Electronic Readers-which one to get? (e-book, movies, English, buy)

[mllex]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

How is the $79 Kindle more comparable to the Nook Simple Touch? It does not have a touch screen like the Nook does. Just because the pricing is closer does not mean they are similar models. I readily admitted that the closest Kindle comparison to the Nook Simple Touch is more expensive - one of the downsides to the Kindle Touch.

IMO it's more comparable due to the lack of a physical keyboard. They're both the most "basic" models. Also, they're similar in size, weight, and amount of basic storage. It's a matter of opinion and it's ok you disagree.

Yep, and I was just clarifying that their claim is not true for the Kindle Touch or Keyboard.

Well, you seemed to have an issue with what I wrote about the info I had at the time I considered the e-readers. I stated the timeliness of the battery life issue from the get go.

I didn't say that you did.

But you pretty much did. You wrote, "This is not true, they both use eInk Pearl technology and did so in August, even before the Kindle Touch announcement." This was clearly a response based on a misreading of what I had written.

There's no tizzy, I just noticed a lot of your info is outdated or wrong and I thought the OP would want to know. I know I would want to know in her position.

Oh but there is. I'm sure the OP already noticed that I opined based on my own experience and my nook. I'm sure others also noticed that I did not give "a lot" of "wrong" info, as you claim, since much of it was an opinion (which you may not like, hence "wrong"?). As for the actual "info," you specifically picked 2 out of 9 delineated points I raised to show how I was "wrong," when I had already qualified my points. No need to take it personally. I'm out.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by mllex

IMO it's more comparable due to the lack of a physical keyboard. They're both the most "basic" models. Also, they're similar in size, weight, and amount of basic storage. It's a matter of opinion and it's ok you disagree.

The Kindle Touch is also similar in size and weight; in fact, it's even closer:

Nook Simple Touch specs: 6.5" x 5.0" x 0.47", 7.48 ounces
Kindle Touch specs: 6.8" x 4.7" x 0.40", 7.5 ounces
$79 Kindle: 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34", 5.98 ounces

But now we're getting pretty pedantic. Big picture: the touch screen is generally regarded as the most distinguishing feature between models. If someone is in the market for an eInk touch screen, they won't be looking at the $79 Kindle, they'll be looking at the Kindle Touch and the Nook Simple Touch. B&N simply don't offer a competitor to the $79 Kindle.

But you pretty much did. You wrote, "This is not true, they both use eInk Pearl technology and did so in August, even before the Kindle Touch announcement." This was clearly a response based on a misreading of what I had written.

I said it's not true that they used different types of eInk technology, I did not say that you claimed Kindle does not use eInk at all. You really go to long lengths to twist things around to try to make yourself look not-so-wrong after all, huh?

Oh but there is. I'm sure the OP already noticed that I opined based on my own experience and my nook. I'm sure others also noticed that I did not give "a lot" of "wrong" info, as you claim, since much of it was an opinion (which you may not like, hence "wrong"?). As for the actual "info," you specifically picked 2 out of 9 delineated points I raised to show how I was "wrong," when I had already qualified my points. No need to take it personally. I'm out.

Nope, I have no problem with people preferring a Nook over a Kindle. In fact, my SIL has the old Nook and I'm getting her the Nook Simple Touch for Christmas. It doesn't bother me that her opinion differs from mine. My issue is solely with the outdated and incorrect info you put forward (and yes, a lot of it was incorrect, you seem incapable of just being able to admit you were wrong so if anyone is taking it personally, it appears to be you).

[pinetreelover]

Thanks to both of the back-and-forth posters on this issue. Your discussion/debate is actually very helpful. I'm in the process of trying to decide which of these two readers is going to make my Christmas list so I appreciate your dialogue.

[mohawkx]

I was considering getting my own e-reader and I did my homework by googling various reviews for two days and actually doing an all-nighter on the computer, just for research. My parameters were the following. I love to read books and I especially like to read magazines like Time, Smithsonian, Nat Geo, Newsweek and others. I'd like to check my e-mail and browse the web also. I also thought that it would be nice to have a calender, detailed contact list and a notepad. Reading some docs in PDF wouldn't be a bad option either. Well, that was my wish list and based on the exceptional return policies of both competitors, I ordered up a kindle keyboard with wi-fi and 3g, a kindle fire, a Nook color and a Nook tablet.
I am a person in my 60s and I've never had a smart phone where they use all those "Android Apps" that everybody talks about. I haven't owned a cell phone for two years since I retired.

Here are my honest conclusions.

