Ebook readers?

[stellar_muddle]

Anyone have much experience with ebook readers?

Debating whether to get BeBook Mini (currently on special for $189 _AU_ (usually AU $350, but this is the end of that line). This means I don't know how long the special will last until they run out, which doesn't work well with the strong AU dollar exchange rate wise).

Want it for being about to read the stack of ebooks currently on the computer while on the train. Formats is an issue as many of them are .lit ... and this appears to be one of the few types which supports that. Also retails under HanLin and EZ Reader (US).

Yes, I know there are a bunch of them tablet things coming out, but I just want to read, not watch videos or surf the net etc. Long battery life while reading for a minimum of an hour a day is a good thing.

There was one on Trademe recently, but haven't seen any since. None of the others I have been seeing will support the range of formats, but if it does poorly on the .lit format books, then it may be cheaper to go with something a little more generic.

Have been giving this a bit of though/net searching/reading for a while. Will give 24 hours before making any calls at present though.

Advice/recommendations?

Comments

[anthraxia.livejournal.com]

I love my BeBook - I've gotten something like 40 hours reading before I've recharged,and even then, the battery hadn't actually run out. At the moment, mine lives in my handbag and I charge it once a week, whether it needs it or not. I also like the fact that it will read a big range of file types, including pdf, word and text files as well as the e-book specific files. The text is surprisingly easy to read even in low light levels, and mine has the ability to enlarge texts (3 settings on size.)

My mother did a lot of research into e-books readers and bought the BeBook as being the best of the lot 2 years ago (it's hers that I now have.) I've played with a kindle, didn't like it nearly as much and especially didn't like the limit on files it can use. I haven't tried out any of the others on the market.

Highly recommended.

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

I had a bebook mini, I liked it a lot. It died in a tragic drowning accident so you can't call that a fault with the device. (I would probably have replaced it with the same model but the new Kindles came out then and the lure of the 3rd gen screen at $140 US was too great.) They read a bunch of formats, some of them better than others. I had an issue with it sometimes locking up when reading mobi format, but the reset was quick and easy and then it worked fine. I suggest you get the program Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/download) which is fantasic and free and will let you convert between formats very easily to get the best one for whatever reader you get. Reading for several hours plus per day I had to recharge it about every 3 weeks or so.

I am enjoying my Kindle, and the price was very good. I do rather wish the Sony reader had come out a couple of weeks earlier as I probably would have gone for it since it has better file management. (The bebook also has good file management in that you can structure the folders however you like)

TLDR version: Ebook readers are great. All people who read should have them!

[missmonsta.livejournal.com]

I tried a Kindle in the bookstore, to see what all the fuss was about - I lasted about two minutes before deciding I hated it -- I read too fast and was clicking the page refresh button constantly. Just couldn't fit enough words on the screen for more than 30 seconds or so of reading. Very frustrating. Tho to be fair I didn't change any settings - it just made a bad first impression.

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

That is interesting. Perhaps the last person had bumped up the font size. Given that the kindle's text area is not much smaller than a paperback I find a page has plenty of text.

[missmonsta.livejournal.com]

That's probably what it was - at the magnification it was set at, there were at most 3 paragraphs of text onscreen at any time. Good to know! :)