Best E-Reader for bed-bound arthritis sufferer?

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Rizla

Can the person read a paperback? If not, then I doubt they'll be able to read an e-reader. One possibility might be set up some kind of framework to support the reader so they need not hold it. Maybe something like this: http://www.table-mate.com/html/index.php

Alternatively the Kindle Keyboard does text to speech. There is also the possibility of audio-books.

Thanks for the reply Rizla,
That's a good point. I *think* she would need assistance getting the book, putting it in place and possibly turning pages. That's why I wondered about a stand and touchscreen - I imagined it might minimalise the dexterity normally involved in reading. However I've not spent enough time around this lady yet to answer all the fine points - some to'ing and fro'ing will be required. That's good though, that's what I need, that's why I came here.
Thanks for the stand suggestion. I think that would be ideal if she were spending some quality time out of bed but, from what I can gather, she spends the vast majority of her time in bed. Apparently the accommodation she's in doesn't allow attachments to be fixed to walls(which is an insult as it's a care home apparently for people with special needs).
So I was hoping for a floor stand that would hang over the bed. Here's the best of what I've bookmarked so far:

http://www.standforstuff.com/
http://www.laptopdesk.net/tower-ipad-mount.html
http://www.laptopdesk.net/mantis-ipad-stand.html

Some other options that could be used in conjunction with a bedside table:

http://www.handeholder.com/m5/10006-...ing-clamp.html
http://www.handeholder.com/m5/10005-...lamp-2-5.html]

The only problem with all these is lack of control for a bed-bound person - once it's positioned over the bed, it's there till the carer comes round. I'll ask her about audio books - who knows, maybe she's never thought of it!
Thanks,
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Click the Quote button. That will at least keep some continuity. This board software doesn't thread.

Thanks Charlie - seems embarrassingly obvious now!

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

David, my first thought is that you should not get a device which automatically shifts from portrait to landscape mode when the device is turned. I can imagine that the bedridden person may want to read while lying on his side.

Thanks GA,
That's a good point - I've seen that on a colleague's I-Phone. do you know which E-Readers do this, or is there a generic term for this functionality so I know to avoid it. I suppose if all the reading were done from a stand it wouldn't be a problem, but I just don't know if that'll be the case yet.
Another one for my list of questions next time I see her. Trouble is she won't know the answer to half of them until she gets the thing to try out. Fun, fun, fun.
Thanks,
David.

[frostschutz]

For Kindle there are ready to use products for persons with disabilities, such as PageBot; it supports various kinds of buttons (very large easy to press ones or even mouth controlled).

Only downside to such a solution is the price... the pagebot does not modify kindle hardware but rather it's a mount with a mechanic that presses the button on the kinde for you when you press the pagebots buttons. Other projects such as Frankenkindle hook such buttons up directly with the Kindle hardware itself which should be a less complicated solution - but requires some electronics knowledge

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by Katie1

Kindle 3! Touch screens are a Pain! Esp if they are sensitive! Kindle 3 are lightweight & are not that hard to turn pages. Also with the ability to read the book for her she wont need to hold of turn the pages. I have arthritis & Kindle has made my world wider!

Thanks for the reply Katie,
That's interesting - a lot of people seem to be against touchscreen which I'm surprised at. I thought it would be better for arthritic users, but apparently not always.
Please could you elaborate on "ability to read the book" - is this what text-to-speech does? For some reason I'd thought text-to-speech just worked on menus and basic operations, not actually reading out the book itself. If so, doesn't it sound a bit weird reading a book, without the right intonation etc? Still impressive though.
Thanks,
David.

[frostschutz]

For touchscreen you need a bit of fine control - tap in the wrong place or tap twice and the device won't do what you want. Buttons give you more tactile feedback which makes it harder to press the wrong button or press a button twice by accident. But that doesn't help if buttons make your hands hurt of course...

Try both as it depends on the person whether touch or button works better for them.

