The Next Best Book Club discussion
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i'm biased because I have a kindle...ease of reading screen - nook and kindle both use a similar screen; I think the Sony might use a similar one too
well-lit? eink specifically isn't able to be backlit...however, one of the Sony versions (an older one) had lights on the side - the best bet is to invest in a good booklight
not knowing what you read - my recommendation is to shop around...take a look at the last 30 or so books you bought/borrowed from the library and compare the prices between all the stores
free books - all public domain (pre 1923) are availabel for free for all systems (via project gutenberg); from what i've seen amazon and B&N seem to quite often have the same other books available for free
you can now chekc out Nooks; kindles; Sony's; Kobo at various stores - best buy has them; as does staples; target (kindle, sony); borders (kobo, sony); barnes and noble (nook)
ETA: Kindle and PDF - you can convert these files several ways - amazon will do it for a minimal fee (15 cents per mb) if you want it sent directly to your kindle; you can also do it for free through them and use the free kindle email provided; or there is a program called calibre which you can use
I have a nook and I absolutely love it! They just made an upgrade available and its super easy to do it, its just like downloading a book. Also, Barnes and noble offers nice prices. On their web site they have an ebook section and they have it broken down for books under $5 new releases, and free ebooks. But I completely agree with what everyone else has said, you don't want one that's backlit bravise it'll hurt your eyes and its best if you shop around. If you live in the united states best buy has a nooks and sonys that you can compare side by side. Good luck with your search!
I have two ereaders. I have a Sony touch and the Borders product called a Cruz tablet. There is almost no comparison. DO NOT WASTE your money on the Cruz!The Sony is by far a better product.
It's lighter.
The eInk is easier to read.
It reads more formats comfortably.
The font is re-sizable.
It has storage both on the devices and on an SD card.
The only thing the Sony lacks is pretty color- It's all shades of gray. Trust me you don't need. Also, the Sony doesn't have any internet capability. I wouldn't say you need that either.
A lot of ereaders are available to try out in store, so I would suggest you do that to get a better feel for them and figure out which one you like best. I think all of the most popular ones are really great and in the end it just comes down to small preferences.As long as you get an ereader with an eInk screen it should be easy to read. Some screens are better than others though. If you get a Sony I highly advise you stay away from the touch screen ones. The contrast isn't that great on those and there's glare because of the touch screen.
I think one thing you should consider is customer support. I don't know about Sony, but Amazon and B&N have awesome customer service for their ereaders. I broke my nook several months after I got it. It was completely my fault and I didn't buy the extended warranty, but B&N replaced it free of charge. I've heard about similar experiences from Kindle users.
Also, I just wanted to correct a couple of things others have said. Library ebooks CAN be read on the nook. I download ebooks from my library all the time. Library ebooks can also be read on the Kindle easily, but the method required to do so is illegal. Also, you don't need to have Amazon convert files for you. It's just a service they offer. You can sideload ebooks onto the Kindle and so I believe most people convert files using Calibre, which is a great free ebook manager that works well with most ereaders, and just load them onto their Kindle. File formats are generally not an issue with any reader thanks to programs like Calibre.
Definitely the kindle -- any of them 1, 2 or 3.
Not changed, still cannot access DRM protected PDF and ePub. When I check books out from the library, I check out the paper format. I have found there are more ebooks and at a better price available for the Kindle than any other ereader -- at least in the genres I am reading. And I belong to two very large public library systems which offer a huge number of ebooks, but I have just chosen to read my library books in paper format. I have found that when I request the book I want in both paper format and ebook format, I always get the paper format first (just an experiment I do). I also live 1.5 blocks from one library system and work 3 blocks from the other library sytem I belong to, so it is very easy for me to pick up and return. :) An aside -- there is an illegal way to remove the DRM, but it violates several user agreements and multiple laws. :)
if your library uses mobipocket books (although most use Epub) there are python scripts that you can use to put those books on there. They basically give you the PID for the device, so you can access ecure mobi. But i've not done it to try.the library issue just depends on what you have access to locally and how long you are willing to wait for a book...I considered getting a sony or a nook to read library books on now that they are cheaper...but it wasn't worth it when I saw the wait lines for some of the books I wanted - i.e. girl with the dragon tattoo...105 people on the waitlist
Catie -- what library do you belong to?
That is a huge ebook selection, I have not heard of a library having such a huge selection. http://phoenix.lib.overdrive.com/978E... Shows close to 20k books! The Philadelphia Free library has only a little over 3k and one of the systems I belong to is the Chicago Public Library and it has some where over 2k available for ebooks.So that is a huge number -- I just browsed my favorite series, and even with Phoenix being huge it only has some of the series or none at all. And few of my favorite authors. So it still wouldn't be a good solution for me, but if you live in this area and it had the books you want -- definitely a solution!
Yes, I definitely suggest checking out the library you have access to and looking at the wait list and do the experiment that I described above. :)
When I was e-reader shopping I looked at the Kindle 3 and the Nook, before the recent Nook upgrade. Kindle won for me on 3 points. 1. Kindle 3 is smaller and quite a bit lighter. My wrists got uncomfortable holding the Nook after about 20 min of playing around with it in the store. And the Kindle fits nicely in my small purse. Remember they all will be bulkier and a little heavier after they are in a protective cover.
2. Kindle 3 had substantially faster page turns. I don't know if that was improved in the Nook upgrade.
3. I didn't like the screen set up on the nook. I use an iPhone and I never quite got used to the touch screen below and the main screen above. I kept trying to touch the screen I was looking at. The Kindle is easier for me because the actual buttons remind me that the screen isn't a touch screen.
