What Would Be The Best Ebook Reading Device?

[Gondola]

I've got a Z6k, and after using it on a recent trip, I was a bit disappointed with its performance.  It's just too slow for my needs.  

I need something that will instant on and allow me to look up addresses.  
I need something that will let me scroll through an ebook without visible display lag.

Voice notes would be nice, but again, performance is important.  

If I can't rattle off a voice note quickly or look up an address/phone number in seconds, I might as well carry a paper notepad and a voice recorder.

A web browser is secondary, as is true VGA, although I would like both if possible.  Powerful IR for use as a universal remote control would be nice, but not essential.

So, in order of importance, I need

- Fast ebook reader (lit, txt, rdb, whatever.. dunno if any portable device can display pdf's quickly)
- Fast addressbook
- Fast voice notes
- Fast written notes

Secondary options

- Wifi/bluetooth with web browser
- Can use with serial GPS (I have a Garmin eTrex)
- Powerful universal remote
- VGA
- Camera

Thanks for your input.  If I can find such a beast, I will be putting my 6k up for sale.

[ken]

I've got a Z6k, and after using it on a recent trip, I was a bit disappointed with its performance.  It's just too slow for my needs. 

I need something that will instant on and allow me to look up addresses. 

use the fast load

I need something that will let me scroll through an ebook without visible display lag.

try opiereader

Voice notes would be nice, but again, performance is important. 

try http://www.thekompany.com/embedded/tkcvox/

If I can't rattle off a voice note quickly or look up an address/phone number in seconds, I might as well carry a paper notepad and a voice recorder.

then carry a notepad and voice recorder.  Nothing will ever be as fast as normal.  All devices that suspend end up being slow when it resumes.  Be realistic.  A laptop is even slower.   If you want faster, get a weaker device, like a 5500.  Remember, 320x320 is faster than 480x640 in returning from a resume.  Less to deal with.

- Fast written notes

personally, I'd just write it down, and put it in the Z later when you're back at the hotel.  Or use a digital voice recorder if you want even more speed.

[Ragnorok]

- I believe your only solution is time.  (grin)  The C1000 is faster, more capable, and more usable than any general-purpose device I've seen with the footprint of an index card.  Sure, it's got a little lag here and there.  So does my desktop, with four striped RAID drives; it takes a good four seconds to load the browser.  So does this laptop, with a GB RAM and hyperthreading, because the hard drive is slow.  No general-purpose device is instanteous.  Yet.
- The performance difference between the SL-5500 and the C-1000 is considerbly more than merely twice the CPU speed.  As time progresses, this will continue, until the lag is so small that the general-purpose devices seem instantaneous.
- Even then dedicated units will *always* outperform general-purpose ones.  Anything a GP unit can do, a dedicated unit can be built to do it better, faster, and longer, as long as you never want to do anything else with it.  The beauty of the GP device, and *particularly* the Zaurus, is how amazingly configurable it is.

- That being said, I still havn't found an eBook reader that will allow me to enter the code required to read encrypted Palm books.  (sniffle)  I may just have to break down and write one!  (owlish stare)

[Stubear]

- That being said, I still havn't found an eBook reader that will allow me to enter the code required to read encrypted Palm books.  (sniffle)  I may just have to break down and write one!  (owlish stare)
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That's because encrypted Palm books (and any format with DRM) are evil!
Nobody should be allowed to restrict how many times or where you can read/listen to something you paid for.

Buying DRM-ed goods is almost as bad as you are giving implicit approval to the pigopolists that they can restrict your rights and lock your own goods away from you.

Stu

[ev1l]

the pigopolists

Hey, I'm not the only one reading The Register

[ken]

- Fast written notes

as an afterthought - seriously, very few things would be faster than a pen and paper, unless you're sitting down on a desktop.

Even that requires you to be in a sitting position.  It's pretty unrealistic to think that any device will give you the kind of workability that you're asking for without exacting some kind of price - and usually it's a very expensive device.

The 6K's keyboard allows for fast entry - much faster than a blackberry or treo.  The larger screen is much more attuned to that task also.  If speed is a real concern there, just leave the application open and suspend it there.  Or leave all the applications you have to use constantly open, and just switch between tasks, then suspend it when you're done.

No windoze device will give you half as much.

[Stubear]

- Fast written notes

You might want to try inkwp - may not be exactly what you want, but I find it very useful for jotting down notes during meeting, taking minutes etc.

It even has a memo edit feature to allow you to turn you notes into text files (note: you have to type them out yourself, it's not clear from the site if they plan to get the app to do it itself later or not) but you can write all over the screen.

FreeNoteQt is another usefull app, but probably better for diagrams etc

Links to elsix
InkWp - http://www.elsix.org/index.php?w=project&p=inkwp
FreeNoteQt - http://www.elsix.org/index.php?w=project&p=1103

Stu

[Stubear]

the pigopolists

Hey, I'm not the only one reading The Register
[div align=\"right\"][a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=87660\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a][/div]

Yep, love the site, and love the term even more

Stu

[TimW]

- That being said, I still havn't found an eBook reader that will allow me to enter the code required to read encrypted Palm books.  (sniffle)  I may just have to break down and write one!  (owlish stare)
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If you know the algorithm I'll get my "friend who lives in a country where it isn't illegal" to write a plugin for opie-reader......

Or if you want to be that friend e-mail me at timwentford AT hotmail DOT com and I'll show you how to make plug-ins and I'll tweak the architecture if necessary to allow it to work.

[technojunkie]

the pigopolists

HEHE I now have a new favorite word.

[Gondola]

OK, all of you folks recommending that I use my 6k or a paper notebook, which 6k distro/rom would you use to have the best performance for note-taking and resume from suspend?

[ken]

OK, all of you folks recommending that I use my 6k or a paper notebook, which 6k distro/rom would you use to have the best performance for note-taking and resume from suspend?
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I'd say the issue isn't going to be the rom, but the application you choose.

Find one you like, then leave it open and suspend the Z.

Start with the rom you already have - less things for you to have to deal with.  Move on to other roms later, when you get more proficient.

Personally, I like StageOne.  A lot will depend on your habits and how you like to take notes, etc.  Or the size of the fonts you want.  Or how you think.

You could even use the Sharp PIM and it might work, again, depending on how you work.

Since there is no information on what you do, nothing more than a general answer can be given.

Oh, and btw - the advantage of using the Sharp PIM is you can synch it up with the Palm Desktop.  So if you already have data in the palm desktop, you could bring it all over to the Z without much trouble.  Including the todo list.

[Ragnorok]

[
If you know the algorithm I'll get my "friend who lives in a country where it isn't illegal" to write a plugin for opie-reader......

Or if you want to be that friend e-mail me at timwentford AT hotmail DOT com and I'll show you how to make plug-ins and I'll tweak the architecture if necessary to allow it to work.
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- If'n I knew the algorithm I'd get my own "friend" to do it.  (sardonic grin)
- As for DRM, well, it's particularly annoying when it's applied to a FREE eBook!  But they have a lot of good ones, so if I can find a ROM image (or find out how to snag it from the HandEra we have lying around gathering dust) I'll be happy to run QPose on that and be done with it.  (befuddled stare)
- Or find the algorithm and get that friend to do it...