Kindle Keyboard.
I thought that I'd really like this and be able to use it right out of the box because it was dated technology and would possibly fit my needs and abilities better than the latest state of the art products. Well, it was easy to use and it was very consistant in it's performance. It has a very nice screen for reading books and it is comparible to reading a paperback. It also would allow you to turn on audio reader, which is a great way to have someone read to you. If you spend a lot of time laying on a Chaise' Lounge, taking in the sun, around the pool or the beach, then this might be the perfect reader for you. But you'll still need to bring any magazines you like and forget about any other features. Yes, it has web, but if you use it once, you won't use it again. Even with free 3g. Think powdered charcoal for all your content. The whole kindle keyboard experience and the broader e-ink experience left me flat and unsatisfied with the whole reading experience. This would apply to Nook e-ink or Kindle e-ink, as far as I'm concerned. If you like reading paperbacks on a sunny day, outside, then this may be your e-reader. The system is very stable but extremely boring. At least for me.

This leaves the Kindle Fire and The Nook Color in comparison.
Both have very nice displays. As far as resolution and quality go. I used the Nook Color and The Kindle Fire side by side for 4 days. Both had what I was looking for. Great, vibrant image quality, great content that you could order from either B&N or Amazon. Both had browsers that worked, albiet the B&N was much better at browsing than the kindle. Both had e-mail and both were Wi-Fi only. Both have apps for calenders and contact lists.

I ended up returning all e-readers except the Nook Tablet after extensive usage and here's why.

The kindle's software is extremely buggy. The touch screen is either not sensitive enough or too sensitive causing you to double tap and lose your path or you find yourself waiting for something to happen. I believe that it's called " touch-screen stutter". There were times I wanted to throw the Kindle Fire through the window with frustration, whereas I ended up taking the Nook to bed to finish my magazine I was reading at the time. The interface on the Nook was that comfortable. The expand and shrink feature was extremely buggy on the kindle and many times thnigs would not load and it was easy to overload the processor and freeze the unit. The B&N, on the other hand was stable as a rock. Reading a National Geographic or a Time magazine was a great experience and frankly, I read the Nat Geo cover to cover moreso than with the actual hard-copy edition. The software of the Nook Color was much more refined than the Kindle Fire IMO. The biggest drawback of the Nook is that it doesn't have a lot of side applications. The calender is rudamentry as is the contact list. Amazon has much more robust applications and much more choice.
On the other hand, the Hardware construction of the Nook is far superior to the Kindle Fire, IMO. The Fire fells like a Samsung Droid on steroids. It is a big piece of glass with rounded edges so you don't cut yourself and I found it very uncomfortable to hold for an hour or more when you're trying to read. Plus the fact that there is no place to hold it without activating the touch screen and frustrating you. The Nook on the other hand is very comfortable to hold and read for long periods, as it has a border around the touch screen. The nook also has a slot for adding your own memory whereas you're stuck with the memory that Kindle gives you with no possibility of upgrading. They both use a system called the "Cloud" for storing content but then to access it, you have to be on the Wi-Fi to use it. For my dollar, I want to buy it, store it and use it without connecting to the cloud or wi-fi. the Nook allows this in a very elegant manner whereas the kindle doesn't. (Kindle Fire has no volume control without going into the software).
I went with the latest iteration of the Nook Color (aka the Tablet) as it has 1 gig of RAM whereas the Kindle only has 512 as does the Ipad2. Down the road that extra Ram will hold me in good stead as one can't have enough ram as new apps come your way.

All in all, my conclusion is that the Kindle Fire is a good product with a great backing in Amazon but is not ready for prime-time with the kludgy operation and interface. It's just not that intuitive for the average user. It's an e-reader that wants to be an Ipad and it doesn't work. The B&N Nook Color/Tablet is second generation, rock solid and gives a very intuitive and easy experience. Magazines just POP with color and readability. Books just flow nicely and the interface is rock solid and transparent. Browsing and e-mail work very well on the Nook.
Both units need more. The Kindle Fire needs numerous software upgrades to make it a comfortable experience and the browsing/email experience needs to be improved dramaticly. The Nook needs more applications and versatility beyond a portal to buy B&N content. Both are working on fixing each specific challenge they face as we speak. I'm sure in a year both will have overcome their respective hurdles but IMO the Nook will end up the better machine due to it's abilities to provide removeable mass storage and a built in mic that someone will hack and allow skype calls and blue tooth. The Nook is a hackers dream. The kindle is a closed brick and can only be made better with internal software upgrades by Amazon.
For me, the Nook is the much better reader with extra features. If you just want that pulp fiction/paperback experience, get any one of the e-ink/pearl readers in 16 shades of grey. You can get a touch of either brand for 79.00.
If you want a truly exceptional reading experience with lots of extras thrown in get a Nook Tablet or wait for the Kindle Fire, Gen2 to come out.

