Reading e-books on your phone - why do it?

[astra]

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

Would a device with a screen that large be a good form factor for a cell phone?

That's why I'm not into convergence: a screen as big as I'd like for all of the other things I do with a device makes it too big to be a realistic cell phone.
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Dennis

You nailed it

[mgrunk]

First post here - I'm a techie geek - build my own computers, first to own a cell phone and pda - Handspring Visor, moved on the a HP RX3115, now I'm on a motorola q. I wanted a convergence device - phone, pda, mp3 player, camera.

I am dying reading on the q's screen and totally miss the touch screen (I should have gone w/ a palm device) but I don't want to go back to the HTC's larger screen either. And, if I don't have one device, I forget to keep my cell phone charged.

My biggest regret w/ the q (other than losing the touch screen) is that MS didn't bother to make a Microsoft Reader for the platform - so, I have a bunch of DRM books at fictionwise that I can't read again. I like new release books, so now I stick w/ Mobipocket's DRM from fictionwise.

I have to be patient - I'm not cash flush anymore (8 kids) - and my website design work doesn't pull in enough to pay for my tech hobby.

Anyway, I love the site - will enjoy vicariously everyone else's slick Kindle and Sony devices.

Michelle

[erwin]

Originally Posted by astra

You nailed it

Obviously I disagree.

For example a 5" display IMO is enough to use it as a portable info-gizmo, but not too much to use it as a phone (with BT headset if you wish).

And when we will have a foldable\rollable display (with backlighting, naturally the problem will be totally over...

[nekokami]

If my iLiad could make and receive calls (with a bluetooth headset, for example), I'd ditch the phone. I rarely use it anyway.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

I normally use my PDA for e-books, and I like it fine. Recently I upgraded my cellphone from a Razr to an LG Dare (a touch-clone). I mainly did it to get access to e-mail and full web pages (like this one!), and the full-sized screen is very clear and readable. Which immediately got me thinking about the possibility of reading e-books on it.

Thing is, I don't think there is a reader for the phone, so that probably won't happen anytime soon. Even if it did, I did not get the phone to replace my PDA, and I still carry it with me, so I'll keep reading on the PDA. I'll save the phone for e-mail checking and web browsing.

[slainte]

I'm from Ireland so there is not a great selection of mobile phones here anyway. I have a sony reader which i love but would also be interested in reading on my mobile phone. Which phone is the best one for reading books on. In Ireland we have the Iphone and the Samsung Tocco but both are expensive. Which of these would people recommend. Also what other phones are good at this and where might I get them. Do not want big bulky ones!

[HarryT]

Any Windows Smartphone or (pretty much) any phone running the "Symbian" o/s can use MobiPocket. I use an "HTC Touch" Windows Smartphone which works very well, as a phone, a PDA, and an "emergency" eBook reader.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Any Windows Smartphone or (pretty much) any phone running the "Symbian" o/s can use MobiPocket. I use an "HTC Touch" Windows Smartphone which works very well, as a phone, a PDA, and an "emergency" eBook reader.

Same here, with a HTC Touch Dual (and a HTC Wizard/T-Mobile MDA Vario before that).

[bbusybookworm]

Originally Posted by slainte

I'm from Ireland so there is not a great selection of mobile phones here anyway. I have a sony reader which i love but would also be interested in reading on my mobile phone. Which phone is the best one for reading books on. In Ireland we have the Iphone and the Samsung Tocco but both are expensive. Which of these would people recommend. Also what other phones are good at this and where might I get them. Do not want big bulky ones!

Well, from the quick google search i've just done, the Samsung Tocco does nor appear to be Windows Mobile Device (WM). So I would not suggest getting that id you plan to read on it as I'm doubtfully you'll find the apps for it.

Could you elaborate as to which network you're or or whether that doesn't matter that much. We could then perhaps suggest one of the WM phones by that carrier.

One Tip is that these phones are usually marketed to businesses so while they do sell them to consumers, you often have to ask for them specificly, or look in the section next to the blackberry's .

As for the iPhone, with the existence of the app store, there are a number of applications available for it to read e-books such as e-reader, stanza, etc.
Do a search for iPhone / iPod Touch / iTouch to see how people are going about doing so.