E-book readers

Hello all,

I started to do some investigations to which e-book reader I would like to buy, but this is not so easy.
My requirements are:
Not a kindle (as I would like to read e-pub as well)
Good support for dictionaries in various languages. (So not only the few which might be installed for the country where you are living).
I read that for example Pockebook allows you to install whatever dictionary you like, but it is difficult to be sure that all models allow you to do so.
What experience do other people have?
I would like to have at least dictionaries for Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Italian.

Thank you for your help!

Silvia

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"Most dedicated e-book readers support the EPUB format, although the Amazon Kindle line of devices is a notable exception. EPUB reading software is also available for all modern smartphones. Devices that support EPUB include:

Android devices (using Aldiko, CoolReader, FBReader, and so on)
Barnes & Noble Nook
BlackBerry PlayBook
BeBook
Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Cybook Opus
Boox
Chromebook (using Readium or other similar Google Chrome extensions)
COOL-ER
Cruz (Velocity Micro)
eClicto
ECTACO jetBook and ECTACO jetBook Lite
eSlick
GNU/Linux tablets and PDAs such as Sharp Zaurus and Nokia 770, n800, n810, and n900
Hanlin eReader
iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch (Lexcycle Stanza or iBooks on iOS 3.2+)
iRex Digital Reader 800 and 1000
iriver Story
Kobo eReader
Plastic Logic
PocketBook Reader
Sony Reader
Tizen devices (using Readium.js)
Windows Phone (using Freda or Stanzetta or other similar apps)"

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I can only say that it is a shame you won’t go for a Kindle. The newest Kindle with the backlight is awsome. You can also install multilanguage dictionaries and so can look up translations of words as you read just by pressing the words. It also has a vocabulary builder function, so you can go see all the words you looked up after you are done reading and study them with flashcards.

Kindle Paperwhite (last gen with backlight and touch) + Calibre (free ebook converter to convert epub to mobi).

And you don’t even need to install dictionaries - kindle does it for you automatically when you open a book in a new language for the first time.

I had Kindle Keyboard for 2.5 years and then upgraded to Kindle Paperwhite - worth every eurocent :slight_smile:

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I have a Pocketbook Touch Lux (623) with Backlight and my daughter a Pocketbook Touch (622) and we are quite happy with it. It comes with a bunch of dictionaries, but you can install other dictionaries in the *.dic-Format. Both have Text-to-Speech which is nice too.

Kindle books can converted into ePub too, but the reader can read some of the formats too (If there is no DRM or DRM is removed).

I can lend eBooks too with it which is not possible with the Kindle in Germany.

I think the Amazon Kindle is quite convenient for lazy people and people who want to keep it simple. But then you are in the hands of Amazon and it has happened that Amazon has closed accounts without a warning. I don’t want to depend so strong on a company. That is why I decided too use an ‘open’ eBook reader.

“I think the Amazon Kindle is quite convenient for lazy people…”

Exactly! That’s why I love it.

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I guess I’m a kind of a rebel. I don’t like closed environments.

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That’s called claustrophobia.

Thank you all for your replies! I did not know you could convert epub to mobi, so that means Kindle is effectively a possible choice as well. I will continue my investigation!

Next time , I would also buy a user friendly one.
“Aus Schaden wird man klug!”

What do you mean by that? user friendly? Do you have one which is difficult to use, or do you refer to the fact that ethically may be it is better to buy an ‘open’ e-book reader? Which one do you have?

I have a pocketbook touch 622.I do not like it!
“ausser Spesen nix gewesen”
It may be ok for German and English.

Hmm, I like my 622!

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Great for you! I do not longer use it. People have different “likes”

I use Calibre to organize my eBooks and transfer them to my eBook reader and my mobile phone. I’ve tried to explain Jolanda how to do this, but I guess I failed. If you are technology affine it is simple. If not it can look difficult, but I think it isn’t.

Here is a good one

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Yeah!

I would like to easily switch the dictionary from language to language.
English, Spanish, French, Italian,Catalan or more.
It was not possible for me to import a Spanish /German dictionary.
There is a English one but I can not find the unknown words, maybe it is to small.

My solution: I import the books in Lingq and read them on my PC.
or I read them without dictionary or with a dictionary book.

I know Vera is happy with the Pocketbook Touch (622) and Pocketbook Touch Lux (623).

I’m happier without.