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Post by MontiLee on Mar 8, 2010 17:03:29 GMT -5
This here's the throwdown board for e-Readers.
This is not the area to debate how you'll never use them or how paper is obsolete. I'll delete those, test me to see if I don't.
This is for individual Readers - Kindle, Rocket, PRS, etc - and their Pros and Cons.
Give as much info as you can, personal experience is a plus.
Ready: Go!
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Post by MontiLee on Mar 8, 2010 17:32:55 GMT -5
In less than a week I'll own the Sony PRS300RC (I knew I'd hit post too soon).
I've already owned the PRS-500 and right up until it died, I was thrilled to own it. I'm trading it on on Tuesday (3/15) for the Pocket and I can't wait.
First of all, I love the portability. I was used to carrying a few paperbacks in my bag at a time (in case I got bored) and now I have room for more notebooks.
The digital display is easy on the eyes, there's no glare from the screen or a backlight. It really is like reading a paper-book. The upgrades from the 500 are easy enough to see - native compatibility from Word and RTF files, as well as Adobe and now ePub, so more formats are readable. The page turns are way smoother and it's lighter. It's about the size of a Trade paperback.
I don't care that it's not wireless or that I can't directly download books from the air, since we've already seen what happens when companies have access to that kind of software (hello, 1984), and really, I'd much rather not have that kind of access to all sorts of books.
Say what you will about the price of eBooks - be they 9.99 or 14.99 - I'll pay it. The arguments that they should be cheaper are a wash with me - as far as I'm concerned, when I buy a book, I'm supporting the author and that's the bottom line.
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Post by micah on Mar 8, 2010 22:21:17 GMT -5
Not to make this the pro-Sony board, but I absolutely adore my Sony RRS-600 (the Reader Touch Edition). As noted by MontiLee, it supports multiple formats (I think I have something from each on there right now). This means that on top of the books available at Sony's ebookstore and elsewhere on-line, I can read any of the free material from Google Books as well as the public library.
I chose the Touch because it allows me to take notes right on the file in question. Since Word and Adobe files are supported, I can use the Reader to edit my own (or someone else's) material if I choose.
Memory is expandable using Memory Stick PRO Duo or SD Media (which I have lying around because my cameras use those). I find that when I'm tired, switching over to landscape mode makes it possible to read long after I should have gone to sleep.
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Post by thekarmasuitzya on Mar 10, 2010 18:34:13 GMT -5
I'm thrilled that you started this thread, Montilee. I am cautiously checking out all the ereaders right now. I want one that I can use to download my text books for school, as well as enable me to carry around the latest books by my favorite authors, without getting a hernia.
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Post by MontiLee on Mar 11, 2010 14:12:07 GMT -5
As they become more evolved, high-lighting and note-taking become an option. I know there are sites that do electronic versions of schoolbooks, but many of them aren't formatted for readers, only computer screens. check with the publisher for more information.
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Post by micah on Mar 11, 2010 23:22:04 GMT -5
It depends on the text book and how cool your teacher is. Most of the books for my last three classes were available for the Kindle (so I could read them on my phone) but they were not textbooks per se. While definitely written to be used as material for classes and published by university presses, their physical manifestations were trade paperbacks. They were not the oversized, hardcover monstrosities that you pay $200 bucks for.
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Post by micah on Apr 7, 2010 9:20:47 GMT -5
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Post by MontiLee on Apr 13, 2010 13:12:40 GMT -5
There are too many limitations with the iPad which don't make it viable (keyboard, not Flash compatible, no usb, etc).
It's cost prohibitive and for what it does and it's 1st Generation. It maybe something to consider later down the road, like in 5 generations, but for now, it's just another consumer good that will be obsolete come the next release.
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Post by Joseph on Aug 7, 2010 8:55:20 GMT -5
Just got the Sony eReader for my birthday. Haven't got a chance to play with it much but I did download "The Passage" by Justin Cronin (seemed pretty interesting).
Does anyone know any good sites for getting books besides the Sony eBook store? I can't get them from Amazon because I'm pretty sure I would need the Kindle. I looked on Google Books briefly but it seemed like everything I found was written prior to 1917.
Thanks.
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Post by micah on Aug 7, 2010 13:19:05 GMT -5
Congrats Joseph, which model did you get? I know that there are at least two people here who also have Sonys (Sonies? What the Hell is the plural of Sony?). The best thing about the Sony eReader is that it will support just about any format (other than Kindle). I've personally purchased things from: macabreink.com/www.booksamillion.com/ebookswww.ebooks.com/My primary advice is to go to the website of an author you like and see where they recommend you go for the digital versions of their books. Some might be selling (or even giving them away) themselves. Another recommendation, Calibre to sort your library. Maybe it's just me, but I'm not overly fond of the Sony Library software. It has some serious hang issues. Enjoy! |
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Post by annuvin on Jul 5, 2012 23:21:38 GMT -5
Both my wife and I have the classic Kobo eReader and I really like it. The controls are simplistic and it is a great little unit (my brother-in-law's cousin actually worked on its design). I will say that Kobo is infamous for its hideous customer service but as far as the unit goes, it's great! You can also purchase ebooks from Kobo's website for many different ereaders. www.kobobooks.com/ |
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Post by Jim Leach on Jul 19, 2012 10:33:24 GMT -5
Even though I am a techo-nerd for my day job, I came extremely late to the e-book party. Sort of at least. I still miss my Palm V -- I remember reading the script of the Big Lebowski on there as well as a couple hundred short stories by Chekov. I would read a bit while I was waiting for one of the desktop machines I was working on to reboot. I wept bitter tears the day my second Palm died.
But that was eons ago. My work phone is an iPhone but I was slow to get aboard the whole app experience. Eventually I got the Adobe Reader app and read some of the bewildering amounts of public domain .pdfs. (Ugly, ugly, ugly design for the most part) Then a friend sugested that I use the free app Stanza which reads multiple formats and has a few niceties that vastly improve the experience. I am now off and running. I know most folks can't understand how I can read on such a small screen but it's not stopping me. And I love the way I can slip my iPhone into my pocket.
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Post by MontiLee on Oct 25, 2012 22:33:54 GMT -5
I still have my Sony, but I find myself doing more reading on my Droid 2 Global. It has a Kindle emulator, a Sony Reader as well as several apps for other files and formats.
Really though, I prefer audio books and paper.
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