Opinions please...best ebook reader???

BarbaraKE · Apr 6, 2011

My birthday is coming up. My sons are getting me an ebook reader (Hurrah!!!) but want to know which one I want.

Does either the Nook or the kindle have a clear advantage over the other?? Those are the two you seem to hear about most but can anyone recommend another reader? I'm interested mainly in ease-of-use and the reader not becoming obsolete in a year or two.

What do you recommend??

pezie · Apr 6, 2011

I can't answer on the obsolete issue, but I have a Nook and my husband has a Kindle. Here are my opinions, having seen them both side by side:

Advantages to the Nook (regular, not color):
-LendMe feature is nice (though I think Kindle can do this now too)
-Can check books out via Overdrive from your library
-Small, color touch-screen display at the bottom allows you to see cover art more vividly and if you do use it for web browsing, you can see the pages in color (just small snippets at a time).
-Can read eBooks for free while sitting in a Barnes & Noble store, which is fun if you hang out in the bookstore a lot.
Disadvantage: shorter battery life

Kindle advantages:
-battery life seems to be longer than the Nook (probably b/c the Nook does have that touch screen display at the bottom).
-lighter weight than the Nook
-can read documents other than eBook or PDF. My husband can email himself a Word document to his Kindle email address and read it on the Kindle. He can't edit it on the Kindle, but can read it.
Disadvantage: Can only get books from Amazon (...or not, see below)

Reading functionality-wise, I think both readers are the same. The eInk displays are similar sizes and are easy on the eyes for reading.

I don't think you can go wrong either way, really.

Torgo · Apr 6, 2011

BarbaraKE said:
My birthday is coming up. My sons are getting me an ebook reader (Hurrah!!!) but want to know which one I want.

Does either the Nook or the kindle have a clear advantage over the other?? Those are the two you seem to hear about most but can anyone recommend another reader? I'm interested mainly in ease-of-use and the reader not becoming obsolete in a year or two.

What do you recommend??

What kind of screen do you prefer, LCD (as per a smartphone, iPad, colour Nook or flat-screen TV) or an E-ink screen (as per 1st-gen Nook or Kindle)? That seems to me to be the first choice to make. Many people find LCDs are hard on the eyes but I love 'em (backlit, too.)

Something like the Nook Colour will let you read illustrated books and magazines much more nicely than a Kindle. On the other hand e-ink readers have much longer battery life.

My personal preference is for an iPhone running Stanza (an ebook reader app) but it's much more of a hassle to purchase books on it than Kindle or Nook. (In fact I must confess to quite often buying Kindle books and cracking the DRM so I can read them in Stanza; the Kindle and iBooks apps on the iPhone are both pretty nifty but don't quite let me tweak the look of the book in exactly the way I want to.) Unless your kids are very generous though I suspect they won't be getting you an iPhone!

Between b/w Nook and Kindle, I'd go for the Kindle. It's a bit lighter, battery life is apparently a bit better, it generally works fine, and its star is hitched to Amazon's all-conquering Wagon of Doom.

brainstorm77 · Apr 6, 2011

I have the Kindle. I love it.

FocusOnEnergy · Apr 6, 2011

I was at B&N today and while waiting for someone to ask a question of, I played with a color Nook.

I was very impressed with the quality of the graphics displayed, I looked at a kids book with line drawings and book covers with photographic images. Very nice. Me likey.

However, because I've been buying my books exclusively from Amazon.com or the used/antiquarian bookstore around the corner from my house, for as long as Amazon's been in business, I want a Kindle that has a color screen like that.

Protip: Tell them you want an iPad.

