What Ereader Should I Buy?
June 10, 2010
42 Comments
/ 9,772 views
By Leslie and Aunt Lynn
A note upfront: this will not be a “you should buy this specific ereader” post, but more of an informational piece designed to perhaps help you make a decision. Just like every reader is different when it comes to reviews, every reader’s needs are different when it comes to these devices.
Ebooks and ebook readers have been around in one form or another since the late 1960s but it is only in recent years that they have gained significant market share to actually be a driving force in the publishing world and in readers’ considerations when choosing what format book to buy. It used to be print or audio books came from the bookstore or library. Now, books are available in a variety of ebook formats that can be read on all sorts of different devices. Similarly, online ebookstores (“etailers”) are popping up all over the Internet, catering to a wide variety of tastes in genres and ever-smaller and discrete sub-genres. As devoted readers of m/m romances, we know what it feels like to be a sub-genre reader. Ebooks have certainly broadened our horizons and have made finding good, interesting, and well-written m/m books much easier. A revolution is definitely underway.
What is driving these changes? A variety of forces, ranging from broader reader acceptance of ebooks to product innovations, most notably e-ink, which mimics the book reading experience. While many readers say they love the “smell and feel” of a book, when they hold a device such as a Sony reader or Kindle in their hands for the first time, they realize that what is really important content provided in a legible font on an easy to read screen. Portability, easy to use commands, and exploiting the electronic format with features such as a dictionary, and the ability to search, annotate, and make notes all contribute to making an ereader a “better” reading experience than a book. “Better” of course, is relative. Books that are best read non-linearly (think cookbooks or texts) are best in print. A dog-eared paperback that is nearing the end of its useful life is best for a long soak in the bath, since nothing will be lost if it accidentally takes a dive in the bubbles. But for narrative-form fiction, ebooks have found a place in both our hearts.
Since many of the books reviewed at this site are available only as ebooks, many regulars are feeling the need to take the plunge, no matter how much they love their traditional print tomes. With that in mind, Wave asked us (Aunt Lynn and Leslie) if we’d be willing to give an overview of ereaders to assist with potential purchase decisions. Between us we have two years of ebook experience: Leslie has been a Kindle owner since 2008, just a few months after it was first introduced while Aunt Lynn has owned her Sony since May of 2009. We are both enthusiastic about our respective devices and love to show them off to anyone who will listen. We will try, however, in this review, to present a balanced overview of what is currently on the market.
So…you think you might like to start reading ebooks on something other than your PC or laptop. (We are assuming that everyone here knows how to read a PDF on a computer.) With that in mind, where do you begin?
Probably the first decision is single-purpose or multi-function device. The Sony, Kindle, and Barnes & Noble Nook are all single-purpose devices, designed to do one thing: display ebooks. While all three have slightly different features, at their core they all do one thing and do it quite well…they are ereaders. A multi-function device includes reading books among a panoply of applications, including playing games, watching movies, listening to music, taking and organizing pictures, and so on. The multi-function device that is getting a lot of press right now is the iPad from Apple, but Blackberries, Palms, and even netbooks fall under this umbrella.
In making this decision, here are some points to consider: 1) What do you currently have in terms of netbook, laptop or PC? Is it working well? Many early iPad adopters are looking to replace a netbook. 2) What do you want to do: read books or read books and do other stuff? If the latter, that is probably pointing towards a multi-function device. 3) What’s your budget? Yes, the Kindle and Sony might seem pricey at $259 (US) but the cheapest iPad is $499, almost double the price. You can find a good netbook in the $200-$300 range but then, with that, you are essentially back to reading books on a computer screen.
Leslie: I’ll admit it, iPads are really cool. The only thing that has kept me from jumping on the bandwagon is the fact that I already own an iPhone. While the bigger screen and other iPad features would be nice, it seems extravagant for the small amount of gaming that I do, plus reading the occasional book. Plus, I’d still need an iPhone since the iPad isn’t a phone! I did put the Kindle app on my iPhone over a year ago and while I like it, I still turn to my Kindle for most of my recreational reading. I just prefer it for that purpose.
Lynn: I can’t see buying an iPad (for me, that is). I have two laptops (one netbook-sized), an ereader, and a Droid phone (on which I can easily read PDFs). And like Leslie says, it isn’t a phone.
