8+ Readers in comparison

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

ok scribbling isnt that important and i really want an eInk device and not a tablet pc, because im reading most time

but at 50% of my reading time, i will read magazines like i showed before and they are taller than an A4 page, so im feared that i have to zoom all the time on the iliad an thats why im that into the speed or just even thinking about getting the DR, where some people said that i havent to zoom to read such a document

and if i have to use calibre, the hole wifi app would be senseless, because i have to use a computer again, i really want to do that without
do you use the wifi in anyway?

edit: i want to thank you again for your great work in this forum!!!!

I'm not using WiFi at all (anymore. Did use it in the beginning for firmware updates). Some guys in this forum use it, to upload eBooks from their PCs to their reader. I simply have all my books with me on my UMPC and most of the readers have plenty of room via SD cards.
But check out the comic application from the iLiad forum. The author did explain, how to link to other sources. And there was another script, for downloading a daily newspaper automatically. Your demand more or less seems the same.

As the display of 1000S is about 50% bigger than the iLiad display, it's less likely having to zoom of course.
But as I said in my examples: For A4 magazines ("Spiegel" in my case, your example did seem similar) you don't have to zoom very often. For example, you could rotate to landscape view and simply read the page in 2 steps, upper half and lower half.
For newspapers ("Süddeutsche Zeitung" in my example), the original format simply is too huge, to fit on a 6" [edit: iLiad is 8.1" not 6"] display.
But you always should consider, reformatting your source files. If you print them onto A4 or even A5, it works perfectly.
And again, it depends on your reading habits. If it's about the text's information and not about the layout, you can convert to another format. Mobipocket .prc for example on iLiad will reflow the text accordingly without any zoom at all.
If the layout has to remain intact or if you can't convert/modify your source files, simulate on your PC whether it's acceptable.

Concerning "modifying/converting": You can strip most of the formats from DRM (with the exception of .tpz on Kindle and .lrx on Sony) and convert to other formats.
Or you can take screenshots, for example of Zinio files, and reformat these as well. Usually, you'll find workarounds for reading on a 6" unit very comfortably.

[Floeee]

hmm i really tried for days investing much time on testing converted files and tried many options to get my pdf files to work on the prs505, but 6" are definitely too small

but why are you talking about 6" ? im only interested in iliad or DR which got more ^^

so all in all you have to zoom reading a4 on iliad or did i understand something wrong?

and i want to buy one of these devices, because i really dont want to invest so much time in converting

my last question now is: can you reflow pdf files or only zoom them or both? i think reflow is possible on each device with epub, mobi and so on

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

hmm i really tried for days investing much time on testing converted files and tried many options to get my pdf files to work on the prs505, but 6" are definitely too small

but why are you talking about 6" ? im only interested in iliad or DR which got more ^^

so all in all you have to zoom reading a4 on iliad or did i understand something wrong?

and i want to buy one of these devices, because i really dont want to invest so much time in converting

my last question now is: can you reflow pdf files or only zoom them or both? i think reflow is possible on each device with epub, mobi and so on

Sorry about the 6", bad multitasking.

A4 is shrunk to roughly 2/3 of its original size on iLiad. It depends on the original font size and your eyesight, whether it's readable without zoom or not.

A friend of mine has automated the process of conversion. He drops his files into his "outbox" folder. Via PDF print driver they are printed to A5. When connecting iLiad, the files are copied to the reader.

In "Spiegel" (German news magazine) for example I can read the headlines, but not the columns itself. Without zooming I can identify the areas of interest, but than I have to zoom.
You can rotate to landscape, which gives more width and needs less zooming as an alternative.

iLiad can't do ePUB, 1000S will be able after the announced firmware update.

I've read, on Foxit's eSlick http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook/ (which specialices on PDF) you can choose, whether to reflow or zoom PDFs.
On the units I own, you can't choose. The units solely do one or the other.
Cybook Opus for example does zoom, Sony 505 does reflow.
PDF files only can be zoomed on iLiad, no reflow.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

hmm i really tried for days investing much time on testing converted files and tried many options to get my pdf files to work on the prs505, but 6" are definitely too small

but why are you talking about 6" ? im only interested in iliad or DR which got more ^^

so all in all you have to zoom reading a4 on iliad or did i understand something wrong?

and i want to buy one of these devices, because i really dont want to invest so much time in converting

my last question now is: can you reflow pdf files or only zoom them or both? i think reflow is possible on each device with epub, mobi and so on

Hmm, your PDFs definitely should be readable on ANY display size after some manipulation.
Most PDFs are A4. You have to "re-print" them to A5 or something similar.
It might be "ugly", but it certainly should be readable.