Focus

fireluxlou · Apr 6, 2011

pezie said:
I can't answer on the obsolete issue, but I have a Nook and my husband has a Kindle. Here are my opinions, having seen them both side by side:

Advantages to the Nook (regular, not color):
-LendMe feature is nice (though I think Kindle can do this now too)
-Can check books out via Overdrive from your library
-Small, color touch-screen display at the bottom allows you to see cover art more vividly and if you do use it for web browsing, you can see the pages in color (just small snippets at a time).
-Can read eBooks for free while sitting in a Barnes & Noble store, which is fun if you hang out in the bookstore a lot.
Disadvantage: shorter battery life

Kindle advantages:
-battery life seems to be longer than the Nook (probably b/c the Nook does have that touch screen display at the bottom).
-lighter weight than the Nook
-can read documents other than eBook or PDF. My husband can email himself a Word document to his Kindle email address and read it on the Kindle. He can't edit it on the Kindle, but can read it.
Disadvantage: Can only get books from Amazon

Reading functionality-wise, I think both readers are the same. The eInk displays are similar sizes and are easy on the eyes for reading.

I don't think you can go wrong either way, really.

Urm nope. I have brought books that are in pdf and mobi format from other websites and author websites that weren't on Amazon and send them to my kindle.

I have a kindle and love it. I read all sort of books on it. battery life last for months urm, can't think of a disadvantage of the top of my head as it fits all my boxes. I just love my kindle is all. As a person with glasses it doesn't tire my eyes, hurt and it looks like paper.

pezie · Apr 6, 2011

fireluxlou said:
Urm nope. I have brought books that are in pdf and mobi format from other websites and author websites that weren't on Amazon and send them to my kindle.

I have a kindle and love it. I read all sort of books on it. battery life last for months urm, can't think of a disadvantage of the top of my head as it fits all my boxes.

Hmm, didn't know that. I stand corrected then.

fireluxlou · Apr 6, 2011

pezie said:
Hmm, didn't know that. I stand corrected then.

Yeah it can read many formats and there are websites which sell all kinds of formats of a book from publishers, which you can then send to your kindle. It may not read epub but it reads all other formats

.

zegota · Apr 6, 2011

It looks like some people are arguing for LCD/color screens, which is fine, but I have to disagree completely. I spend all day staring at and LCD screen, and have little desire to replicate the experience when I try to read for pleasure. I much MUCH MUCH prefer the e-ink (such as on the standard nook, or my personal reader, the Kindle). The fact that you need an external light is a small price to pay for easy outside reading, long battery life, and most importantly, low eye strain.

zegota · Apr 6, 2011

fireluxlou said:
Yeah it can read many formats and there are websites which sell all kinds of formats of a book from publishers, which you can then send to your kindle. It may not read epub but it reads all other formats .

epub is exceedingly easy to convert to Kindle, even for those who aren't technically inclined. calibre is a wonderful program and does it automatically (assuming there isn't DRM; if there is, you'll have to strip it or find a techie friend to help).

fireluxlou · Apr 6, 2011

zegota said:
epub is exceedingly easy to convert to Kindle, even for those who aren't technically inclined. calibre is a wonderful program and does it automatically (assuming there isn't DRM; if there is, you'll have to strip it or find a techie friend to help).

Ooh I love Calibre. Keeps all my books organised and makes it easier to send things

.

FOTSGreg · Apr 6, 2011

I have an iPad and a Nook Color. I'm finding I prefer the NC for reading because the iPad's too heavy after only a short while to read while propped up on one elbow in bed or to cradle in one's arm while drinking a beer at the bar.

Both are still quite nice reading experiences though. I'm thinking about maybe picking up a Sony ereader due to it's even smaller size and the e- ink issue, but I have far too many toys already (and rent to pay at my new apartment).

JSSchley · Apr 6, 2011

Even given that you can buy books in .mobi, I just rebelled at the idea of a company creating its own eBook format when ebooks already existed. I don't know what Amazon is up to long-term, but whatever it is, I'm a skeptic. There wasn't any reason for .AMZ file format except to tie people to their device, and from a simple business patronage standpoint, I don't like that. I didn't buy an iPod until I could put whatever I wanted on it using its own program. Plus, I'm a broke grad student and I like library books, and you *can't* convert a DRM ePub to read on the Kindle without techiness.

I've had a Sony Touch for a year and a half and I love it. I get books from everywhere, and I never have to do anything extra to convert them. I also love the touch e-Ink. You get the great battery life and the lack of eyestrain of the e-Ink but all the advantages of having a touch screen.

