Any iLiad *AND* Kindle owners?

[DesiLinguist]

Hi Guys,

I just bought an iRex iLiad and while I really enjoy reading on it, I feel a bit limited because not that many books are available as DRM-free PDFs and the Mobi reader on the iLiad does not provide a good reading experience for numerous reasons. I also feel limited by the lack of a sleep mode and the resulting short battery lifespan. Let me be clear: I was aware of all of these limitations before I ordered my iLiad and I still think it's a very nice device for reading PDF formatted books.

However, the Kindle has recently caught my eye for two reasons:

(1) The large content available from the Amazon store.
(2) The ability to read newspapers and periodicals seamlessly.

So, I am wondering if there are other people out there who already owned an e-book reader (non-Kindle), were relatively satisfied with it and still went ahead an ordered a Kindle. Not as a replacement but as a second e-book reader for their own use. I am curious to hear how this group of people go about using both their e-book readers and what their routine is like. Does it happen that the previous non-Kindle reader is eventually sidelined and lies unused? Or are there people who have successfully incorporated both readers into their daily lives?

Speak to me, O wise men and women of Mobileread. I desire your counsel

[wallcraft]

I have an iLiad and a Kindle 1, but I am now almost exclusively using an EZ Reader (Hanlin V3). Before I bought the EZ Reader I found that the Iliad was better than the Kindle around the house, but I preferred the Kindle when away from home. This was primarily because of FBReader on the iLiad, and I now use FBReader on the EZ Reader (via OpenInkPot). A big advantage of the EZ Reader is the very long battery life (the Kindle 2 has a longer battery life, but not as long as the Hanlin).

The native reader software on the Kindle is about the same as MobiPocket Reader on the iLiad (same software base). With no font choice and fewer font sizes, but otherwise with a better integrated reading experience. The Kindle 2 allows the reader to change the line spacing, which is a plus.

I buy about a third of my ebooks from Amazon now, and I read them on the other devices (AZW only, there are also TOPAZ ebooks in the Kindle store) aftter stripping the DRM. The Kindle store is the reason I am keeping my Kindle. Since you have an iPhone, you can also buy Kindle store ebooks and read them on the iLiad if you are willing to strip the DRM (generally thought to be illegal in the US, even for personal use on ebooks you buy). It would also be possible now to buy Adobe PDF ebooks and strip their DRM. I have no idea how well the resulting PDFs would display on the Iliad.

[pilotbob]

I would recommend that you get a true mobipocket supporting device. The BeBook or the CyBook. This way you can share your ebooks between the two devices.

BOb

[DesiLinguist]

Thanks you for your suggestions, wallcraft and pilotbob. I am reluctant to go with any device other than the kindle (if I actually go through with this) because:

(a) I want the integration between the kindle and the iPhone.
(b) I want the (relatively) cheaper prices and the large amount of content available on the Amazon store.
(c) I want a seamless newspaper and periodical reading experience (which doesn't seem to be available on anything except the kindle).

I have also tried "liberating" Amazon content from my iPhone to my iLiad and while it works relatively well, I just plain don't like the mobi reader on the iLiad because it's very slow and does not have dictionary and highlight support like the kindle does.

I am also thinking that I would use the Kindle when I travel and go to campus like wallcraft did but it does seem like an awful lot of money just to do that. I thought about buying a used K1 but the sharp design is a little off-putting. Also, I don't want to deal with problems with a used device later on whereas with a brand new K2, I get a full year's warranty.

Anyway, just thinking aloud. I would request other members owning a kindle besides another e-book reader to chime in with their routines and experiences.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by DesiLinguist

Anyway, just thinking aloud. I would request other members owning a kindle besides another e-book reader to chime in with their routines and experiences.

Well, if you don't want to routinely share ebooks between the Kindle and the iLiad then the Kindle is a good device.

BOb

[DesiLinguist]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, if you don't want to routinely share ebooks between the Kindle and the iLiad then the Kindle is a good device.

Bob, I am curious to know how you use your Sony and your Kindle. Do you use them for different purposes? How often do you use one instead of the other?

I am okay with not being able to share between the iLiad and the Kindle. I will read my PDF books on the iLiad and read newspapers and periodicals on the kindle. Or read books on the kindle when I travel or go to campus.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by DesiLinguist

Bob, I am curious to know how you use your Sony and your Kindle. Do you use them for different purposes? How often do you use one instead of the other?

I basically don't use my Sony 500 any more. I bought my Kindle as a replacement for it. I kept the Sony because my son used to use it, but he uses his iPod Touch now. So, the Sony basically sits on the book shelf.

BOb

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by DesiLinguist

(c) I want a seamless newspaper and periodical reading experience (which doesn't seem to be available on anything except the kindle).

I just plain don't like the mobi reader on the iLiad because it's very slow and does not have dictionary and highlight support like the kindle does.

The Kindle has the best paid reflowable newspaper/periodical setup. Calibre can build ebooks from RSS feeds for free, and these work on most ebook readers (LDF, ePub or MOBI).

The iLiad does have dictionary support, see iLiad now supports Instant Dictionary look-up in Mobipocket. This is MOBI only, but so is the dictionary on the Kindle (where all content is essentially MOBI).