Which device is best for me??

[Lizzi]

I am a book reader and belong to a book group which meets monthly. Have heard about e book readers and have checked out on line both Kindle and eco reader. I am looking for opinions - for and against these devices. What do you think is the better option and why?? I live in Australia Thanks.

[tech_au]

The Kindle and the ECO Reader are the two easily available options for Australians.
I have had a Sony 505 for nearly 2 years and love it but Sonys are still not generally available in Australia. Having said that ebookbop.com.au sells many brands including Sony but they are pretty pricey.
The International Kindle is the best value at US$259 but you do have to buy it from Amazon US and get it shipped here and you have to accept that you only buy mainstream ebooks from the Amazon store and it is the only ebook reader I know of that doesn't read the EPUB standard that all other brands do. Amazon have done that deliberately I think.
The ECO Reader is a little expensive at AU$449 compared to the Kindle but it is a local ereader and you can buy EPUB ebooks from ebookstores in UK, Australia and the US.
Another advantage of the Kindle is wireless delivery of ebooks to the reader versus download and load via USB for most other brands( though that is changing )

[queentess]

You may find this matrix of ereaders helpful.

Which device you should get really depends on what you're looking for. Is there anything in particular you want the device to do?

I have a Kindle and love it, but I'm pretty sure I'd love just about any ereader. The things I especially love about the Kindle are: the dictionary (which I never thought I'd use), ease and quickness of menu navigation, highlighting passages, and the look/feel of the device.

However, the Kindle comes with the caveat that it doesn't read ePub files, which is a major ebook format (and possibly one day the ebook standard format?).

[queentess]

Originally Posted by tech_au

you have to accept that you only buy mainstream ebooks from the Amazon store

You don't only have to purchase books from Amazon - there are many other options out there for Kindlers.

[SneakySnake]

Welcome to Mobile Read

Harvey Norman is selling the iriver story for about $400.

You can buy Sony from B&H Photo in the US and they will ship to Australia.

DA Direct in Melbourne sell readers.

Keep trawling through these fora (forums?) and you will surely find plenty of information to help you make a decision.

I just purchased a Sony PRS-900 on ebay and had it shipped to Oz.

Good Luck.

[karenr_nz]

You could also consider a PocketBook - they're not available from Australian retailers, but PB will ship there, and you get very good service, and a competitive price. I've bought one from NZ, and there are several Aussies on this site who have also purchased them.

[AlexBell]

I'm a happy ECO Reader user. I chose it because there is an Australian help desk, to be able to read both mobi and ePub books, and to have folders.

Regards, Alex

[kindlekitten]

I'd suggest going to the individual forums, reading the various threads and see what appeals to you.

Originally Posted by queentess

You may find this matrix of ereaders helpful.

\However, the Kindle comes with the caveat that it doesn't read ePub files, which is a major ebook format (and possibly one day the ebook standard format?).

yeah it can. run it through calibre, no worries

[polly]

Before deciding on a Kindle, look at what titles are available to you in Australia. The Kindle Store's geographical restrictions make most of their selection unavailable to me in Germany without work arounds. It can be done, but involves a US credit card and a VPN that will give you a US IP.

Also be aware that while Calibre will convert ePubs into Mobi, that only works for files without DRM. Since most of the books sold these days have DRM embedded in them, you would have to either strip the DRM first or accept that the ePubs that you purchase won't work on a Kindle. Of course, that also works in reverse. Calibre will convert Mobi to ePub, but only after you remove the DRM.

Astak will ship readers to Australia and honor warranties on those readers if there are problems. There are several Australians active on the Astak forum who could give you more information. I believe that Dulin's Books will ship their readers (PocketBooks and Booxs) internationally, but don't now any of the details. I really like my Astak PP, but the PocketBook and Boox 60 also have a loyal following.

[Onemack]

I think that any bookreader you buy in Australia is going to be overpriced in comparison to importing whichever you choose. I would select one which can read ePub files and in my opinion any of the Sony range is good.
I have found that there are too many hassles with Mobi ebooks, with booksellers and DRM issues. As far as conversion is concerned, if there is DRM involved it just gets too complicated unless you are some sort of geek. (no one seems to be able to offer a simple conversion/stripper program without waffling on about python and other unfathomable things).
Avoid Dymocks ebooks, they are far too pricey in comparison to overseas stores.

I have just ordered a Kindle because they now offer wireless download in Australia and they are cheap in comparison to others of comparable ilk.

[queentess]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

yeah it can. run it through calibre, no worries

And why run it through calibre if it reads ePub? Oh, that's right, because it doesn't.

Yes, some people enjoy jumping through all the hoops to strip DRM and convert files. I find it to be a waste of my time. And since the OP was asking a general question, I thought it would be helpful to offer the simplest answer and point out a major flaw in the Kindle. But thanks for causing confusion for a new poster.

[ChrisC333]

Originally Posted by Lizzi

I am a book reader and belong to a book group which meets monthly. Have heard about e book readers and have checked out on line both Kindle and eco reader. I am looking for opinions - for and against these devices. What do you think is the better option and why?? I live in Australia Thanks.

Hi Lizzi,

It's not just about the reader itself - because, as others have already mentioned, they all have limitations and restrictions as to what formats and styles they can read.

A good start might be to jot down a list of books that your book group has read over the past few months, plus other titles that you like or have bought for yourself. Then do some research and see whether they are also available as ebooks to Australian residents. Some will be, but many may not be. That might give you a general overview before you start looking at the hardware.

Some of the books that you can track down may also only be available in specific copy protected formats rather than a choice. Unless you are prepared to go through all the fiddle of learning how to crack them then that may influence your choice of reading device too. My preferred reader is actually a small computer rather than a specialist ereader, and one reason for that is that I can instal several different types of software and thus read any format of ebook, protected or not. That's not the case with Kindles, Eco readers, iRivers, etc.

Good luck with your choice.

Cheers,

Chris

[forcheville]

I guess no reader has all the features you'd like, but here are some of the things about the Boox 60 which make it my favourite reader.

1. Stylus which enables fast navigation and underlinings in books, as well as note taking in separate file.
2. It has a (non-full) refresh option which means the e-ink screen doesn't black-out for a fraction of a second between pages.
3. Very easy computer interface. Basically, you plug it in and it looks like a drive and you can place books in any subdirectory structure you like.
4. Handles a very large number of ebook formats. Has brilliant pdf functions, including reflow and a zoom function that enables you to keep the original layout.
5. Has WiFi for google wikipedia lookup, but is not tied to any bookstore.

[cheerio6414]

I love Kindles but I think it is because I am bais towards them as an owner