ebook reader

[celticdragonfly]

I *NEED* a good ebook reader. Really really really.

I've been reading stuff from one of my Baen CDs - the ones that come in the back of new hardbacks and will have the whole previous SERIES in them, and more - on the computer, and enjoying it. Transferring another one to the computer now. And yes, right now I'm in the recliner mostly horizontal anyway, so it's not much harder to crane my neck to the monitor than it would be to use an ebook, and sure, I can knit easier that way (I need a way to page down that doesn't require hands, darn it) - but I WANT these on ebook, and it'll be way more convenient in the long run.

These guys are working on it, yes. But I want it SOOOOON - going to drop them another email and ask what's up with the news.

(And why does LJ not have an "impatient" mood icon? Don't they know me at all?)

Comments

[sraun]

The last they said anything, NAEBLLC is due to be getting their demo units any day now. There's a room at http://bar.baen.com/ that is probably the best place to get current status. At this point, I'll be surprised if anything happens before the end of summer.
Would a used PalmOS PDA meet your needs?

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

There's a mention of May 15 on the Bar site but they've been very coy about what that's about (among many things). Perhaps we will see new news tomorrow.

[sraun]

I remember something about them having to sign an NDA before the units would be shipped, and that that limited what they could say before they had units in their hands. They didn't like it, but it was the cost of doing business.

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

Sony has an eBook reader. It's a bit pricy and I'm not a fan of Sony products in General, but there's a display model in the Border's near jazz007's work and it's seemed decently neat. I'm afraid it only handles Word, PDF and their propriatary format though, which will have few books you're interested in and is pretty expensive, as I recall.

http://www.learningcenter.sony.us/assets/itpd/reader/

James Bryant owns one of some sort, I forget which model.
Franklin, the personal organzer and translator people have a model called eBookman sold by someone else: http://www.ectaco.com/eBookMan-PDA-Dictionaries-items

RCA produced a Rocket eBook reader:
http://www.amazon.com/RCA-REB1100-eBook-Reader/dp/B00005T3UH
which has been discontinued for 3 years but apparently was quite cool.

In summary, the eBook reader market is a mess. :(

[sraun]

You might also check out the iRex Iliad. It's pricey ($700), but it reads PDF, PRC (Mobipocket), HTML and TXT.

[kd5mdk.livejournal.com]

I'd find a laptop much more compelling at that price. Or a high end PDA. If I can buy a Blackberry with all the bells and whistles, which does web, email, phone and eBook reading, even if not as well, it's a lot better deal than just an eBook reader, to me. Maybe if I was making $50,000 a year (a lot of my fantasy financial life revolves around that figure. I suspect it will be far less exciting when I get there.)


Anyway, my real suggestion is to ask James Bryant, because I recall that he loves his and is not the type to put up with the technological foolishness of many publishers.

[tygerr.livejournal.com]

Dash it all, they should give you an "impatient" mood icon and give it to you RIGHT NOW!! *g*