I Want a Useable, Affordable eBook Reader NOW!

I'm working with a start-up whose focus is ebooks.  I feel like a bit of a pretender, since I am devoid of handheld devices or anything, aside from my desktop, on which to read ebooks. I'm on board as an in-the-trenches, end-user-focused librarian, and a bit shy on the tech end. I've been given a couple of loaners to play around with, a Sony Clie, and an RCA tablet-style reader, preloaded with content. Unfortunately, it's all public domain stuff, and I can't bring myself to read any of it, even for the greater good.  The RCA is a beauty, it's about the size of a trade paperback, and has a nice screen size.  But, it's hard to get high-demand content, because the machine is older, and because there's a nearly criminal array of formats, most of them not cross-compatible. I'm learning a lot about the mess that is the ebook industry these days, thanks to my friend David Rothman, who writes prolifically about ebooks and who has been advocating for an end to the consumer unfriendly format wars, or the Tower of eBabel, as he calls it.

While I've enjoyed working on this project, and have learned a lot, I've never felt like I was missing anything from not having an ebook reader until this past week.  It took Bill Clinton's mammoth biography, My Life, to make me completely understand the promise of ebooks.  One of the arguments against ebooks is that they just don't feel right, that there's something about a book's format that makes it so much more special or readable.  Well, I'm here to tell you, I'd be thrilled to death to have this monstro-book available on some sleek piece of hardware that wouldn't give me a black eye if I fell asleep while reading it. 

Unfortunately, even though My Life is available as an ebook, it's only available in the very proprietary Adobe and Microsoft formats, and not a fit with the Clie or the RCA.   Were I able to buy either format, I would still pay $18.50, although no trees were harmed in the making of the book.  There's no guarantee that I could use that book forever, though, because it wouldn't necessarily migrate if I bought a new machine.  There's something rather disposable about the proprietary format, which is another reason that ebooks still haven't caught fire.  I feel horrible recycling a $3.00 magazine that I know I'll never read again.  There's no way I'm going to spend $18 on a book that I can't keep for several years, or resell if it's a dud. 

Publishers of downloadable audio seem to be more on the ball.  If I enjoyed audio books (which I don't) or had a player (which I don't), I could purchase the audio download of My Life for less than ten bucks, and have more confidence about moving it around to different pieces of hardware.  Ebook publishers are screwing up big time, if you ask me and I'm pleased to be associated with someone who is advocating for sensible, user-friendly standards in the industry.  If you see me with a black eye, you'll know I've been reading 10 pound tomes in bed.

 

Comments

[Dragon Cat]

Great post. I have tried several ebook readers and will not purchase until one comes out that (in order of importance):
(a) reads plain text and most proprietary formats so I'm not locked into buying ebooks in one, possibly more expensive, format and so I can read free ebooks from Gutenberg, etc. which are mostly in plain text, without having to convert. Freedom of choice, baby!
(b) Has a min. battery life of 25 hours CONTINUOUS and at least 7 days standby, with rechargeable batteries - how annoying to be in the middle of a page and have the battery die - that never happens with a paperback! And who can afford to buy batteries every 3 days? Later for that.
(c) Has a big enough screen not to give me eyestrain, with crystal clear display, configurable to font size, font color, background color of my choice - including ability to display 2 pages at a time at full paperback size. I don't care if the device is the width of an open paperback - in fact, I think ebook readers should be designed to open and close like a paperback to protect buttons / touch screen and keep from being accidently pressed - that would solve width issues too!
(d) be so intuitive it is obvious how it works - I don't have to read a manual to operate a paperback and I shouldn't have to do so to operate the basics of one of these devices. I refuse to put up with poor hardware and software design implementation. Period.
(e) Should have storage room for LOTS of books! Minimum 20GB, assuming stored in text format - I would want at least 80GB for the proprietary formats and/or illustrated books.
(f) Preferably have a touch screen, with easy navigation buttons as well, remember last 10 books opened, where you left off, easy back and return buttons, etc.
(g) Has ability to read books out loud in natural speaking voices, with stereo headphone jack when you are in public.

Right now, I read all my ebooks on my little notebook, on which I have copies of just about all the free ereaders installed (MS reader for .lit, Sony reader, Mobipocket, iSilo, Palm eReader, Adobe .pdf) as well as MS Word for reading the text files and EasyReader which will read the books to me! Interestingly, MS Word has absolute BEST display for reading ebooks - 2 pages, crystal clear, any font you want, etc. - while MS Reader has best features. I am not a fan of Microsoft, but they are the closest to getting it right so far. The worst is Adobe - I hate the reading layout and lack of configurability - so much so that whenever possible I buy in any other format and/or convert the .pdf to text or to a readable print file.

[Levada]

As an ebook author I too am anxiously awaiting an affordable hand held ebook reader.

I think that anything else than the Adobe pdf format is going to be almost useless. Hey Adobe, bring out your own reader!!!! I need to sell more ebooks....lol.

In case anyone is interested in acquiring for resale brand new niche ebooks, go here: www.ResellEbooksBuzz.com

[Rolf - Audio Books Fan]

I quite frankly think that E-Books never really took off due to the problems described in your post.
Today, in 2007, many more people have iPods or other MP3 players and even download audiobooks straight from the internet. Audio Books do have a bright future.

[wholesale greeting cards]

I find the Adobe one to be very good. At least you know it will be supported as they are a rather large company.