Ebook Library User Poll

[amalthia]

This is a poll for anyone that's used or has an interest in using the Ebook Library Archive. I'm trying to get an idea of what I can do to improve the site and know which formats to focus on more.

Poll #2703 Ebook Library User Poll

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 68

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What type of device do you read fan fiction on?

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Cybook
0 (0.0%)

Nook
1 (1.5%)

Amazon Kindle
14 (20.9%)

Ipad
3 (4.5%)

Sony PRS
18 (26.9%)

Ipod/touch
18 (26.9%)

Other will explain in comments
23 (34.3%)

What is your preferred reading format?

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RTF
21 (32.3%)

PDF
15 (23.1%)

LRF
4 (6.2%)

Mobi/PRC
14 (21.5%)

Epub
34 (52.3%)

Other I'll explain in the comments
11 (16.9%)

What fandoms do you read in the most?

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Comments

[garryowen]

A friend who works for Apple pointed out that gmail will open PDF, Doc, and RTF, and you could read those formats via that route on the iPad. Perhaps Safari could even save them as web files, which is something I used to do in the past to save fics. I'm hesitant about the iPad, though, because I'm worried Apple is being all control freak. No flash is bad enough, but if I can't install Firefox instead of Safari, I'll smash the damn tablet. I'm going to go have a look at it when the campus computer store gets them. It's a lot of money for no flash and no Mozilla. I know it's not a laptop, but still.

ePub does seem to be the emerging standard for eBooks, and I see that Gutenberg is now providing ePub, which is exciting.

[amalthia]

I'm not sure if Firefox will work on the Ipad, I'm also curious to see if it does. I forgot about gmail being able to read Doc and RTF.

I think epub is the new standard...however there is no one universal drm scheme and that's a bit of a setback.

But what I like is that my non-drm epub creations should read on any device that supports epub. so it'll make things much easier if I only have to worry about one format, but I don't see the Kindle ever supporting the epub format so for the archive I'll have to continue making epub and mobi.

Part of this poll is to determine if I should stop posting LRF as a format to the site. Only the Sony line of readers can read that format and now that Sony has adopted epub...I'm not sure I need to keep sharing LRF.

[garryowen]

All this is fascinating. I think these issues are very common when a new technology arrives on the scene. VCRs were beta for quite a few years before VHS became standard. And you might remember when people thought DAT would become the new storage method, and then CDs surged ahead. This is one reason why I want to wait for a 2nd generation iPad. I've already decided I hate amazon, and I won't buy a kindle. Ever.

Sigh. I really want an iPad. But the benefits of waiting just a bit longer... It's killing me!

[amalthia]

I just realized that I think with the ipad fandom is truly portable because it uses a browser to go online and so technically no one would have to convert any documents to read them, but I'm not sure how LJ will look on the Ipad or any of the fic archives.

I'm also waiting to see what comes out in the next few years before buying another dedicated ebook device. So far nothing has wowed me enough to spend more money.

[valiha]

I haven't been a member of MobileRead.com long and I think this is my first comment here, but even though I don't have a device yet, I've been following the ebook device developments for quite some time. There's a new device coming out in a couple of months or so which seems very interesting, called Adam from Notion Ink. Slash Gear has an article about it, accompanied by photos and a video.

ETA MobileRead, where I follow new developments

[amalthia]

I also follow Mobile Read to see what all is happening, so far I haven't seen any devices that make me want to trade in my Sony PRS-505...but what they are creating is leaping ahead very fast! Checking out link! :)