Help please!

Pegster · 12-03-2009, 06:06 PM

Hello, all!

I would appreciate some advice. I'm looking at the ereaders out there, and I'm torn. I want an ereader that has a large memory (and/or expandable memory), can handle epub/ADE DRM format, and is easy to read with clear text. As well, I want something that's straightforward for me to use and to put books on. Oh and I'm in the UK, not the US (at the moment!).

I -really- like the Bookeen Opus... it has everything I want... but. But. I've read about the freezing issue it has, where you have to take the thing apart to reset it. How often does this happen on average? Is everyone having the problem? How badly does it impact its use? The thought of the device crashing very much puts me off. As well, I haven't seen one in person, only online. Any thoughts?

I refuse to touch the Kindle... most of my books are in epub/ADE format, and I hate how they could possibly take books off MY device. Uh uh, no way, no how.

Sony... if I'm going to buy a Sony, I'd prefer something with a bigger memory than what the 300 has.. but looking at the 600 in Waterstone's, it seems just a bit.. blurry, especially compared to the 300 sitting next to it. Maybe it was the lighting, but I just don't know. I've heard the 505 is a good machine, and will do what I want, but it's older tech and it just looks busy. As well, finding a new one is proving difficult. And it's more expensive than the newer 300.

I'm just not certain of the other manufacturers out there. I've never heard of them and I'm not certain how reliable they are.

Help! I want freed from my computer to read my ebooks where I want!

Thanks,
Pegster

grooks · 12-03-2009, 06:15 PM

If you haven't already, take a look at the E-book Reader Matrix.

A few devices to look at are the Booken Cybook Gen3, Bebook or Pocketbook. I believe these will now or in the future support ADE epubs and pdfs.

Pegster · 12-03-2009, 06:16 PM

Hiya Grooks - I have looked at the matrix - as I've said, I don't know the manufactuers, or how reliable they are. I'm looking for advice on that

Thanks!

Pegster · 12-05-2009, 05:49 AM

Does no one else have any advice?

I think in the end I'm going to go for the Sony PRS 505... I don't like the idea of buying old tech, but it will do what I want it to do, and won't have the blurriness of the 600.

HarryT · 12-05-2009, 07:02 AM

The 600 is not "blurry". As you can see from my profile on the left, I have a number of eBook readers; the 600 is the device that I use every day. I think it's the best all-round 6" reader on the market at present.

Pegster · 12-05-2009, 07:50 AM

It appeared blurry for me, Harry - perhaps it was the lighting in Waterstones; I'll see if I can find another store that has one out and working. Any thoughts on other devices, especially the Opus? Is the freezing problem THAT bad?

HarryT · 12-05-2009, 08:53 AM

Yes, the Opus does freeze from time to time, but it is the most trivial of inconveniences - simply reboot it (which is a key sequence - you certainly don't have to dismantle the machine!) and 20s later you're reading again. The long-awaited firmware update for the Opus should fix this, but it's certainly not a show-stopper. Overall, the Opus is an excellent device. What tips the balance in favour of the PRS-600 for me is the annotation and dictionary lookup.

NB: When I say "the 600 is not blurry", I don't mean that the screen is as good as a device without a touch screen; it certainly isn't. The touch layer on the screen does degrade the image quality slightly, but, for me, the benefits that the touch screen give you enormously outweigh that.

omk3 · 12-05-2009, 09:14 AM

I don't know about the opus, but the cybook gen3 (same company) does freeze rather frequently. Just reset and you are ok, but it is kind of annoying. I prefer my two sonys, which are much more stable. The 600 is not "blurry", though it does have lower contrast and more glare than the 505 or the 300. However, I have noticed that most complaints arise when directly comparing the 600 to the others. When used alone, which you would do if you chose it, the screen is not a problem for most people. I too use almost exclusively my 600 even though I own both a 505 and a cybook.

kennyc · 12-05-2009, 09:18 AM

At least for me the 505 is still the best reader around if you don't need/want dictionary or annotation. I know there are still a few available and certainly used.

