Consumer Reports... doesn't report

sassanik · 05-08-2010, 12:56 AM

Sorry ahead of time if some one already posted this.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/e...ders/index.htm

Consumer Reports did a terrible job of reviewing ebook readers. Apparently only Apple's Ipad and Amazon's Kindle exist, though those "other" ereaders are mentioned... not really by name though.

I suppose the member area might have more information that I did not see. Especially since the image of a ebook reader is not a Kindle or a Ipad, I believe it is a Jetbook?

I give Consumer Reports a big failing score on their rating of ebook readers.

Amy

amjbrown · 05-08-2010, 03:05 AM

Amy,

I know what you mean. However, for your average Joe Bloggs (from 29th May) or John Doe (now), the Kindle or iPad are the only two logical choices. Do you want expensive with lots of extra functions (iPad), or cheaper for really just books (Kindle)? The hoops we at MR have jumped through to organise, convert and port our titles just won't work for the vast majority of the population.

amjb

Tamara · 05-08-2010, 08:27 AM

It appears that the actual evaluations of different readers are in the member area.

rhadin · 05-08-2010, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamara

It appears that the actual evaluations of different readers are in the member area.

Exactly right. Although they do not evaluate a lot of different readers, they do evaluate the Sonys, BeBook Neo, Kindle, Aluratek, Nook, and Irex DR800.

Xanthe · 05-08-2010, 12:02 PM

See editing reason.

pholy · 05-08-2010, 12:53 PM

Thanks, Xanthe - It's interesting that the multi-device syncing seems to be important; I have several readers, but I don't try to read the same books on different readers - it's just not my use case. I just got a Kobo, and I think it's that multi-syncing that makes the desktop app so frustrating to use. Maybe some knowledgeable soul will put together a poll about reading the same book on different devices... clearly Kindle and Kobo think it's important, and it looks like Google would use it, as long as your device is a browser and not a reader

or maybe

PodPeople · 05-08-2010, 03:16 PM

Regarding the Aluratek Libre, they fail to mention that it comes with a 2GB SD card and that books can be loaded onto the card with an external card reader very quickly instead of directly to the reader via USB cable. I wonder what they mean by "responsiveness". I would say that nearly instantaneous page turns constitute good responsiveness compared to e-Ink readers' flash and delay. I wouldn't say that a reader has only "fair versatility" when it reads PDF, TXT, FB2, EPUB , MOBI, PRC and RTF ebook formats and supports Adobe Digital Editions DRM. If they don't like the "uncomfortatable" page turn slider they might try using the other two page turn control options.

frozennorth · 05-08-2010, 03:45 PM

Wonder how they tested readability? Kindles are better than all the others? I can understand with the large dx screen but the K2?

I dropped consumer report a couple years ago. I found them too biased with some brands (kenmore anyone). I have my doubts as to how thoroughly they test everything.

Teddman · 05-08-2010, 07:50 PM

I'm glad to see the Sony readers rated so highly, I think they tend to be left out of most articles in favor of a focus on Kindle & Nook.

But I'm not sure how they place the Sony touchscreen readers with their diminished contrast at the same level of "readability" as the Bebook Neo and the Nook.

Xanthe · 05-09-2010, 02:22 AM

See editing reason.

Xanthe · 05-09-2010, 02:32 AM

I also don't get the importance of synching. Whenever I finally get the new Astak that's coming out soon, I don't plan to read the same book on both of my readers at the same time. I usually have several books going at the same time anyway.

LDBoblo · 05-09-2010, 04:32 AM

They have a pretty strange concept of "responsiveness" and page turn speed.

sassanik · 05-09-2010, 11:37 PM

Yeah I have to say syncing speed would be low on my list of things that would matter when I bought a ebook reader. I suppose if one had a extremely slow sync speed, but as of yet none of the ebook readers that I have, have that slow of a sync speed!

Once again people think having a lot of memory is important, while I like having a SD card slot, I think its pretty much a consensus that keeping more than 50 or so books on ones reader becomes frustrating and difficult when it comes to sorting.

They mentioned MP3's players, my Cool-er has a built in MP3 player that I have yet to use. I have a MP3 player for my MP3's (fancy that!).

It seems that people judge the ebook readers on the bells and whistles, when really they should be looking at how well they do their primary job... displaying books to be read.

Amy

Ervserver · 05-10-2010, 12:10 AM

Consumers Reports is overrated

Teddman · 05-10-2010, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sassanik

Once again people think having a lot of memory is important, while I like having a SD card slot, I think its pretty much a consensus that keeping more than 50 or so books on ones reader becomes frustrating and difficult when it comes to sorting.

Nah, not with a collections/folder system. I have 160 books on my 505 and still have half the 256mb memory left... Sorting is no problem as long as you can break things up by genre or by the date you added them to the device.

