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Comment on Calibre – the E-Book Tool – First Steps, Tips & Tricks by VeggieSD

VeggieSD — Sun, 20 May 2012 06:41:24 +0000

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

Some good tips for an already intuitive program, May 8, 2012

VeggieSD (San Diego, CA United States) -

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This review is from: Calibre - the E-Book Tool - First Steps, Tips & Tricks (Kindle Edition)

I've had Calibre up and running without any kind of guide for some time, so most of this book was a review. What I had not yet bothered to teach myself to do was to create my own news feed, which this ebook details with screenshots and clear explanations. Overall the book is well done. Screenshots are provided along with the text so that the user can follow along easily, and the topics range from very simplistic "getting started" to some more advanced.

If you are looking at this book, you probably are here because you already know what Calibre is, or you happened on this page while this is a free download. In the case that you are already an experienced Calibre user, I wouldn't recommend spending your money because honestly, you probably know 75%+ of the content. If you can get it as a free download as I did, you might learn a few additional tips to advance your use of Calibre. If you are unfamiliar with Calibre as an ebook managing tool, I highly recommend that you download the program first and make your decision from there.

The author does take the easy way out on difficult sections by simply providing a link to the Calbre online manual.

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Comment on PRS-500 eReader by John Schinter

John Schinter — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:29:12 +0000

79 of 83 people found the following review helpful

ABSOLUTELY Love My Sony Reader AND eliminates Paper, August 31, 2007

John Schinter (Chicago, IL) -

The Sony Reader is an absolute marvel. First of all the screen - is incredible - the brighter the light - the easier it is to read the screen. It was described to me as liquid paper, and is a different technology than LCD's. An LCD is backlit - and in bright sunlight difficult to read.

Not the Sony Reader - It has no backlight, and is intended to be just like a book (ie. Needs light to read).

It is elegant, light, CRISP screen, and capable of storing E-Books, MS Word Documents, and Adobe .pdf files.

MOST Amazing is the battery life - it is rated in page turns, not hours on. It takes virtually no electric power and can stay on indefinately, and only takes power when you turn a page. (Allows 7,500 page turns on a re-charge)

I have read more than 5,000 pages already, and find it so easy to carry around many books that I have always wanted to read, but couldn't find the space in my briefcase to carry the book(s). I have 80 books currently on mine....... So many books are available for free on the internet.

Even better - is the Sony READERS ability to play your favorite music while reading your books, because it plays MP3's.

And if all that isn't enough - You can store pictures in it as well.

Could not recommend this product higher - MUST HAVE!!!!!!

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Comment on PRS-500 eReader by Kent Roorda

Kent Roorda — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:05:10 +0000

79 of 82 people found the following review helpful

It's as good as you could expect, November 26, 2007

Kent Roorda (Denver, CO United States) -

We've owned a Sony reader for over a year now. First, it sure beats having to travel with a bunch of heavy and space consuming books. One reviewer said that the font size couldn't be adjusted. This is completely false. The font size can be adjusted VERY easily. Another reviewer mentioned that the screen wasn't backlit. Probably knowing more about electronics than that reviewer, I can assure you that there is a very good reason for NOT backlighting such a large screen... That reason is power consumption. Backlighting requires a great deal of power; even more power than creating the actual letters and words on the screen. Face it, a regular book isn't back lit either! If you would like to read in a dark environment, you can use any number of small, LED, book reading lights that are available for under $10. Otherwise, in standard light, reading the Sony book is just like reading a piece of white paper... very pleasing to the eyes, and, again, you CAN adjust the size of the fonts to suit your eyesight. In addition to being capable of holding up to around 160 books, the Reader can also be used as an MP3 player. Very Cool and Nice! You can listen to music by itself, or, while you are reading. Downloading both reading material and music on to the player is simple via your USB connection. If you want to increase the memory of the Reader, you can do so by using a Sony Memorystick or a standard SD memory card. And, the memory cards just slip in the side of the unit. After you use this product, you'll wonder why you have so many paperbacks laying around. It is extremely convenient, easy-to-use, space and weight saving, and downloading a book costs about the same as the best price you would pay for a paperback book. (There are also many books and publications that can be downloaded for free). This would be a wonderful gift for someone who loves to read.

