Choosing an e-book, a few questions

Alexey Pomogaev2012-02-16 15:34:54

Electronic books

Alexey Pomogaev, 2012-02-16 15:34:54

I want to buy an e-book (not TFT) and I'm interested in some points:

- Kindle uses Pearl technology, as I understand it is the best of all existing solutions?

- Really read scanned PDF? For example, in my mobile phone with a 600 MHz processor, there are terrible brakes.

- Is it possible to surf the Internet via wi-fi? Say some Opera Mini for e-books exists? Interests for e-books on ink, instead of hand-made articles on TFT.

- Maybe something makes sense to wait (within a couple of months), some new technologies?

UPDATE
Thanks everyone for the replies. But I decided to stop buying the e-book. On YouTube I looked at how the screen was updated and it's terrible, it's probably still tolerable for reading books. But reading an rss feed or a scanned PDF will be a quiet horror for the eyes and I think they will get tired more than with some smart tablet.

I think I'll wait for the second quarter of 2012, when there will be a choice of Tegra 3 tablets

. Regarding new technologies, if someone wants to take a chance, you can try Kyobo for $ 399 www.ebay.com/itm/New-Kyobo-e-BOOK-Reader-2GB -wireless-WIFI-5-7-Mirasol-Touch-Display-Android-2-3-/220930011880?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item33707472e8#ht_6621wt_1114

This has already been written about on habré habrahabr.ru/blogs/hardware/133419/ and here habrahabr .ru/blogs/hardware/85215/

I would take a chance, whether the price is two times less or for the same price but on a faster processor. And so, I think there will be brakes (and YouTube can see twitching) when working in the browser => the time of use increases + the eyes get tired more from “twitching”.

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12 answer(s)

civitano, 2012-02-16
@civitano

Definitely Kindle.

skyboy, 2012-02-16
@skyboy

I use PocketBook 301+ and Kindle 3

pingwinator, 2012-02-16
@pingwinator

1 - yes
2 - if it is poorly scanned (a lot of rubbish, the paper was newspaper quality), that is, there are problems
3 - I have a third Kindle - in most cases the built-in browser is enough
4 - hardly
ps - my advice - there is a lot of money - take Kindle DX. if not enough, then the third Kindle with 3g

constant, 2012-02-16
@constant

I have a Kindle 4, not a touchscreen - reading fiction is convenient, scanned books (magazines) are almost impossible, there is a built-in browser. A small number of supported formats, low functionality of native software, but good build quality, low price and a year warranty from Amazon, including a broken screen.
Pearl also, if I'm not mistaken, Nook Simple Touch and Sony.

Pastafarianist, 2012-02-16
@Pastafarianist

I’m also choosing a reader now, I hesitate between PocketBook 611 Basic and Wexler Book E6002 . Requirements - e-Ink screen, diagonal from 6", the number of grayscales - from 16, support for FB2, PDF and DjVu. Both satisfy all requests, but one has Wi-Fi, and the other has a Pearl screen, one has a case in the kit, the other one has MP3 support ... And the review is still today ... In general, I join the author :)

zenon, 2012-02-16
@zenon

It took me a long time to choose a reader. And he asked himself the same questions. I'll try to answer in order
1. Pearl technology really belongs to the latest generation of E-ink screens, but not only Kindle has such screens, you can pick up a model from another manufacturer.
2. Scanned PDFs can only be read in landscape mode. in vertical orientation, the text is too small. But if you're going to read a lot of scans, I'd look into readers larger than 6" diagonally.
3. The Kindle has a built-in browser, but the surfing experience is below average. Opera Mini has been unofficially ported to the Nook Touch, you can see what it looks like here .
4 .According to some sources, then no big breakthroughs are expected in E-ink displays, so there is no point in waiting, in my opinion.
I myself chose the Kindle 4 (which is not touch) and here's why:
1. Good screen
2. Simple design (for my taste)
3. It is possible to send documents to the Kindle via email. Including with the ability to convert PDF to native for Kindle azw (scanned PDFs cannot be converted)
3.1 There is an extension for Chrome and a bookmarklet for other browsers for easy (in two clicks) sending your favorite article from the Internet to the reader.
4. Unlike Kindle Touch, there is a landscape mode (in case you have to read scans)
5. Price

