Which ebook reader is best???

Puteq

OK OK I know there are loads of sites on this, but i haven't found a (recent) good site to review whats out there in terms of ebook readers and places them side by side. Also - has anyone had a chance to try out the new Kindle 3?
And I know the term 'best' is really about personal choice, but for me, the main things i'd like in an ebook reader is the ability to be able to work with as many different file types as possible (i dont like the thought of something proprietary that only reads books bought in its own store or whatever, i'd prefer it can read as many different file types as possible, pdf, doc, etc). other than that, wifi would be good, 3G irrelevant, internet browsing handy but not really essential. I would also be wondering about things like how well it works in Ireland - a friend mentioned that she thought she heard something about the kindle store not being available in Ireland (sorry if this is total fiction, she wasn't too sure)
So any suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance :-)

Swampy

Kindle 3 is amazing. I have mine a week or so. You could download loads of books same way people download movies and use a piece of software called Calibre to push them on to your device. I recommend mobileread.com forums for all the info you'll need about ebook readers.

jcrowbar

Swampy wrote: »

Kindle 3 is amazing. I have mine a week or so. You could download loads of books same way people download movies and use a piece of software called Calibre to push them on to your device. I recommend mobileread.com forums for all the info you'll need about ebook readers.

+1 on this.

The new Kindle is fantastic.

Skinback

Puteq wrote: »

OK OK I know there are loads of sites on this, but i haven't found a (recent) good site to review whats out there in terms of ebook readers and places them side by side. Also - has anyone had a chance to try out the new Kindle 3?
And I know the term 'best' is really about personal choice, but for me, the main things i'd like in an ebook reader is the ability to be able to work with as many different file types as possible (i dont like the thought of something proprietary that only reads books bought in its own store or whatever, i'd prefer it can read as many different file types as possible, pdf, doc, etc). other than that, wifi would be good, 3G irrelevant, internet browsing handy but not really essential. I would also be wondering about things like how well it works in Ireland - a friend mentioned that she thought she heard something about the kindle store not being available in Ireland (sorry if this is total fiction, she wasn't too sure)
So any suggestions anyone? Thanks in advance :-)

i'm delighted with my new Sony P600.
It just does the job quietly and efficiently and I genuinely forget its a gadget and not a book while reading.

Guill

I was just going to post a question about whether or not the kindle 3 is any good, thanks folks, saved me a job.

As i am a complete noob to e-books i have some q's re the kindle 3, can i download books from any e-book site?

Sorry for hijaking post OP but i hope any reply i get might help you too..

cynder

Never used a kindle,

I have the sony pocket e-reader as i wanted an e-reader not a gadget. I have plenty of gadgets, i get my e-books off waterstones and sometimes off whsmiths but i find their site very very slow.

PaulieBoy

The new kindle is as said fantastic. Someone saw my one and within no time they were on the net ordering one. If sells itself!
Kindle book store works perfect in Ireland, it handles any format I've thrown at it, not one thing I can fault this thing on.
Also the price for mine with WiFi only - no 3G- including shipping and VAT worked out at 150 Euro, a bargain!

pleasant Co.

grindelwald wrote: »

I have the sony pocket e-reader as i wanted an e-reader not a gadget.

What is the difference?

GBX

PaulieBoy wrote: »

The new kindle is as said fantastic. Someone saw my one and within no time they were on the net ordering one. If sells itself!
Kindle book store works perfect in Ireland, it handles any format I've thrown at it, not one thing I can fault this thing on.
Also the price for mine with WiFi only - no 3G- including shipping and VAT worked out at 150 Euro, a bargain!

Did delivery take long for yours? I take it you ordered it from the amazon.com site?

PaulieBoy

GBX wrote: »

Did delivery take long for yours? I take it you ordered it from the amazon.com site?

Yes ordered from Amazon and it took about 10 working days or so.
By which time I had a gazillion PDF's awaiting it's arrival :-)

juke

Think delivery times are down to about 2 days now.

Guill

Does the Kindle 3 support all file formats for e-books?

cynder

Mactard wrote: »

What is the difference?

Its only for reading books, no extras. no internet/wi-fi. No keypad. NO music.

calum

My wife's in the market for an ebook reader as well... she knows the Kindle is the 'best', but she really hates the idea of having a physical keyboard on it, and that she can't try one out before she buys it. For that reason she's edging towards the Sony 650, which seems to have fixed most of the problems that the 600 had. But the lack of WiFi on the Sony has her in two minds about that, too.