omk3 · 12-05-2009, 09:29 AM

Agreed. I really wanted the dictionary, but if I didn't, I would have stayed with my 505, despite the fancy additions of the 600 (speed, gestures, annotation). It's not "old" technology really, if you don't care about the extra features it's a really good device to consider.

kelly1010 · 12-07-2009, 02:05 AM

I have had my 505 less than a year, and I LOVE it. I was actually not too impressed with the new sony ereaders that just came out. I think I was meant to buy mine when I did.

bookfanmd · 12-08-2009, 10:57 AM

In Sony I have the 300, 505 and 600. My hands down favorite of these is the 505. It's clear and easy to read from, the controls are intuitive to use and I love the ease of using the SD card to transfer out different book sets. I use Calibre to organize my books into collections. It has frozen a few times and I've had to push the reset button but I've only had to do a hard reset once and I think that was my fault. I didn't realize the Sony software was running and I disconnected the reader from the USB when it said "Do not Disconnect". I haven't used the 300 and 600 very much but neither has frozen yet.

Next favorite is the 300. It's small and light enough to use one-handed - if it had an SD card slot it would be equal to the 505 in my view. I don't necessarily need the card to store more books but I like to be able to swap out without hooking the reader up to the PC. It's supposed to store about 350 books so if you get it loaded up it will keep you busy for a good while.

Third is the 600 - it has some wonderful features but comparing it side by side to the 300 and 505 it's just not as clear. If I didn't have anything to compare it to I would probably think it was nearly perfect. The touch screen is very nice to use and it's helpful to have the dictionary. Also, it has 5 font sizes instead of 3.

The 505's are getting hard to find although they are still available on eBay and Amazon.com here in the US. I don't know what the situation is in the UK.

You may want to check out that Pocketbook 360. I've been following that forum and everyone who's bought one seems to love it. It has a micro SD card slot, supports multiple formats and is 5 inches like the 300. It's a bit more expensive than the 300 but less than the 600 (and 505?). A 5 inch reader is a nice size; I carry mine in my purse and you can't have a real small purse with the 6 inch. You could also put the 5 inch in a coat pocket. If you are just going to read at home it doesn't matter but I carry mine everywhere. It's amazing how much time is spent waiting at places and I don't mind it if I have a book handy.

Really, whichever you choose you will have a great device that will make you wonder why you waited so long to get it. I got my 505 in May and haven't read a pbook since. I'm pretty nearsighted and it was getting hard to read a lot of things because the font was too small. I have multifocal contacts but even so I had to hold the book away to focus correctly and then the print was too small. I usually have the font size on small or med for LRF or epub and then if my eyes are tired and I'm having trouble I can increase it. PDF's are usually tiny in small but OK in med or large.

Best of luck making your decision, whichever you get I would recommend you get a wall charger. For the Sony readers you can use a PSP charger which is much less expensive than Sony's "official" charger.

Pegster · 12-12-2009, 12:19 PM

Thanks everyone for the advice - I definitely appreciate your thoughts!

I think I'll be going for the Sony 505. My boss bought the 600 this week and he let me use it for a while at work - it's a lovely machine but it really isn't as clear as I would like.

Now, I've seen a number of 505s on ebay, some new and some used. Is there any reason to steer clear of used 505s, or should I try and find a new one? I'm really trying to hold costs down, as things are a bit tight at the moment.

Thanks in advance!

pilotbob · 12-12-2009, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

NB: When I say "the 600 is not blurry", I don't mean that the screen is as good as a device without a touch screen; it certainly isn't. The touch layer on the screen does degrade the image quality slightly, but, for me, the benefits that the touch screen give you enormously outweigh that.

I love when you do 180's Harry. I recall not long ago you saying you would never want to "touch" your ebook reader and hard buttons are the way to go.

Glad to hear you like the touch screen.

BOb

tompe · 12-12-2009, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, the Opus does freeze from time to time, but it is the most trivial of inconveniences - simply reboot it (which is a key sequence - you certainly don't have to dismantle the machine!) and 20s later you're reading again.