Which brings us back to…
Single Purpose Devices. As noted above, the “big three” on the market right now are the Sony ereader (various model numbers, manufactured by the Sony Corp.); the Kindle (designed and sold by Amazon.com), and the Nook (designed and sold by Barnes & Noble). All three use the same E Ink for their display, which is fundamentally different from an LCD screen found on a computer or iPad. It is in multiple shades of gray (no color at present, but it is in the works) and looks very similar to a print book. (To see a graphic of how E Ink works, visit: http://www.EInk.com/technology/howitworks.html). All three allow you to: store libraries of hundreds of books (ebook files are very small, in comparison to graphics or movies); read multiple books at one time and keep your place in all the books you are reading; and take notes and annotate the text. All three support multiple formats although certain formats work best on each device.
So…lots of similarities. How then are they different? For that, it is probably good to do an individual comparison.
KINDLE (Leslie)
I bought my first Kindle in April 2008 at my daughter’s urging which is a bit of a surprise since I am the one who usually jumps on new gadgets. However, when our first K finally arrived (we ordered at the time when there was still a worldwide backorder that had been going on for months), we both were immediate converts. Interestingly, my daughter has gone back to reading paper books but I am still a hardcore Kindle user for linear fiction.
A quick recap: the first Kindle was introduced in November 2007 and sold out in 5½ hours. The second generation Kindle (the one I am still reading on) was introduced in February 2009 and the Kindle DX in June of that same year. A major frustration for a long time was that the Kindle was US only. That was remedied in late 2009/early 2010 when the international models for both the Kindle and DX became available. At the present time, those are the devices that are currently available although there is a rumor of a new Kindle sometime in the next few months.
The Kindle and the Kindle DX are essentially the same except that the DX has a bigger screen and can store more books. But as ereaders, they function equivalently, with an E Ink screen and similar features (including Whispernet). Many readers say that the DX is more like reading a hardback book in terms of size and weight; the Kindle is like a paperback. While the analogy is not 100%, it gives you a frame of reference for understanding the differences between the two devices. I bought a DX and used it for a few months but ended up selling it because I found it too big and heavy but I know plenty of DX owners who sold their original Kindles because they preferred the larger form factor. It really is a matter of taste.
Comparing a Kindle to other ereaders is a bit like comparing apples to apples: let’s look at the differences between a MacIntosh and a Granny Smith but at the end of the day, they are still apples. One thing that I would like to comment on, however, is Whispernet, which Amazon advertised as a signature feature of the Kindle and continues to be a major selling point. Whispernet is the feature that allows books to be sent to the Kindle wirelessly—no computer connection is needed to transfer books to a Kindle. This originally only worked with Amazon but there are also sites, such as Fictionwise and All Romance, where you can buy a book and have it emailed to your Kindle. Technically, it’s not exactly the same as Whispernet from Amazon (it’s email, not wireless delivery) but to the person at the receiving end (ie, you and me) it is pretty close.
Which brings me to another point—the perception that if you own a Kindle, you are “locked into” books from Amazon. You are not. You can buy books from a variety of sources and if they have a compatible format (prc or mobi) they will work perfectly on the device. The number of sources that are available are increasing exponentially. Two years ago I could buy Kindle-compatible books from Amazon or Fictionwise. Now, just about any ebook seller that I might patronize has Kindle compatible books. It has become a non-issue for me.
Another feature that Amazon has added is Kindle book compatibility on other devices, such as iPhones and PCs. They have developed a Kindle app, which is free, and allows you to buy Kindle books from Amazon and read them using the app. If you have a Kindle, you can sync between the various devices allowing to keep you place, no matter where you are reading.
Last, many people were wary of Amazon because of their digital protection (DRM) and lack of a standard format. From what I can tell, they are loosening up on DRM. As for the standard format….well, we are still in the days of Betamax vs. VHS. Who knows where it will all shake out? I suspect if ePub becomes the standard, future Kindles will be designed to read ePub books (which they cannot do now). But I think we are still a while from having that issue be totally settled.
SONY (Lynn)
I was going to talk about my Sony ereader, but I realized that I couldn’t as the 700 isn’t available any longer, so waxing on about my beloved is pointless. Instead, I will address the three that are currently on the market. A little history: I have been reading on my laptop since 2007 when I discovered Harry Potter fanfiction (I lurve my H/D!) and have been relatively comfortable doing so. Amazingly, I work all day long on this computer and have no eye strain, even continuing to read for another four to six hours in the evening. My partner, however, decided that it would be good for me to have an ereader with the amount that I read and that I was tied to the computer, so she gave me a choice of which one I wanted for my birthday. At that time (May 2009) my only real options were the Kindle and one of the two Sonys on the market (neither of which are available now).