[Carnyx]

I don't think I've quite sussed out this multi-quote yet but....

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Kindle Touch will probably be available in the UK very shortly, but I would agree with the suggestion that page turn buttons are going to be easier to use in the circumstances you describe.

Thanks for the reply Harry.
I'm curious: how are buttons better than touchscreen? Is it just that the touchscreen technology is a bit ropey at the moment so that it's somehow more difficult than pressing a button? I'm quite disappointed as it sounded to me like touchscreen would be better for arthritic users, but the majority of reviewers seem to be saying the opposite. That's not just on here either - thats' from reviews I've read all over the place.
The Kindle 3G is a consideration, *but* it has this keyboard which I thought would be a bit of an insult to someone who can't use it, so I was hoping to avoid that if possible.

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, it has absolutely nothing to do with copyright. Geographical restrictions are a matter of which "territory" a publisher is permitted to sell a book in as specified by the distribution rights they have from the author.

It's "swings and roundabouts" when it comes to book selection, though. You're right that some books which are available in the US aren't available in the UK, but the same is true in reverse. Eg, I'm currently reading Colin Dexter's "Inspector Morse" series on my Kindle, but some of these books are not available in the US. There's certainly no shortage of eBooks available in the UK.

Interesting point that, but I *think* there may still be a copyright issue somewhere. On re-reading the auto-reply from B&N, they said "Because selling books in digital format to
international customers involves international copyright laws, tariffs,
VAT taxes, currency conversions, etc., only US and Canadian residents
are able to purchase NOOK Books on the Barnes & Noble website at this
time.".
I'd read other reviews that mentioned similar copyright restrictions. Now I'm guessing from what you've said that there's ways around all this. However my main concern is that she will be able to use 3G to download the books when she wants, without any fuss or PC intervention(if possible obviously). So would getting hold of some otherwise-unavailable-in-UK books require PC legwork?
Thanks,
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

Just so you know - you won't be able to get library access in the UK with a Kindle. So if you want that, I'd say your best bets are the Kobo Touch or the Sony T1. I have a TI, and after some initial messing about to get it to work with Adobe Digital Editions, downloading library books is very easy and the selection isn't bad. The Sony is marginally lighter than the Kobo (168 vs 185g).

Thanks for the reply LuvReadin,
This is good first-hand information I'm getting here - thank you. Is the initial messing about require any special knowledge, or is it just a set of steps to follow? Has the T1 got 3G connectivity?
Thanks,
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by kacir

Nook Simple Touch reader is an interesting choice.
It has touch screen, so the user can touch the screen very, very lightly to turn the page.

Thanks for the reply Kacir.
I was quite interested in the Nook, because of the touchscreen and possibly the colour version, but the B&N auto-reply saying books unavailable via their website in the UK put me off. I guessed this meant that books wouldn't be downloadable via 3G, but please correct me if I'm wrong on that. That said, a lot of people are saying touchscreen isn't so good, so I'm wondering whether to still go for touchscreen now.

Plus, there is [unofficial] way to connect an USB keybaord to Nook Simple Touch reader. I do not know how far the development is, because last really time I looked a few weeks ago, it was very fresh news - just a rudimentary support.
You might want to look into that.
You could purchase a chep USB keyboard and hack it to a large, comfortable external controller for turning pages or selecting books. Or they could hire some hacker to make the controller, using electronics pulled from an USB keyboard.
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...se-a-keyboard/
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...0#post21669750

While I appreciate the time you've taken to check that out and it's an interesting possibility, I think I'll be avoiding the hacking/jailbreaking route - not for any ethical reason or corporate affiliation or anything like that(!) - but simply because from personal experience I know this can lead to unforeseen problems down the line which require ad hoc maintenance, or even a new device, which of course is not covered because you invalidated the guarantee, bla bla bla. So I'm aiming to keep it as simple and hassle-free as possible for her as she's got enough problems without bluescreens and errors to deal with! Maybe that's misplaced, I don't know - guessing as I go here.
But thanks very much for checking that out and taking the time to respond - much appreciated.
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

For Kindle there are ready to use products for persons with disabilities, such as PageBot; it supports various kinds of buttons (very large easy to press ones or even mouth controlled).

