E-book readers?

[wateredwhisky]

So there's been a whole ton of news posts related to the Kindle's projected entry into the academic field, etc. What do you guys think of the whole deal? Anybody reader frequently on an e-book reader? I've been heavily considering getting one but I've just never been able to make a commitment to any model.

I enjoy the idea of the Kindle, but I hate the heavy DRM lock down that Amazon has got on it. My ideal e-book reader is going to allow me to upload my own PDFs as well as PDFs of scholarly articles, etc. Another thing that really bugs me about my the e-book format is the lack of notation capabilities. Quite honestly I think this is the biggest stumbling block for Kindle. Other products like the iRex iliad and their higher-end model (can't remember what it's called) both have touch screen interfaces for the sole purpose of annotation. They can be found here: http://www.irextechnologies.com/ This is probably the closest I've come to actually committing to one of these things because it's able to accommodate all of the academic needs that I have.

One thing that I wondered about though is whether any of the current readers on the market had a full-text search option. In my opinion this would be one of the most awesome features they could provide. Have you ever spent hours looking for that one quote that you forgot to flag? It's probably one of the most frustrating things trying to find 20 words in a 600 page novel. So my hope is that one of these companies gets smart to the idea, or already has. I get the feeling though that most of the e-book files operate just as basically a scan of the page with no real way to search.

So, thoughts? E-book reader horror stories?

[Nightshade]

Ahh having liooked into it myself a bit, the snony eread looks to be the one that wil allow you to use your own pdfs, basically its Adobe digital edtions compatiable, which accepts pdfs.
There are also a range of nonamazon online stores that provide ebooks in adobe digital edtion format, well Im sure you can find themyourself.
I am still debating the kindle vs sony thing myself though.

[Zeruiah]

The kindle is generally looked down upon amongst tech aficionados from what I've read. It seems that the Plastic Logic model and the iRex model are seen as the best and most effective across formats (Sony's PDF reading is functional but muddy and glitchy).

Still, it's commonly believed that no eReader conforms to sufficient quality for the price. It might be best to wait a good 2-3 years before making a purchase in the eReader market. Unfortunately, that's not an option for people who need it for reading-intensive graduate programs or maybe even work; they need what's presently on the market, but the present doesn't offer very good solutions...

My only advice is to read as much as possible on the internet and form your own opinion. Whether or not you like the current eReaders themselves, it could be profitable to await lower prices.

Take a look at this site for starters:

http://chamberfour.com/ereader-comparison/

[Lynne50]

My husband just recently bought me a Kindle 2. I'm still getting used to it, so I'm not sure of all the bells and whistles it has to offer. I do enjoy using it, though. It's great for traveling. I'm reading a novel and my husband downloads magazines for himself. Just heard on the news that Amazon is coming out with another version of the Kindle, geared more to graduate students with electronic textbook access. I think the screen will be bigger,too. That may or may not be a good thing.
However, a friend of mine, does not like the Kindle. She wanted something with a broader range of book selection than Amazon provides. She uses this site. Fictionwise.com. Has anyone heard of it? It's Barnes and Noble's ebook site. Some of the books available can be downloaded on a Kindle, too, but I still think you are locked into Amazon for the most part.Fictionwise seems like an easier site to navigate.
The only complaint I have, is that, the Kindle does not tell you what page you're on; just what percentage of the book you've read. I haven't gotten used to that yet.

[Nightshade]

The problem is though of course the fact theer isnt a standard format yet, youve got as far a sI can tell by looking at multiple ebook stores, your adobe, ereader, microsoft reader and mobireader as the major reader formats but then you have all sorts popping up every which where.
I for one am waiting till at leasst 2011 mostly becuase I just cant afford them but alos becuiase I want to see how the market settles.