(Not that much off-topic, in my opinion, since it also fits into the general
Free Software-related discussions that usually take place in this forum. And
this is a subject that also interests me, since I've also been looking for a
portable media device, where I can install Free Software.)
Speaking about e-books readers themselves, and generally speaking...
E-books readers are nowadays (with the default WiFi connections they come
with, and if you use the default OS, at least) among other things, spy
machines that monitor your reading habits and that are used to make
statistics of the general population's reading habits[1] (and therefore, just
another way to contribute to the perceived surveillance[2], taking place
everywhere) so, as a general rule, I wouldn't recommend its use, since I know
of none (e-books reader, properly said) for which there exists a Free
Software alternative that can be installed. (I think there are some in which
the OS uses some code from Android, but, if I recall correctly, that is only
part of the OS, with the rest being closed source...)
But, speaking about portable devices that can be used to read e-books and in
which one can install Free Software...
You can always just buy a "Portable Media Player" (that is a "smartphone"
without the phone part), like one of the recent Samsung Galaxy S WiFi models
or the Creative ZEN Touch 2 (no publicity intended) that use the Android OS
(and that are not that expensive and can also be used for other things). But,
knowing how there are devices that use parallel circuits, that bypass the
firmware or software installed, to spy on people[3], I personally don't trust
small integrally-built devices that have microphones, video cameras, WiFi
connections etc.)
And, speaking of devices that do not have components that can be used to spy
on you...
I found out some interesting alternatives, among the so-called MP4 players,
in which one can install an open source firmware called Rockbox[4] that can
also be used as an e-books reader. But that, for the reading process itself,
don't seem to be very practical, because of the space limitation of the small
screens.
Take a look at the Text Viewer program of the mentioned "Free Firmware"(?)
installed on an iPod[5] or on another device[6] that has the same screen
resolution of a SanDisk Sansa player, and judge it for yourself.
1.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304870304577490950051438304.html
2. http://crunchbang.org/forums/viewtopic.php?pid=230234#p230234
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1fNjK9SXg
4. http://www.rockbox.org/
5.
http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-ipodvideo/rockbox-buildch12.html#x15-26500012.3.13
6.
http://download.rockbox.org/daily/manual/rockbox-gigabeats/rockbox-buildch12.html#x15-26100012.3.13
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