The only e-reader I've had is an old Kindle Paperwhite I got secondhand. It's dumb enough to not get in my way and lets me transfer all my various pdfs and mobi files from my PC via cable. It's due for replacement but I have zero trust that newer models would let me use the thing how I want.
I like e-readers now
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Re: I like e-readers now
#52The 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.
+1 Although I would like SFTP support to avoid moving the SD card.
If you connect it to the network even once, it can phone home and do all manner of Android spyware update bullshit. Popping out the card a few times per year is no biggie, I have a card reader permanently connected to my iMac anyway.
Re: I like e-readers now
#53The 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?
Likebook Mars. It's android and has wifi, just don't ever connect it to network.
Re: I like e-readers now
#54I recommend a Kindle and using the computer program Calibre to put free books onto it.
Re: I like e-readers now
#55I've been a Kindle user for a long time now. I love reading and I love books, but I also used to be a high-travel kind of guy, and the Kindle is lighter than carrying even ONE book.
The travel stopped, but the Kindle stayed. I buy MOST of my books in physical form at a great local shop, but I still also use a Kindle for some things -- mostly genre, or for the inevitable moments of "I don't feel like starting any of these books I already have so what can I have NOW via Kindle that appeals to me?"
The Kindle is also great for reading in the bath, and is honestly BETTER for reading in bed than a real book for me now -- I'm 51, so my eyes aren't as great as they were 20 years ago. The lovely cool backlight of a Paperwhite, together with the adjustable font, make it a pretty pleasant experience.
I have ZERO interest in a Kindle that does anything other than "be a reader." I've read on my iPad in a pinch -- multi-device sync for Kindle books is handy -- but it's heavier and the light is harsher in a dark room. A Paperwhite is a very lovely well made and not expensive device, and it's one of the relatively few gadgets I have that I would immediately replace without a thought if it broke or was lost. Probably with overnight shipping.
Re: I like e-readers now
#56I fell into a phase of reading free e-books (I love amateur authors and fan-fiction generally) on my phone and that lasted about a year but the constant charging and eye strain was a pain. So I finally got an e-reader (the cheapest simplest Kobo) and I've had it nine months now. Oh what a difference the screen makes! Completely transformed how much I read and for how long I read. The software on the Kobo sucks, and e…
Definitely install Koreader! http://koreader.rocks/ I can't even begin enumerating the features. It really rocks!
Came into this thread looking for anything to make my Kobo more tolerable. Gladly going to give this a go. I had an original Kindle and it felt just seamless at the time. I broke the screen and had to migrate to a Kobo Touch. It does the job but it's not nearly as responsive and the battery life is abhorrent.
Re: I like e-readers now
#57> 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…
Mine was a disaster to type on. Slow, unreliable, and for some reason the closer to the right edge of the screen you got, the further left on each key you had to touch, until finally you would have to touch the key to the left of the one you want. But it was a great reader until a kid stepped on my bag a couple weeks ago. I ordered an Onyx Boox Nova Air, in hopes the software will be better. I also hope it's anywhere near as good and durable a reader.
Re: I like e-readers now
#58As someone who's reading a lot of technical material, I'm on the fence about e-readers. On the one hand, many technical books are thick and heavy, and can benefit from having a search function. But on the other, e-reader screens tend to be small and require a lot of scrolling back and forth (like between a code sample and an accompanying explanation). Does anyone have experience with reading technical books on an e-r…
The Kindle Oasis is probably large enough at 7" to make it work. If you're reading PDFs, you probably want something that's 10" or so -- I believe Kobo's Ellipsa fits the bill. Or you could end up in-between with a Forma or a Libra, which I believe are both 7.8".
As someone who used a 6" e-reader for years and switched a few months ago to a 7.8" e-reader... it makes a massive difference. Technical material is actually readable on the larger screen, the CPU is faster so I can actually search larger texts in reasonable time, and PDFs display pretty well (though still a bit small).
My advice: go with 7.8" if you want to read fiction and carry it around a lot, but also want to read some technical material. If you just plan on writing notes and reading technical stuff, 10.3" is the way to go.
Re: I like e-readers now
#59I fell into a phase of reading free e-books (I love amateur authors and fan-fiction generally) on my phone and that lasted about a year but the constant charging and eye strain was a pain. So I finally got an e-reader (the cheapest simplest Kobo) and I've had it nine months now. Oh what a difference the screen makes! Completely transformed how much I read and for how long I read. The software on the Kobo sucks, and e…
The Kobo reader is fantastic for writing amateur fiction, or at least for self-editing it, because amateurs can only pay one or two editors instead of the small army that "professional" books require.
You could head to the free section of Smashwords.com to get some free ebooks, but I know there are quite a few platforms. Also tons of people are always asking for beta readers in goodreads (check the forum section), there you have a chance to get close and personal with the authors while doing a great service to the community.
Re: I like e-readers now
#60I prefer reading on my e-reader for a number of reasons you’ve probably come across elsewhere. But the most underrated thing for me is that I can read large books. I feel they’re too unwieldly to carry around and also heavy enough that I feel too much friction actually starting to read. I had The Gene on my shelf for 3 years before I realised this was why I hadn’t even read 10 pages of it. I bought the ebook and fini…
I agree about large books. I bought my first Kobo specifically for reading Alan Moore's Jerusalem (1400 pages). It went great.