Dedicated eBook readers available in the UK include the iLiad, the Sony Reader, and the Cybook. The highly acclaimed Kindle from Amazon is only available in the USA.
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| iLiad Book Edition | Sony Reader | Cybook | ||
| Dimensions (height, width, depth) | 217 x 155 x 16mm | 122 175.3 x 7.6mm | 118 x 188 x 8.5mm | |
| Weight (grams) | 435g | 260g | 174g | |
| Capacity | 256MB Internal flash memory expandable to 8GB8GB memory is the equivalent of 10,000 books. | 192MB internal flash memory expandable to 16GB.This is the equivalent of 160 books, expandable to 13,000 books. | 1,000 books | |
| Battery life | Up to 15 hours | 6,800 pages | 8,000 pages | |
| Type of screen | eInk | eInk | eInk | |
| Screen size | 8.1″ | 6″ | 6″ | |
| Reader software supported formats | PRC (Mobipocket) /PDF /HTML /TXT /JPG /BMP/ PNG | EPUB eBook, BBeB Book, Adobe® PDF, Microsoft® Word, TXT, RTF EPUB eBooks (Adept) BBeB eBooks (Marlin) mp3, AAC (not most DRM audio) JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP |
Mobipocket PRC, PalmDoc, HTML, TXT, PDFJPG, GIF, PNG, MP3, TTF | |
| Other features | You can use the stylus to make notes, underline text and write comments in documents do your favorite crossword or even sketch or draw your ideas.The iLiad Reader Second Edition incorporates a WiFi modem. | |||
| Manufacturer | iRex | Sony | Bookeen | |
| Typical Price | £389 incl VAT, plus delivery Buy now |
Sony - £199 incl delivery Comet - £225 incl delivery John Lewis - £224 incl delivery |
£220 incl VAT, plus delivery Buy now |
Review
Apart from different features such as the ability to write or draw with the iLad, the key thing to consider is flexibility of reading many different formats of eBooks or other documents, particularly those that are digital rights managed to prevent unlawful copying of files. In this respect, the Sony Reader wins hands down as it has the widest choice of compatibility, and importantly works with .epub, the standard being adopted by many large publishers like Penguin and Harper Collins.
The iLiad offers great functionality with the ability to store loads of documents and writing with the Wacom stylus. It is certainly a great companion for the travelling businessman who also like to add their own notes to documents or sketch ideas to illustrate a point. I would also recommend it for those who like to underline important sections. Other target audience is students. More information on the iLiad.
Rrecreational users will find the cheaper Sony Reader, also known as the PRS-505, is excellent. It is dedicated to replicating the experience of reading a real paperback or hardback book. Rather than turning a leaf of a page down to remember a page, the Sony Reader lets you add bookmarks. Flicking through a book is replicated by “fast forward” through the book.
The quality of the Sony eInk screen is fantastic, unlike typical computer screens where you need to be square on to the screen, the eInk screen can be easily read at varying angles. You can increase the text size so that it is adaptable to your needs when your eyes are tired. After 5 minutes of use without reading the instructions I had forgotten it was not a paperback and was engrossed in Treasure Island, turning pages by simply pressing a button. It is lightweight and easy to hold, but more importantly reads most formats of eBooks - so you are not restricted to buying your eBooks from one retailer. Finally, at £199 including delivery, it is the cheapest. More information on the Sony Reader.
Another thing to note about these ebook readers is that you you can store pictures and audio files.
We have not tested the Cybook by Bookeen, but it is available from the Pixmania, the large internet electronics retailer. More information on the Cybook.
To sum up, I would buy the iLiad for general work and travel or if I was a student so that I could interact with the text. However, if buying an e-book reader purely for curling up on the sofa to read, then the Sony Reader would get my vote as it is lighter to hold. Which ever one you buy, you will be buying a great piece of kit!
Update 20th March 2009: The recent announcement that only the Sony Reader has the ability to access Google’s archive of more than 500,000 classics for free makes the Sony Reader an excellent buy. You can access more than 600,000 ebooks with the Sony Reader. The Kindle, the biggest rival but not available in the UK only has access to around 240,000 ebooks and these rely on proprietry technology - that is, the books are not free!
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More about eBook Readers
An eBook reader is designed to faciliate easy reading of books in electronic format.
Why buy an eBook? There are a number of benefits associated with eBooks.
- Cheaper than paperback books
- You are able to carry hundreds or thousands of your favourite books whilst travelling, so you can choose what to read when the mood takes you.
- There are thousands of free eBooks available.
What are your options for an eBook reader? “Many” is the simple answer to this question. For example, you can easily read eBooks on your desktop or laptop computer, your handheld personal organiser or even your mobile phone.
However, none of the above devices are suitable for long periods of use as they are multi-purpose products that are not designed for sustained use such as reading. For example, the laptop or desktop are not suitable for reading whilst travelling. In addition, all of these devices have backlit screens which makes it very tiring on the eye when reading for prolonged periods.
Typical features of an eBook reader include:
- large screen size,
- easy read screen,
- large media storage
- long battery life, and
- lightweight.
With these requirements in mind, we come back to the models compared that have eInk screens that are very easy on the eye - iLiad, Sony or the Cybook.