[Floeee]

but wouldn that conversion to a5 destroy the formating?

and no, i really tried everything to get this started on the 505, i would have to manipulate the hole layout and that wastes much time if i have to do this on every magazine or articel i want to read, to dodge this i would also carry a larger device with me

everything is about the magazine i already gave to you
http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/ezine/

would you be so kind to give me the exact sizes of the displays, iliad and DR (the height and length) so that i can make some papers and try do resize it on my pc in adobe to test

so iliad doesnt reflow pdf, but the DR does? im asking because i have also ebooks in pdf which have only text and no pictures where i think, reflow would work better

so its really all about the size to me now

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

but wouldn that conversion to a5 destroy the formating?

and no, i really tried everything to get this started on the 505, i would have to manipulate the hole layout and that wastes much time if i have to do this on every magazine or articel i want to read, to dodge this i would also carry a larger device with me

everything is about the magazine i already gave to you
http://www.cgarena.com/freestuff/ezine/

would you be so kind to give me the exact sizes of the displays, iliad and DR (the height and length) so that i can make some papers and try do resize it on my pc in adobe to test

so iliad doesnt reflow pdf, but the DR does? im asking because i have also ebooks in pdf which have only text and no pictures where i think, reflow would work better

so its really all about the size to me now

Yes, the original layout gets lost. My friend has put some thoughts into it, his script is adding fixed page breaks for example. But it's far from perfect, that's why I'm sticking to zooming instead.

iLiad screen size: 12,2cm x 16,3cm
1000S screen size: 16,2cm x 20,2cm

1000S is doing the very same zoom as iLiad. But because its significantly bigger screen and some clever features like "hide margins", it's usually absolutely fine.
It's really fantastic and the closest I found to actual paper books - I just haven't found a holding position for 1000S yet.

And it's interesting, how trends are changing. Last year, it was all about bigger units. 6" --> 8" --> 10". For the moment, it's about portability and "everyone" is talking about 5"...

[Floeee]

hehe yeah thats true ^^

so i really thank you for this, its pretty similar to the sizes i calculated with converting inch into cm and then checking the ratio

but my example for the DR got too small as i mentioned, now i have the right size and i will do some tests with pdf

yeah like you say, the DR is big, but i think that 10" would do perfect to my requirements, but thats far away from mobile

i really dont care on all the features anymore, but i think im changing my mind again and order the DR if my tests tomorrow dont offer something real new

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

hehe yeah thats true ^^

so i really thank you for this, its pretty similar to the sizes i calculated with converting inch into cm and then checking the ratio

but my example for the DR got too small as i mentioned, now i have the right size and i will do some tests with pdf

yeah like you say, the DR is big, but i think that 10" would do perfect to my requirements, but thats far away from mobile

i really dont care on all the features anymore, but i think im changing my mind again and order the DR if my tests tomorrow dont offer something real new

Well, good luck then and have fun! You're definitely choosing a fine unit...

[Floeee]

thank you very much again

would it help to give you karma for your help? really dont know what this is
or is it just kiddie stuff ?

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Floeee

thank you very much again

would it help to give you karma for your help? really dont know what this is
or is it just kiddie stuff ?

Didn't have an eye on it until you've mentioned it.
Now I HAVE to go collecting Karma.
I'll take it;-)

[sassanik]

Bah figured out my question

[D-Style]

Thank you for all the work you put into this. I thought I had figured out which ereader I was going to buy until I found this forum.

Appears that you would recommend the sony prs-505 over the prs-300, correct?

Do you have any experience with the Astak readers?

What reader would you recommend for someone that is new to the ebook scene? I have no library yet, so will start building based on the reader I purchase.

At this point I am on the fence between the sony prs-505, prs-300 and the Astak pocket pro.

I feel the pocket pro has more attractive features and the bundle is superior, but I can't physically go see it. The only one I have seen is the 505 at my local wal-mart.

My primary and probably only use will be for books, so I can get away from the paper backs.

[HarryT]

Is there any reason that you're only considering those? The CyBook Opus currently has the best implementation of the ePub file format, which is becoming by far the most wide-spread eBook format.

[D-Style]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Is there any reason that you're only considering those? The CyBook Opus currently has the best implementation of the ePub file format, which is becoming by far the most wide-spread eBook format.

I am not really limiting to those 3, but they are in the price range I am looking for ($250 or less), I can get $100 off (using credit card reward points) at Wal-Mart or Best Buy so that makes the Sonys more attractive.

The Astak is $199 with a nice bundle so that is why I am looking at that one.

I would say the Cybook Opus would fall into my price range at $249 as well. Thanks Harry, now I need to spend a few hours reading about the Opus!

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by D-Style

Thank you for all the work you put into this. I thought I had figured out which ereader I was going to buy until I found this forum.

Appears that you would recommend the sony prs-505 over the prs-300, correct?

Do you have any experience with the Astak readers?

What reader would you recommend for someone that is new to the ebook scene? I have no library yet, so will start building based on the reader I purchase.

At this point I am on the fence between the sony prs-505, prs-300 and the Astak pocket pro.

I feel the pocket pro has more attractive features and the bundle is superior, but I can't physically go see it. The only one I have seen is the 505 at my local wal-mart.

My primary and probably only use will be for books, so I can get away from the paper backs.

