Which Nook? Help me decide!

[CarlisleMom]

I finally decided to buy a ereader! Going for the Nook since I can download from a in-state library and my sister has one that we can share books. But which one?

Can someone tell me if a really need 3G? My sister says yes, but the extra $50 is alot for me.

Should I get the protection plan? Has anyone needed it and why? I will be mainly using the nook at home and work. When traveling if I went to the beach or water park, I would hit the library used book sale.

I have a wireless network at home that does give us problems but only about 3 times a year and I always have a hard wired desktop & laptop as a backup.

I have $150 in Barnes and Noble giftcard from upgrading my Discover rewards

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[RitaE]

If you are nearly always going to be purchasing books from home or at work, then you'd probably get by just fine with the WiFi only version. I bet I buy about 98% of my Kindle books over my computer, then I load them into my Calibre database and transfer to my Kindle from that.

It's that other 2% that always makes me glad I have the 3G. Like the other night when I was sitting out on our pool deck where the WiFi doesn't reach and I finished the 2nd book in a series and immediately turned my 3G on and bought the 3rd. Man it would have been a pain in the butt to get up out of my chair and walk into the house to buy my book but if I had to I probably could have done it. Just make sure you load your nook up really well before you take off anywhere so your never stuck without a book.

So I'd say in your case consider getting the WiFi only and then spending your $50 on a protective case and accidental damage insurance so you can take your new reader to the beach and out and about without obsessing over damage. These toys are meant to be used and enjoyed, not kept at home all wrapped up in cotton wool out of fear of damage. Check out SquareTrade.com and search for discount codes. They are usually much better priced than the Warranties both Amazon and Barnes and Noble offer on their websites.

Enjoy.

 

[hopare]

No you do not need he 3g. I have the $149 version and I love it! I just download my books from home by hopping on my wi fi network. You can also pick up free wi-fi in many coffee shops and libraries etc. The guy at Barnes and Noble even admitted to me that there was no need to get the more expensive version

Good luck!

 

[3boymthr]

You don't need 3G, but I'm glad I have it. I bought my nook when it first came out so it came with the 3G without giving me a choice. 99% of the time I buy my e-books using wifi/my PC:

1. Because I can get points/rebates on my e-books from my points or e-bates depeding upon who has the better offer at the moment
2. Because the browsing selection that shows up on the Nooks online store isn't great compared that which shows up on the website.

However; the few times I've needed the 3G it's been invaluable. When I had emergency I needed to entertain my kids right away and keep them quiet I was able to use the 3G to download books in literally the middle of nowhere. In fact I'm going on vacation this weekend and again I'm doubly glad I have it because I'm going to have tons of time to read and while I've bought a bunch of books in advance (I read a book or two a day) some of them were pre-orders that won't be available until mid-week next week. Wi-fi isn't available where we're staying.

 

[CarlisleMom]

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll go for just the WiFi.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I've had a non 3G ereader and a 3G reader (Nook) and much prefer the 3G version. I like being able to buy something right away if I'm in the car (road trip) or on the beach or in a hotel room. Plus it's just easier.

 

[RachaelA]

I have the 3G+Wifi because I bought mine at Best Buy and that's the only option they had.

Buy your warranty through squaretrade.com Use the code endless to save money. I paid $22.39 for a 2 year warranty with accidental coverage.

Congrats on buy a nook. I bought mine a week and a half ago and love it.

nookboards.com is a great message board