This from a reader: “http://www.mobipocket.com/dev/beta/j2me.asp, an early release of
software… will read .mobi / .prc files on a regular cell phone
that supports java, in my case, a Sony Ericsson C510.”
Always glad to know—and pass on!
That’s link.
They do warn it’s an alpha release and could crash your device, so take precautions and back up, back up, back up. The reader who reported he is using it did not report any trouble.
CJ, slightly off-topic: Do you have any information on problems using the Sony readers? I’m considering getting the top model, but would like to get some honest feedback. I read the feedback on their website and it’s the usual rant and rave about some small thing that the writer feels was overlooked.
Thanks to all.
I’ve used a Sony Reader for about six months now and am quite satisfied. If I had it to do over, I’d probably still buy the Sony. I think the newest one has has a wireless ‘feature’, but I sele3cted the model I did because it did not have wireless. It has displayed everything I’ve thrown at it. Most of my books come from Closed Circle, Baen, and Project Gutenberg; so, I can’t speak as to the Sony Store.
Another Sony Reader user, reporting in.
For the device itself, it’s fair to say that the hardware and software are good enough for my purposes, but it’s easy to see ways the next generation can/will be better: A higher contrast display and a friendlier touch screen (it’s a little balky) are the obvious needs. The touch software within the Reader is a workable solution to the competing needs to keep the bulk down and the interface useful.
The Sony (based on Adobe’s, looks like) client software for both PCs and Macs has some known stability issues which are apparently related to automatic book transfer capabilities; best to turn that feature off. Recovering the software after a fail on my Mac has proved impossible, so far. I’m now using Calibre on the Apple, and use the PC if I need the Reader software to validate a book purchase for me.
The Sony store is a bad joke: Insanely unfriendly design coupled with weak selection and surprisingly high prices. The Google Books interface available through that store is slightly better, but surprisingly poor; it’s like Google’s “books” people don’t know anything about search, which seems incredible.
My wife’s Kindle shows a different approach to the same design problems; I wouldn’t really say either is better (excepting the Store), but they’re definitely different. I prefer the Sony’s small form factor, but I’m that way about most electronic devices so YMMV. The Kindle’s screen has a lot better contrast, and some folks will prefer the page-turning mechanics.
Based on selection, neither the Sony Store nor Amazon’s Kindle Store are, at this point, much better than a neighborhood news stand’s bookstore. That seems likely to change. But unless Sony improves their store, they’re going to lose this race on merit. On the other hand, since the e-books which most interest me are mostly available from other sources and I don’t mind dealing with the technical details, the store issues don’t much affect me. But what’s clearest at this point is that there’s room for great improvement.
FBReader (on my Droid) has the best page turning interface I’ve seen–a simple swipe across the screen does the job. And the Droid’s more readable than I expected. But I really can’t see using a phone as a primary reading device; it’s OK for waiting rooms and other queues.
I shied away from the “swipe across the page” feature myself, because I was worried about smears and fingerprints on the screen. I know I have problems with that on my glasses, and I don’t touch them anywhere near as much as I would an eReader if I had to swipe to turn pages. So, all that said, how is that feature working out? Is it as bad as I fear, or more of a non-issue?
Smudges are a non-issue with my Sony Reader. I’ve found that using my fingernails are more reliable than using the soft flesh; so, at first I was worried about scratches, but that seems to be a non-issue, too.
Oddly, I rarely use the swipe page-turn on the Sony Touch; it’s that balky touchscreen I mentioned earlier. On the other hand, I touch the screen all the time for other reasons; I especially like having a context-sensitive dictionary always at hand when I’m reading century-old books. The finger prints don’t especially bother me, but I clean the screen pretty regularly partly because of them. I rarely use the wand; it’s a finger interface for me.
The touchscreen on my phone is always messy, so I’m perpetually cleaning that. But that’s a fact of life with the Android interface, so it’s either something you tolerate or you’ll get silly.
Early report — the pub format books are working well on my shiny new iPad. Used Calibre to convert Golden Ardarin from PDF to epub. It converted fine (not much fancy formatting to deal with).
Have not read for a long time, but the screen is excellent, with very adjustable backlighting.
The onscreen touch kbd takes some getting used to. It’s very accurate, but the nonstandard layout will take some getting used to. It is possible to touch type, but I’ll need more practice.
Very nice, versatile little device. More to come 😉
Thanks for the reviews. There may well be a reading device in many people’s future, and if we can inform people before they buy what the tradeoffs are, so much the better. The thing that would tempt me to a reader is that I love to read in bed, but can’t manage it comfortably: big book, big trouble in that department. A lighter, more maneuverable device would be nice.
The Nook is proving very comfortable for that. It’s light enough that I can hold it one-handed and work the page buttons, so I ca stay snuggled under the covers while reading.
I saw amazon released Kindle for IPad so you can buy books from them and read on either device (Kindle or IPad). They also have a Kindle format reader for PC, Mac and Blackberry now. I agree with “jowo” as to Kindle or Sony being better. I’ve seen quite a few different devices and the one thing about them all that I like is the e-ink screen. Most of the rest of the differences are “bells and whistles” kinds of things.
Note to philosopher77: I’ve been using the iPad since Saturday, sharing with 2 neighbor kids (ca 7 & 13), a senior neighbor, and several other teachers – not a fingerprint in sight! My iPod touch, on the other hand is always very smeared with prints, but it doesn’t affect the view. I don’t understand it! I’m just glad it works! I’m sure you can play with demo models of whichever devices you’re interested in – except the Kindle since it’s an online sale, but I think it uses buttons instead of swipes anyway. Enjoy!