Only downside to such a solution is the price... the pagebot does not modify kindle hardware but rather it's a mount with a mechanic that presses the button on the kinde for you when you press the pagebots buttons. Other projects such as Frankenkindle hook such buttons up directly with the Kindle hardware itself which should be a less complicated solution - but requires some electronics knowledge

Thanks for the reply Frostschutz,
Very interesting to hear there are bespoke devices and software that enable mouth control or other workarounds. I did come across something that hooked up to the buttons with big bright coloured buttons for turning the page - it was a daft price though. I don't suppose you have a URL do you? As you say it may come down to price as to whether I can cover it all in the end.
I'm ashamed to say I have next to no electronics knowledge I'm afraid. I'd probably just end up with singed eyebrows, covered in wires in the corner of the room, crying, and getting electrocuted by my own tears.
I'd heard mention of this FrankenKidnle in a couple of places, but I must admit, I thought it was a joke from the name, so I didn't check it out. Will add it to my ever-growing "to do" list.
Thanks,
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by frostschutz

For touchscreen you need a bit of fine control - tap in the wrong place or tap twice and the device won't do what you want. Buttons give you more tactile feedback which makes it harder to press the wrong button or press a button twice by accident. But that doesn't help if buttons make your hands hurt of course...

Try both as it depends on the person whether touch or button works better for them.

Good point - I hadn't really thought that through. My only experience of touchscreen is a satnav and that's an issue for me with my Shrek-like fingers, so I guess it will be more of an issue for someone without much movement in their hands. I wonder if there's a stylus like attachment that could be used instead? Mind you if buttons are close together it's still a problem. This is why I'd hoped for something like voice control which was mentioned earlier. That's what's really needed, but having winessed a voice app on a smart phone, I concluded the technology probably isn't quite up to speed yet.
Thanks,
David.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

I was quite interested in the Nook, because of the touchscreen and possibly the colour version, but the B&N auto-reply saying books unavailable via their website in the UK put me off. I guessed this meant that books wouldn't be downloadable via 3G, but please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

Well, there are many, many places to get the books from.

• One very obvious source is - buying the books from the company that provided the reading device, such as Kindle or Nook or Sony. This is also THE most hassle free way. Especially on Kindle. Difficulty in obtaining books this way varies for different devices.
• Other one is to borrow the books from Library - this is mostly for USA users. If you have somebody that lives and pays taxes in USA, he could get a membership card for this user.
• You can also buy books elsewhere - like from Amazon - and strip the DRM protection. Once set-up, this can be as easy as clicking one button in Calibre
• There are also may places that sell books without DRM. Like Baen or Smashwords
• If you just want to read and to be entertained and you do not insist on particular author - there are many lifetimes worth of reading available *legally* and easily on the net. You just have to search for it a bit. This wouldn't work if said person just HAD to have the newest James Patterson (just an example) novel. This also requires said person to be profficient in using computer and internet, or a good "technical support". Just scroll to the top of this very page and click on E-Books link. You can find huge number of lovingly formatted Public Domain (and otherwise legally available) books there. We also have Wiki (look at the very top of this page) and there you can find following page https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Free_eBooks. This wiki page lists large number of sources for free books. You can prepare and SD card for non-technical user with a thousand books and send it by mail, or upload it for "technical support" to load on an SD card. This can be several years worth of reading. Be careful. Not all devices have an SD card slot. (*)
• There are many books available at what is sometimes improperly called "the darknet". I list this here only for the sake of completeness of this list. Mobileread is not a good place to get advice in this direction.
  Please note that in many places (or, to be precise jurisdictions) it is *not* illegal to download copyrighted works. Only uploading is illegal almost everywhere. I do not want to start yet another flamewar here, I am listing it just for the sake of completeness ;-) .

