Complicated Ebook purchase--recommendations please

bitemeok · 11-23-2010, 04:56 PM

I want to buy an ebook reader for my 4 year old daughter (her 5th birthday is in February). In addition to being 4 though, she also has cerebral palsy, which makes it near impossible for her to turn paper pages. She is somewhat computer literate and uses an ipad like device to communicate (her receptive language skills are fine, but she has trouble forming a lot words, at least so that others understand her). Because of her disability she qualifies for the Library of Congress NLS program and should be able to borrow protected DAISY files. So I'm looking for a reader that's easy to use, preferably color, and can handle a DAISY file.

Any suggestions?

dengar · 11-23-2010, 10:47 PM

For a child I would probably look at the Nook Color. I demoed it a couple of days ago and though at the time I wasnt impressed with reading pure text (hurt my eyes), I thought the childrens books looked and sounded great (yes it reads to you).

neilmarr · 11-24-2010, 09:58 AM

I would think, Bitemonk, that many readers might fill the bill. Something you might like to consider with the page-turn push-buttons is that you can make life much easier for your daughter by elevating them a little. I, for instance, use a small piece of plastic glued onto them so that the mere brush of a finger or thumb does the trick; no need for accurate pressing of a tiny little button. A Kindle might be surplus to requirements because of it's tiny keyboard: I reckon I would go for large-screen capacity and simplicity of function. Good luck. I hope your daughter finds a whole new reading experience in her Christmas stocking. Love to the family. Neil

PS: Being a toddler, she might enjoy colour for comics and illustrations in YA novels and children's books, so it may be worth looking at the simple back-lit devices as well as monochrome eink. N

wallcraft · 11-24-2010, 10:33 AM

The ePub ebook standard in principle includes DAISY, but none of the current ePub readers support it so far as I know. I think you may still be better off with a mainstream device, because they are cheaper and have in general wider content availability. You may be able to get free ePub ebooks, and perhaps even free Nook Color kids ebooks (see below), via various agencies because of your child's cerebral palsy.

Two good choices would be the Nook Color or the PocketBook IQ 701. The Nook Color has support for read aloud in Nook-specific children's ebooks (Nook Color Kids). The PocketBook IQ is an Android tablet optimized for reading, and so it likely supports android-daisy-epub-reader-project for DAISY ebooks. Both of these support Adobe ePub ebooks (e.g. from the Sony ebook store of Books on Board and from many public libraries) but only B&N supports ePubs from the B&N store.

You can try out the Nook Color at any B&N store. For the Pocketbook, you may want to ask in the PocketBook forum here about android-daisy-epub-reader-project (i.e. have someone with an IQ confirm that it works).

elemenoP · 11-24-2010, 10:51 AM

What about an ipad? Too expensive? I had a chance to borrow an ipad from work this weekend and I do think it's an ideal first kids computer (although really too expensive to give to a kid at all!). There was just an article in the NY Times about ipads helping kids with disabilities. The ibooks app is nice, and page turns are by swiping. I don't know if buttons or swiping would be easier for your daughter. I would look at that and the Nook Color. I don't think a regular b&w ereader would be very fun for a four-year-old.

Never heard of Daisy format. I wonder if Calibre supports it/converts it.

eP

boswd · 11-24-2010, 12:53 PM

Nook color would be perfect, many of their childrens books are interactive, it also has "Read To me"

a black and white eink reader won't cut it with a child.

DMSmillie · 11-24-2010, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Never heard of Daisy format. I wonder if Calibre supports it/converts it.

DAISY = "Digital Accessible Information SYstems". It's not exactly an ebook format - it's an XML based system designed originally to create properly accessible talking books. The EPUB standard grew out of the DAISY standards. Basically DAISY is synchronised audio, video, text and images, whereas EPUB is text and images. The DAISY Consortium maintains and oversees both DAISY and EPUB standards as far as I know. See http://www.daisy.org.

- Donna

elemenoP · 11-24-2010, 01:44 PM

Interesting, so do the Nook Color interactive kids books use this standard? Or did they come up with their own proprietary thing? Can you read those kids books and get the interactivity on the Nook iPad app?

eP

bitemeok · 11-25-2010, 12:26 PM

Thanks for the feedback. I was already looking at the Nook and will also look at the Pocketbook IQ. I considered a I-pad but it seems kind of pricey for an initial reader.

DMSmillie · 11-29-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

Interesting, so do the Nook Color interactive kids books use this standard? Or did they come up with their own proprietary thing? Can you read those kids books and get the interactivity on the Nook iPad app?

eP

I was hoping someone else might be able to answer those questions, eP. I doubt those interactive kids books are Daisy books - more likely an implementation of Flash. But I don't know for certain, I'm afraid. Sorry!

- Donna

djringjr · 01-05-2012, 02:17 PM

I just saw this post today. I would buy the Nook Color and an extra correct sized micro hdsd card for it. tigerdirect.com has a 16 GB Patriot type 10 micro hd sd that is truly a solid state drive. Then I would download the version of android that is on the market. This allows you to use the Nook Color (now on sale for $180) as either a regular nook color or as a nook color running android with increased screen resolution and overclocked microprocessor around 1 GHz. Then get an android application that reads both Daisy 2 and Daisy 3 both audio type and text type daisy files. This device will now play NLS digital books as well as Bookshare text only digital daisy books and you can now purchase from Barnes and Noble, AND Amazon AND other book sellers.

Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]

11-23-2010, 04:56 PM	#1
bitemeok Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 42 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Silver Spring, MD Device: Sony PRS-300	Complicated Ebook purchase--recommendations please I want to buy an ebook reader for my 4 year old daughter (her 5th birthday is in February). In addition to being 4 though, she also has cerebral palsy, which makes it near impossible for her to turn paper pages. She is somewhat computer literate and uses an ipad like device to communicate (her receptive language skills are fine, but she has trouble forming a lot words, at least so that others understand her). Because of her disability she qualifies for the Library of Congress NLS program and should be able to borrow protected DAISY files. So I'm looking for a reader that's easy to use, preferably color, and can handle a DAISY file. Any suggestions?

11-24-2010, 10:33 AM	#4
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The ePub ebook standard in principle includes DAISY, but none of the current ePub readers support it so far as I know. I think you may still be better off with a mainstream device, because they are cheaper and have in general wider content availability. You may be able to get free ePub ebooks, and perhaps even free Nook Color kids ebooks (see below), via various agencies because of your child's cerebral palsy. Two good choices would be the Nook Color or the PocketBook IQ 701. The Nook Color has support for read aloud in Nook-specific children's ebooks (Nook Color Kids). The PocketBook IQ is an Android tablet optimized for reading, and so it likely supports android-daisy-epub-reader-project for DAISY ebooks. Both of these support Adobe ePub ebooks (e.g. from the Sony ebook store of Books on Board and from many public libraries) but only B&N supports ePubs from the B&N store. You can try out the Nook Color at any B&N store. For the Pocketbook, you may want to ask in the PocketBook forum here about android-daisy-epub-reader-project (i.e. have someone with an IQ confirm that it works). Last edited by wallcraft; 11-24-2010 at 10:38 AM.

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11-23-2010, 10:47 PM	#2
dengar Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 2810 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: PW2, K3, Ipad 4, Kindle Fire	For a child I would probably look at the Nook Color. I demoed it a couple of days ago and though at the time I wasnt impressed with reading pure text (hurt my eyes), I thought the childrens books looked and sounded great (yes it reads to you).

11-24-2010, 09:58 AM	#3
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	I would think, Bitemonk, that many readers might fill the bill. Something you might like to consider with the page-turn push-buttons is that you can make life much easier for your daughter by elevating them a little. I, for instance, use a small piece of plastic glued onto them so that the mere brush of a finger or thumb does the trick; no need for accurate pressing of a tiny little button. A Kindle might be surplus to requirements because of it's tiny keyboard: I reckon I would go for large-screen capacity and simplicity of function. Good luck. I hope your daughter finds a whole new reading experience in her Christmas stocking. Love to the family. Neil PS: Being a toddler, she might enjoy colour for comics and illustrations in YA novels and children's books, so it may be worth looking at the simple back-lit devices as well as monochrome eink. N

11-24-2010, 10:51 AM	#5
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	What about an ipad? Too expensive? I had a chance to borrow an ipad from work this weekend and I do think it's an ideal first kids computer (although really too expensive to give to a kid at all!). There was just an article in the NY Times about ipads helping kids with disabilities. The ibooks app is nice, and page turns are by swiping. I don't know if buttons or swiping would be easier for your daughter. I would look at that and the Nook Color. I don't think a regular b&w ereader would be very fun for a four-year-old. Never heard of Daisy format. I wonder if Calibre supports it/converts it. eP

11-24-2010, 12:53 PM	#6
boswd Banned Posts: 2,391 Karma: 1001781 Join Date: May 2010 Device: The Nook, Nook color and Droid X	Nook color would be perfect, many of their childrens books are interactive, it also has "Read To me" a black and white eink reader won't cut it with a child.

11-24-2010, 01:44 PM	#8
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	Interesting, so do the Nook Color interactive kids books use this standard? Or did they come up with their own proprietary thing? Can you read those kids books and get the interactivity on the Nook iPad app? eP

11-25-2010, 12:26 PM	#9
bitemeok Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 42 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Silver Spring, MD Device: Sony PRS-300	Thanks for the feedback. I was already looking at the Nook and will also look at the Pocketbook IQ. I considered a I-pad but it seems kind of pricey for an initial reader.

01-05-2012, 02:17 PM	#11
djringjr Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: nook color	I just saw this post today. I would buy the Nook Color and an extra correct sized micro hdsd card for it. tigerdirect.com has a 16 GB Patriot type 10 micro hd sd that is truly a solid state drive. Then I would download the version of android that is on the market. This allows you to use the Nook Color (now on sale for $180) as either a regular nook color or as a nook color running android with increased screen resolution and overclocked microprocessor around 1 GHz. Then get an android application that reads both Daisy 2 and Daisy 3 both audio type and text type daisy files. This device will now play NLS digital books as well as Bookshare text only digital daisy books and you can now purchase from Barnes and Noble, AND Amazon AND other book sellers. Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]

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