Portable Ebook Reader

Popularity: 7% [?]

Due to popular request, we’ve put together this comparison of four (4) of the most popular portable ebook readers on the market today.

Interead Cool-er

Price - $250

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen
• Lightweight
• Storage - 1 GB internal, 4 GB SD expansion slot
• File formats - JPEG, PDF, EPUB, TXT, and MP3

Pros

• Lightweight
• Removable / replaceable battery
• Good battery life
• 8 color choices

Cons

• Buttons are hard to press
• Navigation isn’t very intuitive
• Interface leaves something to be desired
• Screen refresh is a tad on the slow side

Conclusion

The Cool-er is a good deal for the money, but it does lack in certain hardware and software features and functionality, like the interface and navigation. We’re hoping that the next version is much improved, as this was Interead’s first shot at an electronic reading device.

Read the full Interead Cool-er review here…

Amazon Kindle 2

Price - $359

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen
• Medium weight
• Storage - 2 GB internal, no expansion slot
• File formats - Kindle (AZW), TXT, AAX, MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC, HTML, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP

Pros

• Built-in free wireless with Amazon’s “Whispernet”
• Built in keyboard for navigation and notes
• Text-to-Speech feature
• Adjustable font size

Cons

• No native support for PDF files
• No expansion slot for additional memory
• Battery is not removable
• Ebooks must be purchased from Amazon

Conclusion

The Kindle 2 was a big improvement over the original Kindle, and it even has some benefits over the newer Kindle DX. Unfortunately it’s not much of a value at the current price, but Amazon does a great job marketing so perhaps they don’t care. Maybe the coming stream of new budget ereaders will change that

Read the full Amazon Kindle 2 review here…

Amazon Kindle DX

Price - $489

Quick Specs

• 9.7″ screen
• Heavy weight (compared to smaller devices)
• Storage - 4 GB internal, no expansion slot
• File formats - Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ), PRC/MOBI, TXT, PDF, Audible (format 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3

Pros

• Huge screen!
• Native PDF support (finally, Amazon)
• Built-in free wireless with Amazon’s “Whispernet”
• Adjustable font size
• Built in keyboard
• Can switch between portrait and landscape by simply turning it

Cons

• Weight
• No expansion slot
• Battery is not removable
• Expensive!

Conclusion

The Kindle DX definitely broke some ground with its large size. Now people can read newspapers and magazines with ease and much less page turning. Unfortunately it

Read the full Amazon Kindle DX review here…

Read the Kindle DX vs Kindle 2 comparison here…

Sony Reader PRS-700

Price - $350

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen size
• Medium weight
• Storage - 512 MB internal, 36 GB SD expansion slot
• File formats - BBeB (LRF/LRX), PDF, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, MP3, AAC

Pros

• Touch screen!
• Sleeker than the Kindle 2
• Can display and zoom both PDF and Word files
• Built-in LED for reading in the dark

Cons

• Touch screen is more prone to glare and has worse contrast
• No software for Mac users
• No built-in wireless
• No support for Audible audio books

Conclusion

The Sony Reader PRS-700 was the first portable ebook reader with a touch screen. And for taking that initiative, we commend them…as it makes the device more intuitive and easier-to-use. Unfortunately the touch screen blessing is also a curse. It creates more glare and the screen has a worse contrast than without the technology. We also think it’s priced too high considering all the recent entries into the ereader market.

Read the full Sony Reader PRS-700 review here…

Popularity: 43% [?]

The BeBook was released in late 2007. Since then it has been rebranded and sold as different names in countries around the world - lBook, DigiBook Reader, Apollo-Hanlin, Walkbook, Papyre, HanLin eBook, Astak EZ Reader, and Eco Reader.

But the company who created this portable ebook reader, HanLin, has been in the game since the year 2000, so they definitely aren’t a fly-by-night startup.

The BeBook is of average size and weight for an electronic reading device. It use eInk technology for its screen display and has buttons on the bottom and side to navigate and control the display.

Specs

• Weight - 7 oz
• Thickness - 0.4″
• Size – 7.25″ x 4.75″
• Screen Size - 6″
• Battery Life - 9000 page turns
• Storage – 512 MB internal + SD external slot
• Price - $280

The BeBook comes stock with a leather case, which is a welcome change from many other portable ebook readers that require you to pay extra for this accessory. Upon turning on the BeBook, the first thing I decide to play with is the interface. There’s a Menu button, “return” button, and 10 number keys. In order to choose a menu item or select a book it’s as simple as pushing the corresonding button. Not very difficult!

You can also move through pages by pressing the appropriate button on the left side of the device.

Where the BeBook really shines it with all the different file formats it can handle. A heck of a lot more than most competitors, that’s for sure! The list includes: PDF, TXT, RTF, EPUB, LIT, PPT, WOLF, DOC, CHM, FB2, PRC/MOBI, HTML, DJVU, MP3, TIFF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, RAR, ZIP. Wow.

It has a decent battery life, and with the external SD slot it’s doubtful you’ll ever fill it up completely with books.

