What e reader to buy?

lara · 09-04-2010, 04:05 PM

hello....last night i finally decided to get a e reader. reason...well i would love to be able to read outside without needing my laptop & a wireless connection. also to be able to read in the sunlight. i looked at a few sites & i am confused!!!

here's what i need...i need something i can download stuff into with out needing a USB...but at a good speed. i dont want to spend 10min for one page to load. touchscreen is good but not the deal breaker. i want to be able to read all the latest books...then the usual newspaper, mags & fiction posted on the net. There are sites like fanfiction.net that i am on all the time. need to be able to read off there.

how does this thing work anyway....for ex for the fanfiction stuff all i do is log onto the website. is it as simple as that in the e reader or do i download & convert the data & such.

As you can see i am lost in all that tech speak....help would be much appreciated.

Thanks much!

fjtorres · 09-04-2010, 04:12 PM

First thing you need to decide is *where* you're going to get your DRM'ed ebooks; Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Apple, or someplace else.
That will simplify things a bit, as that will cut down you options from "anything with WiFi" to something manageable.

Also, familiarize yourself with the Calibre ebook management software package; it is free and it will likely be your main tool for getting non-book content onto the reader.

Finally, let go of any expectation of *great* web surfing on any eink device.
It will be decent for some sites, tolerable for others, and unacceptable for many.

lara · 09-04-2010, 04:22 PM

ok, right...so probably either Apple or Amazon...since i will be purchasing this in London Barnes & Nobles is out. & if there's no easy way to web surf...what does one do. download to a computer & then transfer via USB? i will check out the Calibre software you mention.

thanks you for your post!

fjtorres · 09-04-2010, 05:27 PM

Oh, you can surf with the Kindle. It's just that eink is not the best way of displaying web pages.
What calibre can do for you is automatically download web content, format it as ebooks, and then send it wirelessly to your reader.

Now, if you're going to buy ebooks from amazon, you just put the Kindle 3 WiFi at the top of your list. (You did say you wanted to read outdoors, right? That pretty much excludes the iPad.)

Your alternative choices are to buy content on Kindle for PC and then remove DRM to be able to use it on an alternate reader that supports DRM-free Mobipocket ebooks, or to give up on outdoors reading.

But for outdoors reading *and* buying Kindle ebooks, you either need a pricey tablet PC with outdoors-readable screen or a Kindle eink reader. (Or you need to learn how to strip DRM.)

Just be aware that the Kindles don't open ePub-formatted ebooks natively.
DRM-free ePubs can be converted with Calibre, hence the suggestion you become familiar with it.

Kindles do natively read DRM-free Mobipocket format ebooks so you can also get ebooks from non-Amazon publishers/bookstores that support it (Baen Webscriptions, for one) and pdf files.

So your next decision is whether you can live in the Kindle ecosystem or you prefer to strip DRM and use a non-Kindle reader.

Not that hard, is it?

Have fun!

lara · 09-05-2010, 07:40 AM

@fjtorres ...i think i will be in the kindle world. i dont want to be stripping DRM etc.

so can you tell me if this is how it works...you buy say a kindle, then go to a kindle store much like the itunes thing & just pick the books n such you want to read, yes? then for books for ex that aren't available in it...you go looking for non amazon publishers on a comp - download it there & then transfer to the reader.

i read a lot of fan fiction over the internet & these are the down loaders that support it - Graffer - http://www.serdel.co.nr/ supports HTML and PDF and loads of fanfic sites (including Twilighted) while FF Downloader - http://www.fanfictiondownloader.net/ support more file types. would a kindle be able to read file fornats that these sites support.

thanks Franklin...i think a kindle will be eventually what i buy. i really dont have too much knowledge about all the types of file formats there are & that the usual reading material comes in. i just wanted to be sure i can read the usual popular fiction/non fiction books, newspapers, & fanfiction....

it is easier to navigate with you all helping...that's for sure!! thank you!!

lara · 09-05-2010, 08:21 AM

oh & another question - i looked up the latest kindle release - the kindle 3 - so i think the second version which is considered a kindle 2 replacement where it has both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity is what i would need. mostly i would be in areas with wifi available likemy home or coffee shops but occasionally if i wanna read this in say a park...the 3G comes in handy, right?

lara · 09-05-2010, 08:37 AM

whoa! got a look at the price differential in the 9.7 & 6 inch version?!! jeez...for that much lower i would happily take the 6 inch ...just wow!

fjtorres · 09-05-2010, 10:14 AM

Yes, if you want a no-muss, no fuss experience for books, K3 will get you there.
Other brands work fine, too, and even offer features Kindle doesn't but you also have to roll up your sleeves and do some work. Just to make that clear.

