-full disclosure- I work for B&N. That said, nook really is the best e-reader out there. You download wirelessly, (you don't have to buy books on your computer and hook up a usb cable to put them on the reader) it also has other features like free reading in stores and 500,000 free titles available. You can also lend your ebooks to friends where available, which you can't do eith other devices. Plus a web browser, which I think is a big deal b/c no other ereaders out there have that (except for iPad- which is really a computer and costs more than 2x as much.
the WiFi only version: (you must be in a WiFi hotspot to buy and download new books) is only $149. If you need to be able to connect anywhere, you can get teh one that has WiFi and 3G for $199.
Plus when you get a nook you have people in B&N stores all over the country who can help you IN PERSON if you have a question.
Sounds like the biggest thing for you would be that nook does not limit you in where you get your ebooks. It supports EPUB, PDF, PDB, JPEG and MP3 file formats.
Some people don't really know what that means. EPUB and PDF are types of files that ebooks can be made in. EPUB is the most common type of ebook file available. Libraries that lend ebooks lend EPUB files. You would def. be able to get library books on your nook. You would download them to your computer and then use the USB acble your nook comes with to side load the library book. You can also buy ebooks from other sites (direct from the publisher, etc.) and side load them this way also. THe only books you "wirelessly" download are those items you buy direct from bn.com or the "shop" button on your nook. You can also get daily/ weekly/monthly issues of enewspapers and magazines, or subscribe for the month.
The fact that your nook supports JPEG and MP3 files means you can use it as an MP3 player to listen to music or AUDIO BOOKS! on you nook. You can do this while you are reading, playing sudoku or chess on your nook, usine the web browser, whatever. Also you can put your own personal photos on the nook as a screen saver.
The nook will also hold WAY more ebooks/files than the other ereaders out there for under $150. It has a 2G memory which is enough for approx. 1500 ebooks. You can also Expand the memory which you can't do with a kindle. It also has a replaceable battery which can be bought in any BN store for $30. You have to send the other back to the manufacturer for battery replacemtn in most cases. (Don't confuse this with rechargeable battery. Your nook charges much like a cell phone: 3.5 hours plugged in, lasts for about 10 days on a full charge. If your battery goes kaput- which can happen after a few years of use, again, like your cell phone, you can buy a new battery instead of replacing the whole device)
Another thing that is great about a nook which I think most people overlook is the FREE software updates BN provides. They are constantly making it better. It has an android operating system that allows them to send a software update wirelessly. (that is how they added new features like the web browser, electronic games, extra extra large font size, etc.) You don't have to do anything to get the updates, just connect to the wifi hotspot. I have wifi at home, so mine comes right at home. They seem to be doing software updates every few months or so. SO thats another awesome thing- your nook bets better with time, not outdated- and the upgrades are FREE!.
Last point: and this is a little shallow, but the covers are super cute too. Though if I'm being honest I will tell you that I didn't buy my cover from B&N. I found a company on the web called Oberon Design. They are in California. You can google them. They make beautiful hand tooled leather covers for nooks and other ereaders. This cover was definately and investment (as in $$$) but it is exactly what I wanted in a cover.
So thats a super long answer for yes, you can get an ereader for $60 less than a nook, but you get SO MUCH MORE for that $60. Your ereader will be your "permanent book" for many years. Even if you have to wait a few more weeks to save up the extra money, it is probably worth it.
ONe of the things we recommend to people who want to buy a nook, but its a lot of money is a sort of layaway where you buy a $20 gift card every pay day or every month, whatever you can afford. Then use them to buy your nook when you have saved enough. Works for some people.
Whatever you decide on: Happy reading!
Funny, but I have seen a few marital disputes in our store over this. Not as big a beef as Edward V. Jacob, but still.
-full disclosure- I work for B&N. That said, nook really is the best e-reader out there. You download wirelessly, (you don't have to buy books on your computer and hook up a usb cable to put them on the reader) it also has other features like free reading in stores and 500,000 free titles available. You can also lend your ebooks to friends where available, which you can't do eith other devices. Plus a web browser, which I think is a big deal b/c no other ereaders out there have that (except for iPad- which is really a computer and costs more than 2x as much.
the WiFi only version: (you must be in a WiFi hotspot to buy and download new books) is only $149. If you need to be able to connect anywhere, you can get teh one that has WiFi and 3G for $199.
Plus when you get a nook you have people in B&N stores all over the country who can help you IN PERSON if you have a question.
Sounds like the biggest thing for you would be that nook does not limit you in where you get your ebooks. It supports EPUB, PDF, PDB, JPEG and MP3 file formats.
