E-readers (Pros & Cons of Different Ones)

[Melan]

Ok...seriously, I love reading the old fashion way. I love flipping the pages, I love looking at the book from the side and determining how much I read and how much further I have left. It's a satisfaction thing, I guess.

But as I'm searching for books that I want to read, the only format option is Kindle edition.

Grrr, this sucks.

Anyways, my boyfriend has been bugging me about getting an e-reader due to our lack of space situation.

So between my no paperback format and my nagging boyfriend, I'm considering getting one. Throwing in the towel, putting up that white flag.

What e-reader, do u suggest is the best that you have used so far?

Kindle? Kindle fire? Nook? Nexus? Etc...

[Sydney]

I just got the Kindle Fire yesterday and I love it!

[Darlene]

I definitely prefer a real printed book, but I have to say, even with its limitations, I do like my Kindle Paperwhite. It's handy to travel with, takes up much less space, and the instant download is pretty darn convenient.
That being said, I just read a book on it, and it was killing me that I couldn't flip through and get a visual on how far along I was!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

I love my Kindle Fire, Annie, but do prefer paperbacks and hardcovers first.

Consider what you want out of an eReader before making your decision. Single purpose or multi-purpose? Do you need audio/video/Internet? What about back-lighting? Battery life? What about the weight and size of one (fits in your purse)? Not to mention money...

[Kat]

I have a Nook color and I just got a kindle paperwhite for Christmas. I love my Nook, but beacuse I read so much, the bright screen (even when on low) really bugged me. Hence why I went with the paperwhite. I LOVE it. It's so much easier on my eyes.

I still read my Nook, of course. (I have a ton of books on their to read) but the kindle has taken it's place as my #1 choice.

And like Lisa Kay said, consider what you'll use it for. I don't use my kindle for anything except reading, so I didn't need the tablet (and the comfort thing with the eyes). Do you have a Best Buy or other electronic store near you that has them to look at? I got mine online, but I did a lot of looking at Best Buy to actually see and touch them. (and the paperwhite is sooooo light. Another reason I love it)

[Abigail]

I have a plain Kindle with no bells or whistles, but with wi-fi. That's all I need.

[Arielle Rae]

I will always prefer hardcovers and paperbacks first, but I have found that having an e-reader is useful for reading books that isn't in the library or published in paperback (such as Kristen Ashley's books!)

I got a Kobo mini for Christmas and it's absolutely wonderful! It is actually small enough to fit in your pocket (it's so cute), has wifi and an internet browser, even chess and a sketch pad, and is very easy to use. Although you can't buy any books from Amazon on it, you can still find other ways to download books on the computer then transfer it to the kobo
The only drawback is that you can't read in the dark, since there is no glow or brightness settings

I have to admit though, I still stubbornly refuse to use my e-reader 'til absolutely necessary because I feel kind of guilty for some reason hehehe...

[Pamela(AllHoney), Fairy Godmother]

I love my kindle fire but the glare can be rough at times.

[Melissa]

My daughter and I share a Kindle touch, no bells or whistles. She very seldom uses it to read and would rather have a kindle fire for all the other uses.

I like the size of the kindle touch, it fits in my smaller size purse and the battery lasts forever. The only think I don't like is that it isn't back lit so I cannot read without another source of light.

[Melan]

Thanks everyone. All your inputs have been really helpful!

All I want is something I can read with, nothing fancy for me.

[Melan]

Oh and thx to everyone who warned me about the ones with no backlight, I'm def not getting those for sure :-(

[Jacqueline]

Darlene wrote: "I definitely prefer a real printed book, but I have to say, even with its limitations, I do like my Kindle Paperwhite. It's handy to travel with, takes up much less space, and the instant download ..."

I have a Kindle Fire, but since I don't use it for anything but reading, I wish I had the Paperwhite - it's supposed to be better in sunlight. Like you, Darlene, I don't like not having page numbers to judge how far I have to go. Percentages have no meaning. It may tell me I've read 90%, but is the 10% left 10 pages or 50? It makes a difference at 2AM!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Things I like about an eReader are when I'm doing a "buddy read" and I need to do a search for something. And the highlight ability.

I do have a Kindle Fire and, while I love it, I can see why the Paperwhite - at about 1/2 the weight - would appeal. I broke my wrist about 30-some years ago, and laying in bed, on my back with the Kindle above me, is just a tad heavy.

If you do get one with Wi-Fi capability, be sure to turn off the Wi-Fi when not using it. This will lengthen the life of your battery.

BTW, we lost power here for about 10 hours recently and, let me tell you, it was nice having the Kindle to read on.

Also, you can download both the Kindle for PC and the Nook for PC to your computer. That way you are able to still get free books without actually purchasing the eReaders. Plus, you can try out the software and see if you like it.

[Melan]

Lisa Kay wrote: "Things I like about an eReader are when I'm doing a "buddy read" and I need to do a search for something. And the highlight ability.

I do have a Kindle Fire and, while I love it, I can see why ..."


Oh that's good to know. Weight is a factor for me. I have a bad wrist and my hand goes numb constantly. I have pretty bad paraesthesia in my right hand, which causes me to take frequent breaks while reading. Sometimes I have to break for days after reading a book for too many hours.

