Best eReader?

Ames

Hi,

I've got an old sony eReader, which I love, but I'm looking to upgrade. I'm a student and for one of my courses the whole reading list is available in ebook format.

The problem is it can't easily be downloaded, I can get stuff from the uni websites to my computer, but only to view. If I want to download them I have to open them and save them as text instead of pdf which is a pain.

Is it possible to get an eReader that allows me to read ebooks online on the university site? Or does wifi just connect to their own store?

I bought a Kobo touch today but it seems that I can only download books directly from their site, not even somewhere like Project Gutenberg, so I don't really see how it's any better than my trusty old Sony. So I'm thinking I'll just take it back, since it doesn't save any faffing about having to use the uni computers as a go between.

neilwoods

Would have thought any dedicated e-reader, will only have access to the respective sites to purchase books.

The kobo is capable of reading pdf books, you just need to copy them over from a pc to the kobo

Ames

Thanks, I'll take the Kobo back and save up for the latest Sony (it says on the website that it'll go to wiki and google, so it should go to the uni library). Annoyingly it's gone up by £20 since yesterday so I'll have to shop around for a second hand one I think.

I can't copy them in pdf format, if I try I get a message about protected content. I can't even download them to my home pc, just read them online which has to be done a page at a time rather than a whole book at a time. I have to change it into text format and then put them on the eReader, on a uni computer. A complete faff, and it messas about with the formatting - a 300 page book became over 1800 pages after it was stretched with a load of space down the right hand side.

The only alternative to doing it that way is to read it on some of the uni computers - the adobe reader isn't even installed on all of them!

And of course because of the reading list being based on ebooks, there aren't enough copies of the physical books to go around...

neilwoods

When you say it will go on google, are you sure it means google search and not google books, which some ereaders can do

Ames

It says Google search:

https://outlet.sony.co.uk/shop/Reader-eBook/Reader/PRST2HBC.CE7

That's why I just assumed the Kobo would too, which was daft of me since it's half the price and Kobo make ebooks which sony doesn't.

neilwoods

Found this on a site. Thinking that google won't do what you want it for.

While you’re reading a book, you can highlight a word or a phrase and do a couple of things. In the case of a word, you can look it up in the New Oxford American Dictionary, which comes installed on the PRS-T2. Alternatively, you can also do a Google search for the word, or look it up on Wikipedia, a feature that is nice to have around if you want to know more about a character or place in the book you’re reading. With quotes, you might want to share them to Facebook, or save them in Evernote.

neilwoods

Seeing as most of the ebook are pdf's on a uni website and password protected, have you asked any one at uni about acquiring the password. Maybe they give it to students, worth asking.

Ames

I asked the tech support people, they didn't have a clue. I'll go ask the library staff tomorrow. The tech guy did say that it was probably something embedded in the PDF, and didn't mention anything about a password. I don't need one to read the book on the uni computers, it's just transferring it to any other device that's problematic.

neilwoods

Do you have a link to one of these books if possible or do you need nam and password to access. Just want to try something

RAS

Ames - pms full.

thegirlintheattic

Chances are the library books use Overdrive DRM which won't work with some e-readers. Speak to the library again.

If it doesn't have DRM then you can sideload onto a Kobo or Kindle using Calibre.