Advice/Opinions Needed, Thanks!

[ValerieAnne]

Hi ya'll. I need some opinions and advice on which e-reader to get based on my preferences. These are the simple things I'd like. I don't have any brands/e-readers picked out because there are so many, so thought I'd ask the community.

Current: NST
I like my current e-reader (my first) but it's lack of proper organization/shelves and the fact that I've been reading more more at night makes me think it's time to move on.
I don't have many e-books on my actual NST storage as I keep everything on my SD card. I use Calibre but still can't get the shelves/organization system to work a way that I like (by genre/author/series).
I recently joined NetGallery, and you need either a Kindle or Kindle app to read the requested books. So, the ability to have the kindle app would be a bonus, but not needed.

Looking For: (in no order)

• 6-7" screen size
• Front light (that is easily adjustable)
• SD slot
• Organization
• e-ink for long battery life

Price Range: $100-$200

[eschwartz]

How necessary is the SD slot anyway? ereaders usually have ~3.5 GB of available storage (factoring in the dedicated OS partition). You can fit thousands of books on that, assuming an average 1MB per book.


That being said, the latest Kindles cannot be jailbroken without hardware modding, and the jailbreak is needed to manage collections with calibre.
If you want to manage collections with calibre, you will want to get a Kobo, they support this off the shelf. (And they have an SD slot anyway.)

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by ValerieAnne

Looking For: (in no order)

• 6-7" screen size
• Front light (that is easily adjustable)
• SD slot
• Organization
• e-ink for long battery life

Price Range: $100-$200

Those specs say the Kobo Aura H2O. I can't tell of it fits your budget as you have given no indication of where you are.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ValerieAnne

I use Calibre but still can't get the shelves/organization system to work a way that I like (by genre/author/series).

When you say genre/author/series are you referring to a folder type structure where you'd have genre folders with author folders inside that and series folders inside those or???

I recently joined NetGallery, and you need either a Kindle or Kindle app to read the requested books. So, the ability to have the kindle app would be a bonus, but not needed.

I assume you mean NetGalley? Last I checked you can get books with both Kindle DRM or Adobe DRM so you shouldn't need a Kindle or Kindle app.

Your only Kindle options for an eInk reader would be an actual Kindle or an Android based device like some of the Onyx Boox or Boyue devices, which run Android apps. Be sure to find out how well the Kindle app works on them before buying one though as IIRC some versions work better than others.

[ValerieAnne]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

How necessary is the SD slot anyway? ereaders usually have ~3.5 GB of available storage (factoring in the dedicated OS partition). You can fit thousands of books on that, assuming an average 1MB per book.


That being said, the latest Kindles cannot be jailbroken without hardware modding, and the jailbreak is needed to manage collections with calibre.
If you want to manage collections with calibre, you will want to get a Kobo, they support this off the shelf. (And they have an SD slot anyway.)

I'm not sure how necessary an SD slot would be, I have about 3500 epubs at the moment and I add to that weekly. I suppose I wouldn't need to add all the books, I just like having them all there. I know I have PDF files of magazines and photography books as well, that I don't need to add to the SD card though, lol.

Originally Posted by davidfor

Those specs say the Kobo Aura H2O. I can't tell of it fits your budget as you have given no indication of where you are.

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

When you say genre/author/series are you referring to a folder type structure where you'd have genre folders with author folders inside that and series folders inside those or???

I assume you mean NetGalley? Last I checked you can get books with both Kindle DRM or Adobe DRM so you shouldn't need a Kindle or Kindle app.

Your only Kindle options for an eInk reader would be an actual Kindle or an Android based device like some of the Onyx Boox or Boyue devices, which run Android apps. Be sure to find out how well the Kindle app works on them before buying one though as IIRC some versions work better than others.

Yes, I meant NetGalley. I always put the r without realizing it. Oops. Thanks for the correction. Oh, nice. It said it sends the file to your kindle e-mail address. They said it won't work on the cloud version of Kindle Reader or the PC version.

Thanks for the recommendations of Boox and Boyue. I'll check them out/look for them.

