[Basil]

I've a Sony Reader which S1 gave me when he bought a Kindle.
It has slots for SD and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.
I think it's a PRS-900 which is a US model and, e.g., won't recognise UK time zones or connect to GPRS neither of which is a problem for me.
It will NOT run DRM protected Kindle books however, using appropriate software, the DRM protection can be removed. I would not consider that to be immoral if one had paid for the book. Caveat - in this context, legal and moral may not mean the same thing.
There are stacks of them on eBay but I don't know anything about their specs.
The spec for mine is:
7.1" diagonal display
The following files can be managed on Reader Library
and transferred to the Reader.
Book
 EPUB file (.epub file extension)
EPUB (OPS version 2.0) supported
 PDF file (.pdf file extension)
PDF version 1.4 or before is supported
 BBeB*1 (.lrf or .lrx file extension, Non-DRM)
 Text file (.txt file extension)
 RTF file (.rtf file extension)
 Word file (.doc or .docx file*2 extension)*3
*1 DRM-protected BBeB books are not supported. Install the latest
version of Reader Library. Go to the “My Account” page in the
Reader Store, then download the EPUB version of the books.
*2 On Macintosh, Reader Library does not support .docx files.
*3 Word files will be automatically converted into RTF files during
transfer to the Reader only if Microsoft Word is installed on your
computer.
Audio
 MP3 file (.mp3 file extension)
The following specifications should be met in order to import
an MP3 file.
– Bit rate: 32 to 320 kbps
– Sampling frequency: 22.05, 44.1 kHz
– File must be unsecured.
 AAC file (.mp4, .m4a, .mov, or .qt file extension)
The following specifications should be met in order to import
an AAC file.
– Bit rate: 40 to 320 kbps
– Sampling frequency: 24.0, 44.1, 48.0 kHz
– File must be unsecured.
Picture
 JPEG file (.jpg or .jpeg file extension)
 GIF file (.gif file extension)*
 PNG file (.png file extension)
 BMP file (.bmp file extension)
* For an animation GIF file, only the first frame will be shown.

[surfaceblow]

Originally Posted by Shipbuilder

Kindles are no problem as far as using them are concerened. I tried one in the store. The one and only problem is that the memory is not big enough for what I require. I have many decades of Lloyds registers in pdf and they will simply not fit in a Kindle. I can look at them on the computer OK, but it is a bit tedious if I am writing on the computer and then have to open another window to look at the Lloyds Register. If I could have an e-reader next to the computer to refer to, it would be a lot easier. I really need one that can take an SD card.
Bob

I have a Nook which has a slot for extra memory and you can replace the battery yourself if the need comes up. The only problem I had with mine was the door for the SD card kept opening up so I put a bit of tape to hold it close.

Mind is about a year old I was at the local electronics store today to get a ink cartridge and looked at the newer models in the price range of 80 - 250 dollars.

Joe

[Shipbuilder]

Thanks,

Both look OK, but Sony doesn't appear to be available in UK.

Maybe the Nook is by now, but some old sites say folk have given up waiting for them to arrive!

Bob

[Quiney]

Have you had a look at the Sony Reader?
It has a microSD slot (up to 32Gb)
It also has pdf reflow - which would probably make reading some pdf's easier.

Its a bit dearer that the Kobo/Kindle though.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-PRS-T1-...9862506&sr=8-5

[Shipbuilder]

I am now at the stage where I am wary of the whole lot of them. I would be reluctant to buy one unless I could see it demostrated. With the Kobo, I wasted two days trying to get it to take a PDF book and then when I finally took it back, their Kobo expert couldn't do it either. He even tried the more expensive ones with no result. They said they would phone me when they figured it out, but nothing so far!
Bob

[steviej]

Try using the Calibre software. You can convert from PDF to epub format and then load on to your device. easy.. The great thing about calibre is that you can store your files on the software and upload them at leisure.