Summary

The BeBook is a pretty darn good device. It’s simple to use, works exactly as advertised, and it’s obvious from its evolution that HanLin is willing to continue its improvement in future versions. Also, it has excellent support for many different ebook formats. It you want a decently priced ebook reader that doesn’t force you to use a proprietary format (like Sony and Amazon), you’d likely be satisfied with the BeBook.

If you’d like to read more or buy a BeBook, you can here.

Rating:
(8.00 out of 10)  Loading ...

Popularity: 36% [?]

For those of you that find the the Sony Reader too clunky, or the Amazon Kindle DX too large and cumbersome, this may just be the ideal portable ebook reader for you. Its very affordable price tag is bound to attract a lot of customers too.

The Interead Cool-er (yes, the name of the device is actually hyphenated) is small, light, and has the look and feel of an Apple iPod. It even has a circular navigation button that’s similar to the one on an iPod. I guess it’s always a safe bet to mimic a company that is well known for their trendy and eye-catching product design.

Specs

• Weight - 6.3 oz
• Thickness - 0.4″
• Size - 7″ x 5″
• Screen Size - 6″
• Battery Life - 8000 page turns
• Storage - 1 GB internal + SD external slot
• Price - $250

The E Ink Vizplex screen mimics a matte book page and many owners have said they can read for hours without feeling any eye strain. A side button also lets you flick between portrait and landscape to suit your reading style or if the document your viewing requires a different layout.

With its 6″ screen size, this means you need to turn the page twice as often as you would with a typical paperback but most people find that easy to adapt to.

The Cool-er can hold around 300 books (that’s approximate based on the 1 GB internal storage). While this is far less than the Amazon Kindle 2 and DX, do most people even read that many books in their lifetime?

You can use the Cool-er to play audiobooks or music in MP3 format off the SD card. The eReader also lacks wireless connectivity which means all downloads have to be done via a USB connection. You download books onto your computer before moving them to the Cool-er. There is no automatic syncing like with the iPod.

Here’s a funny quote…Neil Jones the founder of Interread said, “Cool-er is designed - and priced - for people who love to read and share books. ‘This is the first ereader that people won’t be embarrassed to be seen with in public.” You know what, I can definitely see his point! I have noticed people staring when I’ve pulled out my Kindle DX on the subway.

Books can be bought from Interead’s own online bookshop (coolerbooks.com), or from other sites that sell ebooks.

Summary

While the Cool-er isn’t the most feature-packed electronic reading device, that’s not its purpose. It’s supposed to be an ebook reader for the masses. And it does that well. It’s quite affordable, well designed, and includes enough hardware and features for the average person. Heck, it even comes in 8 cool colors!

Keep in mind though, if you’re looking for something to read larger media like newspapers and magazines, or if you simply must have the latest technology like a touchscreen or WiFi, perhaps the Cool-er isn’t for you.

If you’d like to read more or buy a Cool-er you can here.

Rating:
(8.00 out of 10)  Loading ...

Popularity: 41% [?]

The Cybook by Bookeen is an eBook reader that is big on portability and long on battery life. Today we’re going to review the 3rd generation device, appropriately called the Gen3.

It uses power from its battery only when changing pages, which is consistent with all devises using an EInk screen, like the Amazon Kindle 2.

Bookeen states that the built-in battery can handle up to 8000 page turns on one charge, which is difficult to even comprehend - that’s like 20 novels! The Cybook is also one of the lightest portable ebook readers available as it weighs only 174 grams (6.13 ounces).

This is an eBook reader in its purest form. It doesn’t have a digitizer stylus like other more expensive devices, so you are unable to make your own notes. Nor does it have Wi-Fi or a web browser.

What the Cybook Gen3 excells in is its portability. It measures 188mm tall and 118mm wide and is 8.5mm thick.

For the money ($350) ($219 - update Feb 17, 2024) it’s not a bad deal, but there’s still cheaper units out there with better features.

Rating:
(6.00 out of 10)  Loading ...

Popularity: 10% [?]

Jointech (a tech company based out of Hong Kong) have recently announced that they have a new ebook reader (known as the JE100). It’s a 7-inch device that has a COLOR LCD touchscreen rather than an e-ink display.

This is the first non-e-ink portable ebook reader that we’ve had the chance to discuss, so we’re quite excited. Although e-ink seems to be the way of the future for electronic reading devices, it’s still nice to see competing technologies

The JE100 uses Windows CE 5.0, and has the following capabilities and specifications:

• Comes with Mobipocket Reader, MSReader and eReader support
• Can play video and audio files
• Ability to view and edit Microsoft Office documents
• 3-6 hour battery life
• 400 MHz processor (slower than both the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX)
• 128 MB internal flash storage
• 64 MB RAM
• Up to 4GB external storage
• Two USB ports (to plug in accessories like keyboards or for hooking the device up to a PC)
• Built-in speaker and audio-out port

Those specs seem fairly mediocre, and the battery life is definitely weak. It seems like more of a netbook or mini-PC than a portable ebook reader. I guess we’ll have to wait until people start buying and reviewing it until we can make a better-informed decision.

One thing’s for sure, though…it definitely looks sleek!

Popularity: 11% [?]