h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm just looking at what's currently available, and I don't think the technology is quite where it needs to be for me to buy an E-Book reader yet. I've got a few needs that aren't quite filled by anything on the market yet. The Kindle is just too restrictive, especially concerning its DRM. I really don't mind paying for books, but I don't want them deleted from my device if I travel. I also don't want to pay royalties for public domain works. The Sony Reader looks nice, but it doesn't have any wireless connection or a browser. The only one I've seen that's close to what I'd like is the Fujitsu Flepia. It has a color screen, it's wireless, it has a browser, it does email, it even does Microsoft Office apps (I'd prefer Open Office). Unfortunately, it's currently available only in Japan, and it costs around ¥100,000 (€760, $1,100, £670).

I'd like to see a device that can not only download books and periodicals wirelessly but also has a good web browser (got to have my h2g2 fix ) and costs less than $300/£180/€200). I'm sure that's in the not too distant future.

If you have an E-Book reader, tell us about it. What features are important? Do you think we're close to having the equivalent of a real Hitchhiker's Guide or have we gone beyond it?

I'm not sure that this will be very helpfull but its on topic and funny so
http://xkcd.com/548/

Nice, I missed that one somehow.

One thing I was thinking about was whether it would be feasible to take say, the entire Edited Guide, all the entries and convert them to PDF and download to one of the readers. That would be sweet. Of course I'd want some sort of program to do it for me. It would take a lot of effort and hours to do it manually.

I had my first encounter with an e-book reader recently on the bus. Was an elderly lady reading a novel on a Sony reader. Just thought how great it was to see her using the gadget so comfortably.

why nt just buy a netbook?

Netbooks, while small, are still pretty cumbersome objects. I think the idea is to find something as similar to a book reading experience as possible, with the added techy benefits.

If you have a Nintendo DS there are a couple of ways of using them as readers for unprotected files. Probably not as good as an E-book but better than I expected. If you already have a DS you need only spend a little.

It would be sweet to d/l all the edited guide to my DS.

Why not a netbook?

Some of them have specialist screens which are easier to read than a computer screen (though I suspect they wouldn't be as good at showing videos). They're specialised for reading.

TRiG.

Perhaps evolution will do a rush job on our visual logistics
so that we stop differentiating between the context of words
and pictures.

This differentiation has become a conditioned reflex upon which
much of our ability to discriminate between reality and fantasy
has become dependent in processing a multiplex of media and
contexts.

Until then, needs must that we perfect two different screen
resolutions, one related to the paper page and the other to
the silver screen. And a third for at least one generation of
TV babies who never went to the cinema.

Sometimes, illiteracy has its advantages.


~jwf~

The EFF has this handy preliminary guide to EBook privacy issues. Do not like what they have to say for Amazon's Kindle.

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/12/e-book-privacy

Having just bought a netbook, they aren't very good for reading. The 'pages' are too wide and too short. We need columns for reading.

Although tilting it sideways and pretending it's a hardback it doesn't seem to bad. Okay for reading in bed if you've got a tummy to rest it on, but not ideal for the train when it's all in the wrist.

I can't wait for the day (if it ever comes) when we can combine phones, games consoles, cameras, portable computers MP3 players into one portable, effective device. The iPhone's not far off.

Stupid, silly small thing though.

There should be a BBQ option as well.

~jwf~

I have an iRex Iliad v2. A lovely piece of kit (not without its problems, but still well worth it - or at least it was before the pound tanked vs the Euro)

My criteria list was it had to have an eInk screen (it is like reading a slightly grey page), big enough screen to show an A4 sheet (the text is small but readable), be able to show diagrams decently (black and white, but, 16 scale) and it had to be able to take notes (in built wacom tablet). It does have wireless, but using it is not anywhere as easy at it should be.

What it is mainly used for is reading through tech books (with some novels thrown in), taking notes at meetings and during procedures. The software that comes with it is less polished than it should be, but it can be worked with for what I want to do. The main thing I miss is flicking through a book - none of the current gen do it particularly well. Any questions then let me know Until later...
BCNU - Crescent

The iPhone reader works quite well I find. I use it quite a lot and have never had a desire to fork out for a 'proper' reader like the Kindle. I prefer the Stanza app to E-Reader. I know there are other book readers too but I haven't tried them so can't comment.

I recently got a Sony touch reader from "Santa", and I LOVE it. I wasn't sure if I would or not... but now that I have found myself lost in reading ebooks the same way as a paperback, I'm hooked. The only issue I have, is that it's not the same comforting touch and smell of a book... it's cold... but I will forgive it that for the things it gives to me that a book cannot. It has quite a few books on it already, and I love the swoosh page feature... that's what I call it anyway, swipe a finger across the screen like turning the page, and it turns. OR you can just push the turn page button (BORING). It even has a "scribble pad" that w/the stylus you can create drawings (I handwrite my to do lists and notes,etc...) and save them. It is only black and white, though there really isn't that much use for color. You can see the cover in color, but that's just a split second... the rest of the pages are basically b/w in the books anyway! Not backlit... (thank GOODNESS... that would kill my eyes to stare at that for too long, and if it is dark, I would be tempted to give myself a migrane instead of just turning on a small lamp to read by) You can download books wirelessly, however I find it easier to find them online on my computer and just upload them onto it via the usb cable. It will NOT replace my bookcases full of books (sorry hubby) but it's a bookcase all it's own.

From what little I could gather, the Sony reader sounded promising. I'm glad to hear from an actual consumer that the features I was interested in were actually positive.