Some people don't really know what that means. EPUB and PDF are types of files that ebooks can be made in. EPUB is the most common type of ebook file available. Libraries that lend ebooks lend EPUB files. You would def. be able to get library books on your nook. You would download them to your computer and then use the USB acble your nook comes with to side load the library book. You can also buy ebooks from other sites (direct from the publisher, etc.) and side load them this way also. THe only books you "wirelessly" download are those items you buy direct from bn.com or the "shop" button on your nook. You can also get daily/ weekly/monthly issues of enewspapers and magazines, or subscribe for the month.
The fact that your nook supports JPEG and MP3 files means you can use it as an MP3 player to listen to music or AUDIO BOOKS! on you nook. You can do this while you are reading, playing sudoku or chess on your nook, usine the web browser, whatever. Also you can put your own personal photos on the nook as a screen saver.
The nook will also hold WAY more ebooks/files than the other ereaders out there for under $150. It has a 2G memory which is enough for approx. 1500 ebooks. You can also Expand the memory which you can't do with a kindle. It also has a replaceable battery which can be bought in any BN store for $30. You have to send the other back to the manufacturer for battery replacemtn in most cases. (Don't confuse this with rechargeable battery. Your nook charges much like a cell phone: 3.5 hours plugged in, lasts for about 10 days on a full charge. If your battery goes kaput- which can happen after a few years of use, again, like your cell phone, you can buy a new battery instead of replacing the whole device)
Another thing that is great about a nook which I think most people overlook is the FREE software updates BN provides. They are constantly making it better. It has an android operating system that allows them to send a software update wirelessly. (that is how they added new features like the web browser, electronic games, extra extra large font size, etc.) You don't have to do anything to get the updates, just connect to the wifi hotspot. I have wifi at home, so mine comes right at home. They seem to be doing software updates every few months or so. SO thats another awesome thing- your nook bets better with time, not outdated- and the upgrades are FREE!.
Last point: and this is a little shallow, but the covers are super cute too. Though if I'm being honest I will tell you that I didn't buy my cover from B&N. I found a company on the web called Oberon Design. They are in California. You can google them. They make beautiful hand tooled leather covers for nooks and other ereaders. This cover was definately and investment (as in $$$) but it is exactly what I wanted in a cover.
So thats a super long answer for yes, you can get an ereader for $60 less than a nook, but you get SO MUCH MORE for that $60. Your ereader will be your "permanent book" for many years. Even if you have to wait a few more weeks to save up the extra money, it is probably worth it.
ONe of the things we recommend to people who want to buy a nook, but its a lot of money is a sort of layaway where you buy a $20 gift card every pay day or every month, whatever you can afford. Then use them to buy your nook when you have saved enough. Works for some people.
Whatever you decide on: Happy reading!
Please ignore my typos: I swear I can S-P-E-E-L, its the typing that i can't do. :/
I don't work for Amazon, but I do have a Kindle and your constant stream of "waste of money", "blows it out of the water", "miles better" talk is irritating and inaccurate. If you had told the OP your opinion about the Nook without taking another swipe at the Kindle, I wouldn't have commented.
OP, look at other features like text to speech, dictionary performance, return policies if you mistakenly purchase a book from the B&N store, strength of the parent company and ratings from consumer agencies such as Consumer Reports when you are making an ereader decision. In all of those areas, Amazon shines and B&N is weaker.
For library use, though, Nook and Sony are superior because they offer that function and Kindle does not. Now, if you can find a friend or family member with similar tastes who already has a Kindle, you can be on the same account and then the two of you can share ALL books, for as long as you want, at the same time if you want. That has been a very nice feature for my family - I buy a book once and the three of us sharing my account can all have unlimited access to it at the same time. Fun for us to all be reading the same book!
... as in so much to check out. I really just started thinking of them like three days ago so knew nothing. I really appreciate all the info you've given here. I did know I don't want a Kindle. Just because of the library lending. I really need this to afford the books, it's how I get regular books now... that or .25 yard sale buys. I have two friends with a Kindle, but not that we'd be able to share enough books, and even then I'm still dishing out money for books to share with them... does that make sense?WOW, lost of information!! THANKS to everyone. I had no idea these were so "complicated"
so basically I see the nook will be the best way to go, just have to save up for it... or as my son says "put it on my Christmas list". I'm a big find the best deal person and the nook and kindles sure don't have any deals, but that's okay, they both seem worth the money you do pay for them.
I thank everyone again, you've really helped, and sorry it seems it is a hot topic between the two readers
Totally forgot, the Sony one, I saw something the other day about it being discontinued, so I automatically set that possibility aside. Maybe it was just that model, or are they not making them anymore?
