Help - needed, non-techie

unlimited · 06-14-2011, 12:09 PM

Hi, I'd love some assistance on which ereader to buy for my husband who is 81. He reads about 6 library books per week, has published his own books on streetcars (trams) and would be interested in publishing more. I'm assuming that "epub" means you can publish your own material on the ereader? Other than that he just needs a simple, easy to view ereader, doesn't need the web or games etc. Any help on the best model would be much appreciated. Thanks

ImogenRose · 06-14-2011, 02:41 PM

Hello and welcome to MR!

Imogen

hughes · 06-14-2011, 02:44 PM

Hi unlimited, welcome to MobileRead.

EPUB is just a file format, one often used by libraries.

You may want to post your request for ereader purchasing advice over in the Which one should I buy forum -- you'll get lots of helpful suggestions there.

Briefly, since long-run reading is much more important to your husband than apps and games and web browsing, he'll be best served by one of the E Ink Pearl ereaders. That used to just mean Kindle and Sony but recently the new Kobo Touch and NOOK Touch models also sport the paper-like Pearl displays. Kindles do not support ebook library borrowing right now, but Amazon has announced support by year's end. (This should be in the form of a firmware upgrade available to existing Kindle 3 owners, so there's no need to wait for it.) Sony Readers, Nooks, and Kobos already support borrowing from libraries.

jbcohen · 06-14-2011, 03:08 PM

I don't mean to be insulting but here is a short primer on electronic book readers. Eupub is a format of electronic books not a method of publishing books on electronic reader, its analogus to to the english languege (which is a method of exchaning ideas with others) and epub is a langeuege as well. All electronic readers that you find on the market, wether they be based on a smart phone or a dedicated reader can provide simple access to books and exclude the games as you said above. What you will need to do is to think about what your requirements are for the electronic reader, below are some statements, please read the statements and decide which best describes you. Associated with each statement is a referrence to an electronic book reader that does best for that type of person. Find the statement that best describes you and simply buy the reader that is associated with that type of person:

1) I can see myself having a very large electronic library - Kindle
2) I need easy to understand and absolutely the simplest reader - Kobo
3) I want simplicity but I also want to operate the reader with the touch of my finger - Kobo Touch
4) I want to spend rock bottom prices - Kobo
5) I want to personalize my electronic reader - Kindle
6) I want to pay $0 for my reader and I have a smart phone already - Download free readers from Amazon, Borders, Overdrive, Kobo Books and Barns and Nobles
7) I read foreign languege books - Bookeen
8) I want to be able to buy books from absolutely anywhere without restrictions - Pocket book lite.
9) I want the latest and most advanced reader available - Nook Simple Touch.

MickeyC · 06-14-2011, 06:50 PM

Hi unlimited and welcome to MobileRead

unlimited · 06-14-2011, 07:43 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions and help. I'm going to go over to the Which one should I buy forum, though looking at the answers here I'm leaning towards to the Kindle for it's ability to hold a very large electronic library, and knowing that you will be able to download from the library in the future. Thanks again.

lestatar · 06-14-2011, 09:16 PM

Hey and welcome as well

I am not an expert on other current ereading devices but I tend to think that the Kindle3 might be a good choice, largely for its pretty tight integration into the huge Amazon inventory.

Though, now that I write this, the Nook's from B&N would also have the same, fairly simple user-purchase options.

Am sure more folks will chime in with suggestions for you.

06-14-2011, 12:09 PM	#1
unlimited Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: none	Help - needed, non-techie Hi, I'd love some assistance on which ereader to buy for my husband who is 81. He reads about 6 library books per week, has published his own books on streetcars (trams) and would be interested in publishing more. I'm assuming that "epub" means you can publish your own material on the ereader? Other than that he just needs a simple, easy to view ereader, doesn't need the web or games etc. Any help on the best model would be much appreciated. Thanks

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06-14-2011, 02:41 PM	#2
ImogenRose PORTAL Posts: 7,204 Karma: 2884640 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Kindle 1, Kindle 3 (3G), iPhone	Hello and welcome to MR! Imogen

06-14-2011, 02:44 PM	#3
hughes Addict Posts: 223 Karma: 1006020 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Akron, OH USA Device: Kindle PW, Galaxy Nexus, iPad 1	Hi unlimited, welcome to MobileRead. EPUB is just a file format, one often used by libraries. You may want to post your request for ereader purchasing advice over in the Which one should I buy forum -- you'll get lots of helpful suggestions there. Briefly, since long-run reading is much more important to your husband than apps and games and web browsing, he'll be best served by one of the E Ink Pearl ereaders. That used to just mean Kindle and Sony but recently the new Kobo Touch and NOOK Touch models also sport the paper-like Pearl displays. Kindles do not support ebook library borrowing right now, but Amazon has announced support by year's end. (This should be in the form of a firmware upgrade available to existing Kindle 3 owners, so there's no need to wait for it.) Sony Readers, Nooks, and Kobos already support borrowing from libraries.

06-14-2011, 03:08 PM	#4
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	I don't mean to be insulting but here is a short primer on electronic book readers. Eupub is a format of electronic books not a method of publishing books on electronic reader, its analogus to to the english languege (which is a method of exchaning ideas with others) and epub is a langeuege as well. All electronic readers that you find on the market, wether they be based on a smart phone or a dedicated reader can provide simple access to books and exclude the games as you said above. What you will need to do is to think about what your requirements are for the electronic reader, below are some statements, please read the statements and decide which best describes you. Associated with each statement is a referrence to an electronic book reader that does best for that type of person. Find the statement that best describes you and simply buy the reader that is associated with that type of person: 1) I can see myself having a very large electronic library - Kindle 2) I need easy to understand and absolutely the simplest reader - Kobo 3) I want simplicity but I also want to operate the reader with the touch of my finger - Kobo Touch 4) I want to spend rock bottom prices - Kobo 5) I want to personalize my electronic reader - Kindle 6) I want to pay $0 for my reader and I have a smart phone already - Download free readers from Amazon, Borders, Overdrive, Kobo Books and Barns and Nobles 7) I read foreign languege books - Bookeen 8) I want to be able to buy books from absolutely anywhere without restrictions - Pocket book lite. 9) I want the latest and most advanced reader available - Nook Simple Touch.

06-14-2011, 06:50 PM	#5
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi unlimited and welcome to MobileRead

06-14-2011, 07:43 PM	#6
unlimited Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: none	Thanks for all the suggestions and help. I'm going to go over to the Which one should I buy forum, though looking at the answers here I'm leaning towards to the Kindle for it's ability to hold a very large electronic library, and knowing that you will be able to download from the library in the future. Thanks again.

06-14-2011, 09:16 PM	#7
lestatar LB's lolz Mutt Minion Posts: 2,902 Karma: 5700001 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Hong Kong now but NYC forever Device: Kindle3, GalaxyTab, BB Bold9700, BB 8300, Sony Clie, Palm Vx, Palm III	Hey and welcome as well I am not an expert on other current ereading devices but I tend to think that the Kindle3 might be a good choice, largely for its pretty tight integration into the huge Amazon inventory. Though, now that I write this, the Nook's from B&N would also have the same, fairly simple user-purchase options. Am sure more folks will chime in with suggestions for you.

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