KellyAssauer · Apr 6, 2011

Lessee, average life of laptop computer: 4 years, average desktop: 8 years, average cell phone: 18 months... pdf and mobi available for use on most desktops, eformats essentially 'read only' long emails and pocket sized electronic devices are the ones most often lost, misplaced, stolen, dropped...

From the sound of all those things, you're probably buying another one in about two years anyways, so if someone insisted that they give me one, I'd make sure they shopped for the fewest options and lowest possible price.

fourlittlebees · Apr 6, 2011

I'm a tech weenie, so my opinion is colored by that. I'd probably get an Android tablet rather than a dedicated e-reader. The Samsung Galaxy Tab has great reviews by my co-workers who review that stuff for a living, and you can use any and all readers on it: Kindle, Nook, Stanza, Bluefire, etc. and it gets around the weight issue of the iPad (I have a 1st gen iPad). If I were to get one now, I'd probably get the Nook Color and root it, because it's actually an Android tablet that's simply hobbled to be just an e-reader. HOWEVER (and this is the tough part) rumor has it B&N is going to make the Nook Color a fully-functional tablet AND Amazon may be coming out with its own tablet.

Personally, I like the freedom of being able to shop where I want price-wise and availability-wise with a tablet. Plus, I have enough electronics in the house without adding a dedicated reader to the mix.

ejket · Apr 6, 2011

I have a Sony PRS-650, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. My needs may be different from some, though. For example, I strip the DRM from everything I own and convert to Epub so that I can tweak the formatting according to my tastes. There are more tools available for Epub than for any other ebook format, so it's my format of choice.

The PRS-650 also has a nice touchscreen, and rates at the top for battery life and memory capacity compared to other readers. It's also metal instead of plastic. The support software is awful, but Calibre provides everything you need.

To each their own, but my vote goes to the Sony Reader.

maestrowork · Apr 7, 2011

FOTSGreg said:
I have an iPad and a Nook Color. I'm finding I prefer the NC for reading because the iPad's too heavy after only a short while to read while propped up on one elbow in bed or to cradle in one's arm while drinking a beer at the bar.

It's funny you should say the iPad is too heavy... since it's actually lighter than a regular trade paperback.

I don't like the Nook Color because of the display. If I were going for an LCD, I'd rather have better display and functionalities. Otherwise, go for the e-Ink version of the Nook or a Kindle. I had a Kindle 2 before and it was great. I just needed more functionalities and apps and such so I replaced it with iPad. But if you only want to read books, either the Nook or the Kindle would be fine.

Torgo · Apr 7, 2011

zegota said:
It looks like some people are arguing for LCD/color screens, which is fine, but I have to disagree completely. I spend all day staring at and LCD screen, and have little desire to replicate the experience when I try to read for pleasure. I much MUCH MUCH prefer the e-ink (such as on the standard nook, or my personal reader, the Kindle). The fact that you need an external light is a small price to pay for easy outside reading, long battery life, and most importantly, low eye strain.

Seems to be very personal. I look at an LCD screen all day and never suffer from eye-strain; in fact what I find more annoying is the 'black flash' you get when turning Kindle pages. I would say that if you haven't already it's definitely worth at least trying reading books off an LCD screen on a mobile device of some kind, because you may find it's more tolerable than you expect.

Torgo · Apr 7, 2011

maestrowork said:
It's funny you should say the iPad is too heavy... since it's actually lighter than a regular trade paperback.

Yeah, but it's bigger and so the balance is very different if you're holding it by an edge. For preference I read on an iPhone even when I have the option to read on the iPad, which sounds perverse, I know.

fireluxlou · Apr 7, 2011

Torgo said:
Seems to be very personal. I look at an LCD screen all day and never suffer from eye-strain; in fact what I find more annoying is the 'black flash' you get when turning Kindle pages. I would say that if you haven't already it's definitely worth at least trying reading books off an LCD screen on a mobile device of some kind, because you may find it's more tolerable than you expect.