(*) I personally grew up on Library books, so I am an opportunist. When you come to library, and especially when you are a heavy library user (that means you have already read the easily accessible "good stuff") you just browse shelves with your favorite genre and the pile of the most recently returned books to get something - anything interesting to read. With e-books I [usually] look just for something good to read and I do not insist on particular book or author. If you (or said person) have the same attitude you do not need to worry about being able to buy books.

Originally Posted by Carnyx

That said, a lot of people are saying touchscreen isn't so good, so I'm wondering whether to still go for touchscreen now.

There are several types of [hand] disability.
One is, that you have no coordination in hands, but still some strength. In this case touchscreen is not a good choice. You need buttons that are as big and as sturdy as possible.
Other type of disability is that the person does have sufficient coordination, but lacks strength. In this case the touch interface is great, because you only need to touch the screen very, very lightly.

Originally Posted by Carnyx

While I appreciate the time you've taken to check that out and it's an interesting possibility, I think I'll be avoiding the hacking/jailbreaking route - not for any ethical reason or corporate affiliation or anything like that(!) - but simply because from personal experience I know this can lead to unforeseen problems down the line which require ad hoc maintenance, or even a new device, which of course is not covered because you invalidated the guarantee, bla bla bla. So I'm aiming to keep it as simple and hassle-free as possible for her as she's got enough problems without bluescreens and errors to deal with!

Yes, this would be difficult and technically challenging to setup, and would require support, but I had two things in mind:
- this thread will be read by other people who might have similar problem as you have and
- sometimes there is no way that the person with the problem could operate any reader in "out of box" state due to more severe handicap.

If I was solving problem for such person, I would probably take PocketBook reading device, void warranty by taking it apart and solder wires for big, comfortable external buttons for operating the device where tiny switches are normally connected on printed circuit board. I would mount the device on the board and then mount nice, big external buttons on the same board. You can even connect another button for "next page" on cable, so the disabled person could take the most comfortable position while turning pages, holding a kind of wired remote control. You could turn pages by moving a head slightly or blowing into a tube, or something.

External USB keyboard is an interesting solution, because you "only" need to jailbreak the device to install some drivers - you do not leave visible traces of modification. And you do not need to modify device hardware in any way. So when the reader dies [from other case then bricking by botched firmware modification ;-) ] you can still claim the warranty.

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

but the B&N auto-reply saying books unavailable via their website in the UK put me off. I guessed this meant that books wouldn't be downloadable via 3G, but please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

You are wrong on that. If the e-boks aren't available for the region it is usually because of Geographic restrictions. Usually you need lots of tricks to route around geographic restrictions, such as "proper" credit card with "the right" address of residence and a proxy server located in the right country. Sadly, often it is more simple to download the book from ... aehm ... "somewhere else" than route around geographic restrictions.

Geographic restrictions are a carry-over from times when books were printed on paper and it was very impractical for Great Britain resident to import one paper book from USA. So the rights were sold to USA publisher and British publisher. This often means that people in Poland or other non-English-speaking country can't buy such e-book legally anywhere, because USA publisher can only sell to USA and GB publisher can only sell in their designated region. And then publishers complain that people in Russia pirate their works ... sigh ... but this is rant for different thread.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by kacir

One very obvious source is - buying the books from the company that provided the reading device, such as Kindle or Nook or Sony. This is also THE most hassle free way. Especially on Kindle. Difficulty in obtaining books this way varies for different devices.

I knew some devices allowed this kind of thing but wasn't terribly clear on what devices allow this via a 3G connection in the UK. All I know is that the Kindle does, and I *think* the Nook does not. Would be good to have a definitive list but I couldn't find one on the WWW.

