Thinking of buying an e-reader for the wife. Any opinions on which is best; Kindle, I-Pad, or Nook? This will be for reading books solely, don't need too many bells and whistles. Seems like Wi-Fi would be enough, is there a benefit to getting the 3G update? Thanks.
E-Book Reader
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I love my kindle. I don't see a need for 3g if you have a wi-fi router at home, as unless she would rather download books while on the road, but even then, it isn't hard to find a wi-fi hotspot to use.
I looked into these things a long time before I finally bought one, and I decided on the Kindle because of the amount of books available compared to the nook (pretty sure the iPad has even less than the nook, but I'm not sure). Plus, Amazon updates the "free book" section every week or two, and I've gotten quite a few good reads from there as well. If it's just a reading device, the Kindle is best for that IMO.
I looked into these things a long time before I finally bought one, and I decided on the Kindle because of the amount of books available compared to the nook (pretty sure the iPad has even less than the nook, but I'm not sure). Plus, Amazon updates the "free book" section every week or two, and I've gotten quite a few good reads from there as well. If it's just a reading device, the Kindle is best for that IMO.
You can get a kindle app for the ipad as well - the main choice involved is whether or not you need to shell out the extra $300 or so for the ipad (and its additional functionality) over the kindle.
I have the Kindle app on my Droid HTC Thunderbolt, and it works great. I read my first book in years (excluding textbooks) on my phone last week.
I got the Kindle DX for the wife, on sale for $299 from Amazon.com. She loves it.:yes: Got her the Kindle leather cover for it also. We travel a lot so she can download a book whenever she wants with the free 3-G.
Amazon.com: Kindle DX, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology: Kindle Store
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The following is expired, obviously, but keep monitoring the various "deals" sites (DealNews, etc.). You can't beat $79, the Kindle is $40 more, minimum.
NOOK by Barnes and Noble Wi-Fi eReader eBook Reader | eBay
Or, try this one (not expired, yet):
NOOK by Barnes and Noble 3G+Wi-Fi eReader eBook Reader | eBay
NOOK by Barnes and Noble Wi-Fi eReader eBook Reader | eBay
Or, try this one (not expired, yet):
NOOK by Barnes and Noble 3G+Wi-Fi eReader eBook Reader | eBay
Kindle by a mile. They have an app for everything. Ipad, iphone, android, Windows, OS X, BB and even the KindleIt syncs your last read page across them all.
FYI, nook does all of this, too.
If you are planning on borrowing ebooks from your library, the Kindle can't do this...yet. That is coming soon. However, the nook can do this.
Plus, for $250, you can buy a Nook Color that you can root and easily turn into a cheap tablet PC that runs any of the thousands of apps from the Android Market.
Depends on what you want it for. I tried the nook but ended up getting the kindle. I love the e-ink screen.
I'm in a similar situation and was actually leaning towards a color nook. If you root it and add the Android apps you can get the Kindle app so can use it for B&N books as well as Amazon ones. It also has a PDF reader and a browser so you can surf. And it's color so magazines with graphics looks better. I looked at one a couple of weeks ago but didn't pull the trigger. Anyone used the Color Nook that can give 1st hand experiences? As mentioned it can be turned in to a cheap tablet. Is it worth it?
They just did an update to the nook color that added an app store. It's not the full android market, but they will be adding things. Or like people have been saying you can root it and turn it into a small tablet. Although I hear this causes some "bricking" issues. But if you're savvy enough to root it you can probably fix it if that happens. If you are just comparing the black and white nook to the kindle, I'd say the edge goes to nook. Expandable memory, removable battery, larger library of titles to choose from (due to the ability to access every title on google books). Plus the fact that if you have any questions or problems with it you can actually talk face to face with a live person instead of on the phone with someone from who-knows-where.
Yep, I have a rooted Nook Color. I primarily read on it, but do like the extra functionality you get by rooting. Great screen. Just know that you aren't turning it into an Ipad by rooting it...but you do get access to Android apps. Definitely worth the 20 min. it takes to root it.
I bought a Kindle a couple of months ago and an iPad just this weekend. This post is long, not because I am an expert, but because I’ve learned a lot just recently.
The technology is much improved, so much so that I’m uncertain I will buy many more books. I have yet to read on either device a lot, so I will continue to learn. But I doubt that I will regret either purchase.
You probably don’t need the 3G on the Kindle, in part because of the grey screen aspect and because surfing is cumbersome. So 3G just means I can access books anywhere, anytime. It isn’t that critical to me. I like the size, as it is like holding a paperback, easy in one hand. With Kindle you can also access your books on a phone and on your computer, and they will automatically sync to the last page read. I used it first on my phone (where you can download it free, no Kindle purchase required). That I liked it so much there is why I decided to buy. An aspect that took getting used to is that it doesn’t have a touchscreen, since I am so used to it now on my phone. But the grey screen is easier on the eyes, I think for long periods of reading, like Amazon says. And it is readable in direct sunlight.
