wireless lending from public library

[tiduj]

Dear All,
I have a Sony ebook reader, which I love and have read hundreds of books on it, mostly from a US public library. But now the end has come. It has battery issues and it freezes up all the time, which is soooo frustrating in the middle of a good book. As I was searching for a replacement, I was stunned to see that other than the Kindle and unlike my 5-year old Sony, readers with wifi don't allow wireless lending from public libraries. Is this really the case or have I overlooked a brand/model? I travel a lot and I don't have a laptop to transfer the books to the reader all the time. Can you please tell me if there's a reader out there, other than the Kindle, that allows lending from US public libraries via wifi? Thanks a lot!

[eschwartz]

Nope -- just the Kindles, via your Amazon account, and Sony via direct ACSM download.

Alternatively, you could get a smartphone or tablet and use the OverDrive app.
But many people don't like reading on smartphones/tablets, and prefer E-Ink. So you may not decide that is a viable solution.

[meeera]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Nope -- just the Kindles, via your Amazon account, and Sony via direct ACSM download.

Alternatively, you could get a smartphone or tablet and use the OverDrive app.

Or an Android e-ink reader, surely?

[eschwartz]

You mean, an Android E-Ink tablet?

[meeera]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

You mean, an Android E-Ink tablet?

Onyx and Boyue call their products "readers", so that's what I was going with.

[tiduj]

Dear eschwartz and meeera, thank you for the quick response. I'm really unhappy that Sony stopped making e-readers. But I've never heard of Android e-ink devices, so I'm going to look into them. If indeed I can check books out wirelessly on them, then that might be the solution. Thanks a lot for the advice!

[Hemmi]

I have a Nook HD and can borrow library books from it wirelessly. My library uses 3MCloud and the Nook HD has access to the Google Play store. Just download the app and go from there.

It is not eink though. You can get Sony readers from Ebay, I just recently got a T3 that I am in love with.

[ottdmk]

Rakuten, Kobo's parent company, bought Overdrive a little while back. I'm hoping that eventually Kobos will have direct acsm fulfillment capability like the Sony Readers had, but no sign of it yet.

[tiduj]

Hemmi,thanks for the tips! I really want the eInk screen. Buying a Sony reader off ebay is a very good idea, but I have concerns about the battery. This is one of the issues with my reader - it wouldn't hold the charge any more. And I've heard that if you leave a Li-Ion battery uncharged for an extended period of time, it can't be charged any more. Have you encountered any battery issue with your new Sony reader?

ottdmk, so there's hope... I can't for the life of me understand why wireless lending is not a standard feature.

[Hemmi]

Last year, I bought a T1 from Ebay and have had no battery issues. The T3 battery is even better. I've had the reader in hand for about 2 months now and I've not run the battery down past halfway yet. It's only charged for brief periods of time (no longer than an hour) from my computer when loading books onto it.

The other Sonys I've had, I was charging every 2-3 days. Even my Nook HD needs to charge every week, week and a half. The T3's battery life is simply the best I've seen yet. It does have a Public Library setting. I've not tried it to see if it'd be compatible with the 3M system my library uses.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Hemmi

It is not eink though. You can get Sony readers from Ebay, I just recently got a T3 that I am in love with.

I was going to suggest that also. Sony Readers are still available -- at least that should get the OP down the road a few more years.

[tiduj]

Dear rcentros, thanks for confirming Hemmi's tip. I've never thought about this. Hemmi, just one more question, then I'll leave you alone, promise. Is your Sony reader from EBay new or used? I'm still concerned about used Li-Ion batteries. Thanks a lot for your help!

[Hemmi]

Both the T1 and T3 are used. Just do your research on the seller and find an auction with good pictures and a good description. Figure out the most you're willing to risk and watch auctions until the right one comes along.

I stalked T3 auctions for a couple of months before a good one came along at the price I was willing to pay. Well, acutally, the seller went for my best offer price and I was thrilled to get one for the price I wanted to pay.

[markom]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Nope -- just the Kindles, via your Amazon account, and Sony via direct ACSM download.

Alternatively, you could get a smartphone or tablet and use the OverDrive app.
But many people don't like reading on smartphones/tablets, and prefer E-Ink. So you may not decide that is a viable solution.

He can also take 30-40 screenshots using his tablet (takes a couple of minutes) and then transfer those images to eink for reading, repeating the process for another reading session.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by markom

He can also take 30-40 screenshots using his tablet (takes a couple of minutes) and then transfer those images to eink for reading, repeating the process for another reading session.

I'm not sure how that helps someone check out an OverDrive ebook and read it without resorting to a laptop (which is not available when traveling).

On the other hand, that would be a perfectly adequate solution -- if the question had been "how do I read a book on my E-Ink device if the only way to check it out is on my tablet -- e.g. it is an iBooks ebook".