Ebooks

[PhoenixIreland]

Does anyone else read these?

I have a laptop so can read them in bed at night but everyone else I know finds the whole concept uncomfortable

Theres the disadvantage that you cant read them on the bus but with the euro-doller rate they're cheaper for me and I don't have the problem of how to get rid of the books afterwards...I have stil around 30 in the attick from when I was younger that I just dont know what to do with.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I've read several on my PDA using the Mobipocket reader. It's every bit as comfy as a book for me.

 

[ripster]

Hi,

I *only* read eBooks now. I have a CyBook GEN3 (http://www.bookeen.com), check out http://www.mobileread.com (especially the forums) for all things eBook including reviews of all the major eBook devices on the market.

Cheers,

Colin

 

[Anthony Sabre]

Oh yes. In fact at one point I had a library of nearly 50 Trek books in this format. Another good site is http://www.ereader.com if you use the Palm Reader.

 

[Divine]

I have a list of old books I want to read that are only available as ebooks now. I'm hoping to get some kind of an e-reader by x-mas but I'm not sure what to get yet. Everyone keeps talking about the kindle but I haven't done much research yet.

 

[OmahaStar]

I have a list of old books I want to read that are only available as ebooks now. I'm hoping to get some kind of an e-reader by x-mas but I'm not sure what to get yet. Everyone keeps talking about the kindle but I haven't done much research yet.

It all depends on YOU. The Kindle is very expensive, and it's not a small item. It's every bit as big as a normal hardcover book.

Now, there are tons of PDA options out there. I have a Tungsten E. One of the things I love is that it uses the same charger as my cell phone, so it's pretty much perfect for trips. The batteries don't wear down very quickly (I've heard of issues with other PDA batteries only lasting 3 or so hours between chargings, so check it out before you by).

It can be charged either with the USB cable or with the charger that plugs into the wall, and you can either use the included stylus (looks like a pen) or a four-way button, to go down to the next screen. It also remembers what page you were on the last time you read a specific book.

This is a really good thing, if you're one like me that reads more than one book at a time ... one for a bookclub, one for fun, one for research, one for etc. and skip through them randomly. When you open that title, it goes to the screen it was on the last time you saw it, no matter how long it's been.

It also has a slot for a memory card (the later ones don't have this!), so I can have a full gig of ebooks ... you can also have picture and excel/word documents and more stuff, so that's awesome.

As for the ebooks ... I blame TerriO for getting me into them. It's at the point now where it's awkward to try to read a paper book. The only ones I buy now are the ones I plan on getting signed .. or for certain authors who I collect in hardcover. But the overwhelming majority are ebooks.

They're also cheaper to buy. Cheap is good, when every cent helps.

Try ebay and look for "Tungsten E" ... you should find several available, and they're all under a hundred bucks. (100 is the high end for these, I've seen new ones go for 20 bucks).

 

[Anthony Sabre]

I'd like a Kindle but I won't pay $360 for a glorified PDA. I currently use a Palm TX and subscribe to eReader. eReader sends a monthly newsletter with a coupon for 10-20% off the retail price. If Amazon brings the Kindle down to the $200 range I will probably buy.

 

[JWolf]

I have a Sony Reader PRS-505 and I read a lot of eBooks with it. It's small enough and light enough to carry around and read when I want. The 505 is cheaper then the Gen3 and the Kindle. It has the same screen and better ergonomics. It's just better to hold in one hand. Plus it doesn't have the button issues that the Gen3 and Kindle have. In fact, I'm reading the IKS Gorkon series and I really don't miss the pBook.

Anyway, with eBooks, it's a lot easier to find currently out-of-print Trek books.

eReader on Windows is rather a poorly written peice of software. You open the book you want to read and get two windows popping up so you always have to close the other one. If you plan on reading ONLY on a computer, MS Reader is the best format. But for eink devices, it depends on what format(s) your device supports.

 

[Dayton Ward]

Windows is rather a poorly written peice of software.

There. That's better.

 

[Lee]

I'd like a Kindle but I won't pay $360 for a glorified PDA.

