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I like e-readers now

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Re: I like e-readers now

#31

Post by wahlis »

mrkickling wrote: post #28

I bought a Kobo Aura in 2013 or 2014. It handles epubs/mobis perfectly while PDFs are a terrible experience, but what impresses me is that the device works just as well as it did 8 years ago. The battery life is weeks or a month, the (modest) performance feels as good as when I bought it and no updates has screwed it up. I guess it is because it specializes in one specific task and tries to be nothing else than just…

I have the exact same experience. Like many readers here on HN i love to get new gadgets. I've been looking for an upgrade for several years now just for the sake of it. But, the device is still rock solid and newer ones don't add any relevant additional extra value to motivate the decision. Since I read several books per week my Kobo Auro One is the single best purchase I've ever made. :)

Re: I like e-readers now

#32

Post by ccozan »

sneak wrote: post #18

The trick for me to like e-readers was threefold: a) the new ~300 dpi eink screens b) never, ever connecting it to any network for any reason ever c) a microSD card slot that i can put a huge library of pirated books onto. No distractions, no notifications, no web, no apps, no phone home, no update treadmill. Just books.

OK but can you list the actual models that fullfill these requirements for your fellow avid readers? This features will sell me and others too!

Re: I like e-readers now

#33

Post by gilbetron »

sneak wrote: post #18

The trick for me to like e-readers was threefold: a) the new ~300 dpi eink screens b) never, ever connecting it to any network for any reason ever c) a microSD card slot that i can put a huge library of pirated books onto. No distractions, no notifications, no web, no apps, no phone home, no update treadmill. Just books.

Which one did you go with that meets all of those points?

Re: I like e-readers now

#34

Post by wlesieutre »

mrkickling wrote: post #28

I bought a Kobo Aura in 2013 or 2014. It handles epubs/mobis perfectly while PDFs are a terrible experience, but what impresses me is that the device works just as well as it did 8 years ago. The battery life is weeks or a month, the (modest) performance feels as good as when I bought it and no updates has screwed it up. I guess it is because it specializes in one specific task and tries to be nothing else than just…

I replaced a Nook with an Aura One after the page turning buttons started failing. On the one hand the main thing I miss is the page turning buttons, which were great in the winter because I could read a book with my hands under a blanket and the book above it. But on the other, the Kobo should last longer without that failure point.

It's waterproof too, though again being touch only and no buttons it's not great to turn pages if it's wet.

Re: I like e-readers now

#35

Post by mikepurvis »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #22

> I had a rather frustrating time setting up the damn device – it’s annoying to have to connect to wifi, make a Kobo account, make an Overdrive account, and search for books with a terrible response time to text input, and it’s especially annoying when you enter the wrong wifi password multiple times and end up restarting the device because you’re so convinced you have the right password before finally realizing your…

I feel the same about my Kindle Paperwhite— I just buy stuff on the Amazon website or sling mobis/epubs at it from Calibre. Zero patience for the on-device interface other than using it for reading.

Re: I like e-readers now

#36

Post by detritus »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #22

> I had a rather frustrating time setting up the damn device – it’s annoying to have to connect to wifi, make a Kobo account, make an Overdrive account, and search for books with a terrible response time to text input, and it’s especially annoying when you enter the wrong wifi password multiple times and end up restarting the device because you’re so convinced you have the right password before finally realizing your…

> The Kobo is an excellent reading device, but it is a very poor internet browsing device.

Sounds like a feature to me - perfect!

Re: I like e-readers now

#38

Post by roland35 »

I may feel about this differently in the future, but right now I prefer to rent access to entertainment media (books, movies, etc) rather than try to maintain ownership. I find it difficult to even maintain digital resources, but physical media is especially challenging.

Most books I read just once, so being able to check an e-book out of the library is perfect for me. Even if I bought a book on the Kindle and Amazon ripped it away 5 years from now, that would suck but it would probably not make too big a difference.

I appreciate the argument about ownership vs DRM, but at this point in my life I would rather just have less stuff to worry about!

Re: I like e-readers now

#39

Post by colonwqbang »

AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #22

> I had a rather frustrating time setting up the damn device – it’s annoying to have to connect to wifi, make a Kobo account, make an Overdrive account, and search for books with a terrible response time to text input, and it’s especially annoying when you enter the wrong wifi password multiple times and end up restarting the device because you’re so convinced you have the right password before finally realizing your…

It sounds crazy but I actually see this inconvenience as something of a plus. Getting out my kobo means that I will commit to reading for a while, similar to when I pick up a physical book. The fact that all other functions (like Web browsing) are so inconvenient help reduce the distractions for me.

Re: I like e-readers now

#40

Post by jetrink »

clktmr wrote: post #9

Personally would love to use an e-reader to read lengthy blog posts, but last time I tried it was very tedious. I converted the post to PDF using firefox's reader mode and uploaded these to the device. Are there any e-readers with something like firefox's reader mode integrated?

A long time ago, I used a service where you subscribed to any number of blogs via their RSS feeds and the service created a daily or weekly e-book for you with all of the new posts, complete with a table of contents. If you had a Kindle, you could have it automatically sent to your device via the device's email address. It was wonderful, but eventually shut down - probably due to fewer and fewer blogs offering RSS feeds.
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