Really? i thought it took around 20 s to reboot and then you have the time to find the place where you were reading or are you saying that Opus remember that place even if it hangs?

12-03-2009, 06:06 PM	#1
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	Help please! Hello, all! I would appreciate some advice. I'm looking at the ereaders out there, and I'm torn. I want an ereader that has a large memory (and/or expandable memory), can handle epub/ADE DRM format, and is easy to read with clear text. As well, I want something that's straightforward for me to use and to put books on. Oh and I'm in the UK, not the US (at the moment!). I -really- like the Bookeen Opus... it has everything I want... but. But. I've read about the freezing issue it has, where you have to take the thing apart to reset it. How often does this happen on average? Is everyone having the problem? How badly does it impact its use? The thought of the device crashing very much puts me off. As well, I haven't seen one in person, only online. Any thoughts? I refuse to touch the Kindle... most of my books are in epub/ADE format, and I hate how they could possibly take books off MY device. Uh uh, no way, no how. Sony... if I'm going to buy a Sony, I'd prefer something with a bigger memory than what the 300 has.. but looking at the 600 in Waterstone's, it seems just a bit.. blurry, especially compared to the 300 sitting next to it. Maybe it was the lighting, but I just don't know. I've heard the 505 is a good machine, and will do what I want, but it's older tech and it just looks busy. As well, finding a new one is proving difficult. And it's more expensive than the newer 300. I'm just not certain of the other manufacturers out there. I've never heard of them and I'm not certain how reliable they are. Help! I want freed from my computer to read my ebooks where I want! Thanks, Pegster Last edited by Pegster; 12-03-2009 at 06:13 PM.

12-08-2009, 10:57 AM	#12
bookfanmd Addict Posts: 246 Karma: 4476 Join Date: May 2009 Location: US - Maryland Device: Sony 300/505/T1 Nook STWG Kobo Glo Kobo Aura HD KDX iPad1 K3 KT PW2	In Sony I have the 300, 505 and 600. My hands down favorite of these is the 505. It's clear and easy to read from, the controls are intuitive to use and I love the ease of using the SD card to transfer out different book sets. I use Calibre to organize my books into collections. It has frozen a few times and I've had to push the reset button but I've only had to do a hard reset once and I think that was my fault. I didn't realize the Sony software was running and I disconnected the reader from the USB when it said "Do not Disconnect". I haven't used the 300 and 600 very much but neither has frozen yet. Next favorite is the 300. It's small and light enough to use one-handed - if it had an SD card slot it would be equal to the 505 in my view. I don't necessarily need the card to store more books but I like to be able to swap out without hooking the reader up to the PC. It's supposed to store about 350 books so if you get it loaded up it will keep you busy for a good while. Third is the 600 - it has some wonderful features but comparing it side by side to the 300 and 505 it's just not as clear. If I didn't have anything to compare it to I would probably think it was nearly perfect. The touch screen is very nice to use and it's helpful to have the dictionary. Also, it has 5 font sizes instead of 3. The 505's are getting hard to find although they are still available on eBay and Amazon.com here in the US. I don't know what the situation is in the UK. You may want to check out that Pocketbook 360. I've been following that forum and everyone who's bought one seems to love it. It has a micro SD card slot, supports multiple formats and is 5 inches like the 300. It's a bit more expensive than the 300 but less than the 600 (and 505?). A 5 inch reader is a nice size; I carry mine in my purse and you can't have a real small purse with the 6 inch. You could also put the 5 inch in a coat pocket. If you are just going to read at home it doesn't matter but I carry mine everywhere. It's amazing how much time is spent waiting at places and I don't mind it if I have a book handy. Really, whichever you choose you will have a great device that will make you wonder why you waited so long to get it. I got my 505 in May and haven't read a pbook since. I'm pretty nearsighted and it was getting hard to read a lot of things because the font was too small. I have multifocal contacts but even so I had to hold the book away to focus correctly and then the print was too small. I usually have the font size on small or med for LRF or epub and then if my eyes are tired and I'm having trouble I can increase it. PDF's are usually tiny in small but OK in med or large. Best of luck making your decision, whichever you get I would recommend you get a wall charger. For the Sony readers you can use a PSP charger which is much less expensive than Sony's "official" charger. Last edited by bookfanmd; 12-08-2009 at 11:09 AM.