I don't have that problem, but then again I have poor eyesight and reading with LCD screen for leisure and long periods of time gives me eye strain and headaches. My boyfriend can handle it, however he doesn't have glasses or poor eyesight.

cameron_chapman · Apr 7, 2011

FocusOnEnergy said:
However, because I've been buying my books exclusively from Amazon.com or the used/antiquarian bookstore around the corner from my house, for as long as Amazon's been in business, I want a Kindle that has a color screen like that.

There's a fairly easy solution to that: get a Nook Color and root it (anyone who's reasonably tech-savvy can follow the instructions online to do this). Then you can install the Kindle app from the Android Market. That's what I did. So I have both Kindle and Nook apps on my Nook Color, and use both. With the Nook Color rooted, it's basically a really nice Android tablet. I find it a lot more comfortable to use than an iPad (I'd considered getting an iPad but found it's too big for me to comfortably use).

maestrowork · Apr 7, 2011

Torgo said:
Seems to be very personal. I look at an LCD screen all day and never suffer from eye-strain; in fact what I find more annoying is the 'black flash' you get when turning Kindle pages. I would say that if you haven't already it's definitely worth at least trying reading books off an LCD screen on a mobile device of some kind, because you may find it's more tolerable than you expect.

Back-lit LCD does give me eyestrain over time, so I do prefer e-Ink for extended reading. However, I usually don't read for more than an hour at a time anyway, and I really hate having to have a light at night. It was very inconvenient for me -- the clip-on reading lamps were a joke. So I really appreciate the back-light and how I can literally curl up in bed reading.

maestrowork · Apr 7, 2011

Torgo said:
Yeah, but it's bigger and so the balance is very different if you're holding it by an edge. For preference I read on an iPhone even when I have the option to read on the iPad, which sounds perverse, I know.

It's actually not that much bigger. It's 9.1" and a trade paperback is just a tad smaller. The iPad, however, is much thinner.

There's a fairly easy solution to that: get a Nook Color and root it (anyone who's reasonably tech-savvy can follow the instructions online to do this). Then you can install the Kindle app from the Android Market. That's what I did. So I have both Kindle and Nook apps on my Nook Color, and use both. With the Nook Color rooted, it's basically a really nice Android tablet. I find it a lot more comfortable to use than an iPad (I'd considered getting an iPad but found it's too big for me to comfortably use).

That's interesting, to turn a Nook Color into an Android tablet. But I doubt many people know how to "root" it and install apps on it. As for the size, I think it's a matter of preference. I find the Nook actually a bit too small. I like my fonts bigger so a smaller e-Book reader means I have to "flip the page" more frequently. I also like the two-page layout of the iPad (both iBooks and Kindle app), which is not available on the Kindle (not sure about the Nook), and for that, a bigger device is preferable.

RJK · Apr 7, 2011

I've got an iPad 2. I can download books from any vendor, including my local library. It does take some getting used to. if you inadvertently touch the screen, it flips to another page, or several pages, and, although lighter than the iPad 1, it's heavier than the Kindle. The LCD screen doesn't bother me, and I can dim down the back light to reduce the eyestrain at night.

Overall, I like it because of all the choices it gives me, as well as all the other functions available on the iPad.

For instance, I was reading a Tom Clancy novel where he was describing a ghetto in Rio de Janeiro. I switched to Google Earth and searched for the ghetto, zoomed in, and found the pictures Clancy used as the source for his descriptions in the book. They were exactly as he described.

maestrowork · Apr 7, 2011

RJK said:
For instance, I was reading a Tom Clancy novel where he was describing a ghetto in Rio de Janeiro. I switched to Google Earth and searched for the ghetto, zoomed in, and found the pictures Clancy used as the source for his descriptions in the book. They were exactly as he described.

Yeah, I do that, too. I often swap out of the book and Google. I have short attention span, too, so I would read 20 pages and then do something else, without leaving my iPad, then get back to the reading... A "single purpose" e-Book reader just doesn't do that for me anymore (that's why I sold my Kindle).

I do hope iBooks add the feature to disable the touch screen somehow, so you can actually hold the whole thing instead just the edge. Or maybe offer an alternate to turn pages (a small tab, for example, like on the Kindle).

Opinions please...best ebook reader???

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