Between the eBookwise Publisher and the Ebookwise Librarian I can pretty much convert any book I want into the Ebookwise ereader format (.IMP). I will say that it took a little bit of learning on my part to be able to use these two programs properly. But now I that I’ve gone through the learning curve, I can pick out a book, download it to my computer, and copy it to my ereader in just a few minutes very easily.

So, if you’re looking for an affordable, easy to read ereader, check out the Ebookwise Ereader. Hope this helps.

These days I use ubook software on my laptop when I read ebooks (which isn’t too often anymore). I like to read at night and I always carry a book with me, but now it is a pocket book. Until it becomes less expensive to buy a multifunction device and less of a hassle with all the different ebook formats and copyright issues with giving away or selling the used ebooks I will probably stick with regular books.

As for changing htmls to rtfs, yes you can do it that way, but Shana Abe’s book had 22 files to convert from html to rtf in order for that one to be readable on the Sony Reader. That’s way too much effort for me.

Robin – don’t forget to download and install Gowerpoint’s ubook light for Palm devices. Then you can read html files without conversion!! Yeah.

Even better, you don’t have to unzip it from it’s ZIP file (well, I know that’s true on the PocketPC version). So you don’t have to use up valuable PDA space to keep a few (dozen) books on hand.

There is no real winning program for conversion to RTF. Remember, Sony’s conversion software, unlike Ebookwise Librarian, does NOT convert htmls.

Maybe I’m missing something, but when I want to take an HTML file and make RTF (so I can convert it with my free ETI eBook Publisher software), I just select the text in the HTML file, copy, then paste it into Word. Save it as RTF.

Unless you’re picky about formatting, it’s quick. Me – I have to insert page breaks at every chapter, reformat the text, delete paragraph indents, yadda yadda yadda. So it usually takes me an hour or two to convert a book. But it’s mostly my own fault for being anal retentive!

To demonstrate, I once saw a sweatshirt that said “Does anal retentive have a hyphen?” I’ve mentioned it to friends and they all laugh. I didn’t get the joke. When I read it, I just thought, “Well, yes, but only if it modifies a noun.”

Robin – don’t forget to download and install Gowerpoint’s ubok light for Palm devices. Then you can read html files without conversion!! Yeah.

Thanks, Jane. I’m still just trying to figure out how to use this thing on the most basic levels, as it’s my first integrated handheld device. But I will definitely install this app.

Nicole – a Lightwedge type of thing would be great. I thought it might be neat to have lights at the top and the bottom and then the whole page would be evenly illuminated. Let us know what engineer DH says.

Keishon – I know you have a VGA device like I do and I don’t get any eyestrain from reading on it. I do think a slightly bigger screen would be marvelous.

Rae – yes, do join the blogging ranks or I would be happy to post your review here at DA.

Dena – They are expensive. I think if the Sony Reader was around $200.00 i would have pre ordered it.

Robin – don’t forget to download and install Gowerpoint’s ubok light for Palm devices. Then you can read html files without conversion!! Yeah.

Perhaps we need to ask Lightwedge to make a wedge that would fit these ereaders. No turning pages, so that peeve would not be an issue. Of course, it would be nice if Sony would just stick in a few LED lights that would work similarly. See, I do get eyestrain occasionally from the backlight and could do without the headache that incurs.

Hmm…I’m married to an engineer, will have to ask him how hard it would be to make something like that. *thinks*

Not to mention I already have a lot of toys to buy in the coming months. New FF game for the PS2, gotta buy the Wii in Nov. Then Zelda in Dec. and then the PS3 sometime in the first half of next year.

Morgan – the Reader does view PDF’s natively but if there is not “reflow” of the text, my understanding is that the PDF is unreadable. The only resizing of the PDF on the Sony Reader exists when turn the document from Portrait to Landscape which allows a 2x resizing.

Yes, the Sony Reader does support Adobe’s PDF and from what has been shown at Mobilread and other sites, the PRS does a decent job, though technical documents might be a tough read for us presbyopics.

Jane, I have am an avid reader of romances, that’s how I found your site. Most of my reads are in PDF format which is available from most e-publishers. I have an Iliad and I’m waiting for my Reader this month. My main reason for getting the Sony is size — it needs to fit in my regular purse/handbag. The Iliad is a little big (great for tech reading) and the software is even less ready-for-primetime than Sony’s. I don’t regret buying the iLiad though, as the reading experience of e-ink is superior to other portable devices I’ve tried (REB-1150, various Palm/Treo, HP PocketPC).