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Topic: Add another one to the full-timer count! (Read 6 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: E-book readers
Reply #25 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102981
"I already have a netbook, but I can't imagine lying in bed with it trying to read a book. As small as it is, it would still be too awkward for that (IMO)."
 Tight. And that's exactly where an ebook reader is perfect, because it weighs less than ten ounces (compared to two pounds for the smallest, lightest netbook computer), it handles like a book (fold back the cover and read just the page you're on) and it can be read anywhere anywhere a book can be read--inside, outside, in bright sunlight or lamplight. Oh, and it only needs recharging once a couple of times a month, unlike a netbook, which has a maximum life between recharges of a few hours.
 I read books on my Sony Reader in bed for half an hour to an hour every night.
 "I tried an early version of a Kindle, and it wasn't at all easy or comfortable to read -- for me, anyway. Perhaps the newer ones have an improved display, faster page switching, larger type, and are readable when one is sitting outside in bright daylight (with polarized sunglasses on) ...?"
 Yes, the new Kindle 2 has a better display and MUCH better ergonomic deign (the original Kindle was widely regarded as an ergonomic disaster, although its owners generally defend it). Kindle's type rendering has also been improved (although Sony's is still better, in my opinion).
 Larger type has always been an option on both the Kindle and Sony readers. In Sony's case, you just push a button to enlarge the type to any of three sizes, or push and hold the same button to switch to a horizontal viewing mode with two even larger type sizes. Kindle has generally similar capabilities. I often switch to a larger type size on my Sony Reader when it's late in the day and my eyes are tired, or when the light isn't so good.
 And as I mentioned earlier, all E-ink displays (used by both Sony and Amazon) are superbly readable outdoors in bright sunlight--the situation where old-fashioned LCDs are at their worst. E-ink displays have no problems with polarized sunglasses, because unlike LCDs, they contain no polarizers.
 Folks, I know we're somewhat off-topic here, and I hope we're not boring anybody too much. But for many of us, books are a very important part of our lives. Ebook readers offer a way to travel with a large library that weighs nothing and takes up no space, so they are of tremendous interest to the heavy readers among us--including me. :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: E-book readers
Reply #26 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102982
Quote
Folks, I know we're somewhat off-topic here, and I hope we're not boring anybody too much. But for many of us, books are a very important part of our lives. Ebook readers offer a way to travel with a large library that weighs nothing and takes up no space, so they are of tremendous interest to the heavy readers among us--including me. :-)
Andy, I apologize for being the one who drew us off into this topic. It just seemed like such an obvious thing to mention when folks were discussing the challenges of moving from a land-based lifestyle to full-time RVing.
 Let me suggest that if anybody is interested in knowing more, go to the Amazon and Sony websites. I haven't spent much time on Sony's, but I am very engaged in the Amazon.com review discussions of the K2. There's a world of info there, pro and con, so LDers really shouldn't need to beat the horse any further.

Martha
Re: Add another one to the full-timer count!
Reply #27 –
Yahoo Message Number: 102994
A great (and vocal) place to read about the various e-readers is
www.mobilread.com.    Lots of very good information there and links to the various places for free ebooks.  As Andy said, most are the classics but occasionally there are free give-aways, too.
 Be carefull, if you start researching deeply into the various readers, the amount of information can blow your mind away.

Mary Lou
 PS I ended up buying the Ectaco jetBook.  It's kind of nerdly, but it fits my needs
Re: Add another one to the full-timer count!
Reply #28 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103001
Ah, I was just thinking that there must a forum or two somewhere that deals with these readers.  Sounds like a great place to continue this discussion.

Ted H.

www.wxtoad.com http://www.wxtoad.com/>

A great (and vocal) place to read about the various e-readers is
www.mobilread.com. Lots of very good information there and links to the various places for free ebooks. As Andy said, most are the classics but occasionally there are free give-aways, too.
 Be carefull, if you start researching deeply into the various readers, the amount of information can blow your mind away.

Mary Lou

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: ebook readers
Reply #29 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103006
"I was just thinking that there must a forum or two somewhere that deals with these readers. Sounds like a great place to continue this discussion."

Yup, I think it's time. :-)

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: ebook readers
Reply #30 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103479
--- Andy Baird wrote: "Amazon's "Kindle for iPhone" program lets you download and read Kindle books on your iPhone or iPod Touch, using either AT&T's network ... or any Wi-Fi hotspot. Many people have said that they enjoy reading ebooks on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, despite its relatively small screen."

