Linux-based ebook device and able to modify the software?

[timofonic]

Hello.

I'm quite interested about getting an ebook reader device for easier long reading off all kind of technical documents and my own scanned books. The problem is that I see too many different alternatives and still not clear certain things.

I use Linux and I would like the most Open ebook reader device available out there. I mean possible to modify and hack the software on it, able to put my own software is an interesting advantage for me. Having a community that also updates software in an unofficial way (new apps, newer kernel, fixing bugs) is also a plus too.

I would use it also for other stuff like Interactive Fiction, the digital equivalent to the Choose Your Own Adventure books and other kind of non-linear literature novels. I found a port of Gargoyle for iLiad, so this gets quite interesting too.

iRex iLiad seems quite interesting in the hardware but is expensive. The plus is that has the best screen and a touch one. I would like to know the advantages over other ebook devices and disadvantages, and know if any of them are solved in an unofficial way. I see some people ports and develops software for this device so is another big plus too.

Sorry for my inaccurate English, but I can't find a community in Spain about this kind of devices. It seems people don't like to read and prefer to pay more money in the long run with physical books and some kind of romantical-materialist thing.

Best regards.

[Alexander Turcic]

timofonic,

If reading technical documents is what you do most, then the iLiad is your best choice. I know it's considerably more expensive, but all the other readers suffer from the smaller screen which makes it almost impossible to work with complex documents. But if you want to stick to one of the other readers, I can tell from personal experience that cacapee' pdflrf tool works quite well for converting complex PDF files for the Sony Reader screen.

Right now, the iLiad is by far the most "open" system when it comes to changing the firmware. So if you like messing around with Linux, you may want to consider this.

[carandol]

From what I've read, of the various epaper devices, the Iliad is the only one which will meet your needs. None of the others seem to be open to 3rd party software development (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), whereas the Iliad seems to have a small but enthusiastic Linux community developing new software for it. I'm a Linux user too (though not a programmer) and after researching for a while am about to buy an Iliad, more or less of the reasons you say above. The Bookeen Cybook is running Linux, but they don't presently seem to be opening the device up to outside developers, and the Sony and Kindle seem to be entirely proprietary.

[Hadrien]

Originally Posted by carandol

From what I've read, of the various epaper devices, the Iliad is the only one which will meet your needs. None of the others seem to be open to 3rd party software development (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), whereas the Iliad seems to have a small but enthusiastic Linux community developing new software for it. I'm a Linux user too (though not a programmer) and after researching for a while am about to buy an Iliad, more or less of the reasons you say above. The Bookeen Cybook is running Linux, but they don't presently seem to be opening the device up to outside developers, and the Sony and Kindle seem to be entirely proprietary.

They're all running Linux, even for the Sony and the Kindle, it's Linux under the hood.

[carld]

Amazon is reportedly working on an SDK for the Kindle.

"The Kindle Application Platform team is building the platform and SDK enabling developers to implement, deploy and manage applications for the Kindle."

What that means exactly for any home-brew community I'm not sure. It's not clear if it's going to be any open platform (hopefully) or not (most likely).

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/sof/528585942.html

[igorsk]

Hmm this is interesting.