Electronic Paper

Discussion of fine arts and literature.
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of Vinyamar
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Electronic Paper

Post by Alatar »

I don't wish to osgiliate the Jonathan Strange thread any more so I'll continue my comments on Ebook readers here. There are many alternatives, some with larger screens than others, some with colour screens. Many people use Palm Pilots or Pocket PCs but I find that useful only in the event that I get caught short. I recently read a few chapters on LotR while waiting for a delayed flight on my Palm Pilot, but it's not ideal.

For reading on a computer, I find MS Reader is by far the best. They used a clever "dithering" effect on the type to make the text much more readable. That said, I would still only read on a TFT monitor as I find a CRT monitor too hard on the eyes.

My reading device of choice is the Ebookwise. It's the size and weight of a paperback and backlit. I have a 64 MB card and that holds up to 30 or 40 books at a time. The screen is greyscale, not colour, but it does support graphics so, for example, the ringverse inscription shows up in "Shadow of the Past". It causes me no eyestrain whatsoever, in fact, I find it easier to read than a book because of the backlight. I read in bed, with a bedside lamp and getting the page of a normal book correctly lit without keeping Mrs Alatar awake is a challenge. As a result I turn the lamp away a little and read from the ambient light in order not to disturb her. With the Ebookwise I have no such problem. I need no ambient light at all. The book is completely readable from its own illumination.

The advantages are many. Firstly, when holidaying I bring one single paperback sized object, not 5 or six books that I then worry will get damaged in transit. I can read books that I only own in Hardback and would not carry with me. I can keep several novels on the go simultaneously without running out of bookmarks or space on my bedside locker! :)

Finally, the device is $100 and books are between $5 and $15 to buy. George R.R. Martins "Feast of Crows" is $15 but if I were to buy it here I would pay €30 as its only available in hardback. I reckon it will pay for itself in less than 6 months.

Here's a pic of the device I use:

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The two large thumb scrollers are for next page and previous page. The orientation can be flipped for Lefthanded readers. If you prefer landscape mode that can be done also. Font size can also be increased for ease of reading if required. There is also a stylus included which allows you to highlight sections and hand write notes which are saved in that location.

Anyway, I just thought it might be of interest to some of you.

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Voronwë the Faithful
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Post by Voronwë the Faithful »

My Mom has an ebook, and she loves it too. :)
"Spirits in the shape of hawks and eagles flew ever to and from his halls; and their eyes could see to the depths of the seas, and pierce the hidden caverns beneath the world."
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Primula Baggins
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Post by Primula Baggins »

That font size increasing feature alone has my interest. I hate showing up for a half-hour wait at the doctor's office, only to find that I don't have a pair of reading glasses in my purse and thus have to stare at the wall to pass the time. With this I could just dial up the font size and happily read away.

I didn't realize the prices had come down so much, either.

I could see loading the device with several of my "forever" books that I can always pick up and read, such as LotR and Jane Austen, and then current books on top of that.

Hmmmm. . . .
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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IdylleSeethes
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Post by IdylleSeethes »

Sony is getting more interested in the market. Their new reader will be available in the US later in the year. They also created their own distribution channel. I suspect they will be buying publishers soon.
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