# eBook discussion



## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Could not find suitable spot so new thread.

a critical use for me is ebooks as I spend a lot of money on the dead tree version.

For the moment I'm using the kindle app so I can switch back and forth with the laptop.

Signed up for* Band of Brothers* for $11.59 tax in.
Store price is $17-20 plus tax

That's decent savings.
The Kindle app is easy to use and I do like the adjustable font. I'm told by staff I can then register the iPad to read it on there.

The real treat is instant gratification  - find a book I want and have it READABLE minutes later. :clap:


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

My wife uses her iPad for all her book club reading. Kindle does have the best selection and is generally cheaper than Kobo as well.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

I've been using the Kindle app on the iPhone since the day it was released, and have recently added the app on my Macbook, and I love it! Read ~40 books. The only downside is, a single sitting long read kills the phone battery (keeping the screen lit).


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Interesting discussion topic. I don't have an iPad _yet,_ but am seriously considering getting one when they come out.

I've also been looking at the Kobo Reader - at $149 it's kind of a throw-away gadget when something better comes along.

I've been reading on my old Palm devices for years, and now on my iPod Touch. I've tried every reader I could find on the iPod Touch and so far I kind of like the Kobo one, but they're all good IMHO.

I listened to audiobooks for years as well, but lately I'm finding most of the narrators to be kind of grating, so have gone back to reading. 

One thing that publishers will have to pay attention to is editing the eBooks - the one I'm reading now has some confusion in the plot as well as leaving out words, misspellings, misnaming characters etc.

It can only get better. Margaret


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2010)

I have Kindle on both my iPhone and iPad, it's pretty good (aside from one MAJOR beef I have with it, it doesn't let me se the text justification). Also the ability to set the gutter size and font size and selection would be nice -- this is something I've been able to do with other ebook reading software for years ... you can select the font size with Kindle .. kind of. I find one too small and the next too big.

On that note iBooks doesn't let me set the text justification either, but on the iPad its not as big of a deal as there's more screen real estate, on the iPhone it's super annoying to have 3 words that are spread across the full reading width with big spaces in between them.

The instant purchase option is fantastic though, as is the ability to carry a huge library of books on a single device (or even better multiple devices). I'll be happier when iBooks comes to the iPhone as well so I can sync between the iPad (home reader) and the iPhone (portable reader).

I'm so happy to not keep buying dead trees. And MacDoc, you can move your reads from device to device very easily but can only be "checked out" on one device at a time. When you check the book out on another device it goes out of your current list on the other -- which is fine I suppose, it just means if you switch devices a lot you have to re-download the book over and over each time


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I see you are having iBook eBook brain hiccups as well. 

I'm actually leaning toward the lappie as a reading platform.
I like to read while I eat - both at home and out and the laptop has a built in stand and is easy to set the angle.
Also I work online so that dictates a full OS.
Out in the back office..aka hammock the laptop is very easy to read tho with some light limitations.
I'm just annoyed at the weight of the laptops and the battery life is limited. I do like the idea of a weightless library tho.

I'm wondering if a case for the iPad would help the hands free aspect...thinking even some sort of bean bag that it can sit in but then the weight goes up....it needs a grippy edge so it does not slip when propped.

Has anyone tried reading outside on a sunny day with the iPad - I mean a serious sit down and get into a book session??

I have to finish my last dead tree book and then settle into The Band of Brothers.
I chose that as I enjoy the story and am motivated to get to know more - the first few pages have been fine.
Savings for me will be substantial and browsing for books online is different than in a store.
Online there are instant reviews to be had and I do like Amazon's suggested additional reads.
Something that is perhaps twice the size of the iPod touch but smaller than the iPad. So it's a pocket book eReader rather than the iPad which is a hard cover version.

I have to admit I might be tempted by a cheaper dedicated kindle type device at a lower price with a real paper type screen that can work on ambient light as long as it has email capability. For travelling the iPad is ideal with the long life and multiple entertainment source.
Combined with noise cancelling headphones it will be a treat next trip to South Africa.

The iPad is trying to be a lot of things all at once and I'm not sure it has the ebook aspect front and centre.

Feedback welcome on the eBook aspect.

MG - I find the ability to up the font size when my eyes are tired invaluable but yeah it could have a few more steps in between.

It looks to be a ver nice day coming up in the GTA - hope to get outside with the eBook on the the laptop and get a solid few hours of reading interspersed with work.

Will be nice not to have to juggle back and forth between dead tree book and laptop. :clap:


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

About a 1/4 way through B of B and finding it a good reading experience. Well immersed.

The ability to up font size and brightness was a big plus and having a warm MacBook Pro on my tummy on a cold night just a nice extra 

Out to try it in the back office now it's reached a civilized temperature out.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

okay reading outside is fine out of direct sun

came across this - 3 sons in one day lost!!! 










I'm reading full width on the 15"

The reflections are distracting.


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## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

I love both the iBook and the Kindle app on my iPad.
I've been reading with Kindle on the iphone as well as on my thinkpad for the last year or so.
And was able to just register the iPad and download all the books I own in a couple of mins.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

What to do? I'm making notes while I think this through........

I would love an iPad, but.

A Sony Reader would allow me to download eBooks from the free public library service.
The books I like to read are priced about $12 at Kobo and Kindle so I would only need to read 16 free books to pay for the Sony Reader.

I can read books on my iPod Touch, but not the free library ones, so I'd be paying out $200 for those books that I could be getting free.

I could read library books on my MacBook, but it's not very comfortable. 

I netbook might work for library books and also come in handy for some teaching I do, and both kindle and kobo have desktop apps.

Sorry Apple, this round, the netbook wins.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

what's wrong with the macbook?


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## RISCHead (Jul 20, 2004)

You can convert any free eBook to the ePub format and put into iTunes to sync with the iBook application.
How Can I Convert PDFs and Other Ebooks to the ePub Format? - Ebooks - Lifehacker

I don't see the big deal here.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

rischead said:


> you can convert any free ebook to the epub format and put into itunes to sync with the ibook application.
> how can i convert pdfs and other ebooks to the epub format? - ebooks - lifehacker
> 
> i don't see the big deal here.


+1


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## Tulse (May 26, 2005)

Library e-books are not "free" -- they are DRMed out the wazoo, and require specialized software to read them. They cannot be converted to standard, DRM-free ePub format that is readable in iBooks.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> what's wrong with the macbook?





RISCHead said:


> You can convert any free eBook to the ePub format and put into iTunes to sync with the iBook application.
> How Can I Convert PDFs and Other Ebooks to the ePub Format? - Ebooks - Lifehacker
> 
> I don't see the big deal here.





G-Mo said:


> +1


Au contraire mes amis. Or maybe I didn't explain. The books from the library are free to me, but the library contracts for the service, therefore the books are "Adobe Digital Editions" and can only be viewed in the desktop applications provided or Sony Reader. They can't be converted.

quote from the article:



> The point is, even though in an ideal world ebook readers could handle virtually any format effortlessly and without any extra work on the users' part, there are worse things you could convert your ebooks to than ePub. So without further ado, here's how you can convert nearly any (non-DRMed) ebook format into ePub on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. (Note: These steps focus on PDF-to-ePub conversion, but the same basic strategy can help you convert nearly any ebook from one format to another, provided it's not protected by DRM.)


What's wrong with the MacBook? nothing. It's me. I'm old and fat and find it hard to hold the MacBook at a comfortable angle for reading a book and I like to read in bed - I know, what a picture 

Anyway, it's my birthday and I want something new.

Margaret


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

It's possible to strip the DRM.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I find using a pillow to support the portable works very well - need one you that is not too firm and you can tuck the portable into the correct angle.

You will have the same issue with a netbook so what's the point.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> I find using a pillow to support the portable works very well - need one you that is not too firm and you can tuck the portable into the correct angle.
> 
> You will have the same issue with a netbook so what's the point.


I agree, what's the point. Sadly on the MacBook the silly software that you have to use to read the library books doesn't respond smoothly to the two finger scroll and the scroll arrows on the side are really jumpy and hard to use, and often go two or more pages - not something I'm willing to use often - or ever if I can avoid it.

On a side note, OverDrive (the service that many libraries subscribe to) just announced an iPhone app that is supposed to let you download audiobooks directly to the iPhone, eliminating the need for windows in that operation.

Still waffling. A netbook would be smaller and they're just so darn cute.

Margaret


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## croatsensation (Jul 14, 2007)

I have been reading with the Ipad since the day it came out and find it a fantastic platform to consume books. Ibooks is great but needs more selection and Kindle is good but i miss the extra features Ibook has to offer (definition). Overall great experience. Also i have converted many PDF's to Ibook epub format which was very easy.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

nasssssssty - Kindle one click is just tooooo easy.

On a new Robin Hobbs now.
*Band of Brothers* was very satisfiying on the 15" via Kindle.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I invited myself for supper so I could play with my daughter-in-law's netbook and I think I'll pass on that idea.

And I think there's a family computer shuffle taking shape so I'll wait until that all plays out before I make a move.

Good to hear that the iPad is good for reading on. That's still an option for me.

And don't bother with that OverDrive app for the iPhone. It doesn't work. Maybe version 2 will be better???

Margaret


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## Guest (Apr 30, 2010)

I like to read at night and the backlit iPad is the best I've found to date for me. It might not be right for everyone but I'm very happy with it. I've been reading ebooks since around the Palm II came out and this is my fav to date. I also don't mind reading off the iPhone and am happy to be able to easily switch back and forth between the iPad and the iPhone ...

Between the Kindle and iBooks there's already a huge catalog of material available and it's only going to get better from here.

Calibre works very well for eBook conversion as well as tagging, etc. and is free. It can also sync directly with Stanza on the iPhone (and assuming Stanza when it hits the iPad) -- which is still my favourite ebook reader software by far.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Hmmm - this is a dilemma now - looks good for the price










Homegrown Kobo hits the shelves - The Globe and Mail

$149 and long battery life. No threat to the iPad but perhaps a viable alternative.

Now if it would work with Kindle as well I might give it a whirl.
*
The unit does not have a back light* which has some advantages.










That's interesting - the Kobo store is slightly cheaper for some books

Voyage Of The Turtle: In Pursuit Of The Earth's Last Dinosaur By Carl Safina - eBook - Kobo

$10.99

versus

$11.99 at Kindle

Amazon.com: Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur eBook: Carl Safina: Kindle Store

versus $16.00 for the book at Chapters

chapters.indigo.ca: Voyage Of The Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur: Carl Safina: Books

The book actually looks pretty good.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I considered one of those as well. I actually prefer the Kobo reader on my iPod Touch because it has ragged right edges and seems easier to read than the fully justified format of the Kindle reader.

I also thought the books were less expensive. I've found plenty for under $2 - just depends what you want to read I guess. I could easily fill a lot of days with less expensive stuff and then splurge once a month on a newly released favourite author.

Margaret


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

*New book*
Freedom by Daniel Suarez
Kobo price $18 CDN
Kindle price $13 US - don't know what the credit card company will charge for exchange but it would take a nearly 40% rate to equal the Kobo price.

