Nook reader folks weigh in here

[DawnM]

I have been eying the Kindle Fire for a bit now. I just haven't pulled the trigger.

 

What is drawing me to the Kindle is that I am very familiar with Amazon. I have prime and can get a free book per month with my membership. I can also get free apps when they are offered.

 

HOWEVER, I have a few questions before I decide.

 

1. Does the Nook have free apps as well?

2. Is it easy to share books with other Nook users?

3. I read that Nook offers a free loaner PER WEEK vs. Kindle's free loaner per month, is this correct?

4. Any current deals with the Nook (like Amazon offers a $100 credit if you get Audible.com for a year, that sort of thing?

 

If you have a Kindle: I know I am reading that it only has 8gb of memory and the rest is on Cloud, but you need wifi to access your cloud, correct?

[DawnM]

Anyone?

[AK_Mom4]

I don't use my Nook for any of those things - I just use it to read books. I have shared books with another Nook owner once - it was extremely easy to do.

 

The Fire sounds good for playing all the apps and stuff, though there are good tablets out there for around the same price. My sis has the Fire and really likes it for movies and games.

[DawnM]

Do you get any of the loaner books?

 

Dawn

 

I don't use my Nook for any of those things - I just use it to read books. I have shared books with another Nook owner once - it was extremely easy to do.

 

The Fire sounds good for playing all the apps and stuff, though there are good tablets out there for around the same price. My sis has the Fire and really likes it for movies and games.

[Robin M]

I have a first edition nook and we just received a Kindle for christmas (the smallest one) Check out the links and do a comparison.

I like my nook better but that probably because I'm just not used to the Kindle. Both are very basic and don't have a lot of apps. That comes with the pricier editions - The nook color and amazon fire.

 

I haven't heard of any one week loaner program with Nook. There are free apps for the advanced nooks. The only reason I went with Barnes and Noble nook is because of the e-ink reader (not backlit) and they used AT&T versus Amazon who uses Sprint for their network. I really only use it to read books and don't play any of the games or do apps. Probably doesn't help you any, but that's my 2 cents.

[Tammyla]

Nook offers weekly-Friday Deals & Steals; they're freebies and super cheap deals.

 

Loaning is easy on the Nook. We have a new Kindle too, but I haven't had any play time with it yet to comment.

 

(My eyes may prefer the Nook e-ink to the Kindle's grayer screen, but I'm not sure yet.) The color screens don't work for long sessions of reading for me.

[NittanyJen]

I have been eying the Kindle Fire for a bit now. I just haven't pulled the trigger.

 

What is drawing me to the Kindle is that I am very familiar with Amazon. I have prime and can get a free book per month with my membership. I can also get free apps when they are offered.

 

HOWEVER, I have a few questions before I decide.

 

1. Does the Nook have free apps as well?

2. Is it easy to share books with other Nook users?

3. I read that Nook offers a free loaner PER WEEK vs. Kindle's free loaner per month, is this correct?

4. Any current deals with the Nook (like Amazon offers a $100 credit if you get Audible.com for a year, that sort of thing?

 

If you have a Kindle: I know I am reading that it only has 8gb of memory and the rest is on Cloud, but you need wifi to access your cloud, correct?

 

You seem to be comparing tablet versions rather than the strictly e-reader versions if you are asking about apps, is that correct? My comments apply only to the e-reader!

 

B&N offers a free book every week (to own, not to borrow). Lending books to others is a snap, and if you wish, you can link to friends and allow them to see what lendable books you have available for them to borrow from you.

 

B&N service is outstanding; my out of service Nook was damaged by TSA and they not only replaced it free; they overnighted it to me and sent me a prepaid mailer to send in my damaged unit after receiving my replacement. Also, I was able to upgrade my first generation Nook to the new simple touch version at less than half price (offer was goid through yesterday). Bring your Nook in to stores any time for special offers and read books in store free. Many classic books are free or $0.99.

