[Construct]

I am considering a Nook ($149/6"  with wifi)  as a replacement for buying books.  The device is lighter than most books I read.  It claims over 1 million books vs Kindles 630K.  I am not sure who is winning the war, but considering $149 has wifi and readability in/outdoor---the Nook seems to be the best choice. I don't need or want 3G, nor do I want $499+  overhead. The $149 could actually pay for itself since books are a fraction of the cost of hardcover and less than most paperbacks on the bestseller list.
Any positive experiences with e-readers?  Any thoughts on the 6"  display?

[ooheadsoo]

Unfortunately, my best experience to date has been with my ipad.  You know the price.  The flip side is that you can purchase books from Apple, Amazon, and B&N.  And then you can browse the web, check your email, play some games, draw some pictures with your fingers.

I purchased an application for the ipad called Readdle.  This allows me to send documents (PDF, DOC, TXT etc) to my ipad and then I can read those on the go.  This can be a life saver if you have other ways...  Although this app doesn't have a built in dictionary like Kindle and iBooks, it does support bookmarking and will resume at the last page you read.

The one thing I like about most ebook readers is the e-ink screen.  Those look amazing to me, and the new Kindle 3 has a carrying case that has a built in light attachment.  I think that's a real winner.  They look just like real paper.  It's unbelievable.  Stay away from LCD screen e-book readers (except the ipad.)

[Rich Carlson]

I recently bought a Kindle DX.  I needed the bigger screen for reading pdfs (for work), but overall I love it.  I looked at the iPad, and found it as uncomfortable to read from as I find regular computer screens - I really prefer the e-ink display for sitting and reading. 

[rahimlee54]

We have an Ipad here and it is awesome, use it in the kitchen all the time, and the wife loves to sit on the couch and surf.  She reads on it almost nightly and really likes it.  I think that the ereaders like the kindle and nook are awesome as well, the screen looks amazing.  When we got the ipad the kindle was still $250 or whatever it was before the price drop so I couldn't really justify that much for a one trick pony, but at the current pricepoint I would have gotten that instead of the ipad, she got it mainly to read.  If you just want to read get the nook or the kindle, I'd get the kindle personal preference, but for us we liked the added functionality of the pad.

Jared

[jtwrace]

Nook here.  LOVE it. 

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=79525.0

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=81943.0

[Big Red Machine]

How much do book downloads cost?

[turkey]

I've got a Jet Book Lite that I got at Newegg for $110 on sale.

I've been reading ebooks on various devices for almost 15 years now. At first I just used a Palm PDA, but I later got devices specifically for reading (Oregon Scientific Osaris, Diamond Mako, Franklin Ebookman). The Jet Book Lite is the best yet.

The screen is superb. It's crisp and clear, and I like it better than the e-Ink displays I've seen.

Battery life is excellent, and it uses 4 AA cells, so I never have to wait for the battery to charge - I just toss in another set. (I use AA NiMH batteries for my camera, so I already have batteries and charger.) If I'm traveling, I can always stop at any store and pick up some disposable batteries if I need to.

I don't need wireless on the device. I can plug it in via USB and transfer files when I need to.

I'm not locked into any one company when it comes to getting books. That's a key feature for me. I also don't have to worry about not really controlling what's on my device. I won't have Amazon or B&N or whoever deleting books whenever they want. Or, like Crapple, banning books.

I looked at all the various readers and it came down to Ectaco or Astak. I really like the idea of using industry standard replaceable batteries, so I was leaning towards the Jet Book Lite. Then Newegg ran a good sale and it was a no-brainer.

[turkey]

real winner.  They look just like real paper.  It's unbelievable.  Stay away from LCD screen e-book readers (except the ipad.)

Gee, my Jet Book Lite has an LCD screen and it looks fantastic. It's better than e-Ink is IMO. (It's much faster and it doesn't flash while turning pages.)

[Construct]

Gee, my Jet Book Lite has an LCD screen and it looks fantastic. It's better than e-Ink is IMO. (It's much faster and it doesn't flash while turning pages.)

LINUX!  I was looking... 5"  display is smaller than the 6"  standard now.  I see the new nook (latest os)  has a faster page turn now than it used to.  The jetbook site isn't responding now...but the jetbook lite is $99.  Microsoft is bragging on a win-7 tablet that's supposed to be less $$$ and more able than the ipad.  Though I agree, I think e-ink may be the right display platform.  The ipad is not as readable in the sunlight.

[ooheadsoo]

Gee, my Jet Book Lite has an LCD screen and it looks fantastic. It's better than e-Ink is IMO. (It's much faster and it doesn't flash while turning pages.)

I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree.    I also have an ectaco jetbook and I can't stand it the directionality of the screen. 

E-ink is sublimely readable in direct sunlight while the ipad isn't, but the ipad can be read in the dark, and e-ink can't.  I don't like to read in direct sunlight in the first place (too hot) but I do like to read in the dark.

