Reading Device

[Joshua0001]

Im thinking of getting a Reading Device for a relative of mine who loves to read. Dose anyone own one that they could share there experience with. Right now im thinking of getting one of the amazon Kindle or the sonny readers. I dont know of any others but if someone has one they could tell me about i would very much like to hear about them too. Thank in advance for any info.

[mgz]

the kindle has the drm which isnt much of a real issue, its got a HUGE fucking library of books which is the biggest advantage its got over nearly every other reader.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

B&N's Nook looks pretty cool, although I'm waiting to hear what (real) people say about it.

[Proin Drakenzol]

I have the Kindle DX (the 9" screen one) and I love it!

I put manga on it (converted into .pdf) and my favorite publisher (Baen) has its own online store and they sell the books in Kindle format.

Amazon itself has a decent selection, the Kindle will read .txt files just fine, and you can get .html and .doc files converted for free by e-mailing them to Amazon (make sure you send it to the e-mail address that sends an e-mail back to your home account, you get charged to send it directly to the Kindle).

I haven't used the wireless feature for the Kindle DX. I'm in Japan and it doesn't work here. Nor have I used the text-to-speech feature, I don't care about it.

Overall I love the Kindle DX and highly recommend it, especially for reading manga as well as regular books.

[sdedalus83]

I use my N810, but it's got some serious limitations.  The 4.1" screen can be a bit of a pain with manga, especially when it's scanned with pages side by side.  The transflective display isn't as nice as e-ink for reading.  My reading speed is probably cut by 20 - 40% due to the small screen size.  It won't read DRM protected ebooks.
Despite the limitations, I use the hell out of it.  It's pocketable, the battery life is solid, I can get online with a real browser via both wifi and my cell phone, and it can double as a PMP.  The e-ink devices are great, but their size and limited functionality outweigh the benefits.

As far as commercial ebooks are concerned, I don't mind losing out on them with the nokia.  Until Ebooks are offered as a cheap($1-2) companion to purchased hard copy books, I won't be buying any of them.  Most of the cost of a book is in printing, binding, shipping, and shelf space.  To charge the same for a license to read the book indefinitely as they do for the paper product is a fucking travesty.

[mgz]

the biggest bad thing ive heard about the nook is the lil color screen juices its battery really quick

[Joshua0001]

the kindle has the drm which isnt much of a real issue, its got a HUGE fucking library of books which is the biggest advantage its got over nearly every other reader.

Whats a drm?

I use my N810, but it's got some serious limitations.  The 4.1" screen can be a bit of a pain with manga, especially when it's scanned with pages side by side.  The transflective display isn't as nice as e-ink for reading.  My reading speed is probably cut by 20 - 40% due to the small screen size.  It won't read DRM protected ebooks.
Despite the limitations, I use the hell out of it.  It's pocketable, the battery life is solid, I can get online with a real browser via both wifi and my cell phone, and it can double as a PMP.  The e-ink devices are great, but their size and limited functionality outweigh the benefits.

As far as commercial ebooks are concerned, I don't mind losing out on them with the nokia.  Until Ebooks are offered as a cheap($1-2) companion to purchased hard copy books, I won't be buying any of them.  Most of the cost of a book is in printing, binding, shipping, and shelf space.  To charge the same for a license to read the book indefinitely as they do for the paper product is a fucking travesty.

I hear that with some stores only charge a $9 fee for books. Dont think t will ever go below that. But for a digital copy that a good price. I also read that you could go to some libraries and get book free there. Or at least thats what the sonny one says.

the biggest bad thing ive heard about the nook is the lil color screen juices its battery really quick

Fun thing you should say that since the othere two say there charge lasts for days

[mgz]

if you read what i wrote it makes more sense.
There is a seperate little screen that can be used for navigation and such. It burns through juice alot quicker

[Xiong Chiamiov]

the kindle has the drm which isnt much of a real issue, its got a HUGE fucking library of books which is the biggest advantage its got over nearly every other reader.

Whats a drm?

Digital Rights Management, the crap that restricts your usage of files so that it's more difficult to pirate them.

[ilk3000]

DRM turns piracy from Arrrrrrrr! to Arghhhhhh!

[Proin Drakenzol]

the kindle has the drm which isnt much of a real issue, its got a HUGE fucking library of books which is the biggest advantage its got over nearly every other reader.

Whats a drm?

Digital Rights Management, the crap that restricts your usage of files so that it's more difficult to use them legitimately thereby making you want to pirate it so you can use your shit.

Fixed.