Going through the list:

Yes, fanfic is usually DRM-free so Kindles can read it; HTML and PDF natively, most everything else via conversion. Calibre will be your friend. That Fanfic downloader tool you linked can already output Kindle-ready mobi-format, so you should be covered with it.

And yes, the price differential for the larger KDXG is noticeable; given the paucity of shipping competitors (none, today) apparently there isn't much volume production of the screens and component cost tends to be inversely proportional to the volume. Volume sales seems to be in the six inch range so...

Anyway, the K3 with G3 will preferentially try to use the WiFi for its wireless transfers and, if it can't make a connection, *then* switch to the G3. So the choice there is whether you want 24x7 connectivity everywhere or are happy with the WiFi-only. Just remember that the connectivity is for transfers and the *experimental* browser, it *will* work fine with the wireless shut down (gives better battery life, too).

Sounds like you're covered.

Make sure to check out the "recipes" list in Calibre; those are websites that it can automatically download and convert to ebook form for you. You can write your own "recipe" but they have a *lot* already compiled and ready to use.

By your taste in fanfic it sounds like you might have an interest in Urban Fantasy and (maybe? SF&Fantasy), if so you might want to check out Tanya Huff's Victory Nelson series. And check out the free ebooks at these web sites:

Fifth Imperium - CD images of promo CDs with dozens of DRM-free SF&F ebooks; entire series in some cases. http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/

BAEN Free Library - Free ebooks chosen to introduce the works and worlds of some of the best SF&F writers out there. Lots of goodies. Check out MOUNTAINS OF MOURNING, for one. http://www.baen.com/library/

Webscriptions - Is the ebook store associated with BAEN and a few others. DRM-free, sub-paperback pricing, no geographical restrictions, multiple format support, repeat downloading in any format. They sell you the *book* not the file. Plus they also sell their namesake monthly webscription bundles of 6-7 books for US$15 instead of US$6 per book. A great way to discover new authors and genres. In addition to BAEN they also carry NIGHTSHADE books which tends a bit more towards the urban fantasy side of the spectrum and they have their own (quarterly?) bundles. Check it out. http://www.webscription.net/default.aspx

The Closed Circle - Three top-flight writers got tired of their backlist languishing at the hands of the publishing houses so they took matters in their own hands and set up their own BAEN-like operation. The idea is spreading.
http://www.closed-circle.net/WhereItsAt/

Hope, you have fun with your new toy.

lara · 09-05-2010, 11:15 AM

oh my gosh!! i cant thank you enough. this is all i need to make up my mind!!! so this is what i buying kindle 3 without 3G, with 6 inches screen.it means this one, yes?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wirel...pf_rd_i=468294

now to order it & wait a couple of weeks so they deliver. thank you once again. will definitely let you know how it goes once i get my hands on it...i am sure there will be no 'work' done by me the first two - three days. & oh i checked out the fanfic sites...there are tons of goodies!!!
thank you again.

fjtorres · 09-05-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lara

oh my gosh!! i cant thank you enough. this is all i need to make up my mind!!! so this is what i buying kindle 3 without 3G, with 6 inches screen.it means this one, yes?

Yes, that is the WiFi-only Kindle.
Nice price huh?
I'm fine with my Kindle 2 and Pocketbook 360 but it does look awfully tempting.

That will let you buy ebooks from amazon, let you do some limited web surfing, and let you load up fanfic in HTML, PDF, and Mobi format when you are in range of a WiFi hotspot. Or from a PC via USB.

If those are your needs, you are in business.
Hopefully it won't be a long wait.
Have fun!

