Why would anyone buy an e-reader?

[Fred Bloggs]

Like Amazon Kindle reader? Unless you have really sensitive eyes, read all the time and need that anti-glare feature. They seem to lack internet connectivity, such as allowing a google search of something in the text as you're reading, which I take to be a real limitation. Battery longevity feature is nice but who really needs it.

[Don Y]

I'd not *buy* one buy have rescued several. I actually find them preferable
to paperbacks (as in sci-fi, fiction, etc. -- stuff without illustrations).

It's nice to be able to hold a library in your hand -- instead of boxes
full of paperbacks. Put a 32G microSD card in the thing and you'll quickly
discover how *small* most books really are!

It's got a nice "heft" to it.

It's nice to be able to read in a darkened room.

It's nice to just turn it off and know your place is marked for the next
time you turn it on. No dog-eared pages!

It's nice to be able to adjust the size of the text and having it reflow
to fit the physical display.

(The built-in dictionary is sort of a waste -- esp for fiction, etc.)

The "file system" (if you want to call it that) is the biggest problem.
It wants to display covers of books as if in a bookstore. This limits
how many titles can be displayed on the screen, at a time. I want to be
able to just browse for (book,author) and could give a rats ass about what
the cover looks like!

The built-in Sudoku and crossword puzzle are nice diversions -- though
once you've done all of the stored crosswords, it's sort of a wasted feature!

I've never used the media player feature. Nor the built-in apps like
Pandora. But, they're hard-wired into the device.

There are some bugs (particularly in the "games") but they are tolerable.

Battery life is helpful as it's a PITA to recharge most electronic devices
(finding the right cord, finding a place to park the device while it is
being charged, etc.).

SWMBO uses a larger version of these things as its easier on her eyes
(one drawback of changing typeface size is it reduces the amount of text
on a page).

I'd not buy one of the "epaper" devices. The displays "feel" funny
(esp during refresh).

One could buy a real tablet and install software to provide these
functionalities -- as well as having avenues to expand (e.g., your
on-line issue). But, then you have to manage software in addition
to "content".

[Don Y]

On 9/18/2021 6:03 AM, Don Y wrote:
> On 9/18/2021 5:34 AM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>> Like Amazon Kindle reader? Unless you have really sensitive eyes, read all
>> the time and need that anti-glare feature. They seem to lack internet
>> connectivity, such as allowing a google search of something in the text as
>> you're reading, which I take to be a real limitation. Battery longevity
>> feature is nice but who really needs it.
>
> I'd not *buy* one buy have rescued several. I actually find them preferable
> to paperbacks (as in sci-fi, fiction, etc. -- stuff without illustrations).

For the record, I have Nooks, not the Amazon (or Sony, etc.) products.

[DecadentLinux...@decadence.org]

Don Y <blocked...@foo.invalid> wrote in
news:si4o35$fuq$1...@dont-email.me:

iPad Pro 12" Is the perfect carry along device. Especially if one
gets the keyboard and pencil (that is the most expensive pencil
ever).

But the kindle is also daylight readable, so the lady on the beach
can still read it.

[Anthony William Sloman]

On Saturday, September 18, 2021 at 10:34:27 PM UTC+10, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> Like Amazon Kindle reader? Unless you have really sensitive eyes, read all the time and need that anti-glare feature. They seem to lack internet connectivity, such as allowing a google search of something in the text as you're reading, which I take to be a real limitation. Battery longevity feature is nice but who really needs it.

I've had one for years. It takes me about four books to survive an international flight, and my Kindle takes up less space than just one paper-back. It's now got about fifty books in memory.

You can buy e-books from Amazon over Wi-Fi links, which is handy. The screen is a bit limited for Google searches - I travel with a lap-top, which I prefer for that kind of work.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney

[bitrex]

I use the Sony Clie PalmOS PDA as an "e-reader" back around 2005, it was
monochrome with an EL backlit display I believe, even in a dark room it
didn't seem to cause much eyestrain. Supported up to 256MB Sony
MemorySticks and could store a lot of books on that.

Got the better part of 12 hours of battery life IIRC even with the
backlight running, off two AAA batteries:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_CLI%C3%89_PEG-SL10>

[bitrex]

On 9/18/2021 8:34 AM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
> Like Amazon Kindle reader? Unless you have really sensitive eyes, read all the time and need that anti-glare feature. They seem to lack internet connectivity, such as allowing a google search of something in the text as you're reading, which I take to be a real limitation. Battery longevity feature is nice but who really needs it.
>

Remember the Barns & Noble Nook?

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_Color>

I had one around 2010, basically a customized Android tablet, I remember
the 800 MHz Cortex A8 was some slow-ass garbage in that application.

[olaf]

Fred Bloggs <bloggs.fred...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Like Amazon Kindle reader?

I can recommend you an Boox Note Air.

I bought mine especially with electronik-engineer-use in mind.

