How many e-book readers do you own?

[issybird]

First of all, people's device lists are idiosyncratic. Some list every device they've ever had, even the broken ones, and some list just the one(s) in use. Some sell old devices or pass them along and some hang on to them, out of inertia or as "backup." That is, you can't draw any hard and fast conclusions from device lists.

Then, I think there are two major categories of multiple devices: tech upgrades (a ten-year old reader may work well enough even now, but current devices are much better) and/or degraded hardware, and different use situations. Personally, I do have dust-catchers. I passed along some of my older devices as I upgraded, but not nearly all of them. To an extent, I tried to make use cases for older devices I kept, but mostly it's not worth the bother, especially since I'd then be reading on a worse device.

These leaves me with my five Kobos, which in actuality is mostly four of them. My Aura One is my workhorse, armchair reader. My H2O is my nighttime reader, since the Aura One is a little big for bed. My Glo HD is my purse reader. These are the three I list. I also have a Glo which I use as a book repository, given its SD card slot. I have a couple of hundred books on my current readers, but I can always pick up my Glo if I think of something I own that I bought elsewhere than Kobo. Then, I have a Mini. It used to function as my beach/lake/poolside reader, since sunlight makes it readable and its bulky bezels and OEM case means it can take being tossed around; also, it wouldn't break my heart if something happened to it. But I noticed this past summer that I tended to grab either the Glo or the H2O for the waterside; just a better reading experience. This ties into my comment about making use cases mostly not being worth the bother.

Gadget lust is not as much of a factor for me now as it once was. The incremental tech changes are not sufficiently persuasive. The Clara's not enough better than the Glo HD; the Forma's not enough better than the Aura. I've got a mild hankering for the Libra, where I'd have skipped a generation and where the improvement over the H2O starts to seem worth it. And then I'd make the H2O my new repository, which would pretty much put an end to the Glo's usefulness.

I doubt anyone's still with me, but what I'm essentially saying is that multiple devices make sense to me, but the reality is that only so many (an amount which will vary with persons) actually will see some use, no matter how long one's device list!

[Dr. Drib]

I'll make it simple:


Four working devices and one non-working device.

[4691mls]

My list includes all the devices I own. They are all still operable.

I just recently acquired the Tolino and use it if I am going to be away from my home PC and want to be able to obtain new library books.

I bought the Kobo Clara when the Sony T3 could no longer obtain library books directly due to Overdrive system changes/upgrades. Since obtaining the Tolino, I use the Kobo mostly at home, especially if I am going to read in bed at night, because it has the nice adjustable light.

I occasionally use the Sony T3 if I am reading a book that has a fair number of unfamiliar words, especially British words, since the Sony has both American and English versions of the Oxford Dictionary which I like better than the dictionaries on the other devices.

I haven't used the Sony T1 in a long time. It had developed the dictionary lockup problem and also has a divot in the screen where something fell on it from above while I was reading. When I started using the T3 I kept the T1 as a better-than-nothing backup. I don't really need it any more but haven't done anything about getting rid of it. Of course I tend to be a pack rat in general....

[Paperbackstash]

I have an ancient Kindle Fire and the last 2 Paperwhite releases.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Thanks for the Halloween Rex!! Yes, I have a schedule. Those not in daily use are shut off rather than left in sleep mode, and checked on the first of the month - charged if necessary. My brother killed his Kindle Keyboard by not charging it for over 2 years (I traded it in for Voyage), so I am keenly aware of that.

How do you power off a Kindle other then let the battery run out?

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

How do you power off a Kindle other then let the battery run out?

As you know, most of the ereaders just go into sleep mode if you do nothing. However, there is an 'off' solution for all of them, but as pointed out elsewhere on Mobilereads, 'off' doesn't mean completely off (although I understand the Oasis does completely turn off).

For a Kindle Keyboard, hold the power button for 11 seconds. For a Voyage, hold power button for 8 seconds. Select screen off. For most of the others in the kindle line, holding down the power button until the screen goes blank is as off as you can get it.

In my brother's case, he just put the ereader into a drawer and ignored it. It was drained for many months which is how you damage the battery. We bought identical units at the same time and my battery worked perfectly (it was the failure of the power button that caused me to trade it in). Had I not already traded my brother's unit in, I would have just swapped batteries between our units.

[ZodWallop]

I have a Clara HD that is my daily driver and a Nook Glowlight Plus (2015) that I use if I'm going to read in the tub or pool.

I gave my original Aura 6" to an uncle when I replaced it with the Clara. I also have a Sony PRS-505 that was given to me. It doesn't hold a charge when unplugged. Really, I just need to toss it.

