Swapping your paper library for a digital one

[rfrazier]

In any case, I'll try to get it working again this weekend, but since I wanted a smaller one anyway (5" instead of 6"), and Waterstone's is selling the Bookeen Cybook Opus for 50 quid, I ordered it.

I wanted your opinion on this: is 5" comfortable enough for reading? I have a rooted Nook Color which I use both for books as well as for comics but I was thinking something smaller, lighter and with better battery life may be more suited to travelling, holidays etc. And 50 quid is really cheap! I just don't know if maybe it's too small....

Alex

I've had mixed luck with e-readers. I had a 5" BeBook which I liked very much. I lost it on a train, and got a Pixelar. I bricked this, sent it back and have never heard of it again. (My fault, my responsibility.) Then I got a 6" Samsung, which was useful, once I sanded down the ugly, shiny, white case on the front. But, Faustus killed it. And, ultimately, I thought it too big (and didn't like the light color). I was really happy with the 5" BeBook, and was going to just get another of them (80 quid refurbished), but saw that the Opus was going for 50 quid. Since it pushed the major buttons, as It was black, 5"screen, did .epub, and linux based, I decided to give it a try. Although the e-reader experience has been rather expensive for me, I still wouldn't do without one. I would rather give up my mobile phone.

The Opus isn't good for anything but reading. It doesn't play music, doesn't have a touch interface, doesn't have 3G, doesn't have wifi, doesn't have .... However, it is the smallest and lightest e-reader I've ever seen. It is plastic, but it seems relatively solid. It is also very, very fast for an e-reader. I know that I'm happy without a touch interface (indeed, prefer it, as I don't like reading through smudges), but you, like others, may have a strong preference for touch interfaces. I also knew that I was satisfied with a 5" screen from my BeBook experience. (And, I spent last evening happily reading with the Opus.). I would prefer a 7" image coming from a 2" device, but we aren't there yet. (2D holograms would be the way to go. 10 years is my guess.)

Best wishes,
Bob

PS Here's a picture showing the size of the e-reader, and the amount of text I get when setup for reading without glasses (which I use when reading books).



RLF

[paul.in.kendal]

My partner's a bookbinder, so you can imagine where I stand on this issue!

Bookbinding is a 'dying' trade, but demand for professional bookbinding skills is contracting more slowly than the bookbinders themselves are retiring - so perversely, there's no shortage of work.

The real challenge is persuading customers that the prices necessarily charged for book repair are not OTT. One side-effect of e-readers is that books will become less regarded as cheap and ubiquitous tools, and more seen for what they really are: beautiful, sophisticated and wonderfully refined technology that deserves to be cherished - and properly repaired. It means people will be happier to pay the price for skillful conservation work.

I'm more than happy that people are dumping their book collections on charity shops - it's resulting in a mini bonanza of dirt cheap good quality paperbacks to read, with a sprinkling of finds that are real investments. So go ahead, keep buying those Kindles!

Oh, and I'll continue to play my collection of vinyl, too...

[alexandr0s]

I've had mixed luck with e-readers. I had a 5" BeBook which I liked very much. I lost it on a train, and got a Pixelar. I bricked this, sent it back and have never heard of it again. (My fault, my responsibility.) Then I got a 6" Samsung, which was useful, once I sanded down the ugly, shiny, white case on the front. But, Faustus killed it. And, ultimately, I thought it too big (and didn't like the light color). I was really happy with the 5" BeBook, and was going to just get another of them (80 quid refurbished), but saw that the Opus was going for 50 quid. Since it pushed the major buttons, as It was black, 5"screen, did .epub, and linux based, I decided to give it a try. Although the e-reader experience has been rather expensive for me, I still wouldn't do without one. I would rather give up my mobile phone.

The Opus isn't good for anything but reading. It doesn't play music, doesn't have a touch interface, doesn't have 3G, doesn't have wifi, doesn't have .... However, it is the smallest and lightest e-reader I've ever seen. It is plastic, but it seems relatively solid. It is also very, very fast for an e-reader. I know that I'm happy without a touch interface (indeed, prefer it, as I don't like reading through smudges), but you, like others, may have a strong preference for touch interfaces. I also knew that I was satisfied with a 5" screen from my BeBook experience. (And, I spent last evening happily reading with the Opus.). I would prefer a 7" image coming from a 2" device, but we aren't there yet. (2D holograms would be the way to go. 10 years is my guess.)

Best wishes,
Bob

PS Here's a picture showing the size of the e-reader, and the amount of text I get when setup for reading without glasses (which I use when reading books).