I will use the iPad for other things, but the e-reader alone makes it worthwhile for me. I bought the cheapest version, $499, as I have pretty ready access to WiFi. And I always have my phone if I don’t and need to look something up.
The iBooks reader is almost identical to the Kindle (though iPad is more physically like turning a page). Again, both are awesome. The functionality I believe is even superior to books in important ways (e.g., the dictionary, the highlighter, notes), such that I will really have to think before buying even 1 more book. Though I was hesitant about whether I really need it, after purchasing the iPad, I couldn’t be happier. I have access to many more free books that I read, or want to, that are easy to install on the iPad.
Besides the iBooks store, I read a lot of economics, history, and so forth, including many old books, so here are two sites where I’ve already downloaded dozens of books, all free:
Online Library of Liberty
Browse by ebook (.epub) :: Mises Institute
(They are converting more to ePub every day.)
On the iPad, I just click on the ePub link, and it asks if I want to install it on the iPad. (There is no need to sync through iTunes, though you could do that instead.) Just click “yes” and it is installed on the iPad. It is as easy as it could be, much easier than I thought it would be at first.
Many of the books that I got for free this way cost a dollar or two, or ten (such that I didn’t buy), on the Kindle. The formats on the iPad so far all look great, something I'm always a bit hesitant about when multiple versions are available in Kindle, sometimes at different prices, like free, $0.99, $1.99. Who knows whether the price matters? Whether a Table of Contents includes links is sometimes a difference, but I don't think that that necessarily means the free version isn't the best.
Again, many free books are readily available through Apple iBooks store, also. On the iPad, I find this more user friendly than my limited experience with iTunes. Just click on the Store link, just above your book case (with all your books on it), and the book case turns 180 degrees, and a very clean format appears to browse both free and books for purchase on the other side.
In addition, I downloaded the Kindle ap on the iPad, so I will be able to read my Kindle books there.
Besides the free books, one thing I like about the iPad, is the lighted aspect, which has advantages, like when it is dark. I will also use it for surfing, a lot for things like newspapers, blogs, and this site. But again, I think there is something to the idea that there is less eyestrain with the Kindle, and in this respect, it is more like reading a book. You don’t have light directed at your eyes. In the dark I noticed it much more than the phone (though I don’t like all the page turning on the phone). The iPad is simply bigger and puts out much more light (though easy to adjust the brightness). The iPad is more like a book though, obviously, than sitting in front of a computer screen and keyboard.
And like the Kindle it is highly portable. I think many or most people would probably prefer it to a netbook. If someone needs to type longer emails, papers, or notes, though, a real keyboard is probably better.
From what I have heard about the Nook, it is good for magazines, because of the color aspect. I know someone who uses a Nook to surf the web over lunch. With the color touchscreen, I would guess the Nook is much easier and worthwhile for surfing the internet, than the Kindle.
From what you’ve said (primarily a reader), the Kindle is probably best. For the price it is hard to go wrong. If she might use it for other things, you might consider scaling up.
Myself, I don’t expect to buy new e-reader technology for a long time. I will probably use both the Kindle and the iPad a lot, so I will continue to learn more. And if I had to guess, I probably will continue to use both a lot, even years from now. I have yet to look into it in great detail, but something that readily converts any pdf into a highly readable and scalable format is something I would like, an area I think that they all support, but might make improvements in the future. I was aware of this when I bought the Kindle, but other aspects I figured outweighed this. Perhaps I will find that the iPad is already outstanding in this regard. I haven’t used it that much yet. But if I ultimately find that reading on the grey screen is easier on the eyes, I could see getting the larger version of the Kindle in the future. I looked at my current Kindle as superior to reading a paperback.
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I would add that I have 3G on the Kindle, and I had problems connecting to 1 or 2 places WiFi. Perhaps I could have gotten it to work, as I did once but not again at one of those places. But it was a hassle - related as I recall to how clunky it is as a browser. It was a place where you had to click a box to agree to terms in order to surf. After that once, I couldn't get it to work at all, and not simply because I had problems clicking that box, something more technical I think.
So you might consider 3G just to eliminate any hassle. Perhaps this isn't an issue, depending on how your wife would use it. I plan use the 3G network almost exclusively (to access books, and almost never to surf). But this is because I have 3G, not because I can't connect to WiFi other places.
I don't have 3G on the iPad. I have had no problems whatsoever connecting to WiFi at the 3 public places I have used it.
So you might consider 3G just to eliminate any hassle. Perhaps this isn't an issue, depending on how your wife would use it. I plan use the 3G network almost exclusively (to access books, and almost never to surf). But this is because I have 3G, not because I can't connect to WiFi other places.
I don't have 3G on the iPad. I have had no problems whatsoever connecting to WiFi at the 3 public places I have used it.
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