Ebook Readers / Ereader!

stothy862

Hi guys!

In the limelight of me going into buying an Ereader I decided to consult you on your thoughts.

I am looking to spend as little as possible but I still want it to do its job right! So it must be readable in all light conditions!

My first contender is: Elonex 511EB

Waterstones ereader. Only £129 and that is a bargain! Apparently cheap build quality and a few minor bugs but everything else is aok! Any reviews would be appreciated!

PRO: Cheap!!!!

CON: Bugs

Next : Ipod Touch / Iphone with apps.

Ok so it's not cheap but I am also looking into a new phone and I was going to get an Itouch anyway so why not get an Iphone? I will wait til the 4G/ HD comes out and buy the 3G then cutting down major money! Just wondering, is it any good for ebooks?

PRO: Loads of possibilities!

CON: Price, Screen

Some others:

Cybook Opus:

Mid price, strong following

PRO: Amazing following

CON: Hoping for cheaper

Kindle:

PRO: Best book store

CON: Only buy in $

So big question is, Iphone any good for ebooks? Please help!

Ximian

I can't comment on the iPhone being any good for eBooks, one thing comes to mind though, battery life.

Have you looked into the Sony PRS-300 ? A friend of mine has this model and she loves it. Battery life is good, Sony state that the unit can last up to 2 weeks on a charge:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665921188

The unit has some drawbacks though as mentioned in the CNET review: http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/sony-reader-pocket-edition/4505-3508_7-33743849.html
"The bad: No expandable memory; battery is sealed into unit; screen may be too small for some people; limited zoom function with PDF files; cannot display JPEGs or play back MP3 files; not as zippy as the step-up PRS-600; USB charging only works from PCs."

stothy862

I have looked into it and it's still £170 Thanks for the reply though! Great for the feedback! I will point out all I want is an ereader, I don't care about other features

Sovos SVEBK5B, £99, bargain! Too good to be true? Anyone?

witchypoo

I have book apps on the iPod Touch, they're fine and you can change font/size if need be on some apps. Also lots available free on iTunes maybe check what's available before you decide.

Lilystar

I use the Stanza and Kindle apps to read on the iTouch, the screen is fabulous and clear but it is not like reading on a dedicated e-reader. It's like reading on a computer screen, but smaller. I have not noticed it having a particularly detrimental effect on battery life, and I usually have the music going at the same time.

If you are going to be reading for extended periods, an e-reader will almost certainly be more comfortable on your eyes. I tend to use the iTouch in short bursts, when in a queue etc, which it's fine for, but on the odd occasion I have used it for more than an hour, I do tend to start feeling some eye strain.

I also tried out the old version of the Sony, the screen was amazing but the page turn time was horrendous, and the page turn buttons were in the wrong place for me to hold it comfortably, so whichever you go for, make sure you get hold of it and use it before you buy.

debitcardmayhem

I have two PRS505's (not one for each eye one for the OH) they are very good especially in direct sunlight, sadly they are rare to get hold of at the price I paid last July 149.99, now more like 210+, as an earlier poster said the page turn is slow (mind you 1sec aint slow especially if you turn the page when you scan the last sentence, which I normally do with those paperbacks if you can remember them:D) They are apparently less taxing on the eye being e-Ink and dont rely on backlights/refresh rates which the experts say are more stressfull on the eyes. Mind you cant read them under the bedclothes without a torch (just like I used to do the same when pretending to be asleep ). The 300 is slightly smaller (5" screen) and I would not recommend any screen less than that , I am old and can't see at the best of times. Best idea is to see if you have friends/relatives/total strangers have an e-ink one, and a iPod/smart phone and see what they are like to your eyes. The e-ink ones have phenomonal battery life (6000+ pages in my case) compared to phones/pods.

Edit : Ps calibre is a great piece of software for managing your eBooks

stothy862

Thanks for this advice guys! So what you are saying is if the Iphone was Eink it's a must get

stothy862

So would people say this is a bit of a catch then?

Go onto What a Find . com and search for Sony 505

In the search results find that product and click it. Someone post a link please!

£125 for a PRS-505. Something wrong there? Bargain I think!

PS. It's cheaper on Ebay, is it such a risk to buy from there these days?

debitcardmayhem

stothy862 wrote: »

So would people say this is a bit of a catch then?

Go onto What a Find . com and search for Sony 505

In the search results find that product and click it. Someone post a link please!

£125 for a PRS-505. Something wrong there? Bargain I think!

PS. It's cheaper on Ebay, is it such a risk to buy from there these days?

Seems good http://www.whatafind.com/p-3386-sony-e-reader-prs-505sc-digital-reader-book-silver.aspx but never heard of them though, see if anyone else comes up with a reccy

exegnomad

At the bottom of the block of very small text on that web page it says....

This will only be a few minor marks or light scratches There is Slight damage to the Packaging. This item is a return, unwanted, duplicate, not delivered, overstock or end of line. It has been professionally tested by one of our supplier's test operatives to ensure that it is complete and in full working order. The product carries a full 3 month warranty.

In other words, it isn't a new product and hasn't got a very long warranty. It isn't even described as refurbished, so "caveat emptor"