Chapters (hardcover) $21 CDN

*Old book*
Daemon by Daniel Suarez
Kindle $7.65 US
Kobo not available
Chapters (mass paper) $11.37


Don't have the iPad here with me so can't check iBook pricing or availability of these titles. Interesting that (due to the limited selection and lock-in) that iBooks are already being dismissed. Maybe not dismissed, just ignored for now.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

reading outside at the Shed up by the `forks of the credit - 20 degrees and gorgeous but the 15" screen barely cuts it and the reflections are dire.

This is where a paperwhite reader would be be better and I'm down to 90 minutes of time left.

Have to bring an iPad outside and see if it is any better but matte screen is getting to be mandatory - i wanted that in `south africa too for working outside in the day.

Drifting to that `kobo as it seems pretty open as to format. I guess it's either or tho in terms of use.

Kindle reader too expensive.
Not sure how the prices are worked out but seems to be a nice price war brewing...bring it on.

Who has used the paperwhite readers in high sun?


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

The Kobo reader is on sale today. Has anyone gone out to get one yet? I've been entering their contest, maybe I'll win one.

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Is it physically in stores?
If so I'll get one today.

This is interesting....





+
YouTube Video









ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Well thanks for the tip got one of the last units at Chapters near by. Will report on the Kobo experience. Coffee and lunch first....priorities n'all 

Easy enough to set up...the packaging of course not up to Apple standards but functional and looks like a book with a cover on.
Nothing to tear beyond a thin plastic so can be put back together easily.

A very Apple like getting started with only 4 small pages of info and up and running is a 3 minute jobbie including creating an account.

Just plug into the mac and the Kobo goes and gets the app. :clap:

Can also be synched with Bluetooth - have to explore that later.

Size and feel is good - a tad heavier than I though 221 gms - what's than 1/2 lb and a very good grip.

SD card reader is a very good touch. Once I figure out how to move between types of eBooks that might prove useful.

The 4 critical buttons are along the side for *Home*, *Menu*, *Display and Fonts*, and *Back* button

The navigation button is intuitive to use... rubberised - 4 directions plus a middle press to click.
Has bumps for each use - nice touch and is raised in a very flat pyriamid above the surface so easy use by touch.

Screen is "okay" in dim normal room light but very nice under something like an aircraft reading light ( my LED task lamp ) and should be excellent in the sun which is the big use for me. The text is very crisp - even at small font sizes

I think my idea is to use this for reading and the iPod touch for email when bicycling, walking and on the mcycle.
Certainly fits in shorts pocket even better than a book and looks much tougher than the iPad.

They say no rotation currently but that surely is not a long term issue as if they can change fonts they should be able to rotate. I wold prefer the horizontal orientation.

Off to bicycle to the grocery store and let the Kobo charge and then I'll browse the free library.

Have a dead tree book ahead of it ( not out in digital  ) and one more Kindle book.

So far so good. :clap:


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

MacDoc - I would be interested in knowing about Kindle books on the Kobo eReader. It's doubtful but the Kobo seems pretty open. I'm sure Winwintoo would like to know about library ebooks on the Kobo as well.

I like the prospect of the Kobo device and wouldn't mind having to plug it in to load but the price of Kobo books is all over the place and usually much more. Another pricing example is the latest choice for my wifes book club. Still Alice is $13.38 on Kobo store and $5.48 on Kindle.

I am considering picking up one of these for my mother-in-law. She reads all the same books as my wife and can share titles with the reader on my wifes iPad. We buy more Kindle books than Kobo though.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Kobo reader. I'm still considering one.

I had an interesting experience with Kindle on my iPod Touch. I sampled a book, "Rooms" and it seemed interesting so I bought it. Sadly, about 3 pages after the sample, it turned into one of those preachy, faith based "novels." I'm glad people who want this material have it readily available to them, and I will defend their right to have it, but I have a right to know what I'm buying.

So I wrote to Amazon and they refunded my payment! In the email I got from Amazon, they say they do have a return policy.



> Just so you know, you can return any item purchased from the Kindle Store within 7 days of purchase. You can also cancel accidental purchases yourself for a short time after the order is placed. Simply select the "Purchased by Accident? Cancel this Order" option on the order confirmation page displayed on your Kindle.


Good to know.

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

*Return any item in 7 days..*..  that's a license to steal for me as most books are 2-3 days at max. I suspect there is a cut off in place - but yet it is good to know...I do like being able to browse the reviews before buying.

Based on early perception I'd tend to say go get one and if you really don't like it pass it on to family - it's a good machine IMNSHO. That battery life and ability to read in the sun are big pluses as well as 100 decent books without my doing a thing to get them...good stuff.

••

Just browsing the 100 free books - there are many on there that while I would not go out and buy I will certainly give a shot on here for free... Anna Karenina caught my eye.

here's the list

Every new Kobo™ eReader comes with 100 Free ebooks to get you started. 

Talk about instant library of classics.

Given this is all built in this looks to be a very popular gift for readers perhaps 8 and up to any age. $1.50 a book and a cool reader thrown in...:clap:

and a little bonus....home grown Canadian with readers already around the world under it's previous incarnation.



> *Indigo's Kobo e-reader all about the content*
> 
> By Andy Georgiades, Dow Jones Newswires
> Friday 23 April 2010
> ...












170 dpi = very crisp and 8 gray levels. None of the photos do the screen justice.



> *Performance: *
> Powering the e-reader is the ARM9 (920T) core that runs at 400 MHz and has an SDRAM acting as the standard memory. Kobo is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 as well as Mac OS X and higher. It also is compliant with the BlackBerry.
> The Kobo has a 1GB onboard memory that is capable of storing almost a thousand e-books and the good thing is it is further expandable to 4 GB by way of an SD card slot.
> *Battery Life: *
> A 1,000 mAH Li-polymer battery does duty on the Kobo e-reader. Logically and theoretically the device should have a longish battery life given its E Ink display, which needs no power after the page has been resolved. As per company sources, the Kobo can last up to 8000 page turns on a single full charge*. In a real life test where the Kobo was subjected to varying reading times that ranged from a few minutes to a few hours with the device kept ‘on’ on each day, the battery could last almost an entire week.* Its worthwhile mentioning here that the reader can be kept on for days on end but power will be drawn from the battery only when the reader is in use. Leave it unused and there won’t be any drain of power. Meanwhile, a battery icon at the main menu displays the current power situation of the device.


good overview here
The New Kobo E-Book Reader – A Review | Good E-Reader Blog - Electronic Reader and Slate PC News


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Thank you for that review. I'm itching to own one of these.

Meanwhile, I stumbled across this forum where you can pay $12 per month for seemingly unlimited downloads of eBooks. 

I signed up for the $5 one day trial and have found several books I want to read. I'm downloading the full A to U series by Sue Grafton. 

I downloaded another book to test how it works. I downloaded in ePub format, opened the book in the Stanza desktop app, enabled sharing in the tools menu and then fired up Stanza on my iPod Touch, fumbled around until I finally saw the "Get books" button and downloaded the book to the iPod Touch.

For $12 per month, there doesn't seem to be a downside.

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Indeed $12 a month - what a deal. Now about that reader 
Okay gonna while away the afternoon with White Fang by Jack London.

Been a long while and he is an engaging writer - we'll see how well it goes...first impression is there is not enough text on the screen for a fast reader - I'm at second smallest 15 line of text about 4" and a bit wide. looks live average 9-10 words per line fully justified. 150 words per page on the second smallest font.

Low side according to this
Word count to page

18 lines with a slightly higher word count on the smallest - this might indeed be a challenge for me...so maybe 200 words per page - about 1/2 the average paperback.

I must admit I was spoiled on the 15" laptop tho - could really motor.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Outside with the Touch and it can show almost the same amount of text due to tighter spacing and infinitely variable size
189 for Touch

can see how you might get used to reading on the Touch or iPhone

A few chapters in enjoying the reading, being surrounded by cherry blossoms is not hurting 
kobo is easy to handle 
easier than a book
switched to San serif for reading and to the smallest print

still puzzled about ipad as the performance of the epaper outside is superior
how about an epaper screen on the. Back of the ipad 

•••

Last comment - not as easy to read at night in bed as it requires quite a lot of light to be easy to read tho it's not bad and my eyes were tired from a long day. I actually took the text size up quite high.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Another source as well...

Google weighs in 



> *Google to launch e-book service*
> In this March 21, 2008 file photo, a scanner passes over a book at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., where one of hundreds of librarians from all over the world was helping Google Inc.'s Book Search create digital versions of all the estimated 50 million to 100 million books in the world.
> 
> In this March 21, 2008 file photo, a scanner passes over a book at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., where one of hundreds of librarians from all over the world was helping Google Inc.'s Book Search create digital versions of all the estimated 50 million to 100 million books in the world. AP
> ...


Google to launch e-book service - The Globe and Mail


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

I wanted to get the Kindle but a lot of books on the Kindle Store aren't available in Canadian buyers.

I'll probably go with the Kobo as the Kobo Store seems to have a good selection of stuff and whatever I can't find must surely be available at other eBook stores like Sony's.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

and its cheaper and Canadian :greedy::greedy:

They may have bitten off more than they can chew...server is MIA


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## Tulse (May 26, 2005)

I handled the Kobo a few days ago at the World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto. It is a really sweet machine for what it is -- compact, light, simple and intuitive to use, and cheap. That said, the wonky screen refresh inherent in E-Ink devices would drive me nuts, and it is an extremely limited device in terms of function. If all one is looking for is an e-reader it is excellent, but for me and my spouse, the iPad makes a lot more sense.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The ONLY headache with the iPad is reading in the sun...


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## Guest (May 6, 2010)

MacDoc said:


> The ONLY headache with the iPad is reading in the sun...


Yep agreed. I wonder if a non glare screen cover would help ... I also find the iPad a little heavy for long reads without a stand.


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## THPhoenix (Apr 10, 2010)

mguertin said:


> I also find the iPad a little heavy for long reads without a stand.


I still don't understand these comments. It's lighter than my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and easily half the weight of my unabridged copy of The Stand.

Is it heavier than a paperback? Sure, most of them anyway, but even then I don't read a paperback held out in front of me at arms length the whole time, it's usually resting in my lap, or on the arm of the sofa, or on the bed in front of me.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

The headache with the iPad without some sort of support is that it is too slippery - there is a case announced that really looks to resolve that.
And it still is problematic outside. Apple and the glossy screens = not reader friendly.










'ClamCase' lets you to turn your iPad into a laptop - CSMonitor.com


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## Guest (May 6, 2010)

THPhoenix said:


> I still don't understand these comments. It's lighter than my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and easily half the weight of my unabridged copy of The Stand.
> 
> Is it heavier than a paperback? Sure, most of them anyway, but even then I don't read a paperback held out in front of me at arms length the whole time, it's usually resting in my lap, or on the arm of the sofa, or on the bed in front of me.


But the form factor is different which is what makes it tough for me.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Speaking of Kobos, man these things are hard to find! I should've bought one when it was in stock but I wasstill thinking about it. D'oh!


