Am I wrong or is it too soon for most ebook readers

jveenem · 09-20-2007, 02:15 AM

I'll say it simply. I have a Ebookwise. I can get anything that I can get into text into it and it reads fine. MORE than fine.

I spent $50 on it. ... Why would I want to spend $300 to do the same thing on a Sony or $600 on a Rex??

Well, that's not exactly right, I spent $100 on it but a cheesy $50 Christmas bonus broke it in half. But as it seems it now is considered by a lot here as a "Legacy Device" getting it on Ebay for $50 seems highly likely.

I found the Alice in wonderland illustrated Ebook for Ebookwise very nice and interesting. When I first got the Ebookwise I experimented and did an illustrated "Varney the Vampire" that went pretty well ... but I tired of the effort. I decided I'd rather just read it.

I've seen laudable efforts of a LOT of people here to get regular PDF's even Pdf Manga to read in the Sony but from what I've see it won't come near to replacing reading a Scan of a full color comic with CDisplay on my pretty ordinary Computer Monitor. Or even reading an out of print PDF Dungeons and dragon module by just plain printing it out.

If it's text the ETI2 does it excellently. The other ebook machines are just gilding (and I do mean gold!) the lily, they don't look even close to getting to the next step, of going beyond just plain text to do a magazine sort of layout page ... even in black and white, let alone color.

The only thing that got this ecomic lover interested was when I saw an HP monitor that swiveled from landscape to portrait size. It was enormous. It was nearly the size of original Comic book art, bigger than standard magazine size ... and in vivid bright color. I thought that maybe it was overkill. $375 to see giant comic pages whole when an ordinary monitor can do the panels teir by teir just fine. -- tho' I remain sorely tempted.

The more I see of ebook hardware the more I think we're a decade out from where we want to be. I hope I'm wrong. I hope a magazine sized full color page ... within monetary grasp, within reason ... in the next couple of years but ... nothing seems anywhere near it now.

later
JVN

Jaapjan · 09-20-2007, 03:09 AM

I agree. But the only thing that makes all those other readers disagreeable is not how they work or their features but their price.

50$ is a fine price to spend on a reader. I think that is what I paid for my REB1100 give or take. I surely like the look of the new Cybook or even the Sony Reader .. but I wouldn't want them for that high a price. Perhaps the kindle will be more interesting in regards to price.

HarryT · 09-20-2007, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jveenem

I spent $50 on it. ... Why would I want to spend $300 to do the same thing on a Sony or $600 on a Rex??

Have you used a Sony Reader on an iRex iLiad? If you have then you can answer your own question - it's not "the same thing" at all. The screen size is similar to the Sony Reader, yes, but the quality and clarify of the Reader's display is far superior. Personally I find it very tiring to read from LCD screens for long periods; an eInk screen is just like reading from paper.

We all have to make our own decision about these things; for me personally, the extra cost of the eInk readers is money well spent.

The iLiad is rather a different type of device. It's a general purpose computer rather than a dedicated bookreader, and should be compared to devices such as Tablet PCs. It's expensive for a bookreader, but reasonably priced compared to Tablet PCs or UMPCs.

andym · 09-20-2007, 05:18 AM

Have you thought about an Ultra Mobile PC? (eg this one from Samsung).

So far as I can see, apart from the ability to read outdoors in brighter light, and battery life, LCD devices simply offer much better value for money than e-Ink devices. Hopefully eInk will either catch up in performance, or fall dramatically in price.

yvanleterrible · 09-20-2007, 08:51 AM

I'm still wondering what you mean by 'too soon' but yes we are in the early stages of popularity for ebooks. Although ebooks and readers have been available for a pretty long time now they have yet to be popular. I jumped in when eink came out, I sense and believe that it is the trigger that will act as a catalyst for a drastic movement from paper to electronic reading. It is a concordance of facts that should precipitate this. The first should be portable flexible eink devices, the second environmental pressures, the third that is still up in the air is a universal standard format, and fourth a separation of device from the computer or a combination of both of them. All of which at a certain time when combined with a decrease in prices will bring popularity and then mainstream use.

This fourth reason, a combination of reader and computer in the same device has not been largely discussed before. I believe it would have the same impact in poorer countries that the cell phone has had over regular phone lines. (It is cheaper to install communication towers than wire a whole region) The reader could be an access to nets just like a computer and function without wiring.

If the reader can be made popular in the third world, then it's on its homestretch. Here I have a BIG question. Will the powers that be want to allow literacy to reach third world masses? Because if it does it will throw the world as we know completely off balance.

JSWolf · 09-20-2007, 09:08 AM

How is the battery life of the EBookwise? Can you charge it and then take it on an 8 hour flight including the time you sit at the airport without the battery needing to be charged to keep reading? Well, I know the Sony Reader can do that. In fact, I'll be able to do it in December if we go to Scotland. Battery life is very important. Why bother to read if you know you'll not have enough juice to do so?

yvanleterrible · 09-20-2007, 09:11 AM

20 hours according to Wiki.

