I need a tutorial on e-readers!

[tar heel]

I'm getting ready to take an international trip with long flights and realize that I'm hopelessly out of touch on technology. I *think* I want an e-reader, but I don't know enough about them to even know which one I need. I want something I will continue to use after the trip and don't want to spend more than necessary.

I want the device mainly for reading, I think. We use a PC and a Mac desktop at home and I also have an Iphone -- I don't see this device as becoming my computer.

 

[laurafergie]

I have a kindle with 3G. We went on a cruise last January and while I couldn't use the 3G out to sea, while in the port of Cozumel, I purchased and downloaded a few books sitting on the rear deck of the ship. If you are more organized than I am, you could get a Kindle with WIFI only, download all your books before hand and save some bucks by not getting 3G.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my kindle. FWIW, I also have an iPad, which I also love, but not for reading for long lengths of time. Also, my eyes need reading glasses, which I loose, so I read my kindle with larger fonts. No glasses needed.

 

[chris31997]

One thing you need to know is where you are going to get your books. Are you going to get them thru Amazon or Barnes and Noble( I think that is Nook)? You can use only Kindle with Amazon and Nook with its store. I also have the Kindle 3G and download books internationally. As long as it is in the 3G mode and connected wifi to my internet there is no fee. Sometimes with the magazines or newspapers there might be a fee.

My MIL has one and loves taking it to the dr appointments while she waits She has kindle fire.

 

[tar heel]

If it has 3g, I can use it for email without paying a fee - right? That might come in handy.

So the Ipad doesn't work well as an e-reader? That's the kind of information I need.

 

[codimouse]

I love my Nook Color! I have all my magazine subscriptions on there plus a few apps like puzzles, trivia, etc.
Of course I have my FB, Twitter accounts in it too. lol
It's by Barnes and Noble. It's the best gift I got myself.

Sandi; sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[taaren]

Okay, here's some basic choices:

A) Do you want a back-lit LCD screen or an e-ink screen?

E-ink is much easier on the eyes, requires less battery, looks like the page of a regular book. These are the e-readers that are designed to be read for many hours like a physical book. I have an e-ink Nook because I wanted to read on it, and add my own documents (lots of scholarly papers in pdf, etc when I was in grad school). The basic Kindle is also e-ink, Google also has one, and there's some other good ones out there too, the only one I wouldn't recommend is the Kobo since that's the Borders one for obvious reasons.
You can check e-mail/use the browser, but its difficult and slow most of the time, and the games are pretty much just chess and sudoku on most models.
The e-inks usually run around $100.

LCD screens are like your computer, and this is what the Kindle Fire/Nook Color/iPad, etc will be. These "e-readers" function more like tablet computers than reading devices, but are much slimmer and more convenient than your laptop/netbook might be. Lots of games, lots of versatile functionality, can watch movies on them, etc, etc.
These usually run around $250+.

So, what do you want to use it for? That will determine which kind you start with, then go from there as to which has the best features for you ... do you want open source (ability to put your own content on?) or ease in buying content, etc ... lots of apps?

Top Ten Reviews also has a nice summary of compare and contrast features.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I have the basic, no bells & whistles Kindle. I paid $79 for it, but it is now only $69. If an ereader is all you want, it works great! There is no 3G, but you download books through wifi. It's small, lightweight, easy to hold, and works well as an ereader.

Amazon.com does a nice comparison on all of the Kindles are are available if a Kindle is what you'd like to have. Select "Buy a Kindle" and scroll down the screen to see a spreadsheet with Kindle comparisons.

 

[Tricx]

Your ipad can be used as a reader. You can get a few free apps like kindle, Google books etc. And purchase (some like kindle have the older titles i.e. pride and prejudice for free) books for each app.

 

[Tricx]

Sorry, went back and reread your post. You can also use you iPhone (instead of an ipad) in the same way. I have the kindle app on my phone. Unfortunately that is the only way to get my books right now because my husband borrowed my kindle for a trip and it was stolen from his hotel room. So now we are debating between a tablet or a kindle.

 

[Darcy03231]

I have a Sony which I really like. One nice feature about the Sony is that you're not locked into buying your books from either Amazon (Kindle) or Barnes & Noble (Nook). I can buy my books through Sony, Kobo, Google Books or any other site. The only two places I can't buy books are Amazon and Barnes & Noble because of the DRM protection. You can buy them and run them through Calibre to get rid of the encryption, but to me that's just a PIA and I buy my books somewhere where I don't have to go through that.

 

[sissy_ib]

I have a Barnes and Noble Nook Color which I love. I got it when it was first released in 2010. They are phasing out the Nook Color for the Nook tablet now and that is probably what I will buy if and when I need to replace my Nook Color.

I would strongly recommend you head to your nearest Best Buy. They should have Nooks and Kindles on display side by side. You should be able to get someone to help explain the differences. Each has it's pros and cons IMO. It has been a while since I looked at them in store but I believe they have other e-reader brands as well.

 

[laurafergie]

If it has 3g, I can use it for email without paying a fee - right? That might come in handy.

So the Ipad doesn't work well as an e-reader? That's the kind of information I need.

Yes you can, with qualifications. The browser in the 3G is "experimental" and EXTREMELY slow and clunky. So no surfing and you will wait. So if you can deal, then okay.

The Ipad hurts my eyes reading because it is backlit like a computer. Though surfing is fine. The kindle is not, it has eink and is like reading a book. Also the kindle is smaller and lighter, so you won't get hand fatigue holding it. It doesn't weigh anymore than a book.