It is an ereader that is good for any kind of PDFs/Datasheet/schematic.
You can write in the books in the same speed than writing with a pencil on paper.
You can export anything as new pdf. It easy to use your private NAS for
data exchange. No server somewhere in the world!

It has a very fast android system with a VERY long battery lifetime because of eink.

The new eink is fast enought that you even can view grayscaled Youtube video
with some minor cutbacks in quality.

The software feels good! In these day a seldom point!

Very good for left-handed geniuses because you can turn it around
completly. :)


There is only one draw back. I NEED lt-spice for android. SIGH!

Olaf

[Fred Bloggs]

That looks very top of the line.

>
> Olaf

[Fred Bloggs]

Thanks for the lowdown. Sounds perfect for an ebook addict.

[Jeff Liebermann]

On Sat, 18 Sep 2021 05:34:24 -0700 (PDT), Fred Bloggs
<bloggs.fred...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Like Amazon Kindle reader? Unless you have really sensitive eyes, read all the time and need that anti-glare feature. They seem to lack internet connectivity, such as allowing a google search of something in the text as you're reading, which I take to be a real limitation. Battery longevity feature is nice but who really needs it.

Yes, I like Kindle readers. I have 3 e-ink tablet readers[1]. The 2
that I use the most are Kindle DX Graphite 9.7" 3G:
<https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GYWHSQ>
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Kindle#Kindle_DX_Graphite>
Before each project, I load it with PDF's of documents and drawings
that I might want. Mostly data sheets, bids, proposals, forms,
applications, correspondence, etc. 128MB of RAM is rather tight, but
I manage. The main advantages are instant on, bit screen, and I can
read it outdoors, in bright sunlight. For managing files, I just plug
it into my PC via USB or email documents directly to my Kindle. Free
3G connectivity was nice, but that mostly went away in my area several
years ago. The Kindle DX Graphite does not have Wi-Fi.

My Kindles are not ideal but cheap at a thrift shop. They do meet a
specific need (as a reader). I would not recommend it for managing my
life, text entry, or Google searching. For those, I have a Moto G
Power (2020) phone.

Unfortunately, all of my older readers are in need of battery
transplants. Seems easy enough, but batteries for the older units are
becoming difficult to find:
<https://www.edn.com/replacing-a-dying-kindle-battery/>
<https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Amazon+Kindle+DX+Battery+Replacement/73101>

[1] I have 6 readers, but 2 have dead batteries and 1 has an
intermittent usb connector.

--
Jeff Liebermann je...@cruzio.com
PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

[Fred Bloggs]

Apparently the Nook is still very popular. The pandemic caused them to be entirely sold out and no longer available for sale.

[olaf]

Fred Bloggs <bloggs.fred...@gmail.com> wrote:


>That looks very top of the line.

Yes, probably not the cheapest invest. But because of corona we all
had not the opportunity to push out the money in extensivly caribbean
holiday. :-)

And it is a big improvement that you can now write FAST on the
display. I smile every day when I use it.

Check this out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1pWqY0lPs

Olaf

[Jan Panteltje]

On a sunny day (Sat, 18 Sep 2021 05:34:24 -0700 (PDT)) it happened Fred Bloggs
<bloggs.fred...@gmail.com> wrote in
<01db42df-d175-446d...@googlegroups.com>:

I have an e-reader, main buying point was it is water proof and it is
readable in direct sunlight.
Important point on a saiing boat.
But lack of color makes reading some graphs problematic.
Not using it much if at all.

[Don Y]

On 9/18/2021 8:55 AM, Fred Bloggs wrote:
>> One could buy a real tablet and install software to provide these
>> functionalities -- as well as having avenues to expand (e.g., your
>> on-line issue). But, then you have to manage software in addition
>> to "content".
>
> Thanks for the lowdown. Sounds perfect for an ebook addict.

I fought moving away from dead trees for a very long time;
"books should be made of paper".

But, not ALL books *need* to be made of paper! I had 80
10-ream-copy-paper boxes of paperbacks when I moved here.
I now have 1 or 2 (the titles that have sentimental value).

For a while, I used a 12" (diagonal) tablet PC for technical
documents where the "presentation" is bound to the file
format (e.g., PDFs). But, I found that less useful than
the ereader -- when I'm reading technical stuff, I tend to
also be designing something *with* it so need access to other
applications alongside the "reader" (i.e., in a *window*).

But, the ereaders see use EVERY day. They're just *so* convenient
(assuming you read a lot). If I have a dentist, doctor, etc.
appointment -- where I can expect to be "waiting" for some
period of time -- I just grab one as I head out the door.
The screens are nice and bright so I can read them outdoors
(while taking my evening walk or stopped at a traffic light).

And, I'm pretty quick with sudoku puzzles so a 10 minute
wait goes by pretty quickly! Certainly better than reading stale
magazines!

Of course, you'd not want to consume "technical material"
in those little dribs and drabs where more "focus" is
required.

[Don Y]

Yeah, but a tiny screen; all that wasted space on gesture and ebutton input.