But I have noticed 0 DRM anything for the Kindle. It can read protected files of certain (not all, it won't read .mobi DRM files, just unsecure .mobi) formats, but does not require DRM.

[sunweb]

I hear that with some stores only charge a $9 fee for books. Dont think t will ever go below that. But for a digital copy that a good price. I also read that you could go to some libraries and get book free there. Or at least thats what the sonny one says.

$9 is the price of a paperback, which is fine for a physical copy, a digital copy of it should cost half as much (printing, binding and transportation is about 40% of the price of books).

I'm thinking about getting the Nook to read all the pdf files my college teachers force us to read. That and scanned books, with the occasional legally bought copy of sci-fi novels.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

the kindle has the drm which isnt much of a real issue, its got a HUGE fucking library of books which is the biggest advantage its got over nearly every other reader.

Whats a drm?

Digital Rights Management, the crap that restricts your usage of files so that it's more difficult to use them legitimately thereby making you want to pirate it so you can use your shit.

Fixed.

Oh, you won't find me arguing that point.  I cannot view BluRays on Linux without large amounts of effort (and an encryption key for that particular disc), and neither can I view most DRM-protected digital download videos.

DRM is one of the largest PITAs I've ever encountered.

But I have noticed 0 DRM anything for the Kindle. It can read protected files of certain (not all, it won't read .mobi DRM files, just unsecure .mobi) formats, but does not require DRM.

Oh, but they may just decide to delete one of your books off of your device.

[Proin Drakenzol]

But I have noticed 0 DRM anything for the Kindle. It can read protected files of certain (not all, it won't read .mobi DRM files, just unsecure .mobi) formats, but does not require DRM.

Oh, but they may just decide to delete one of your books off of your device.

not if you never turn on your wireless and/or are in Japan with a non-international version.

it's cheaper to transfer via USB, too.

[mgz]

I hear that with some stores only charge a $9 fee for books. Dont think t will ever go below that. But for a digital copy that a good price. I also read that you could go to some libraries and get book free there. Or at least thats what the sonny one says.

$9 is the price of a paperback, which is fine for a physical copy, a digital copy of it should cost half as much (printing, binding and transportation is about 40% of the price of books).

I'm thinking about getting the Nook to read all the pdf files my college teachers force us to read. That and scanned books, with the occasional legally bought copy of sci-fi novels.

however with devices like the kindle the 9$ includes the fact that you can wirelessly download it without wifi and never pay a monthly fee, that costs money, and is a convenience so things like that are included in the cost per book. There is also as noted below copyright nonsense involved so the book makers make their cut on a digital book.

And the same can be said about .99 cent -1.39$ mp3 downloads from amazon or itunes, most of the cost of the cds is distribution. yet if you buy the equivalent of a cd 12-15 songs your paying just as much or more because you are 1 being convenienced, 2 paying for bandwith(negligible on the large scale they use) and 3 usage rights, and copyright bullshit to make sure the record companies get how much they want.

[Xiong Chiamiov]

But I have noticed 0 DRM anything for the Kindle. It can read protected files of certain (not all, it won't read .mobi DRM files, just unsecure .mobi) formats, but does not require DRM.

Oh, but they may just decide to delete one of your books off of your device.

not if you never turn on your wireless and/or are in Japan with a non-international version.

it's cheaper to transfer via USB, too.

I'd rather not have to voluntarily get rid of one of the most attractive features of the device I buy just to be in control of my device.

But hey, I want an n900, so you know I'm crazy about having completely unfettered root access on all of my devices.

[Kuroshima]

N900 is ideal

yeah I have an iPhone so I probably won't be upgrading soon...
Reads txt, HTML, pretty much everything perfectly fine... Also there's like this new online digital library thing this company is developing.... Can't quite remember the name....
In a side note.... An iPhone is an iPod so.....

[kurandoinu]

Iphones not brilliant for reading manga the screen is a little too small, for books however theres plenty of apps that allow you to add your own files or buy them from an online store. I'd still love a proper ebook reader like a kindle, but I can't justify it unfortunately

[Xiong Chiamiov]

Iphones not brilliant for reading manga the screen is a little too small, for books however theres plenty of apps that allow you to add your own files or buy them from an online store. I'd still love a proper ebook reader like a kindle, but I can't justify it unfortunately

Ah yes, well, what would be brilliant would be an ebook reader that runs actual linux (like the n900) rather than just Android (like the nook).  Then you get hackability and readability.

[zherok]

Wouldn't you just be competing with netbooks and tablet PCs at that point? Cost-wise, these readers are already pretty close. Start adding functionality and draining more power, and you're basically making a netbook.