What sort of ebook reader do we really want?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

And over a billion cell phones a year are sold.

Most people in the world, who have cell phones, still do not have smart phones. This seems to me an opportunity for much lower priced eInk readers to be sold in vastly higher numbers. For whatever reasons, the manufacturers and retailers aren't looking at it this way; the big year to year price declined we saw between 2007 and 2012 have stopped and even reversed themselves

Somewhere on Mobileread is a post with all the numbers. And I agree with you on the opportunity.

[Huyggy]

The sort of ereader that I really want is... A BOOK!

Joke aside, the more an ereader will resemble a book, the better it gets.
That's a shame technology has evolved abandoning the enormous advantages that were obtained by centuries of work on book/paper crafting.

what I want so :
- multiple eink page reader. Up to now 300 pages would be enormously expensive (I don't know how much, maybe 300*$200). That's the best way our brain can peruse through information, by using a spatial reference.
-flexible paper would be better of course if it's a multi-page ereader.
-Color! so much work has been done on the dead tree paper technology to get crisp colors, let's put it inside eink.

Maybe one day eink technology will even supersede LCD/LED technology. Heavy blue light emissions, energy consumption even when still images. That should go to the trash rapidly...

[Katsunami]

I want a reader without Facebook or Twitter icons. I want a reader that has NOTHING TO DO with any social network whatsoever; not even those of Amazon or Kobo, because I detest social networks. The only one that has a somewhat valid purpose (imho), is LinkedIn.

[sealbeater]

What I would like in a book reader:

Something sturdy. I like the aluminum case of my Sony but I would really like something the size of the PRS-505 but made out of carbon fiber, something I can drop and not have to worry overly much about.

Some sort of wireless access just so I can load books over wifi. Not mandatory.

Vast and multiple storage options. If it can take an SD, give me two slots. 3 even. On-board memory is nice but not neccessary as long as I can put multiple 256G+ SD cards in it.

EDIT: This means the device and scan and read the cards quickly also.


Dense battery life. I want as energy dense a battery as I can find.

Good screen. I like the Onyx Max screen, if there's a need for a stylus that's the way to go. No overlay that obscures the screen.

Color sure, I guess, would mean I can give up a tablet for comics but personally I prefer difference sizes between devices based on need, so for instance, comics I like reading on 10" screens and books I like the PRS-505 screen, so I probably would still stick to two devices so color for an ebook reader for me isn't necessary.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Let's see I have been hearing this same argument for 5 years now.

There was much more than one argument in what I said. I still stand by it as a collective whole. The customers, both current and possible are not as happy as they could be. Sure, Amazon may be currently doing a fair job of a balancing act, but as I indicated there are and can be other factors that come to light.

I say the above and previous, as a customer who is mostly happy with my devices, but the world doesn't sit still, change is always in the air.

Time will show how wise Amazon really are, in regard to ebooks and devices.

The Apple Ipod showed how small minded many were.

[Timboli]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

And over a billion cell phones a year are sold.

Most people in the world, who have cell phones, still do not have smart phones. This seems to me an opportunity for much lower priced eInk readers to be sold in vastly higher numbers. For whatever reasons, the manufacturers and retailers aren't looking at it this way; the big year to year price declines we saw between 2007 and 2012 have stopped and even reversed themselves

The problem, like I mentioned as one of my earlier arguments, is that not enough promotion of E-Ink is going on. I still converse with many people, and most people are non-tech savvy, who have no idea about the benefit of E-Ink. It needs to become a bigger conversation, to bypass the seeming complexity of tech terms that makes most people's eyes and minds glaze over ... and they never read the descriptive stuff ... or take it in.

Currently there is a real issue going on, where many have opted for iPads and Tablets and even Smart Phones (large ones in particular), and are reading via them, and not getting the best out of it and even in many cases (lots of older people), being put off reading ebooks altogether.

So ebooks and ereaders need to be made more attractive, and it is more than about price. Even though many (most?) ebooks are currently over-priced, and even with the cost of an ereader, it doesn't take many ebooks to get your outlay cost back. That means, at least to me, that education, usability and features are key.

It can be seen by the uptake of Tablets and iPads, that features are key. Many want more bang for their buck, if they are going to make a sizable cost purchase ... despite the eventual cost saving. These devices in my estimation, are further reducing E-Ink readers to a niche market, unless we get proper promotion happening ... or some kind of hybrid device.

It is suspicious that Color E-Ink is not yet here. That seems to indicate to me, that the market gives poor projected revenue from them.

[JSWolf]

If your eBook is in ePub format, what's best for adding a jacket is the Modify ePub plugin because it does so without doing any sort of conversion.

So if you are going from ePub> KF8, you can use Modify ePub on the ePub before the conversion.

[spindlegirl]

Reading all these wishlist things has made me finally feel like rooting my old Kobo Touch (now belongs to my husband) and Sony PRS-T2. (my daughter used to use it but now doesn't) Now that both these devices are "old", I don't feel bad about changing it up.