 

I don't know anything firsthand about the tablets though! Good luck! In my experience (I have a good friend who is a happy Kindle owner) you'll be happy with either one; it isn't a decision to lose sleep over.

[Word Nerd]

Kindle has more free book offers than B&N (from what I can tell on Pixel of Ink and similar sites), as well as a daily Kindle deal and other special offers for books under $3. I don't think B&N has anything comparable to the Amazon Prime program that offers a book a month to borrow.

 

Kindles can hold thousands of book, so storage space is nothing to worry about. You don't lose the books if you move them off the Kindle anyway.

Edited December 25, 2011 by WordGirl

[Word Nerd]

In my experience (I have a good friend who is a happy Kindle owner) you'll be happy with either one; it isn't a decision to lose sleep over.

 

:iagree:

[DawnM]

When you say they offer a free book per week, that means they pick the book to offer, right?

 

I am comparing this to Kindle's free book a month loan program where you get quite a choice in what you want to download.

 

Ok, another question. I have the Nook App downloaded (just did it today) and it seems that I can get most of the freebies and deals through that without an actual Nook. BUT, can I book share with Nook owners through the Nook App?

 

Thank you!,

 

Dawn

[LaxMom]

If you're looking at tablets an not ereaders, I would expend your search. We were waffling between the Nook and Kindle, and ended up buying a Lenovo K1 last week when Staples had them on sale for $279.

 

It has more flexibility than the ones tied to the book stores, better reviews (in fact, has the same CNet rating as the iPad). You can compare the features of various tablet options http://tablet-computer.pikimal.com/amazon-kindle-fire/vs/lenovo-ideapad-k1 :

 

Both the B&N an Kindle apps are on it, btw.

[DawnM]

Well, yes and no.

 

I am questioning those in particular because those are the two I am interested in getting, BUT, I need to know about actual books available, cost, book sharing, and freebies as well.

 

Dawn

 

You seem to be comparing tablet versions rather than the strictly e-reader versions if you are asking about apps, is that correct? My comments apply only to the e-reader!

 

B&N offers a free book every week (to own, not to borrow). Lending books to others is a snap, and if you wish, you can link to friends and allow them to see what lendable books you have available for them to borrow from you.

 

B&N service is outstanding; my out of service Nook was damaged by TSA and they not only replaced it free; they overnighted it to me and sent me a prepaid mailer to send in my damaged unit after receiving my replacement. Also, I was able to upgrade my first generation Nook to the new simple touch version at less than half price (offer was goid through yesterday). Bring your Nook in to stores any time for special offers and read books in store free. Many classic books are free or $0.99.

 

I don't know anything firsthand about the tablets though! Good luck! In my experience (I have a good friend who is a happy Kindle owner) you'll be happy with either one; it isn't a decision to lose sleep over.

[missmoe]

The free book offered each Friday is not your choice.

[DawnM]

Well, I do have an iPad. I am looking at also getting books for less.

 

My thinking was that the Kindle combined with my amazon prime would allow me 12 books per year to read for free. They are books I would look at buying anyway, at about $10 per book unless they are on sale. So, technically, if I were to purchase a $10 book per month, that would be $120 per year, making the Kindle "pay for itself" in under 2 years.

 

I don't know how well the free book a month works or if there are any books that aren't available like the library downloads, or wait lists or what.

 

I was also curious if the Nook (B&N) had anything similar to that.

 

Does the one you are talking about have a lending library?

 

And, yes, I am well aware that there are free books out there, mostly older books, which is fine for some reading, but I don't tend to read only classics.

 

Dawn

 

If you're looking at tablets an not ereaders, I would expend your search. We were waffling between the Nook and Kindle, and ended up buying a Lenovo K1 last week when Staples had them on sale for $279.

