Talk:E-book Reader Matrix

Statistics

The statistics for this page can be seen at: Page Statistics#3 E-book Reader Matrix.

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.

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.

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? Is it cheaper because of overproduction in the past?

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

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.

Compatibility with Alternate OS'es

I think there should be comparisons that specify which OS's each device supports.

Note: All the products in this matrix provide USB mount capability which will work with all modern OS's to move files back and forth. Some products may have Host programs to provide extra features but that does not mean the basic reader is not compatible with other OS's but there may be limitations. --DaleDe 14:11, 18 September 2009 (UTC)

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.

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)

missing readers

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.

it doesn't use e-ink. anyway it's epaper. i added flepia but it's at the wrong place since the page refers to e-ink-, not epaper devices... i changed it.

Also you have no mention of the BeBook Neo, which is due to be shipping this month. Information is available at the BeBook website here: http://mybebook.com/6-inch-ereaders/c14/p25/bebook-neo-ereader/product_info.html

iPad!!! iPhone???

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.

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.

5 inch table

Thanks to add the new 5 inch model not alphabeticaly...

• WTF? Why add two new version that are basicaly the same as the Hanvon? And some people should learn what "alphabetical" mean...--82.67.147.237 14:24, 3 August 2009 (UTC)
• Group by manufacturer is somewhat idiot in my opinion. Only Manufacturer as a meaning

6 inch table

Just wondering why all entries in the 6" table say the display size is 800x600 and 167ppi, when many of them have higher resolution and presumably higher ppi? Is that just a mistake?

Which 6" device has more than 800x600 pixels? I know of none. There are only a few screen available for e-paper devices and all have the same resolution. You can click on the devices and read the specifications. If you can find a different resolution among e-Paper devices please report it. --DaleDe 16:47, 4 March 2010 (UTC)

un-released

Taking into account the amount of "un-released" devices: Should we consider to spilt the list in un-released, current, and older? --Krischik 06:42, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Sony content partner

I added more Sony content partner, but I am aware that Sony has a lot of those world wide so just adding them here won't do. I propose a new page Sony Content Partner and just link here (i.E. 99 Partner World Wide) --Krischik 07:07, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

There is never a problem adding new relevant pages. --DaleDe 14:03, 30 September 2009 (UTC)

Revamp

here is the start of a revamp according to what you guys wanted. It is only half done for one size and is already huge. I hate it! 6" eBook Reader Matrix. Is this really workable???? It will end up being twice as wide or more than it is now. --DaleDe 23:48, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

• Hum it was not as simple and easy as I though :( Maybe one big table is not a good way, broke it into multiple should be better.. I will try in a "sandbox" page (please understand that the only thing I want is to have an easy to browse page, and to maintain, not to give you headache) --Godzil 09:34, 2 June 2010 (UTC)

The main tables should be revamped, they are less and less maintainable. The table template should be another one, the basic wikimedia model is really error prone. I'm unsure how the tables should be redone, but maybe in a "one line per device" manner will be better than "one column" per device. It will even allow to propose, like Wikipedia, sortable tables : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Sorting --Godzil 07:30, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

I second the idea for sorting, this table is great when you are trying to shop for an e-reader, but its hard to follow what device you are looking at through the whole list and comparing devices is even harder. --Julien

Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebook_readers which is done the way you propose. I find it much more difficult to use. Ours is more difficult to update but actually better than it used to be now that there is only one entry on a line, particularly if you are not greedy and attempt to place the new device at the beginning. If you place it at the end like you are supposed to it is easy and any errors do not effect the rest of the table so they are easy to correct. I did have to back out an entire change by some greedy user who messed up the table. --DaleDe 15:59, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

I found it more practicable for at least one reason, when you browse you are more likely to scroll up and down, than left-right, and the current 6" table is too big for the majority of screen, and using the same presentation as wikipedia will prevent the "greedy users" mess--Godzil 13:50, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

By the way, maybe the page should be broken by display size ? (one for 5", one for 6", one for bigger screens ?) --Godzil 07:33, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

What do you mean. This is the way it is organized --DaleDe 15:59, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

I mean to have one wiki page for the 5", one for the 6" and one for >6"--Godzil 13:50, 16 April 2010 (UTC)

Skiff is Dead

Hi guys, my first post here. I just noticed you have the Skiff reader listed, but apparently it was killed over a month ago. You can read about it at crunchgear for instance: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/06/15/the-skiff-she-is-dead/

Brand name

The brand name for alot of these devices are wrong. I redid my changes from yesterday. Sony, Jinke, and Condor Tech Assoc. are the brandnames of the, Sony portable reader, Hanlin, and egriver devices, respectively. Relisting the models under the brandname is not correct, and doesn't help anyone researching these devices. The Sony probably isn't made by Sony, and the Nook from B&N is most definitely not made by them, but by Foxconn.

The brand name is the marketed name for the product. This is different from the Company name which is the name of the company doing the marketing. For example Hanlin is the brand name of a product made by Jinke. Jinke is not the brand name, they are the manufacturer. In the case of Sony the product is either made by them or specifically for them. I suspect they make it themselves. They are unlikely to use a Chinese made product. It really does not matter from a research standpoint unless multiple similar products are made by the same company. Then it becomes important. --DaleDe 19:05, 12 September 2010 (EDT)

Oyo = bq Avant?

The Oyo has the same USB-ID like the bq Avant. (According to Calibre) Looking at the technical specifications it seems to me that these are twins: http://www.bqreaders.com/de/produkte/avant.html

No, the oyo is like the Binder and the bq Avant is like the eGriver Touch, they are the same hardware and likely the same firmware. --DaleDe 19:26, 6 December 2010 (EST)

File type support

The description is missing in the list of supported files. In addition, some could still insert a link to download the free PDF, DOC, RTF, etc. books. For example:

There is a whole page designed to offer free books. This is not an appropriate page for this data. There is descriptions of all file formats but this isn't the place for this detail. That is why there is a link to the appropriate page. I have removed the plug for you site, as inappropriate. --DaleDe 11:35, 24 March 2011 (EDT)

Onyx Boox M90 screen tech: E-ink or E-ink Pearl?!

The page text lists M90 screen tech as E Ink Pearl, while ereaderlookup.com/product/compare?products=50,129 says that it's plain e-ink, as opposed to M92. Who's wrong? BACbKA (talk) 10:15, 15 January 2014 (EST)

The Onyx Boox M90 page was originally built in April 2011 using advanced information from the Onyx web site at the time. From the very beginning Onyx claimed it was Perl and Perl in 2011 was the standard. You can check the history of the page and see that this data was never changed. --DaleDe (talk) 11:35, 15 January 2014 (EST)