The Sword and Laser discussion
Should I switch to Kindle now that Nook is going under?
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Like quite a few of the people here I would recommend buying a generic tablet and then just loading the Nook, Kobo and Kindle apps on it.I use the Kindle app the most as it seems to have a couple of advantages.
1) Kindle sale items are way better than any of the competition.
2) Wireless side loading via e-mail. No need to use a cable from a PC.
EDIT:
3) As Brew mentioned below 'Whispersync' is a great feature if you like audiobooks.
I get it now, thanks for the elaborate explanation and thanks to everyone else who answered me.Now I just have to tackle the issue that Nook and Kobo aren't available where I live and shipping + customs will skin me alive =)
Cheers!
Kir, If other ereaders are available just make sure they use ADE DRM.
Tablets do have the advantage AndrewP mentions, but honestly if you wanted the Kindle app that bad I'd just get a Kindle. Also, while it's nice to have all of the ereader apps on a tablet, I found myself having to remember where I bought a given book (and thus which reader app I needed to launch to read the book I was thinking of). I consolidated my books when, somehow, the DRM fell off of them. Accidentally, mind you...
Kir, you need to look into e-readers and e-book sellers in your home country. Most e-books can only be purchased in the country they're produced in because of copyright laws. If you have to pay customs fees for the device, chances are you will be severely limited in the books you will be able to buy.
For what it is worth, I love my Kindle. I recently upgraded to the paperwhite which frankly is my preferred device to read anything on. There is a new chrome add on that lets me send any captured text to my kindle over the internet. I know I am kind of hooked to Amazon's ecosystem, but it really doesn't bother me as much as it probably should. All I know that it is super easy to use, the text is sharp and easy on the eyes and I have not had a complaint in my 5 + years of using a Kindle device. There is even a great free program called Calibre (on the Mac at least, though I think they do have a PC version) that will convert ebook and PDF formats to mobi (the kindle format). Not to mention Whispersync with audio. I used it for a few books and it works like a charm. Especially for big books, I can read on Kindle at night and listen on commute to work, and so far I have found it to be rather seamless. Ok, now I am rambling and sound like an Amazon shill so I will stop. I really do like the device and system though.
Brew wrote: "For what it is worth, I love my Kindle. I recently upgraded to the paperwhite which frankly is my preferred device to read anything on. There is a new chrome add on that lets me send any captured..."Brew, I'm right there with you. We are also thoroughly enamored with our Kindle Papwerwhites (didn't think anything could be better than my original Kindle Keyboard - color me surprised!).
Now that Baen is selling through major resellers (Amazon, B&N, etc.), there is not a single book that is legally available as an ebook that I have looked for that is NOT available through Amazon. (I still buy Baen books from the Baen estore as I did before - they have the right ebook model in my opinion, so I want to support that to the greatest extent that I can!)
I cannot imagine trying to read as much as I do on a non-eink device, so a tablet is not an option for me. Perhaps I am locked into the Amazon ecosystem, but so far have had no complaints. The customer service has been awesome on the few occasions I have needed it. The 7 day return policy on ebooks is unmatched by any other store last time I checked.
Find the tool (ereader, tablet, smartphone, what have you) that works for YOU, that YOU like best, and go with that. None are perfect - they will all have their pros & cons - but so long as you are happy with your reader and the associated 'ecosystem', BE HAPPY!
The most important thing, after all, is to keep reading. :-)
Kir, the other issue besides DRM is tablet vs. e-reader. I work at a computer all day. The last thing I want or need is to stare at another backlit screen outside work. I find the e-ink of the readers a nice change for my eyes. If you find looking for long streaches at a computer screen trying on your eyes, an e-reader is a good choice. Both B&N and Amazon have both tablets and e-readers. Not sure about Sony or Kobo. If you do decide on a tablet, there are plenty of other options too, Galaxy, MS, Apple, etc.
I have had a nook for many years and have no regrets. It works with my local library but I get most of my reading from Project Gutenberg. It can do audio books but use my mp3 player for that as a rule. Text takes very little space, so even with a few illustrations and covers there is plenty of room for lots of books. Calibre is a must for working with ebooks, whatever device you choose. Makes it so easy.
I have had a nook for many years and have no regrets. It works with my local library but I get most of my reading from Project Gutenberg. It can do audio books but use my mp3 player for that as a rule. Text takes very little space, so even with a few illustrations and covers there is plenty of room for lots of books. Calibre is a must for working with ebooks, whatever device you choose. Makes it so easy.
I don't really have any special preference. I read all the time, anywhere, on anything or anyhow. =) It was my smartphone that got me into reading e-books more than physical books. I think I'll just go with a regular Kindle e-reader for starters and upgrade later if I feel I'm still not adequately covered.
Thank you, everyone, for helping me out.
Cheers!
All readers have DRM issues. It's a publisher thing, not an ereader thing; publishers tell booksellers to apply DRM or not.
However, while Amazon uses their own DRM when told to use DRM on a book by the publisher, others use Adobe's. Thus I'd favor a reader that uses Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) for the DRM. Right now, this includes the Kobo and Nook. Not sure about Sony. The reason is that any ereader that can read ADE protected files can read all of them, i.e. you can sideload books bought from B&N onto your Kobo and read them there. This gives you some protection in case your bookseller goes out of business. Obviously you can strip the DRM, but... not legal, so...