Good Luck.

[4rummer]

Seems like no one mentioned the Kobo eReader Touch or The Sony Reader Daily Edition. The Kobo eReader is a recent model with the notable distinction of actually beating the Nook to market as the touchscreen competitor to the Kindle. Weighing less than 200gms, it is also one of the lightest and smallest e-readers to date. Both the Nook and Kobo offer expandibility through memory card slots, something Kindle lacks.

Downside - Battery life that doesn't match up to Kindle or Nook

[mohawkx]

Originally Posted by 4rummer

Seems like no one mentioned the Kobo eReader Touch or The Sony Reader Daily Edition. The Kobo eReader is a recent model with the notable distinction of actually beating the Nook to market as the touchscreen competitor to the Kindle. Weighing less than 200gms, it is also one of the lightest and smallest e-readers to date. Both the Nook and Kobo offer expandibility through memory card slots, something Kindle lacks.

Downside - Battery life that doesn't match up to Kindle or Nook

Thanks for that update. I have no experience with either one of those models. Kobo's content comes out of S. Korea, doesn't it? If I understand, these are devices that have dominated the asian market, which is a great market as they tend to read much more than their American counterparts.

[janrey]

I think one of the big reasons one might choose a kindle over any other reader is 3G. Kindle keyboard and Kindle touch both have 3G models. Why is this a big deal? Well I bought a kindle for my mom and she doesn't have internet and therefore doesn't have wi-fi. She can still get books without it using 3G. As far as choosing touch or keyboard that's a preference issue. I prefer keyboard instead of touch for ease of turning pages using the buttons on either side of the keyboard.

As to battery life. I read a lot, up to 4+ hours a day. Battery will last probably 2 weeks though I never tested it. It's not that hard or inconvenient to just plug it in every few days.

[goodtimes59]

My wife mentioned yesterday that she would like one of the eReaders for Christmas. She mainly reads books when she is outside by the pool during the summer and inside when she has time later in the evenings. She isnt that crazy about reading magazines or other things. So I imagine the best one will be either the Nook or Kindle ereader. Would anyone who has either like to offer up their advice. I have read a little about the readers that have the ink style interface and its very good in sunlight versus the color screens. So if you can offer any ideas thanks in advance. I am sorry I was unable to offer anything to this thread except to ask questions.

[Tracysherm]

Okay, I have some really dumb questions, so bear with me. But I guess the answers might help others as well.

I am a book-lover and have been resistent to getting an e-reader, but now I'm in the "maybe" zone, telling myself I'll read the book electronically, and if I then "must" have it, I'll still buy a hard copy. I tend to feel like I MUST own books I read.

What I don't understand is, do you have to be in a place with wi-fi to use the e-reader? If not, why are people all concerned with "3G" or being near wi-fi?

This is how I'm picturing it works; please correct where I'm wrong.
I would plug my e-reader into my computer, maybe a USB port, and download books from the internet. The books would be stored on the reader. Then I would carry the e-reader around freely and read, with the only limiting factor being the power supply. Is the 3G/wi-fi capability only needed if you want to download a book when not plugged into your computer? Like if I'm in a park and suddenly want to read Ivanhoe? I'm really not that impulsive, and I think I'm fine with doing my downloading from my home computer. But is that antiquated thinking?

Do you have to have internet access/browsing, e-mail, and all kinds of other regular computer applications on your e-reader, or can you get one just for books, period? I'm fine with doing my browsing, e-mailing, and other stuff on my actual computer, or on my Droid. I'm also one of those people who thinks that the more functions you have on a device, the more things can go wrong with it.

Anyway, please answer "in crayon" for the newbies like me who are totally out of the loop.

[Tracysherm]

Another dumb question. On the Kindle, are there ads visible when you read a book, like right there on the page? I've been reading numerous customer reviews on Amazon, and see some mention of the ads, but not an answer to my question. I expect ads if I'm online, or browsing Amazon for more books, but not in the middle of a book I'm reading.

Also, I don't understand all the concern about battery life. One month vs. 2 months. People on Amazon and boards like this one actually argue about it. I don't plan on going anywhere where I won't have access to electricity for a month, so I don't see the big deal on the battery life thing. I plug in my damned cell phone every single night, and that sucker just bleeds power. I don't see a problem with plugging in the Kindle every week or so; what's the big deal?

Thanks.