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Old 01-05-2009, 01:17 PM   #16
Alisa
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3. Yes, you can move the ebook files to your PC. But, you will not be able to read them there.
You can read .azw books with the Mobipocket reading software if you strip the DRM off first. Topaz, .azw1 or .tpz, can't be stripped and read. So far the vast majority of the books on Amazon are .azw. I've only had two books out of the dozens I've bought that weren't.
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Old 01-05-2009, 01:35 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Alisa View Post
You can read .azw books with the Mobipocket reading software if you strip the DRM off first. Topaz, .azw1 or .tpz, can't be stripped and read. So far the vast majority of the books on Amazon are .azw. I've only had two books out of the dozens I've bought that weren't.
Ok... I of course know this... but "out-of-the-box" functionality without breaking the DMCA at all is what I was talking about. I try not confuse newbees with too much info, espesially since DRM and formats are confusing enough to them.

BOb
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Old 01-07-2009, 09:38 AM   #18
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The latest BeBook firmware flash brings Bebook very close to Cybook in handling Mobi files (I haven't played with large font size yet.) For me, this brings BeBook ahead of CYBook. Still not perfect, as yet as there are still bugs in HTML support and gaps in RTF. You can get around the RTF limits by saving and reading as a .doc file, but I want to stay as non-propriatary as possible...
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Old 01-07-2009, 10:47 AM   #19
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All of this discussion is priceless - thanks so very much to everyone who has shared their experiences so far.

I'm a noob to ereaders but a geek in general. I've built my own pcs and use Rockbox on my Ipod. I've read about OpenInkpot, which sounds like it could be really cool - at some point. (There's also the fact that my wife would probably kill me if changed the OS on her - she's highly resistant to technological change. She gets really bugged out when I replace the desktop/shell on my laptop. It's not hers so she can't complain but it irritates her to no end. Of course, sometimes this can be fun )

I'm also aware and open to stripping DRM as needed. I think it's bs and have nothing against stripping it and using the file as I like so long as it doesn't jeopardize the function of the ereader itself (I'm not down with $300 paperweights).

@Ned: I dig the idea of multiple fonts. It's definitely a point the Cybook has in its favor. I'm web designer so I have fonts up the wazoo.

@Pilotbob: I had a feeling that Amazon would keep a record of of what you've bought from them and let you download again. They do have to plan for device failures or irreparable damage. The Kindle is looking a bit better, but it would be dependent on someone bringing one to us from the US. (Our Amazon account will be the same and use existing, US-based credit cards.)

@JoeD: FB2 seems only supported by Hanlin & iRex. So you're saying it's the best format for the Hanlin, and that conversion is easy? I don't have a problem with conversion but I have a feeling my wife will much prefer to avoid it. With that in mind MOBI sounds like the way to go. PDF I'm wondering about since it's just widely available, but it doesn't seem like the thing for a small screen.

@RSE: I haven't thought about RTF/HTML all that much. I can use my laptop for those. The Hanlin/Bebook/EZBook & Kindle are leading at this point.

And I'm waiting to see what's revealed at CES. If I decide to wait for a Kindle then I can wait for a next gen product too. I'm trying to convince my wife that a slightly larger screen would be a huge bonus, but she's not biting.
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Old 01-13-2009, 12:32 PM   #20
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Well, I hoped the Astak Mentor would have been revealed at CES but no. Besides Samsung's vaporware, there was nothing.

After all the discussion, the two contenders are the Astak EZReader and the Kindle, with a strong lean towards the Kindle for better book pricing and easy use of our existing Amazon account. But since the Kindle is 6-8 weeks away from being in stock, I can wait and see if by some miracle the Mentor comes to light or Kindle 2.

Since I'm moving abroad in a month, I don't think I'll be reading a whole lot for the next 4-6 weeks anyway :-)
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Old 01-27-2009, 10:31 AM   #21
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I see the Bebook price drop to $280. That is indeed tempting, especially with the ambiguous timetable for the Kindle, Astak Pro. Of course, waiting will probably pay off too.
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Old 02-01-2009, 12:28 PM   #22
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Kindle is the best... I'd wait till the March ship date as it is worth it
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Old 02-01-2009, 03:01 PM   #23
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Kindle is the best... I'd wait till the March ship date as it is worth it
Kindle may be good but only for the USA. In the rest of the world it doesn't exist, nor its features (Whispernet) are any good, as they are not supported, at least for the time being. And, for the kindle, there are rumours, as also seen in this site of the new Kindle 2.0, being announced on the 9th. We shall see.
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Old 02-01-2009, 05:10 PM   #24
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I do like the Kindle, but since I won't be using it in the USA, the extra features are moot.
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Old 02-02-2009, 03:58 AM   #25
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The latest BeBook firmware flash brings Bebook very close to Cybook in handling Mobi files (I haven't played with large font size yet.) For me, this brings BeBook ahead of CYBook. Still not perfect, as yet as there are still bugs in HTML support and gaps in RTF. You can get around the RTF limits by saving and reading as a .doc file, but I want to stay as non-propriatary as possible...
The "killer" for me is that, unfortunately, the BeBook still doesn't do dictionary lookup. I use that such a lot that I'd really miss having it. I know that you can do a search in a dictionary, but it's nearly as convenient as being able to lookup a word directly from the book you're reading.

If the BeBook gained this one feature, for me that would put it "top of the heap", no doubt about it.
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Old 02-05-2009, 05:36 PM   #26
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I do like the Kindle, but since I won't be using it in the USA, the extra features are moot.
I also like (and own) the Kindle, but I rarely use its extra features. For some types of non-fiction reading, I do appreciate its search and annotation abilities -- and those would be available anywhere.

Still, most of my reading is done with my Cybook Gen3. The ability to use the font of my own choosing, in a larger range of sizes (and with better inter-line spacing) than the Kindle makes a big difference to me. I also like the smaller size/weight.
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Old 02-05-2009, 11:00 PM   #27
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Since I'm not buying one before I move, I can wait a couple of months to see how things shake out. I'd like to be able to break whatever drm the reader I buy supports, to ensure that my library is readable in the future.
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Old 05-29-2009, 07:57 AM   #28
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Hey all - I'm back on the horse. That is deciding on an ebook reader. I've moved and am in Costa Rica. It's been 3 months and my wife and I are finaly starting to feel the lack of books, especially with some new books out that we really want to read.

I think that the Kindle is the best choice for us, despite some of its features (Whispernet primarily) not being available outside the US. As much as I loathe DRM, a few of the non-fiction books I want to read most are available on Kindle rather than Mobipocket, and in the end, it's about reading books. At least my wife will be happy that I'm not nitpicking everything - she's just wanted a Kindle from the start :-P

Any words of warning for K2? Does the lack of SD card matter? I have to do everything using a PC anyway. And thanks to all the responses as they really helped clear things up.

ps the K1 is *still* fugly :-P
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