Reader for web use - K1 vs K2 vs...?

[kamm]

Admittedly Kindles have a giant advantage hre, they come with FREE internet access, however it is a greatly hampered access.

Some says K2 is better for web use and also got TTS but I don't get it: lost K1's neat hacks (like Google Maps via triangulation) and more importantly the SD slot.

What is the best choice for reading (mostly free stuff) and lot of (also mostly free) web use (I won't pay for a free blog but possible that I will pay for some MAGAZINES or newspapers...)???

[HarryT]

Web browsing on an eInk screen is not a terribly rewarding experience - the response time of the screen is just too slow. You're honestly better off with a Tablet PC if web browsing is your primary consideration.

[wallcraft]

I find my K1 ok for occasional web browsing, and actually better than my iLiad V2 (the only other EInk option for browsing today) because the latter does not have a modern browser. However, neither one is good for heavy web use.

I think the Kindle DX may be better, because a larger screen means more pages fit horizontally and also there are fewer page turns. However, the KDX browser is supposed to be identical in features to the K2 browser, so it is still "experimental" and still won't support all web sites.

It is going to be interesting to see if any vendor comes out with a WiFi enabled EInk device with a full browser. I think this is possible today, but it has not been a primary focus of any vendor yet.

[kamm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Web browsing on an eInk screen is not a terribly rewarding experience - the response time of the screen is just too slow. You're honestly better off with a Tablet PC if web browsing is your primary consideration.

Thanks but I have a tablet - one of the best tablets out there, the Gigabyte M912M (the one with LED backlight.)
It's indeed an ultra-versatile and highly mobile piece however it's still not something I can just hold in one hand on the subway, let alone stashing it away into my pocket.
These eReaders' battery life dwarfs any netbook's and monthly 3G fees would also make it very expensive to read blogs on the subway.

Also my main purpose would be reading and LCD is far from good for my very light-sensitive eyes (I'm a blue-eyed Caucasian), just recently got my first eyeglasses (which is considered a small miracle after I got my first computer in 1985 and work with computers for 15+ years as an IT engineer... )

[kamm]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I find my K1 ok for occasional web browsing, and actually better than my iLiad V2 (the only other EInk option for browsing today) because the latter does not have a modern browser. However, neither one is good for heavy web use.

I think the Kindle DX may be better, because a larger screen means more pages fit horizontally and also there are fewer page turns. However, the KDX browser is supposed to be identical in features to the K2 browser, so it is still "experimental" and still won't support all web sites.

It is going to be interesting to see if any vendor comes out with a WiFi enabled EInk device with a full browser. I think this is possible today, but it has not been a primary focus of any vendor yet.

I don't really mind if it's like back in the old days of lynx - as long as it can chew any page and serve me the text in some readable format I'm fine.
My main interest would be RSS feeds via Google Reader (Mobile?), online magazines and forums.

Keep in mind that the #1 purpose would be books, of course, web comes only in second.

Have you seen the K2 web browser? How is it different from K1?
Thought I have a high-end phone with GPS and iGo 8 installed (best navigation software on the planet) having Google Maps on K1 sounds a big plus for me in case I don't get any sat signal (which happens quite often if you're an urban guy like me.)

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by kamm

I don't really mind if it's like back in the old days of lynx - as long as it can chew any page and serve me the text in some readable format I'm fine.
My main interest would be RSS feeds via Google Reader (Mobile?), online magazines and forums.

The K1's browser is probably good enough for what you want. I have a few screenshots in Feedbooks: New Mobile Edition. Any web page optimized for a mobile phone will work, and so will many standard web pages. Forums are likely to be the hardest to follow, and some may not display at all.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kamm

My main interest would be RSS feeds via Google Reader (Mobile?), online magazines and forums.

For RSS feeds, the free (PC-based) MobiPocket Reader does a very good job of automatically downloading and converting to an eBook which one can then read "on the go" on any device which supports MobiPocket format (which includes the Kindle, of course).

[kamm]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The K1's browser is probably good enough for what you want. I have a few screenshots in Feedbooks: New Mobile Edition. Any web page optimized for a mobile phone will work, and so will many standard web pages. Forums are likely to be the hardest to follow, and some may not display at all.

So you're for the K1 instead of K2?

I do think K1 is better for me - more hacks, SD, replaceable battery - but I am not sure about their browsers...

[kamm]

Originally Posted by HarryT

For RSS feeds, the free (PC-based) MobiPocket Reader does a very good job of automatically downloading and converting to an eBook which one can then read "on the go" on any device which supports MobiPocket format (which includes the Kindle, of course).

Thanks for the tip. How is it different from this Calibre?

[Donnageddon]

Web browsing (when away from a WiFi connection) is the only thing I use my K1 for anymore.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kamm

Thanks for the tip. How is it different from this Calibre?

I'd suggest that you take a look at both and see. Both are good tools; personally I mind Mobi Reader easier to use. Both are free.

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by kamm

So you're for the K1 instead of K2?

I have a K1, so that is what I can tell you about.

I don't know how different web browsing is on the K2, i.e. if there are added features. It is probably a bit faster, 16 greyscales vs 4 may help sometimes, and the K2's Whispernet is supposed to cover more places (but I have never had a problem on the K1).

[daffy4u]

Originally Posted by kamm

Thanks for the tip. How is it different from this Calibre?

I *do* find web browsing to be a bit faster on K2 than on K1. I wrote a short review about it using MobileRead as my test site.

On the whole I prefer to use my laptop for web surfing but while traveling from Texas to Florida and back by car this past week, when someone else was driving, I used my K2 several times to check my email and shop the Kindle store and it worked well but slow even in 3G mode (I did not take my laptop with me). I didn't try to do any other type of web surfing because I didn't need to.

Either Kindle is great in a pinch but if you plan to use the browser for long periods of time, make sure you use the mobile versions of sites and that you have easy access to power. My K2 only used half my battery power over the 7 days I was gone and I did check my email at least once a day (making sure to turn off the wireless when I was finished).