[Andy Booth]

Im thinking of getting a PDA for reading eBooks whilst im commuting. As I really only want one for this purpose, I don't think I need anything special?

Well i've been looking around at PDA's and the choice is so huge, and its all quite overwhelming. To re-iterate, I want to be able to read .pdf and .chm (or convert them to something a PDA can understand) on a PDA.

As im on a budget...I was looking at somethign like...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...k-21/ref=nosim

I've read reviews...and most of them seem fairly favourable...im worried about the 20mb storage only though, would that be big enough for a few eBooks at a time?

Also would the Palm OS be suitable for reading .chm or .pdf (or a converted version)?

If not, any cheap recommendations would be great

Thanks

[cycler]

Visit www.brighthand.com and check out the forums there. I've got a Palm TX and it lets me read books in several formats. You do want a PDA which has a flash drive so that you don't lose all of your books when the battery runs down. (I learned that at that site!)

[DoubleHelix]

Have you ever read a book on a PDA before? The print will be small, and the battery will drain quickly depending on how long you plan to read. There's also the issue of the small amount of memory in that particular PDA. No, you won't fit many ebooks onto it. PDFs take up quite a bit of space. Have you looked into how much ebooks cost and what the sizes are of the ones you're looking at? Some ebooks can't be converted to PDFs and have to be read using purchased software which will take up even more memory.

I suggest adding a few magazines, newspapers, or paper-back books to your regular commuter bag instead of going the route of ebooks.

[Alex Ethridge]

I just checked a 200-Page book I have here for size. It was 5 Megs; but, it does have just a few graphics and tables.

[jeff043]

i think palm m 100 is the best pda to buy. i recommend it.

[Alex Ethridge]

M100, isn't that quite old? My M515 had only 8 Megs of memory if I remember right. It certainly would not handle PDFs.

[yitzle]

PalmPDF is an open source PDF reader for Palm OS.
m100 is only about 5+ years out of production...
CHM files can NOT natively be read on Palm OS but CAN be converted to HTML and then to a Palm compatible format (eg Plucker and iSilo)
If you are buying used, I'd advise the m500.
If you are buying new, you want the E2.
Either way, you can pick up a 256MB SD card for a few dollars and use that as storage.
The m500 has no backlight and will work well in direct sunlight and will not work well in dimly lit areas. (Well, it does have a backlight and you can read with it in the dark.)
For example, I used to read on my m500 while walking home at night. When I passed directly under a streetlight with the backlight on, I would not be able to read.
The E2 has a backlight. Works well in dark, dim, or indoor lighting. Will not work in sunlight.
The m500 has a better battery, is slimmer and I think lighter.
If you got more questions, send me a PM. If this forum supported them.
Send me an email. Will turn emails on.

EDIT: Oh, look! They do have PMs.

[Alex Ethridge]

I had an m500 and later got an m515. The only difference I could see between the two was the 515 had a more brightly lit screen. I liked that a lot better.

[yitzle]

The m500 did not have a lit screen. Normally it operates like a LCD calculator - not backlight. This means it has a longer battery life than the back lit devices.
The m500 is also slimmer and lighter than the m515.
The m515 remains a decent device, but finding either one may not be the easiest thing. You'll need to find a refurbished or second hand device.