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e-Reader Survival Tool ~ Advice, book downloads, and how-to's...
It has taken much thought on the pros-v-cons, researching specs, etc..., but I have decided, for me, that the KOBO TOUCH grey-scale e-Reader is a "must have" in my BOB, BOV, or for any numerous scenarios...
I started down this road after re-designing my BOB and trying to figure out what one or two books (besides Scripture) would be included in the new pack list. I looked at my fairly extensive library of survival/woodscraft/guides/manuals/how-to books and realized that just one or two books wasn't going to cut it if I really had to "survive" or "bug out." I had a handful that I considered "life-supporting" and even more that I considered "needed references," yet there was no way I was going to load down my BOB or BOV with a huge pile of books... And my MEMORY was never that great, let alone under stress, so relying on my recall of all those words I had stuffed in my head over the decades did not put me at ease either... I had STUFF and GEAR, but my MUSHWARE (brain) was lacking... I was in a quandry.
Over the last few months I had heard from friends and co-workers as they raved about how much they loved their iPads/e-Readers, telling me how these devices revolutionized they way they read books, and very intrestingly, I was surprised how many doctors I work with told me they now reference medical books on these iPod/e-Readers rather than dig them out from their library. I started to get ideas...
So with Black Friday & holiday bargains coming up, I started to research "e-Readers" specifically, as there was no way in heck I was going to spend big $$$ on an overpriced iPad, so I won't even mention iPads in my post. Below are some of the findings I came about FOR ME and MY NEEDS... YMMV...
1. Why grey-scale when all the rave is about COLOR e-Readers? It is because of #2... BATTERY LIFE! The color e-Readers only get 8 hours per charge, if your lucky, but the grey-scale e-Readers get weeks, if not over a MONTH of use before needing a re-charge.
3. The Kindle was the most restrictive in formats, with the Nook only slightly better as the Nook will do epub format, but BOTH were too restrictive for me. The KOBO, on the other hand, supported a large list of public and industry-standard ebook formats, primarily .epub and .mobi.
4.Both the Nook and the KOBO have a micro-SD slot allowing use of a 32GB micro-SD card. 32GB will hold around 30,000 books! Yes, thirty thousand books, with another 1000 books in the 1GB internal memory. The Kindle DOES NOT offer a SD card slot and is limited to its 2GB or 4GB internal memory.
2000 to 4000 books is still a lot, but the SD card allows you to also access other files, like .doc files, jpg (all my personal and financial info is in jpg format, most kept encrypted), as well as .mp3 for my audio reference material. I can also load all my collection of survival text files as well, some with info found in very few places... So the micro-SD card was a BIG deciding factor for me...
5. Since KOBO does epub and mobi, it is useful anywhwere in the world, and can download ebooks wherever there is a wireless network up and running. The Kindle and Nook not so useful globally...
6. KOBO is nowhere nears as popular as the Kindle and Nook, but it is high up there, so accessories are available almost anywhere, and many Kindle accessories fit the KOBO.
7. I decided I do not need 3G cellular due to battery drain. WiFi is all I need, as most of my MUST HAVE books will already be loaded into its memory card.
This is why I decided on the KOBO TOUCH for my survival and preparedness needs... Plus, I will use it almost daily as a reader, making reading as easy as sitting somewhere, anywhere...
I will add to this thread as I learn more about e-readers, and my KOBO specifically, like where to find the best ebook survival downloads, protective e-reader cases, solar charging systems, etc... So far my first download was James Wesley, Rawles's new book, "Survivors." Cody Lundin and the SAS Survival series is next...
I started down this road after re-designing my BOB and trying to figure out what one or two books (besides Scripture) would be included in the new pack list. I looked at my fairly extensive library of survival/woodscraft/guides/manuals/how-to books and realized that just one or two books wasn't going to cut it if I really had to "survive" or "bug out." I had a handful that I considered "life-supporting" and even more that I considered "needed references," yet there was no way I was going to load down my BOB or BOV with a huge pile of books... And my MEMORY was never that great, let alone under stress, so relying on my recall of all those words I had stuffed in my head over the decades did not put me at ease either... I had STUFF and GEAR, but my MUSHWARE (brain) was lacking... I was in a quandry.
Over the last few months I had heard from friends and co-workers as they raved about how much they loved their iPads/e-Readers, telling me how these devices revolutionized they way they read books, and very intrestingly, I was surprised how many doctors I work with told me they now reference medical books on these iPod/e-Readers rather than dig them out from their library. I started to get ideas...
So with Black Friday & holiday bargains coming up, I started to research "e-Readers" specifically, as there was no way in heck I was going to spend big $$$ on an overpriced iPad, so I won't even mention iPads in my post. Below are some of the findings I came about FOR ME and MY NEEDS... YMMV...
- Must be GREY-SCALE, not COLOR
- Must have long battery life
- Must be COMPATIBLE to public-domain ebooks & library ebooks
- Must be able to use micro-SD memory cards
- Must be compatible to GLOBAL ebook standards (in case I bug out of USA)
- Must be somewhat popular, no no-name bargains
- Must have Wi_Fi but no need for 3G cellular
1. Why grey-scale when all the rave is about COLOR e-Readers? It is because of #2... BATTERY LIFE! The color e-Readers only get 8 hours per charge, if your lucky, but the grey-scale e-Readers get weeks, if not over a MONTH of use before needing a re-charge.
3. The Kindle was the most restrictive in formats, with the Nook only slightly better as the Nook will do epub format, but BOTH were too restrictive for me. The KOBO, on the other hand, supported a large list of public and industry-standard ebook formats, primarily .epub and .mobi.
4.Both the Nook and the KOBO have a micro-SD slot allowing use of a 32GB micro-SD card. 32GB will hold around 30,000 books! Yes, thirty thousand books, with another 1000 books in the 1GB internal memory. The Kindle DOES NOT offer a SD card slot and is limited to its 2GB or 4GB internal memory.
2000 to 4000 books is still a lot, but the SD card allows you to also access other files, like .doc files, jpg (all my personal and financial info is in jpg format, most kept encrypted), as well as .mp3 for my audio reference material. I can also load all my collection of survival text files as well, some with info found in very few places... So the micro-SD card was a BIG deciding factor for me...
5. Since KOBO does epub and mobi, it is useful anywhwere in the world, and can download ebooks wherever there is a wireless network up and running. The Kindle and Nook not so useful globally...
6. KOBO is nowhere nears as popular as the Kindle and Nook, but it is high up there, so accessories are available almost anywhere, and many Kindle accessories fit the KOBO.
7. I decided I do not need 3G cellular due to battery drain. WiFi is all I need, as most of my MUST HAVE books will already be loaded into its memory card.
This is why I decided on the KOBO TOUCH for my survival and preparedness needs... Plus, I will use it almost daily as a reader, making reading as easy as sitting somewhere, anywhere...
I will add to this thread as I learn more about e-readers, and my KOBO specifically, like where to find the best ebook survival downloads, protective e-reader cases, solar charging systems, etc... So far my first download was James Wesley, Rawles's new book, "Survivors." Cody Lundin and the SAS Survival series is next...
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