Has anyone used any of the less popular ebook readers available in Ireland, and have any comment on those? In particular, she's seen good reviews of the BeBook Neo, but it seems to be impossible to find any high street shops in Dublin that sell anything other than the Sonys to play with and compare.

Guill

I ordered a Kindle 3 from Amzon today, 143 euro after shipping etc. That's excellent value if thet are as good as people say they are.

sombaht

Calum,
I just received my Kindle yesterday and to be honest you're really not that aware of the keyboard when reading. It's almost flush with the Kindle itself and quite unobtrusive.
As for trying it before you buy, well yeah it would be nice but this time you can believe the hype, reading on the kindle just has to be experienced, the display is phenomenal, so crisp and clear, and the unit itself is so light you really could hold it for hours on end and not tire.
If your wife is still in two minds as to which to go for push for the Kindle she wont be disappointed.

Cheers,
sombaht

Hocker

Kindle looks pretty good, I was actually thinking of getting one.

Guill

Got my Kindle today, it's amazing!:)

Dubba

Kindle G3 is a top piece of kit me thinks :pac:

Guill

It also only took me 1 minute to download 20 books from Amazon.com. I ordered them when i was out of range of the wi-fi signal. When i got in range they came through almost instantly! One click buy is class.

niall2701

I thought the Kindle could only read kindle books? Thats why I bought the Sony prs-650 which I love.

Guill

niall2701 wrote: »

I thought the Kindle could only read kindle books? Thats why I bought the Sony prs-650 which I love.

From kindle site:

Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion.

Jowls

niall2701 wrote: »

I thought the Kindle could only read kindle books? Thats why I bought the Sony prs-650 which I love.

Isnt the Kindle DRM-locked as well? I had heard you're stuck with Amazon content - so if you buy the books now for the Kindle, there's no way to move them to a new device in the future, or lend them to someone else. Maybe Im wrong on that though?

galwayguy85

To the previous poster...

galwayguy85 wrote: »

The solution to this original posters problem is to create an amazon.co.uk account, if he or she doesn't have one already. Goto the 'Kindle' section of the store, and somewhere along the top of the screen is a link to another page where you can manage your Kindle account. In here you'll find the option to change your county setting from the default, 'Ireland' , to 'United Kingdom' instead. You'll be prompted for an address, but you can pretty much make up ANY address so long as there is a valid postcode to go with it. Just google 'UK postcode example' for ideas. This has worked for me.

If you have a PC, you can now elect to download the Kindle book titles at UK prices to your computer/laptop and read them off the screen using the Kindle PC reader application. You can also follow the guide at http://nyquil.org/archives/1235-Converting-Amazon-Kindle-For-PC-Books-Now-Possible.html that will let you decouple the DRM from the book and then easily convert to a format that a Sony device will work with, using software called Calibre.

*I think you need to be using an older version of the Kindle PC app to get this hack to work. Try googling 'Kindle PC old version'. You wouldn't be losing an enormous amount of functionality by using a slightly older version, don't worry.*

Using this method, you'll save a lot of money off the cost of buying books from amazon's competitors at ridiculously over-inflated prices and still enjoy on your favourite device.

quazzy

Kindle + Calibre =

Only have mine a week and i think its brilliant.

ROS123

anyone using ipad and apple book store, or ipad with kindle app?

Yelnahs

hey guys,

I went to order my Wireless (no 3g) Kindle today and it says it won't be shipped until February so I cancelled out of the transaction.

Am I missing something here? I tried to buy it off amazon.co.uk and it told me to go to the US site which I did and the above happened...

Any ideas?

Thanks.

calum

sombaht wrote: »

If your wife is still in two minds as to which to go for push for the Kindle she wont be disappointed.

She wasn't even really in two minds, she was pretty much dead set against the Kindle ever since she saw somebody on a train with one! She's since bought the Sony 650 (the bigger of the two Sony readers) and loves it.

calum

Yelnahs wrote: »

Am I missing something here? I tried to buy it off amazon.co.uk and it told me to go to the US site which I did and the above happened...

Any ideas?

No idea, I just stuck one in my basket on the UK site no problem, and it said they're in stock and would be dispatched from Amazon EU S.a.r.L. (Obviously wasn't going to go ahead and complete the transaction though...)

