes. We'll see how the new Iliad works, but I'm not very hopeful, as the current Iliad is pathetic.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by talaivan

It's a real shame that the REB 1200 was a dead end. With more modern technology (esp. higher resolution and less weight plus a USB port and wi-fi) it could be the best eBook reader period.

Now, just to get to current "manufacturer" (ETI) thinking the same thing... They should just upgrade the screen (to use eink) and retain the touch screen with at least 16 grayscale (that is, until color eink becomes commercially viable!)

The problem with e-Ink is that you can't write on it. Yes, the Iliad lets you do so, but it doesn't work very well. You can put notations on the 1200 as easily and efficiently as paper. It also has color. It's still by far the best reader if you have to make written notes. We'll see how the new Iliad works, but I'm not very hopeful, as the current Iliad is pathetic.

And to a lesser degree (smaller screen and only 16 grayscale) the eBookwise 1150 has the exact same look & feel and ability to write notes on the touch screen! The REB1200's color and 8.2" screen are nice though....

[MrFinch]

wow brecklundin, nice to know I'm not the only heretic!

I was a little worried about being burnt in effigy for a while there....

nrapallo, bite your tongue! The last thing I want is a 1200 with eInk!

Now, my learned friends-cruising eBay US, I have come across an old RCA REB1100. The price is right (so far) and I understand I have to do a little finessing with filetypes-but is the screen comparable to the 1150?

And finally, another question-the lovely and forward thinking folks at Fictionwise used to do their book club dealy type thingy which included their Fictionwise branded 1150 reader. I cant find a thing about it on the site, do they still offer this?

Yours in humble gratitude and backlit goodness

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by MrFinch

wow brecklundin, nice to know I'm not the only heretic!

I was a little worried about being burnt in effigy for a while there....

nrapallo, bite your tongue! The last thing I want is a 1200 with eInk!

............ Oh, you said bite...

Now, my learned friends-cruising eBay US, I have come across an old RCA REB1100. The price is right (so far) and I understand I have to do a little finessing with filetypes-but is the screen comparable to the 1150?

Same looking hardware but two completely different reading experiences. The REB1100 has a B&W screen and uses the .RB format whereas the eBookwise-1150 has a 16 grayscale screen and uses the .IMP format. Some actually prefer the REB1100's look and font options over the less customizeable EBW1150. I don't use either anymore

And finally, another question-the lovely and forward thinking folks at Fictionwise used to do their book club dealy type thingy which included their Fictionwise branded 1150 reader. I can't find a thing about it on the site, do they still offer this?

Yours in humble gratitude and backlit goodness

The ETI website lists two retail partners; the one you're looking for, I think, is Filament Books.

[MrFinch]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

The ETI website lists two retail partners; the one you're looking for, I think, is Filament Books.

THANK YOU!!

Damn, no wonder I couldnt find anything on Fictionwise

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Well, welcome to the club...I posted a while back that the Sony 505 was so lacking in contrast in normal room lighting that I crossed it off the list before even buying one. I played with it in Borders for a solid 30-45mins.

We bought a Kindle and, well, to my eyes it's display is no different from the 505. Marginal contrast under anything other than bright direct lighting. I don't use it and never will...it's not just due to the display inside but also it's very difficult for me to hold w/o my modifying the case itself. The page turning buttons are not in a reasonable location for me and are far to sensitive. (but I am one guy and lots of folks are perfectly happy or is it delusional? )

You might find the PRS-700 (due sometime in November) more to your liking. It's got much better ergonomics and it has led front lighting built in. So you don't have to worry about low lighting situations like you do with the Kindle or 505 (without the lightwedge cover).