Comparison as content creator and user.

[stevedw]

(Sorry, this is way too long...)
So, recently I've been working on setting up my website(www.chartbundle.com) to support new eBook devices.
(Also, you can see a quick video of all of these by searching for chartbundle on Youtube)

What follows is partially from the point of view of generating highly graphical documents for each device, and partially as a user.

So, here's my take on each device I've worked with recently.

Kobo:

Pros:
Very light, good physical size to read books on. Simple.

Cons:
No HTML link support in documents. Very slow with huge files. Flat TOC only(no nesting so every item gets displayed in a single list.) Fair bit of lost space when displaying graphics.

Overall:
Good reader for just reading books. Not so good for complex navigation or complex or large documents.

nook: (1st Gen 3g/WiFi)

Pros:
Largest dispayable graphics area of any 6" reader I've worked with after the Sony PRS-505. Fast secondary display for navigation. Fast handling of graphics heavy documents. HTML Link support on main screen.

Cons:
Flattens Chapter(Table of Contents) list on secondary display.
A bit heavy and bulky and thick.
Can't download non-bookstore books to device with web browser(even though it only uses WiFi)

Overall:
Probably the best 6" device for graphics and content navigation.

Kindle 2, International:

Pros:
Good HTML support in documents. Can download .MOBI directly with browser(which Amazon could change or charge at any time) Joystick to skip chapters forward and back is nice.


Cons:
The least usable graphics area with native format of any reader I've used. (Only 67% of the pixels are usable with graphics in MOBI documents)
No non-HTML TOC support(requires very specific NCX file format to support chapter navigation with stick.)

64K(now 128K) limit on Images in native format sometimes requires breaking images up to keep them from being downsized.(See notes on Kindlegen below.)

Overall:
Nice reader for books, can't recommend for graphics intensive tasks.


Kindle DX, US:

Pros:
Big, huge, screen. Good HTML support, same download capabilities as Kindle 2.

Cons:
Some restriction of available screen space for MOBI file graphics.(76% of pixels are usable)

Same image size limits, same non-HTML TOC limits.

Overall:
Great for technical/graphics reading. Would still like more usable space on the screen.


KindleGen/MOBI File Format:
Pros:
the Kindles support it.

Cons:
64K(128K) image size limits can require splitting images into bands so that resolution or size is not reduced in conversion.
Standard OPF files are not fully compatible without mangling NCX and a few other things.
Current KindleGen version stores a second copy of your document(thus doubling the size) if you don't use the hidden '-donotaddsource' option.
KindleGen leaks file descriptors madly, so a document with more files than you have descriptors on OSX or Linux(not sure about Windows) will fail until the limits are increased.

Overall:
Please can't I just have EPUB?


Pandigital Novel: Using FBReaderJ.
Pros:
Big screen, 94% usable.
Fast. HTML and Nested Native(NCX) support
Backlit Color LCD Screen.

Cons:
NCX support requires some tweaks which will fail EPUB checks if you have instances where the TOC references the same item twice(uses the playorder numbering in the NCX to layout the TOC and it must be strictly increasing)

Backlit Color LCD Screen(may be a Pro or Con depending on your view)

Heavy, even slightly heavier than the Kindle DX.

No USB charging.

Not for everyone, requires tweaks to install FBReaderJ (native Pandigital reader has less available screen space)

FBReaderJ requires resetting the first line indent to 0 to make best use of screen space and totally ignores the setting in the document CSS.

Overall:
Nice, probably very good for color graphics.

Conclusion

My overall view, based on needs and only among those above:
Books, just books, don't need 3g or anything else: Kobo
Books, 3g, 6" Display: nook
Technical Books, Huge screen: Kindle DX
Color: maybe the Novel, maybe a Tablet PC or an iPad.