Yelnahs

calum wrote: »

No idea, I just stuck one in my basket on the UK site no problem, and it said they're in stock and would be dispatched from Amazon EU S.a.r.L. (Obviously wasn't going to go ahead and complete the transaction though...)

Thanks for trying. I did that myself and then when I clicked confirm and pay or whatever it said I get the following...



Do you have to buy it from the states? Seems a bit backwards...

calum

Yelnahs wrote: »

Thanks for trying. I did that myself and then when I clicked confirm and pay or whatever it said I get the following...

Ah, so they won't ship a UK one to Ireland -- hadn't noticed the big "Live outside the UK?" bit on the UK product page. Does seem a bit odd, possibly something to do with licensing, although I don't know why a US one would be okay in that case. Maybe you just need to find a UK address you could have it shipped to, although then I guess you'd want to confirm that the UK ones actually work here first...

Puteq

Yelnahs wrote: »

hey guys,

I went to order my Wireless (no 3g) Kindle today and it says it won't be shipped until February so I cancelled out of the transaction.

Am I missing something here? I tried to buy it off amazon.co.uk and it told me to go to the US site which I did and the above happened...

Any ideas?

Thanks.

I think whats happening here isn't specific to the kindle, have a read of this thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055016126

I find both amazon and play wont ship to ireland most of the time, but then totally inconsistently it seems to work the odd time (I'm pretty sure if you buy from a private seller through amazon it'll work, but from amazon directly it probably wont). I believe Amazon then set up the website www.shopireland.ie as a kind of 'irish wing' of their website, though often when i try buying something there is passes me through the the UK website, which then (hit and miss) probably wont work. SUPER annoying!

Guill

I tried to oreder mine on .co.uk site but it said it could be only ordered from america. I ordered it then with no issue and i said estimated delivery was 7 days. i watched oit on the tracker as it got shipped from state to tate in america and then to france and on to england and over to me. It arrived after 7 days, it's last port of call being the uk. What a waste of shipping costs.

Yelnahs

Thanks for the help guys, I'll try that http://www.shopireland.ie/ site now...

Thats crazy about the shipping. The UK one is more compatible than the US one due to voltage, plug sockets etc... it makes no sense.

Guill when did you order yours? Tried it on the US site yesterday and it said it would be shipped in February.

Yelnahs

ah no. It looked so promising... Free shipping and pricing in Euro!

Subtotal: €132.22 (£109.00)
Shipping: €7.10 (£6.03)
* Select "FREE Super Saver Shipping" during checkout.

Then I got re-directed to the co.uk site and the same as happened earlier happened.

Does anyone else stock the kindle? Or is it amazon only? Elara, Pixmania, Komplett?

I'll try the US site again, 4 months to ship must of been an error.

Edit. Its changed to "Expected to ship in 7 to 9 weeks" on the US site. Will keep trying

Manach

Has anyone feedback on their subscription service for newpapers/magazines - this might be a selling point for me. I have looked at lowish (3 stars) ratings for the kindle newpapers/magazine

Guill

Yelnahs wrote: »

Thanks for the help guys, I'll try that http://www.shopireland.ie/ site now...

Thats crazy about the shipping. The UK one is more compatible than the US one due to voltage, plug sockets etc... it makes no sense.

Guill when did you order yours? Tried it on the US site yesterday and it said it would be shipped in February.

It was the 22nd of october when i ordered mine.
I have not bothered with the mag subscriptions myself.

calum

Puteq wrote: »

I think whats happening here isn't specific to the kindle, have a read of this thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055016126

That thread is well out of date; Amazon.co.uk started shipping most electronics/gadgets/video games to Ireland again probably a year or more ago -- I certainly haven't had any problems ordering any such items from them since then. (Marketplace sellers are still a bit hit and miss, though.)

From the Amazon website, it just appears that all non-UK residents have to buy their Kindles from the US -- don't know why. It's the same story if you try to order one from Amazon.fr, or Amazon.de, for example.

Yelnahs

This is frustrating, I want to buy the product and they don't seem to want my money.

Think I'll go to the Sony store and get the PRS-650.

** For God's sake, its €279 on Pixmania. How is there such a price difference?!?!?!?!

calum

Yelnahs wrote: »

This is frustrating, I want to buy the product and Think I'll go to the Sony store and get the PRS-650.

Just to warn you, Sony 650s are in short supply, as my wife found out when she was looking for hers recently. Apparently Sony made a lot more of the smaller 350s because they thought they would be more popular, and then it turned out everybody really wanted the bigger one...

