Help! Which eReader? Really simple requirements :)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I can understand someone wanting an easy way to read PDFs, because converting them is a hassle (big hassle sometimes; they're often locked against changes, and conversion can throw in hard returns after every line). But I can't think of any simple way to read them on a portable device, other than something with a 9" or 10" screen.

I agree; this is one area in which a large-screen device is a must.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Because of everything I've read about the page-turning bug in the Sony T1, I'd recommend avoiding that until/unless Sony manage to find a fix for it.

According to Sony, the fix is coming.

[catsittingstill]

Originally Posted by paola

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Another 9.7'' reader is the M9X series by Onyx,... the Onyx has a Pearl screen.

....

(cat sittingstill comments about ePub and Kindle)

I think the problem is the other way round: how to read AZW files on devices other than kindle - this is what stops me recommending the Kindle to people who are even less tech savy than I am .

....
.

Fair enough; don't get me wrong--I really wish .azw books were compatible with more e-book readers, more easily, than they are, and I agree about the switching difficulties.

But there are .azw reading apps for a lot of the Android based devices now. And I think it's interesting that that list includes some e-book readers like the Nook. It's a pity there isn't a similar app for the Sony.

There are gates in the walls I am just learning about, and I'm storing the information if I need it for a later escape :-)

Oh, and I forgot to mention before--I think it's very cool that there's a Pearl 9.7 inch screen out there--as far as I know the Kindle DX still has the pre-Pearl screen, and I notice a big improvement with Pearl.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by catsittingstill

Oh, and I forgot to mention before--I think it's very cool that there's a Pearl 9.7 inch screen out there--as far as I know the Kindle DX still has the pre-Pearl screen, and I notice a big improvement with Pearl.

The DX Graphite has a Pearl screen, the original white DX doesn't. For now, the DXG is the only 9.7" device with stable firmware that has a Pearl screen; the older Pocketbooks are Vizplex, and the Onyx 9.7 inchers, which have a Pearl screen, are hampered by buggy firmware.

[catsittingstill]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

The DX Graphite has a Pearl screen, the original white DX doesn't. For now, the DXG is the only 9.7" device with stable firmware that has a Pearl screen; the older Pocketbooks are Vizplex, and the Onyx 9.7 inchers, which have a Pearl screen, are hampered by buggy firmware.

Oh, I didn't realize that the DXG had the Pearl screen. That's cool.

I keep hoping for some upgrades on the DXG, specifically the ability to search one's pdf collection for a word or phrase. Last I heard it could only search inside the particular pdf that was open.

But the DXG doesn't seem to be changing as fast as the Kindle proper. I suppose because it has a smaller user base, so doesn't get as much attention from product development.

[paola]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

The DX Graphite has a Pearl screen, the original white DX doesn't. For now, the DXG is the only 9.7" device with stable firmware that has a Pearl screen; the older Pocketbooks are Vizplex, and the Onyx 9.7 inchers, which have a Pearl screen, are hampered by buggy firmware.

The new M92 by Onyx is looking much better than the M90:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=157607

The lack of Pearl in the Pocketbook should be compared with the flexibility that the firmware offers in the Pocketbook - probably not important for those only reading on it, but if you use it for work and have to shuffle between various documents and various pages within a document and/or need free-hand annotation, the new multitasking feature in teh pockebook is really good. And if Onyx get tehir act together with the M92, that device is going to attract a lot of attention imho.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by catsittingstill

Oh, I didn't realize that the DXG had the Pearl screen. That's cool.

I keep hoping for some upgrades on the DXG, specifically the ability to search one's pdf collection for a word or phrase. Last I heard it could only search inside the particular pdf that was open.

But the DXG doesn't seem to be changing as fast as the Kindle proper. I suppose because it has a smaller user base, so doesn't get as much attention from product development.

You're right where searching in PDFs is concerned; the global search only looks in the PDF metadata. And no, it doesn't seem to be getting any attention at all, it looks like. I think the DX is a dead-end product.

You can install the 3.2 firmware of the K3/Kindle Keyboard on it, (although that still won't look inside a PDF with a global search) though, or Duokan, if you want/need better PDF handling.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by paola

The new M92 by Onyx is looking much better than the M90:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=157607

The lack of Pearl in the Pocketbook should be compared with the flexibility that the firmware offers in the Pocketbook - probably not important for those only reading on it, but if you use it for work and have to shuffle between various documents and various pages within a document and/or need free-hand annotation, the new multitasking feature in teh pockebook is really good. And if Onyx get tehir act together with the M92, that device is going to attract a lot of attention imho.

True, the Pocketbooks have great firmware. Pity they are still using Vizplex, even on their new 912. A Pearl Pocketbook would be a sweet reader... The Onyx M92 does look a lot more promising than their current crop, yes. Worth looking at if and when my DXG bites the dust.

[garion]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Because some stores only or mostly release them in PDF. (Wowio, the DriveThruRPG sites, Lulu until recently, lots of small nonfic publishers.) And a lot of authors & publishers release free PDF versions of the paperback-sized book.

The Suvudu free library is PDF-only, for the non-DRMd versions. The free ebooks from Mills & Boone were PDF. It's easy to stock up on promo/freebie books in PDF format, and unfortunately, most of them are worse than for-sale PDFs--the metadata's atrocious (9780373150915_SAMPL.indd for a title; "Cronsberry, Peter" as the author of a book by Abby Gaines--presumably, he has the computer with InDesign that did the layout) and they're sometimes paperback-sized text on a letter-sized page; often the crop marks are still included.

I can understand someone wanting an easy way to read PDFs, because converting them is a hassle (big hassle sometimes; they're often locked against changes, and conversion can throw in hard returns after every line). But I can't think of any simple way to read them on a portable device, other than something with a 9" or 10" screen.

what Elfwreck said. ^^^^^

btw... i decided on the nook touch. Some PDFs are looking decent once I do the Calibre transfer.

I thought the nook was kind of dark with the grey background when I tested it in the store. But I went back and looked at it again and the black type seems sharp enough and the grey isn't bothering me so much. And the result is the same with my NookTouch at home.

now I just need to overcome my fear on rooting it. Then I can read stuff landscape size.