RLF

Thanks so much Bob for such a detailed reply. I'm really tempted now. I won't use it for anything else apart from books- I have the Nook Color after all. And I don't really care about the lack of touch buttons.
I think that the price is excellent too. Even if I don't like it, it's only 50GBP after all. Do you know of any other retailers selling it at this price? They're going for silly money on ebay and Waterstones don't send abroad.
Thanks again

Alex

[rfrazier]

Thanks so much Bob for such a detailed reply. I'm really tempted now. I won't use it for anything else apart from books- I have the Nook Color after all. And I don't really care about the lack of touch buttons.
I think that the price is excellent too. Even if I don't like it, it's only 50GBP after all. Do you know of any other retailers selling it at this price? They're going for silly money on ebay and Waterstones don't send abroad.
Thanks again

Alex

I'm afraid that I don't know where else they are going for this price. Most places I've looked at have them at about double the price.

Best wishes,
Bob

[alexandr0s]

I'm afraid that I don't know where else they are going for this price. Most places I've looked at have them at about double the price.

Unfortunately, that's what I found too, both locally and online. I guess I have to start keeping an eye out for an offer for one :)
Anyway, thanks again for the info Bob

Alex

[alexandr0s]

The offer at Waterstones has expired (and they wouldn't post outside the UK anyway as I mentioned) so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas about where i could find a Bookeen Opus or a similarly spec'd reader (must be able to read epub files) for a similar price....

Alex

[welshwatchman]

I got the Sony PRS505 from Waterstones when they were offloading Sony's batch of refurb units for £59.

It's possible to get epub and kindle books from a library if your local library is one of the few well funded.

No need to return them, the DRM will expire after the loan period. If you know someone in the USA with a library card recognised by the Jefferson County Library you can also get access to a massive library of DRM enabled content but for a very nominal fee.

While it's possible to go rogue and remove the DRM you can get the licence for 60 days which is plenty time to read the book twice over and some.

Works out at about a pound a book for all the modern stuff I've read, Hitchens, Harris, Brian Greene etc. More like £10 each on Amazon though you do get to keep them.

[alexandr0s]

I already have quite a few books on epub format, which is why I am after a reader that can handle the format.
My nook color does.a.fine job but something with a e-ink display and larger battery life would be nice....

[rfrazier]

Of all of the ones I've looked at, or used, I still think very highly of the BeBook Mini. BeBook sells them refurbished at 89, but I've been watching them on eBay, and used ones go from 35-45. If I can get one for 40, I will. The Cybook Opus has some features I like more than the BeBook (e.g., accelerometer, software) , but the rubberised finish on the BeBook is great for holding and refusing to reflect light.

Best wishes,
Bob

[Dusty]

I've bought my parents a Kindle each for Christmas. They're both avid readers but prefer to read and relocate their books. I would often get a handful before passing them on again.

I'll pop back in and let you all know their thoughts in the new year when they've had a play with them :)

[rfrazier]

I've bought my parents a Kindle each for Christmas. They're both avid readers but prefer to read and relocate their books. I would often get a handful before passing them on again.

I'll pop back in and let you all know their thoughts in the new year when they've had a play with them :)

That's certainly a disadvantage of ereaders. It really hurts "relocating" books, the used book market, charity shops. The latter particularly in my case. The modern books on my ereader are usually ones that would have wound up at a charity shop when I have finished with them. This might be more than 40 books a year.

Best wishes,
Bob

[Dusty]

I've bought my parents a Kindle each for Christmas. They're both avid readers but prefer to read and relocate their books. I would often get a handful before passing them on again.

I'll pop back in and let you all know their thoughts in the new year when they've had a play with them :)

That's certainly a disadvantage of ereaders. It really hurts "relocating" books, the used book market, charity shops. The latter particularly in my case. The modern books on my ereader are usually ones that would have wound up at a charity shop when I have finished with them. This might be more than 40 books a year.

Best wishes,
Bob

To be fair to them, they usually buy from a charity shop or whatever, then circulate them among family and friends then they end up back in the charity shop again.

By their own admission they'v just got too much clutter gathered up over the years and cutting down on books and the space they require will be of great help to them i think.

[Da Vinci]

Well SWMBO has ordered me a 3g kindle, and I am looking forward to getting to grips with it, exploring calibre and so on.

The local charity shops will get something of a paperback bonanza shortly after xmas, but as you say Bob both sales and donations will go down after that. Its a shame but I have got to de-clutter!

[Seamaster73]

Asda will flog you a Kobo for £67, apparently.
http://www.bitterwallet.com/asda-lops-2 ... ader/51960

I think the new Kindle is a better bet for a couple of tenners more, but you pays your money and takes your choice.

[lysanderxiii]

A scanner, software, time....

Probably cheaper than re-buying the books

[alexandr0s]

Asda will flog you a Kobo for £67, apparently.
http://www.bitterwallet.com/asda-lops-2 ... ader/51960

I think the new Kindle is a better bet for a couple of tenners more, but you pays your money and takes your choice.

The main issue with the Kindle is the lack of epub support, which for me would be problematic really

Alex

[vortex89]

Seriously considering getting a Kindle or iPad, my main concern is that even if I buy one I wont read more though, at the end of the day I'm still going to be lazy and just wait for it to be made into a film