12-03-2009, 06:15 PM	#2
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	If you haven't already, take a look at the E-book Reader Matrix. A few devices to look at are the Booken Cybook Gen3, Bebook or Pocketbook. I believe these will now or in the future support ADE epubs and pdfs.

12-03-2009, 06:16 PM	#3
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	Hiya Grooks - I have looked at the matrix - as I've said, I don't know the manufactuers, or how reliable they are. I'm looking for advice on that Thanks!

12-05-2009, 05:49 AM	#4
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	Does no one else have any advice? I think in the end I'm going to go for the Sony PRS 505... I don't like the idea of buying old tech, but it will do what I want it to do, and won't have the blurriness of the 600.

12-05-2009, 07:02 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The 600 is not "blurry". As you can see from my profile on the left, I have a number of eBook readers; the 600 is the device that I use every day. I think it's the best all-round 6" reader on the market at present.

12-05-2009, 07:50 AM	#6
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	It appeared blurry for me, Harry - perhaps it was the lighting in Waterstones; I'll see if I can find another store that has one out and working. Any thoughts on other devices, especially the Opus? Is the freezing problem THAT bad?

12-05-2009, 08:53 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Yes, the Opus does freeze from time to time, but it is the most trivial of inconveniences - simply reboot it (which is a key sequence - you certainly don't have to dismantle the machine!) and 20s later you're reading again. The long-awaited firmware update for the Opus should fix this, but it's certainly not a show-stopper. Overall, the Opus is an excellent device. What tips the balance in favour of the PRS-600 for me is the annotation and dictionary lookup. NB: When I say "the 600 is not blurry", I don't mean that the screen is as good as a device without a touch screen; it certainly isn't. The touch layer on the screen does degrade the image quality slightly, but, for me, the benefits that the touch screen give you enormously outweigh that.

12-05-2009, 09:14 AM	#8
omk3 Wizard Posts: 1,454 Karma: 37243 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Europe Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4	I don't know about the opus, but the cybook gen3 (same company) does freeze rather frequently. Just reset and you are ok, but it is kind of annoying. I prefer my two sonys, which are much more stable. The 600 is not "blurry", though it does have lower contrast and more glare than the 505 or the 300. However, I have noticed that most complaints arise when directly comparing the 600 to the others. When used alone, which you would do if you chose it, the screen is not a problem for most people. I too use almost exclusively my 600 even though I own both a 505 and a cybook.

12-05-2009, 09:18 AM	#9
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	At least for me the 505 is still the best reader around if you don't need/want dictionary or annotation. I know there are still a few available and certainly used.

12-05-2009, 09:29 AM	#10
omk3 Wizard Posts: 1,454 Karma: 37243 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Europe Device: pocketbook 360, kindle 4	Agreed. I really wanted the dictionary, but if I didn't, I would have stayed with my 505, despite the fancy additions of the 600 (speed, gestures, annotation). It's not "old" technology really, if you don't care about the extra features it's a really good device to consider.

12-07-2009, 02:05 AM	#11
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	I have had my 505 less than a year, and I LOVE it. I was actually not too impressed with the new sony ereaders that just came out. I think I was meant to buy mine when I did.

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12-12-2009, 12:19 PM	#13
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	Thanks everyone for the advice - I definitely appreciate your thoughts! I think I'll be going for the Sony 505. My boss bought the 600 this week and he let me use it for a while at work - it's a lovely machine but it really isn't as clear as I would like. Now, I've seen a number of 505s on ebay, some new and some used. Is there any reason to steer clear of used 505s, or should I try and find a new one? I'm really trying to hold costs down, as things are a bit tight at the moment. Thanks in advance!