Kobo WiFi eReader Touch Edition - best in its class, available in Canada

Kobo Touch Review and Comparisons - Kobo WiFi eReader Touch Edition:

"The Kobo Touch is the latest addition to Kobo's line of ebook readers. It replaces the Kobo WiFi but maintains many of the same features while adding some software and hardware upgrades.

The Kobo Touch comes in four color varieties: Lilac, Blue, Silver, and Black. Staying true to Kobo's low-priced approach, it sells for $139 in Canada and a competitive $129 in the United States, $10 less than the Kindle 3 WiFi and new Nook Touch."

If I were going to get an e-ink reader for friend or family I would probably go for the Kobo Touch. Firmware needs to be upgraded a time or two to get the wrinkles out. Some minor, but essential functions are missing, and I don't like how the dictionary only works with Kobo books, but otherwise it looks simple enough for anyone to use but powerful and flexible enough for rooting and fiddling.

Its competitor, the Nook Touch, is not available in Canada (yet) and Kindle doesn't have anything comparable in this price range.

UK chain sells e-ink reader for less than �29 ($50) | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics

UK chain sells e-ink reader for less than £29 ($50) | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics:

"Those of you in the UK can find a great bargain on an e-ink e-reader. Normally listed at £139 (currently $225.64), the Binatone ReadMe Classic is on sale for £29.99 ($48.69) at UK electronics chain Makro. That’s the cheapest any e-ink e-book reader has been that I can think of, especially in the UK where things tend to cost more than in the US."

New we're talking! Need something like this in Canada.

LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate - do bifocals make a difference?

LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate | Fully Equipped - CNET Reviews
CNet: LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate. Thoughts on the NookColor. PCW Top 5 Tech | TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics
I still read on my old LCD eBookwise reader and I find that I can read it fine without any eyestrain as long as I'm not wearing my bifocals. When working on the computer and occasionally having to glance down to print material or my ebook I find that wearing my bifocals is essential.

I don't know why, but there it is.

In all cases I find I can go longer if I glance away from the screen every couple of minutes. Ultimately the type of device is less important then sensible use. A glass of water is good for you. A hundred glasses of water will kill you.

E-ink may be better on the eyes but you cannot read in dim lighting conditions. A reading lamp is necessary. I find it annoying to look for a suitably lit location to read since I've become so used to reading a device with it's own built in lighting. Those clip-ons for e-Ink devices look silly, too.

New e-reader from Pandigital – Sipix screen, Wifi, $199

New e-reader from Pandigital – Sipix screen, Wifi, $199

Looks good, does everything. Not crazy about the price. Even if was $179 I'd think about breaking open the piggy-bank and not be thinking about $299-$399 tablets as an alternative choice.

New e-reader concept by Yanko vs. Readius

Nate the great at the The Digital Reader found this concept (ie cool photoshop work) by Yanko.


New e-reader concept | The Digital Reader

I came across this new e-reader from Yanko Designs. As you can see, it’s a flexible screen e-reader that rolls up into a tube when not in use.

 
It reminded me immediately of the (now defunct) Readius pocket eReader by Polymer Vision.

According to the feature page it had a 5" greyscale (16) e-Ink screen, 30 hour battery life, USB, 3G and bluetooth connectivity (supporting book and music downloads, RSS, and Email), and micro SD storage up to 8Gb. It runs an ARM11 400MHz processor. It weighed in at a shirt pocket-friendly 115g.

Unfortunately Polymer Vision went bankrupt before they could go to market. I haven't dug any deeper into their sad demise, but I'm sure someone must have bought up the designs and patents (and real working prototypes).

New e-ink technology faster, durable, animated

Take a look at the videos showcasing the new e-ink technology posted at teleread.org. The page transitions are faster, though you can still see the black screen refresh typical of e-ink readers. The animation in the video is probably as good as it gets right now, but it is an improvement.

The Kobo e-Reader

If I was going to get an e-ink reader just to see what it is like I'd get the Kobo. At $149 Cdn. its the cheapest e-ink reader out there. According to a very good detailed review at OhGizmo, it is also a very solid, elegantly designed and well-manufactured basic e-reader.

It comes with a 6" e-ink display with 8 levels of gray (compared to 16 for the kindle), and a 1GB SD card (upgradeable). It has no wifi, 3G, or MP3 capability (USB or bluetooth only). The deal breaker for me (besides needing a reading lamp to read in low-light conditions) is that it doesn't have the capability for notes, markup, or bookmarks.

Viewsonic shakes up e-reader market

Viewsonic has launched two new e-readers. The 6-inch VEB620 and VEB625 readers are both have e-ink, 800x600 touch screens with wi-fi connectivity. Besides the usual extra goodies like SD-card slot and MP3 playing capability, both models come with a G-sensor so that you can change from portrait to landscape just by turning the reader, or page back and forth by shaking it.

Its only available in Europe/UK right now and prices are pretty high: estimated at £179/£205.



The Digital Reader
gizmag
Viewsonic