Ask Engadget: Best gadget to read e-books?

It's a late night edition of our week of Ask Engadget, complete with that fancy new logo and more of your questions. Like always, send your queries to ask at engadget dawt com, and we'll air the best of 'em here for discussion by your fellow readers. We got some great responses to Dan's question yesterday about HDTV shopping, and now Anna (from Switzerland) wants to know about e-books:

"What would be the best PDA or other gadget to buy to read e-books on the go? Is there anything that could be used to read them in PDF format?"

Of course, a couple things pop quickly to mind, but there are several drawbacks to the current crop of e-ink devices, especially with viewing PDF documents -- namely, 8.5 x 11 PDFs become unreadable when sized to most e-ink screens. So what say you guys?

[Dean @ May 2nd 2007 12:30PM]

I have an ancient Ipaq 3650 ...

and it is primarily my ebook reader for MS Reader format books.

Adobe Acrobat is pretty much unreadable.

MS Word/Rich Text Files are fine, I just don't like them for ebook reading.

haven't tried mobireader or the other various pocket formats...

but the great thing about this ancient piece of hardware is that I can use it in all of its full blown pda functionality, plus mp3's and videos, plus have the expandability of compactflash....


My wife's favorite is the backlighting.. so I can read through my insomnia without turning on a light in the room.



she found it real cheap on ebay almost 4 years ago, it can only get cheaper, right?

[Lyle @ May 2nd 2007 12:40PM]

Another option is to eBay up a Fujitsu Stylistic tablet pc. I have one (3500 model), and while I don't use it for ebooks, I do use it to surf (added pcmcia wireless card), connect it up to my car stereo for mp3's, use gps software when I need to, etc. At around $250 for these kinds of specs; 500mhz processor, 256 meg ram, 15gig hd, 10.4" screen (1024x768), it's pretty darn cheap. It runs Windows 2000, so make sure your software will work with that. Another bonus is the ATI video driver includes screen rotation so you could go portrait if you wanted too. It even has a built in mic and speaker, so I loaded up Skype and make calls with it as well (makes a decent speaker phone that way, it also has a line out and mic ports if you want to use a headset with it).

[greg @ May 2nd 2007 1:14PM]

another vote for the trusty smartphone, always have it, small, backlit, not great for pdfs but its great for books.

[Kichigai Mentat @ May 2nd 2007 1:34PM]

Comments on things I've tried:

Bookr: Good idea, not quite there yet. The PSP's screen is nice, but when it comes to PDFs, there's no right way to orient the screen.

Palm Pilots: Low res means not a lot of text can be put on the screen, and the screens tend not to be too large. Reading PDFs is bad, because first they have to be converted, second, you lose almost everything that makes PDFs nice (portability, highlight/comment marks, bookmarks, print-like layout).

Cell Phone: Small screen, so tons of scrolling. Most commonly owned phones don't support TXT files, let alone PDFs. The "phones" mentioned are more like PDAs than anything else.

Dedicated eBook Readers: The iLiad looks nice, as does the Sony Reader, but they seem expensive. Isn't it possible for someone to make a $100 device with the eInk screen?

[Tony B. @ May 2nd 2007 1:40PM]

Sony Reader is the bomb nizzle... One of it's best features is the ability to listen to music while you read. Storage is fantastic, I have a 4 gig mem stick I'll never fill up in mine. It's been in my "man purse" for the last year and 17 countries, with not a bit of damage to show for it. And the battery lasts for... months? I think I've only charged it 5 or 6 times. Now if Auduble would get on the bandwagon, I could keep all my audiobooks and e-books together...

[John G. @ May 2nd 2007 2:36PM]

I;ve been reading ebooks on my Axim X50v for years, its great on the VGA screen and with storage only limited by the size of my cards, I'm carrying around an entire library to choose from at any given time. Plus it does any format I care to install a reader for. So far I like eReader the best.

[Dale Lane @ May 2nd 2007 4:40PM]

I use the HTC Advantage and the 5" VGA screen makes for a great e-reader. I think it's probably the best e-reader experience you'll get at the moment without a tablet or dedicated e-book device.

[Karim @ May 2nd 2007 5:54PM]

Add another vote to the Tablet PC column. Any decent e-book reader has to have a screen supporting portrait orientation. Too much time is spent scrolling otherwise. Look for something that weighs less than 2 kg.

When you get tired of e-books, you can get your newspapers from http://www.newsstand.com (one way to make the Sunday edition of the New York Times weigh less!!! Also New Scientist is an awesome magazine) and magazines from http://www.zinio.com. Zinio's even selling McGraw-Hill textbooks now.

Other devices, such as PDAs, do not let you run applications like Newsstand and Zinio.

I haven't tried a UMPC, but I have my doubts about whether the minimum resolution of 800 x 400 would cut it. If you can find a UMPC running Vista with a high-resolution display, that would definitely be worth checking out.

[pasht @ May 2nd 2007 5:54PM]

Sony Reader.

