eBook readers and things which are not books.

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crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#90124 15-Sep-2011 11:05

Hi All,

I am considering buying an eBook reader.

I want it for reading so it isn't in competition with a tablet.

I have read the threads and now have a couple of specific questions.

First Calibre. There is a really amazing online novel I am currently reading (The Last War, if anybody is interested) and it is released in Word to a Yahoo group. Will Calibre allow me to convert this to something an eReader will let me read? Is there a better eReader for converting Word to something the eReader will accept?

At present I am not keen on a Kindle because it won't accept Epub and the Many Books website is a goldmine of free books. Is there a workaround or something I am missing.

Second, a lot of what I read and want to read is not actually books. It is news usually in the form of a news website such as Stuff, The Register, news.com.au, the Herald or similar.

What it the situation with this kind of content on eReader? I guess the perfect thing for me is something similar to the App experience I have with my phone. Is this asking too much?

What is the availability of magazines while I'm asking?

Kind regards,

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

tonyhughes

Hawkes Bay
8476 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#521375 15-Sep-2011 11:10

ePub to Kindle via Calibre.
http://techsupport.foreverwarm.com/how-to-read-epub-books-on-your-kindle

Various ways of getting news type content on Kindle, but I have experience in that area yet.

kyhwana2

2566 posts

Uber Geek

#521379 15-Sep-2011 11:13

You can use calibre to convert epubs to .mobi's that the kindle will read. I haven't had any problems with it on mine..

Otherwise the nook touch (the new eink one) looks pretty good, but you'll have to find someone to sell/ship it to you in NZ.

As for your RSS feeds/websites, Calibre will do this. With the kindle you get a free username@kindle.com. You can then use calibre to package up RSS feeds/sites and email to your kindle address, which the Kindle can automagically download over wifi (or 3G, tho im not sure thats free)

srob

52 posts

Master Geek

#521384 15-Sep-2011 11:19

I have the Sony touch. Am fairly sure it can read a word doc but converts it to rich text.

Have heard theres a new model coming out in October with wireless.

alexx

867 posts

Ultimate Geek

#521393 15-Sep-2011 11:38

I'm also using the Sony (model PRS-650) which is fine with Word/RTF documents as well as epub and others, but no WiFi on the PRS-650 so you need to transfer files via USB.

Some more info on the new Sony Reader Wi-Fi (PRS-T1) here:
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/41838/sony-reader-wifi-prs-t1-hands-on
http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/31/sonys-new-reader-wi-fi-is-the-worlds-lightest-6-inch-e-reader/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/239221/hands_on_with_sonys_lightweight_lowcost_reader_wifi_prst1.html

#include <standard.disclaimer>

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#521410 15-Sep-2011 12:06

Looks like Kindle has just gone into the lead. Wifi will really make a difference.

Previously a point against them was that Scott Sigler doesn't sell through Amazon. He says the percentage he gets back isn't enough, his decision.

But if the conversion is easy enough and getting news feeds is easy enough, well that is about it.

I like Sony but from what I have seen we don't get the full range here in NZ and they whack on the Sony premium.

Still going to have a play with both.

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#521416 15-Sep-2011 12:18

kyhwana2:

As for your RSS feeds/websites, Calibre will do this. With the kindle you get a free username@kindle.com. You can then use calibre to package up RSS feeds/sites and email to your kindle address, which the Kindle can automagically download over wifi (or 3G, tho im not sure thats free)

Do you have a link for setting this up?

Thanks in advance

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

srob

52 posts

Master Geek

#521423 15-Sep-2011 12:40

From what i've read the new sony should be alot cheaper but when I asked in the sony shop they still had no pricing.

I use calibre to download news from Stuff and read on Sony PRS-650

Tradepub

Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

kyhwana2

2566 posts

Uber Geek

#521426 15-Sep-2011 12:53

crackrdbycracku:
kyhwana2:

As for your RSS feeds/websites, Calibre will do this. With the kindle you get a free username@kindle.com. You can then use calibre to package up RSS feeds/sites and email to your kindle address, which the Kindle can automagically download over wifi (or 3G, tho im not sure thats free)

Do you have a link for setting this up?