After doing a ton of research, I knew I could scratch the Kindle off my list. I didn’t like the keyboard, I realized that many of the books I read weren’t available through Amazon (and I would have to convert PDFs to PRCs, which I didn’t want to deal with), I wanted to be able to keep my own backup of all of my books, and I was pissed about the DRM issue, so I narrowed it down to one of the two Sonys. The 505 had been on the market for a while, and the 700 had been released the previous fall. I found that my local Borders had both models available for demo, so I ran down and took a look. I knew the 700 was for me for five reasons: first, it had a touch screen, which was a nice feature; second, it allowed for multiple formats to be read, meaning all of my PDFs could be kept and not converted; third, it had these LED track lights around the edge that allowed for better reading in low light situations; fourth, I liked the way the buttons were (as opposed to a wheel-type input on the 505); and last, it had external storage options via SD card. Oh, and my not having DRM issues, it means I can share books if I want. The only thing missing was wireless, but since I am almost always close to a computer, I am happy to use the USB cable to download new books (which I keep three backups of on two computers and an external hard drive). I also bought the AC adapter as it cuts charging time significantly. I’ve been in love with the damn thing since and it’s some of the best $400 I ever spent.
So on to the three versions currently available. Note that while the differences between them lay in size and features, all three:
- use the same E Ink technology (which is also the same as the Kindle and Nook)
- support multiple formats (PDF, Word and other text docs, ePub, BBeB books)
- can read books transferred from your PC/Mac, purchased from the Sony Reader Store, checked out from the library, and downloaded via any number of free public domain sources
- claim to have a battery life of about two weeks (note that with the Daily Edition, this is cut to one week with the wireless turned on); my experience on the 700 is that it is more like a week to 10 days
Coming in three colors, the Pocket (300) is the smallest of the three (5″ display) with the least number of features and the smallest cost. Its major benefit is size and portability. You can store approximately 350 books on the internal memory, and it has three font sizes. It has a wheel input, making it close to the old 505 in looks.
Also available in three colors, the Touch (600) is the middle of the road model, and closest to what I have in the 700 (minus the light). It has a 6” touch screen display with five font sizes, a virtual keyboard and stylus for input, the capacity for note taking and bookmarking, and two SD external memory card slots for additional storage. It also allows for two reading orientations.
The Daily Edition (900) is the big kahuna of the models, the most expensive and has the most features. Sony has gone 3G wireless with the DE, and that is perhaps its biggest selling point. Like the Kindle, it allows for not only downloading of books, but periodicals as well. It has all of the features of the Touch, though the screen is an inch larger and it has one more font size option. It also comes with a bunch of stuff in the box, such as a cover and AC adapter. This model is probably the biggest direct competitor to the Kindle.
NOOK
We wanted to include Barnes & Noble Nook as a viable option for some folks, but since neither Leslie nor I own one, I’ll just include the features for comparison.
The Nook was introduced in November of last year and has become a major competitor to the other two brands. Based on the Android platform and working off AT&T’s 3G Wireless Network (or the Wi-Fi inside B&N stores), you can download books (in a number of formats, both PDB — B&N’s DRM — and several others) and periodicals to the large internal memory or to external memory cards. Other features include a 6-inch screen with five font sizes, a color touch menu at the bottom and virtual keyboard. Depending on licensing and copyright, it allows for 14 day lending of materials. It also will play some audio files and books.
OVERALL
Ereading has become easier and somewhat cheaper over the last year or so, with multiple single- and multi-function devices on the market to choose from. In the end, the decision of which device to buy is very subjective and one only the individual reader can make. Hopefully this post can shed some light on the options and provide some things to think about before making that purchase.
One last note: if you have the opportunity to actually demo these devices previous to buying, it is a really good idea. Seeing them in action and holding them in your hand are invaluable in assisting prospective buyers in their decision making.