SWMBO uses a Nook HD -- which is more like an "adult" novel form factor
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nook_HD>
But, I find it a bit too big for "entertainment" reading -- it's like
carrying an iPad around (though has a nicer "heft" to it)

> Got the better part of 12 hours of battery life IIRC even with the backlight
> running, off two AAA batteries:

For novels, that's more than two 500pp titles, for me. I'd likely want
a break between them -- hence a recharging interval.

(A domestic flight is 500pp, each way. So, I could recharge at my
destination and be ready for the next title on my return flight).

[Cursitor Doom]

On Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:06:05 -0700, Don Y
<blocked...@foo.invalid> wrote:

>
>I fought moving away from dead trees for a very long time;
>"books should be made of paper".

I fully agree. No way am I ever going to give up physical hard-copy.
The only time it's a PITA is on flights where bulk and weight can be
an issue, but aside from that, I much prefer the feel and smell of a
*real* book.
I did look into Kindles and such-like many years ago but the contrast
seemed rather poor and batteries run out and whatnot then you're
fucked, so they're a non-starter AFAIC. Maybe one day they'll make one
that I'll be tempted to buy, but for now and the foreseeable future,
*real* books rule.



--

"There are, besides, eternal truths, such as Freedom, Justice, etc., that are
common to all states of society. But Communism abolishes eternal truths, it
abolishes all religion,and all morality, instead of constituting them on a new
basis; it therefore acts in contradiction to all historical experience."

- The Communist Manifesto, Marx & Engels.

[Don Y]

On 9/18/2021 8:55 AM, Fred Bloggs wrote:

>> One could buy a real tablet and install software to provide these
>> functionalities -- as well as having avenues to expand (e.g., your
>> on-line issue). But, then you have to manage software in addition
>> to "content".
>
> Thanks for the lowdown. Sounds perfect for an ebook addict.

A couple of other points (which likely don't affect the "average" reader):
- you can search an ebook; a dead tree relies on the quality of its index
(and, you can only find things that *have* been indexed -- uncommon
in a work of fiction)
- you can search an ebook *collection* for keywords (though not on
any of the ereaders I have)
- you can cut/paste from an ebook (though not *on* an ereader)
- you can backup an ebook (space-intensive with dead trees)

*True* PDFs give you most of these capabilities, as well. With
different ebook formats, you have to rely on supplemental tools
(e.g., on a PC) for some of those activities (e.g., tell me which
novel has a character named "Bink")

Think "portability" when it comes to ereaders; *taking* a book
(or a library!) with you (on a trip, to an appointment, etc.)

Think "reference" when it comes to PDFs (technical papers,
text books, etc.). I.e. once you've exposed yourself to the
material, future accesses are likely to be *references*...
explicitly looking for something that you recall being present
in a text (or *some* text). Search is a real win, there
(e.g., recently, I was looking for other papers I'd accumulated
that discussed "glottal waveforms". Do you think I'm going to
parse thousands of *titles* in the hope that something rings
a bell? Or, just search the collection for "glottal waveform"?)

Paper is really only useful for sentimental reasons *or* as a
first exposure to some material. E.g., I print every research
paper prior to reading it -- then discard (recycle) the pages,
once done... relying on the electronic copy as a REFERENCE.

It's been "emotional" discarding some of the classic texts that
I'd accumulated. But, having an electronic version accessible
ON MY WORKSTATION sure beats having to find desk space for
a print book while I'm trying to use material that it exposed!
(Do I really *need* Knuth's texts cluttering up shelf space
for the "consolation" of being able to crack one open, in my
lap, to VISUALLY hunt for some tidbit?? Ditto Stevens?
Schneier?)

[Anthony William Sloman]

On Monday, September 20, 2021 at 3:31:38 AM UTC+10, Cursitor Doom wrote:
> On Sat, 18 Sep 2021 12:06:05 -0700, Don Y
> <blocked...@foo.invalid> wrote:
>
> >
> >I fought moving away from dead trees for a very long time;
> >"books should be made of paper".
> I fully agree. No way am I ever going to give up physical hard-copy.
> The only time it's a PITA is on flights where bulk and weight can be
> an issue, but aside from that, I much prefer the feel and smell of a
> *real* book.
> I did look into Kindles and such-like many years ago but the contrast
> seemed rather poor and batteries run out and whatnot then you're
> fucked, so they're a non-starter AFAIC. Maybe one day they'll make one
> that I'll be tempted to buy, but for now and the foreseeable future,
> *real* books rule.

They made it years ago, but Cursitor Doom hasn't noticed yet.

One of his reasons for liking real books is that they last, so he can read out-of-date and frequently incorrect information that he happens to like when more modern books tell a story he doesn't find as attractive. He claims to have spent a lot of money on finding out what scientists thought about anthropogenic global warming before they'd got around to collecting any reliable information on the subject. He's very happy with their ludicrous conclusions.

--
Bill Sloman, Sydney