Liviu_5 · 09-20-2007, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

20 hours according to Wiki.

That's a bit optimistic, but in my experience it lasts about 8 hrs of continuous reading easily, and probably about 14-15 hrs depending on your settings.

Outside of the decent (but hardly comparable with Sony or 770) screen and the crappy SmartMedia card with 128 MB limitation, Ebk1150 is a very, very nifty piece of hardware, the best ergonomics and fastest e-reader of all.

Of course since the screen is so much a part of the reading experience, Ebk1150 is done...

nekokami · 09-20-2007, 10:18 AM

My eBw 1150 goes about 20 hours. I have the backlight turned down.

I like the e ink screen, but I really got the iLiad more for its other functionality. For reading, I found the eBw perfectly comfortable.

Jack B Nimble · 09-20-2007, 12:35 PM

Twenty hours is very possible. An associate of mine rather snappishly informed me that I had "been staring at that damn screen for more than 18 hours" on a recent train trip. I tried to blame Alex Cross and Philip Marlowe, but I don't think she knew who Marlowe was.

Of course, she punished me by ignoring me, which allowed me to return to my reading... =)

Jack

nekokami · 09-20-2007, 01:59 PM

Really, just because she forgot to bring something to read, no need to be rude!

NatCh · 09-20-2007, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

... including the time you sit at the airport ....

in the airport, I'd expect to find a plug and plug it in, just like I do with the old laptop if I want to use that, so I'd only care about enough to make the flight, personally.

That being said, I don't care to trade my Reader even for an ETI2.

wallcraft · 09-20-2007, 05:47 PM

I agree that $50-$100 is the sweet spot for dedicated e-book devices, which may have been where the "$50 Kindle" wishful thinking (wish fulfillment) came from. This implies a LCD screen for the next year or two. If the one laptop per child dual-mode LCD screen becomes commercially available, then perhaps it will be integrated into a e-book reader.

The closest to a counter-example to my LCD-only theory is the iBook V6

Quote:

6 "SVGA Electronic Paper Display (not E Ink Corporation)
Retail price: 165 Usd

However, it isn't yet mentioned on lbook.com and delivery estimates for new technology are almost always optimistic.

humandroid · 09-21-2007, 12:19 AM

I had the eb1150 for a short time, lost it on vacation, bought a used reb1100 and loved it but when the new sony came out I just had to have it so I sold my reb1100 and bought the Sony, kept it for a couple of weeks and sold it.
Now I am going back to the reb1100.
The sony has a truly beautiful screen but lacks the feature I love the most.
A backlit screen.
I have found that I do most of my reading at night.
I truly love reading in bed but my wife is a very light sleeper and finds it nearly impossible to sleep with a light turned on in the room.
However, with the room in total darkness and my reb1100 backlight turned down to the lowest setting we both are pretty happy.
Until someone adds a backlight to an e-ink display I am sticking with the reb1100

HarryT · 09-21-2007, 02:33 AM

Even if someone did add a backlight you wouldn't be able to see the light. eInk screens are opaque. You could side-light or front-light an eInk display, but you cannot back-light it.

09-20-2007, 02:15 AM	#1
jveenem Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2007 Device: Ebookwise	Am I wrong or is it too soon for most ebook readers I'll say it simply. I have a Ebookwise. I can get anything that I can get into text into it and it reads fine. MORE than fine. I spent $50 on it. ... Why would I want to spend $300 to do the same thing on a Sony or $600 on a Rex?? Well, that's not exactly right, I spent $100 on it but a cheesy $50 Christmas bonus broke it in half. But as it seems it now is considered by a lot here as a "Legacy Device" getting it on Ebay for $50 seems highly likely. I found the Alice in wonderland illustrated Ebook for Ebookwise very nice and interesting. When I first got the Ebookwise I experimented and did an illustrated "Varney the Vampire" that went pretty well ... but I tired of the effort. I decided I'd rather just read it. I've seen laudable efforts of a LOT of people here to get regular PDF's even Pdf Manga to read in the Sony but from what I've see it won't come near to replacing reading a Scan of a full color comic with CDisplay on my pretty ordinary Computer Monitor. Or even reading an out of print PDF Dungeons and dragon module by just plain printing it out. If it's text the ETI2 does it excellently. The other ebook machines are just gilding (and I do mean gold!) the lily, they don't look even close to getting to the next step, of going beyond just plain text to do a magazine sort of layout page ... even in black and white, let alone color. The only thing that got this ecomic lover interested was when I saw an HP monitor that swiveled from landscape to portrait size. It was enormous. It was nearly the size of original Comic book art, bigger than standard magazine size ... and in vivid bright color. I thought that maybe it was overkill. $375 to see giant comic pages whole when an ordinary monitor can do the panels teir by teir just fine. -- tho' I remain sorely tempted. The more I see of ebook hardware the more I think we're a decade out from where we want to be. I hope I'm wrong. I hope a magazine sized full color page ... within monetary grasp, within reason ... in the next couple of years but ... nothing seems anywhere near it now. later JVN