Author Information
Wave
Madonna196
Bogusia
Larissa
Sirius
Even though Lynn and I worked on this together, naturally, now that it is up at the site, two more comments have occurred to me:
1. Testing out a device before you buy. Of course, that’s great advice. For many people, that was a drawback for buying a Kindle, since it was not sold in a traditional store, allowing you to see and hold it before purchase. I understand, however, that it is starting to be sold at Target (I have not gone to my local Target to verify this, however). So buyers may have an option other than trying to find someone else who owns one. Also, keep in mind that Amazon has a 30-day, no questions asked return policy, so if you buy a Kindle and decide it is not the device for you, you can return it.
2. DRM and sharing: I am not going to get too much into this can of worms. But, be aware that if you buy a book that can be shared (does not have DRM) the idea is that it can be shared among devices–not people. That is, you can read a book on your PC, ereader, and smartphone. If you upgrade your ereader, you can read the previously purchased book on the new device. What you are not supposed to do is share the book with a few dozen of your close friends. Now, can you share a book with one close friend, like you would a paperback? I’ll just say that an e-file, unlike a paperback, can be replicated and duplicated and once it is out of your control, you have no knowledge of where and how it is being shared. It’s a thorny issue. For me, as an individual, I am very mindful of the work that has gone into producing a book. I don’t share files willy-nilly and I am very willing to pay (not download from illegal file sharing sites) for the privilege of reading a book. I imagine that readers at this site are in line with me on this. I am just bringing it up for folks who might be new to e-readers and stumble upon the “DRM or no” debate and are wondering what exactly the issue is.
L
Exactly. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise, if I did, or if I wasn’t clear (it was really late when I finished this up last night!). I don’t share books as well like that.
No, you were clear, Lynn. I was just making the point–again–because I know it is an issue for so many people.
L
I have a Sony 600 touch. I like the slightly bigger screen. It works perfectly but I have a few niggles. The life of the battery is not in a long way they tell it is. Direct sunlight on the screen makes the text go pale, which makes it harder to read. I understand this comes from the touchscreen. It adds a see-through layer on top of the e-ink screen.
And lastly adding a lot of books to the sd card makes it slow in loading when starting up and switching to your booklist.
Hi Ingrid. Since my Sony is a lot like the Touch, I can say that I agree. My baby is certainly not without faults; I like to say “Do I love it? Yes. Would I be really sad if it were gone? Absolutely. Is it perfect? Absolutely not.” Yes, the touch screen makes for a number of issues, including the sunlight thing, but also the words are just not as crisp as the ones without touch screens. It’s not terrible, but it is noticeable when they are side-by-side. That’s one of the things I looked at when I went to Borders, and the 505 definitely was crisper (I have also seen the Kindle, and it is the same as the 505 (was) in clarity), but I decided for me that the touch screen was important enough to forgive the slight fuzziness. For others, that may be a deal-killer for the ones that have a touch screen.
I have an iPad, and I love it, but I’m also eager for upcoming models. I love the LED screen because I can read in any light. (I have used it as a flashlight on stairs, too!) I like that I can check my mail or look something up as well as read a book. It has replaced in a lot of ways the family laptop because it’s easier to use for a quick internet search, and because there are so many games. It always goes with us in the car.
My complaint, however, is that it is heavy. It isn’t when you first hold it, but when you hold it up by your wrist for a long time (say, to read), it gets heavy fast. I have trouble with my wrists in general anyway, and I have had to learn to be careful not to use my right hand and to prop it against something while I do read.
What I love about it is that I can read both epubs and PDFs, which means I can read people’s manuscripts and my own galleys on the iPad. That has been huge. The other thing is that I had a hard time reading books at the computer, because if I tried I always felt like I should be working. Trust me, you can’t write a novel on the iPad. I can’t, anyway.
There’s no way the iPad is a replacement computer of any kind, though. The keyboard is klunky and not intuitive. I struggle to answer email of more than a few sentences. It really is just a big iPhone. Without the phone.
Oh, and as for the computer use part: you will miss Flash. You will miss it daily.
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for your comment. In the time since I wrote the first draft of this post and now, I actually caved and ordered an iPad (it hasn’t arrived yet). The reason? The only way you can see books in the iBookstore (right now, at least) is with an iPad. Since I sell books in the iBookstore, I thought it was important that I be able to look at them (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it! LOL).