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

dona83 said:


> Speaking of Kobos, man these things are hard to find! I should've bought one when it was in stock but I wasstill thinking about it. D'oh!


I prefer the Kobo but all the books we end up buying come from the Kindle store. Looks like we'll need to go that route but I find it overpriced and ugly.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

If you have Adobe Digital Editions and link it to Kindle, you can read Kindle books on your Kobo.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Kool thnx

Have to try that.

Hmmm I do not have a Kindle but have Kindle books on the MacBook Pro that I read and would like to be able to read them on the Kobo.

How to do?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Hope to get that info on Kindle Kobo interchange.

••

Romped through Just Don't Run - an amusing series from a safari guide in Botswana - I'm hoping to get the Okavango Delta next April so it was fun.

Kindle has some sharp deals on books - some even free and some decent ones for $2.
For that promo price I'll try a different author and it's good marketing on their part.

The one click is very useful.
Finished one book, found something cheap and interesting....away I go - even sitting in a 50s diner in a small Ontario town.
:clap:

I'd like someone to chime in on the library system...seems daunting for ebooks but have not really tackled it.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Awesome. If I can figure out this Kindle on Kobo thing I'll be buying a Kobo as well as an iPad. Read my Kindle books on either device. Kobo is lighter and easier to read outside. Cool.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Don't quote me on it but if you already have stuff from the Kindle store, download and install Adobe Digital Editions and if you can import the books and read them using Digital Editions, it'll go onto a Kobo or any other EPUB compatible reader for that matter that is registered to your computer.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I have and can't see where the import is.
Seems far too easy to break DRM that way.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Interesting article



> *What Will Turn the Masses on to E-Reading? A Low-Priced Tablet*
> 
> By SARAH WEINMAN Posted 6:00 AM 05/16/10 Technology, Media, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Books
> 
> ...


What Will Turn the Masses on to E-Reading? A Low-Priced Tablet - DailyFinance


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I found this an interesting assessment.
Amazon.com: Best Free Books on Kindle

Even tho I have a degree in English there are many novels here I've not covered tho most of the authors.

Emma was top pick and by accident that was one of the first I read and I concur. A delight.

Discovered some new authors and picked up a set of 3 of Gene Stratton Porter novels for a grand total of about $9


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Competition is good 

Just bought a book I've wanted -* The Man-eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures *

that the movie *"The Ghost and the Darkness"* was based on.

Incredible story ( movie is a fav of mine - bloody scary and TRUE !!! )

Looking forward to the book

$5 on Kindle - $2 and change on Kobo and I can read the Kobo on the MacBook via Adobe Digital editions as well as on the Kobo reader

Sweet :clap:


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## Guest (May 20, 2010)

I noticed today that stuff I was looking for was cheapest on kobo store as well. It works ok on the iPad and you can buy direct from it without having to exit out to safari (unlike kindle books). iBook store in US was more expensive than kindle store too. I hope this can turn around. I'm pretty happy with the iBooks app for reading. Kobo has been crashy so far and kindle does some strange stuff on occasion too.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Is there an Adobe Digital Editions app for the iPad?

Pretty decent on the MacBook Pro - light is finally dim enough to read outside.

Reading Kobo on the Digital Editions was fine and I can then sync to the Kobo reader.

On a learning curve here...XX)

Cheap thrills tho


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

I don't believe there's any way to get DRM'ed ePubs onto the iPad but you can use Kindle and Kobo apps respectively.

I know when you buy stuff on Kobo, it's associated to a Kobo and an ADE account so it can't be used with other accounts.

My Kobo black is on order... still awaiting shipment. I'm considering going for the Porcelain to expedite the shipping but I like black... I can't wait. I bought Michael Iganatieff's True Patriot Love, awesome book so far but reading it on the iPhone strains my eyes.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Scratch that, I canceled the black order and have a porcelain one in my hands.  I don't think I'll regret it one bit. I plan to get a skin for it anyway.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

BTW the excellent Steig Larson trilogy -* Girl with the Dragon Tattoo *is on Kobo - first two for $7.42 each.

Once more Kobo wins the price war

*With The Old Breed.* 8.40 on Kindle $6.29 on Kobo

btw this account is in part what the current HBO series The Pacific is about - 
while not as good as Band of Brothers in my view the section with the Breed author Sledge is gripping and the reviews of the book are awesome

Cheap thrills - guilt free reading



> Review
> "Eugene Sledge became more than a legend with his memoir, With The Old Breed. He became a chronicler, a historian, a storyteller who turns the extremes of the war in the Pacific —the terror, the camaraderie, the banal and the extraordinary—into terms we mortals can grasp."—Tom Hanks
> 
> “In all the literature on the Second World War, there is not a more honest, realistic or moving memoir than Eugene Sledge's. This is the real deal, the real war: unvarnished, brutal, without a shred of sentimentality or false patriotism, a profound primer on what it actually was like to be in that war. It is a classic that will outlive all the armchair generals' safe accounts of—not the "good war"—but the worst war ever.”—Ken Burns
> ...


••

Kinda amusing - I'm finding I'm choosing between going out for a bite to eat ( rather than fixing something here ) and treating myself to a book instead and coming down on the book choice repeatedly.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Got a chance to play with an iPad for an extended period recently. I'll type more about that later in another thread, but here I'll restrict my comments to the iBooks experience.

Background: I own a Kindle (original model).

Summary: even from strictly the e-reading perspective, there is no competition: the iPad blows everything I've seen completely out of the water. The experience of buying and reading a book is so ridiculously smooth that in a few years people will be hard-pressed to believe books didn't ALWAYS come in this form. Very easy to read. No eyestrain (and I do wear glasses for near-sightedness) even after a couple of hours of reading.

The weight is not an issue unless you are trying to read while standing. The glossy screen is a total non-issue, even outdoors. The experience is just fabulous. Really made me excited to read for pleasure (the Kindle gave me that too, but only very very briefly).

The battery on it is really AMAZING. It takes a long time to fully charge, but also goes and goes and goes and goes.

Is it the best e-reader in the world? In terms of the experience, I'd say yes (compared to Kindle and Nook and Sony anyway, all of which I've tried). There's still a market for lighter, less expensive and more single-purpose e-readers, but in its "price class" I don't know of anything that comes anywhere close to the iPad e-reading experience. Home run.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Not much sun in BC I guess


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## Guest (May 22, 2010)

MacDoc said:


> Not much sun in BC I guess


Yep exactly. I find using the iPad in bright sunlight a pretty terrible experience but other than that it's great.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

MacDoc said:


> Not much sun in BC I guess


Unfortunately no. 

My Kobo is still the best purchase ever, I love that it's always on.


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## THPhoenix (Apr 10, 2010)

For people looking for some books for their iPad. The Baen Free Library has a large selection of free Science Fiction and Fantasy novels available in downloadable formats, including ePub, from their large stable of authors. David Weber, Mercedes Lackey, David Drake, Eric Flint, John Ringo, Larry Niven...


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Thanks - hmmm not giving billing info to a "free site". 

Wish there was a compendium of free books that also updated free or super cheap deals from Kindle and Kobo.


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## THPhoenix (Apr 10, 2010)

MacDoc said:


> Thanks - hmmm not giving billing info to a "free site".


Where is it asking you for billing information? I just click on a book title, it gives a summary page, then click on the format you wish to download in. Not once was I asked for ANY information.

And in addition to ePub, all the books at Baen are available in the mobi/kindle format as well.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

I'm also thinking of getting an e-book reader, and I like the idea of an SD slot which would allow me to bring in more books or documents from outside sources. I've checked out the Sony and Aluratek at Best Buy, just to see what formats they support. Interestingly, .pdf, .doc, and .rtf formats, along with the e-Pub formats are all mentioned as supported. I also like the fact that you can make notes on the Sony products quite easily, although the sales person wasn't sure about the ease of use for note taking on the Aluratek.

I've looked at the Kobo information posted on Chapters' website, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something. Are multiple formats, especially .doc and.pdf supported and easy to import? How about taking notes? I do a lot of reading/reviewing of documents for work, and if I could just dump a few .doc or .rtf items that I'm working on onto a reader, rather than hauling paper everywhere, my briefcase would be considerably lighter! Thanks for your thoughts.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

> Supported formats: epub and pdf. Epub support means that you aren’t tied to the Kobo store. Download your epub title from wherever you want (e.g. the Gutenberg library), dump it onto the drive image and voilà.





> the Kobo eReader is the most open digital book reader on the market.


Review: Kobo eReader Half-Filtered nouspique.com

Has it's limits but the software for the Mac is decent and the reader excellent value and easy handling.

It reads PDF so just print your docs to pdf to take with you.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

More eBook coverage - Kobo seems a hit.

Ebooks open new chapter for readers - thestar.com


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

The Kobo is a barebones ebopok reader but it is very good at what it does. If you want note takin, look at the Sony PRS-600 or the brand new PRS-900 Daily Edition, or the Kindle.

If you have $649 or $799 to blow on an eBook reader (and don't want to buy an iPad instead), there's the Plastic Logic Que Wifi or 3G versions.

Plastic Logic
QUE proReader - Specifications - Compare QUE Models


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## ldphoto (Jul 9, 2009)

One thing about the PRS-600 and PRS-900 is that they have a touch screen overlay over the e-ink screen, it it reduces contrast and sharpness enough to strain my eyes rather quickly. I ended up buying a PRS-300 in December, and I really enjoy it, even though I really wanted a 6" device not a 5". Maybe I'll replace it with a Kobo reader instead. I have trouble reading text from a backlit screen (even a laptop or LCD) for extended periods of time, so I don't think I could use an iPad much for this.

Here, ht eOttawa Public Library has books that you can borrow through Adobe digital Editions. They are either PDF or ePub, but DRM-protected. As was mentioned previously, there is a way to turn them into universally-readable ePubs, but it's almost certainly against the rules to do so.

Luc


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

The PDF based eBooks were not formatted with eBook readers in mind unfortunately. With novels on my Kobo, it's just a matter of having them fit the width of the screen. There is page-downing to be done but oh well. I borrowed Autocad 2010 Bible in PDF format and AutoCAD 2010 for Dummies in ePub format, although the Bible wins the technical round, Dummies wins the readability on my Kobo round hands down. The small form factor of the Kobo is probably not suited for technical books etc. anyway. If I was a student who needed text ebooks, I would definitely go with something with a high resolution 9"+ screen and note taking capability like the Que. 

I didn't realize the PRS-600 had issues with eye strain, good thing I didn't end up going with one!