That was just my experience for what it is worth. What ever you decide I'm sure you will love your e-reader.
I should add that I haven't yet borrowed an e-book from the library. I use the library for actual paper books or audio books so far.
Thank you so much everybody! I've gotten some really informative feedback. I'm not even sure if my library offers e-books yet. They are a county library system and won't even interlibrary loan outside of the county. So, I'll have to see on the e-books.
The lighting issue was great feedback. I.e: Treat it like a real book and use your booklight. Safer for the eyes.
Guess now the only thing to do is go play! Woo hoo!!
I found a great site that reviews the top brands of e-readers. Check it out:http://ebook-reader-review.toptenrevi...
Danielle wrote: "I found a great site that reviews the top brands of e-readers. Check it out:http://ebook-reader-review.toptenrevi..."
Awesome Danielle!
I've decided Kindle will be the one on my Christmas list. Best buy offered a comparison guide and Kindle won, or tied, on all the features/specs I felt were important to me.
Thank you again for everyone's feedback! It was terrific to be able to speak with the sales people in an informed manner! I was so much more confident in my in-store "investigation" than I would have been without all of you!
Kristi - I hope you enjoy your kindle - make sure you sign up for kindleiq.com (I think) - you'll get a daily email of free books from Amazon!
Thanks! But I have to wait for Christmas. It's on my wishlist. ;)
you can also download Kindle 4 PC (or MAC) and start scoping out books ;) - yes, i'm trying to be a bad influence!
Be bad influence!! I love bad influences! My mom always said I was one for my little sister. Hee hee!!!
I have a pretty crappy one which doesn't properly count as an ereader (it's backlit) -- the Trekstore one. Still it was cheap and it does the trick until I can save up for something fancier!
My NookColor is backlit. It's one of the reason I chose it. I read in the bed a lot. The morning, I even used that back light to find slippers so I wouldn't wake up hubby. Oh the things we use our ereaders for...
and? did you get the kindle? and still happy?I have a Sony ereader (with touchscreen) and I love it! I hope you're just as happy with your kindle as I am with my sony :)
I got a Nook for Christmas and I'm very happy with it.
LadyHeather: Were you asking me? If so, I'm sorry I didn't respond quicker. I've been just a touch buried in life lately. Ha ha! So just in case, I'll answer anyways. Lol.
I did get a Kindle. And I LOOOOOOVE it. I didn't want the backlit screen, as I was told it makes it difficult to read outside. I read everywhere.
I haven't paid for a single book yet, sooo many free ones. It's paid for itself already. Ha ha!
I love it. I do. And I'm thrilled with it. (In case I forgot to mention that already-HA!)
Hi guys I have a kindle and love it was the best Christmas gift I have had and I find it easy to read.I do agree with the non back lite comment I used to use kindle on my iPad but this only hurt my eyes after a while!
I know this might be off subject but I have seen mention of ebook Library's I'm based in the UK and have not heard of this over here might anyone be able to recommend one Or two that can be used in the UK?
Wow. This thread has been bumped up from two years, and there has been a lot of advances since the Kindle 3 and the Sony's murky touch screen, so I'll dish out a refresher for the upcoming holiday season:The Kindle Paperwhite
Pros
- Now works with libraries and you get lots of free reading material with Amazon Prime
- The touch screen is great. Has a front-light with higher resolution; superior specs to other ereaders
- The cloud support also cannot be beat, for you can read on any device: phone, tablet, computer, whatever exactly where you left off
- Page turn without full-refresh
- Superior store selection with great prices
- Always updating and improving
Too good to be true? It might be. Here are the
Cons
- Has ads. Both on the menu screen and when it's in sleep mode. To purchase without ads costs more.
- It does not support epub, which is now the standard for ebooks. Kindle only supports its own format (mobi)
- The DRM restrictions are written so that you technically do not own the books. You have permission to view the pages from your screen, but those pages are not yours to manipulate.
- Restricts your ability to support indie book stores. I only know of one ebook store that lends stores a crutch. Google affiliates with some independent book stores that'll allow you to purchase books through the book store's website, giving the publisher and the store a fair share of the profit.
I'm too tired now to go through the rest of the devices in detail, but Sony and Kobo are hanging in there. Those are the most open-source-friendly of the e-ink display readers. The Sony web-browser allows you to make purchases from the device (although the Google store requires you to plug in to a computer). Nook also supports epub and purchases away from the Barnes & Noble store, but they don't advertise that fact.
I recommend Kindle if you want the best device and care primarily about price and convenience over where the dollar goes
I recommend the Nook to those who want a simple reading experience. Good gifts for those who are not tech-savvy. No bells and whistles for me.
I recommend Kobo if your primary care (besides convenience) is to support local book stores. On Kobo's 'about us', they say "We believe open standards for eBooks are best for consumers, publishers, retailers and hardware manufacturers." Not bad.
I recommend Sony for purely biased reasons, since I have a Sony PRS-T1 and don't want to push it simply because it's what I chose. It has been a great asset to me as a student of English literature, primarily for its ability to export notes and make purchases anywhere, anytime. During class lectures, I'm able to highlight, draw, and take notes on screen. Then at the end of the day I can print my quotes and analysis in a cited list. This has been an incredible aid for writing essays. Still. I would not recommend the reader for the average person who aims to read books for pleasure. The small bugs it has (like double-page turns) along with its slight disorganization, may not be the best choice.
Hope this all helps!
I'm looking for:
ease of reading screen?
well lit screen?
amount of books available?
best prices for books available?
number of free books available?
ease of holding/most comfortable?
All suggestions are greatly appreciated!