I have lots of Kindle-owning friends who have purchased iPads. A few have sold their Kindles and gone to the iPad exclusively for reading. Many have opted to keep both, because they prefer the eink for a lengthy reading session or for reading outdoors. We’ll see how my experience pans out. I really, really love my Kindle and always have it close at hand. I can’t imagine parting with it, but you never know…
L
I am waiting to see what newer generations of the iPad bring before considering it, but what I am really waiting for is a manufacturer to create a very small netbook (about the size of my current Sony that can fit in my smaller backpack) that has all of the bells and whistles of that device (web and email with the internet connection via a cell or other carrier, word processing, other apps, etc) AND has color E Ink technology for reading books without a backlight of the computer. That would make me super happy and I would snarf it up in a heartbeat.
Hi, Leslie.
I hope you enjoy it! I really do love mine. And iBooks is very, very nice. A lot of the m/m epub formats screw up a little in there, but I suspect that will change over time. I know Dreamspinner has plans for an iBookstore, and I’m excited to see that. But even with bugs, it’s such a better experience than computer.
My mother-in-law had used my SIL’s Kindle when they went to visit her and was all set to get one until she played with our iPad. What they liked about it was the multifunctionality. She has an iPod touch, and they have smartphones, but they seem to like this more for trips and things.
I have the feeling you might sometimes go back to Kindle. You’ll have to let me know what you think of the weight. I’m extra sensitive, so I never know how much I’m making of it. But man. If you have insomnia and a bed partner you need to not wake up, this is your friend.
I think so much of it is in the fine-tuning stage right now. I figure in a few years it will blow our minds, but I wasn’t willing to wait any longer. I’m still happy that I made the right reader choice for me.
That’s the bottom line, I think, which is why I love posts like you guys are doing. It really needs to be a thoughtful purchase, because it’s an investment.
Hi Lynn and Leslie
Thank you for this wonderful informative and indepth post. Many potential buyers of ereaders will be forever in your debt for the helpful information here, and I like that although you each have your favourite ereader there is no attempt to push any particular brand.
I have to thank both of you for all the help you provided when I was searching for an ereader. Other bloggers were just as helpful including Nichem and Jenre who, in addition to sending me helpful articles, tried to show me the light about converting my books.
As you both said, this is a personal decision and I must say that while initially I was swayed by the Kindle hype, now that I have it I love it and find it difficult to read on my computer after the Kindle ‘experience’. Price was an important consideration for buying it and although you can get both the Sony and the Kindle at a comparable price in the US, in Canada we have to pay taxes and import duty so the price is much higher here and the Kindle worked out cheaper ultimately.
BTW Leslie I notice that you’re not going to buy an iPad. I’m so surprised.
This, from a woman who probably paid the price of an iPad in the number of skins she purchased for her Kindle. 
UPDATE: You caved and bought an iPad!! I don’t believe the reason why you did but you can continue to fool yourself.
Well, as you can see from my comment above, Wave, I gave in late Sunday night. I had gone to the mall on Sunday and played with them. Both the Apple store and Best Buy were out of stock and I thought that would help me be strong, but alas, the Apple online store is open 24/7. So much for willpower. LOL. It is due to arrive ~June 24th. I’ll keep you posted.
Yes, skins…and covers. I was just looking at the iPad covers on the Oberon site and the Hokusai wave is calling me…calling…
L
It was our pleasure, Wave.
It’s really important to go through a thoughtful, informative process when making a purchase such as this. Yes, cost is definitely a factor and it is still prohibitive for some folks (I had to carefully decide on getting a second one for my partner back in January as, even though off the market from Sony it was essentially still $400 because of demand on eBay, but I wanted my damn book back!). I predict that, like with pretty much all consumer technology, it will come down in price. You see it happening even now (the largest Sony is $100 less than what I paid for mine, which is essentially the Touch). Hopefully, that will ultimately help international purchasers as well.
Well, my little netbook crapped out a few weeks ago and I ended up replacing it. I like it because I use it about 50% for reading and 50% for internet/computer use. Also when I travel for work I can use it to do work documents on Word, I can log-in to our network and do stuff like that. It’s essentially a lap-top, just lighter that I can toss in my backpack and go. I know some of the other readers can be used for surfing but some don’t have colour screens (Tumblr would be really boring without colour) and if I have to type two three paragraphs of something for work I don’t want to use an on-screen touch keyboard or that weird looking thing on the kindle. That’s fine for an occassional response to a post but even then, I use all my fingers for typing so I like a “normal” keyboard so I can let it flow.