The Kindle isn't any kind of PDA, glorified or otherwise. It doesn't have a calendar or an address book. It's designed specifically and exclusively for reading (although it does have a rudimentary web browsing feature). The advantage of reading with an e-ink device (like the Kindle, the Sony, the Cybook, etc.) is that the screen is much easier to read than a PDA, and many people who like to spend time reading have no desire to spend that much time staring at a PDA screen.

The 505 is cheaper then the Gen3 and the Kindle.

I think we've been through this before... the 505 is not cheaper than the Kindle when you take into account a) the Kindle's charger comes included, and the 505's doesn't, and b) the Kindle's battery can be replaced by the user at a cheaper cost, while the 505 must be mailed to the company to have the battery replaced, at a higher cost.

It has the same screen and better ergonomics. It's just better to hold in one hand. Plus it doesn't have the button issues that the Gen3 and Kindle have.

In your opinion. I have a Kindle and have no button issues and the ergonomics are just fine. I've read opinions of people who have both the 505 and the Kindle and they prefer the ergonomics of the Kindle. So I think it's a subjective judgment.

 

[LightningStorm]

Vista is rather a poorly written peice of software.

There. That's better.

No. That's better.

 

[JWolf]

A lot of people who either own a Kindle and a 505 or a Kindle and have seen the 505 think the design of the 505 is better then that of the Kindle. The biggest complaint from Kindle owners (overall) is theoverly large buttons and how easy it is to accidentally press them.

You can get a PSP charger for the 505. Should cost no more then $15. Or You can charge it from the USB port of your computer. Also, by the time the battery in the 505 or Kindle are in need of replacement, we'll have moved on to some other model eink reader.

The 505, gen3, Kindle, and some others all use the same 6" Vizplex eink screen. So that takes that issue out of the equation. But, the 505 vs the other 6" eink devices is the only one that is natively able to display 8 shades instead of just 4. So photos and pictures can and do look better then they do on any of the others.

 

[Lee]

Also, by the time the battery in the 505 or Kindle are in need of replacement, we'll have moved on to some other model eink reader.

After spending 400 bucks on mine, I plan to hold on to it a little longer than that!

But, as I've said in the past, both the Sony and the Kindle have positives and negatives and it's really up to the prospective purchaser to decide which one (or some other device) is better suited for their needs. Some people prefer the way the Sony handles PDFs, others will find the Kindle's ability to shop and download wirelessly important to them. This "mine is bigger than yours" stuff is just silly.

 

[Rabid Trekkie]

Does anyone else read these?

I have a laptop so can read them in bed at night but everyone else I know finds the whole concept uncomfortable

Theres the disadvantage that you cant read them on the bus but with the euro-doller rate they're cheaper for me and I don't have the problem of how to get rid of the books afterwards...I have stil around 30 in the attick from when I was younger that I just dont know what to do with.

You get rid of books? That sounds like blasphemy!

Have never read an ebook and probably won't. I can't stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, and besides I like the feel of books. So I wait for the ebooks to get published in book form before I read them.

 

[LightningStorm]

Does anyone else read these?

I have a laptop so can read them in bed at night but everyone else I know finds the whole concept uncomfortable

Theres the disadvantage that you cant read them on the bus but with the euro-doller rate they're cheaper for me and I don't have the problem of how to get rid of the books afterwards...I have stil around 30 in the attick from when I was younger that I just dont know what to do with.

You get rid of books? That sounds like blasphemy!

Truly! Hopefully by "get rid of" he means "donates to local library" or something like that.

 

[Worf2DS9]

My eBook experience was limited to the S.C.E./CoE series and I never looked into getting any other novels in that format, at least not so far. I read them on my iBook at night, 3 or 4 chapters before going to sleep. Convenient, cheap and they take up very little shelf space.

 

[Divine]

I did a tiny bit of research on the kindle. Seems the Sony 505 is better in terms of design and the screen is suppose to be better. However people were saying the Kindle already has more Content because they've rope in a lot of publishers.

 

[smeos]

I find it hard enough to follow my own writing on a computer screen, let alone someone else's. For me, it's like staring at a light bulb after a while.

Besides, I like having an actual book in my hand.