darksab0r, 2012-02-16
@darksab0r

I have a Kindle 4, I’ll answer about it (and at the same time I’ll recommend it, if the price is critical, for the money I don’t find the best reader in terms of functionality, in my opinion).
Point by point:
1. The Kindle 4 screen is not the best (on the-ebook compared with the 3 series, it seems a little more gray), but quite good. A slight difference in background color should not interfere with reading.
2. Only read PDF with OCR, works fast. If it does not fit into the screen, there are converters that partially solve this problem for simple files. Although, probably, for such things it is better to take a 9+ inch version, although it costs quite different money.
3. Kindle 4 without a touch screen has a built-in browser (marked in the menu as an Experimental feature). Links are entered using arrow buttons from the on-screen keyboard, you can live, but there is no particular comfort. Wikipedia, ebay, Habr work quite well, but scrolling ("turning pages") is not very fast and comfortable due to the complete redrawing of the screen. Probably, with a touchscreen, input will be more convenient.

NektoDev, 2012-02-16
@NektoDev

Is there a book that has both a touch screen (I really like to underline all sorts of phrases in the book), and large and convenient side buttons for paging (like a non-touch Kindle)?
When I waited for Kindle Touch I thought HERE IT IS! But no, the buttons were removed =(

klen, 2012-02-16
@klen

I've been reading for a long time.
At first there was a pocket 301, in principle, I liked it, I lost it. Pluses, the best software for readers in my opinion, especially then, it works fine.
The next one I bought was a Sony touch 600 (?) I don’t remember the number, a terrible reader. One of the first touchscreens, glared terribly, disgusting contrast, lived no more than a few days even in a sleeping state, understood few formats. It is worth noting that now Sony is doing better, alternative firmware has appeared with better format support, and they have learned how to make wheelbarrows.
Then there was Kindle 3. Its minus few formats out of the box, otherwise solid pluses. Excellent interface, excellent screen, fast, free internet around the world, in the end, just a killer feature, more than once helped out in foreign roaming.
But 6 inches and troubles with PDF conversion, DJVU still made me think about 9 inches. I gave the Kindle to my wife and bought the PocketBook 902 Pro primarily because of its omnivorous nature. Disappointed, I will sell. The screen after the Kindle is very gray, no contrast. It hung after half an hour of use, the Kindle did not hang even once. The browser and WIFI are absolutely useless in it, there is not even the possibility, for example, to mark the checkbox, click in the forms. The interface is generally sluggish.
As a result, I decided that for me the screen still comes first . Books can be converted, nothing can be done with the screen. If the diagonal allows you to read both PDF and converted DJVU normally. Therefore, I will take another 9-inch, with Perl. Unfortunately, I can’t digest Vizplex from the pocket.

GreatMerlin, 2012-02-16
@GreatMerlin

There is also Onyx - the quality is like that of the best competitors (no one is perfect :) ), and the Pearl screens are even 9.7". You have to decide things for yourself personally.You can touch Onyxes in any video, etc.
The second minus is the cover.I don’t know how it is with others (on PB 301+ leather is still like new after 2 years), but on my father’s Onyx Hamlet it’s complete leatherette cover broke off at the end in the first month of use.

batal, 2012-02-17
@batal

Look towards the Nook Simple Touch Reader. There and pearl and hardware paging buttons and a touch screen. And for a snack android 2.1 (that is, if desired, opera mini, cool reader and others).
Externally and to the touch, the device is chic.
With delivery to Russia, you can buy for about 3300-3400 (factory refurbished directly from B&N, or rather not quite directly, but through all sorts of sizzle shopfans, but you don’t have to worry about the quality of “refurbished”).
I have such a device, very satisfied. But about PDF on a diagonal of 6 inches (of any manufacturer), I would forget if I were you.

Ambrose, 2012-02-17
@Ambrose

I would not recommend taking an e-ink device specifically for reading technical literature. There are a couple of important factors here:
1) Sufficiently slow navigation through the pages, it is inconvenient to scroll back and forth a few pages to peep some detail. Especially in landscape mode.
2) Terrible contrast on scanned files (I think even Pearl won't help here).
If you still decide, first feel a similar reader from a friend / in a store. And it is for their tasks, with their files.
In general, if I were you, I would save up a little and buy a used iPad, in my opinion this is an ideal device for reading documentation. And I e-ink is good for fiction.