Thanks in advance

http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/004740.php
http://www.steigerfamily.com/ssblog/2011/02/03/rssperiodicals-to-calibre-to-kindle-3-instructions/

alexx

867 posts

Ultimate Geek

#521432 15-Sep-2011 13:07

In the PC World article on the Sony WiFi PRS-T1, it states that it costs 35 percent less than the Touch Edition model it replaces, so perhaps the price of previous Sony readers is not a good guide.

Cost comparison chart from the PC World article.
http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/sony-reader-chart-5212545.jpg

Kindle WiFi: USD $139
Kindle 3G: USD $189
Nook WiFi: USD $139
Kobo WiFi: USD $129
Sony WiFi: USD $149

#include <standard.disclaimer>

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#521451 15-Sep-2011 13:38

alexx: In the PC World article on the Sony WiFi PRS-T1, it states that it costs 35 percent less than the Touch Edition model it replaces, so perhaps the price of previous Sony readers is not a good guide.

Cost comparison chart from the PC World article.
http://zapp5.staticworld.net/images/article/2011/08/sony-reader-chart-5212545.jpg

Kindle WiFi: USD $139
Kindle 3G: USD $189
Nook WiFi: USD $139
Kobo WiFi: USD $129
Sony WiFi: USD $149

I hope so. Currently the only Sony reader available here is $300, $90 more than the Kindle which comes with WiFi, seems hard to justify.

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

LCaracossa

5 posts

Wannabe Geek

#527035 29-Sep-2011 06:37

As far as books not published at Amazon, the Kindle has become popular enough that most other outlets offer mobi as one of their download formats. As far as anything which is in Word or in PDF, a Word document can be saved as either PDF or RTF, and either of those is covertable by Calibre to Mobi (although PDF is a terrible choice; better to use RFT if you have a choice about it).

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#541963 7-Nov-2011 11:45

So, I had a look at the new Sony eBook readers and they are great.

Light enough to hold in one hand, easy to use, supports ePub and all that.

However, I think I have found the catch. The Wifi and browser on the eBook reader allows you to find, buy and download books from places such as eBooks.com. But, and its a big but, in order to read the book you have to register it using Adobe Digital Editions to unlock the DRM. The thing is that because Adobe Digital Editions can only be used on a PC or Mac you need your computer.

This would be a total pain if you were on holiday and thought of a book you wanted to read but your computer was at home or similar. You would be stuck with the free stuff you can get from various sources.

So it appears Kindle ties you to your computer if you want to convert ePub to Kindle using Caliber. But Sony ties you to your computer every time you buy a book. If you buy a book on Kindle you don't have this problem as the DRM recognizes your account on the Kindle itself.

While I understand the need to protect copyright this need to register an ePub book using a computer seems totally insane to me and really limits the use of such an eBook reader. Even something I could use on my Android phone to register the book would be an improvement.

Anybody know if this is the same with Kobo? Or whether I have it completely wrong....

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?

shermanp

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#541996 7-Nov-2011 12:57

What happens is that the Sony needs to be registered with ADE ONCE. You may or may not have to use the sony software instead of ADE to do this (I'm not sure if the T1 works with the desktop ADE out of the box or not).

Once the reader has been registered to your Adobe ID, apparently the T1 should be able to download and decrypt any Adobe ADEPT based book (Kobo, whitcoulls, etc) without needing to be plugged in.

crackrdbycracku

1168 posts

Uber Geek

#542000 7-Nov-2011 13:15

shermanp: What happens is that the Sony needs to be registered with ADE ONCE. You may or may not have to use the sony software instead of ADE to do this (I'm not sure if the T1 works with the desktop ADE out of the box or not).

Once the reader has been registered to your Adobe ID, apparently the T1 should be able to download and decrypt any Adobe ADEPT based book (Kobo, whitcoulls, etc) without needing to be plugged in.

So as I understand it now you register the eBook reader using a PC or whatever after you buy it and then when you find and buy a book from eBooks.com or such once the payment goes through the book is readable. There is no need to plug the reader into a PC or Mac everytime you buy a new book to register the book.

Thanks for that, gee the guy at the Sony store in Wellington could use some product training. I specifically said something along the lines of:

So, if I'm on holiday I can't download a find, pay for and download a book and read it?

His answer made it pretty clear each book had to be registered using a PC before it could be read.

Didn't anybody tell you I was a hacker?