I'd love to be able to install Moonreader pro (like I have on my phone) on both of these things. My husband would be the one to do the deed (rooting) because I'm not tech savvy, (bonus points if I can also use calibre companion on it, as well as overdrive for borrowed books).

But I've pretty much come to realize that my "dream e-reader" would be, to be able to do all the "reading things" I can do on my phone, only on the e-ink device. I've been searching the forums and hope we can do this.

[barryem]

I'd love to have Moon Reader Pro installed on an e-ink device. It's my favorite reader by far and I read a lot with it on my phone but I just can't read very long on LCD so I do most of my reading on my Kindle. Having Moon+ on an old rooted ereader would be ideal. I think I'd want a lighted ereader though.

If you do this let me know how it turns out. In particular, if you do this and can scroll Moon+ on e-ink I'd like to know. It's the scrolling more than anything else that I like about Moon+.

Barry

[spindlegirl]

The scrolling is what I love best too. Second best is the "real page turn" effect. which I would settle for if the scrolling doesn't work.

[Silverty]

I think my list is a bit short but I would still love for this ereader to exist... It would have:

1) the new ComfortLight Pro
I use this option on my phone when I'm reading something from the Google Play Books and I love it. When I go back to my main page, my eyes burn so obviously my eyes prefer it too.

2) 6" screen
I just prefer the portability of it because I constantly bring mine to work and I slip it into my pockets so I can eat my snack and then go to the break room and pull it out. This is the reason I won't go for the Kobo Aura One, even though it has the ComfortLight Pro.

3) Carta Screen/300 dpi or better
I almost went for the new Kobo Aura E2 before I realized the screen wasn't as good as Glo HD.

4) Color
My Pebble smartwatch has color E-paper display with LED backlight so I don't get why there isn't an ereader with it too yet. I could live without this if the first three options were filled though.

5) Goodreads
It would just be a nice extra but once again I could live without.

I live without most of this with my Kobo Glo... Lol

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Silverty

I think my list is a bit short but I would still love for this ereader to exist... It would have:

1) the new ComfortLight Pro
I use this option on my phone when I'm reading something from the Google Play Books and I love it. When I go back to my main page, my eyes burn so obviously my eyes prefer it too.

2) 6" screen
I just prefer the portability of it because I constantly bring mine to work and I slip it into my pockets so I can eat my snack and then go to the break room and pull it out. This is the reason I won't go for the Kobo Aura One, even though it has the ComfortLight Pro.

3) Carta Screen/300 dpi or better
I almost went for the new Kobo Aura E2 before I realized the screen wasn't as good as Glo HD.

4) Color
My Pebble smartwatch has color E-paper display with LED backlight so I don't get why there isn't an ereader with it too yet. I could live without this if the first three options were filled though.

5) Goodreads
It would just be a nice extra but once again I could live without.

I live without most of this with my Kobo Glo... Lol

I don't think it's "E-paper."

The company describes it as "transreflective LCD."

e-ink displays are only front-light.

If you live with the Kobo Glo, I think you would be astounded at the Kobo Glo HD, which is - in my opinion - vastly superior, due to the better screen.

[kacir]

OK. Here is my dream machine:
Five inch, front lit e-ink in a form factor similar to a mobile phone.
With physical buttons.
Rugged, waterproof.
Either with an Android (without the usual crap pre-installed) so I can install whatever app I like, or with system as good as PocketBook had in their PB360°.

I have been using Onyx InkPhone 43 for a few months and despite serious hardware and software shortcomings it is my favorite e-ink reader. The form-factor alone is worth it.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by kacir

OK. Here is my dream machine:
Five inch, front lit e-ink in a form factor similar to a mobile phone.
With physical buttons.
Rugged, waterproof.
Either with an Android (without the usual crap pre-installed) so I can install whatever app I like, or with system as good as PocketBook had in their PB360°.

I have been using Onyx InkPhone 43 for a few months and despite serious hardware and software shortcomings it is my favorite e-ink reader. The form-factor alone is worth it.

Me Too!!!!

I'd love to use it with Moon+.

Barry

[Silverty]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I don't think it's "E-paper."

The company describes it as "transreflective LCD."

e-ink displays are only front-light.

If you live with the Kobo Glo, I think you would be astounded at the Kobo Glo HD, which is - in my opinion - vastly superior, due to the better screen.

I'm not sure what transreflective LCD means but on the pebble website it does say "color e-paper display with LED backlight" and it looks a lot like my ereader but with color. This is also for the Pebble Time so maybe because of its the newest version? I have no idea. I'm not an engineer or anything. Lol

Be nice if my ereader had it either way. lol

Sadly, Kobo Glo HD seems to be sold out here. I've checked Best Buy, Kobo, and Chapters. So my new decision is between Aura E2 or PW3... Still unsure of which to go with.