First Ereader: So many choices, so little knowledge...

[huda]

After a year of contemplation, finally decide on buying an ereader. Always thought I'd buy one of the hanlin device coz 90% of my ebooks are .lit format. But the reviews have not been great on lit even on any of the hanlins. So I've resigned myself to converting to whichever format my future device will take.

I live in Singapore and Cool-er just came out and I kinda like it.

I’m looking at 6’ devices only. I have an irrational dislike for kindle, so that's out. I've considered Sony, which I have to buy online and concerned abt support and of course hanlin, which I was totally in love with until I saw Cool-er but none of you guys here have recommended Cool-er.

So I wanna know, what’s wrong with the Cool-er? Should I get something else, if yes, which would it be? And with all the different hanlins running around, does it really matter whichever one I buy coz it’s all hanlin right?

Thanks in advance everyone, looking forward for your replies and finally having an ebook device.

[Katti's Cat]

Hi & welcome to MR. I can't help you with comments on hanlin or Cool-er but can tell you I am very happy with my Sony.

One piece of advice though: stop looking and take the plunge. There will always be a newer, better reader coming out. If you wait for the perfect reader you'll never get one.

Also check out the eBook library from MR. Sooooo many free books, lovingly formatted by MR members. That'll keep you reading for a while once you finally decided on one.

[lene1949]

Originally Posted by huda

After a year of contemplation, finally decide on buying an ereader. Always thought I'd buy one of the hanlin device coz 90% of my ebooks are .lit format. But the reviews have not been great on lit even on any of the hanlins. So I've resigned myself to converting to whichever format my future device will take.

I live in Singapore and Cool-er just came out and I kinda like it.

I’m looking at 6’ devices only. I have an irrational dislike for kindle, so that's out. I've considered Sony, which I have to buy online and concerned abt support and of course hanlin, which I was totally in love with until I saw Cool-er but none of you guys here have recommended Cool-er.

So I wanna know, what’s wrong with the Cool-er? Should I get something else, if yes, which would it be? And with all the different hanlins running around, does it really matter whichever one I buy coz it’s all hanlin right?

Thanks in advance everyone, looking forward for your replies and finally having an ebook device.

Have you looked at the Cool-er thread: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=213 - maybe you can find some answers there.

I bought a kindle because the price was good, it looked good and Amazon has got a brilliant reputation for their customer service... I love my kindle.

Good luck...

[tofubean]

I also waited a long time in deciding my first reader. In the end i just took the plunge and got a sony reader since i can't be bothered with waiting for the perfect reader any longer.

If you're concerned with how your .lit ebooks will look like after conversion, you can always post an example and ask how it'll look like on various readers. I'm sure mobileread users can help you on that.

For cool-er reader, i'd worry about firmware and support. I got the sony even though singapore started selling other readers because its a popular reader. You can always ask for help from sony or post a help thread here. Many people have also made hacks and posted various ways to improve usage of the product or deal with bugs,

Actually, if you like cool-er, you should go for it. There's local warranty if anything goes wrong. Or you can wait for the onyx boox aka keyreader that was on the news lately. It has gotten some really good reviews around here. The problem is of course you have to wait. The agony of waiting isn't for some people.

[huda]

Thanks Katti's Cat, lene1949

Hi tofubean,

Is the keyreader an onyx boox aka bebook neo? It looked the same but I wasn't sure coz the paper mentioned it was a local product. I am interested in that though coz I read here that the bebook neo has a "Most Recently Folder", which is what I like about MS Reader (my most recent read books are always on top) and I didn't see this feature in Cool-er or hanlin. I wonder if keyreader will have this feature?

[Dulin's Books]

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking...ry_494762.html

yes thats the Onyx Boox. From the pics it appears to be regular Boox firmware with little to no changes except for the App to directly link you to the NLB.

[huda]

I'm wondering if I get the keyreader, since its a different firmware, will I have the same feature as the Neo or onyx?

Can I put in Neo or Onyx firmware in the keyreader?

[=X=]

I own a Sony PRS505 and a kindle both excellent device but I likenthe kindle better also the Kindle has the most recent books list sort that you mentioned liking.


Have you looked at the aztek pockets pro? That device is latent with feature at a great price. It is also one of the few reader that supports the LIT format among many other popular formats(mobi, epub, pdf, etc)

=X=

[frozennorth]

According to this thread (check first post) .lit format on the Astak is still unusable.

Some neo users have already switched to boox firmware. You have to wait for bebook to post a firmware update for the neo before you can switch to it. But I can't see why you couldn't switch firmware on the keyreader too.

[GA Russell]

Welcome huda!

I recommend that you set the bar low for your first eBook reader, and buy the least expensive model that meets your minimum requirements.

Chances are excellent that in two years something quite affordable that is better than what is available now will come along.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I recommend that you set the bar low for your first eBook reader, and buy the least expensive model that meets your minimum requirements.

I don't know if you have to set the bar low... but just realize some of the limitations.

