Hello,
I am totally new to the world of ebooks.
I would like to know if any more professional comparison of different ebook readers has been made? Some people obviously regard the adobe reader a joke, others love mobipocket/reader while still others go with the MS reader.
What should I think of before choosing an ebook reader?
Background: I am into medicine, and I mostly read science stuff.
sincerely, Jonas Ludvigsson from Sweden
I used Microsoft Reader for quite a while, but for the last few months I've been using µBook. I love it! It uses the screen real-estate better, so that you have less page turns, and it supports palm books, txt, rtf, html, and it can read inside zip files. 8O
The skins make reading easier on my eyes, as well.
It has always been free, but I just noticed that there is a new version on their homepage, with this message attached:
Quote:
In the last months, the donations have trickled down and it is quite expensive to maintain µBook and this web site. So we have decided to make µBook licensing mandatory. The license price has been set to 12$ usd.
I wish it were still free, but I guess I don't have to upgrade. :|
I like MobiPocket. Cleartype, autoscroll, customizable fonts, text and background colors, easy orientation switches and support for most eBook formats.
One of the things I like best about it, however, is that I can create and/or read blogs/rss feeds etc. The eNews Creator will even let you "scrape" regular web pages on a set schedule. Very nice! 8)
iSilo because it has the best userinterface, best compression rate, is very fast and it can download a whole web-site and make it into an ebook. I have used it since it was called ToGo. Well worth the money (you can use it free of charge with some restrictions).
MS Reader despite it has the second-worst userinterface (uBook is worse) and is the slowest around: it looks damn good on the screen.
eReader (you may know it as PalmReader or even PeanutReader) and MobiReader are also nice, but I would never buy a Mobi DRM ebook (you may one day have to re-download all your ebooks - no, not me, thanks!). Of those I would therefore go for Palm, just in case I should go astray and buy a DRM protected book. The text looks good on both and the userinterface is good.
I mention uBook as I saw a thread discussing it. Apart from the userinterface that takes some getting used to, the text looks fuzzy on my screens (hp-568, 548 and h1910). I would have liked that it can read .ZIP files. It is based on a very good idea!
For dictionary / encyclopediay stuff, nothing comes close to TomeRaider.
For sience stuff, one needs one that can handle HTML because of the many "wierd" characters: iSilo is good. I have not tried Reader for science texts.
I love ubook, and use it most when I can (which is often ).
It's very configurable, and free up to the latest version (so you can still grab an older version if you don't want to pay - actually, you can still use newer versions, they aren't crippled apart from a nag screen every now and then).
If you're getting fuzzy text, make sure you have smooth fonts turned on, and fiddle with the display settings (in detailed settings mode, under fonts, set smooth mode, play with method, orientation, distribution and the two size settings). I've got a very clear display on my h1930.
Considering it's features, I think it's still a bargain at $12, and registered it straight away.
Of course, if you want to read DRM books, you either need another reader, or a little utility that's available on the net...
__________________
"Abort or retry, there is no ignore." - Yoda DOS
I use OpieReader on my Zaurus and it is a great program. On the PPC, Mobipocket is my favorite but Opie Reader is even better in many ways.
The only problem is that it can't read any DRM protected books. I have to buy my books in dot lit format then covert to unprotected mobipocket, which OpieReader handles well.
I've asked the mobipocket folks about making a Zaurus verion, but there isn't any interest.
Personally, I have uninstalled MS Reader due to my fustrations with MS pathetic activation policy. For someone who changes devices as soon as they come out, I got fedup with having to almost hire a lawyer to beg MS for another activation as I hit my limit. Now I will only use eReader. Anyone else have this fustratoin w/ MS Activation ?
Personally, I have uninstalled MS Reader due to my fustrations with MS pathetic activation policy. For someone who changes devices as soon as they come out, I got fedup with having to almost hire a lawyer to beg MS for another activation as I hit my limit. Now I will only use eReader. Anyone else have this fustratoin w/ MS Activation ?
I hit my limit and was denied activation with a Dell Axim X50v. I posted a message to Microsoft on the Activation web page a week ago requesting additional activations (and giving the information outlined below), but I initially received an automated denial, followed by radio silence from Microsoft after I appealed the denial.
Microsoft's activation limitation is absurd for several reasons.
First, in order to download ebooks for use on a Pocket PC, it is necessary first to activate a PC, resulting in the using up of multiple activations. Second, technology changes rapidly. I doubt many readers of this forum are using the same Pocket PC they used two years ago. Third, Pocket PCs sometimes break down and are replaced rather than repaired.
Each of these reasons apply to my personal experience. I used up my quota of 6 activations as follows:
(1) my laptop at the time that Microsoft reader was first introduced (necessary to download ebooks to my first Pocket PC); (2) an IPAQ 3650 which I no longer own; (3) an Axim X5 which a friend dropped and which has a broken screen; (4) a replacement reconditioned Axim X5, in which I subsequently manged to destroy the CF slot by trying to insert a CF card too fast; (5) a newer laptop which is my primary computer; (6) a second replacement reconditioned Axim X5, which was my primary Pocket PC until I ordered the Axim X50v; and (7) my X50v, as to which activation was denied.
If Microsoft wants me to continue using broken devices or older technology to read Microsoft ebooks, that, of course, is their perogative. Of course, I can choose never to order an ebook in Microsoft format again, which is exactly what I plan to do.
Best ebook reader - comparison
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Linear Mode