Andy, I apologize for jumping in late on this unofficially "closed" discussion, but I wanted to give an enthusiastic "thumbs up" for the iPod touch.  I have no problems reading 2-3 hrs/day on the Touch despite the screen size and the backlighting.  The small screen means you turn pages more frequently, but that involves a touch of your thumb.  My thumb has yet to get tired and the page turns on the Touch are essentially instantaneous (unlike the Kindle or Sony?).  I know backlit screens give some people eye strain, but I'm not one of them.  The advantage with this screen is that you can read in the dark.  The disadvantage is that battery life is shorter.  Since I also use the Touch as a PDA, mp3 player and for light email/internet access, it gets plenty of use and I don't mind charging it every day.
Andrew
2008 Rear Bath
(previously 1999 TK)
Re: ebook readers
Reply #31 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103488
"I apologize for jumping in late on this unofficially 'closed' discussion, but I wanted to give an enthusiastic 'thumbs up' for the iPod touch. I have no problems reading 2-3 hrs/day on the Touch despite the screen size and the backlighting. The small screen means you turn pages more frequently, but that involves a touch of your thumb."
 No need to apologize, Andrew--your thoughts are always worthwhile. As it happens, I finally got myself an iPod Touch three days ago, and one of the first things I did was load a couple of ebook readers onto it: Stanza (freeware) and Eucalyptus (ten bucks). Having spent three or four hours at a stretch reading with Eucalyptus, I can now testify firsthand that the iPod Touch (and of course the similar iPhone) makes a very usable ebook reader. Everything you say is right on the money.
 I still slightly prefer my Sony PRS-505 Reader, especially in bright light, but the iPod Touch is a pleasure to read with, and Eucalyptus is simply amazing. Anybody who wants to see how close an electronic device can come to a book--and how far beyond it can go!--should go to

http://th.ingsmadeoutofotherthin.gs/eucalyptus/>
 ...and just watch the demo. As you do, try to imagine what it's like when your fingers are doing the page-flipping (as shown by the pale circles in the demo). It feels completely natural.
 As others here already know, the iPod Touch is an amazingly versatile handheld computer. I've been using Google Maps, identifying birds with "iBird," painting with "Brushes," looking things up in the "World Factbook"... and working on a few iPhone/iPod Touch apps of my own. I'm having a ball! :-)
 But enough gushing. ;-) Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: ebook readers
Reply #33 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103495
"What memory capacity did you go with on your iPod Touch?"
 8 GB, the cheapest ($217 from Amazon) model. Because I already have a 60 GB "classic" iPod that holds my entire music library, I had no intention of using this one as a music or video player--I wanted it strictly as a handheld computer.
 After loading on a couple of dozen App Store programs (680 MB) in addition to the dozen or so preinstalled ones, and 70+ photos (46 MB) in order to try it out, I still had 6.3 GB left. I can't imagine filling this up anytime soon.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: ebook readers
Reply #34 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103496
Quote
"What memory capacity did you go with on your iPod Touch?"
 8 GB, the cheapest ($217 from Amazon) model. Because I already have a 60 GB "classic" iPod that holds my entire music library, I had no intention of using this one as a music or video player--I wanted it strictly as a handheld computer.
Great idea Andy. I want an iPod Touch and I also have a 60 GB "classic" ipod that I'm not ready to obsolete. Great way to utilize both.
Re: ebook readers
Reply #35 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109594
Andy said "In short, if you want to read manuals, textbooks, or other common PDF documents, you'll need an ebook reader with at least a 10" screen. The iPad would qualify, as would the large Kindle DX model.
But the standard Kindle and Sony Readers and their lookalikes (Nook, Que, et al.) won't be suitable. "

Amazon's Kindle support says "Built-in PDF Reader for Kindle (Global Wireless) and Kindle (U.S.
Wireless) devices

Your Kindle can now display PDF documents without losing the formatting of the original file. Send PDF documents directly to your Kindle (via your @Kindle address) or drag and drop PDF files from your computer to your Kindle (when connected via USB). You can also magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode.
 Some features are not currently supported, including annotations, Text- to-Speech, and zooming and panning.

Option to Convert PDF Files to Kindle Format

If you prefer to have your personal PDF documents converted to the Kindle format so you can take advantage of Kindle functionality such as variable font size, annotation, Text-to-Speech, etc., type "Convert" in the subject of the e-mail when you submit your personal document to your @... address.
 Image-heavy PDF files are presented in landscape orientation and don't work with devices that have auto-rotation, so those will be delivered in the Kindle format."