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## ldphoto (Jul 9, 2009)

I wouldn't necessarily say the PRS-600 has an issue with eye strain. I has slightly reduced contrast and sharpness compared to a non-touchscreen reader. Most people are fine with it, but for me, it caused eye strain (I should mention that I'm far sighted, so I'm already starting off at a disadvantage for reading, although glasses get me pretty close to 20/20)


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

dona83 said:


> The Kobo is a barebones ebopok reader but it is very good at what it does. If you want note takin, look at the Sony PRS-600 or the brand new PRS-900 Daily Edition, or the Kindle.
> 
> If you have $649 or $799 to blow on an eBook reader (and don't want to buy an iPad instead), there's the Plastic Logic Que Wifi or 3G versions.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this. It's good to get a number of alternatives. Personally, if I was inclined to drop $800 on an eBook reader, the iPad is the choice I'd make. I'm looking for less expensive alternatives, although I can see myself getting one in a couple of years.

This has been a great discussion, so far! :clap:


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## ldphoto (Jul 9, 2009)

I decided to give the Kobo a try, since the screen is larger than my Sony PRS-300, and the price was quite good. Let's just say I am not impressed by it.

The good:

-Very nice display, great readability and resolution
-Lighter than the smaller PRS-300, the back feels rather nice
-Inexpensive
-Works well with books purchased at Kobo

The bad:

-ePub books that are not from Kobo do not display properly. I tried with a few DRM-free ePubs as well as an ePub book borrowed from the Ottawa Public Library. They all display the whole page on screen, and the font size cannot be changed. These books are effectively unreadable on the Kobo. The Sony PRS-300 has no problems with these. Even the cheapie Aluratek Libre had no problems with these.

-PDF eBooks do not display very well at all (I'm talking books with only text here, nothing with graphics or illustrations). The Kobo allows you to zoom in, but does not reflow text and you have to contsantly scroll left-to-right. Not totally unreadable, but a very unpleasant experience. The Sony PRS-300 has the capability of reflowing text from a PDF so that it displays properely. It sometimes has problems with page breaks, but it's much, much better than the Kobo with PDF books. The library had lots of PDF ebooks, so this is a big deal for me.


It's too bad, I was looking forward to a nice reader with a 6"screen that doesn't have a contrast-reducing touchscreen layer in front. For me, the Kobo isn't it. I'll be returning it on my way home today, and keep using my 5" PRS-300.

EDIT: it turns out Kobo is aware of this, but they don't seem to make much of it. With no release date stated for the needed software upgrade, I'm not too impressed: Kobo Customer Care : I can't resize fonts on my Kobo eReader

Luc


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

While annoying the issue is apparently restricted to "some" ePub.



> This is because the ability to resize the eBook is dependant on the ePub file itself. Currently, Kobo eReader is *unable to resize fonts on some ePub files. *
> 
> If the ePub was purchased through Kobo this feature will work, however we cannot alter or adjust font sizes on some ePubs purchased through a different site such as the Sony Library . *This also applies to some 3rd party books transferred to the Kobo eReader through Adobe Digital Editions.*
> 
> Kobo is continuing to investigate ways to make this possible, and a solution will be made available in a future software upgrade.


certainly not a deal killer given the positives. The iPad is "early on" as well with some quirks and a lot more money.


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## ldphoto (Jul 9, 2009)

MacDoc said:


> While annoying the issue is apparently restricted to "some" ePub.
> 
> certainly not a deal killer given the positives. The iPad is "early on" as well with some quirks and a lot more money.


What I experienced is that "some" ePubs was pretty much anything not from Kobo or Gutenberg. I'm not saying that the iPad would be better (I'll have a better opinion after the weekend when I actually have mine), but I'm pretty convinced that the Sony is worth the extra money.

BTW, the Sony can read books from the Kobo store without any issues, I have a few on there right now.

Luc


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Kobo will have a firmware upgrade around mid-June which will fix this font issue on certain ePubs. Eventually, PDF reflow will be added to the Kobo.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

There is already a patch to fix the font issue but has to be run on a pc


kobo epub fixer (font size problems) - MobileRead Forums

Looks like a Mac friendly fix is available

calibre - Download for OS X

somebody try it and report - I have no ePub files at the moment.

wow Calibre is very cool - amazing font and spacing control - have to test fly this


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## Guest (May 27, 2010)

Calibre is great. I've used it quite a lot. The font problem is likely for epubs that manually assign a font and size. If you can strip these it will likely solve the issues. Calibre ado does a good job converting PDF to epub.


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

mguertin said:


> Calibre is great. I've used it quite a lot. The font problem is likely for epubs that manually assign a font and size. If you can strip these it will likely solve the issues. Calibre ado does a good job converting PDF to epub.


Just downloaded and will check it out later. I can't believe that this application requires over 200MB of hard drive space. Pretty ridiculous for what it does.


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## Guest (May 28, 2010)

Macified said:


> Just downloaded and will check it out later. I can't believe that this application requires over 200MB of hard drive space. Pretty ridiculous for what it does.


That's because I think it uses the QT toolkit (UI stuff) in order to work on windows, OSX and Linux, so the bulk of that download is the UI stuff I would imagine.


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## Guest (May 28, 2010)

I tried out the Barnes & Noble eReader app on my iPad last night. It was pretty disappointing to be honest. 

No in-app purchasing (like Kindle it sends you to a website), it's VERY SLOW compared to other ebook reader apps on the iPad as well. The options to customize the layout leave a lot of be desired .. the changing of font sizes is pretty drastic from one font to the next size wise, the choices of fonts are a bit strange -- Amasis? Joanna? Ascender Sans? Really??!? How about, oh I dunno, something wild and whacky like ... Helvetica? And last but not least the actual font rendering is pretty terrible ... it reminds me a bit of what rendered fonts looked like in the early OS8 days...


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Get Kobo HD. You can buy books in app and although there are only two choices of fonts, Serif and Sans Serif, they're both good fonts.


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## Guest (May 28, 2010)

dona83 said:


> Get Kobo HD. You can buy books in app and although there are only two choices of fonts, Serif and Sans Serif, they're both good fonts.


I have Kobo HD .. for fonts it gives me the choice of "Default", Georgia, Baskerville, Trebuchet and Verdana. It's not a bad reader, iBooks is still my favourite so far. The pricing for the Kobo stuff is a bit of a roller coaster though. Some stuff is really cheap, other stuff is pretty pricy (when compared to Kindle).

Oh another thing about the B&N eReader .. there's no brightness control. It really looks like the eReader app was an afterthought that they didn't put a lot of effort into.


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## Guest (May 28, 2010)

mguertin said:


> That's because I think it uses the QT toolkit (UI stuff) in order to work on windows, OSX and Linux, so the bulk of that download is the UI stuff I would imagine.


Yep, after looking at it it's all the QT frameworks (QT not Quicktime!) and there's also a large bundled in version of python that it uses that take up the majority of the 226MB.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Stumbled on this for free ebooks - reading one now that I've wanted about South Africa
Blue Aloes
Pulled it down in Kindle - bang - reading away on the laptop - nice
now to try and figure our the ePub conversion....sigh

ManyBooks.net - Free eBooks for your iPad, smartphone, or eBook reader


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> Stumbled on this for free ebooks - reading one now that I've wanted about South Africa
> Blue Aloes
> Pulled it down in Kindle - bang - reading away on the laptop - nice
> now to try and figure our the ePub conversion....sigh
> ...


Thanks for the link. I downloaded a book in .epub and then dragged it to the Stanza desktop app and it works in the Stanza app on iPod. 

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Downloading the large print PDF from that site makes the KOBO reasonable read and goes in landscape mode - yay

Still fooling with formats but the PDF books in large print are fine and i suspect I can customize them even better if I take some time. Like the landscape reading.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Reader from South Africa suggested this site - lot of decent books - no genre sorting tho

http://www.truly-free.org/


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## egremont (Jun 14, 2009)

*e book- epub question*

I was searching around KoBo site and I wanted to know if when downloading to desktop or laptop, if a book with illustrations will show up in colour as they would if downloading to iPad or iPodTouch.

Couldn't find the answer on site and thought maybe one of the epub users on this forum would know the answer.

thanks


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## miniphone (Jul 24, 2008)

I use the Kindle App all the time, but honestly if you read a lot of book, the Kindle eReader from Amazon is by far the best eReader out there. Two months ago I traveled to south america for a vacation, first time I take the kindle on a trip out of Canada, and to my surprise I woke up one day and the Globe and Mail subscription was downloaded on the Kindle eReader. The amazing thing was that my iPhone couldn't pick the one bar edge cellular signal but the Amazon Kindle did and manage some how to download the paper contents. No wires no wifi no fuss, just works like magic.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Question about readers on iPad. I stopped at Best Buy again today to play with the iPad. I tried the iBooks app and was pretty impressed. I like how when you turn it landscape you get two pages - like a paperback.

I didn't try any other reader app, does anyone know if the other reader apps on iPad do the same thing? 

I probably won't be buying most of my books from iBooks, so if the Kobo and Stanza readers do the same - show two pages - that would be a big selling (buying??) point for me.

Margaret


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

egremont said:


> I was searching around KoBo site and I wanted to know if when downloading to desktop or laptop, if a book with illustrations will show up in colour as they would if downloading to iPad or iPodTouch.


If the book happens to have colour illustrations, I believe it will. The iPod Touch/iPhone Kobo app does not display images btw.  Only Kobo HD for iPad.



miniphone said:


> I use the Kindle App all the time, but honestly if you read a lot of book, the Kindle eReader from Amazon is by far the best eReader out there. Two months ago I traveled to south america for a vacation, first time I take the kindle on a trip out of Canada, and to my surprise I woke up one day and the Globe and Mail subscription was downloaded on the Kindle eReader. The amazing thing was that my iPhone couldn't pick the one bar edge cellular signal but the Amazon Kindle did and manage some how to download the paper contents. No wires no wifi no fuss, just works like magic.


My only problem with the Kindle was 1. Price, 2. The unavailability of some books to Canadians, like Three Cups of Tea.




winwintoo said:


> Question about readers on iPad. I stopped at Best Buy again today to play with the iPad. I tried the iBooks app and was pretty impressed. I like how when you turn it landscape you get two pages - like a paperback.
> 
> I didn't try any other reader app, does anyone know if the other reader apps on iPad do the same thing?


Unfortunately no, but we should definitely request that feature. That's one thing I really liked about the iBooks app.

Sony's new PRS-900 Daily Edition eBook reader does side to side (two page) reading in landscape mode.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Not entirely on topic but when browsing for ebooks sometimes it's hard to find new authors - the one thing with a bookstore there is a visual aspect.

Amazon et al do an interesting attempt with "what others bought"...this is a bit more codified

Came across this interesting bit of interactive software.

Literature-Map: China Mielville

Let's you find authors who might appeal based on those you already know and like.

and another eBook site...
ebooksshares.org. :: Login


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## SteeleCratos (May 30, 2010)

Anyone have any idea when we can buy books on the ibookstore? I went to the apple store and they had a whole catalogue of books available on the ibookstore on their display iPads. 

Toronto Ontario BTW.


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## egremont (Jun 14, 2009)

*eBooks - audio books on iPodTouch question*

My library recently added OverDrive to their electronic library choices. It is suggested in the information that iPodTouch can be used to download Audiobooks. Must be setup for Windows and have recent itunes.

Wondering if any Audio book user has tried this ? Curious if this means that you must still use a Windows pc for this or a virtual Windows on your Mac ?