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Comment on PRS-500 eReader by K. HUANG

K. HUANG — Sat, 19 May 2012 05:35:23 +0000

117 of 119 people found the following review helpful

Great Device. Clear Screen. Expensive., September 29, 2007

K. HUANG (Austin, TX United States) -

I got this a few days ago after seeing the high cost to get a physical paper print of a PDF book from an online publisher.

I have many technical computer documents in PDF format that I like to read. Most of them range from 200-1500 pages; having a print copy has always been more convenient to read a few pages here and there (especially on long road trips and while on the bus / subway).

I decided to get this item as used from a seller. Overall I really like my Sony Reader. If it was not for the cost I would have given 5 stars. In addition, the following are my personal scale from 1-3 (3 being the highest):

Reading clarity 2.8: Very sharp, but the brighter the surrounding light the better the contrast. I am thinking of getting a clip-on booklight so I can read in the dark (late bus rides home). When changing pages, you can see a slight "ghost" print in 15-30% of the previous imprint. However, it is very faint, and may be the limitation of the eInk technology. Ghost images do not seem to go past 3-4 page turns, however, imprints can linger in 5-10% for up to 3-4 page turns. (It seem that the screen does a single refresh when you turn the page.)

Battery Life 3.0: I've had it for the last 4 days, reading about 3 hrs / day, and it is still has 50% battery bars from the original charge.

Portability 3.0: Lighter and thinner than most of my books.

Size 2.2: The regular screen may be too small for my PDF manuals. I use the landscape and larger font for viewing. This is perfect for a novel / story book with "medium" font setting; however, most computer books and manuals are intended to be printed much larger. The size is comparable to most story book, but since there is an option for a larger font and landscape mode, I do not mind turning more pages so that I do not have to strain my eyes.

Readability Convenience 2.5: There are only 2 font settings (small and medium). The medium size is easier for me to read, but I find myself pressing the next page button rather often. However, I can take this more conveniently than a full book (lighter, smaller), so I get more reading done. (after reading other's comment, I may need to take better care not to crack the screen, though.).

Performance 2.5: It does take time to go to the next page (about 1-3 seconds delay depending on the complexity of the next page). I find myself pressing the next button ahead of time to keep a fast reading pace.

PDF 1.9: PDF seems a little slow to go to the next page when there is a picture, image, or diagram. Also, setting it on Medium font size does seem to be consistent in PDF. The font size seems to stay at small, when you change back to small then medium again you see a larger version. Also, diagrams, drawings, pictures are very difficult and next-to-impossible to read. I look on the computer to review diagrams.

Expandability 3.0: I have a 2 gig SD memory card in mine, and I still have 95%+ free memory with over 30 books.

In addition, the following deficiencies may be important to some (mostly, not a big deal to me, but I would consider a competing product):
-No way to zoom, or apply custom zooming from 0-200% or 0-x%.
-No light source or backlit (It would be nice if they could embedd led's for night reading.)
-Has Mp3 player, but no built-in speakers. (they could have taken small speakers out their palm or phone products)
-No search feature. Sometimes when I want to recall a topic or sentence, It would be easier to run a search instead of scrolling through the pages. (makes sense, since it does not have a keyboard. when frustrated, I just use the computer).

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Comment on Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader – Black by Sharon Kennison

Sharon Kennison — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:48:01 +0000

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

Great value, great product, January 10, 2011

Sharon Kennison -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader - Black (Electronics)

This product is a great value for the money. Built in mp3 player allows music to be enjoyed while reading. Holds multiple forms of books, and loading and moving books around couldn't be easier. Expansion card creates even more space. Easy to customize for use. Lighting is perfect for reading in dim spaces. Am enjoying this e-reader greatly.

