Purchasing an E-Reader
November 19, 2008
by Walter S. Mossberg
Here are a few questions I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability.
I want to purchase an e-reader. Currently I use my Palm Tungsten, but the screen is rather small for reading books. I purchased the Amazon Kindle for my niece but I do not like the design of it. Are there any other e-readers on the market that have a full keyboard and can connect to the Internet?
A: There may be some obscure models that do, but the main competitor to the Kindle, Sony’s Reader, lacks a direct connection to the Internet. You have to purchase titles on a computer and then move them to the device. The Reader does have a keyboard, but it’s virtual, not physical.
I’m considering the new 13″ aluminum-body MacBook. I’m a nontech guy doing routine computing tasks. I own an iMac and I’m ready to add a laptop. The only downside to the new MacBook seems to be the absence of a FireWire port. Is that a deal killer?
I don’t believe so. At one time, FireWire (also called 1394 or iLink on some computers and peripheral devices) was much faster than USB, but now the two are about the same speed. At one time, plugging most camcorders, or many external hard disks, required FireWire. Now both types of devices typically use USB or offer both types of ports.
If you are a professional photographer, videographer or musician with a heavy investment in USB peripheral devices, then the lack of a FireWire port may make the new MacBook a non-starter. But for an average user, unless you have invested in FireWire-only peripherals, I don’t think its absence would matter at all. Besides, you still have your iMac, which includes FireWire.
- You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.
Comments
For the reader looking for an ebook reader, they might also consider an iPhone or iPod touch combined with eReader.com’s software. It’s not as big as a Kindle but would support over the air downloads. It’s bigger than his current Tungsten and since eReader used to be part of Palm he may be able to transfer books he already owns.
Mark
Posted by Mark Polino at November 19th, 2008 at 7:15 pmI always thought the combination of a Blackberry with a touchscreen would be the perfect way to dethrone the iPhone. But from this and other reviews, it sounds like Blackberry users could really care less about a touchscreen phone. The Blackberry market and the “cool touchscreen” market seen like two separate crowds.
Posted by Carlos Portocarrero at November 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pmWhile not perfect, the Kindle is an extraordinary device. It has a keyboard, and a wireless internet connection that goes way beyond just contacting Amazon. Books are cheap and download in about a minute. The battery lasts quite a while, if the Internet connection is turned off after downloads. One helpful tool in learning to use the Kindle is to purchase the Unofficial Guide, which Amazon sells, and, at times, gives away. Books can be shared among up to 6 Kindles registered to one account. My 91 year old father-in-law has one and thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread. The most convenient way to use it is with the leather cover that is provided; that way you avoid hitting buttons inadvertently. I read a couple of books a week on mine and think it’s great.
Posted by Gary Pope at November 22nd, 2008 at 7:24 amFor those interested in all things eBook, a great resource can be found at: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/index.php
Posted by Steven Schear at November 23rd, 2008 at 11:44 amI also like the Kindle. I use it not only to read books (thus saving lots of shelf space), but to read and mark up manuscripts. The ability to download samples of books is also a plus. Plus, there are tons of free books available at several sites (a lot of classics). Not perfect, but getting close.
Posted by Julio Juncal at November 23rd, 2008 at 5:48 pmIt is true that the Palm screen is quite small.
But for one particular purpose, it is superb, compared with Kindle and Sony, which do not have backlights.
I wanted an inexpensive eReader device for reading in bed on those occasions when my husband is asleep and I am having insomnia. Turning on the light wakes him up, so in the past, I would tiptoe into another room and read — not the best way to fall back to sleep.
Having no need for a PDA other than as an eReader, I got a very cheap one: the Palm z22. In addition to the eReader program which comes with it, I installed Documents To Go, so I can transfer Word versions of Project Gutenberg books to the device.
Using the eReader program, I turned the background to black, and the text to yellow or pink. This does not shine a bright light in the room, and is a very peaceful color scheme for falling asleep! (I can’t seem to change the background color for the Docs To Go books.)
You can make the fonts larger, and adjust the margins. You can hold the device and advance the pages silently with one hand.
I wouldn’t want to read this way for hours at a time, but it is a very comforting way to fall asleep without disturbing my husband!
Reading in the dark is delightfully soporific.
Posted by Jody Lanard at December 6th, 2008 at 12:40 pmI’ve used both Palm and Blackberrys to read ebooks. I found Wattpad through the Blackberry website. http://www.wattpad.com . It’s a free reader that allows you to download or read over your BB web connection 1000s of books (hooked up with the Gutenberg project)and documents of various types. The reader is customizable (larger print and colors) and … what is really great … is that it has an autoscroll feature which you can adjust the speed to fit your reading style.
Posted by Carl Robinson at December 18th, 2008 at 10:07 amI would second the use of an iPhone as an excellent reader. I recently discovered its benefits on a long trip to Washington DC – although I use the “Stanza” program. I have not attempted the eReader software, but I might give it a try because they are offering up a bunch of free e-books for the holiday:
http://www.ereader.com/servlet.....&si=59
The advantage (for me) of using the iPhone as my e-reader is I always have my phone with me, so its always there and fits in my pocket.
Posted by Brian Barthel at December 30th, 2008 at 3:52 pm