1. The device will ONLY allow you to read ebooks. It won't keep your calendar or browse the web.

2. You will need a lamp or light to read the ebook just like you do with a book. (applies to most of the dedicated devices)

3. The contrast on the ebook reader is not quite as good as real paper. But, it is certainly readable.

4. You probably won't be able to find every book that you might want to read.

5. You will be limited to buying for a store that supports the DRM your device supports. (This usually isn't a big issue)

6. You won't be able to read the ebook you bought on more than one device unless the device supports the same DRM.

7. You will not save money on content unless you plan to read a lot or mostly public domain and freely available books. And there are thousands of them.

Other than that... the current generation of ebook readers are very capable and allow you to have a large collection of books with you without all the weight. You can also read long/heavy books without the weight.

BOb

[GA Russell]

Bob, I was speaking generally without a specific device in mind.

What I had in mind was that the more expensive devices offer features the less expensive devices do not. For example, I've been told that the Kindle DX allows you to surf the web using the hyperlinks contained in footnotes. My jetBook Lite doesn't even offer using hyperlinks to jump back and forth between the body of the text and the endnote.

The Kindle DX goes for about $450. The jetBook Lite goes for about $115. I considered the state of my wallet, and it didn't take much consideration to conclude that for only $115 I could live without the features the jetBook Lite doesn't offer.

Considering the technological advances enjoyed by electronic gadgets while their prices decline, I recommend to someone who does not yet own an eBook reader that rather than spending extra money for features which will fairly soon become commonplace and cheap, he should for now be content with an inexpensive device that meets his minimum desires, and budget/plan to buy another device two or three years down the road.

That is to say, a newbie should not expect his first eBook reader to be his last, so he needn't spend all of his money on what is currently available/all of his savings on current technology.

[=X=]

Wow when you put it this way all of a sudden I'm feel unsatisfied with my eInk devices.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I don't know if you have to set the bar low... but just realize some of the limitations.

1. The device will ONLY allow you to read ebooks. It won't keep your calendar or browse the web.

2. You will need a lamp or light to read the ebook just like you do with a book. (applies to most of the dedicated devices)

3. The contrast on the ebook reader is not quite as good as real paper. But, it is certainly readable.

4. You probably won't be able to find every book that you might want to read.

5. You will be limited to buying for a store that supports the DRM your device supports. (This usually isn't a big issue)

6. You won't be able to read the ebook you bought on more than one device unless the device supports the same DRM.

7. You will not save money on content unless you plan to read a lot or mostly public domain and freely available books. And there are thousands of them.

Other than that... the current generation of ebook readers are very capable and allow you to have a large collection of books with you without all the weight. You can also read long/heavy books without the weight.

BOb

[ChrisC333]

Originally Posted by Katti's Cat

One piece of advice though: stop looking and take the plunge. There will always be a newer, better reader coming out. If you wait for the perfect reader you'll never get one.

+1 to those wise words.


In my experience, choosing an ereader is much like trying to pick a wife or husband - there are a great many candidates but none of them are perfect. You have to be a little flexible and accepting about their strengths and weaknesses or you'll never make a choice. And then you'll probably just fall in love with one ereader, for no particularly logical reason...


One of the ways that you can narrow the field down a bit is to consider portability. Do you really want to carry it around a lot, or will it mostly be used at home for instance? The smallest readers (such as an iTouch) are the easiest to carry, so will have the highest chance that you'll actually have it in your pocket for casual reading wherever you are. If you wear coats with large pockets, or carry a handbag, then the mid-sized ones are fine. But if you carry a briefcase, or perhaps read mostly at home or in a classroom or office situation, then a small netbook is very hard to beat.

Netbooks are a lot more versatile than most of the others. They can run a wide range of reader software and can therefore read multiple formats. For instance, you can run the Kindle software, Adobe Digital Edition, Stanza, and a stack of others. They are also the most likely to do a good job displaying PDFs for instance, where the extra screen size can make a big difference when you're dealing with certain types of document, such as technical diagrams and detailed scanned images. These can be a bit awkward on some readers, as can magazines or web pages. However, their bigger size and weight can also make netbooks less desirable for some.

Plus you can do a lot of other things on a netbook, and they're excellent for storing, cataloguing and searching your growing library. I have both E-ink reader and backlit screens and find them both fine to read - in fact I rather prefer backlit - but others love E-ink displays. So finding out if you're firmly in one camp or another might help too. (My solution is to have more than one device and use accordingly... )

But the bottom line is - as Katti's Cat says - there is always a better one just down the track. There are a heap of tablet/slate style readers expected out in the next year or so and they are sure to attract a lot of fans.


Good luck with your choice, and as soon as you've bought one then start saving for the next one!

Cheers,

Chris

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ChrisC333

In my experience, choosing an ereader is much like trying to pick a wife or husband - there are a great many candidates but none of them are perfect.

That's why I have seven of them.

Er, readers, that is, not wives...