 

It has more flexibility than the ones tied to the book stores, better reviews (in fact, has the same CNet rating as the iPad). You can compare the features of various tablet options http://tablet-computer.pikimal.com/amazon-kindle-fire/vs/lenovo-ideapad-k1 :

 

Both the B&N an Kindle apps are on it, btw.

[DawnM]

Can I get these with the Nook app or do I need an actual Nook?

 

Dawn

 

The free book offered each Friday is not your choice.

[OLG]

Maybe someone knows if the Nook app for the iPad wold allow you to do all that you want to do?

[LaxMom]

Oooooh, gotcha. You're looking for one that IS tied to a store. Sorry, I'm no help then. My kids have Nooks, and they're very usable, but tablets are a whole 'nother area. (Though, truthfully, if I was looking for a primary reader, that's what I would look at, for the e-ink, not a tablet at all)

Edited December 25, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse

[DawnM]

No, any input is helpful. I have an ipad, so I wouldn't be looking for anything as a substitute for that if I can't get some added benefit from it, if that makes sense.

 

Dawn

 

Oooooh, gotcha. You're looking for one that IS tied to a store. Sorry, I'm no help then. My kids have Nooks, and they're very usable, but tablets are a whole 'nother area. (Though, truthfully, if I was looking for a primary reader, that's what I would look at, for the e-ink, not a tablet at all)

[LaxMom]

Totally makes sense.

 

We got Nooks because they seem to be more format-fexible than Kindle. We can check out ebooks from our library (through Overdrive) in any epub format, which is nice. I've never found the Amazon lending library, so I assume it's only available to access through a Kindle, though I could be completely wrong about that.

 

Eta: no, you can use it through the app, according to their support page. So the advantage (as far as I can see) would be e-ink on a reader and none on a tablet, since you can use the apps on your ipad.

 

E(again)ta: no, my bad. I was reading how to lend something from your own Kindle library. You can only use their lending library with a Kindle AND Prime account. Sorry. Went a little mental there. We'll blame it on the holiday sugar binge. :tongue_smilie:

Edited December 25, 2011 by MyCrazyHouse

[Lady Florida.]

You can get books from the library with Kindle too. As for sharing, both Nook and Kindle allow sharing, but it's up to the publisher whether or not a book can be loaned. You can only loan it once, ever, and only for 2 weeks. If you mean sharing for more than one reader (not loaning) then as long as the Kindles (or apps) are registered to the same Amazon account any Kindle or Kindle app attached to that account has access to the books.

 

I know you asked about Nook, but it seems there was some confusion about being able to do these things with a Kindle so I wanted to set the record straight. If I misunderstood, I apologize. Feel free to ignore my post if that's the case.

[DawnM]

You mean you can only loan it out once for two weeks ever and this is fo the Kindle AND the Nook?

 

I guess I misunderstood then....if that is the case, then I think I am indeed leaning toward the Kindle.

 

Dawn

 

You can get books from the library with Kindle too. As for sharing, both Nook and Kindle allow sharing, but it's up to the publisher whether or not a book can be loaned. You can only loan it once, ever, and only for 2 weeks. If you mean sharing for more than one reader (not loaning) then as long as the Kindles (or apps) are registered to the same Amazon account any Kindle or Kindle app attached to that account has access to the books.

 

I know you asked about Nook, but it seems there was some confusion about being able to do these things with a Kindle so I wanted to set the record straight. If I misunderstood, I apologize. Feel free to ignore my post if that's the case.

