I used to enjoy reading, but not in recent years, just realise why. Every time I sit down to read, there never seems to be enough light, or the text is too small, or the book is too heavy with pages that don’t want to open easily. What I need is an e-reader. I’ve never had one, are they still the thing or have phones & tablets taken over?
Where do I start, what to look out for? Recommendations please.
I had a kindle and it was absolutely fine once I got used to it. But…there seems to be an issue with kindles. If you leave them idle for too long and the battery runs down then it can be almost impossible to charge them up again. This of course renders them useless 
But yes, I’d consider a kindle, just keep it charged on a regular basis 
Mine is an old Sony, the battery seems to last for ever BUT it is not backlit and has a little light that pulls out from the case, they are excellent as a device (eReaders in general). However I have never owned a Kindle so cannot make any recommendation as Sony don’t make eReaders any more.
I never wanted a Kindle because it is tied to Amazon but then I discovered Calibre which allows you to get ebooks from any source and convert them to Kindle format (and vice versa). I would highly recommend it as your ebook manager.
The only warning is don’t run Calibre at the same time as the supplied ebook manager as both programs will attempt to access the same database and corrupt it. You don’t need to use anything other than Calibre.
If you get an eReader you might also want to download epubee to remove the DRM which I think is a bloody cheek but that depends on how you feel about it.
I was given a Kindle as a present some years ago and got on with it quite well, that is until I found there is a Kindle app for an Ipad, which I find better to read from. Curiously, although it is connected to the Amazon Kindle server, you can’t buy books using the app, you have to have an actual Kindle for that. One thing I do like is the ability to download your own material to the Kindle which makes proof-reading your own stuff much easier and you can convert .doc files to the Kindle format.
The biggest weakness with the Kindle is the battery, which you need to keep topped up or it will drain completely. I also read somewhere they are prone to damage to electro-static discharge, which will kill the screen.
Thanks guys.
I’m now thinking: forget the reader, go down the e-book app route. And read free books including those available from local libraries. Hmmm
Forgot to say … on my phone.
Kobo still make eReaders I think.
Samsung do a 7" tablet which is a convenient size as an eReader, I have one, it is “A” model which, like their phones, is the cheaper version of the “S” model but more than adequate for most purposes - actually I have never used it as an eReader because I have the Sony.
If that is all you want to use it for there are heaps of cheap tablets from places like Amazon as an eReader speed is not an issue I wouldn’t have thought.
I am converted to e reading.
but I dont have a dedicated reader like a kindle - I just use app on my tablet.
I can buy books on this and I also borrow ebooks from the library.
It might be worth mentioning which app you use and why you chose it over others.
at the moment I have a samsung tablet - previously e- read on an ipad - and I am using the app Cool Reader.
There are umprteen apps all of which are similar and readily available through play store or i store - I find Cool Reader user friendly
I buy books through Play Store on Samsung.
Yep, that is why it is interesting to read why a particular one is used by someone. I did try them years ago when my first eReader packed it in, as you say they are similar but they all had quirks to distinguish them from each other. In fact they are part of the reason I bought the Sony because I could not find one as good as the software on the eReader (together with the fact that Sony was giving up and sold their stock off with lots of specials).
My Sony is a decade old now but seems to be going well, the battery lasts for ages, I think I charge it about 3 times a year. Unlike my Samsung 7" tablet where the battery is lucky to last a day.
Hmmm … my phone seems to do the trick … really not sure I need a reader.
So I chatted to a nice lady at my local library, she gave me three names:
Libby, BorrowBox, MyLibrary
Apps to install, I’ve now got a book on hold at one and I’ve downloaded a book from another, childs play. You need to be a resident, they’ve got books from a couple of hundred libraries in London. Not sure why it’s geographic: I guess it’s funded by the council tax payer. For some reason I feel happier doing it this way, not being tied to Amazon.
I use Libby for borrowed books - I think our library only uses Libby.
So, for me., borrowed books are on different app to bought books.
I have to belong to any library in South Australia to access library books via the state’s library.
I can borrow up to 10 books at a time and have a choice of 1 or 3 week borrowing period - after that book just disappears from my tablet.
(although you can return it earlier if you have finished it)
Libby is the one widely used here in the states. Our library uses it, and the feedback is all positive. So easy for those who can’t get to a library, convenient and easy to us. Hardly anyone uses/buys a separate reader anymore. So many online sites give access to classics/new novels.
As for myself, I much prefer to handle hard copy books when enjoying my peaceful reading time…perhaps it’s because I worked in a library for over ten years. Home away from home…loved every single minute. 
So what actually happens to an e-book after returning it to a library? Is it still on your phone/reader but somehow rendered useless, and therefore best deleted, or does it really get emailed back?
The DRM means that it cannot be read even though the file is still there.
The DRM also means that the file can only be read on that one machine - it has to have the Adobe program for downloading which encodes it for that particular machine. In fact one of the reasons for removing the DRM is because if you download it onto your desktop the file cannot be transferred/read on your eReader
Cheers, so best deleted? I have no concept of file size and that kind of thing, is it likely to use up space on the drive?
Probably but you can get a program like eepubee and remove the stupid DRM. I do it everytime.
ebook files are pretty small, for example .epub is just a zipped HTML file.
OK, I haven’t returned the book yet, I’ll see what happens when I do.
When I return a book either manually or it automatically gets returned at end of borrowing period, it just disappears from the reading part of the Libby app.
I can still see in history (called Timeline on Libby) a record of books I have borrowed - but cannot open them to read them.