Thanks


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

egremont said:


> My library recently added OverDrive to their electronic library choices. It is suggested in the information that iPodTouch can be used to download Audiobooks. Must be setup for Windows and have recent itunes.
> 
> Wondering if any Audio book user has tried this ? Curious if this means that you must still use a Windows pc for this or a virtual Windows on your Mac ?
> 
> Thanks


Depending on how you do it, virtual windows is windows. (ie. Parallels, bootcamp, etc are but crossover and wine may not be)

Good luck. Let us know how it works.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

egremont said:


> My library recently added OverDrive to their electronic library choices. It is suggested in the information that iPodTouch can be used to download Audiobooks. Must be setup for Windows and have recent itunes.
> 
> Wondering if any Audio book user has tried this ? Curious if this means that you must still use a Windows pc for this or a virtual Windows on your Mac ?
> 
> Thanks


Our library also has Overdrive and I use it often. I have VMWare Fusion running WinXP and it works well.

OverDrive also has an app and you can check out an MP3 audiobook and download it directly to your iPod Touch. The app needs work, but it's another option.

Margaret


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

winwintoo said:


> Question about readers on iPad. I stopped at Best Buy again today to play with the iPad. I tried the iBooks app and was pretty impressed. I like how when you turn it landscape you get two pages - like a paperback.
> 
> I didn't try any other reader app, does anyone know if the other reader apps on iPad do the same thing?
> 
> ...


Barnes & Noble iPad app does this. Also allows you to add notes or look up directly from wikipedia and one other site by selecting text. You can add bookmarks, change fonts, font size and text and page colours. Not a bad app. 

The thing I don't like is getting a start page full sample books which I can't seem to delete. It seems like a storefront concept that you jump into anytime you go to your bookshelf. If you are reading a book the app opens to the book. If you are not it opens to the shelf loaded up with a mix of your books and sample pieces to check out and maybe buy.


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## techgirl (May 14, 2010)

winwintoo said:


> Our library also has Overdrive and I use it often. I have VMWare Fusion running WinXP and it works well.
> 
> OverDrive also has an app and you can check out an MP3 audiobook and download it directly to your iPod Touch. The app needs work, but it's another option.
> 
> Margaret


I just realized the Bc library system has ebooks but I can't figure out how to read them on iPad. I tried dragging them into iTunes but that didn't work. Has anyone had any success?


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

techgirl said:


> I just realized the Bc library system has ebooks but I can't figure out how to read them on iPad. I tried dragging them into iTunes but that didn't work. Has anyone had any success?


If you library uses OverDrive, the ebooks won't work on an iPad. I found it somewhere in the FAQ files on their site. You can download and read ebooks from them on a Mac, but it's not a pleasant experience. They list Sony readers and the Barnes and Noble Nook as being compatible.

OverDrive audiobooks play nice with iPods (and probably iPads) but you need Windows to download them and transfer them to the iPod (or iPad). 

Margaret


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## Mmawji (Jun 15, 2010)

*New member*

New to ipad and ehMac but long time eeeaader. Recently downloaded kobo. Love the selection and great layout. Anyone one else try this app?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Welcome .....there was a bit of discussion on the Kobo Reader and Kobo earlier in this thread.
I enjoy both.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

techgirl said:


> I just realized the Bc library system has ebooks but I can't figure out how to read them on iPad. I tried dragging them into iTunes but that didn't work. Has anyone had any success?


BC Library eBooks are just regular DRM protected PDF or ePubs... I think Stanza might be able to handle DRM protected eBooks. How I'm not sure, you'll have to check into it.

With my Kobo eReader, eBooks from the library are a breeze.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

dona83 said:


> BC Library eBooks are just regular DRM protected PDF or ePubs... I think Stanza might be able to handle DRM protected eBooks. How I'm not sure, you'll have to check into it.
> 
> With my Kobo eReader, eBooks from the library are a breeze.


Ah, I was thinking you had a download service like we have here in Saskatchewan. The service is contracted with a company called OverDrive which supplies audiobooks and ebooks by the same publishers as you would find at Chapters or Amazon. It's a good service except for the whole Windows thing.

Margaret


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## egremont (Jun 14, 2009)

Yesterday was a hot humid nasty day so I spent part of it installing VirtualBox with*Windows XP on my beloved iMac. Works to download audio books via OverDrive through my area library system. Making me think seriously about buying an iPod Touch. 
Would the 8 GB model be adequate for a audio book downloader? Allowing for all the other neat apps that can be downloaded. Especially interested in a plant id app that I saw. Unfortunately, you can't point the iTouch at the flower and it will name that flower!
I would like a larger display of my windows and wondering if there are greater options for adjusting this using Parallels or VMFusion? Allow for faster viewing of books available for downloading.

thanks


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

egremont said:


> Yesterday was a hot humid nasty day so I spent part of it installing VirtualBox with*Windows XP on my beloved iMac. Works to download audio books via OverDrive through my area library system. Making me think seriously about buying an iPod Touch.
> Would the 8 GB model be adequate for a audio book downloader? Allowing for all the other neat apps that can be downloaded. Especially interested in a plant id app that I saw. Unfortunately, you can't point the iTouch at the flower and it will name that flower!
> I would like a larger display of my windows and wondering if there are greater options for adjusting this using Parallels or VMFusion? Allow for faster viewing of books available for downloading.
> 
> thanks


Sorry you waited so long for an answer. 8GB is plenty for OverDrive books 'cuz you're supposed to delete them after 7 days (or whatever time your library allows) and when you plug in next time to add the next book, it will delete the previous one for you if the time has expired - that's how it works for me at least.

Margaret


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Is it just me?

I finally bought a book through iBooks and it is slow as molasses - compared to Stanza.

Also in Stanza you can lock the screen orientation so that it's not switching every time you move you hand - iBooks takes forever to switch (if you intend for it to switch) and needs to re-paginate every time. Page turning is sluggish, cant adjust line spacing .... need I continue? 

On the other hand, I was able to find pdfs of my transit schedules and open them in iBooks so I'll have them handy when I'm out and about. 

Margaret


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## Izzy (Apr 14, 2008)

winwintoo said:


> Is it just me?
> 
> I finally bought a book through iBooks and it is slow as molasses - compared to Stanza.


Margaret, I assume your using iBooks on the iPhone? I'm not having any of the issues you describe on my iPad. It's fast and I can flip through pages quickly.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Izzy said:


> Margaret, I assume your using iBooks on the iPhone? I'm not having any of the issues you describe on my iPad. It's fast and I can flip through pages quickly.


Sorry I should have said - iPod Touch 2gen.

I might have complained prematurely. Maybe it was just getting organized with the book and I was already trying to read it. I'll give it another try.

Glad it's working well on the iPad - I'm still thinking about getting one.

Margaret


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## Izzy (Apr 14, 2008)

I've got an iPhone 3GS and an iPad and there is no comparison between the two when in comes to speed. The iPad just flies. Everything from pinch to zoom to page flips are faster. The faster processor makes a big difference. 

I can't recommend the iPad highly enough but an e-ink device is still better for reading. I've read a complete book on the iPad and the experience was acceptable but for all day reading, I think I'd prefer a Kindle.


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## Guest (Jul 5, 2010)

Not just you Margaret, iBooks on my iPhone 3G/iOS4 is painfully slow. On my iPad however it's great. One thing that's been driving me crazy going back and forth from iPad to the iPhone though is that iBooks is syncing too much .. I don't want the same font options synced to both devices! The iPhone fonts get teeny and the iPad fonts get giant, and as you say winwintoo ... the iPhone is pretty painful when re-rendering/paginating everything.

The pricing in the canadian iBooks store and lack of availability in what I want to read is killing me though ... so far the canadian iBooks store has been quite a letdown.


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## egremont (Jun 14, 2009)

winwintoo said:


> Sorry you waited so long for an answer. 8GB is plenty for OverDrive books 'cuz you're supposed to delete them after 7 days (or whatever time your library allows) and when you plug in next time to add the next book, it will delete the previous one for you if the time has expired - that's how it works for me at least.
> 
> Margaret


I did not word my posting very well. I am aware of the 7 or 14 day loan period for books. 

I know, that if I purchase a iPod touch unit I will be very tempted by the available apps and still want lots of space for audio books. I connected to your local Overdrive and the selection seems more current than my local library is offering. This is just recent so it may take awhile for demand to warrant a more recent selection.

I have found the VirtualBox is working really well and by going onto the forum on the site was able to find a solution to the working display window sizing. Best of all, there is no smoke when the "windows" tune plays at opening.

I think I will wait until the "back to school" specials to decide on size of unit.

Thanks for your input and answers.


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## wonderings (Jun 10, 2003)

Not happy with the prices for iBooks, I am giving the Kindle a look on my iPad. Am I missing something here? When I want to browse books it puts me to safari opening the website. Is this the only way to browse books? No in kindle app way of shopping for books?


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

On my iPod Touch, the Kindle app also puts me into Safari to search for and purchase books.

Margaret


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

wonderings said:


> Not happy with the prices for iBooks, I am giving the Kindle a look on my iPad. Am I missing something here? When I want to browse books it puts me to safari opening the website. Is this the only way to browse books? No in kindle app way of shopping for books?


You're not missing anything... that's how it works.

Also, check out Kobo as well for books.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I like seeing who is cheapest between Kobo and Kindle - competition is good 

••

This helps Kobo

New software update


> This release includes improvements for reading 3rd party ePub files (text resizing),


more here
Kobo Customer Care


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Kindle responds - lower prices and now an interesting situation. Still one handed.
Screen size definitely helps reading.
Free 3g is a good hook IF it allows access to web and gmail/webmail.










The New Kindle DX

Amazon.com: Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 9.7" Display, Graphite, 3G Works…

With free 3g wireless in most of the world and a text web browser this then becomes a very interesting machine at $389

If it accesses Googlemail and GoogleApps there is some limited content creation and it does have the QERTY Keyboard.

They also now met the $150 price point on the original










Kindle Available for $150 In One-Day Woot Sale


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

The new screen in the DX is apparently amazing. Faster page redraws and much better contrast (black is actually black). The browser is still the same useless monster it has always been though. While the price for the DX is still high for a "uni-tasker" we're considering Kindles for family members who don't want iPads but want an ereader. We can all register with a single account and share books.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

But the Kindle's lack of industry standard ePub support is a boatload of fail.


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## robert (Sep 26, 2002)

Can you load pdfs directly on to your kindle? From what I am seeing, they charge you to add files to your Kindle.
I think I'd pass on that point alone.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

You certainly can on the Kobo which is a good benefit - you can load in a lot via the card reader. 4 gig I think.


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## FishWheels (Jul 19, 2004)

I really like the iPad, it gives me many client apps for reading. Stanza, iBooks, Kindle, and more… My biggest problem I've found was when I looked to start reading a series of books example, The Dark Tower by Stephen King. I can purchase V, VI, and VII. I can't fined anywhere the beginning books. Short of google search which brings up pirated copies, that I don't want! The books don't seem to be available in Canada. I don't know anything about the publishing business but I wish they would get their act together, they're losing sales.