(And god knows I rarely respond with a sentence or two – this response is a case in point.)
So while everyone raves about the e-readers, I find they are not much smaller than my netbook, they have no more functionality than a netbook, in fact maybe even less (can you listen to music or watch videos? I have no clue if they have video/sound cards). So I can’t see paying $600 for a netbook (you can get them cheaper in the US, around $300 but mine is slightly larger than the smaller kinds) AND an equivalent amount for an e-reader. For me it just doesn’t make sense right now.
Great article though. It is so confusing with all the different brands and what they all can do and which documents types they support. Mine is easy. PDF. I’m sure this will be helpful to a lot of people.
Hi Tam. My Sony is definitely smaller than any of the netbooks I have seen so far, and if I find one that can fit in my current small backpack, I’m so there!
Regarding audio, they all can play MP3 files, some audio books (which may be one and the same) and have headphone jacks (The Nook and Kindle have the speakers as well). According to the Amazon site, for Kindle it is experimental (but available — Leslie, can you speak to this?); Sony can read “unsecured” MP3, and Nook claims that they are playing with a “read to me” feature.
The Kindle can play MP3 files although I have never tried this, since I just use my iPhone to listen to books and music. The Kindle also has text-to-speech so it can “read” a book to you that is an ebook file, not an audio file. The reading voice (you have a choice of male or female) is sort of robotic and would not be my choice for listening to an entire book–but sometimes if I am at a really exciting point in a book, I’ll use the TTS to listen in my car while I am driving home (or wherever).
There was a flap about TTS when it first came out and some publishers have opted to dis-enable it on their books. It will say in the product entry at Amazon if that is the case.
I believe if you buy a prc/mobi file from another source (not Amazon), TTS works by default.
L
I have both a Kindle and an iPad. For reading, I’ve been going back and forth between the two. At night, I tend to use the iPad because of the light feature, but when going to appointments, etc I usually take my Kindle because it’s smaller and more portable.
One nice thing about the iPad is that in addition to the iBooks store, there’s a Kindle app and a Barnes and Noble app, so you can easily get books from a variety of places. They’ve just started adding m/m books to the iBooks store– I noticed many of the Dreamspinner books are there now. The iPad is also great in that there are so many other things you can do with it– internet, games, videos, etc. For reading, it is a good deal heavier than the Kindle though. But I tend to read in bed with the iPad propped on my legs, so it doesn’t bother me too much.
BTW, Wave, did you ever try mobipocket to convert your files?
I have a Sony 505 ereader and I am not happy with it. I would go with the Nook or Kindle. Everyone I’ve talked to loves their Kindle.
Better yet, why not the Ipad?
Good morning katiebabs.
I will let Leslie address the iPad question as I do not have one and she just ordered hers, but it seems from the several comments here, there is a matter of size and weight to consider; the dedicated ereaders are much lighter and smaller. Let me know if I am wrong everyone…
For the other, what is making you unhappy with the Sony and what are you looking for in a new device? That may help you make a decision about a new single-function device, if you go that route.
I forgot to say that for some people, the backlight and eyestrain is also an issue; with the dedicated readers, the E Ink technology allows for there to be no backlight. iPad has backlight for it to function, and one of the reasons I am waiting to see if someone comes up with a netbook of some kind with E Ink so I can read like on a reader while performing all of my other normal tasks regularly.
I fell in love with the Nook while I played with it at B&N. I’m a very fast reader and uploading a page on the ereader took too long. That made me frustrated. I want with one touch, to have everything pop up as quick as it would, as if I were reading an actual book.
Hmmmm… I would then also try to find someone who has a Kindle, or as Leslie mentioned, perhaps your Target is carrying them for demo now? I would see, before buying, if it is any better on that device because I have heard from various sources that the screen turn there also has a short delay (Sony has one as well, but it’s minimal imo). Leslie? Others?
The Kindle has what I think of as a split second delay to “turn” the page. I have gotten very good at pressing the next page button when I am in the middle of the last line on the page and so by the time the page turns, I have finished reading. I think of it as a similar concept to turning the page when playing music. You train your eyes to see those last few notes as the page flips.
Katie, as a very fast reader, how are your eyes? I know many of the fast, voracious readers on Kindleboards read with the font set on 1 or 2 (too small for my eyes). That gives you the maximum number of words on the page. For the same reason, that is why many of them like the DX — because of the larger screen, more words fit on the page thus requiring fewer page turns.
