eBooks and eBook readers

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 10:26 am

I'm wondering about eBooks, and wondering if anyone here uses one regularly to read novels downloaded off the internet.

I spend many hours a day at work looking at a PC screen, and don't really want to do the same thing in my leisure time, but I'm wondering if it feels different with a handheld item.

There only appears to be a handful of eBook reading handheld options on the market, any recommendations?

Other than Project Guthenburg, are there any other sites to download from for free (and not be doing something illegal)?

I think we've maybe discussed this before, but I'm too lazy to do a search, and things may have changed anyway.

lenf · Post by **lenf** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:41 pm

When working for Adobe rather a few years ago, I got to play with a "slate" with PostScript and some very simple control pads. Basically, it was like a page in a book, with some very nice options for hypertext and the like. One could stretch out on the floor, sit back in a chair, whatever and it felt like reading a book. John Warnock, then head of Adobe, is a book collector and was trying for a very elegant, book-like experience, even to near perfect reproduction of very old illuminated texts.

Since, though, it has gone much more to PDF readers which, while great for slogging text from one spot to another, isn't nearly as nice a reading experience. I think I have a small library of many thousands of works by Shakespeare, Dickens and many others which I never touch. In fact, I've ordered paper copies of Dickens in the last year to read over pulliing up text on a screen.

Only if something like the slate I played with before were available - - and, one would hope with advances in battery power and wireless nets, even simpler and care free - - would I count it as good as a book.

Sources for the text, however, are everywhere. Almost any interest group arranges for primary and secondary texts to be available online to download and read, again mostly in pdf. An example would be in historical prayer books of the Church of England. In paper, I could locate perhaps two or three in current printings, everything else requiring used (and usually, expensive) versions. But on a single site I can download a pdf of not only every single revision, but various editions of each revision, complete with all illustrations, etc.

While that's wonderful for research, it just isn't the same as looking at a sheet of paper with ink, at least to my eyes. My favorite reading of any text is a holographic edition of Tom Sawyer, looking over Twain's shoulder as he writes, scratches out words, slips new words under or over those, sets out again...

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 12:56 pm

I've read eBooks (various formats available at http://www.manybooks.net ) using a monochrome Palm Pilot. It's nice to be able to download free books, but yeah, it's still reading from a screen. I find myself preferring to read from real books.

The paper-like readers are supposed to be on the market within the next year.

missy · Post by **missy** » Sun Aug 20, 2006 1:48 pm

our local library is part of the Ohio ebook project. There are numerous books (several hundred) available for download as .pdf, another type of mobile book file, or audio files (not all books are available in all formats). The length of "borrowing" is 2 weeks, and you can put a hold on something if it's not available. At the end of 2 weeks, the file goes "blank".
Besides many classics, there are also current titles available. I read "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch" that way - it was nice to know I'd not have to search for the second book, but could borrow both at the same time. You can have up to 10 selections borrowed at once. I also haven't tried the audio ones, but most have the option to burn them to a CD or put on a MP3 player.

I've only used the .pdf form (I don't have a Palm) and it's not a "good" as reading a book, but it's ok. But I do a lot of .pdf reading at work, so I'm used to it.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:53 am

I asked Avanutria about this after posting, as she used to have an eBook, but had to get rid of it when she moved to the UK. Some firm started marketing eBooks online, but charging the same as they would for a paper copy, which seems a tremendous cheek, and not exactly good value.

It seems it was an idea that never quite took off, then the main supporting company making the hardware on which to read the documents sold out, and the concept is very nearly dead in the water.

As you guys say, it's not quite the same as reading an actual book, and so it'll always be a secondary option (for me).

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:59 am

I prefer the actual 'holding and turning of pages' while reading, instead of clicking and dragging and so forth. I get enough of the latter as it is.

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 5:52 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:I prefer the actual 'holding and turning of pages' while reading, instead of clicking and dragging and so forth. I get enough of the latter as it is.

Me too.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:03 am

Joseph E. Smith wrote:I prefer the actual 'holding and turning of pages' while reading, instead of clicking and dragging and so forth. I get enough of the latter as it is.

Same here. And those ebooks will never be accepted by the general public until they are made waterproof.

beowulf573 · Post by **beowulf573** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 6:30 am

I keep several books from project gutenberg on my Treo so when I'm stuck in line or at the doctor's office I have something to read. The screen is a bit small but it works.

I had high hopes for the new Sony ebook <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2006/02/27/sony ... >reader</a>, but until it comes out, and it's cheap, and support non-DRM'd files I'm not getting my hopes up.

I've actually been playing around with making pocket-sized books from project gutenberg ebboks, a lot of fun.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:28 am

I had this in 2002:

http://www.planetebook.com/mainpage.asp ... oolID=1115

...or was it this...

http://www.planetebook.com/mainpage.asp ... oolID=1067

No, it was the second one physically. I think I got it in the transition period.

Same company anyway, and one was based off the other. I quite liked it. But I think there wasn't enough of a market to keep it profitable. The Rocket eBook (first one) was rather nice and came with a programme to convert any text or html document into an ebook document. I forget if it could handle .doc too but I think it could. Unfortuantely that company folded and was purchased by Gemstar which reissued the Rocket as the REB 1100 (second link). They did away with the conversion software, preferring to offer lots of ready-made (but quite boring) titles at high-street prices.

There were fledgling attempts at getting the format off the ground - Stephen King released a book entirely in ebook format (no printed ones), there's a small but interesting series called Star Trek S.C.E. (Starfleet Corps of Engineers) which sell for a couple dollars per book, and some websites that sold ebook content included Rocket as one of their available formats.

I tried to get a workaround to be able to load my own content again, and actually managed to get a couple of Harry Potters on it, but it was so cumbersome to do (and the line formatting would often mess up) that it wasn't really worth the effort. But I'm still hopeful for the future, it's a great idea.

bradhurley · Post by **bradhurley** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 7:58 am

I think ebooks would make sense for software manuals and similar books that need regular updating. Like many people, I have a whole bookshelf full of software manuals. Every time I upgrade to a new version I receive a new manual (or buy one of the excellent Missing Manual books) and the old one goes to the recycling bin. It's such a waste of paper and money. I'd much rather subscribe to an eBook series that would send me updates and revisions as the software is updated.

But for actual reading, as in novels, poetry, etc., give me a real book.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:11 am

How about a book made of this:

http://epaper.org.uk/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=36

lenf · Post by **lenf** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 8:25 am

bradhurley wrote:I think ebooks would make sense for software manuals and similar books that need regular updating

Give it a try! A large number of the tech book publishers (Adobe Press, Addison, Peachpit Press, many others) also publish via Safari, an e-book system for computer books. (You can get to it through www.peachpit.com - - I don't know the direct address off hand...). They have a 14 day free trial.

One subcribes (at $19.95 month) and has access to all the titles, of which you can download chapters and such from up to ten books at a time.

I tried it last year for the free trial but didn't join beyond that. I guess I still need the book there on my desk...

mukade · Post by **mukade** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:01 am

avanutria wrote:How about a book made of this:

http://epaper.org.uk/index.php?option=c ... &Itemid=36

Yes.

I think e-ink will be the turning point for electronic documents.
Several large companies like Fujitsu are researching the technology.

Mukade