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09-20-2007, 03:09 AM	#2
Jaapjan Avid reader Posts: 262 Karma: 132 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The Netherlands Device: HTC Touch Diamond, iLiad Book Edition	I agree. But the only thing that makes all those other readers disagreeable is not how they work or their features but their price. 50$ is a fine price to spend on a reader. I think that is what I paid for my REB1100 give or take. I surely like the look of the new Cybook or even the Sony Reader .. but I wouldn't want them for that high a price. Perhaps the kindle will be more interesting in regards to price.

09-20-2007, 05:18 AM	#4
andym Groupie Posts: 189 Karma: 793 Join Date: Oct 2006	Have you thought about an Ultra Mobile PC? (eg this one from Samsung). So far as I can see, apart from the ability to read outdoors in brighter light, and battery life, LCD devices simply offer much better value for money than e-Ink devices. Hopefully eInk will either catch up in performance, or fall dramatically in price.

09-20-2007, 08:51 AM	#5
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	I'm still wondering what you mean by 'too soon' but yes we are in the early stages of popularity for ebooks. Although ebooks and readers have been available for a pretty long time now they have yet to be popular. I jumped in when eink came out, I sense and believe that it is the trigger that will act as a catalyst for a drastic movement from paper to electronic reading. It is a concordance of facts that should precipitate this. The first should be portable flexible eink devices, the second environmental pressures, the third that is still up in the air is a universal standard format, and fourth a separation of device from the computer or a combination of both of them. All of which at a certain time when combined with a decrease in prices will bring popularity and then mainstream use. This fourth reason, a combination of reader and computer in the same device has not been largely discussed before. I believe it would have the same impact in poorer countries that the cell phone has had over regular phone lines. (It is cheaper to install communication towers than wire a whole region) The reader could be an access to nets just like a computer and function without wiring. If the reader can be made popular in the third world, then it's on its homestretch. Here I have a BIG question. Will the powers that be want to allow literacy to reach third world masses? Because if it does it will throw the world as we know completely off balance.

09-20-2007, 09:08 AM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,123 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	How is the battery life of the EBookwise? Can you charge it and then take it on an 8 hour flight including the time you sit at the airport without the battery needing to be charged to keep reading? Well, I know the Sony Reader can do that. In fact, I'll be able to do it in December if we go to Scotland. Battery life is very important. Why bother to read if you know you'll not have enough juice to do so?

09-20-2007, 09:11 AM	#7
yvanleterrible Reborn Paper User Posts: 8,616 Karma: 15446734 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Que Nada Device: iPhone8, iPad Air	20 hours according to Wiki.

09-20-2007, 10:18 AM	#9
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	My eBw 1150 goes about 20 hours. I have the backlight turned down. I like the e ink screen, but I really got the iLiad more for its other functionality. For reading, I found the eBw perfectly comfortable.

09-20-2007, 12:35 PM	#10
Jack B Nimble Groupie Posts: 154 Karma: 672 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Tapwave Zodiac, eBookwise 1150	Twenty hours is very possible. An associate of mine rather snappishly informed me that I had "been staring at that damn screen for more than 18 hours" on a recent train trip. I tried to blame Alex Cross and Philip Marlowe, but I don't think she knew who Marlowe was. Of course, she punished me by ignoring me, which allowed me to return to my reading... =) Jack

09-20-2007, 01:59 PM	#11
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	Really, just because she forgot to bring something to read, no need to be rude!

09-21-2007, 12:19 AM	#14
humandroid Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 32 Join Date: Mar 2007	I had the eb1150 for a short time, lost it on vacation, bought a used reb1100 and loved it but when the new sony came out I just had to have it so I sold my reb1100 and bought the Sony, kept it for a couple of weeks and sold it. Now I am going back to the reb1100. The sony has a truly beautiful screen but lacks the feature I love the most. A backlit screen. I have found that I do most of my reading at night. I truly love reading in bed but my wife is a very light sleeper and finds it nearly impossible to sleep with a light turned on in the room. However, with the room in total darkness and my reb1100 backlight turned down to the lowest setting we both are pretty happy. Until someone adds a backlight to an e-ink display I am sticking with the reb1100

09-21-2007, 02:33 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Even if someone did add a backlight you wouldn't be able to see the light. eInk screens are opaque. You could side-light or front-light an eInk display, but you cannot back-light it.

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