L
Katiebabs, when my Kindle has been in sleep mode for awhile, it takes about a minute to get everything loaded initially (but I have about 1000 books on there), but after that, the pages seem to turn quickly while I’m reading. The iPad is faster, though (and in the ibooks program, the page corners actually turn down as you move your finger like a real book– too cool). The only other downside I forgot to mention with the iPad is that there is a glare when reading outside in bright sunlight– I’ve never had any glare issues with the Kindle.
Like Aunt Lynn said, it really depends on what you want it to do. If you only want to read books, I’d go for a dedicated reading device like the Kindle (it’s lighter, smaller, and no glare issues). If you want it to do other things as well, the iPad is great.
First of all, I want to thank both of you so much for this post! I’ll admit that I’ve been waiting for it anxiously
I have been looking into buying an ereader for a little while now, and I think I have narrowed down to the Kindle or the Nook (mainly because I buy most of my ebooks from Amazon or B&N – they tend to be cheaper there).
In order to read all my books on one device, I know I would have to convert at least some of my files. My question is, is it easier to ‘decode’ and convert the Kindle files even with DRM, or is it easier to convert the pdb and epub files (and others that can be read from B&N) so they can work on a Kindle? Does anyone know?
Thanks so much again for the post! It’s been a great help!
Hi Lacey
Thank you for the idea for this post. I hope the information is helpful in getting you to the point of deciding which ereader you want.
I hope that someone can answer your technical questions about decoding your files since I don’t have the answer.
Happy shopping.
Hi Lacey,
If a file has DRM, you probably won’t be able to convert it, no matter what format it is in or what device you are using. That’s the whole point of DRM, after all.
Speaking from a Kindle perspective (since I haven’t used a Nook): the Kindle and DX will read PDF files natively (that is an upgrade that came out awhile ago). On my Kindle, the print tends to be small and you can’t resize it. On a DX, due to the larger screen, PDFs are usually pretty readable. You can convert PDFs in a variety of ways (I am not going to get into all that here). While it works, the formatting usually becomes rather odd and may not be a totally pleasurable reading experience (line breaks are in strange places and so on).
I do not believe that ePub files can be converted and they cannot be read on a Kindle natively. However, in 2+ years of Kindle ownership, I have never come across a situation where ePub was the only format available to me for a book, so I have never had to worry about converting the file. Usually I am converting lit files or Word docs.
I hope this helps. Post here if you have more questions.
L
I have a Sony 505 and I love it. It fits in my hands nicely, holds a good number of books and generally makes me happy.
Mom is crazy about her little pink Sony 300. Anyone know of a place where she can get the Bible as a .pdf (not King James).
I tried out the Kindle, but I didn’t like the ergonomics. Also, the idea that I don’t OWN my files but am instead leasing them from Amazon bothers me. I buy my .pdfs. I store them on my computer and make a backup on disc. Can’t do that with direct delivery. And the whispernet giveth but it also taketh away.
Angel
I’ve only had a Kindle for 6 months but I love it. 99% of my files I buy elsewhere in prc format. I hardly ever buy from amazon or use the whispernet so they can’t take away any of my books. I send my old pdf files to them to convert and they do so for free because they haven’t figured out how to send converted files back through the whispernet if you live outside the US, so I get a bonus.
My files are all backed up on disk or on my bookshelf at various publishers.
Hi Angelia,
Thanks for your comment. If I might politely correct one misconception in your post: if you have a file on your Kindle, you can copy it to your computer and save it. It is there for you to save, back up, and read. If you bought the book from Amazon and it has DRM, you will be limited to the devices that you can read it on (Kindle, PC with Kindle app, iPhone with Kindle app, etc.) but it is a file that is available to you to back up on another device and read at some future time on a device that will read that format. If you bought a non-DRM book from Amazon (they are starting to sell those now) or a non-DRM book from another source, you will be able to read it on multiple devices. With this accessibility comes responsibility (see my earlier comment): as a purchaser, you are requested not to share the book file with three dozen of your nearest and dearest friends. This is the heart of the DRM/non-DRM/piracy issue which we all know is something that is of major importance to the authors, publishers, and readers at this site.