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## hexcalibur (May 27, 2010)

I hear you, man. I was trying to find some of the books in the Dresden Files series, but without a US-based credit card it's impossible. As an experiment I located the whole series via a bittorrent server and downloaded them all inside of 10 minutes. That was after almost an hour of trying to force B&N, Amazon and Kobo to TAKE my money and sell me the epub version of one of the books. 

But that's not an Apple problem, that's a Canadian book publisher problem. They're shooting themselves in the foot so often it's just a matter of time before they bleed to death and then we will have some players in the digital book space who *get it*.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

hexcalibur said:


> I hear you, man. I was trying to find some of the books in the Dresden Files series, but without a US-based credit card it's impossible. As an experiment I located the whole series via a bittorrent server and downloaded them all inside of 10 minutes. That was after almost an hour of trying to force B&N, Amazon and Kobo to TAKE my money and sell me the epub version of one of the books.
> 
> But that's not an Apple problem, that's a Canadian book publisher problem. They're shooting themselves in the foot so often it's just a matter of time before they bleed to death and then we will have some players in the digital book space who *get it*.


The same has been true of audiobooks from Audible.com. They will have number 1 & 2 in a series and then miss the next couple and maybe the latest one. Very annoying. In one case, I found a book (in English) on the Audible German website, but the same book does not appear on any of the English speaking Audible sites. Strange.

Margaret


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## Guest (Jul 19, 2010)

Yep it seems that some publishers are reluctant to release any of their material on the Canadian iBooks store, and others are only releasing selected ones (and missing others in the same series). I'm a big sci-fi and fantasy fan and I haven't seen ANY Tor books on the Canadian iBooks store yet, which is depressing for my reading pleasure


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I've gone back to reading on the iPad ( we have a spare about ) and really hve a bit of trouble with it to get a comfortable position and have an issue with the touch screen page flipping.

Still prefer the MacBook Pro at night and the eReader in the day.

Love the iPad for other things but not so much for reading.

Are there apps on the iPad that restrict the touch area to a small area?
My hands get sore holding anything in a single position and I tend to shift about - and then end up hitting some part of the touch screen. 

Both the Kobo and MPB are easier on my hands and easier to position comfortably.

I suspect a cover on the iPad would help.

I got a cheap Air so that might be the cost effective intermediate solution tho I am concerned about battery life......sigh..

I do like the amount of text in the iPad screen held vertically tho I find the text a bit "fine" ( high dot pitch has some down side. )
Have not looked at using a different font.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2010)

MacDoc: An apple case made the world of difference for me with the iPad, had the same problems as you when reading.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Which one?


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2010)

The official Apple iPad case.


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## FishWheels (Jul 19, 2004)

I got this case the price was good and it's great for reading laying on your side in bed.
Black Netbook Leather Cube Case for Apple iPad Tablet - Meritline.com

Rod


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Looks good and price is right. :clap:


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I finally decided to buy an iPad so I made a deal with my grandson to give him my MacBook in exchange for his netbook (which I need for some business stuff) and I took my aging PowerBook in for repairs.

Then I went to BestBuy and FutureShop only to discover that neither had any 16GB iPads and none are on order. Hmmmm.

I pondered that for a few moments and realized that there will likely be a bump soon so I socked my money away to wait.

Then Amazon announced a new $139 Kindle so this morning I decided to order one only to discover they are sold out and the next shipment is expected in September. Hmmmm.

Fortunately, the netbook is proving to be a pretty comfortable reader so I'll continue to read on it.

And the old PowerBook? I bought it new a few years ago and love this computer. The keyboard is much more comfortable for me than the MacBook and while the MacBook was newer, it never seemed to have the same classy "feel" of the PowerBook.

Margaret


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## egremont (Jun 14, 2009)

*ebook and netbooks*

Afternoon Winwintoo - Margaret

I have considered posting a question to you about the netbook when you mentioned it last week, and wondering if you are using it to download from OverDrive and Net library. I am still considering my options. 

I have installed VirtualBox on my iMac with Windows XP SP2 and of course downloaded the Windows Player 11. My old xp unit is acting up and is so slow that I am considering a change. 

Have thought of a netbook or windows laptop to take care of all things windows. 

Have you used the netbook to download audio books to your ipod touch ? That is one of my other considerations. I only want audio books. I am willing to wait "books" via my local library. Do like the option of ebooks if I was going to travel.

Thanks


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

egremont said:


> Afternoon Winwintoo - Margaret
> 
> I have considered posting a question to you about the netbook when you mentioned it last week, and wondering if you are using it to download from OverDrive and Net library. I am still considering my options.
> 
> ...


Our library uses Overdrive. We used to have Netlibrary but there was a switch a few months ago.

When I saw your question, I tried to download from Overdrive and once I downloaded their software and iTunes, it all went smoothly. I loaded the book onto an iPod Nano, not the iPod Touch because the Nano was closer to me 

The process was smooth but took a lonnnng time. This netbook is no speed demon, but it got the job done.

I used VMFusion on my MacBook for downloading Overdrive books and it worked fine - and a lot quicker than with this netbook so if you have that working, I'd just stick with that unless you have a real need for a Windows machine and if that's the case, a netbook probably won't meet your needs.

In my hands it's a toy but I wouldn't want to do any serious work with it.

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I'm actually considering the Kindle DX due to the free books on Kindle and the larger screen plus 3g access to books worldwide....that is persuasive but need the price to be more in the $200 range.

I'm reading most on the 15" MacBook pro since now the battery life is up close to the iPad and my reading speed is very quick on the 15" screen....would be even better on the hi-rez anti-glare.
It's looking more and more like that will be the Africa machine for me along with the iPod.

17 will not fit my back pack and I'd like the extra real estate of the hi-rez 15 without the extra weight and size of the 17.

I am seeing limitations on Kobo as far as choice and freebies go


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I haven't yet bought an iPad - rumours of new iPod Touch and iPad announcements mid-August has convinced me to wait. 

In the meantime, I did some googling and found eeeRotate which rotates the screen making it more like holding a book. Works fine.

Apparently some netbooks let you rotate the screen by Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys

eeeRotate also rotates the trackpad, but that doesn't work on my netbook and trying to navigate with the screen rotated is pretty much a non-starter. I use a wireless mouse to turn pages and that works well.

Just saying. I'm probably the last person to learn this trick, but thought I'd share just in case.

Margaret


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2010)

While you will see a new iPod touch announcement it's extremely unlikely that you'll see a new iPad this early in the game.

I'm still very happy with my iPad as a reader, as long as you're not trying to read all day long in bright sunlight (which I don't do so it's not a problem for me).


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

winwintoo said:


> I pondered that for a few moments and realized that there will likely be a bump soon so I socked my money away to wait.


You may be waiting as long as a year. I do not believe the iPad will get any sort of bump until next year, possibly on their anniversary (April 2011). Apple can't even make enough of the current models to meet demand, they are extremely unlikely to tinker with it for a while at the rate that it is currently selling (which will only snowball as we head towards xmas).


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Thanks mguertin and Chas_m - I've seen a few rumours too about an announcement on Aug. 16. I might wait until then unless I get tired of waiting before then 

I hope you are both right. I'm itching to get my hands on one.

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I'm really tempted on the KindleDX graphite since I'm using the Kindle Store more these days.
It's more for the size than anything.
Given what I spend on books a year getting the correct size is a key factor for me and the 3g aspect a good thing.

I guess I should spring for a case for the iPad tho as I'm still not comfortable with it's handling bare nekkid. :heybaby:












> *Kindle DX (Graphite)
> *
> By Melissa J. Perenson, PC World - August 3, 2010
> 
> ...


Getting more and more into the eBooks.










$15.88 with my iRewards discount

$8.99 on Kobo....starts to add up.


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## phphreak (Jul 7, 2008)

I've found that Calibre doesn't do a good job at converting PDFs to ePub format for the iPhone. It does a great job for iPads, however. Can anyone help with an alternative program to Calibre? Until then, I'll use GoodReader for my PDF reading, as it works better than iBooks for PDF reading.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Just learning the tricks with Adobe Digital Editions - trying to share some editions with my daughter

Adobe - Digital Editions

Do like how Kobo allows Editions to covert to ePub and I like the double page reading that results

Editions Library









and Editions ePub look on a 15" Macbook Pro ( 60% of real size )










I've been struggling a bit with the KOBO software moving between computers - had some serious surgery today but ended up all well after some hoop jumping for synching.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

I just got an Aluratek Libre Pro (had some coupons from Best Buy that were about to expire, and thought, what the hey?) and I have to say it's pretty good. I've been able to load on a couple of .pdf documents for work, but one didn't take properly and is only partly readable. 

The size and weight is good for one-handed reading, and it's easy to switch from portrait to landscape mode. The screen is very clear, and once the book is loaded, it responds very quickly. The pictures of the product make it look clunkier than it is in person. In some ways, it's almost Mac-like in how it behaves. 

I haven't purchased any ebooks, yet, but that'll be coming soon! So far it's been a good, affordable e-book reader option.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Does not seem much larger than the iPod Touch which clocks in at $189 at times.
Still as a freebie or near why not.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

Believe me, MacDoc, as a happy owner of an iPod Touch, I can assure you that the Libre is larger. The screen is about 5.5 inches, considerably larger than the iPod Touch. That being said, it is NOT an iPad or a computer substitute. It's a (so far) solid book reader that can also play mp3s, and display illustrations.

But, then, that's all I wanted at this point!


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

K - hard to tell from the illustration and too lazy to look it up....


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## phphreak (Jul 7, 2008)

The iPhone 4 is more than adequate for reading non-illustrated books. It's very easy to hold and a pleasure to read ePub books on.


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## Chris (Feb 8, 2001)

MacDoc said:


> K - hard to tell from the illustration and too lazy to look it up....


:lmao:

Your confusion is understandable, then! And your honesty, refreshing! :clap:


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

On occasion clients tell me my honesty hurts...


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I am now the proud owner of an iPad!


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

cool.....keep us posted on the eReading experience as we just sold our demo iPad.

Time for a Kindle DX I think. 

I'm getting frustrated with eReading on the lappie as it desynchs each time I switch machines and Adobe Digital Editions SUCKS in that regard.


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

I've just recently begun reading on the iPad, I am impressed and really enjoying the experience. I have a ton of books loaded onto it, and the iBooks app is simply great. My bookmarks automatically sync to my iPhone, so I can continue exactly where I was, (perfect for a quick read but not recommend for too long). This feature alone is worth it for me. 

