What E-reader is the best..?(Christmas time)
- Thread starter rmar
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My wife and I have Kindles and they are great for reading. I have dozens of IT related papers (PDF) on it. I has the least strain on the eyes over long viewing periods. Don't expect it to be anything more than a great ereader. Look up coby, pan digital or android reader if you are looking for something beyond a reading device.
Silver Fox
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- Apr 17, 2003
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- 1,150
I got my wife the Nook Color for Christmas. We chose this over the Kindle for the following reasons:
1. You can check some books out electronically from your local library.
2. It's color.
3. You can surf the 'net on it.
It was a bit more, but will fill the gap for us until the 2nd generation iPad is available.
RMAR - I believe he Kindle and the Nook have their own formats for books, so I don't think you can swap them between platforms. The Kindle and Nook both offer applications for the IPAD, so that could be an option for you.
Rob
1. You can check some books out electronically from your local library.
2. It's color.
3. You can surf the 'net on it.
It was a bit more, but will fill the gap for us until the 2nd generation iPad is available.
RMAR - I believe he Kindle and the Nook have their own formats for books, so I don't think you can swap them between platforms. The Kindle and Nook both offer applications for the IPAD, so that could be an option for you.
Rob
TexasT
Texas, Where are you from
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- Sep 10, 2002
- Messages
- 7,093
We have the pandigital novel. I haven't really tried the reading part but it does somehow hook in with barnes n noble for material. I just use it as a web browser when my children are on our desktop.it is kinda slow loading pages but for the price I am willing to deal with the wait. It has a 7" screen though I saw one with a 6" screen and 2gb of memory for the same as I paid for the one I have. I also thought about the viewsonic that sears is selling with the 10" screen and more memory but for more than twice the price I passed.
WH1_T-Type
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- 2,528
Yup..that was me selling the Sony!!
All right, here's my thoughts on it.
Sony
using the new 'Pearl' Ink: second gen E-ink tech
using an Infra-Red (IR) touch screen: using lasers for finger position, this means no pressure sensitive screen, which added an extra layer of glass for touch. The touch allows the reader to still 'turn' the pages more like a traditional book and without the pressure sensitive screen, the text is still super clear.
metal casing: doesn't have a large selection of buttons to interfer with the exterior looks. If you prefer a simple, clean look, then you can understand why I list that. Also, the metal case gives it a 'real' feel to it.
New software: this allows for a faster page turn then the older Sonys and the other units on the market right now, it also has a digital keyboard and since it is touch screen you don't have to use buttons to navigate the keyboard. This keyboard allows you to take notes on any text you are reading. Also has a built in dictionary (highlight a word and look it up) and 2G of space which equates to holding around 1200 books in each unit. Sony has about a 2 Week battery life. Also, the Sony 650 and 950 have memory card slots to expand the number of books even more.
WI-FI/3G: it does NOT have this UNLESS you get the 950 Daily Edition Imost expenisve one). I don't care about WI-FI because I know when I'm getting to the end of a book and can always hook up to the computer to buy a new one. If I'm going on a longer trip, it can hold up to 1200 books...so really..shouldn't run out!! lol
Format: Sony supports ePub books. This means that you can buy books from almost every single online store. Also, many libraries do check out e-books and they do this in the ePub format..so the Sony is good for that.
Regarding an earlier question: if you have a Kindle you CANNOT transfer a book from one platform to the other because Amazon keeps you locked to thier format that no one else uses. If it is a platform that supports ePub then it can be moved to another platform with the same support.
Kindle:
uses new 'Pearl' ink tech as well
has the built in dictionary
Software: not sure of the actual size, but I know it stores a decent amount of books, has a 10 day battery life WITH THE WI-FI/3G OFF!!!!!
Format: secured Amazon only format,
Wi-Fi/3G: HAS wi-fi/3G (depending on unit)
slightly cheaper then the Sonys
Nook: the new color is NOT E-ink tech. It is actually an LCD screen. For an avid reader this is bad for three reasons.
1) LCD requires a back light which strains the eyes over time, this is the very reason E-readers were developed, to get rid of the back light and eye strain
2) e-Ink is used because it closely resembles actual printed word which lends the reader to still be absorbed by the book and not feel like they are looking at a computer
3) the unit only has an 8 hour charge. I actually think I like the Nook Color..but NOT for a reader....it is a Tablet computer for HALF the price of the iPad....that's pretty cool.
Prices: Sony is a bit more then the Kindle with its cheapest unit coming in at $150 where the Kindles cheapest can be found for around $120-130. I feel that the extra money is worth it for the sleeker feel, the open format, and the touch screen. But I also don't care about Wi-fi/3G for the reasons stated above.
OK..that's what I've got off the top of my head....lots more in there..but this is pretty long already!! lol
All right, here's my thoughts on it.
Sony
using the new 'Pearl' Ink: second gen E-ink tech
using an Infra-Red (IR) touch screen: using lasers for finger position, this means no pressure sensitive screen, which added an extra layer of glass for touch. The touch allows the reader to still 'turn' the pages more like a traditional book and without the pressure sensitive screen, the text is still super clear.
metal casing: doesn't have a large selection of buttons to interfer with the exterior looks. If you prefer a simple, clean look, then you can understand why I list that. Also, the metal case gives it a 'real' feel to it.
New software: this allows for a faster page turn then the older Sonys and the other units on the market right now, it also has a digital keyboard and since it is touch screen you don't have to use buttons to navigate the keyboard. This keyboard allows you to take notes on any text you are reading. Also has a built in dictionary (highlight a word and look it up) and 2G of space which equates to holding around 1200 books in each unit. Sony has about a 2 Week battery life. Also, the Sony 650 and 950 have memory card slots to expand the number of books even more.
WI-FI/3G: it does NOT have this UNLESS you get the 950 Daily Edition Imost expenisve one). I don't care about WI-FI because I know when I'm getting to the end of a book and can always hook up to the computer to buy a new one. If I'm going on a longer trip, it can hold up to 1200 books...so really..shouldn't run out!! lol
Format: Sony supports ePub books. This means that you can buy books from almost every single online store. Also, many libraries do check out e-books and they do this in the ePub format..so the Sony is good for that.
Regarding an earlier question: if you have a Kindle you CANNOT transfer a book from one platform to the other because Amazon keeps you locked to thier format that no one else uses. If it is a platform that supports ePub then it can be moved to another platform with the same support.
Kindle:
uses new 'Pearl' ink tech as well
has the built in dictionary
Software: not sure of the actual size, but I know it stores a decent amount of books, has a 10 day battery life WITH THE WI-FI/3G OFF!!!!!
Format: secured Amazon only format,
Wi-Fi/3G: HAS wi-fi/3G (depending on unit)
slightly cheaper then the Sonys
Nook: the new color is NOT E-ink tech. It is actually an LCD screen. For an avid reader this is bad for three reasons.
1) LCD requires a back light which strains the eyes over time, this is the very reason E-readers were developed, to get rid of the back light and eye strain
2) e-Ink is used because it closely resembles actual printed word which lends the reader to still be absorbed by the book and not feel like they are looking at a computer
3) the unit only has an 8 hour charge. I actually think I like the Nook Color..but NOT for a reader....it is a Tablet computer for HALF the price of the iPad....that's pretty cool.
Prices: Sony is a bit more then the Kindle with its cheapest unit coming in at $150 where the Kindles cheapest can be found for around $120-130. I feel that the extra money is worth it for the sleeker feel, the open format, and the touch screen. But I also don't care about Wi-fi/3G for the reasons stated above.
OK..that's what I've got off the top of my head....lots more in there..but this is pretty long already!! lol
