E-Readers

[just jim]

I had a look at a Sony "Touch" E-reader at the weekend, and was quite taken with it. It would take quite a bit of wedge to buy one at £240. Does anyone her have a similar device and do you get enough use of it to justify the price tag? I read that it might be best to hang back for a while until there are more competitors but, technology - it's like chasing shadows!

 

[Campfire]

I think I'd wait a while Just Jim. There are a few different ones about, I've seen one a little cheaper than that in Blackwells the Uni Bookshop but are you going to get sufficient books in your reading taste for that expenditure? My reading is so diverse I don't think I would. Although I'd love one for the gadgetry alone, I don't think I will jump now.

 

[ASC1951]

The big issue is going to be what you can download. Amazon's Kindle, for instance, may hold hugely more books but IIRC it can only download from Amazon and in a proprietary format. Other e-readers will be open format (I think Google have something on the stocks), which would be more attractive.

TBH books will always be better to handle and easier to read from than a screen. I can't see much point in such a device until e-readers get far closer to paper, except for people who are attracted by gadgets.

 

[amnesia]

I would wait for whatever Google has up its sleeves too...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8298674.stm

 

[just jim]

I also tried the Sony Pocket Edition which I think had a better display despite the lower price. I think I'll see how it goes and put it on hold until one of those impending milestone birthdays next year.

 

[marinyork]

I've looked a fair bit at them and a friend nearly bought one.
In my opinion they are
(a) overpriced for what you get
( the downloadable content is as is often the case with similar ideas really poor whilst at the same time the premium content can actually be more expensive than paper copies of books because of VAT and just plain greed.

The very latest generation is probably all right if you have money to burn and put shedloads of free content garnered from the internet on it.

 

[just jim]

It would be nice to hear from any CC'ers who have one already - anyone? Or am I, like, so totally ahead of the curve on this one!

 

[marinyork]

It would be nice to hear from any CC'ers who have one already - anyone? Or am I, like, so totally ahead of the curve on this one!

Behind the curve! I looked at these all the last few years. It says a lot to me that nobody even I know is mad enough to have one (and that says a lot)!

 

[CopperBrompton]

I love gadgets. I'm usually the first in my circle of friends to buy anything new. But even I haven't yet bought an ebook reader: the existing generation are all pretty clunky compared to what's on the way.

In the meantime, I have Mobipocket software on my (large-screen) phone, and that does the job while travelling.

 

[Norm]

At the moment, IMO, they are too fragile so their size is inconvenient by the time you have allowed for a safe storage cover. If the screens became stronger, then they would be closer to the size of a book and they'd start to make more sense.

Although, I rather like books.

I'd prefer to see them becoming more friendly as news readers, with content regularly updated when in reach of wireless networks. At the moment, I do a lot of news browsing on my phone, it would be a lot easier, quicker and more legible to have the news delivered to an e-reader which could also store content to be read when out of the reach of mobile signals, for instance, when underground. You could use it to keep, for instance, a month's worth of copy from a magazine or newspaper to carry around. Although the hardware is too expensive at the moment, if the readers themselves were more affordable, I'd pay a subscription to get content delivered to an e-reader.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Library's, bookshops, charity shops, Amazon, mates loans and recommendations... what's not to like about books? No batteries, no computer required and you can scribble on them too!
Luddites form a queue here.

 

[goo_mason]

Library's, bookshops, charity shops, Amazon, mates loans and recommendations... what's not to like about books? No batteries, no computer required and you can scribble on them too!
Luddites form a queue here.

Right behind you, FF!

Much as I love gadgets, you just can't replace a book. I'd be happy to drop a book on the floor by accident as I nodded off whilst reading, but I'd be crying if I dropped a couple of hundred quids-worth of eReader!

 

[Gareth]

The big issue is going to be what you can download.

Does this mean that I will no longer be accosted on the streets by the sellers?

 

[Piemaster]

Can't see E-readers making
A. very good coasters or
B. much use at fixing a wobbly shelf (unless previously used as A.)

Isn't there an E-books folder in some versions of windows? Sit in front of a screen reading a book or lounge on the couch with one. Or as I am at the moment lounge on couch with laptop.

 

[just jim]

Can't see E-readers making
A. very good coasters or
B. much use at fixing a wobbly shelf (unless previously used as A.)

Isn't there an E-books folder in some versions of windows? Sit in front of a screen reading a book or lounge on the couch with one. Or as I am at the moment lounge on couch with laptop.

Yes, absolutely. I also see what you mean Goo. But this is one of those emerging technologies that hasn't quite caught on yet - a bit like Twitter when it came on the scene

"Why would anyone want to know what I'm doing every 5 minutes?"

Apparently lots.

I'm interested in e-readers. They may have a way to go yet, but the same could be said for all of those useful little gadgets we now take for granted.
I'm thinking they can live happily alongside our book collections, or take a knock in a fall like a mobile phone and still work, and be pleasurable to use.