Also, how do u download the kindle or nook to your PC?

[Darlene]

Jaqueline wrote: I have a Kindle Fire, but since I don't use it for anything but reading, I wish I had the Paperwhite - it's supposed to be better in sunlight. Like you, Darlene, I don't like not having page numbers to judge how far I have to go. Percentages have no meaning. It may tell me I've read 90%, but is the 10% left 10 pages or 50? It makes a difference at 2AM!


Haha! For sure! :-)

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Kindle for PC

Nook for PC

[Kate]

I have the kindle fire, and I love it. I get so many free books through amazon, I barely ever leave home w/o it. I even keep it with me when I'm reading a hard or paper back book just in case I finish and need to write on here or just start a new book. Love it!

[Melan]

Lisa Kay wrote: "Kindle for PC

Nook for PC"


Thank you, I'll check it out.

[Allison]

I am so glad u posted this!! I am in the same situation & was looking to post something myself. I cant get over reading a "real" book but as you said, a lot of the books are only e-reader or they come out there first and those of us who read the actual books have to wait! I was wondering which to get...im clueless to all this. I have an All-In-One desktop Win 8 and it does have the Kindle App. Its hard to sit for long periods of time in a computer chair to read. I kind of wanted a laptop so maybe the Tablet would be better, but ahhhhh I dont know! Im going to see what you ladies recommend!! Thank goodness for Goodreads!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Glad this has helped a bit, Allison.

[Claudette]

What I like about the ereaders is that you can instantly search a link especially if you are reading a self-help book. Also I like that I can be reading on my tablet, switch to my PC, and continue on my iphone. The icloud will sync you to the last place read.
And for those who like to see how far they have to go just look at the Chapter Contents usually at the front or some are at the back. Plus you can get so many cheap or free books on kindle.

[Stories]

Claudette wrote: "What I like about the ereaders is that you can instantly search a link especially if you are reading a self-help book. Also I like that I can be reading on my tablet, switch to my PC, and continue ..."

What I like about e-readers is that there are no distractions as there would be using an app on a smart phone or computer.

The Kindle Paperwhite advertises to have a better quality viewing experience. I have been tempted various times to buy the Kindle Paperwhite.

Currently I am working with the Kindle smart phone app and the Kobo smart phone app.

Sometimes the prices listed on the Kindle are more expensive than the prices on Kobo. However, the selection is far greater on Amazon, as many times Kobo does not have the book I am looking for.

Another advantage of the Kindle is if you have Amazon Prime you can take advantage of the lending library. Also, as you mentioned, there are a lot of deals on Amazon...

I get free and cheap Amazon deals through email from BookBub.com..

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Yes, I use the Amazon Prime section, which includes movies, too. Some people I've talked with on GRs don't think it is worth it. **shrugs** It all depends on what you're into.

[Melan]

Allison wrote: "I am so glad u posted this!! I am in the same situation & was looking to post something myself. I cant get over reading a "real" book but as you said, a lot of the books are only e-reader or they c..."

I too have a laptop with windows8. I tried reading on the kindle app through the comp and lasted 15 mins. I don't mind reading shorts or articles but full on novel...ehh.. It'll def take some time getting use to.


You and I are on the same boat.

[Alisinny]

I have one of the early generation kindles. It has wifi and 3g, which for me is great. I find it's a bit heavier than the more recent releases and that is difficult sometimes as I have a neck and back problem.
However the advantages of the kindle to me make it the number one choice:
Kindle store has a much bigger range than any of the other stores.
Bookbub etc bargains are more numerous for kindle format than other formats.
I can read on my computer using windows 8.1, on my smartphone and back to the kindle and the amazon whispersync will sync my place between all these places.
Having the 3g as well as the wifi means I can download etc just about anywhere.
There's no issues with glare or lack of light.
So to me if you just want it for use as an ereader, I can recommend it absolutely.
And as already mentioned there are ways to transfer content via your computer if you have something that didn't come from the kindle store but you want to transfer to your Kindle.
My only complaint is that it's just so EASY to click and purchase something that I really need to exert some self control- easier said than done!

[Lisa Kay, Tinker Bell]

Yeah, Alisinny... that click button is way too easy to click.

[Stories]

I use the e-reading phone apps for Kindle and Kobo.

The Kobo app is perfect, it has how many pages left in the chapter, it allows you to rate and review the book right after reading, I got a coupon recently for reviewing a book and the website has a feature that allows you to filter for books eligble for promo code.

I wish I could say the same for Kindle, because Kindle has a better selection.

The main thing I dislike about the kindle app is that it shows how many minutes left in the book rather than how many pages left in the chapter.

This is a new feature. The app used to show the pages left in chapter and book, but for some reason it is changed to number of minutes left in book.

One feature that is useful on the Kindle is the ability to dog ear more than one page... I use this feature to compensate for not knowing how many pages left in the chapter by dog earing 5 pages at a time to count the pages in the chapter...

I heard that the kindle Paperwhite e-reader now has a link to goodreads that allows you to rate the book right after reading and sync with your goodreads bookshelf... I wish this feature was included in the phone app