[Construct]

I think that price is the biggest factor, and the format wars might be too.  The attempt to corner the market on one format goes back to VHS vs betamax.  It would seem logical that if a 6"  reader was -all else equal-  able to read more formats that should win.  PDF was designed for cross platform---don't know why they insist on becoming factions, that concept fails in tech.
I have ruled out the ipad due to size and cost. 

[turkey]

LINUX!  I was looking... 5"  display is smaller than the 6"  standard now.  I see the new nook (latest os)  has a faster page turn now than it used to.  The jetbook site isn't responding now...but the jetbook lite is $99.  Microsoft is bragging on a win-7 tablet that's supposed to be less $$$ and more able than the ipad.  Though I agree, I think e-ink may be the right display platform.  The ipad is not as readable in the sunlight.

The JBL has a transflective display and does not get washed out in the sun.

The only Microsoft product I'd buy is a keyboard or mouse. As for a Win 7 tablet, I bet it will be far less stable than the iPad, and I bet the TCO is higher than the iPad too.

I have one computer left at home with Windows on it, and when it's gone I will gladly say goodbye to MS's crappy, expensive software.

I'm not really a fan of Jobs and Apple at this point, but I'd still rather have an iPad than a Borg Tab.

[turkey]

I'm afraid we'll just have to agree to disagree.    I also have an ectaco jetbook and I can't stand it the directionality of the screen. 

E-ink is sublimely readable in direct sunlight while the ipad isn't, but the ipad can be read in the dark, and e-ink can't.  I don't like to read in direct sunlight in the first place (too hot) but I do like to read in the dark.

Directionality? I never have any problem with that. I suppose it could be a problem if you're laying the JB on the table and then trying to read it, but I treat my JBL as I would a paperback book and have no problems. It's supposed to be a hand-held device.

I've used my JBL in direct sunlight and it works fine. I don't need a backlight (and the accompanying drain on the batteries), and I don't read in the dark.

On the other hand, I do find the slowness and flashing of e-Ink to be objectionable. I assume they will fix that, but in the meantime the transflective LCD display used in the Jet Book and some other readers suits me quite well.

[Dan Driscoll]

I love the concept, but screen size, slow page turns and high prices has had me turned off on e-readers. I've demo'd the Sonys, JetBook, Nook and an original Kindle, but they are simply too slow and don't display enough text. I do like the e-Ink displays, much more readable than LCD, IMO.

However, Amazon has dropped the price on the new wi-fi only Kindle to $139, so I ordered one last week for my wife. I'll get to play with it while I'm setting it up for her. I'll get one for myself when they can display 2 full pages of text, just like a real book, and page turns get to 1 second or faster, without flicker or flash, at a reasonable price. I'd also like to see color e-Ink, so I can use it for work. A tablet with a color e-Ink display might be the perfect device.

BTW, the recent ruling by the Librarian of Congress that it is legal to jailbreak phones would also apply to proprietary e-Readers, like the Kindle.

[ooheadsoo]

I don't think you can go wrong with the three major e ink products, nook, kindle, Sony.  As for the LCD tech, the angle of incidence of the light makes a huge impact on how the screen is lit.  For me, this is a huge deal when reading with a small light source.  If the light does not hit the LCD straight on, the screen will have significant fall off.  Unfortunately, your head is in the way of "head on" so unless you wear a forehead lamp, you will have to deal with the fall off.

Some people just aren't bothered by this.  I couldn't live with it.  E ink doesn't have this issue.

I believe the newest e ink tech is already faster than 1 second, which is faster than the average time it takes to physically turn a page, it's just that our minds are not occupied when waiting for the page turn.

[turkey]

I love the concept, but screen size, slow page turns and high prices has had me turned off on e-readers. I've demo'd the Sonys, JetBook, Nook and an original Kindle, but they are simply too slow and don't display enough text.

I really don't see that the Jet Book has a problem with the speed of page turns. As for them not showing enough text, how much can you read at once? Also, even with a paperback book, you have to shift the book to read one page and then the next.

[Construct]

I'd still rather have an iPad than a Borg Tab.

Borg Tab!!!! 

[turkey]

I don't think you can go wrong with the three major e ink products, nook, kindle, Sony.

I would prefer one of the devices that is more open.

[Construct]

I would prefer one of the devices that is more open.

It is frustrating.  The nook has pros, but limits---no TXT or word.  The Kindle has limits.  A reader should behave like a tablet computer.  The ability to add formats to read whatever format is out there.  The Nook runs on android, and in a side-by-side compare the product is pretty close to the Kindle.  Now, there is supposed to be a color nook, a droid tablet and other stuff pretty soon.  I think I'll wait a bit.

[ctviggen]

I would prefer one of the devices that is more open.

Which would be what?  Aren't they all relatively closed? That is, if I want to buy an electronic book from Amazon, don't I have to buy a Kindle?