Talk to me about e-readers, please!

[happypamama]

I am seriously considering an e-reader. If I tell you more about what I want it to do, can you advise me as to which one would be a good option?

 

-I don't care about brand. Cheap and functional enough to meet my needs is fine with me.

 

-I want the eInk. (Don't know if the cheapest ones have that or not.)

 

-I don't think I need either WiFi OR 3G. I want to put a cord into it and hook it up to my computer at home and download things that way, same as I do all the time with audio stuff on my mp3 player.

 

-I don't need it to do e-mail or web surfing or audio. Just e-books/documents.

 

-Public library usage may be optional. I can see why it might be helpful and don't necessarily want to lock myself out of it, even if it's not something I anticipate using in the very immediate future. Do you need WiFi/3G to use the public library stuff?

 

-I'm not very likely to go to a brick-and-mortar store for freebies.

 

-Color? I don't know.

 

-I want it to do .pdf files so I can download or scan knitting patterns and use the e-reader instead of propping open a book. It would be nice if it could do .doc files too (looks like the Nook Color does but not the regular Nook.)

 

-I want it mostly to use for books that I'd otherwise have to read on the computer or print out, often things I read aloud to the kids for school, as it would be much easier to hold an e-reader than a book or binder while squishing myself, a newborn, and a toddler into a rocking chair (which is how it looks much of the time).

 

What else might I want to consider? And how reasonable is it to buy used for an e-reader?

[Susan in KY]

If you do a search for e-readers, this question has come up a LOT! There are many threads with great advice/opinions.

 

FWIW, I was in the same situation as you. I got a Nook because I wanted e-ink and I wanted to be able to put my books on different book shelves (e.g., school, fiction, non fiction) and hook it up to my computer to down load from any source via Calibre. At the time, Nook supported more document formats than Kindle. I don't know how Kindle is now.

 

If I had it to do over again, I would get the Sony E-reader or the Kindle. The Nook does not have a touch screen, and after using my phone, that's a little annoying. (Ack, I realize that sounds soooo spoiled!) Also, I tried to download freebies from the Nook store, and they are almost all junk. There was so much p*rn on the covers, I decided not to visit the Nook store again. :tongue_smilie:I wish they would separate out according to price and topic, but they don't.

 

BTW, a color screen means an e-reader more like a tablet. The e-ink is not color (though the Nook does have a color nav bar at the bottom).

 

HTH,

Susan

[simka2]

If you do a search for e-readers, this question has come up a LOT! There are many threads with great advice/opinions.

 

FWIW, I was in the same situation as you. I got a Nook because I wanted e-ink and I wanted to be able to put my books on different book shelves (e.g., school, fiction, non fiction) and hook it up to my computer to down load from any source via Calibre. At the time, Nook supported more document formats than Kindle. I don't know how Kindle is now.

 

If I had it to do over again, I would get the Sony E-reader or the Kindle. The Nook does not have a touch screen, My Nook Color has a touch screen, it is wonderful!

 

and after using my phone, that's a little annoying. (Ack, I realize that sounds soooo spoiled!) Also, I tried to download freebies from the Nook store, and they are almost all junk. There was so much p*rn on the covers, I decided not to visit the Nook store again. :tongue_smilie:I wish they would separate out according to price and topic, but they don't.

 

Yes, you can. You do a search for $0.00 and whatever subject you are looking for, works like a charm. ;)

BTW, a color screen means an e-reader more like a tablet. The e-ink is not color (though the Nook does have a color nav bar at the bottom).

 

HTH,

Susan

I clarified some things in the text above. I got all sorts of cookbooks, craft books, and Classics of BN store. I did pay around $1 for a 25 book collection of childrens books, but that was it.

[Susan in KY]

I clarified some things in the text above. I got all sorts of cookbooks, craft books, and Classics of BN store. I did pay around $1 for a 25 book collection of childrens books, but that was it.

 

No kidding!! Thanks for sharing this! :001_smile:

[simka2]

No kidding!! Thanks for sharing this! :001_smile:[/quote

 

No Problem! Right now I just searched 0.00 Poetry Classics. I downloaded the Aeneid and I am looking at The Harvard Classics Volume to see if I want it.