05-08-2010, 12:56 AM	#1
sassanik Guru Posts: 774 Karma: 1211741 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Oregon Device: EB1150, iPhone, Cool-er Purple, Pocketbook 360, Kindle Fire	Consumer Reports... doesn't report Sorry ahead of time if some one already posted this. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/e...ders/index.htm Consumer Reports did a terrible job of reviewing ebook readers. Apparently only Apple's Ipad and Amazon's Kindle exist, though those "other" ereaders are mentioned... not really by name though. I suppose the member area might have more information that I did not see. Especially since the image of a ebook reader is not a Kindle or a Ipad, I believe it is a Jetbook? I give Consumer Reports a big failing score on their rating of ebook readers. Amy

05-08-2010, 12:02 PM	#5
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	See editing reason. Last edited by Xanthe; 05-09-2010 at 12:56 PM. Reason: Removed pending permission to post excerpt (sorry about that)

05-09-2010, 02:22 AM	#10
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	See editing reason. Last edited by Xanthe; 05-09-2010 at 12:58 PM. Reason: Removed pending permission to post.

05-09-2010, 11:37 PM	#13
sassanik Guru Posts: 774 Karma: 1211741 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Oregon Device: EB1150, iPhone, Cool-er Purple, Pocketbook 360, Kindle Fire	Syncing speed Yeah I have to say syncing speed would be low on my list of things that would matter when I bought a ebook reader. I suppose if one had a extremely slow sync speed, but as of yet none of the ebook readers that I have, have that slow of a sync speed! Once again people think having a lot of memory is important, while I like having a SD card slot, I think its pretty much a consensus that keeping more than 50 or so books on ones reader becomes frustrating and difficult when it comes to sorting. They mentioned MP3's players, my Cool-er has a built in MP3 player that I have yet to use. I have a MP3 player for my MP3's (fancy that!). It seems that people judge the ebook readers on the bells and whistles, when really they should be looking at how well they do their primary job... displaying books to be read. Amy

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05-08-2010, 03:05 AM	#2
amjbrown Addict Posts: 322 Karma: 1231044 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: London, UK Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle app on the iPhone	Amy, I know what you mean. However, for your average Joe Bloggs (from 29th May) or John Doe (now), the Kindle or iPad are the only two logical choices. Do you want expensive with lots of extra functions (iPad), or cheaper for really just books (Kindle)? The hoops we at MR have jumped through to organise, convert and port our titles just won't work for the vast majority of the population. amjb

05-08-2010, 08:27 AM	#3
Tamara Evangelist Posts: 446 Karma: 1812 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: iPhone	It appears that the actual evaluations of different readers are in the member area.

05-08-2010, 12:53 PM	#6
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	Thanks, Xanthe - It's interesting that the multi-device syncing seems to be important; I have several readers, but I don't try to read the same books on different readers - it's just not my use case. I just got a Kobo, and I think it's that multi-syncing that makes the desktop app so frustrating to use. Maybe some knowledgeable soul will put together a poll about reading the same book on different devices... clearly Kindle and Kobo think it's important, and it looks like Google would use it, as long as your device is a browser and not a reader or maybe

05-08-2010, 03:16 PM	#7
PodPeople Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 134 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Houston, TX Device: Nook Simple Touch, iPad 3, Kindle 4B	Regarding the Aluratek Libre, they fail to mention that it comes with a 2GB SD card and that books can be loaded onto the card with an external card reader very quickly instead of directly to the reader via USB cable. I wonder what they mean by "responsiveness". I would say that nearly instantaneous page turns constitute good responsiveness compared to e-Ink readers' flash and delay. I wouldn't say that a reader has only "fair versatility" when it reads PDF, TXT, FB2, EPUB , MOBI, PRC and RTF ebook formats and supports Adobe Digital Editions DRM. If they don't like the "uncomfortatable" page turn slider they might try using the other two page turn control options.

05-08-2010, 03:45 PM	#8
frozennorth Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 18772 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: Onyx Boox RIP, Sony PRS-T1, Kobo Libra	Wonder how they tested readability? Kindles are better than all the others? I can understand with the large dx screen but the K2? I dropped consumer report a couple years ago. I found them too biased with some brands (kenmore anyone). I have my doubts as to how thoroughly they test everything.

05-08-2010, 07:50 PM	#9
Teddman Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 695 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	I'm glad to see the Sony readers rated so highly, I think they tend to be left out of most articles in favor of a focus on Kindle & Nook. But I'm not sure how they place the Sony touchscreen readers with their diminished contrast at the same level of "readability" as the Bebook Neo and the Nook.

05-09-2010, 02:32 AM	#11
Xanthe Plan B Is Now In Force Posts: 1,894 Karma: 8086979 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Surebleak Device: Aluratek,Sony 350/T1,Pandigital,eBM 911,Nook HD/HD+,Fire HDX 7/8.9,PW2	I also don't get the importance of synching. Whenever I finally get the new Astak that's coming out soon, I don't plan to read the same book on both of my readers at the same time. I usually have several books going at the same time anyway.

05-09-2010, 04:32 AM	#12
LDBoblo Wizard Posts: 1,385 Karma: 16056 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Asia Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Sony PRS-505	They have a pretty strange concept of "responsiveness" and page turn speed.

05-10-2010, 12:10 AM	#14
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Consumers Reports is overrated

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