Trying to pick an eBook reader

[MrsJoseph]

I'm in the process of trying to pick an eBook reader. I already have hundreds of thousands (no lie, no exaggeration) of ebooks already on my computer. Most of my books are in .PDF and .LIT format but I do have a few other formats as well.

My goal is to be able to load any of my current books (I do have favorites) onto the eReader for free, be able to purchase books from other stores, as well as be able to purchase and download via the device (wi-fi or 3 G is ok).

Here is a great site that has comparisons: dearauthor.com/wordpress/e-book-format-and-device-table/

[jhertzog]

Which one are you leaning towards? I have a Kindle on my Amazon Christmas list, but we'll see if I get it. My library actually lets you "check out" ebooks, and has a fairly wide selection available.

[MrsJoseph]

I'm leaning towards the Kobo Wi-fi: koboereader.com/usd/kobo-e-reader-features/

It also allows library lending and its supports epub. I really want a kindle but their DRM puts my panties in a bunch

[lilbigbug]

I have a Kindle and I looove it. I carry it with me all the time. If you turn the WIFI off after the battery is fully charged, the battery lasts for about 4 days. With the WIFI on, it's about two. The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't check out books from our Library2Go program, it's not compatible. But that's the ONLY complaint I have.

Mine holds up to I believe 3500 books, it's light, it's nice to take on vacation, I can get new release books for $9.99 instead of $49.99, a lot of the classics are free, and if worse comes to worse and I *need* to get on the internet, I can (it's just kind of hard to read on the screen).

[MrsJoseph]

I'm so nervous of the Kindle DRM system...

[jhertzog]

Okay to sound like a totally n00b... wtf is DRM? And why are you so terrified of it?

[MrsJoseph]

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Its a type of program that locks an e-file into a particular format.

In the case of ebooks and ereaders, DRM for Amazon locks your ebooks into Amazons proprietary format. While Amazon does make apps so that you can view these files on your: PC, Mac, phone, and Kindle - if you decide you want to go with a different eReader (lets say that the new gen Nook turns out to be FIRE) then you can not read the books bought while with Amazon on your nook.

While I'm sure that some whiz has figured out a way to strip the DRM from Amazon and convert it to ePub, I haven't heard of it nor do I know how to do it.

Nook has a DRM system, too, but it also read ePub files.

ePub is generic, like an .mp3

[MrsJoseph]

I found a list of the eReaders that my library supports!!! (yaaay!)

Attachments:

[cherylb]

I have a barnes and noble nook that I love. I have the older one, but the selling point for me was the fact that you can share some books with there lend me feature. I can download there books but you can also put PDF files and read them like you would any book you buy from b&n.

[jhertzog]

I just got the Pandigital Novel during Kohl's Black Friday sale. One of my main reasons behind getting it as opposed to the Kindle, is that I am supposed to be able to read books from my library on it.
I CANNOT for the life of me figure out how to get my checked out eBooks onto the Pandigital!!! I have googled the heck out of it, and followed every instruction I can find, and it's just not happening. I will be having FH look at it when he gets a chance. On my computer (in the Adobe program you're supposed to use) it shows that the books have been put onto my eReader library. I disconnect the device, and no new books.
Other than this, I am liking the reader itself. I was a little hesitant reading some of the reviews, but for the price I paid, and hoping I can get this other issue figured out, I'm okay with it.
On a similar related note - Barnes and Noble requires a default credit card for their Nook book library, even if you only plan on downloading free books. I found that a little strange - I should only have to enter credit card info if I'm being charged for something IMO.

[MrsJoseph]

I don't like that idea for the nook. That's going to make me leary.

I'm pretty sure I' getting the Kobo koboereader.com/usd/kobo-e-reader-features/ (in purple!!) but its going to be a gift from DH so we'll see...

[jhertzog]

After MUCH fiddling around... my Novel and I have reconciled and I'm in love (a lot, if not all, of my issues with it were due to user error, not the Novel itself).
However, I do have to note that it froze up on me the other night. Even letting the battery run out to "reboot" it did not work. I took it back to Kohl's, and they did a fair exchange. I'm hoping that the freezing was a fluke specific to that one unit.
I see a lot of stuff online for how to "hack" the Novel and turn it into an Android tablet. I'm thinking I'm just going to skip out on that. The only "advantage" I can see in doing that, besides slightly faster speed (which doesn't bother me), is to get games. I have a Nintendo DSi, I have a crackberry. I don't see the point in 1) voiding my warranty, and 2) taking up more memory to be able to play freecell....
Regarding Barnes and Noble: a large proportion of the "free" Nook books I've gotten so far are just samples of the actual book. You get a few chapters for free, and that's it.
I found a website that is the home of the Project Gutenberg, which is aiming to have every published book available digitized and made available to everyone, for free.
www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

[MrsJoseph]

Thanks for the link!

I hate that about the nook - I've gotten a lot of free books on the Kobo app, not quite so many for the iBooks app - and nothing so far for the Kindle app. I have to admitt that I haven't tried the nook app (and now I don't think I will)

I agree with you 100% about the warranty - I have an iPhone and that's enough - it has games & the internet. No need to hack into something. I'm more of a "if it doesn't work the way I want it I'm not going to buy it" kind of girl.