[sparrow]

I am seriously considering an e-reader. If I tell you more about what I want it to do, can you advise me as to which one would be a good option?

 

-I don't care about brand. Cheap and functional enough to meet my needs is fine with me.

 

I bought a Kobo because it was cheap($99) and functional: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kobo-eReader-Black/15266007

 

 

-I want the eInk. (Don't know if the cheapest ones have that or not.)

 

 

It has e-ink.

 

-I don't think I need either WiFi OR 3G. I want to put a cord into it and hook it up to my computer at home and download things that way, same as I do all the time with audio stuff on my mp3 player.

 

It has WiFi, but I don't use it. I do recommend getting it though, because the WiFi version has updates that the version w/o WiFi doesn't.

 

-I don't need it to do e-mail or web surfing or audio. Just e-books/documents.

 

Yup. It's a dedicated e-reader. No other distractions.

 

-Public library usage may be optional. I can see why it might be helpful and don't necessarily want to lock myself out of it, even if it's not something I anticipate using in the very immediate future. Do you need WiFi/3G to use the public library stuff?

 

I borrow books from my library system by just plugging the Kobo into my laptop. No need for WiFi/3G.

 

-I'm not very likely to go to a brick-and-mortar store for freebies.

 

Nor am I, but I believe you can browse at Borders in the US (there are some left, right :tongue_smilie:) and Chapters in Canada with the Kobo. It's just not a feature I ever anticipate needing.

 

-Color? I don't know.

Kobo comes in black or white. I chose black because I know what our white Macbook looks like over time.

 

Kobo has the most excellent and comfortable "quilted" backing. It's a pleasure to hold.

 

-I want it to do .pdf files so I can download or scan knitting patterns and use the e-reader instead of propping open a book. It would be nice if it could do .doc files too (looks like the Nook Color does but not the regular Nook.)

 

It does .doc and .pdf.

 

-I want it mostly to use for books that I'd otherwise have to read on the computer or print out, often things I read aloud to the kids for school, as it would be much easier to hold an e-reader than a book or binder while squishing myself, a newborn, and a toddler into a rocking chair (which is how it looks much of the time).

 

Kobo comes preloaded with 100 classics and any other public domain books I just download from Google books or Project Gutenberg.

 

What else might I want to consider? And how reasonable is it to buy used for an e-reader?

 

I've downloaded tons of free books from kobobooks.com. I would definitely look into used. Why not? But if you're not satisfied, $99 isn't bad for something brand new.

 

My next choice would probably be a Nook, but I wouldn't spend the extra $$ and unfortunately, I didn't like the way the Nook felt in my hands.

 

 

 

My answers above!

[Photo Ninja]

You probably need to go to Best Buy or a similar store and handle both the Nook (black and white) and the Kindle. Sometimes actually holding them will make you aware that one is more comfortable or just feels better in your hands.

 

I have the Nook Color and love it, but it does more than you need and does not have e-ink. I would recommend either the Kindle or the Nook B&W. Both have e-ink and both are about the same size, and both are good quality.

 

Wi-Fi is probably all you need. 3G is only useful if you are often in areas where you will want to download a book, but don't have internet available. If you usually have internet available, then there is no need to spend money getting a 3G version.

 

Library: You need internet (Wi-Fi) to access library books, and a computer. You download the library book to your computer, then side load it onto the Nook (connect the Nook via USB cable to your computer and drag the book onto the Nook). The Kindle does not offer library books yet, so there is no way to tell how that will work, especially since the Kindle does not support the format (epub) that libraries use for most their ebooks. I know the Nook works very well for library books.

 

Another consideration is children's books. The Nook Color supports a lot of interactive children's books, if that would make any difference to you. I certainly would not use the Nook Color instead of paper books when reading to my dc, but there are some really fun interactive books available. They don't work on the Kindle or black and white Nook.

 

I think you would be happy with either the Kindle or Nook. But the best way to tell is to go handle them for yourself, see how they feel, and how the screens look.