[GTALUG] e-reader recommendations

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: James Knott via talk <talk at gtalug.org>
| 
| On 2021-05-11 10:26 a.m., Trevor Woerner via talk wrote:
| > I'm looking for recommendations for e-readers. Ideally these recommendations
| > would come in the form of "I have used <the following e-readers> and <this>
| > is the one I like best for <these reasons>" ;-)
| >
| > Nice to have features:
| > - be able to read websites (i.e. surf the web)
| > - be able to mirror a screen from my desktop (or act as another monitor)
| > - be able to take notes
| 
| Get a decent tablet.  I used to use a Kobo reader and find a tablet is much
| superior.  In addition to reading books, a tablet does so much more, including
| browsing a web site.  You can also get remote desktop apps for them.  And so
| much more...
| 
| The only advantages of an e-reader, such as the Kobo, are battery life and
| using in bright sunlight.

As James says, your "nice to have" features definitely sound like what you 
need is a tablet.  If I didn't know you better, I would think you didn't 
know that an ereader is built out of (e-paper).

- "tablet" now means something with an IPS screen with capacitive touch.
  On some, there is also a high-resolution digitizer for accurate stylus 
  use.

- "ereader" now means a small and minimal device for reading static 
  monochrome content (i.e. books) with slow screen updates.

They've become specialized so that the best use-cases don't actually 
overlap.  The tablet is more general purpose, so I'll enumerate why 
one could possibly want an ereader

- ereader has simple interface specialized to one task.

- ereader is less expensive ($100 gets you a reasonable one; more like 
  $200+ for a reasonable tablet and $1000 for a really really good one)

- ereader battery charge lasts months of normal use (less with light on)  
  whereas tablet batteries last days

- ereader is very thin and light.  Lighter than a paperback book that it 
  replaces.  This matters when you spend hours reading in random places 
  (bed, subway, treehouse).  Some (eg. my Kobo Mini) conveniently fit
  in a shirt pocket.

- ereaders are quite readable in bright light, unlike tablets.  ereaders 
  are only readable in the dark if they have built-in lighting (I think 
  all current ereaders have that but some of ours do not)

- with a very few exception ereaders come in modest sizes.  Among
  other things, this means they are not good for reading PDF files.

- only exotic and expensive ereaders support taking notes with a stylus
  https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2

- an ereader remains useful much longer than a tablet (software
  updates cycles)

- It is generally believed that epaper disrupts sleep patterns less
  than IPS screens.  I don't know if this is true.

- As far as I know, all ereaders have Linux built in.  On the Kobo,
  you can hack on it a bit.  But that's not very useful.
  https://pgaskin.net/NickelMenu/ is an example of hacking.

- when you choose an ereader, you are choosing a bookstore.  They are
  tied.  You can side-load non-DRMed books (that's what I do).

- colour epaper exists now.  I don't know what it's good for.  Perhaps 
  reading graphic novels.

In our house, we have ereaders and tablets.  The ereaders are very good 
at their limited repertoire of tasks.  The tablets promise more and 
therefor disappoint more often.