Req: Recomendation, best player for ebook ease of use?

tempac · #1 (**permalink**) 5th Jul 2008, 8:09 pm

Hi,

As per subject line. Being new to these particular types of devices I was glad to find a forum that spe******es in them, so this is obviously the best place to put my questions.

Can anyone recommend a mp4 player with good\fantastic or whatever ebook\text output? I am looking for simplicity, so .txt format would be my preference.

The player also has to be easy to use, as in so easy your elderly parent could use it (as that's what I'm looking for, a device that they can watch, listen and read from but is seriously simple - so the fewer the controls the better).

Has anyone got any recomendations of a suitable device that I should look at?

I hope so, it will reduce my searchtime considerably as I'm presently running around in circles

Thank you for your time.

admin · #2 (**permalink**) 6th Jul 2008, 1:47 am

[html:a093b7750a]
Hi tempac,

Welcome to the site.

The majority of MP4 players can display .txt ebooks. The most difficult thing is finding one that doesn't require you to have specific line breaks and such to display them.

If you want something that's easy for elderly parent, perhaps get one that has a larger display is my best recommendation. The players I have are 1.8 inch screen players but I think you might want to get one that's larger than this.

So you want one that plays MP4 videos, music and such as well? Or only really need it for eBook reading? The main reason why I ask is that Amazon has this fantastic players that are specifically designed for eBooks. Take a look at these:

<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=my01-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000FI73MA&fc1=000000&IS2=1 &lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr " style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=my01-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000WPXQ2M&fc1=000000&IS2=1 &lt1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr " style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe>

If you're looking for an MP4 player as well, let me do more searching and come back to you on this.....

Hope that helps.
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tempac · #3 (**permalink**) 6th Jul 2008, 4:37 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by admin";p=&quot

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Hi tempac,



Welcome to the site.

HTML Code:

Thank you.



[quote] 
The majority of MP4 players can display .txt ebooks. The most difficult thing is finding one that doesn't require you to have specific line breaks and such to display them. 



If you want something that's easy for elderly parent, perhaps get one that has a larger display is my best recommendation. [/quote]

That was my thinking, I know the relative in question could get along with either a 2.8inch or larger screen, though I doubt she could comfortably read from anything smaller.

[quote] The players I have are 1.8 inch screen players but I think you might want to get one that's larger than this. 



So you want one that plays MP4 videos, music and such as well? [/quote] 

If it was possible, yes. Mainly as presently she's looking at a few months on her back unable to move after hurting her spine. She likes reading obviously, but likes to watch her favourite soap-opera when the mood takes her.

[quote] Or only really need it for eBook reading? The main reason why I ask is that Amazon has this fantastic players that are specifically designed for eBooks. Take a look at these:[/quote]

Yes, I looked at the amazon ebook readers as you sugested, I had looked previously but there's two problems with them. One they're only usable in the USA (apparantly something to do with licensing the books and them using a specific to amazon format). Whilst I am in the UK. The other being that to import them would cost £200+ VAT and customs charges which would take us way beyond budget. 

She would rather 'make do for a couple of months, than waste money on something like that' (her exact words). Obviously, she doesn't percieve she'll get a lot of use out of the device once she leaves hospital.

[quote] 


If you're looking for an MP4 player as well, let me do more searching and come back to you on this.....


Hope that helps.
[/quote]

Thank you, I appreciate the assistance.

tempac · #4 (**permalink**) 6th Jul 2008, 11:40 am

I found this earlier: BRAND NEW SONY PMX-M79 8G MP4 PLAYER 4.3-INCH SCREEN

Looks to have a reasonable sized screen, I don't for one minute assume that 'Sony' will acknowledge that device as one of their own. But it seems to fit the bill as to what I am looking for at least in terms of screen dimensions.

Does anyone have any more information on it?

Thank you.