My ideal set up for shelves/collections on the device would be 'Genre|Author|Series (if available)' as you meantioned, each folder within the other.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ValerieAnne

My ideal set up for shelves/collections on the device would be 'Genre|Author|Series (if available)' as you meantioned, each folder within the other.

AFAIK you'll only get folder type organization on something like an Onyx, Bookeen or Pocketbook or an Android eInk device. On an Android device I'd look at using Calibre Companion. It's not folders, but will use all of your Calibre tags and other metadata.

Kobo, Kindle, Nook all use a similar system that's single level (although you can manage the Kobo's collections with Calibre, unlike with current Kindle's). I think if you hack the Kobo or Kindle to use Koreader you can have folders, but that won't work with DRM'd books (check the developer section of the forum for each device for more info).

[meeera]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I assume you mean NetGalley? Last I checked you can get books with both Kindle DRM or Adobe DRM so you shouldn't need a Kindle or Kindle app.

Yup, I read netgalley books on my Kobo.

[Mook4Nook]

Rather than starting a new thread with essentially the same question, I was wondering if people could help me decide which ebook reader to get. I initially had a Nook Simple Touch which I have recently misplaced so I now need to get a replacement.

My needs/wants for my new ebook reader includes:-
- being able to borrow from my local library
- decent hard drive space
- built in light

I'm looking at one of the Kobo ebook readers specifically the Glo and Auras, both normal and HD versions and of course the Kindle Paperwhite. I like the Kindle ecosystem but only if I can convert purchased epub books to a Kindle-approved format through Calibre.

Can I still backup my ebooks and keep a version of epub on Calibre? So if in the future I decide that I want to purchase an ebook reader that's not a Kindle I can still do so and transfer my ebooks over?

[cybmole]

For non usa libraries you need epub reader. In usa there is more choice

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Mook4Nook

Rather than starting a new thread with essentially the same question, I was wondering if people could help me decide which ebook reader to get. I initially had a Nook Simple Touch which I have recently misplaced so I now need to get a replacement.

My needs/wants for my new ebook reader includes:-
- being able to borrow from my local library
- decent hard drive space
- built in light

I'm looking at one of the Kobo ebook readers specifically the Glo and Auras, both normal and HD versions and of course the Kindle Paperwhite. I like the Kindle ecosystem but only if I can convert purchased epub books to a Kindle-approved format through Calibre.

Can I still backup my ebooks and keep a version of epub on Calibre? So if in the future I decide that I want to purchase an ebook reader that's not a Kindle I can still do so and transfer my ebooks over?

Yes and I advise you to back them up anyway no matter what device you get. See here for more details: http://apprenticealf.wordpress.com

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Yes and I advise you to back them up anyway no matter what device you get. See here for more details: http://apprenticealf.wordpress.com

not the library loans, obviously, just the bought stuff

PS all e-readers have "plenty" of storage space for "normal " use, though blood has been split over the meaning of "those" terms

specifically, you can ecpect 2gb - 4gb on an e-ink device, more on a tablet. that's enough for over 1000 "normal " sized books ( not image heavy comics though)

[susan_cassidy]

Just FYI, ereaders don't have hard drives. They have chips, instead. I realize you were just talking generically, but it would be better to just refer to storage, rather than a hard drive.

[NickyWithNook]

If you live in the US, I'd get a Kindle Paperwhite, because it's super easy to get library ebooks on it. That's the primary reason I got my first Kindle. I didn't want to have to tether my ereader to a computer every time I wanted to read a library book. If you live outside of the US, it would be easier to get an ereader that uses epub, like the Nook Glowlight or Kobo Glow.

[Mook4Nook]

Originally Posted by NickyWithNook

If you live outside of the US, it would be easier to get an ereader that uses epub, like the Nook Glowlight or Kobo Glow.

Nicky, why would you say this? The ebooks for the library books in Australia is mostly handled by Overdrive, do they not read .mobi or Amazon formatted ebooks?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Mook4Nook

Nicky, why would you say this? The ebooks for the library books in Australia is mostly handled by Overdrive, do they not read .mobi or Amazon formatted ebooks?

Overdrive only loan formats suitable for Kindles in the US. Everywhere else it is epub.