hardware ebook readers?

[Virogenesis]

does anyone know of anything quite like the sony reader (http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/prs/index.html?DCMP=reader&HQS=showcase_reader).
Ofcouse I don't expect to play mp3s or anything like that I just want to read a few ebooks on the move.
Hopefully someone knows of something cheaper than this and I'm sure I'll be able to convert my pdfs over to another format if I need to.

[Virogenesis]

only thing i have found is the Jinke v2 which is around the same price but is DRM free and also it uses linux as its os so it can't be that bad.

[Shay Stephens]

I know this is an old ancient thread, but I have really been enjoying my ebook reader. I watched ebay for a week or so looking for a good deal on a handspring visor platinum. Was able to get one for about $20. I see them go up to about $40 which is still a good deal.

It uses AAA batteries so it is easy and cheap to keep it powered up if you use NiMH rechargeables. And the device lasts about a week I would say of me reading at night before going to sleep. It has a very gentle backlight that won't blind you in the dark or wake up anyone sleeping next to you.

The Handspring Visor Deluxe is good too, but you might have some trouble finding software for it because it OS version is 3.1. The Handspring Visor Neo has the same OS version (3.5) as the Platinum, but the plastic surface collects skin grease and just feels nasty real quick. So your best bet is to find a platinum.

I use the free ebook reader "plucker":
http://www.plkr.org/
Just download plucker and install the plucker.prc file on the PDA. Then find an ebook you want to read, I download free plucker formatted ebooks from :
http://manybooks.net/ - send them a donation if you wind up downloading and enjoying a bunch of books :-)

Download the ebook, it will have a .prc extension, and install that file on the PDA. The next time you open plucker on the PDA, your ebook will be available from the library list.

The screen is small I grant you, but you do get used to it pretty quickly. And you can change the font size too. So all in all, this is a great solution for an ebook that won't cost you an arm and a leg, and does not require you to buy into and support the whole DRM model. There are so many classic books out there just waiting to thrill you. And if you don't know where to start. Check out these two books:

At the Earth's core:
http://manybooks.net/titles/burroughseetext96atcor11.html
An exciting adventure that is very hard to put down.

And the sequel, Pellucidar:
http://manybooks.net/titles/burroughseetext96pellu11.html

These were written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also wrote the Tarzan series and many others:
http://manybooks.net/authors/burroughse.html

As far as reading PDF's I have seen some PDF viewers available for the palm platform, but as yet have not tried any of them.

[Ubuntu Joe]

Thanks for the help . . . I'm looking forward to my new ereader!

[Mateo]

Those are nothing like the Sony Reader. The Reader uses epaper. It "sticks" to the screen, so that the reader only uses power when you change pages. I think you are supposed to be able to get 7000 page turns per charge. It's supposed to be better on your eyes, since there is no refresh, it's like a real book (supposedly pretty to look at, too). Only problem, of course, is that they are expensive.

I've heard that PDF doesn't work great, because it doesn't zoom well (or something). by the way, it does play mp3s. It's meant to play audiobooks.

[Jinniyah]

Does anyone actually know of drivers or a program that would interface for the sony ereader? I've only just installed ubuntu, but I haven't seen any mention of it yet.

Thanks!

[Cyn Jade]

"I use the free ebook reader "plucker":
http://www.plkr.org/
Just download plucker and install the plucker.prc file on the PDA. Then find an ebook you want to read, I download free plucker formatted ebooks from :
http://manybooks.net/ - send them a donation if you wind up downloading and enjoying a bunch of books :-)

Download the ebook, it will have a .prc extension, and install that file on the PDA. The next time you open plucker on the PDA, your ebook will be available from the library list.

The screen is small I grant you, but you do get used to it pretty quickly. And you can change the font size too. So all in all, this is a great solution for an ebook that won't cost you an arm and a leg, and does not require you to buy into and support the whole DRM model. There are so many classic books out there just waiting to thrill you. And if you don't know where to start. Check out these two books:

At the Earth's core:
http://manybooks.net/titles/burroughseetext96atcor11.html
An exciting adventure that is very hard to put down.

And the sequel, Pellucidar:
http://manybooks.net/titles/burroughseetext96pellu11.html

These were written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who also wrote the Tarzan series and many others:
http://manybooks.net/authors/burroughse.html"




Thanks for posting this. Although it is almost a year since you posted it it served as good reference for me. I just dusted off my vintage HandEra 330 and followed your directions (and some others in the forums) to use it with Ubuntu. I dropped the Plucker ereader on to it and got a 1930's vintage Robert E. Howard from manybooks. I was happily surprised to discover Plucker supports the HandEra's landscape hi-res 260x320. Now I'm flipping through manybooks to unearth more 1920s/1930s Lovecraft, Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, et all... Although I use a T3 for spreadsheets and my regular reader, the 330 is making a nice hobby ebook reader and, unlike the T3, the fact it uses regular user-replaceable batteries gives me more confidence in it.

Now I just need to find some better Plucker fonts, something a bit more bold to keep the text easy.

Thanks again!

[fuscia]

i've always thought the starebook was pretty...

http://www.linuxdevices.com/files/misc/staretek_starebook4.gif

[Bllasae]

You can use Microsoft Reader. It reads e-books, but of course you need to have the book. If you don't, you have to buy it. It's been a while, however, since I've used it, but I'm pretty sure it's still there. Also, you can have dictionaries, translating dictionaries, etc. added into Microsoft Reader.

[Cyn Jade]

does anyone know of anything quite like the sony reader (http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/prs/index.html?DCMP=reader&HQS=showcase_reader).
Ofcouse I don't expect to play mp3s or anything like that I just want to read a few ebooks on the move.
Hopefully someone knows of something cheaper than this and I'm sure I'll be able to convert my pdfs over to another format if I need to.

