Easier ways to read?

[Myr]

I love a lot of the stories I find on the net, but reading them sitting in my chair gets tiredsome after awhile. I know I can load them on the laptop and move about or just hook up a wireless lan and browse from anywhere, but even the laptop is too bulky to curl up in bed and read.

 

I get to the point where I need to digest a book or three and if you have read my other little rant, you'll know that I'm a little down about the lack of a decent selection of fantasy novels where the main character isn't moaning after some girl. (or having the main character be a girl)

 

So... how does one get the portablity of a book with the options to grab all of dkstories's Dawn of Tears, for instance? or Bill W's Castaway Hotel? Or Comicality's Gone from Daylight? Or hundreds of other stories?

 

Palm pilots? do they work well for book reading?

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful.

[Adit]

There is software for reading books on palm pilots, and software for converting your stories, or those of others, into the format needed to read them on the palm pilot. I am not sure of the quality though, that would depend upon the palm pilot. There are also palm devices specifically made for eBooks, and there are several, as far as I can tell, in delevopement for full size text books. So basically, palm pilot or equivalent + software + story = portable eReading.

[XWorldOblivionX]

Sometimes I print the story out but I only do that to piss my mom off when she yells at me.

[Adit]

On a side note, I am now the owner of a tablet PC. Works like a laptop only smaller. Works like a palm piolet only better. I got mine for around $1,000, and it works great. The only thing is you can't play any high end games on it. But that is the way it is for most laptops. But with hand writing recognition and only being 3.3 Lbs., it's coolness factor far outweighs it's lack of aber speed. Hope this might help. Though the topic is a bit old.

 

Adit

[Myr]

Thanks Adit. I've been eyeballing those things lightly lately.

[ethan thorn]

i was thinking about a tablet pc but got beat to it .

but that is your best bet myr with out printing them out and it takes a lot of ink i know,

maybe i should start a company to print out all the stories in paperback.

[Sparhawk]

Getting a good reader is very important wheather you are using a tablet or palm and a good one is real handy on a regular pc if you read a lot of ebooks. The following are some programs for converting files.

 

 

Convert LIT 1.8 - Extracts HTM and Images from LIT files. Does NOT create

LIT files.

 

InterParse 4 - Opens PDM, HTM, and TXT, and saves as TXT or HTM. Built-in

editor performs many routine e-Book formatting tasks.

 

PalmDoc - Converts PDB to TXT and vice versa.

 

DocReader - Opens PDB, PRC, and TXT and saves as PDB, PRC, or TXT.

 

One of the best E-book readers I have found is U-Book and it is a free download.

 

 

 

 

[Sparhawk]

As far as what machine to use to read them. Most libraries now carry a section of e-books. They usally have readers available to check out also. This would be one way to get a bit of hands on experince.

 

 

 

A couple of more programs and links

 

o convert .lit to .txt: http://www.convertlit.com/ (+ there's a windows

graphical version, now, too)

 

to convert .txt to a "doc" .pdb:

http://www.palmblvd.com/software/pc/DocInO...22-palm-pc.html (this

is really convenient, imo)

 

both are freeware

Edited September 7, 2004 by Sparhawk

[Sparhawk]

One more nice thing about U-book, it can be used on a standard desktop pc to read most e-book types.

[Reader]

I found a used LCD 13

[Sparhawk]

One more interesting site to check out is spacejocks he has several free programs one for reading ebooks and even one that reads .txt .doc and html and then verbaly reads it to you. Be sure and check this site out.

 

 

 

http://www.spacejock.com/

[Crackerwriter]

I was about to mention the program that verbally reads the story to you. A friend of mine on Nifty has this and uses it whilst he is painting!!

 

If this idea interests you, then I'll check with him what the quality is like.

 

Mike.

[James Bond]

Some cell phones have the ability to up- and download.

 

*****

 

If you have an spare/old computer, you can rig something up over/near to the bed. A screen (LCD if awailable) on some kind of swivel table to be pushed out of the way when not needed, wireless keyboard and/or mouse.

 

If you only use it for reading, even an old 386 with Win95 will do.

 

*****

 

Personally, I opted for using my main computer, with an 19" LCD and a very good office chair, properly adjusted. I can sit for hours and hours on end, with no problems.