NT: Anyone use an e-book reader?

[Catherine]

Hi folks --

Anyone out here use any of the e-book readers, like Kindle, Nook, BeBook or others? If so, what do you like/dislike about a) the reader, the availability of books for the reader, c) the price for those e-books.

Thanks,

Catherine

[JohnH]

Yes - my iPad also functions as my ebook reader. You can download apps for the iPad that make it work as a Nook, Kindle, etc, so you have access to all of their offerings - you're not limited to a single vendor. I've never used one of the others, but I've read that the iPad display is better than any of the other readers. Some people even claim that the iPad has made the other readers obsolete, but I'm not suggesting that as a fact.

I think the prices for the ebooks are very reasonable, and it's really handy to decide you want to read a particular book and then have it in your hands 5 minutes later. The ability to carry dozens (or hundreds) of books on a single device is awesome. If you like to read different books simultaneously, then each book is always on hand.

I'd suggest comparing the features of and of the readers to the iPad. The upfront cost will be considerably more, but you may decide it's worth it because the iPad offers infinitely more features. Could easily be wrong here, I think it's likely that within a few years, a business person who isn't using an iPad (or similar device) will be hamstrung as much as someone who doesn't use email these days.

Here's an article that appears to be unbiased. It lists the pros & cons of each, and concludes that the Kindle is the better choice, provided your only interest is in the e-book reader features.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/gadgets/kindle-vs-ipad/

[rfassett]

Hi Catherine,

My wife is the reader in our household. (She, in fact, runs the annual used book sale for our local library and has for several years. I tell her that she would go through serious withdrawal if they ever take the project away from her. It is like her annual "fix" - as is it for most of the shoppers as well, I have come to realize. It is quite the experience watching these people shop. Some will come back five, six, seven times during the three day sale.) Anyway, I bought her a Kindle a couple of years ago and was not sure how she would adapt to not turning a page every few seconds (she reads alot ). She loves her Kindle. She has not given up "real" books. But she does love the Kindle. I think if you go to Amazon's website they will give you a good idea of what is available - and at what price. My wife does not have a problem finding something to read. She likes the Kindle especially at night when her eyes are tired. It is back lit, and she can adjust the font size. And I guess if you are real tired, or busy, it will read to you to. But I have not seen her use that feature.

[Gail in Virginia]

I have looked at the Kindle, Nook and the Sony E-reader. I keep hoping that they will settle on a standard format so that if I buy a Kindle, I can download books from Barnes and Noble if I choose, and so forth. However, at this point in time they are each proprietary and I have been unable to decide between them. Therefore, I have downloaded the BN app to my Blackberry and use it for an e-reader. It is not ideal, because the screen is much smaller than that on a true e-reader. However, it does mean that I only have to carry one device because I am going to carry a phone anyway. I believe I could also download Amazon's reader for Blackberry but I have not done so yet although I have both of them installed on my computer. The books are fairly reasonable and prices seem to be very comparable between the various readers for the books. There are quite a few books that are free on each reader.

Barnes and Noble does have two features that are, I think, unique. You can read any e-book for up to an hour each day at no charge while you are in a BN store. Also, they allow you to share the books you purchase with other Nook owners on a temporary basis.

I would be interested to know what you decide. I am still on the fence.

[Lion EA]

My hubby has hundreds of books on his iPhone. Loves it. It's always in his pocket anyway, for those waits at the doctor's office or in long lines. He reads it in bed to not have the lamp on. When he's traveling, all the books he's reading simultaneously are always with him, as well as hundreds of extras to start when he's in the mood. It's small and lightweight, back lit, adjustable fonts, etc. And, it's his iPhone, so he has internet, all his online newspapers, Navigon, TV schedules (can tell us where to find a Law & Order rerun), contact lists, cell phone, everything he could want. Now that he has some arthritis problems, he'll use it for EVERYTHING instead of walking up the steep stairway (former attic) to our son's old room where he has his desktop computer. He sits in the living room with his iPhone reading.