It all depends - sorry....
I really like the Sony 300 and -after some transition phase- like my Cybook Opus as well.
But honestly, I'm still a bit sceptical about 5". It's great, when traveling light. Often, when on the plane, I even use the Kindle application on my iPhone for a quick read. But such small units as the sole reader?
And when you look at the pics on page 10 of this thread: In direct comparison, difference in sizes between Sony 300 and Sony 505 isn't that big. Does it really increase mobility or "single hand use" to have some centimeters less?
On Cybook Opus, I find quite a few PDFs hard to read. In PDFs, Opus only does zoom, no reflow. So very often, there's either not enough information for me on the small screen or the fonts are starting to "fade out".
Sony 300 on the other hand does reflow instead of zoom. Very readable, but "destroying" the layout.
And now it really depends on your material. Sometimes I'm reading "professional" documents on my readers (contracts, proposals, SLAs, ...). For these, I'd like to see the original layout (won't have any impact on the context of course, but anyway...). Very often, I simply find that extremely "painful" on 5" units.
To me, the 5" units are additional readers, not sole ones.
When going for an "allround talent", personally I'd still recommend 6" over 5".

Between Cybook Opus and Sony 300, it's really close. I prefer Sony's design, but I like the auto-rotation on Cybook Opus. I own tons of Sony's BBeB books, so the Sony 300 might have a slight advantage...

Concerning Astak's readers: I only have the BeBook, which has the same hardware as Hanlin V3. I rank it last of all my units. I've mentioned the "cheap" plasticky design quite a few times and I've found lots of reviews stating the same: Sony = Wow, BeBook = What-the-...
Pocket Pro looks interesting, but I most likely won't go for any Hanlin/Astak/BeBook device anymore...

Concerning Astak's "superiority": I've thought the same about BeBook, it simply covers most of the common file formats.
But actually, I've never used that feature. DRMed .lit would be fantastic, but they only support DRM-free .lit.
As you easily can convert most of the file formats (with the exception of .tpz from Amazon and .lrx from Sony) and I'm doing it to cover most of my readers anyway, it's not really important to me, which file format any reader natively is supporting.
To me, it's mainly about the "touch and feel" of my gadgets. I have to "like" holding them in my hands. With Kindle 2 or Sony 505 for example, that's absolutely the case. With BeBook, it's simply not.

So, what can I suggest?
Frankly, I'm always the "corporate" guy. I'm usually going for the "market leaders", not for the "underdogs".
In this area, Sony and Amazon clearly are dominating the market. Meaning, it's most likely that those 2 will remain in the market for quite some time (Sony, as far as I know, is offering eBook readers for 7 years now already).
I'm not so much caring about their webshops, though Amazon usually has the lowest prices and biggest selection. But usually the "big ones" will dominate the market. Meaning: For Sony and Amazon most likely the biggest number of gadgets, firmware hacks, reading material, spare parts, .... will be available.
Looking at all my units, I have to say: Sony 505 is extremely well designed, has got very nice aesthetics, supports .epub quite nicely - certainly a good choice.
Sony 700 I like less because of the glare and I've heard similar about Sony 600 (I get mine on Monday, let's see). Sony 300 I've described: 5" to me seems a bit small as the sole reader.
I still love my iRex iLiad, but given your demands, it might be some kind of "overkill" (you don't mention anything about touchscreen for example).
I'm quite fascinated with both Kindles. Kindle DX in my opinion is critical because of its size. But Kindle 2 has some really nice features (on the fly dictionary).

Without having further input I'd recommend:
- Decide about the size of the display first. Will 5" be sufficient if that's your sole reader? Or will it be 6" or even one of the bigger ones?
You can simulate this on your PC: Resolution 800x600, the dimensions of the displays you find in the respective specifications.
Size of the display mainly will depend on your source material: Lots of graphics? File format? Reflow or zoom?.....
- After deciding about the size, it's mainly about the file formats. No preference at all? Do you intend to purchase or download? When purchasing, very quickly price for the books is more important than price for the unit. It may be worth spending € 100 more for the unit, when saving 20% for every single book. Then Kindle 2 might be an option. $ 299, just $ 50 more than most of the other readers.
- And I'd always consider design as well. Let's face it: It's a gadget, not a necessity. So you should like to use it, even after 12 months. With Sony 505 that's still the case for me. iLiad as well (but not so much for the design, but mainly its great features).

My personal ranking for you:
Sony 505: Yes
Sony 700 or 600: Probably not, no need for touchscreen mentioned.
Sony 300 and Cybook Opus: Maybe, you carefully should consider the size of the display.
iRex iLiad and iRex 1000S: Probably not, no need for touchscreen mentioned and may be kind of "overkill".
Cybook Gen3 and BeBook/Astak: Not my personal favorites. I don't see any real advantages and personally I go for the "big ones" instead of the "underdogs".
Kindle DX: Probably kind of "overkill" as well.
Kindle 2: Certainly worth considering.