 

[bellarella]

If you are looking for a book replacement, get a Nook or Kindle. If you are looking for a computer replacement, get an iPad or Kindle Fire.

I have the touch version of the Kindle with ads, WiFi only. I also have an Amazon Prime subscription. I love the touch version (mainly because you can touch a word and the definition pops up -- great for kids, but also for me too). The ads are just the screen saver, so they don't bother me at all. I don't see the point of 3G for the way I use it. I am around WiFi often enough, that it is not a problem to wait until I have it to buy another book. With my Amazon Prime, I can also check out books for free.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Depending on where you are traveling to, the iPad with cellular as well as wifi might be a good option. In most of Europe, for example, you can get a pay as you go data SIM card that will allow you to use the IPad even when you don't have a wifi connection.

While heavier than a dedicated e-reader, the iPad is much more versitle. You can read books from Amazon, B&N, Kobo, Google and iBooks, as well as many libraries. You can also watch movies, check email, keep a diary, take photos, surf the web and check maps.

The new Kindle Fire HD coming out November 20 also has cellular connectivity. It will lock you into books from Amazon and your library.

If you really only need a dedicated ereader, then the Kindle Paper White and the Nook Simple Touch with Glow Light each allow you to read in bright sunlight and the dark. Of these, the reviewers think the Kindle has the best screen, but the Nook has dedicated buttons to turn pages. One reviewer found the absence of page turning buttons on the Kindle to be annoying.

Hope this helps. -- Suzanne

 

[sissy_ib]

Yes you can, with qualifications. The browser in the 3G is "experimental" and EXTREMELY slow and clunky. So no surfing and you will wait. So if you can deal, then okay.

The Ipad hurts my eyes reading because it is backlit like a computer. Though surfing is fine. The kindle is not, it has eink and is like reading a book. Also the kindle is smaller and lighter, so you won't get hand fatigue holding it. It doesn't weigh anymore than a book.

There are many versions of the Kindle now. The Fire is also back lit. There is also an e-ink version of the Nook which is smaller and lighter. Not sure about Sony but I am pretty sure theirs is not back lit either.

I do not get any eye strain reading even though the Nook Color is back lit. There are different settings you can chose including changing the brightness. I have mine set so the background is black with white letters and the brightness about 1/3 of the way down. No book light needed. I HATE the overhead light on planes so I love not needing to use it to read. And I can read in bed without bothering my husband.

 

[junebugTN]

I agree with what laurafergie and bellarella are saying. If your main priority is reading, then the ipad or iphone don't give you a great, book-like reading experience. I don't enjoy reading on the backlit screen, and I simply can't view the screen in sunlight.

Even though I had an iPad and Kindle Fire, I wound up having to buy a basic Kindle just for reading on the deck or poolside. So definitely consider what your main use is going to be - and where you're going to be using it. You may find that the less expensive version will meet your needs way better.

 

[Jamie25UGA]

If it has 3g, I can use it for email without paying a fee - right? That might come in handy.

So the Ipad doesn't work well as an e-reader? That's the kind of information I need.

You'll want to get the Kindle Keyboard 3G if you want to use the internet for anything other than buying Amazon books (and I believe the newer models since the Keyboard allow you to use wikipedia as well as the amazon store, but nothing more) You can't browse the internet at your pleasure using 3G on the newer models, you can only do that with wifi connections. They have since put a cap on the 3G for the Keyboard and you get 50 MB a month for free. The internet is VERY clunky and slow using 3G!

I personally haven't used an ipad as an e-reader because of the lcd screen its like reading for a long time on the computer and that will eventually start hurting your eyes, the e-ink screens of the Kindles (excluding Fires) and the basic Nook are verrrrrry easy on the eye.

The Kindle and Nook are pretty similar so for that debate I suggest going to best buy and testing them out yourself. Amazon has amazing customer service and their prices for e-readers are cheaper. Some have page turn buttons on the sides (the Kindle Keyboard and the $69 kindle) and some have touch screens to navigate (all other Kindles) so that's another thing to think about. Lit screen or not. 3G or wifi.

 

[Dizisfun]

If you are looking for a book replacement, get a Nook or Kindle. If you are looking for a computer replacement, get an iPad or Kindle Fire.

I have the touch version of the Kindle with ads, WiFi only. I also have an Amazon Prime subscription. I love the touch version (mainly because you can touch a word and the definition pops up -- great for kids, but also for me too). The ads are just the screen saver, so they don't bother me at all. I don't see the point of 3G for the way I use it. I am around WiFi often enough, that it is not a problem to wait until I have it to buy another book. With my Amazon Prime, I can also check out books for free.

Just thought that I would add that if you have a Facebook account you can go to the Pixel Of Ink page and get FREE books.

 

[Cindy B]

Just thought that I would add that if you have a Facebook account you can go to the Pixel Of Ink page and get FREE books.

You don't need a Facebook account. You can just go to the Pixel of Ink webpage and do it that way.

 

[jaminmd]

I didn't read the other replies so I'm sorry if I'm being redundant. I have a Kindle Fire & and the old 3G one. The 3G for books has a long lasting battery if the wi-fi is turned off, so you can use it for a long flight without having to worry about recharging. My fire doesn't last nearly as long as the ink one. I don't like DH's iPad for an e-reader, either, but that's simply personal preference.