E-readers

[jethrien]

I'm considering taking the plunge on the e-reader front. I do not think I want a Kindle. Amazon still creeps me out. Honestly, I've found the Kobo most appealing, except that it's shackled to the sinking Titanic of Borders. What experiences have other people had? I'm more interested in cheapness over bells and whistles. Also, I have a crazy fast reading speed, so faster page refreshes and more text per page is much preferred.

Comments

[caranille.livejournal.com]

Well, I like my Kindle. I comparison-shopped with the Nook a while back and unless you want the Nook Color for magazines or something, the Kindle was more intuitive and faster to refresh. I haven't bought anything for it, though--I use it for free ebooks from places like Project Gutenberg.

[edgehopper.livejournal.com]

For you, I'd go with the new Nook Black & White (full disclosure: I represent Barnes & Noble). I've been very happy with the Nook and with B&N's online store, and you're probably looking for an eInk reader rather than a backlit screen. At $140 for the Wi-Fi only model with a full touchscreen, I don't think you can do much better. It's also got a ridiculously long battery life compared to the other options. You can also share a lot of books purchased from B&N between Nooks, which might be convenient.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Definitely, definitely want eInk.

[feiran.livejournal.com]

I've always enjoyed my Sony reader, though mine is rather old at this point and has a slow refresh time. The newer models were, of course, much better about speed. What I liked about the Sony reader at the time I was researching was that it allowed me to put all sorts of items on, including .doc, .rtf, and .pdf files, without paying any kind of extra charge -- this was great for reading manuscript submissions for critique. I do not know if Amazon has since eliminated the fee for uploading this sort of document. I also don't know if Sony's price point has lowered relative to other readers in the time since I researched. It used to be one of the more expensive brands.

Though I like the Sony, I've also been eyeing Kindles. In spite of their shady book behaviors, they seem to be everywhere these days and may be the way the market is heading.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

You can load manuscript submissions on a Kindle by using Calibre eBook management software. I take submitted RTFs and convert them to Mobi for Kindle use, then upload using the USB.

[feiran.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I had been using it with my Reader when I didn't want to install Sony's software, but I didn't realize it would work with Kindle too. Innnnnteresting...

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Yup, it'll work with just about any eReader. Calibre is pretty awesome. It doesn't preserve formatting well if you're trying to do professional conversions, but if you just want to read manuscripts, it's GREAT.

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

No experience w/ comparison shopping (my Kindle is a gift from the parents), but the Kindle 3G's internet is awesome when travelling; it works all over Europe, and lets me check email without costing me a cent.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I don't have an e-reader, technically, and I wouldn't recommend my "e-reader" to you anyway unless you want a lot more from an e-reader besides something that has books. The only thing good about the iPad, as far as ebooks go, is that you can get the Kindle app for it and use iBooks, so you're not beholden to one store or another. But, and I'll stress this again, the iPad is lousy for an e-Reader.

I have yet to play with the Nook, but I might suggest it over the Kindle depending on B&N's e-book policies. There are a lot of technical specs that you should fully consider before plunking down money for any one reader, but I would pay more attention to the attitude of the provider of your e-books. They're all pretty bad, I think, but it's worth it to know that, say, Amazon reserves the right to rescind your access to all the e-books that you paid for if you violate the terms of agreement on your account (or if they think you do, and good luck appealing!). Whatever you get, know what you'll have access to and what you won't in an emergency. That's my $0.02.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

I would sincerely recommend that you look at the brand-new Touch Nook. I handled one (although couldn't use it, as the demo model was locked) at Staples last weekend and...damn. If I didn't own a Kindle, I would be ALL OVER THAT SUCKER.

I adore the Sony readers, but they're just too expensive.

The new Nook has a much better refresh rate than the older one, so I would recommend it on that front, as well.

Also, Kobo is not, in fact, shackled to Borders. It's an independent product. It won't be going down with that ship; it just might be a wee bitty less convenient to get books on it when Borders goes under.

[freekofnature.livejournal.com]

RE: last sentence of post.
Then you definitely want a Nook.
Everyone I know who has one loves it, for that reason -- also it's great for quickie cheap Internet access over Wi-Fi, when needed.