If you're comfortable with your computer (and I expect anyone doing the early-adopter thing with ebooks is,) use RasterFarian to reformat your PDF's.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10402&highlight=rasterfarian

It takes an A4 PDF and runs it through a bunch of filters to make it very legible. If you have trouble with small text, it can break up a PDF's pages; so half a page of the PDF will display at one time, landscape. It looks and works better than I can describe it.

Any other text you can get into .RTF (damn near anything) it rocks on as well.

[Origami Slayer @ May 2nd 2007 6:49PM]

I had one of the Rocket eBooks way back when and I even upgraded it to a Gemstar book when they had their fire sale. Now ebookwise.com is selling the Gemstar-style books and content for them. I love the size, battery life and the screen size on the (now) eBookwise reader, and I'd almost rather read it than a paper book.

[OjNK @ May 2nd 2007 9:15PM]

Big votes here for the Rocket eBook/RCA ebook/EbookWise/whatever iteration you can get. Sure its clunky and a bit heavier than PDAs available but the screen is very crisp for reading text/HTML and the battery life is great. Don't like the font? It takes any TrueType font you throw at it. I've read HUNDREDS of books on my readers and paper books just piss me off now. They don't glow so I can't read in bed after my wife has gone to sleep! Thats the major downfall to eInk to me, the lack of backlighting. (And the fact the readers are $500+ when you can get an EbookWise for $99.

http://www.ebookwise.com/
http://pics.spoon.org/Hardware/eBooks.jpg
http://pics.spoon.org/Hardware/eBook-text.jpg

[roslyn @ May 17th 2007 10:10PM]

But don't they limit you to what you can read? Don't you have to limit your book purchases to their website?

[Chris Taylor @ May 3rd 2007 12:48AM]

I have to also agree with the Sony eReader

Very impressed. Sadly it can VIEW PDF's but not well the dot pitch is just too low with the grayscale screen. What makes it suck is its SOOO CLOSE just a tiny bit more resolution and it would do it !! its not screen size its actual resolution. 800x600 at this level is not enough it needs 1024x768 OR higher color levels.

For everything else it rocks !! RTF TXT PDF are all native NO software needed POP the SD or MS card into a reader DUMP your files onto it and STICK it back in the player (this was a mandatory requirement for me to purchase)

I have been VERY happy with it.

[Suzanne Shea @ May 3rd 2007 2:33AM]

eReader.com has a very wide selection of e-books for sale at decent prices, and a reasonable DRM approach. They have free readers that run on Palm, Windows Mobile, Windows, and Mac OSX. They also have a free utility that can format text files for any of the eReaders; this works great, for example, with the free e-books at Gutenberg.org.

I have been using eReader with a Sony Clie Palm device for years. It's easier to read than an actual book, because it is so easy to hold and bookmark. Any supported portable device with good screen resolution will work well, because you can adjust font sizes. Keep in mind that PDFs make font sizes tiny on a typical tiny portable screen; eReader doesn't work that way.

For a device, anything you already carry with good screen resulton - say 480x320 like my Clie or 320x320 like my old Clie - will work great. Or buy a used Clie or a new or used Tapwave Zodiak inexpensively. Or get a new or used Palm TX.

[Andrew @ May 3rd 2007 8:05AM]

Mobileread has an overview of currently available E Ink devices: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix

Looks like there is the iLiad, and then all the others who share similar screen characteristics.

[NatCh @ May 3rd 2007 9:15AM]

I'm very happy with my Sony Reader, but then, I don't try to read A4 PDF files on its 6" screen. (shrug)

If anyone is interested in a really in depth exploration of the various e-readers out there, they would do well to have a look at the e-book devices forums over at MobileRead.com

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=50

There's even a forum specifically on which one to buy. :)

[Robbzilla @ May 3rd 2007 11:11AM]

I use my Dell Axim X50v in Hires mode (480X640) and either Tiny Reader or Mobi Reader to read E-book formats every day. I have a small library on my 2GB SD card and love every minute of it. For around $300, the pocket PC is one of the best readers available. My 70+ year old mother has an Axim X30 and uses it for the same reason, as does my brother. (My sister hates the concept and prefers paper... heh)

[Aigarius @ May 3rd 2007 3:18PM]

For years I am using Palms with ReadThemAll software. It has a great scroll feature where you can just read the text from top to bottom of the screen and then just start reading from the top again - the next page will be already be there. Great feature - you can cuddle with your reader in the most comfortable position and you do not need to press any buttons at all.

[George$ @ May 3rd 2007 3:21PM]

I use a first gen CyBook reader. Poor battery life and a slight flicker in the screen. But it's a 8"x10" screen which holds more than a standard hardback page (and is color). What I want nobody makes. The Irex Ilead comes closest. The Iriver prototype looks good, (the clamshell one mentioned in engaget back in January) but only if it had screens the Irex size. Let me list the spec
's I'd like to see.

