The iPod Touch is too small, the Kindle is too big and too proprietary, the new Sony killed the eInk screen, covering it with a sidelite and touch screen. there really isn’t anything out there yet for “real” people who read on the go all the time. And, again like Karen, I’ve come to the same conclusion …. And, like Karen, I’ve been shopping eBook readers for a couple weeks now.
As I have already digitized my music collection to MP3s and my movie collection to MP4s, I thought it was time to get rid of the shelves and shelves and boxes and boxes of books I have … of to eBay they go. At lunch or out for dinner, I always have a book in my hands. I’ve been reading paperback books since I was in Jr High … at the rate of 1 or 2 a week. Is anyone who has a Kindle 2 coming to Computers in Libraries and would be willing to let me check it out in person?
However, iPod plus LibriVox rocks my world. I actually have pretty good feelings about by reading experience with iPod Touch, Stanza and Project Gutenberg books. If I happen to get an iPhone or iPod Touch I may consider acquiring a Kindle Book or two to check out the reading experience. As a result, I may continue to take a hands-off approach with ebook readers. I wish the same could be said for e-books. I still can’t borrow some audio things from the library though because they don’t play on my iPod, but it seems like that is a problem which is diminishing. Now that I can buy practically any music as an MP3, I’m much happier. Too many proprietary formats that won’t play on different devices. Overall, I feel like we are with ebooks at the place we were with digital music a few years ago. Won’t read DRM’d MOBI books or Adobe EContent (this is the ebooks my library has).Will read lots of different formats including now Kindle!.Lots of free public domain books available.With iPhone wireless practically all the time.Really like Stanza and how it lets you put books on the device from your computer using wireless.In some ways this is a completely different animal, but as you can see from my Pros/Cons I like the idea of small multipurpose device. Have to hack Overdrive ebooks (Mobi format) from my library to read them on the Kindle.What will happen to my ebooks if Kindle goes bye bye or changes format? Also I can’t share my books with other folks which is something I do frequently. Reading and scrutinizing the photos it looks like it might be. I haven’t gotten my hands on a new one so I don’t know if the interface is better.
I’m a geek and it took me 15 minutes to figure out how to “click” and select a book to read. I think the overall design of the original Kindle was not intuitive.Not as many books available that I want as in Kindle format.Like the overall size, slimness and intuitive UI.My local library has books which can be read on the Sony Reader.