All in all, I am finally enjoying the iPad to it's fullest potentials after owning it for a few months. Now if only they could slap on a retina display on this puppy


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Rounder said:


> I've just recently begun reading on the iPad, I am impressed and really enjoying the experience. I have a ton of books loaded onto it, and the iBooks app is simply great. My bookmarks automatically sync to my iPhone, so I can continue exactly where I was, (perfect for a quick read but not recommend for too long). This feature alone is worth it for me.
> 
> All in all, I am finally enjoying the iPad to it's fullest potentials after owning it for a few months. Now if only they could slap on a retina display on this puppy


As I was signing the Mastercard bill today, I was overcome with a sinking feeling that a new model with a retina display and half the weight would be announced tomorrow 

But so far I'm enjoying mine. I did a bit of reading in the Kindle app and the only problem is that I wish I could adjust the width of the text - my old eyes get tired tracking that far but I'm sure I can do that in lots of the other apps so when my library of Kindle books gets down a bit, I'll try Stanza or iBooks.

And I'll have to learn to type all over again. Every computer/phone/iDevice has a different keyboard and requires a further learning curve. sigh.

Margaret


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## phphreak (Jul 7, 2008)

winwintoo said:


> As I was signing the Mastercard bill today, I was overcome with a sinking feeling that a new model with a retina display and half the weight would be announced tomorrow
> 
> But so far I'm enjoying mine. I did a bit of reading in the Kindle app and the only problem is that I wish I could adjust the width of the text - my old eyes get tired tracking that far but I'm sure I can do that in lots of the other apps so when my library of Kindle books gets down a bit, I'll try Stanza or iBooks.
> 
> ...


You can feel safe in the knowledge that there will be a new iPad I less than 12 months that will make all generation 1 iPad owners feel sad.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

This might better be posted in another thread, but this one was handy.

There has been some discussion about how to support the iPad on one's lap. I've had this Targus CoolPadhttp://http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.aspx?sku=pa241u for quite awhile and didn't use it. I have to say it's the perfect thing for the job.

Sorry for the messy link, still learning how to copy/paste

Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Stands | PA241U | by Targus


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Two birds with one stone - so to speak!

When I talked to my son about getting an iPad, he asked if he could buy my iPod Touch from me. I thought he was joking, but apparently he was serious. I asked him not to reformat it for a while because it still has stuff on it that I want. 

He took it home and started fiddling with it, found the Kindle app and started reading - he's hooked. I'm hoping a newer iPod Touch will have a better battery life though - the one we have is really bad.

In other news, I love my iPad for reading. The Targus Coolpad pictured above works well for holding the iPad on my lap.

And I've found a few RSS feeds for free books etc. I'll post them on the free books thread.

I was a bit remorseful about paying $130 more for the 3G version of iPad but the next day, SaskTel announced their 3G plan, so the extra money doesn't seem that wasteful now.

I'm a happy camper. Now if I could just get somebody to come in to clean, cook and do laundry, life would be perfect.

Margaret


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## lang (Jun 9, 2010)

It's a little off topic, but does anyone know of Online eBook retailers (other than the Apple Store/iTunes) that offer some sort of eBook gifting? 

I want to give my father a credit to by some ebooks online but Chapters/Indigo don't appear to be set up for that and I'd prefer to stay away from the prepaid Visa/Mastercards as that's a little too impersonal. 

Thanks in advance!


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## robert (Sep 26, 2002)

So, now that the dust has settled and y'all have tried out all the various devices, what would you recommend for an e-reader. Just for reading books and PDF files.

And on that note, anyone have one for sale that they don't need/want anymore?

Robert


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## psycosis (Mar 29, 2005)

robert said:


> So, now that the dust has settled and y'all have tried out all the various devices, what would you recommend for an e-reader. Just for reading books and PDF files.
> 
> And on that note, anyone have one for sale that they don't need/want anymore?
> 
> Robert


If you ONLY want to read e-books, Kindle 3 is the best. For PDF files, it depends on the PDF you want to view, if the text is nice and big (PDF of books), the Kindle 3 does a great job. If the PDF text is small (technical journals, research papers etc), the Kindle DX does a great job too.


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## robert (Sep 26, 2002)

How does the Kindle play with a mac? 
Is it fully supported for mac users?
How do you load files onto it? Drag and drop?
It will be used for book reading and journals, so text sizing would be good.
Thanks for the help so far.
Robert


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## psycosis (Mar 29, 2005)

robert said:


> How does the Kindle play with a mac?
> Is it fully supported for mac users?
> How do you load files onto it? Drag and drop?
> It will be used for book reading and journals, so text sizing would be good.
> ...


For books, all the interactions with the Kindle store can be done right on the device. No need to connect to a computer. If you want to load your own files, once plugged in to the computer, the Kindle appears as a drive.

At this point I use an app called Calibre to load pdf/books onto the Kindle. Calibre is a simple to use app, but looks kind of ugly. You can also drag and drop files yourself in to the drive. 

If journals (with diagrams or small text that requires zooming in and out quickly) are very important for you, an iPad may be better for you since it allows for easier control of the pdf, and the price difference between the Kindle DX and iPad is not huge ($120).


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I just picked up a Kindle DX refurb to take to Africa with me.
It's very early in the try out but a couple of comments.










Very straight forward to link with my existing Kindle Library residing on my MacBook Pro.
It synchs very well - if I read to a certain point on the DX and then switch to the mac it asks if I want to go to the last page I read on the DX

That's a weakness with Kobo.

The Kobo is much lighter and more portable and in my opinion the screen is better with a better white background.
I have not tried the DX in the sun but expect it will be excellent.
*The big plus with the DX is the amount of text as well as the screen size and rotation for landscape. *
There are a number of spacing, font and margin options so you can customize your word count to your best reading speed.
The greater text amount brings it into line with reading a hardcover but with less issue of holding the book open.
The Kobo page turner is a far better implementation - the DX bar for flipping pages is a bit awkward 

There is a review here
Kindle DX Review 2010 Kindle Review – Kindle 3 Review, iPad Review

I guess my ideal unit would be a combination of the two readers.

I have yet to try the music option on the DX.
Loadable docs are a good thing - and the big screen helps always.
I could do without the keyboard and the power plug is in an awkward spot but then it's not used all that often.
At under $300 in a refurb it's more sophisticated by far.
I see the need for the keyboard as it allows searching in the Kindle Store - response is good.

Spooky how easy it is to purchase books - Just bought People of the Mist for 89¢ - readers liked the book and some extensive reader reviews.
The People of the Mist Kindle Books Reviews

Talk about kid in a kandy shop


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

> *
> 
> 
> *Japan's Sharp to start e-book business in December*
> ...




That's pretty sizeable unit.....we like competition


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## robert (Sep 26, 2002)

Looks thick as all get out. Wonder what the depth is? The shadow on her arm is about the same size as her finger, so maybe 1/2" thick?


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

robert said:


> Looks thick as all get out. Wonder what the depth is? The shadow on her arm is about the same size as her finger, so maybe 1/2" thick?


looks like 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep. 

And I thought the iPad was too heavy to be used as a book reader long term. This thing is going to be a monster.

Seriously considering a Kindle or Kobo for the weight and easy reading in the sun.


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## flashPUNK (Oct 25, 2004)

I had a kindle for a few weeks while on a cross Canada trip. They're great devices, the free wireless 3g was awesome ( though only accessable where cell signal is available - Northern Ontario is a bitch!).

I sold my kindle, only because I found I wasnt' using it as much as I would have liked.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

wow......far faster than I would have anticipated...



> Kindle is mightier than the book, for Amazon at least
> 20:04 30 January 2011
> Kindle
> Technology
> ...


One Per Cent: Kindle is mightier than the book, for Amazon at least


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I know that I've purchased far more Kindle books than I would have purchases in paperbacks in the same time frame.

Have you noticed that now when you download a PDF in Safari on the iPad, it asks you what app to open it in? Don't blink or you'll miss the toolbar with the choices, but if you're looking at a PDF in Safari, tap at the top right hand corner of the PDF and it should appear. Nice feature.

Margaret

Edit: I also downloaded a book in ePub format from Project Gutenberg and Safari asked what to open it with. This is getting better and better.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

In other news, Apple rejected Sony eReader app because books purchased do not go through Apple's standard in-app payment system. So the question is, how does this affect Kobo and Kindle's app?


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

dona83 said:


> In other news, Apple rejected Sony eReader app because books purchased do not go through Apple's standard in-app payment system. So the question is, how does this affect Kobo and Kindle's app?


I read this morning on Engadget that the difference with Kindle (and Kobo?) is that they take you to a website outside the app so it's the same as if you went there in safari without using the app. The Sony app was going to use the same in app purchase function as some games do where you can unlock features or buy more features from inside the app.

That sort of makes sense, but how they're gonna square that with apps like Zinio where you buy magazines from inside the app is a mystery.

Margaret


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

Kobo allows you to purchase books from within the app itself. Not using Apple's functions as far as I can tell but I don't have to leave the Kobo app to buy a book. 

The Nook reader app kicks you out to a Safari page. Barnes & Noble also has a store app that isn't a reader.

Haven't looked much into Stanza purchases or Google Books yet. 

It looks like it's all over the map in terms of purchasing options.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Macified said:


> Kobo allows you to purchase books from within the app itself. Not using Apple's functions as far as I can tell but I don't have to leave the Kobo app to buy a book.
> 
> The Nook reader app kicks you out to a Safari page. Barnes & Noble also has a store app that isn't a reader.
> 
> ...


In Kobo, you browse the catalog inside the app, but when you click "Buy", it kicks you out to Safari so the payment isn't handled by the app store.

The Kindle app also kicks you out to Safari.

I think Apple's beef is with in app purchases of books is that they don't want to process those millions of transaction for book stores.

Margaret


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## crawford (Oct 8, 2005)

winwintoo said:


> In Kobo, you browse the catalog inside the app, but when you click "Buy", it kicks you out to Safari so the payment isn't handled by the app store.
> 
> The Kindle app also kicks you out to Safari.
> 
> ...


Margaret:

It's the opposite. The Kindle app kicks you out to Safari to avoid paying Apple their commission. Apple certainly does have the capacity to handle those transactions. Apple may be looking to strong-arm Amazon into running the purchases through the app store so that Apple can take their cut. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

crawford said:


> Margaret:
> 
> It's the opposite. The Kindle app kicks you out to Safari to avoid paying Apple their commission. Apple certainly does have the capacity to handle those transactions. Apple may be looking to strong-arm Amazon into running the purchases through the app store so that Apple can take their cut. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.


Thanks for correcting my error. The first news that I read about the Sony app seemed to be saying what I said above, and later reports were contradictory. I realize now that you are right. 

Margaret


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## kschur (Feb 9, 2011)

*Reader Gift*

What is the best reader for use with the library? I don't want to buy my daughter as many books as she now reads from the library! Thanks in advance!


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

kschur said:


> What is the best reader for use with the library? I don't want to buy my daughter as many books as she now reads from the library! Thanks in advance!


First of all, make sure that your library offers appropriate books. Our library doesn't have many.

Second, check the website for the service that your library uses. Overdrive is one such service, but there are others. If you go to overdrive.com for example, they have a list of compatible devices.

In other news, the BestBuy flyer today had the Kobo reader for $69. The BestBuy website says they are out of stock, and that the offer is Internet only. So they might be confused and they may or may not have any at that price. If you're close to a BestBuy, it might be worth checking out. I wonder how you can tell if a Kobo is one of the newer ones, or if it's from the first batch that didn't work well.