Counting the better half there's also a Nook Glowlight 3 and a Simple Touch w/Glowlight that was replaced by the 3. The ST has haphazard care taken. Likely one day it will die on the shelf.

[Poppaea]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Why do I keep them? ...

and you don't really get much for them second hand.

That's not my experience.

My first ereader was an ITALICA reader, basically a Pocketbook 301+ IIRC, bought it for 260€, sold it for 170€ about two years later.

Next came the love of my ereader-life, the Sony PRS-650, bought it for 229€ in fall 2011 and sold it in 2013 for 196€.

I still had a Sony PRS-350 which I used a tad more often because it was lighter.

Bought an Aura 6" in April 2014 for 135€, which I sold for 57€ last week. This one I kept because I thought I'd need a small reader to take with me when I'm out and about. It sat around most of the time as I found it a hassle to keep it stocked with the same books as the Aura One and never remembered to check the battery in time.

In September or October 2016 I bought the Aura One for 229€ and sold it after exactly three years of heavy use for 160€ last week. It had to go for a Kobo Forma that arrived on Saturday.

I read a lot. My readers live in covers, most of them spent their life in leather covers, because I like the touch and they do look pristine when I sell them.

All in all I don't spend much on even the most expensive readers. The only reader I never sold but gave to someone was the Sony PRS-350 but I am sure, it would have sold well.

Sometimes when friends say they'd never spend so much money on a dedicated reading device, it makes me smile. Many of them do spend a LOT of money on their TVs, which are outdated by the time I sell my reader and buy the next generation, about every two to three years.

[CmplxAdSys]

Just my first one ever: a Kobo Aura H20 first gen I got in 2015.

I'll probably keep it until it starts giving me trouble or technology advances a lot.

The only e-reader I've seen that's tempted me is the Kobo Libra, which has a nice form factor with page turn buttons and isn't too large for me (middle-sized e-readers since I don't read much manga).

I'll probably always stick with one reader, though, since I like all my books in one place.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by CmplxAdSys

I'll probably always stick with one reader, though, since I like all my books in one place.

Just wait until your library grows so large that you're not going to fit it on any one device, especially given that SD cards in an ereader is a vanishing trend.

[Frenzie]

I have a BeBook 2 from '09 and an H2O from '14. I used them both for a while so I could keep open endnotes, but I quit doing that thanks to KOReader improvements.

I designated it to be given away before moving, but that didn't happen in time so it moved along.

[petercreasey]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Just wait until your library grows so large that you're not going to fit it on any one device

I've never understood why people keep many, many ebooks on their ereaders. I keep mine on my external USB disk drive or dropbox.

It seems logical that so many ebooks on the ereader can be problematic in a number of ways.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

I've never understood why people keep many, many ebooks on their ereaders. I keep mine on my external USB disk drive or dropbox.

It seems logical that so many ebooks on the ereader can be problematic in a number of ways.

I have about 80-100 eBooks on mine. That's more then enough.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

I've never understood why people keep many, many ebooks on their ereaders. I keep mine on my external USB disk drive or dropbox.

It seems logical that so many ebooks on the ereader can be problematic in a number of ways.

The number of ebooks that you can contain on your ereader and still have it function normally has expanded considerably. On my K3s, 600-700 seemed to be the limit before you started getting sluggishness. I have 1,600 ebooks on one of my Voyages with no apparent sluggishness once the indexing was completed (this is a test, I don't actually like having that many on there). I presume, but don't know, that the newer units have chips with faster processors.

If I could get Collections to work in a logical way for me, I too would have all my books on an ereader. But it doesn't, so I never have more than about 100-200 books (usually entire series) on any one ereader with the exception of the ereaders that have the Kobo and B&N collections (those have about 450 books each).

[HLS]

Originally Posted by Waddle

I notice a lot of forum members own numerous e-book readers, why? Is it just a collecting thing or is there a practical reason?

I started out with B&N Nook 2010. I loved it but hated customer service. I damaged the screen so tried Kindle. I also purchased KOBO once it was at Walmart for I was curious about its ecosystem and because I hated kindle in some aspects. I own 3 Nooks, 4 or more kindles, and 3 kobos. several fires, Galaxy Tab and an iPad. I keep upgrading for I have books in all 4 ecosystems. Also, I get bored easy and like to switch devices.

Also what I want plays a factor. If I want the ebook and audiodiobook I choose Amazon kindle for I can read and listen with immersion reading. If I just want the book and have no plans on getting the audio I choose nook or kobo. Also if one has a better price than the other I will buy the ebook on the platform with the best price.

I like variety