E-book/ E-reader

96tacolx

96tacolx

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Location
Gastonia
Daughter (16yr) is wanting one this year. Anybody have one or familiar with them? Need some input. Thanks
 
iPad - not only can it be an eBook / Reader, it's an iPod, gaming system, web, email, everything. It won't be too long, and textbooks for school (HS and College probably) should be delivered that way, even tests, etc...

Just my .02
 
gdub00d said:
iPad - not only can it be an eBook / Reader, it's an iPod, gaming system, web, email, everything. It won't be too long, and textbooks for school (HS and College probably) should be delivered that way, even tests, etc...
Just my .02
Click to expand...

also costs like 500-600 dollars. Not worth it IMO.

I also want one of these for Christmas, I saw a demonstration of the Nook (before the color version came out) and was hooked since then.

In my research, here is what I came up with, hope it helps!

Holding - Kindle is said to be easier to hold. Its lighter, and thinner. The Nook Color is heavier by quite a bit, and has some type of bulge in the back.

Back Lit - Kindle is NOT backlit, it uses an E-Ink screen, which looks much like a paper page would. Nook Color IS backlit, as it uses an LCD screen, but the lower levels of Nook are not back lit, they rely on E-Ink as well. Keep in mind that a glossy screen is part of the LCD deal, and it makes Nook Color hard to read outside.

Battery Life - Kindle wins out, as E-Ink uses much less energy than an LCD Screen. Its said the Kindle goes about a week without recharging when under heavy use.

Not sure really on durability, but these should always be used with a case as the screens are pretty much out there. Kindle has no protection over its screen.

Same with water resistance, I would assume the Nook might be a little tighter in water resistance department as its mostly a touch screen, Kindle has quite a few buttons.

The main difference from what I have read is that..

Nook has user replacement batteries, Kindle requires you to send it back in to Amazon (free of charge for the replacement though...I believe).

Nook also has an SD card slot for memory expansion, but comes with less memory than the Kindle to begin with. Kindle does not have the memory expansion, however its memory is decent to begin with and should hold tons more books than you will ever need.

Some complaints about Nook I have read include that it can actually do TOO much, with a cleaner internet browser, so one sometimes feels inclined to mess around on the internet rather than read...not sure if that is really a viable complaint though.

Also, Kindle CANNOT read Epub formats, which is only a big deal if you are wanting to use it at the library or something.

Kindle also has no in store support like the Nook. AND Nook offers free books inside their store for like an hour.

Ultimately I chose the Kindle with 3g capability for $189, although I have no idea if thats what I will be given, not that 3g matters too much anymore anyways. I decided the E-Ink screen and battery life meant more to me, plus the interface for the Kindle seems much better.
 
But remember, OP said it was for a 16 year old, so gonna have all those many other toys most likely (mp3, games, etc.) - buy one or buy many...

I will admit iPad is hard to read in sunlight - have not tried one of the screen / anti-glare kits yet.
 
My sister got the kindle when it first came out for college. it's pretty neat and works great, arguably the best, at being an e-reader. My dad chose to get the iPad when it first came out. He likes gadgets and what not so it was no surprise, but he uses it all the time for reading and really likes it. My mom liked his so much she went out and got one herself. The reason they chose the iPad is because it functioned as an e-reader and it could do so much more. I don't think my sister uses her kindle a whole lot just because you can only use it for reading, and she only reads for school. My parents on the other hand get a lot of use out of their iPads and have used it on the beach to read books. It's not the best out in sunlight, but at the same time, it's not that bad either.
 
Google is now planning to export their text cervices for any device - including smartphones.
It's kind of small, but keep in mind that means easy access w/o need for any separate device.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Google is now planning to export their text cervices for any device - including smartphones.
It's kind of small, but keep in mind that means easy access w/o need for any separate device.
Click to expand...

And that software is already available for iPhone / iPad and works great... Next will be interactive picture stories - will make romance novels into the next "can of skoal and magazine" for your teenage boy...but hey, they're "reading" - right...
 
Just got the wife a nook color. So far she loves it. One of the main reasons was the library use so you can check out books instead of buying them all. Also we have a 2 year old and the interactive kids books were a nice bonus. The browser is decent. Havent done any video on it yet.

Screen is nice. Also, its the android platorm and supposudly they are building a market for it. So, there should be lots of apps coming down the pipe.
 
i just bought my mom a kindle....it looks cool and has a lot of books avaible for cheap/free and it's a very popular model...so it should be g2g, and it's cheap
 
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