Nook or Kindle? Advice, please.

[Lionqueen2]

I have been thinking about getting one of these e-readers for DH for Christmas, but am really confused about what to do. I'd appreciate any advice, education, or thoughts, good or bad. Right now, I'm leaning towards the basic Kindle since I think that would meet DH's needs, but don't know if that is a wise choice or not and I'm also not familiar with the Nook and don't know if that would be a better choice.

 

[Suz725]

do a search..theres a TON of posts

 

[DVCLiz]

The Kindle is the top consumer rated product and has a slight edge with its features set, its customer service, and its selection and pricing from the Amazon bookstore. The Nook's slight edge comes in its library feature - it supports the format that most public libraries are currently using, so you can check out a book from a library if you have a Nook.

Both are good quality products and you can't go wrong with either. I have been a happy Kindle owner for three years and I highly recommend the product. If you want to get a Nook there are many happy Nook owners on the boards as well.

 

[bicker]

DVCLiz did a great job summing up the dozen or two threads that Suz725 referred to. The only thing I'd add is that the Nook Color, specifically, is apart from the (other) Nooks and Kindles, in that it really isn't as good for reading books as the others, due to the eye-strain issue. The (other) Nooks and Kindles utilize e-ink technology that is far superior for reading than back-lit technologies such as LCD.

If you want to read the threads yourself, here's a link:

http://www.bing.com/search?q=nook+kindle+site:disboards.com

 

[123ll]

Personally I like Kindle.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

I have a Kindle and LOVE it. The battery lasts a REALLY long time and it is very user friendly.

 

[Minnie_me]

Being frugal, I would definitely opt for the Nook. You can download books FREE from the library!!! FREEEEEEEE!!!! My brother has a Kindle, and he has 90 books on it that he has paid for and will never read again. If I'm going to pay for a book, I want it sitting on my bookshelf. JMHO!

 

[bicker]

I have about three dozen books on my Kindle already - I haven't paid for one yet.

 

[Geoff_M]

The Kindle is the top consumer rated product and has a slight edge with its features set, its customer service, and its selection and pricing from the Amazon bookstore. The Nook's slight edge comes in its library feature - it supports the format that most public libraries are currently using, so you can check out a book from a library if you have a Nook.

My wife and I were out shopping for an e-reader for her for Christmas, and what we found was similar to what you're posted. Here's my list:
Kindle pros - better interface (keyboard, searching, highlighting words/text, etc.), longer battery life per charge, screen looks a tad bit better, a little lighter and thinner.
Kindle cons - sealed battery, no option for digital media cards, proprietary eBook format, incompatible with local library eLending programs.

Nook pros - "open" eBook formats supported, compatible with Google scanned books, compatible with local library eLending programs, replaceable battery, memory expandable with digital media cards.
Nook cons - interface not as easy to use or intuitive, somewhat heavier/thicker than the Kindle, touch screen keyboard not as easy to use as the Kindle's physical keyboard.

If it weren't for the "open" nature of the Nook and its lending/library features, I think the Kindle would be a slam dunk. However, if you value those options (and they really appeal to my wife), I think that gives you serious reason to pick the Nook over the more refined Kindle.

 

[Clio]

My daughter and I both have Kindles and love them. There are thousands of free books availible. I sell the nook at work and personally I find the nook harder to use. i haven't had a chance to play with the nook color, yet.
Liz

 

[KadysMom]

I have a Nook and I love it. I think though that you should definately go to the store and hold them and try them out before purchasing. I didnt like the feel of the kindle, i have friends who love it. Its all personal preference.

 

[keetmommy]

DD has a nook, one thing I don't like about it is the fact that you need to keep a cc on Barnes and Noble to anything even the free books. If i knew that I dont know that I would have bought it!

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I'm being lazy today so I will just quote what I have said on other threads.

I own both and IMO the Kindle is far superior to the Nook. The only thing the Nook has going for it is the library capabilities, everything else the Kindle wins hands down.

I hate reading on my Nook since they make everything more difficult. I swear they sat down and decided "The Kindle does this in so many steps so lets add two or three more steps to the Nook"

"Collections" on the Kindle are much better than "shelves" on the Nook. My Kindle's battery last 2 weeks (I have a K2) while my Nook's doesn't even last a week. The Nook's touch screen is a PITA; I don't know how many times I have had to touch the screen 4 or 5 times before it even responds to me.

Now that I know how to get Library books on my Kindle rolleyes1 ) I'm thinking of getting rid of the Nook altogether.

 

[DVCLiz]

My wife and I were out shopping for an e-reader for her for Christmas, and what we found was similar to what you're posted. Here's my list:
Kindle pros - better interface (keyboard, searching, highlighting words/text, etc.), longer battery life per charge, screen looks a tad bit better, a little lighter and thinner.
Kindle cons - sealed battery, no option for digital media cards, proprietary eBook format, incompatible with local library eLending programs.

Nook pros - "open" eBook formats supported, compatible with Google scanned books, compatible with local library eLending programs, replaceable battery, memory expandable with digital media cards.
Nook cons - interface not as easy to use or intuitive, somewhat heavier/thicker than the Kindle, touch screen keyboard not as easy to use as the Kindle's physical keyboard.