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Comment on Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader – Black by RW Krpoun

RW Krpoun — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:11:48 +0000

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful

Great ereader, February 5, 2011

RW Krpoun -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader - Black (Electronics)

This is a great ereader. The battery life is a tad short (3-4 hours), but it improves a bit if you run it flat and fully charge it 3 or four times. It is very flexible with document types, although it won't handle MS Word (but you can switch those docs to RTF and it works fine). The ability to flip the screen to `read' long-ways really helps some docs.

It does video well, and it displays pictures flawlessly-it would make a great photo album.

Downloading and modifying files is tremendously easy-just connect it with any USB cable to your PC (which also charges the ereader) and treat it like a jump drive. One thing you may have to do is adjust document titles-in the selection area you can only see about 30 characters of a title, so you'll want to avoid listing author's name first.

The MP3 player is a real power hog, so only use it if the unit is plugged in. I haven't used the radio.

The manual is small, and not written in great detail, but it is sufficient. The controls for each feature are pretty much standard. In all, a great buy and a wonderful value for the money!

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Comment on Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader – Black by Bruceshay

Bruceshay — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:30:38 +0000

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

Good reader., January 26, 2011

Bruceshay -

This review is from: Ematic 7 TFT Color eBook Reader - Black (Electronics)

Bought this e-book reader over a 2 month ago. Had no problem with reading books in all formats, except of .doc. Perfect for reading e-books in foreign languages.
Only one concern so far: Battery life is short. Every 3-4 hours of reading this device needs to be re-charged. Had good experience in watching full length movie (2GB of data) loaded onto micro SD card. It took an approx. 3 min to load the movie, than movie plays flawlessly.

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Comment on Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black by M. Thurig

M. Thurig — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:11:08 +0000

134 of 142 people found the following review helpful

I recieved it today!, November 18, 2011

M. Thurig -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black (Accessory)

I have had the Kindle Keyboard with it's lighted cover and now I have the new Kindle with lighted cover. I will briefly compare them and then list the pros and cons of this cover.

In comparison:
-The kindle keyboard in the cover is much heavier than the new kindle in it's cover. The new case does a much better job of securing the kindle as well, it is no longer hinged only on one edge, but instead it is form fit inside of a rigid rubber shell that attaches to the back of the new kindle

-The lighting is about the same between both cases, but where the old case lit the screen from the top right corner, the new case lights the screen from the top middle.

-I feel like the old light mechanism was more durable. The light bar on this cover is made out of very stiff, thin plastic instead of the thick rubbery plastic that contained the light on the old cover. It also hinges open instead of pulling out of the case, and the hinge feels subpar.

-The light on the new case is less angled and tends to get in my eyes more when reading than the old kindle keyboard case did.

All in all I still like the new case. It fits the new kindle very well and does not increase the size or weight very much. The leather is somewhat thin but not horribly so and it looks sleek on the kindle. I will be keeping this case.

Pros:
Compact case that looks very sleek
Tight and secure fit
Uses the Kindle's batteries so no additional power is needed.
Provides adequate lighting across the entire screen.

Cons:
Lightbar hinge seems very cheap.

Since I only received this today, I cannot yet evaluate the additional drain that this case will place on the Kindle's battery. I will update after I've gone through a few charges.

P.S. - I'd like to add that people complaining about the availability / delay in shipping of this product need to stop. It does not at all reflect the quality of the device, yet all of the negative ratings based on delayed shipments make the product look horrible when it is in fact very nice.

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Comment on Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black by Joseph Esposito "Co-Host Of The Ozone Nightmare"

Joseph Esposito "Co-Host Of The Ozone Nightmare" — Thu, 17 May 2012 04:02:16 +0000

434 of 441 people found the following review helpful

A Step Down In Quality, November 22, 2011

Joseph Esposito "Co-Host Of The Ozone Nightmare" (California) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black (Accessory)

I owned a Kindle Keyboard for about a year, and I purchased the leather lighted case for that unit. While the corner light left a little to be desired as far as even lighting, overall I was very pleased with the case. Based on that experience, I went ahead and purchased the lighted cover for my new Kindle. I can't say this experience has as been as positive.

