E-Reader Wish List: Pros/Cons & Info Requested

[Karen]

OK, I think I want to put an e-reader on my wish list this year, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm looking for comments/complains/information. If you have an e-reader what kind do you have, are the books pricey to upload, do you get online or do anything besides "reading" on your reader, what are the pros/cons, etc.

Many thanks and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and yours!

 

[leftymac]

I just bought a Kindle 3 and I love it. I looked at the Barnes and Noble Nook too, but didn't like that it was thicker/heavier, nor that it used a previous generation e-ink, which means it isn't as sharp/clear, and the pages load slower than the Kindle 3. I am very pleased with my purchase. I didn't want to go with an iPad (which is a shock for me, as an Apple junkie) because I don't like reading on an LCD screen. With the Kindle, I often forget I am reading from a machine. It is just like paper! At $139, it can't be beat.A lot of "classic" books are free. I just downloaded the entire Oz collection (15 books!) for 89 cents. Most books range from $6-$10, which is great considering a new hardcover best-seller would be about $20.

 

[leftymac]

And, I see no con to an eReader. I got the leather cover for my Kindle, so it's just like holding a book. I don't need to have shelves full of books in my house. Yeah, I don't get a color cover for the book, but I'm okay with a black & white cover.I originally got a Kindle for my niece. But when I played with it at Best Buy, I decided I had to have one for myself. That's how much I love it.

 

[scavallero]

I love my kindle! I love reading a paper book so I didn't think I would like the screen, but now I am a convert. I get so many free books, I can't keep up. Look on Amazon for the top 100 free kindle books and check the reviews to see if it is something you would like. I have found many new authors I enjoy. They have many new books free for a very short time, so check often. Enjoy!

 

[ChefCKHall]

Just ordered my Kindle today from Amazon - Wanted one for Christmas...ordered it so I do not have to worry about backorders and such. I like the lightness of it, the thinness of it, the feel of it, and can't wait to take it camping, flying, waiting room'ing! So excited. I liked the DX but like the smallness of the regular one better. I will take it more places as it is so light.

Hubs is squirreling it away when it gets here. I got the Kindle, he gets three Best Buy gift cards from PC....it's all good. A two for one Christmas!

 

[Chef Kearns]

I got an iPad for e-reading. I wanted an e-reader, but didn't like the options that were available. I like that the iPad is versatile. I can do many, many more things on it than read. I like that it has my iTunes library on it and I can listen to my music while reading, which it great when I go to the gym...it makes that 45 minutes on the eliptical just fly by. I love how quickly I am online. I have the Barnes N Noble e-reader App on the iPad and the iBooks App. Some books are available on one that are not available on the other. I have lots of games on it which is great for my kiddos. There is an app on it like Word with a print function. The iPad is just so freakin awesome!! I am very happy. I like the flip page feature on the e-reader.

 

[leftymac]

I also love that the Kindle's battery lasts about a month before it needs to be recharged! The Nook's battery lasts about 10 days.If you're looking for just an eReader, then I think the Kindle is the way to go.If you're looking for much much more, then an iPad is the way to go. Reading for extended periods of time on an LCD screen, such as the iPad, can cause eye fatigue.

 

[brandynichoal]

i LOVE LOVE LOVE my nook. it sure beats carrying all those heavy books around. i do still have certain books that i still buy but, the nook is one of the best things i have ever spent money on!

 

[SonyaVerrillo]

I too, have a Nook & love it! It has gotten me back into reading!!! I'm actually seriously thinking about purchasing the new NookColor & giving my original Nook to my mother. I will have to check it out in-store first to see if I want to convert. One of the things that I love about the Nook (as opposed to the Kindle, when I was checking them out last summer) is that I can digitally "borrow" ebooks from my local library & read them on my Nook. (You couldn't do that on the Kindle, maybe that changed with v.3?) That way, I can read the new books without having to pay for them!

 

[gailz2]

We just came back from vacation and there was a lady in the pool on a float with a Kindle. She absolutely loves it--and was able to get a waterproof sac/bag/or whatever for it. She especially likes that she can order books from where-ever she is if she needs another. I had never really considered one since I buy most of my books at yard sales, but the prices seem to have come down and they sure are sounding pretty convenient....

 

[pcsharon1]

I've been researching these as well. I am leaning toward the Kindle because it supposedly looks like your actually reading a book and because it will hold so many books. I have several different series of books that I read that I like to keep - because they have recipes, etc - and since we move so often and are charged if we go over our weight limit then I think having all my books on one little lightweight Kindle would be awesome - not to mention not having extra room to store books in military housing!!!!

 

[scottcooks]

I read through a free Amazon Kindle app on the iPhone. Have several books downloaded and it cost no more than the initial phone!

 

[beckyjsmith]

Triple quadruple etc the Kindle. I have a Kindle and I LOVE it. It is so convenient and easy to read. The books are very reasonable, many of them even free. I love love love it.

 

[Nanisu]

Love love love my nook. What I like about it is:

1) expandable with an SD card (although I think most of them are now)
2) audio files as well so we can do audio books and/or listen to music while we read
3) we can borrow books from other readers. My Dh and I both have one and we borrow each other's books all the time, saving $$.
4) Long battery life
5) Easy to categorize your books with "shelves"--you can put them on "shelves" for easy retrieving later without having to search for them in all your books.

Barnes and Noble has "Nook Boot Camp" every Saturday and you can learn all kinds of cool things to do: highlight, cut and paste, surf the web, etc.

 

[chefannie]

I just go the new Nook color and love it!

 

[cookn' katie]

I was researching the Nook for my grandma, for the simple reason if she has a problem she can take it to B&N and have them fix it/show her what to do, etc..... tell me, can a 84 year old figure out how to use it? She isn't very computer savvy, and I will do the downloading, etc for her....... Any advice please, I am open to the Kindle too!!

 

[NooraK]

I recently read an article that compared the different kinds that were out there. The Kindle and the Nook were the top two, and the iPad would have been in the running except for the price. Yes, the iPad can do lots more, but they were comparing for the purpose of an eReader. DH just bought me a Kindle, but it's my Christmas present and he's making me wait. The article we read preferred the Kindle because they said Amazon has a larger selection than B&N does. I did see the Nook at B&N today, and I thought it was kind of cool that you can get kids books on the color one. The Kindle is also $139 if you opt for the wi-fi only version. It just means you can download books only when you're in a wi-fi connection, and we have a wireless network in the house.