Vertigo · 09-05-2010, 02:22 PM

One thing to bear in mind if you go down the Kindle route is that you will not be able to buy DRM secured books from sources other than Amazon, unless you are prepared to do the work of stirpping DRM and converting. For eBooks Amazon are not always the cheapest, for example WH Smiths price their eBooks very low and often lower than Amazon.

church mouse · 09-05-2010, 04:27 PM

Vertigo - as a Sony 300 user, I would love it if WH Smith, or any UK epub retailer was generally cheaper than Amazon, but that has not been my experience since the Amazon UK Kindle site opened up.

On my current "to be bought this year" list, I have 35 e-books, all of which are available from Amazon. Most are also available as epubs, with WH Smith stocking more than any of the other retailers I have searched against. Not one of the 35 is available cheaper as an epub anywhere than is being offered by Amazon in its Kindle format.

Vertigo · 09-05-2010, 09:37 PM

I must admit that Amazon are generally the best buy, WH Smith were cheaper for a short while with a half price offer on which brought most the books I was looking at down to £4 however that seems to have ended now and the books I bought for £4 are now around £6.50 (still discounted from their theoretical full price of £7.99) which is about the same as Amazon.

However bottom line I'm afraid is that I will buy from the best source and then happily strip the DRM, strictly for my own use, so I can read however I wish.

smartlife · 09-26-2010, 01:32 PM

Hello,

The first ebook reader for me is Bebook One, it's almost available for all format ebook, the second (hope the last one) PRS 600, I need another ebook reader cause PRS 600 had dictionary with fast touch...

lara · 10-03-2010, 04:20 PM

hello all!!!! i have my kindle. it's been 2 days & i love it already! i am still figuring out how completely to operate it!! but really it's like reading a book...just shorter pages is all. i do have one question...so if i am reading a chapter from a story & put the thing to sleep...it will wake up right back to where i was. i have figured out how to book mark...but if i am at the home page how do i get back to the page where i bookmarked it at. there is a line for my clippings where it shows me what story, what page i bookmarked it at...but i cant figure how...do i click on the link to go the last page i read...it doesn't let me select it. so basically from the home page how i do go where i bookmarked/dog eared the chapter at. you all are a absolutely helpful bunch! thank you for everything!

09-04-2010, 04:05 PM	#1
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	What e reader to buy? hello....last night i finally decided to get a e reader. reason...well i would love to be able to read outside without needing my laptop & a wireless connection. also to be able to read in the sunlight. i looked at a few sites & i am confused!!! here's what i need...i need something i can download stuff into with out needing a USB...but at a good speed. i dont want to spend 10min for one page to load. touchscreen is good but not the deal breaker. i want to be able to read all the latest books...then the usual newspaper, mags & fiction posted on the net. There are sites like fanfiction.net that i am on all the time. need to be able to read off there. how does this thing work anyway....for ex for the fanfiction stuff all i do is log onto the website. is it as simple as that in the e reader or do i download & convert the data & such. As you can see i am lost in all that tech speak....help would be much appreciated. Thanks much!

09-04-2010, 04:12 PM	#2
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	First thing you need to decide is where you're going to get your DRM'ed ebooks; Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Apple, or someplace else. That will simplify things a bit, as that will cut down you options from "anything with WiFi" to something manageable. Also, familiarize yourself with the Calibre ebook management software package; it is free and it will likely be your main tool for getting non-book content onto the reader. Finally, let go of any expectation of great web surfing on any eink device. It will be decent for some sites, tolerable for others, and unacceptable for many. Last edited by fjtorres; 09-04-2010 at 04:16 PM.

09-05-2010, 08:21 AM	#6
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	oh & another question - i looked up the latest kindle release - the kindle 3 - so i think the second version which is considered a kindle 2 replacement where it has both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity is what i would need. mostly i would be in areas with wifi available likemy home or coffee shops but occasionally if i wanna read this in say a park...the 3G comes in handy, right? Last edited by lara; 09-05-2010 at 08:26 AM.