Let's start off with what's good about the case. The Kindle battery powered light is a big improvement. The light is now centered on the screen, so illumination is more even now. I don't use the light often, but in the cases where I do it will be nice to have more balanced coverage. One positive on the case itself is that I appreciate how much lighter this one feels than the previous generation. The hinge area is smaller, which means less of the "spine folding" effect the other one took on after heavy use. I never took my Kindle Keyboard out of the case after it was put in, so the snug fit I have seen complaints about is not an issue for me. It IS tight, though, so if you don't plan to keep the case on full time be aware it may take some effort to get it back out. In my situation, that tight fit is exactly what I want, but your mileage may vary.

Now on to the negatives. The case does feel very cheap, especially with no change in price point. The previous cover felt like a solidly made piece of work, whereas the new cover only feels half as sturdy. The thinness of the case was no doubt done to minimize its weight, so I realize this is a personal issue. Outside the thickness, though, it just doesn't look or feel as well made. The textured surface of the previous model you that leather feel, very much like a real book. Finally, the most stunning oversight is the lack of a closure device. I understand some people didn't like the elastic band, but SOMETHING should have been added to allow the case to stay securely closed.

Overall, this is an average if overpriced case. It's not bad, but in comparison to what came before I have to admit I feel like the quality took a step backward me while maintaining a high price point.

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Comment on Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black by AZ Dee

AZ Dee — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:13:11 +0000

680 of 687 people found the following review helpful

Lightweight, good viewing area., November 18, 2011

AZ Dee (Phoenix, AZ) -

Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

This review is from: Amazon Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black (Accessory)

Finally received the Kindle Lighted Leather Cover for the newest version Kindle. It is VERY lightweight and I had to double and triple check the description considering it states this is a leather cover. The front cover is very thin with a medium-weight cardboard feel to it. The "leather" on the front cover is extremely thin and you can immediately tell the surface will be easily scratched and marred with normal everyday use. The inside of the front cover has a thin microfiber material to protect the screen. The back cover is hollowed out plastic to form-fit your Kindle and snaps in with relative ease.

Using the enclosed graphic instruction card, I removed the Kindle as shown, having to use just enough pressure to make me a bit concerned for someone who would place and remove their Kindle in this cover frequently. However, I plan on using this cover as a full-time solution for both protection and as a light source.

I went ahead and pulled up a book and switched the light on, heading to a closet to see how this looked in complete darkness. The light pulls out of the back cover and is nice and stiff and has a locked full-out position. The spread of the light is greater on top obviously but it does reach the entire screen on the Kindle. There was no glare or reflection and I was able to easily read the page without any noticeable straining.

If I were to choose between this design and the Kindle Keyboard lighted cover, which I have used since its release, I would choose this newer cover. Although it feels flimsy and "cheap" compared to the Kindle Keyboard lighted cover, it makes up for it with its ease of use, no hooks/connectors to worry about and the light "stick" itself seems sturdier than the pull-out plastic flimsy light of the original Kindle Keyboard cover (which, after a year of use needs to be wiggled at times for the light to come on).

I tried a few attempts at taking a picture of the cover in use, but my photography skills are definitely lacking because each picture I took created a glare from the camera which would not be helpful to anyone.

Pros:

NO batteries to continuously buy or recharge
Sturdy light stick
Lights the entire page
Easy connection
Form fitted

Cons:

Feels very flimsy and cheap
The cover scratches easily

I plan on editing this review in a week or two after I go through a couple full Kindle charges to see how well this holds up with regard to battery drain.

Edit 12/1:

So I've run through two full charges of the Kindle and am working on my third but wanted to give a head's up on power consumption I've seen so far. The first charge was approx. 7* hours of reading before I got the "pop-up" message about low battery. The second charge was just under 8* hours. If I notice a dramatic change in the next several charges, I'll edit this again.

*I use my Kindle with the light on 100% of the time, with Wi-Fi turned off.

Even though the lighted cover pretty much halves the battery life per charge of the Kindle, I am still super happy with the fact that I am not spending money on any extra batteries. The amount of reading time it allows is more than enough between charges considering I usually don't read more than an hour or so a day, which allows me to go around a week between charges.

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