Margaret


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

They're all first gen Kobos... of what gen I'm not sure but they probably work better than before?

My first gen Kobo works just fine.


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## maximusbibicus (Feb 25, 2002)

I tried doing a search on this but came up with nothing...please don't flame if this has been asked before. 

Is there a way to read .epub files on my Mac? I read them on my iPhone but its so darn small.....and not ready to take the plunge on an iPad....yet. 

Thanks.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

maximusbibicus said:


> I tried doing a search on this but came up with nothing...please don't flame if this has been asked before.
> 
> Is there a way to read .epub files on my Mac? I read them on my iPhone but its so darn small.....and not ready to take the plunge on an iPad....yet.
> 
> Thanks.


The short answer is "yes". Depending where you got the ePub from. Some are DRM'd and need to be read in a proprietary reader application. 

I don't know if this has all been discussed here, but if you do a google for something like "read ePub on Mac" and you'll find lots of info.

Kindle has an application for Mac, then there are apps like Stanza and calibre. Adobe also has an app. Calibre converts eBooks - it's pretty simple to use.

All these apps are free.

Take care, Margaret


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## Macified (Sep 18, 2003)

OverDrive library e-book reader now optimized for iPad | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Macified said:


> OverDrive library e-book reader now optimized for iPad | Tablets | iOS Central | Macworld


Works good! Thanks for the link.

Margaret


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## maximusbibicus (Feb 25, 2002)

winwintoo said:


> The short answer is "yes". Depending where you got the ePub from. Some are DRM'd and need to be read in a proprietary reader application.
> 
> I don't know if this has all been discussed here, but if you do a google for something like "read ePub on Mac" and you'll find lots of info.
> 
> ...


Thanks!


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## maximusbibicus (Feb 25, 2002)

I downloaded the Adobe app as it seems to be the most visually appealing. We'll see how functional it is.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

maximusbibicus said:


> I downloaded the Adobe app as it seems to be the most visually appealing. We'll see how functional it is.


I should have mentioned, there are different flavors of ePub - there doesn't seem to be a standard so depending on where you got the ePub from, you might not be able to read it in the Adobe app which AFIK only reads their proprietary format. 

You might be better off with Stanza.

Good luck, Margaret


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Thought I would revive this with Kindle moving to Cloud it certain makes for a flexible structure.

I just tried the Kindle Cloud app 

https://read.amazon.com/

Combines with Safari to give better control over font and screen layout.
Noticed there is book lending as well.

I still use Kobo a bit as I'm having difficulty with the Kindle app on Lion but the Cloud version solves that nicely.

Had some frustrations with Kindle losing authorization but that seems fixed now - I suspect it was not at the user end where the problem lay.

Friends speak highly of Nook.










> Barnes & Noble Nook E-Reader
> With a vast catalog of titles, instant over-the-air downloads, and a nifty second touch-screen color display, the Nook gives the Amazon Kindle a serious run for its money. And a newly added $149 Wi-Fi only model only helps to narrow that divide.


What have people settled on??

I'm Air and MacBook Pro entirely - no physical reader and mostly Kindle by 30:1 in purchases.


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## Guest (Aug 20, 2011)

MacDoc said:


> What have people settled on??
> 
> I'm Air and MacBook Pro entirely - no physical reader and mostly Kindle by 30:1 in purchases.


I'm reading almost exclusively from a Kindle 3 now. Added a rechargeable book light to it and it does everything I need now. I don't read much from my iPad anymore, but when I do I've been using the Kindle app. The iBook store was a huge disappointment which is too bad as the iBook app is great. The killer for me is that the iPad is just not capable as a reader in bright daylight (it's not capable of much besides a good paperweight in bright daylight). In fact I doubt I'll be upgrading my iPad for a long while, if at all. iPad was great for the first year but since I got a 13" MBP I barely use it.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I actually don't do much reading with my eyes any more. I prefer to listen while I draw or {don't tell anybody} play solitaire on my iPad. Having eye surgery soon so maybe I'll try reading again.

Audible.com has a decent iPhone app and it works on my iPad too. You download purchased books directly to the app - no computer required.

I have found another use for kindle books. I've been learning to draw with the help of online tutorials etc. But sometimes you just want a real book. But the books aren't cheap so ordering sight unseen is a bit of a risk. I've found a lot of books I'm interested in also have kindle editions. Before I order, I buy the kindle edition - most are less than half the price of the printed book - if I like what I see in the kindle version, I can order the printed book from amazon with cheap shipping.

Sounds like a waste of money? Maybe, but prices locally at chapters are about double amazon so my way is cheaper in the long run than buying at chapters where I can see the book. 

I also checked out the cloud for reading and like it, but since I use my iPad for all my computering, the kindle app serves just as well.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

I might try a reader again as it does bug me outside but I'm most often working and reading at the same time so two devices seemed overkill and for a while there Kindle was king of misbehavior - not sure what they sorted out but I and others were having trouble when switching ISP you would have to reinstall and download again.
They finally seem to have it sorted.

I'd only go with the tabloid tho - I find the small ones annoying as I read fast and they have too little content per page.
I did like the tabloid Kindle I had and likely the newer screen is even better.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2011)

I'll bring my smaller one for you to try next time I'm, in the area MacDoc.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Wasn't there a recent brouhaha about amazon prices vs iBook prices?

Today, I checked the price of Flash and Bones, new book by Kathy Reichs.

iBooks: $14.99
Kobo: $14.99
Amazon hardcover: $17.63

Kindle: $17.52

Huh?

Amazon can no longer sell books through their app, so they nearly double the price for the Kindle edition on their own website. AND the hardcover is only eleven cents more than the digital edition?

If the digital edition was over $17 everywhere, I could be convinced it was the publisher's fault, but not in this case.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2011)

winwintoo said:


> Wasn't there a recent brouhaha about amazon prices vs iBook prices?
> 
> Today, I checked the price of Flash and Bones, new book by Kathy Reichs.
> 
> ...


That's an odd one, it's usually been the other way around when I run into stuff like that, amazon is usually cheaper and/or has availability on it when others don't.

The iBooks store is sooooooo lame for my genre's of choice in Canada (sci-fi and fantasy). On the top charts right now are such books as The Hobbit (for $10.99), 1984 ($0.99) and The Lord of the Rings ($14.99). While those are all awesome books but it gives you an idea of the selections available if those are in the top 10 (hint: the selection is abysmal).

The kindle versions: The hobbit ($12.79), 1984 ($6.18) and The Lord of the Rings ($17.44) -- all more expensive than iBooks.

So you're right, even with those ones the kindle prices are higher. Maybe this is something new or I've just not noticed the prices creeping up on Amazon. At one point Amazon was cheaper for most things I looked at.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

_Flash and Bones (Temperance Brennan) by Kathy Reichs (Kindle Edition - Aug 23, 2011) - Kindle eBook
Buy: $12.99

Auto-delivered wirelessly_

You need to get set up with a US address Wintoo


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

what I WANT is the cover of the lappie to be a reader with 34 days of battery life


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> _Flash and Bones (Temperance Brennan) by Kathy Reichs (Kindle Edition - Aug 23, 2011) - Kindle eBook
> Buy: $12.99
> 
> Auto-delivered wirelessly_
> ...


My American relatives just moved to Moscow. Yes that Moscow.


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## Guest (Aug 24, 2011)

MacDoc said:


> what I WANT is the cover of the lappie to be a reader with 34 days of battery life


Duct tape a kindle to it?


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

It's a thought.

Just a tip for those reading extensively on the laptop .

I always wondered about the Sepia option in Kindle and have been using it lately as I trudge through Malazan Book of the Dead and find it does reduce glare and eye strain.
note screen shot makes it fuzzier than in reality.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Just a heads up. You probably already know, but just in case, the Kobo Mini eReader is on sale for $39.99. 

I got one from BestBuy on-line (free shipping) but as of yesterday, the local Walmart has some. Chapters and The Source are other places to get them.

Earlier in this thread, I complained about an early version of the Kobo ereader so I was a bit leery, but this one really gets the job done.

It suffers from ailments common to most eInk readers - screen flicker, hit and miss syncing etc. but for 40 bucks, I'm not complaining. I used it yesterday in bright sunlight on a long bus ride and the screen was perfect.


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## Gerk (Dec 21, 2012)

I'm still loving my Kindle Paperwhite. It's pretty much exactly what I've always wanted with an ebook reader since day one. Long battery life, great in light and dark, light doesn't kill the battery and is very even light coverage. It's also super light and small enough to still carry around easily. I read for at least an hour or three every day and I probably charge it once every other week or so, and that's with the light on all the time (at about 70% brightness). If you're using purchased kindle content the sync has been pretty reliable even across devices as well, so all-in-all no complaints. I've been reading ebooks since early in the Palm Pilot days and this is the best experience for me so far.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Gerk said:


> I'm still loving my Kindle Paperwhite. It's pretty much exactly what I've always wanted with an ebook reader since day one. Long battery life, great in light and dark, light doesn't kill the battery and is very even light coverage. It's also super light and small enough to still carry around easily. I read for at least an hour or three every day and I probably charge it once every other week or so, and that's with the light on all the time (at about 70% brightness). If you're using purchased kindle content the sync has been pretty reliable even across devices as well, so all-in-all no complaints. I've been reading ebooks since early in the Palm Pilot days and this is the best experience for me so far.


I'm probably going to get a Kindle Paperwhite as well because I have a lot of Kindle books as well. I've been reading on my iPad (heavy for long periods) and my iPhone (poor battery) plus you can't read on iThings in bright sunlight.


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## Gerk (Dec 21, 2012)

Yep sounds like you will enjoy it. The font rendering is great .. I prefer to have my fonts largish, I got used to reading on the width of a Palm Pilot screen and still really enjoy reading like that, only 5-8 words a line or so. Can read much faster that way and don't have to hold it right up in front of my face, can move it back some.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I also did a lot of reading on a Palm.

When I read on my iPhone, I use the kobo app set to scrolling and as you said, I make the font quite large and scrolling means my poor old eyes barely move. I wish all ereaders had a scrolling feature.


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## gochi123 (Jul 4, 2013)

asus eee note is a good device for ebooks.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I bought one of the new Kindle Paperwhites and am very pleased with the improvements over the original one. 

The new one has even light across the whole screen, the screen is brighter and text is crisper, and page turns are faster.

It isn't a "must have" upgrade. I bought it as a gift for my son, but after trying it for one book, my son will be getting the old one 

I read somewhere that Amazon is still selling off the original Paperwhites at a reduced price, so here's how to make sure you're getting the new one. When I went to The Source to get mine, the sales dude was willing to help, but didn't know if their stock was new or old so we opened the box and did a side by side comparison. The only difference in outside appearance is that the old one says "Kindle" on the back, the new one says "Amazon". 

The box didn't say if it was second generation, but when I got home, I compared the new box to the old one. The back of the new one has only three languages which appear in three columns. The old one has two columns and four languages.


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