[annlaura]

I have nook color. My sister has the nook app on her ipad. We can share the lend-me titles. As far as I know, she can also download the weekly free friday offering, but she hasn't tried. The free friday offerings are what they are. I've gotten a bunch of books I've enjoyed, a few that were just ok, and I've passed on plenty. B&N offers a service where you can read almost any book without purchasing it, but you have to be in the store and can only read for an hour per day. Personally, I think this is pointless unless you worked next door to a B&N and took your lunch break there every day. :tongue_smilie: On the other hand, with a nook, you can pay $15 or so per year to be a member of the Philadelphia (IIRC) library, and borrow tons of books. Your local library may offer elending too. This should work on your ipad as well. There are not tons of free apps for nook, but so far I've liked the selection and haven't found them too expensive. The only ones I'd like, but haven't purchased due to cost, are the Audubon field guides. The nook kids picture books are great if you have littles, but you can get them on ipad nook app too. One of my favorite features is magazines, but I believe you can subscribe to many of the same ones on ipad or fire. Nook color has flash player and netflix, which are great. I read somewhere that nook uses a better processor than kindle, but I know nothing about tech stuff. I adore my nook color, but it's probably six of one, half dozen of the other.

[DawnM]

Oh, tell me more about this Philadelphia library. I have never heard of it before.

 

It only works with a Nook and not a Kindle?

 

Is it easier to get books than a local library?

 

Dawn

 

I have nook color. My sister has the nook app on her ipad. We can share the lend-me titles. As far as I know, she can also download the weekly free friday offering, but she hasn't tried. The free friday offerings are what they are. I've gotten a bunch of books I've enjoyed, a few that were just ok, and I've passed on plenty. B&N offers a service where you can read almost any book without purchasing it, but you have to be in the store and can only read for an hour per day. Personally, I think this is pointless unless you worked next door to a B&N and took your lunch break there every day. :tongue_smilie: On the other hand, with a nook, you can pay $15 or so per year to be a member of the Philadelphia (IIRC) library, and borrow tons of books. Your local library may offer elending too. This should work on your ipad as well. There are not tons of free apps for nook, but so far I've liked the selection and haven't found them too expensive. The only ones I'd like, but haven't purchased due to cost, are the Audubon field guides. The nook kids picture books are great if you have littles, but you can get them on ipad nook app too. One of my favorite features is magazines, but I believe you can subscribe to many of the same ones on ipad or fire. Nook color has flash player and netflix, which are great. I read somewhere that nook uses a better processor than kindle, but I know nothing about tech stuff. I adore my nook color, but it's probably six of one, half dozen of the other.

[shinyhappypeople]

Oh, tell me more about this Philadelphia library. I have never heard of it before.

 

 

It's $35 a year. Free Library of Philadelphia I have a nook and am signing up for the library card in January :)

[DawnM]

I still want to know WHY, is the availability better?

If so, that might be the best option and use my ipad.

 

Do they have audiobooks as well?

 

Thank you,

 

Dawn

 

It's $35 a year. Free Library of Philadelphia I have a nook and am signing up for the library card in January :)

[annlaura]

It's $35 a year. Free Library of Philadelphia I have a nook and am signing up for the library card in January :)

 

There you go! Honestly, maybe the kindle can use this now as well. I don't know enough about kindle to speak on it. When I bought my nook, kindle couldn't access library books. Now it can, but I don't know if it has the same access or not. And not sure about audiobooks. I've downloaded some audiobooks from libravox and played them on the nook. P.S. nook has pandora!

[kwg]

It's $35 a year. Free Library of Philadelphia I have a nook and am signing up for the library card in January :)

 

Can you search their listings without a card?

[DawnM]

I can search titles but I can't tell if there are holds or waits at all.

 

So, I guess I can see if the selection is better, but I can't see if accessibility is better.

 

Can you search their listings without a card?

[annlaura]

I asked the members of a group I'm in, and one person says she joined the Free Philadelphia Library. She says the wait lists for popular titles can be long. She has waited for books for three weeks before, and has seen wait times that are longer. Your wait list has a limit of 10 titles. And you can keep a book 7, 14, or 21 days depending on the title. Hope that helps. My local library does not have ebook lending yet, but I could pay to join the Chicago system for ebooks. If your local library or a nearby system has ebook lending, you might be fine with that. I have heard the selection is quite large through Philadelphia, which is why it is popular.