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09-04-2010, 04:22 PM	#3
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	ok, right...so probably either Apple or Amazon...since i will be purchasing this in London Barnes & Nobles is out. & if there's no easy way to web surf...what does one do. download to a computer & then transfer via USB? i will check out the Calibre software you mention. thanks you for your post!

09-04-2010, 05:27 PM	#4
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Oh, you can surf with the Kindle. It's just that eink is not the best way of displaying web pages. What calibre can do for you is automatically download web content, format it as ebooks, and then send it wirelessly to your reader. Now, if you're going to buy ebooks from amazon, you just put the Kindle 3 WiFi at the top of your list. (You did say you wanted to read outdoors, right? That pretty much excludes the iPad.) Your alternative choices are to buy content on Kindle for PC and then remove DRM to be able to use it on an alternate reader that supports DRM-free Mobipocket ebooks, or to give up on outdoors reading. But for outdoors reading and buying Kindle ebooks, you either need a pricey tablet PC with outdoors-readable screen or a Kindle eink reader. (Or you need to learn how to strip DRM.) Just be aware that the Kindles don't open ePub-formatted ebooks natively. DRM-free ePubs can be converted with Calibre, hence the suggestion you become familiar with it. Kindles do natively read DRM-free Mobipocket format ebooks so you can also get ebooks from non-Amazon publishers/bookstores that support it (Baen Webscriptions, for one) and pdf files. So your next decision is whether you can live in the Kindle ecosystem or you prefer to strip DRM and use a non-Kindle reader. Not that hard, is it? Have fun!

09-05-2010, 07:40 AM	#5
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	@fjtorres ...i think i will be in the kindle world. i dont want to be stripping DRM etc. so can you tell me if this is how it works...you buy say a kindle, then go to a kindle store much like the itunes thing & just pick the books n such you want to read, yes? then for books for ex that aren't available in it...you go looking for non amazon publishers on a comp - download it there & then transfer to the reader. i read a lot of fan fiction over the internet & these are the down loaders that support it - Graffer - http://www.serdel.co.nr/ supports HTML and PDF and loads of fanfic sites (including Twilighted) while FF Downloader - http://www.fanfictiondownloader.net/ support more file types. would a kindle be able to read file fornats that these sites support. thanks Franklin...i think a kindle will be eventually what i buy. i really dont have too much knowledge about all the types of file formats there are & that the usual reading material comes in. i just wanted to be sure i can read the usual popular fiction/non fiction books, newspapers, & fanfiction.... it is easier to navigate with you all helping...that's for sure!! thank you!!

09-05-2010, 08:37 AM	#7
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	whoa! got a look at the price differential in the 9.7 & 6 inch version?!! jeez...for that much lower i would happily take the 6 inch ...just wow!

09-05-2010, 10:14 AM	#8
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Yes, if you want a no-muss, no fuss experience for books, K3 will get you there. Other brands work fine, too, and even offer features Kindle doesn't but you also have to roll up your sleeves and do some work. Just to make that clear. Going through the list: Yes, fanfic is usually DRM-free so Kindles can read it; HTML and PDF natively, most everything else via conversion. Calibre will be your friend. That Fanfic downloader tool you linked can already output Kindle-ready mobi-format, so you should be covered with it. And yes, the price differential for the larger KDXG is noticeable; given the paucity of shipping competitors (none, today) apparently there isn't much volume production of the screens and component cost tends to be inversely proportional to the volume. Volume sales seems to be in the six inch range so... Anyway, the K3 with G3 will preferentially try to use the WiFi for its wireless transfers and, if it can't make a connection, then switch to the G3. So the choice there is whether you want 24x7 connectivity everywhere or are happy with the WiFi-only. Just remember that the connectivity is for transfers and the experimental browser, it will work fine with the wireless shut down (gives better battery life, too). Sounds like you're covered. Make sure to check out the "recipes" list in Calibre; those are websites that it can automatically download and convert to ebook form for you. You can write your own "recipe" but they have a lot already compiled and ready to use. By your taste in fanfic it sounds like you might have an interest in Urban Fantasy and (maybe? SF&Fantasy), if so you might want to check out Tanya Huff's Victory Nelson series. And check out the free ebooks at these web sites: Fifth Imperium - CD images of promo CDs with dozens of DRM-free SF&F ebooks; entire series in some cases. http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/ BAEN Free Library - Free ebooks chosen to introduce the works and worlds of some of the best SF&F writers out there. Lots of goodies. Check out MOUNTAINS OF MOURNING, for one. http://www.baen.com/library/ Webscriptions - Is the ebook store associated with BAEN and a few others. DRM-free, sub-paperback pricing, no geographical restrictions, multiple format support, repeat downloading in any format. They sell you the book not the file. Plus they also sell their namesake monthly webscription bundles of 6-7 books for US$15 instead of US$6 per book. A great way to discover new authors and genres. In addition to BAEN they also carry NIGHTSHADE books which tends a bit more towards the urban fantasy side of the spectrum and they have their own (quarterly?) bundles. Check it out. http://www.webscription.net/default.aspx The Closed Circle - Three top-flight writers got tired of their backlist languishing at the hands of the publishing houses so they took matters in their own hands and set up their own BAEN-like operation. The idea is spreading. http://www.closed-circle.net/WhereItsAt/ Hope, you have fun with your new toy.