L
L
I have both an iPad and a Kindle. I loved my Kindle but the Kindle app on the iPad is so much cooler than the device itself. I can change the color of the page to cream, or to black when my husband wants to sleep; and for some reason it seems easier to read on it. The iPad is a bit heavy, so far that is my only complaint. iBooks is great too, and with the Nook app, Stanza and Goodreader, there barely is any need to convert your ebook’s format (except when you can’t add non-amazon mobi or prc ebooks to the app only to the device.)
I am going to keep the Kindle for long plane trips (over 10 hours) and those books that I purchased outside of Amazon and cannot be converted to another format. Eventually, I’ll buy the ones that I love again, in the winning format.
Like everyone has said before, which one you choose depends on what you need.But I love to have all of my library, two seasons of True Blood, and knitting patterns all in one sexy little flat thing.
I’m a dinosaur with my little netbook.
Hi Sherry, and good for you. Whatever works for you is great.
lol, I have a Sony Pocket edition and love it, but I still do a lot of reading on my Netbook I often have the same book on both, but tend to put shorter books on my Nettie.. So you’re not alone.
Thanks, Leslie! That helps a lot.
You’re welcome, Wave! This post helped so much! I think I am ready to go buy my ereader.
Thank you so much for this in depth report!
I’ve been wanting to buy an ereader for awhile but decided to wait until a) I really needed it and b) the betamax vs vhs debate was over. Plus I was under the misconception that I couldn’t save the file off the reader and well, let’s just say I’m hell on electronics. The thought of “losing” all my books down the toilet….literally, makes me break out in hives.
Still don’t need one, and I do love my paper books so…but this has been a great help in dispelling some myths as well as give me a better idea of what features and issues to look out for.
Thanks again!
Good afternoon Sharvie. If you don’t feel you need one, then that’s fine. Like we’ve been saying, every reader is different, as is their need for an electronic device.
For the backup, yes, the devices allow for that, and one of my requirements when I bought mine.
I was just given a Kobo reader, which is a new ereading device. It is my first ereader (apart from my netbook) so I do not have a lot to compare it with. But in just a week, it’s made me a convert to ereaders, so it must be doing something right. It also has e-ink technology, and will have a lower price than most other ereaders. (They start at $149, I believe.)
Anyway, this is not actually a review or an endorsement–just to let you know that it’s out there. I believe it’s going to be the ereader of choice for Barnes and Noble’s new ereader store in July.
Thanks, Liz. I am curious to see a Kobo in person. It has been getting good reviews.
I think you make a good point: it’s the eInk on ereaders that really makes a difference and makes the whole reading experience different from a computer or LCD screen. I’ve read tons (probably thousands) of books on my computer and it works just fine, but when I am in the mood to “relax by reading” I just curl up in my easychair with my Kindle, spritz some “Smell of Books” in the air (see graphic, LOL) and I am all set for hours.
L
I have a Cybook http://www.bookeen.com/en/ which is extremely light – lighter than a paperback – and easy to operate with one hand. It has an eInk screen, reads .txt, .pdf, .html, epub and mobi/kindle formats. It has an amazing battery life – it’ll hold a charge for over a month.
With a little fiddling around, it will also read Amazon’s DRM kindle files, allowing me to buy books from Amazon if I can’t get them elsewhere, without actually being tied in to Amazon the way I would be with a Kindle.
You do need to be fairly tech savvy to get the most out of it, but it’s cheaper (in the UK anyway) than any of its competitors, and I like it a lot.
For me the biggest drawback to the Kindle is the inability to download free ebooks from the library. Why should I buy a $20 book when I can borrow it? My IPad and Sony allow me to do that. I also don’t have to have journal articles converted.
After browsing at e-readers for awhile, and downloading books on my laptop, I ran across the Sony Pocket Edition last year. I took the leap and bought it…and I LOVE it! It’s no bigger than my hand, fits easily in my purse, and is easy to hold. There are no fancy bells and whistles, but that’s OK. I can buy books from almost any site that sells e-books (but not Amazon–without converting the format-too much work), and transfer it to my Sony. It takes e-pub and Adobe digital the best, and downloads books from the Sony library in e-pub. I can easily read those formats on my computer with the Adobe Digital program for Windows, and a free app on Linux. Versatile and handy, no special apps or conversions.
I’ve recommended Sony to several friends and a few have either bought one or have it on their wish list. Great product. I’d like the new model, but can’t justify it. Maybe down the road.