Ken F. in NM

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
'08 MB
Re: ebook readers
Reply #36 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109598
"Your Kindle can now display PDF documents without losing the formatting of the original file."
 Yes, and that's exactly the problem: with PDF documents, the formatting--including column widths and number of words per line--is locked in. As a result, you end up trying to read an 8.5" x 11" page (that's 14" diagonal!) on a 6" diagonal screen. Zooming isn't supported, so you can't even enlarge the tiny text to make it more readable. Changing to landscape mode still leaves you with a screen that's way too small for the document's intended size. This doesn't make for a pleasant reading experience.
 By contrast, when you read a book on your Kindle you can enlarge the type... and when you do so, the lines of text reflow to fit the screen width, so that no horizontal scrolling is needed, just as when you resize a web browser or word processor window on your computer.
 Of all the document formats you can bring to an ebook reader, only PDF freezes the type size and column width in such a user-unfriendly manner. That isn't to say you can't create a PDF document specifically for an ebook reader. In fact, Sony's user manual for the PRS-505 Reader is a PDF. But it was *designed* for a small, 6" diagonal screen, so the text is readable at that size--unlike most PDFs, which were designed for a full-sized  sheet of paper. That, of course, is what the PDF format was intended for in the first place; it was never meant for viewing on small electronic screens.
 Again, I'm not saying you *can't* open a PDF on a Kindle or Sony Reader--I'm just cautioning that in the majority of cases, you're going to find it an unpleasantly eye-straining experience. Try it with a random sampling of manuals and product data sheets, and you'll see what I mean.
 The only practical workaround, as you pointed out, is to use Amazon's paid conversion service to change PDFs into user-friendly Kindle-format documents... but now you're paying extra to make documents readable, and graphics-heavy PDFs may run into layout problems. Still, Amazon deserves credit for making the effort. As far as I know, Sony has no equivalent PDF-to-Sony Reader conversion service.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: ebook readers
Reply #37 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109609
Andy, I just ran a test on my Kindle.  I tried without success to drag and drop a text only PDF file from my computer to my Kindle.  The file transferred and it showed up on the computer display of Kindle contents, but the Kindle did not see it in its table of contents.
Several repeated attempts yielded the same result.  I then emailed the PDF file to my kindle.  Moments later, it showed up on my Kindle.
Here is what's special - the formatting fit the page.  The text was scalable.  In essence, the PDF document is as easily readable as was the original document.
What I don't know at this moment is whether I was charged anything for emailing the document.

I repeated the test, this time with a small PDF file consisting of text, graphics, tables and photos - a tech sheet on Jabsco Water Pumps.  Everything came through and was readable and had scalable text.  The tables were hard to follow because the formatting in which columns and rows were aligned was lost.  The information was presented in a line like a run-on sentence.  The photo of the pump was sharp and clear.

I guess what I take from this is that you can put PDF files on the Kindle.  Some things, such as text-only files like the LD manual, should work well.  Others will not.  I do not know (yet) why dragging and dropping a file to the Kindle does not work.

Ken F. in NM
'08 MB
Re: ebook readers
Reply #38 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109610
Following up, one can drag and drop a PDF file to a Kindle and view/ read it.  You must have at least release 2.3 of the software to do this.  I was on 2.0.3 and had to update before I could "see" files dragged and dropped to my Kindle.
 As Andy said, the PDF files, when placed on the Kindle that way, show the full width of the document without adjusting scale.  This means that the print, while readable, is VERY small.  The workaround for this is to mail the pdf document as an attachment to the kindle.  When received, the pdf file is now scalable and can be read easily.  I believe there is a "small fee" for this service.
'08 MB
Re: ebook readers
Reply #39 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109611
"I then emailed the PDF file to my kindle [where] the formatting fit the page. The text was  scalable. In essence, the PDF document is as easily readable as was the original document."
 Because what you were looking at was no longer a PDF--when you emailed it, Amazon converted it to Kindle format, and charged you fifteen cents per megabyte or partial megabyte. (In other words, if your document was 1.2 MB, you paid 30 cents.)
 Now, that's not an onerous fee if you only occasionally need to look at a PDF. And as you showed, it is a practical workaround. I just wanted people to be aware that it's not safe to assume that any old PDF will be usable "as is" on a small-screen ebook reader.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"