09-05-2010, 11:15 AM	#9
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	oh my gosh!! i cant thank you enough. this is all i need to make up my mind!!! so this is what i buying kindle 3 without 3G, with 6 inches screen.it means this one, yes? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wirel...pf_rd_i=468294 now to order it & wait a couple of weeks so they deliver. thank you once again. will definitely let you know how it goes once i get my hands on it...i am sure there will be no 'work' done by me the first two - three days. & oh i checked out the fanfic sites...there are tons of goodies!!! thank you again.

09-05-2010, 02:22 PM	#11
Vertigo Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Highlands of Scotland Device: Kobo H2O edition 2	One thing to bear in mind if you go down the Kindle route is that you will not be able to buy DRM secured books from sources other than Amazon, unless you are prepared to do the work of stirpping DRM and converting. For eBooks Amazon are not always the cheapest, for example WH Smiths price their eBooks very low and often lower than Amazon.

09-05-2010, 04:27 PM	#12
church mouse Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 5277078 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Device: Kindle Voyage, Kobo Clara HD, Kobo H2O, Boox Poke 2	Vertigo - as a Sony 300 user, I would love it if WH Smith, or any UK epub retailer was generally cheaper than Amazon, but that has not been my experience since the Amazon UK Kindle site opened up. On my current "to be bought this year" list, I have 35 e-books, all of which are available from Amazon. Most are also available as epubs, with WH Smith stocking more than any of the other retailers I have searched against. Not one of the 35 is available cheaper as an epub anywhere than is being offered by Amazon in its Kindle format.

09-05-2010, 09:37 PM	#13
Vertigo Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Highlands of Scotland Device: Kobo H2O edition 2	I must admit that Amazon are generally the best buy, WH Smith were cheaper for a short while with a half price offer on which brought most the books I was looking at down to £4 however that seems to have ended now and the books I bought for £4 are now around £6.50 (still discounted from their theoretical full price of £7.99) which is about the same as Amazon. However bottom line I'm afraid is that I will buy from the best source and then happily strip the DRM, strictly for my own use, so I can read however I wish.

09-26-2010, 01:32 PM	#14
smartlife Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Device: Bebook One, PRS600, A70IT	Hello, The first ebook reader for me is Bebook One, it's almost available for all format ebook, the second (hope the last one) PRS 600, I need another ebook reader cause PRS 600 had dictionary with fast touch...

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10-03-2010, 04:20 PM	#15
lara Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	hello all!!!! i have my kindle. it's been 2 days & i love it already! i am still figuring out how completely to operate it!! but really it's like reading a book...just shorter pages is all. i do have one question...so if i am reading a chapter from a story & put the thing to sleep...it will wake up right back to where i was. i have figured out how to book mark...but if i am at the home page how do i get back to the page where i bookmarked it at. there is a line for my clippings where it shows me what story, what page i bookmarked it at...but i cant figure how...do i click on the link to go the last page i read...it doesn't let me select it. so basically from the home page how i do go where i bookmarked/dog eared the chapter at. you all are a absolutely helpful bunch! thank you for everything!