Puteq

calum wrote: »

That thread is well out of date; Amazon.co.uk started shipping most electronics/gadgets/video games to Ireland again probably a year or more ago -- I certainly haven't had any problems ordering any such items from them since then. (Marketplace sellers are still a bit hit and miss, though.)

Really?? thats class! I was so sick of it i completely gave up and stopped even trying to order anything from them. Thanks

So, out of curiosity - does anyone know why amazon wants everyone outside the UK to buy their kindle from the US? I'm gonna order one now and its a bit of a pain to think it'll have to travel so far coming close to the Xmas post rush for no apparent reason

Yelnahs

Can you confirm when you order that it'll arrive in late Jan early Feb?

Thanks.

Puteq

Yelnahs wrote: »

Can you confirm when you order that it'll arrive in late Jan early Feb?

Thanks.

Yeah i went to order it, on the .com website there is a drop-down menu to choose whatever country you are in, i chose ireland and went ahead with the order and it told me it would be shipped in 7 to 9 weeks. Since it said 'shipped' as opposed to 'delivered' i assume they are short on stock and are waiting for it to come back into stock again before processing the order.

I am going to think about whether i want to wait this long ...

Yelnahs

hmmmm yeah I see what you're saying. But that also could mean that if they run out of stock thats the default message they enter, then when they get stock in they change the shipping date to something closer to the time. Covering their asses I suppose you could call it.

I was looking all over the internet and there was no news about shortages in stock. Even if you select USA the shipping time is still 7-9 weeks.

So the option is to pay nearly double for the Sony reader (if its in stock, thanks for the heads up calum) or purchase the kindle now and hope and pray is comes in December some time... hmmmmm. Decision, decisions.

byte

Would the UK Kindle work fine over here?

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't, but just to be sure.

I would plan ordering it to an address in NI.

boobar

Swampy wrote: »

Kindle 3 is amazing. I have mine a week or so. You could download loads of books same way people download movies and use a piece of software called Calibre to push them on to your device. I recommend mobileread.com forums for all the info you'll need about ebook readers.

Does this mean you're not "tied in" to buying from Amazon. Personally, I'd like an ebbok reader and the Kindle looks great, but I'd feel much more comfortable buying Ebooks from an Irish retailer like Easons to help Irish businesses and protect Irish jobs. Anyu thoughts on this?

Guill

The calbre software is great, it will push most file format books onto the kindle for you and it is extremely easy to use.

Claregirl

Skipped a page to ask what the deal was with ordering from US then realised ye've already answered! Sorry!

Yelnahs

**Edit. No its not back in stock, got redirected to another site that told me its 7-9 weeks again...

Yelnahs

I'm generally not a complaining person but this is really annoying me. Every single amazon website has the kindle listed as in stock, but when you need the international one shipped (i.e the USB only one) you have to wait 2 months

The following is the official response from Amazon. Am I missing something here? Doesn't the US Kindle come with a USB cable and detachable plug? So surely they can ship me a US Kindle with the plug, I can simply detach it and charge it on my pc only?

Hello,

I'm sorry for any inconvenience caused

For customers outside the U.S., we recommend the Kindle (Latest Generation, 6”) with USB only. Due to strong customer demand, Kindle is temporarily sold out for international shipments, including shipment to U.S. territories, APO, FPO and DPO addresses.

Order now to reserve your place in line at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ1Y8Q. You’ll see current availability estimates on the product detail page. Orders are prioritized on a first come, first served basis.

Currently, we are only shipping devices with a U.S. power adapter to addresses within the U.S.


Further, please note that, the latest generation Kindle and access to the Kindle store on Amazon.co.uk are only available to customers in the U.K. If Kindle is available in your location, you can place an order from www.amazon.com/kindle3G and access the Kindle store at www.amazon.com/kindle.

Kindles ordered today will not be delivered by Christmas. We will ship your Kindle to you as quickly as possible and will keep you informed by e-mail as we get more precise delivery dates.

I'm very sorry about all of this. I hope you'll consider this an isolated incident and give us another chance in the future.

Killme00

Yelnahs wrote: »

**Edit. No its not back in stock, got redirected to another site that told me its 7-9 weeks again...

If you have a friend in Northern Ireland or the rest of the Uk you can buy from the co.uk site and ship it to them. I did this last Friday and it was delivered on the Saturday to my friend up north and was in my hands on monday morning.