e-book, iPad or what

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

In time for Christmas... want to get one for Caroll. She reads a lot.
Packing books for traveling just doesn't get it.

I hear books may be downloaded to the PC then loaded to the e-book.

Which do you wish you had?

How do I figure out which why to go?


Robert

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

Will you use it just for reading? I have a barnes and noble nook and love it. I can search the web with a wifi connection, but it is slow and cumbersome. If you want more versatlity get an Ipad. The battery life on an ereader is longer if that is a concern.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

I have a Kindle and am very happy with it.

Nancy

[vinolover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close vinolover]

Love our new ipad. Multi purpose rather than just a reader. Using it as a photo frame. Pretty decent speaker so use it a a music player (which means we don't need to pack our ipod speaker when we travel). And of couse for the internet (like now). No need to take the laptop on our trips any longer. Faster than my old macbook and iphone 3G, may be even a little faster than my DH's new iphone 4.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Love our new ipad. ...And of couse for the internet (like now). No need to take the laptop on our trips any longer. Faster than my old macbook and iphone 3G, may be even a little faster than my DH's new iphone 4.

I have a netbook. Always looking to get online. If she gets an ipad 3G, will I be using it and she never gets to read?

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

If it's mainly for reading books, get a Kindle because you can read with that outside. The iPad is great for everything else but not for reading a book in the sun. You need lots of shade. Your notebook that I saw on Maui will do everything the iPad does too. The iPad screen is amazing though and very fast.

[mpizza Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mpizza]

I love love love my iPad, but it is expensive if its main use will be a reading device.

Most of my commuter friends like the new lighter-weight Kindle that's backlit.

I have been looking into a Nook or Kindle for DH, but I'm leaning towards springing for the bucks on an iPad since it's so much more versatile.

Maria

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Convince me

She definitely needs to read outside. So far color is not a factor.

How many have experience with more than one?

Our GEEK son referred me to this:

“Which ereader device should I buy?”

November 26th, 2010 · 24 Comments · opinion

by Chris Walters of Booksprung


The Kindle will likely be the big e-reader champ this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for every reader. Here’s a quick guide to figuring out which device will best meet your needs.

I want the cheapest overall book prices: Kindle
Publishers have forced price increases across the board at all ebook retailers, so for many new releases you’ll see the same price everywhere. Amazon, however, also uses its marketplace power to prevent publishers from offering lower prices at other retailers, and it otherwise steeply discounts a wide variety of titles to keep sales going strong. On average, you’ll find the lowest prices there–which is good, because with a Kindle you can’t buy ebooks from any other retailer.

I want to be able to read ebooks that I check out from my local library: Nook or Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-950
Almost every library uses a service called OverDrive to lend out ebook titles, and the Kindle won’t work with OverDrive. It’s likely that the Kindle will never support library loans, at least not as long as Amazon refuses to support the EPUB format.

I want to be able to go online and check email, use Wikipedia, read news, etc. on my device: Kindle or Nook
For Internet connectivity no matter where you go, you need a device with 3G wireless. The three big brands–Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader–all offer a 3G version, but the Sony Reader Daily Edition restricts web browsing to Wi-Fi even though it costs $70 more. That leaves the Kindle 3G+Wi-Fi and the Nook 3G+Wi-Fi as your best buys.

I want to spend less than $150: Kindle Wi-Fi
There’s a Wi-Fi Nook under this price point as well, but it’s $10 more than the Kindle model, so unless you want access to local library ebooks the Kindle is the better value.

I want the latest technology: It depends
You can’t have it all at the moment, but you can maximize a particular feature. For the best E Ink (grayscale) screen, choose Kindle. If you want a color screen (to view children’s picture books or magazines, for example), go with Nook Color. If you want to be able to use your finger to “swipe” through pages and a stylus to make notes directly on the screen, choose the Sony Reader (it ties the Kindle for the best E Ink screen, but since it costs much more, you should stick with the Kindle unless you want the touchscreen feature).

I can spend more than $500: iPad
Think of it as a Swiss Army Knife of readers–it will give you access to Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and (coming soon) Sony ebooks, plus so much more.
If you go this route, however, don’t buy your ebooks from the Apple iBookstore–the copy protection Apple is using is difficult to work with. There are free Nook and Kindle apps for the iPad, and Sony has announced it will release its own ebook app for the device next month. For public domain ebooks, there’s a free app called Stanza, and for library books there’s a free app called Bluefire.
If after a few months you decide the iPad is too heavy to be a dedicated ebook reader, supplement it with a lightweight and much more portable Kindle or Nook (depending on where you’ve been buying your ebooks); after all, you’re Captain Moneybags, you can afford it.

I want the one that’s the most recommended and the best reviewed: Kindle
The Kindle remains the one to beat in most mainstream media reviews, and Consumer Reports has given the two most recent Kindle models top rankings.

I want the one that’s easiest to use: Kindle
Amazon has put all of its customer service and online retail experience into creating a seamless browsing, buying, and reading experience.

I want a color screen: Nook Color or iPod Touch
Nook Color is being praised by early reviewers for its screen, size and underlying software. Despite its small size, the iPod Touch also makes for a great full-color choice (make sure you check out the screen on a Touch before dismissing it–it might surprise you).

I want to read comics: iPad, iPod Touch or Nook Color
The iPad screen is perfect for comic books, but if you need to stay within an ereader budget you might want to consider an iPod Touch–the screen is naturally much smaller, but Apple’s touch technology makes it easy to flick between panels and pages. You may also want to check out the new Nook Color. However, I haven’t found any reliable information on whether Barnes & Noble plans to actively support comic books on the device, so it’s a risky bet this early in the game unless you’re technologically savvy enough to make it work on your own.


Not recommended, and why:

• Kobo (Borders) – It’s more expensive than the Kindle with fewer features. It’s the same price as the Nook but doesn’t have access to B&N’s larger ebook store or accessory line. There’s no 3G model.
• All Sony Reader models other than the $250 model listed above – They lack wireless connectivity and cost more than a Kindle or Nook.
• Anything else – When it comes to electronics that rely on software to function, you want a company big enough and dedicated enough to provide decent support. As Teleread notes, cheaper models look and function okay on the surface, “but you will find that their software is abysmal. Stick to a name brand.”

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

I love love love my iPad, but it is expensive if its main use will be a reading device.

...
Maria

Please try reading the iPad outside for me. I need to know before I buy the Kindle.

Robert

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

Kindle Delux "Bigger Screen and free 3g Wifi"

Talk about choices, Son just sent this also.


Amazon.com: Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 9.7" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology: Kindle Store

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

The Deluxe is an older model. I like the size of my K3 just fine. (Actually saw my first Deluxe yesterday. Maybe if I had it, saw it first, I'd like it, but I now like my K3.)

Nancy

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

You can download the Kindle software to your PC for free from Amazon.com. I have Kindle on my laptop.

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

You can download the Kindle software to your PC for free from Amazon.com. I have Kindle on my laptop.

Thanks John.

We may go that route and then transfer books to a used Kindle.
Going cheap just to give it a go.

[Nancy Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close Nancy]

Can also download to IPhone (and probably other phones.) I even read some on my IPhone and it wasn't that bad.

Nancy

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

Whatever you decide check out smashwords.com for ebooks. Some are free and many are very low priced and compatible with most ereader formats.