If it weren't for the "open" nature of the Nook and its lending/library features, I think the Kindle would be a slam dunk. However, if you value those options (and they really appeal to my wife), I think that gives you serious reason to pick the Nook over the more refined Kindle.

It's worth noting that the battery was replaceable on the original Kindle and it did accept SD cards. They changed those features when they upgraded to the Kindle 2. I know those are featureas that are important to some people - they aren't to me. By the time my battery wears out I'll have upgraded to a newer model and I don't need the extra storage because my Kindle will hold 3500 books (or I can move them back to Amazon and store them in my Archives) and I don't use my Kindle for audiobooks or music - that's what my iProducts are for!!

 

[horseshowmom]

What about the Sony version?

 

[RadioNate]

We are going with the Kindle. I haven't borrowed a book since I don't know when so I don't care about. I'd rather buy it & read it on my timeline.

 

[Geoff_M]

It's worth noting that the battery was replaceable on the original Kindle and it did accept SD cards. They changed those features when they upgraded to the Kindle 2. I know those are featureas that are important to some people - they aren't to me. By the time my battery wears out I'll have upgraded to a newer model and I don't need the extra storage because my Kindle will hold 3500 books (or I can move them back to Amazon and store them in my Archives) and I don't use my Kindle for audiobooks or music - that's what my iProducts are for!!

True, but the usable life of the battery can be impacted by usage habits, so I don't see it totally immaterial. In addition, the use of SD cards allows you to load books via other means than just the reader itself. The "3500 book" limit on the internal memory is also a best case scenario. If you're storing some scanned books in PDF format, that number will plummet fast! There's a Google scanned book of the history of an Indiana county that I have used in genealogical research that's 45MB in size alone. That one book would chew up a lot of the fixed 2GB of Kindle memory... and I like the thought of not having to take the time to have to move books back and forth to manage the available space. Given the fact that SD memory is so dirt cheap (I picked up 8GB SDs on Black Friday for $10), I find the flexibility of using the cards a bonus.

I'm glad you like your Kindle, and it does have a lot of positives over the Nook, but the Kindle does have some shortcomings. Those negatives are mostly related to the "closed" nature of the Kindle platform and it's "sealed" case from what I've read and seen.

 

[DVCLiz]

True, but the usable life of the battery can be impacted by usage habits, so I don't see it totally immaterial. In addition, the use of SD cards allows you to load books via other means than just the reader itself. The "3500 book" limit on the internal memory is also a best case scenario. If you're storing some scanned books in PDF format, that number will plummet fast! There's a Google scanned book of the history of an Indiana county that I have used in genealogical research that's 45MB in size alone. That one book would chew up a lot of the fixed 2GB of Kindle memory... and I like the thought of not having to take the time to have to move books back and forth to manage the available space. Given the fact that SD memory is so dirt cheap (I picked up 8GB SDs on Black Friday for $10), I find the flexibility of using the cards a bonus.

I'm glad you like your Kindle, and it does have a lot of positives over the Nook, but the Kindle does have some shortcomings. Those negatives are mostly related to the "closed" nature of the Kindle platform and it's "sealed" case from what I've read and seen.

Oh, sure - a lot of the differences boil down to personal preference. I just wanted to point out that the battery and SD card issues weren't just random things Amazon forgot to include - they were in fact on the first model and were taken away in the second go round for reasons best understood by Amazon...haha.

For my typical fiction best seller reading, neither is an issue, but I'm sure in your scenario those would be useful features to have.

 

[DVCLiz]

Being frugal, I would definitely opt for the Nook. You can download books FREE from the library!!! FREEEEEEEE!!!! My brother has a Kindle, and he has 90 books on it that he has paid for and will never read again. If I'm going to pay for a book, I want it sitting on my bookshelf. JMHO!

We are going with the Kindle. I haven't borrowed a book since I don't know when so I don't care about. I'd rather buy it & read it on my timeline.

These are really the two extremes that drive a lot of people in their decision making. If library use is important to you, it's Nook. If not, it's Kindle.

Personally, I was a buyer of hardback books before Kindle. I browsed the bookstore (B&N and a somewhat local independent if I was in the area), purchased 8-12 hardbacks at a time, and kept them after reading until I decided I needed more room, at which time I weeded them out and donated them to a local book sale.

For me personally, the convenience is the single most important factor, not the money. I am saving money over my former hardback buying habits, but even that is not my primary goal. It's knowing that I can get any book I want within a minute and start reading it that makes the Kindle so appealing to me. I also like Amazon better than B&N so I am a Kindle person - if I liked B&N better I would be a Nook person.

You really can't go wrong with either one, though. And I think Sony is a good choice, too, although it doesn't have the Kindle features I like best and I'm not into the touch screen on my ereader - that's what I have an iPad for!!

 

[RadioNate]

If you want a Kindle and plan on ordering online from Amazon just a heads up that you should probably do it today unless you want to pay for expressing shipping. I just ordered 2 and the delivery date was 12/23-12/30 using the free shipping option.

ETA and it looks like the 3G+WiFi is ok for now with Standard Shipping.