What eReader to get? -NONE

[Ea]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Good news - Alex informed that we will have jetBook forum this week!

BTW, I consider my Reader a necessity on the same level as my computer, electric kettle, hair dryer, stereo amplifier, DVD player, etc. Now, my netbook, that was a frivolous buy!

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by zenmonky

\ How can i justify paying more for something that is essentially a specific purpose computer than I would pay for a full functional netbook with a windows or linux os? \

You don't have to justify it, buy one or don't, either way you don't have to justify it. I'm not clear as to the purpose of your post. Are you asking us to help you justify the purchase so you'll have less guilt, or are you asking us to help you get over your want for one? If you don't believe there are any decent ereaders on the market at a price you can agree on then the answer you are seeking is, read paper books. Simple.

For those of us that love our ereaders the cost was worth the enjoyment that we get from using them. If you don't get the same enjoyment, or feel they are worth the price, don't buy one. The bigger question is, why would you spend so much negative energy on something that you don't like?

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Mathlete

Of course some people enjoy reading on their devices. I don't deny that. That would be a silly thing to argue about.

If you want to buy one because you have disposable income and you think you might enjoy electronics over paper, fine. But where does this need to rationalize the purchase come from?

Spoken like someone who doesn't have a wife and new baby at home .

--
Bill

[acidzebra]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Spoken like someone who doesn't have a wife and new baby at home

No, YOUR income is being disposed of. That is not the same as disposable income

[wachuko]

I was very reluctant to buy one as well. I have always like the feeling of sitting down with a book to read. Just the feel of turning the pages, holding the covers, etc. is nice.

Here are the reasons I came up for justifying one:

With alternatives in the US$2-300 range is now down to a price that I find reasonable. I do not like the large tablets... I will be buying a Sony 600. I find the size just right for travel and use at home.

Size and weight... when I travel on business I like to take a few books to read (usuallly these are 4-10 hours flights) and the space that the books take is becoming a problem.

Using a notebook in the airplane to read is not comfortable. Having a compact and light weight alternative that can store several books, is great.

Battery life - there is no way a notebook would last the time needed to read a book. Let alone several books.

They work outdoors... try looking at a notebook screen when the sun is out or there is a lot of light around...

I am running out of space in our home-ofc/libary... being able to free up the shelve space alone is worth it.

I think it will help me read more... having the ability to keep several books at a finger click should help me read more of the business books I have as well as the leisure reading I enjoy. Downside is that I will have to buy them again but now in the electronic format...

Just having the books I already read available to browse at any time sounds like a great idea. There are moments I wish I had a book handy to read (one of the books I have already read and passed on to my sister-in-law). I guess that the negative here is that my sister-in-law is going to have to buy all her books from now on

Originally Posted by zenmonky

warning rant
There isn't an ereader worth buying on the market unless you have a gadget fetish, which is ok. Why? First, the generic 6 inch models are useless for anything other than paperback novels. These books are common and can be read for free from the greatest thing before the internet: the library.
Second, the larger format ereaders are too much money. Ereaders must come down below the price of the cheapest laptop. How can i justify paying more for something that is essentially a specific purpose computer than I would pay for a full functional netbook with a windows or linux os? Ive seen a $100 netbook on engadget recently. Im not hard up, i just know that paying $800 for an irex only make me another person walking around with a dorky status symbol. I understand the economics of scale but they are still too expensive.

[HansTWN]

To summarize: if you read a lot of books, especially text only, and also enjoy books from the library and free classics; then get a reader. If you can't afford one, stay away from new books, because you won't be able to afford to buy many, either! If you read a large number of PDF files and technical documents get an Irex DR Reader or one of the upcoming large screen readers. If you do not mind reading on a computer screen (I certainly do), get a cheap netbook. Finally, if you are looking to replicate the pbook experience 100%, then wait a few years. You will just have to live without the convenience of ebooks in the mean time.

[Ladyrixx]

Originally Posted by emellaich

Well, given this I'm not sure I would recommend a Cool-ER or a DX. With bad hands, I think you need light, easy to hold and easy to turn pages.

At least one person here complained about how hard it is to turn pages on the Cool-er. Likewise the DS is a bit large if you have bad hands.

Go to the ereader matrix and compare weights:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

I think the 5 inch devices will be lighter and best suit your needs, unless your eyes need really big print. I would also prioritize easy page turning that doesn't cramp your hands. For me this would suggest the pocketbook, or Hanlin V5 because of the way they turn the pages. However, you will find boosters here of the Sony 300 and the Cybook Opus.

My current bias is towards the Astak Pocket Pro Ezreader (The Hanlin V5 in the matrix) available at the end of this month in North America at http://www.theezreader.com/html/index.htm and available from www.astak.com for international shipments. I believe, however, that the same unit is available internationally from Bebook.

The Hanlin 5" will read the stuff I have now (even my old Brother Cadfael books in a weird format) and it comes in purple! (And it's on sale until September)