Are txt only devices annoying?

[jago25_98]

There are very cheap eink readers available in China, but they're txt only. I was thinking of getting one,
but is converting from epub to txt problematic?

They also just have an sdcard, so I wondered if plugging and unplugging that might be annoying too.

[Aleron Ives]

You'll lose all formatting for things like chapter titles, and you'll lose the TOC, so navigation will become pretty much impossible. You'll probably find the experience frustrating and wish you had spent more money on a proper e-reader, would be my guess.

[jago25_98]

Got it. Good points :-)
Would knowing that it's $12 instead of $120 change anything there?

[Aleron Ives]

It depends on how much money you have. If saving is an option, I'd prefer to save until I had enough money to buy a device that won't drive me nuts every time I try to use it. If $120 is out of your price range, then it's out of your price range, although I'm not sure how you would afford to buy any books to read, if that's the case.

[Graham44]

If it's 10x cheaper, you'd have to ask yourself is that only because it's a text only device or because the internals quality is 10x less as well? I've bought cheap Chinese electronics in the past (cheap MP3 player from Amazon) it lasted a month before it packed up.

You'd be better of getting a used dedicated e-reader in my opinion, here in the UK you can still get a Kobo touch, that apparently still supports reading books from Kobo (but not direct download) for the equivalent of $38.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by jago25_98

Got it. Good points :-)
Would knowing that it's $12 instead of $120 change anything there?

I'd rather save up and have the ereader that does metadata, TOC, search, formatting and a decent amount of storage.

I've had / have devices that do text only and they are not worth even free except as a novelty to show how good a decent ereader is. My phone is better.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by jago25_98

Got it. Good points :-)
Would knowing that it's $12 instead of $120 change anything there?

Are there any other options? Even used? Don't know how things are locally there but Aliexpress has a lot better options for $35 USD. A used Kindle 3 isn't cutting edge but even ancient mobi is lightyears ahead of plain text.

[jago25_98]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Are there any other options? Even used? Don't know how things are locally there but Aliexpress has a lot better options for $35 USD. A used Kindle 3 isn't cutting edge but even ancient mobi is lightyears ahead of plain text.

Got it. txt is annoying.

But a Kindle is about twice as big as I'm aiming for. I have an Hisense A5Pro with a broken screen that I miss. I'm hoping for something smaller than a phone you see.
Is there a keyword I can use to find this?

[Quoth]

The Wouter / P47L is smaller than most phones. A 4.7″ elongated eink screen, epub format and buttons, no touch. About €100. Storage might be 4G. Some are very shiny. Poor usability.

The TCL Nxtpaper 40 phone has a better display.

The old Sony PRS-350 or Kobo Mini are much better than the P47L.

Really there are limited options below 6″

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jago25_98

There are very cheap eink readers available in China, but they're txt only. I was thinking of getting one,
but is converting from epub to txt problematic?

They also just have an sdcard, so I wondered if plugging and unplugging that might be annoying too.

Converting from ePub, KF8, and other eBook formats to text is very easy with calibre. But the reading experience you get is very poor and not enjoyable.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Are there any other options? Even used? Don't know how things are locally there but Aliexpress has a lot better options for $35 USD. A used Kindle 3 isn't cutting edge but even ancient mobi is lightyears ahead of plain text.

A used Kindle sold only is a risk. You could end up with a blacklisted Kindle.

Buying any used Reader is still a risk as you won't know how good the battery is. So only buy a used Reader if you know you can get a battery and be able to replace it.

[JSWolf]

@jago25_98 if you do want to go used, ask here in the Flea Market section. You can ask how good the battery is and chances are a lot less that if it's a Kindle that it would be blacklisted especially if the seller is a regular.

[Ebookus]

I remember a Chinese person once telling me, that txt is enough and often the preferred format to read in their language. Personally, I would try to buy an older kindle, preferably gen 4 or up.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ebookus

I remember a Chinese person once telling me, that txt is enough and often the preferred format to read in their language. Personally, I would try to buy an older kindle, preferably gen 4 or up.

Given that a Kindle cannot be turned off, I'd say a Gen 4 would have a rather poor battery.

[jago25_98]

Thanks @Ebookus
That is making more sense now.

edit: For example, italics don't display in plain text, and that can be essential information for a quote.

More info:

**Chinese books:**

- Plain text (.txt) is often sufficient.
- Chinese characters are logographic; meaning is preserved without formatting.
- No need for capitalization, italics, or bold.
- Line breaks and spacing are less critical.

**Example:**

Plain text:
```

李白乘舟将欲行，忽闻岸上踏歌声。
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情。
```


This displays correctly in most readers without special formatting.

**English books:**

- Formatting conveys meaning (e.g., italics for emphasis, bold for headings).
- Proper spacing and punctuation are essential.
- Plain text loses structural elements like chapters, footnotes, and hyperlinks.
- epub format preserves layout, styling, and navigation.

**Example:**

Plain text:
```

Chapter 1
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...
```


epub:
- Includes metadata, table of contents, styled text, and embedded fonts.
- Supports reflowable text for various screen sizes.

**Conclusion:**

- Chinese: Plain text is often adequate due to the nature of the script.
- English: epub is preferred to maintain formatting and readability.