travelgourment,

The Kindle does *not* handle the ePub format. Amazon may in the future, but who knows. You can buy software to convert ePub to mobi.

Sony *does* handle the ePub format.

Patrick,

For ePub books:

http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.epubbooks.com/

http://ebookstore.sony.com/google-eb...20Million_Rt_1

Also Google books - not all are ePub though. Check for the download button in the top right.

Plus you may be able to borrow ePub books from your local library.

nstevey - I mistyped Kindle, when I meant nook. Sorry for the confusion.

The Sony reader holds 150 books without an additional SD card? My Kindle dx holds 3,500 books. That's quite a disparity.

<i>The Sony reader holds 150 books without an additional SD card? My Kindle dx holds 3,500 books. That's quite a disparity.</i>

It is simply a difference in how the readers are designed to work. The Sony Reader is meant to use in conjunction with your computer, so endless storage is less essential than with the Kindle, which is intended for more stand-alone use.

Personally, I think both hold more than enough books for most uses and that the real decision point is whether you value having the stand-alone option or not.

>> the real decision point is whether you value having the stand-alone option or not.<<

= whether you want to carry the whole library all the time, or decide at various points what books you want to have with you.

Thanks for the links nstevey, I will investigate. I'm not sure this will be my Christmas present to me, but it's a possibility.

The Sony PRS-300 and Kindle DX are 2 different beasts. The DX costs $300 more and has a larger footprint than a PRS-300.

Trickiewoo, how many books do you need though? For most people 150 books is probably a few years supply at least. After a certain point more space is simply more space and not an important judgement tool. I filled it in less than a year (again, remember I'm a book freak), but with a 2GB SD card it's no big deal and I have tons of space again. I think the books through Sony are a couple MB's each, so a 2GB card will last for quite awhile.

As for shopping for books, now instead of using Amazon.com or BN.com to find books I want as they come out, I use Sony's website and download them instead of a trip to the store. I still see the covers, both on the website and on the book.

For Sony, the books are organized on the website just like any online bookstore. You can sort by category, new arrivals, bargain books, author, title, subject, etc. You can sort within categories as well. I.e. Romance - Contemporary Romance and New Arrivals.

I know Sony has quite a few Frommers guides available and there are some Rick Steves guides. There are quite a few travel books that aren't from the big travel names as well. The format is still easiest for reading from beginning to end, but you can punch in page numbers and skip around if you don't want to just flip page by page.

As the digital readers are just recently really getting into the general public, the makers are still working out kinks and working in new ideas. As more people start handling the digital readers and requesting changes (a blue tinted screen available for those who need it, color display, travel books, web access, interactive maps, etc) they'll make changes. There's always a new version in the works. I wouldn't be surprised if in the next handful of years they go towards something like a smartphone, only instead of phone and web access, it will be a book with web access.

For now, the way the digital readers are set up currently, if web access is more important to you, then a mini computer or smart phone is probably better for your usage than a digital reader. For someone like me, a digital book is a travel lifesaver. On a trip to Europe, I'll likely read 4-5 novels just getting there. I travel alone so I read at meals as I people watch, and I often read for a bit before bed. If I join a bus tour, I read on the longer drives. In the past, I've packed about 10-12 novels and often had to buy more books for the trip home. On my last trip, I couldn't figure out what I was missing because I had so much space left in my suitcase.

Has anyone used the PRS-600, the touch screen version of the Sony Reader? I'm just about to purchase one, and I'm trying to decide between the 300 and the 600. As I'm in Canada, the Kindle is not an option for me.
Thanks

The amazon kindle storefront for book is similarly set up to search by bestsellers, categories, etc. You can further refine your search within broad categories. It's handy (for me) not to involve the computer for recreational reading, although I have downloaded very many books from project guttenberg, which as you know are transcribed into .txt format and must be downloaded via computer to kindle. Since I do quite a bit of academic work I need vast libraries of books at my disposal, many, if not most, of which I have got at no charge. I need the available works of all the Romantic poets, for example. A Sony reader would not begin to store what I need. Now, I certainly do not need to have access to all of it all the time. But having different DS cards for different genres of literature is simply not as convenient for me as having it all in one place. I do extensive notation and bib. notes on the kindle. The <<keyboard>> is not great, in fact it is the weak link of the device, but I have finally mastered using it for notes. I look forward to an updated dx with better keyboard functionality. The minute one comes out I will buy it and give my current kindle dx to my aunt (who is waiting eagerly). My two previous versions went to the children, who love them.

So I guess it depends upon how you want to use your device. I have about 1500 books on my dx already and have no doubt I will fill it up within a twelvemonth. A casual reader would be well served by the Sony's smaller capacity, but again, the ability to download a book wherever you are is, to me, invaluable.

adding to nstevey, the footprint is indeed a concern. However, if you could see my <<real>> library, with thousands of books taking up space, aircon, trees and petroleum transportation, you would understand that the kindle is a massive improvement in that area. (smile)

adding to nstevey, the footprint is indeed a concern. However, if you could see my <<real>> library, with thousands of books taking up space, aircon, trees and petroleum transportation, you would understand that the kindle is a massive improvement in that area. (smile)

and again with the <<cold fusion>> doubling of my posts. Bewildered and apologetic, the peke.

and again with the <<cold fusion>> doubling of my posts. Bewildered and apologetic, the peke.

lam67 - the PRS-600 is a nice reader with an excellent design and plentiful features, BUUUUUT, the screen suffers from contrast and glare issues due to the extra pane of glass needed for the touch-screen functionality. I can't tell you whether it will be a problem for you, but it is there.

I would try to find a place that has them on display before deciding.

I played around with Kindle and Stanza apps. on my iPhone.

Downloaded a lot of Gutenberg classics for free to the Stanza app. The same works were not in the Amazon store.

Well I remember one, a DH Lawrence book, free on Stanza, about $10 on the Kindle store.

I'm opening up to the idea of a reader but I still think people would prefer a multifunction device which can also browse the web and play video as well. Consolidating all those functions result in fewer devices to carry, especially when you travel.

But content availability and flexibility (multiple sources, easy downloading of public domain works or being able to borrow content) are also obviously important factors.

Scrb, the problem with adding features is the screen. The screen of a computer or cell phone is backlit. The screen of the digital readers is not. I don't know how if the screen can be altered to allow web usage, video and other applications without changing, and back lighting, the screen. A major part of why your eyes get tired after using a computer all day is because of the back lighting.

You can get all of the Gutenberg Project books free on the Sony I think.

Hmm, I haven't tried using an E-ink screen so I'm not sure of the difference.

Obviously most of us are used to looking at backlit screens most of the work day.

Besides eye strain, you don't get the battery life with backlit screens that you would with E-ink screens. But really, I don't mind plugging in.

A lot of people travel with laptops so the eReader would be a good complement or extra weight (not much but everything adds up).

Maybe OLED will be a good compromise.

Lots of great information on this thread. I have been really interested in the Kindle but didn't want to be wedded to Amazon. I will look into the Sony and the ePub options.

We bought my father a Kindle for his 89th birthday and he loves it. My mother is jealous.

<<<Besides eye strain, you don't get the battery life with backlit screens that you would with E-ink screens. But really, I don't mind plugging in.>>>

I hadn't thought about the possibility of a multi-function device (so I could read, watch movies and surf the web on one, instead of an ebook reader plus my netbook). I think the biggest problem would be battery life. Watching video drains the battery of my netbook far far faster than surfing the web or reading emails or drafting word documents does. And having the backlight on drains it even faster.