Talk:E-book Reader Matrix
From MobileRead
[edit] Ebook Formats
The two most common ebook formats for technical books are PDF and HTML/CHM. Legacy ebooks for the Palm are often have a PDB extension but can be in a wide variety of formats. The most popular format for fiction books is likely to be MOBI/PRC. The Microsoft Reader format (LIT) is also common, as is TXT. Microsoft Word compatibility is also useful (DOC, RTF). See E-book formats for a description of file types. This could be considered a minimal set for useful compatibility with commonly accessible eBook files.
[edit] SD Cards
SD cards are the common storage format now. There are smaller versions of them that can be placed into an SD card carrier for physical compatibility. One useful parameter for an ebook reader is the maximum size of an SD card the reader will support. This information is often omitted from reviews. Some people have large collections that they would appreciate being able to carry all on one card; a library in a pocket or on the device.
[edit] Connectivity and Expandability
USB 2.0 is so superior to USB 1,1 that it should be considered a requirement for all new devices. Downloading a large collection is much faster with the newer standard. One should simply be able to view the device as an attached USB file system, rather that needing to use special software for connectivity. An operating system is available within some of the devices, but can we add applications? Can I add Microsoft Reader to the Sony? Would MobiReader be available to gain file type compatibility?
I agree! I don't understand why new (usually consomer) devices are still being shipped with USB 1.1. Perhaps to be backwards-compatible to legacy computers?
[edit] Compatibility with Media designed for Print-disabled and blind users
I noticed that most of these machines have an audio component. They could potentially be a great aid to people with print reading disabilities who benefit from being able to hear text while seeing it.
For years such people have used special adapted media recording from the Library of Congress or the non-profit organization, Recording for the Blind
[edit] Encoding Support
Please add a section (or help contribute to a section!) that talks about the encoding support for each device. I read Korean, and I'd like to put my Korean books on an eBook reader, but it's a pain to research them all one by one. I know the Kindle doesn't support anything but plain ASCII.
[edit] Compatibility with Alternate OS'es
I think there should be comparisons that specify which OS's each device supports. I myself am a Mac user and I'd like to not buy a shitty ebook reader that only support Microshit.
[edit] Non specialized devices should be covered also?
I think it makes sense to mention non-specialized devices on this page.
I'm not sure exactly how to handle it but people coming to this page are probably trying to evaluate how they wish to pursue mobile eReading. Comparing the capability of Palm devices, mobile phones, XO laptop, and ultra compact PCs along with dedicated eReaders supports that goal better than the current table. The 'mobile' qualifier would serve to exclude desktops and regular 'portable but not mobile' laptops.
The table looks like it could not accommodate many more columns perhaps a new table is needed.
DaleDe 11:34, 31 December 2007 (CST) I think that the table is already big enough. It can be difficult to manage if it gets too big and it becomes an apples and oranges comparison. Products need to be compared in families IHMO. General devices should be compared with other general devices and then only compare features that are related to eBook use. The user can extrapolate the various comparisons as needed. There are already small laptop comparisons and UMPC comparisons available. If you start getting too far into generic devices you end up with hundreds.
[edit] adding eBooks without a PC program
If you put the books in the correct folder then they will be found. You do not need the eBook Library program to add books even on a pc. They go in the documents folder. This sort of thing is better covered in the forum rather than the wiki. --DaleDe 11:51, 26 May 2008 (EDT)
[edit] Fujitsu's Color E-ink
Hello
Could you please also include Fujitsu's 2 new color e-inks to the list. I think they also qualify to be listed.
See details here (however its not the main source of the news)
http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/14/fujitsu-to-launch-flepia-color-e-ink-e-books-in-the-fall/
thanks.
[edit] Primary Display sizes are all reversed
All the display sizes quoted in pixels are actually reversed i.e. 800x600 should read 600x800, etc.
When talking about monitor display sizes those would be correct as monitors are wider than they are taller. BUT, ebook devices are the opposite i.e. taller than wider.
So in keeping with this, the display sizes should be "width x height" i.e. 600x800 in the case of most 6" devices.
Wikipedia displays them as 600x800! Can I change them?
I see no problem in changing them --DaleDe 13:20, 17 October 2008 (EDT)
OK good to know! nrapallo 22:04, 17 October 2008 (EDT)
[edit] Plastic Logic
I've added a heading for Plastic Logic which is coming out in 2009 but I don't know how to do the page formatting. Could someone else do fill in the rest. Thanks. AP.
There is a page in the wiki with everything that is known about the Plastic Logic device but not nearly enough is known to fill in the columns.
Adding a line at the top of the table is not a good idea as a way to request an entry. Use this talk page or add the full entry yourself.
[edit] Multilingual support information
Would be nice to get one more row in details table with multilingual support information. I saw it at wiki.findnetbook.com. It is really useful for whom who is looking to read books not only in English and for some it is most important criteria to choose from variety of devices.
--Answer--
It may be better to make a separate article or table. Multi-lingual can be complicated. The wiki you referenced has lots of errors. A few notes are listed below: --DaleDe 00:59, 5 March 2009 (UTC)
- what languages are covered in the interface (this is specified in the various articles usually. For Kindle it is only English.
- What language is the operating manual available in.
- For eBooks in foreign languages you generally only need to support the character set that includes the letters needed.
- If you have automatic hyphenation then you need to know the language to do hyphenation correctly.
- If you have dictionary support then you need either a dictionary in the correct language or a translation dictionary to convert the word or phrase.
- Some languages are right to left and this needs special support from the reader.
- Supporting user downloaded fonts usually solves the character availability problem.
In general foreign words are handled ok so long as the characters needed are present.