This wiki page lists large number of sources for free books. You can prepare and SD card for non-technical user with a thousand books and send it by mail, or upload it for "technical support" to load on an SD card. This can be several years worth of reading. Be careful. Not all devices have an SD card slot. (*)

That's a good idea actually. This was mentioned in a previous reply but I envisaged it being a one-at-a-time process which would be OTT and unbearable for the user; but if it were just grabbing all the free books I could find and putting them on an SD card(s), that's something I could definitely do. Good call on that(and to previous reply).

[*]There are many books available at what is sometimes improperly called "the darknet". I list this here only for the sake of completeness of this list. Mobileread is not a good place to get advice in this direction.
Please note that in many places (or, to be precise jurisdictions) it is *not* illegal to download copyrighted works. Only uploading is illegal almost everywhere. I do not want to start yet another flamewar here, I am listing it just for the sake of completeness ;-) .

Totally understand where you're coming from on that and I'll bear it in mind

There are several types of [hand] disability.
One is, that you have no coordination in hands, but still some strength. In this case touchscreen is not a good choice. You need buttons that are as big and as sturdy as possible.
Other type of disability is that the person does have sufficient coordination, but lacks strength. In this case the touch interface is great, because you only need to touch the screen very, very lightly.

Another good point. I didn't know that. I feel I should have done my homework better before looking at the E-Readers but I'm new to all this I'm afraid. I tried earlier to call the carer to ask some questions but no answer. Will persevere though. You know when I agreed to look I didn;t think it would be a big deal but I've been shocked how much time it's taken and how little clear, conclusive info there is out there.

If I was solving problem for such person, I would probably take PocketBook reading device, void warranty by taking it apart and solder wires for big, comfortable external buttons for operating the device where tiny switches are normally connected on printed circuit board. I would mount the device on the board and then mount nice, big external buttons on the same board. You can even connect another button for "next page" on cable, so the disabled person could take the most comfortable position while turning pages, holding a kind of wired remote control. You could turn pages by moving a head slightly or blowing into a tube, or something.

I do like that idea though I lack the know-how. I would consider it if the basic device turns out to be unusable for her. That said, I can't think of where I'd go to get this done. The bog standard sparkies round here would pull a face and fob me off if I asked for something like that.

External USB keyboard is an interesting solution, because you "only" need to jailbreak the device to install some drivers - you do not leave visible traces of modification. And you do not need to modify device hardware in any way. So when the reader dies [from other case then bricking by botched firmware modification ;-) ] you can still claim the warranty.

I prefert that option - is jailbreaking installing third party software or is there a hardware change to do as well?

Seriously - thanks for taking so much time to research and reply to this. It's humbling to get free first-hand advice like this off people who know what they're talking about.....<< Cue bill of service >>
Thanks Kacir,
David.

[Carnyx]

Originally Posted by kacir

You are wrong on that. If the e-boks aren't available for the region it is usually because of Geographic restrictions. Usually you need lots of tricks to route around geographic restrictions, such as "proper" credit card with "the right" address of residence and a proxy server located in the right country. Sadly, often it is more simple to download the book from ... aehm ... "somewhere else" than route around geographic restrictions.

Sure that makes sense for certain books that aren't available but B&N seemed to suggest that no bookes were available via their UK website due to copyright restrictions. From what you've said though, it sounds like there's most probably other routes to getting books for the Nook.

Geographic restrictions are a carry-over from times when books were printed on paper and it was very impractical for Great Britain resident to import one paper book from USA. So the rights were sold to USA publisher and British publisher. This often means that people in Poland or other non-English-speaking country can't buy such e-book legally anywhere, because USA publisher can only sell to USA and GB publisher can only sell in their designated region. And then publishers complain that people in Russia pirate their works ... sigh ... but this is rant for different thread.

Absolutely - they're reaping what they sow on that one.
Thanks again,
David.