More on subject, with respect to eInk there is the www.amazon.com Kindle, the iLiad, and the Cybook Gen 3, in addition to a couple of items that have surfaced in limited niches in SE Asia. Right now the US market is pretty much limited to the Kindle and the Sony Reader. The iLiad has a solid customer base in the Europe, where the Cybook is also in the market.

The eInk technology is gaining momentum, in addition to the Kindle the Sony Reader has managed to get into the retail market by virtue of retailing through Borders. I bought a refurbished T3 for a little over $100 as a compromise because I couldn't afford the eInk platforms. Turns out to have been a pretty good compromise: the display on the T3 is just about the equal of eInk, just more power intensive and a lot smaller.

[Majorix]

I have an Hanlin Reader V2, however I can't convert my files to its format in Ubuntu. I will have to install Windows somewhere again.. Damn, don't I just hate this.

@OP, if you are still reading this... The reader I use has an MP3 function, which greatly increases the price (I believe it's about 300-350 bucks) so I can't suggest it to you.

[Cyn Jade]

Incidentally, the Cybook website is http://www.bookeen.com. Retails for $350, uses eink, is based on embedded linux, and support PalmDocs, Mobipocket, PDF, txt, html (and MP3). Looks like a nice little machine, I think I would prefer it over the locked-in Kindle and Sony Readers, but it's not nearly the iLiad (of course it's half the price of an iLiad, too).

[ice60]

here's a wiki page that mentions a lot of ebook readers -
http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_devices

and here's the forum. it has a lot of information -
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/index.php

there are videos showing most of the ebook readers at youtube.

[davidnye]

I got a Sony PRS-505 eBook Reader for my son for Christmas. It works great on Ubuntu with calibre, an Open-Source replacement for the Sony eBook Library software which can convert to the Reader's preferred .lrf format from many other formats, including zipped ones. We use it mainly to read books downloaded from Project Gutenberg and text, HTML, and PDF files from elsewhere on the web. Not liking to read books on the computer, my son had been printing them out, which had the potential to become more expensive than an eBook Reader for the paper and ink! Reading on the eBook Reader's e-paper screen is nicer than a computer screen, and the Reader slides easily into a pocket to read wherever you go. I still prefer paper books when they are available though, and a remaindered or good condition used copy through Amazon often costs less than the eBook version, even with shipping. My one complaint, a minor one, is that the Reader doesn't eject properly by right-clicking on the desktop icon and choosing 'Safely Remove', but this doesn't work very well with iPods either (you have to edit sudoers).

[sanderella]

I have an old Rocket eBook, still working very well, and a newer eBookwise. I cannot directly link either of them to my Linux box, and would be grateful for any help. This thread is very interesting.

I disliked the Sony Reader, it's so locked in. I sold it soon after I bought it.

[Frak]

Kindle from Amazon, simply amazing.

[leopards]

I got a Sony PRS-505 eBook Reader for my son for Christmas. It works great on Ubuntu with calibre, an Open-Source replacement for the Sony eBook Library software which can convert to the Reader's preferred .lrf format from many other formats, including zipped ones. We use it mainly to read books downloaded from Project Gutenberg and text, HTML, and PDF files from elsewhere on the web. Not liking to read books on the computer, my son had been printing them out, which had the potential to become more expensive than an eBook Reader for the paper and ink! Reading on the eBook Reader's e-paper screen is nicer than a computer screen, and the Reader slides easily into a pocket to read wherever you go. I still prefer paper books when they are available though, and a remaindered or good condition used copy through Amazon often costs less than the eBook version, even with shipping. My one complaint, a minor one, is that the Reader doesn't eject properly by right-clicking on the desktop icon and choosing 'Safely Remove', but this doesn't work very well with iPods either (you have to edit sudoers).
Instead of right clicking and doing safely remove (which is in Windows, though it does work, if you choose the right device) Right click and unmount volume (which is in Ubuntu) Works well for my Sony Reader PRS-505! Calibre does everything but add and delete MP3s and Jpegs! There is a firmware update available for the 505, but you have to use windows to do it, adds some nice features! even without that it will read RTF files!

[leopards]

I have an old Rocket eBook, still working very well, and a newer eBookwise. I cannot directly link either of them to my Linux box, and would be grateful for any help. This thread is very interesting.

I disliked the Sony Reader, it's so locked in. I sold it soon after I bought it.
Can't see why you consider it "locked" when the calibre software works in Linux and you can read RTF files with no drm with it also PDFs and convert just about any nonDRM ebook type to one that the Sony Reader can read with Calibre!!

[jethro10]

I have a Cybook 3 from Bookeen, in the UK it seems the cheapest and perfectly OK.

I looked at them all and to me there is very little difference in any of them for book reading, all use the same screen manufacturer E-Ink, and to be fair, this is the bit that matters as it's your main interface to it.
Probably best to avoid the touchscreen ones as it reduces the screen quality/contrast.

Recently my wife bought one, she shopped around, with her knowledge of my Cybook in her head, I told her to look at different models again.
She bought a Cybook as well.

Calibre s/w from http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/ works great with the cybook and integrates fine with it and Ubuntu.
You can sync newspaper sites and the likes down to the device as well with this S/W

The forums at www.mobileread.com is the defacto resource for all ebook readers, S/W accessories and books.

[jethro10]

Kindle from Amazon, simply amazing.


......for Americans ;)

Not for anyone else as it's not available elsewhere :(

[oldHat]

I just got FBreader from the repositories. It might do what you need.