http://calibre-ebook.com/download

Originally Posted by Shipbuilder

I am now at the stage where I am wary of the whole lot of them. I would be reluctant to buy one unless I could see it demostrated. With the Kobo, I wasted two days trying to get it to take a PDF book and then when I finally took it back, their Kobo expert couldn't do it either. He even tried the more expensive ones with no result. They said they would phone me when they figured it out, but nothing so far!
Bob

[Shipbuilder]

I can't because I took it back, and after they failed totally to show me how to work it (over an hour trying) I got a full refund!
I have now abandoned the whole idea unless some shop can demonstrate how "easy" they are to work!
Bob

[kwg]

Bought my wife a kindle last year, she loves the thing. She buys her Amazon books using the 'thegivingmachine'. Amazon donate 3.7% of the cost of her purchase to whatever charity she chooses, in her case our g/childrens school funds. Online organizations/businesses supporting thegivingmachine is vast.

www.thegivingmachine.co.uk/

[Shipbuilder]

Just had another traumatic experience with e-readers. Finally, after much study and web searches and review readings, I got a Kindle Keyboard edition this morning. After over an hour on the telephone to customer services, it was still totally unsatisfactory. It appears that the books I dowloaded supposedly with Kindle format, from the USA or other sites are not entirely compatible with the device. Neither is it capable of reading PDF efficiently from any source except Amazon!

Am now about to take it back for a full refund, together with four or five garbled e-books in it!

I guess that just about wraps it up with e-readers as far as I am concerned!

Bob

[Andy Lavies]

I had a Kindle Keyboard for Christmas and have no problems with any Kindle downloads nor with PDF's from any source. eBooks from other suppliers may be garbled if they are just scans of old books but most are fine.
Andy

[Shipbuilder]

They are scans of old books that are either in Kindle or PDF format, but neither are any good, although I can read them perfectly on the computer!

That is the end of the line for me as far as e-readers are concerned - I have really had enough of them!

Bob

[surfaceblow]

I had the same problem with some of the epub books on my Nook but I found that if I downloaded the PDF file and installed that on my Nook I did not have the problem. The only down side was that some of the PDF files where not searchable (the scan was done has a image instead of a searchable file). Both Kindle and Nook have free software that allows you to download books on computers, smart phones and the Ipod. I had no problem putting my PDF files into My Library's sub section My Stuff.

I would give the PC software a try to see which platform suits your purpose.

Joe

[Shipbuilder]

I did download the e-books into the computer and then transferred them to the Kobo/Kindles. The Kobo did not work at all. With the Kindle, the page was so small it could only be read with a magnifying glass and the next step of enlargement made it too big. Some pages would not even enlarge at all. The Kobo expert in the shop spent well over an hour trying to get a number of them working, but failed. An hour on "help" to Kindle ended with them saying that just because a free ebook says it is in Kindle format doesn't mean that it will work properly unless it comes from the Kindle Amazon library. But the Kindle library does not have the books I want to read on the e-readers (100-year-old Lloyds registers that I can only read on the computer in PDF at the moment).

Anyway, having got a full refund on both Kobo & Kindles, I have abandoned all ideas of trying out any more e-readers!

It reminded me of being at sea again with the age-old statement from equipment suppliers "that's odd, we have installed it in dozens of ships and this is the first one it hasn't worked on

Bob

[IAN M]

Originally Posted by Burned Toast

Got myself a kindle yesterday, asked in the shop currys what it can do besides downloading books and mags. Told it's only purpose is for reading books and mags.

Ray

My book, 'Outward Bound', has just been placed on Kindle.

Regards

Ian

[Harry Nicholson]

I've just placed my book free for Kindle - for the next few days:
'Green Linnet' by Harry Nicholson, is free today and until 15 Feb . Humorous and sober short stories of the sea and of Yorkshire, interleaved with verse.
'Green Linnet', anthology. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...et%20%20%20%20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Linnet...9626369&sr=1-1