One - at least a 6"x9" screen and at least 1024x768 rez. Yes, it makes it big, but I can't imagine reading say on a PDA sized screen. For those who can, you've better eyes than me, Gunga Din.
Two - STANDARD REPLACEABLE BATTERIES. Like AA or AAA. Lithium batteries tend to die in 5 years or so, no matter what the use. And after 5 years, good luck finding a replacement battery. Standard rechargable NiMH don't have as much storage, but when die, I can buy a replacement anywhere and keep on reading. Furthermore, my purchase lasts longer than the battery it came with.
Three - A detachable cover, or a heavy leather cover to protect the screen. My CyBook has a nice leather cover, and the Iriver prototype solves the problem neatly with a clamshell design.
Four - It must have a flash card reader so you can load my books onto a card which can be copied and stuffed into offsite storage. That way, if you lose your reader, you can just buy another, and make a dup of your backup. No sweat.


A final note - reading in the dark is nice, but the ability to have your library with you is a luxury beyond price...

[Morgan Aldridge @ May 3rd 2007 4:10PM]

I'm surprised no-one has mentioned this yet. I still use my Newton MessagePad 2100 for the purpose of reading books & documents quite frequently. The screen is the size of a normal paperback and although there's no anti-aliasing of the fonts, it does work very well.

Pros:

- Very long battery life (I get about a month out of my Li-Ion rechargeable batteries).
- Easy to read grayscale screen, especially outdoors.
- The green backlight is very comfortable for reading in the dark for long periods of time.
- You can write/sketch on the book (depending on the format) and toggle your annotations on or off.
- Lots of classics have already been converted for the Newton (see http://www.newtonslibrary.org/, http://www.stillnewt.org/library/, and http://www.unna.org/) or can be converted on the fly.
- Many other formats can be converted on the fly, including: text, HTML), and LaTeX.
- You can read Newton Book packages in Firefox.
- Can be upgraded to use Compact Flash using ATA Support drivers.
- Is a pretty functional PDA with excellent handwriting recognition.
- There's an extensive collection of software available over at UNNA and an excellent community at NewtonTalk.

Cons:

- Bootstrapping a Newton can require jumping through quite a few hoops today (once done, transferring files is easy, but synchronizing data is nearly impossible).
- If the book's not already available in a Newton-compatible format, you may have to jump through more hoops to get there.
- PDF? Mmmm, not so much. You have to convert to HTML, RTF, TXT, etc., before you can try to move it over.
- Other e-book formats? Also a pain in the ass, or frequently not possible.
- It's older technology and hardware, so expect it to be a labour of love or don't bother.

So, while I, and many others, use a Newton for eBooks daily, you'll want to do a lot of research and soul searching before you go that route. But if you do and you love it... it's hard to pick up another PDA/E-book reader.

[hobbesdawg @ May 3rd 2007 6:43PM]

I've used the Gemstar REB1200 ebook for years and love it. It is a little substantial in size and weight (about the size and heft of a college text book - well maybe not that heavy) but the screen is amazingly easy to read, with a decent card you can store tons of books, and the backlighting is amazing. As the other person mentioned above, it's perfect for reading in bed after the wife is asleep.

The problem being, they are now out of business, but eBookWise has taken up the torch and is selling the old Gemstars (1200 is the larger one, the other old gemstar is the paperback book size one) as their own brand now.

The other downside is the loading of other type of content, but there are pdf converters which makes it a snap to purchase a pdf book, convert, and upload to your ebook (tho I just found out about that yesterday so I don't know how to do that yet).

All in all, the best device I've used. The Hanlin's look very appealing, but the lack of backlite will keep me from eInk for some time to come.

[Jude Glad @ May 5th 2007 5:51PM]

I couldn't live without my REB 1100, which will take any html file I feed it. There are two font sizes (small for ordinary reading, large for when my eyes are tired), a screen that will let you turn the device any direction for comfort or convenience, and backlight you can adjust to conditions. With a 64 mg card added, it will hold hundreds of books. It's a little heavy, but one gets used to that.

I also read on a Palm TungstenE. It lives in my purse and so I always have books with me, no matter where i go. the biggest reason I got it for reading is that occasiionally I buy an encrypted (boo, hiss!) book, and so I can't read them on the REB.

When my REB dies, I plan to replace it with the eBookwise, which is also an excellent device.

[Rasti @ May 9th 2007 5:43AM]

I use an old Nokia 9210 Communicator (9290 in United States)
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_9210_communicator-210.php
with Epocware´s Ebook Reader for Nokia Communicator.
http://nokia-9500-software.epocware.com/eBook_Reader.html
Is very rugged, hardly fits in a pocket, but it does fit.
You can think of it as a compact and stilished version of the HP Jornada 720 (with phone). You can hold the device and scroll the ebook with only one hand.
Probably my next ebook reader will be the Nokia 9300i communicator with Wifi.
This device is like the 9210, but thinner, slimmer, lighter and far more functional.
http://www.mobileburn.com/review.jsp?Page=2&Id=1459
The best thing is the screen aspect ratio. 640 x 200 pixels @ 110 x 35 mm,
wich i found the ideal resolution to read ebooks in a small device, because is wide enough, and the most of the time is ok to see only a portion of the page.
While this kind of device is perfect for txt documents, is a disaster for pdf.
Btw this two phones are probably the only ones in the market that can handle fax.

[William C Bonner @ May 10th 2007 11:49AM]

I honestly can't consider an ebook reader because I can't use it during airplane travel. the half hour, if things go smoothly, at take off and landing are times when I can take refuge in a book.