E Readers, Pro's & Con's

[Hittenstiehl]

We would like to purchase an e reader, non apple product, and would like to hear about your experiences.

Nothing against Apple we're just Android folks.

I've done some research and see that the major options are Amazon's Kindle series, Barnes & Knoble Nooks and Kobo's.

So far the leaders are Kindle Oasis $$, Kindle Paperwhite $, Nook Glow, Kobo Clara and possibly an Onyx Book Note which would actually double as a tablet and monitor versus just e reader.

I understand that each brand supports it's downloading system better but there are apps that help if conversation is necessary.

We might want to read loaned library books, newspapers, magazine and possibly listen to audiobooks. Audiobooks take more storage space. We are not super techy but can get around. We have Amazon Prime membership. We also wonder about how many electronic devices will come with us.

What do you use?

[djb75]

I use a Samsung tablet and it works well for me.

[Hittenstiehl]

So you use a tablet as your reader. Who and how do you get your reading material.

[DCPAS]

For what its worth, I much prefer reading on my Paperwhite as opposed to my Samsung tablet. Lighter and a better size to hold, but no color of course and small size. All comes down to personal preference.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thank you.

That is what I'm reading. The e reader is designed for premium reading as the primary goal of the device

The Paperwhite is also in a good price range.

[Acheron2010]

i'm on my 6th Kindle Paperwhite. I take it everywhere, read all the time. It has good battery life and is excellent outdoors, where other readers and tablets can experience glare. Like the adjustable font. I use Kindle Unlimited - reading about 2 books a week it is a great way to get books. With Unlimited, you can borrow 10 books at a time. With Amazon you can manage your library, and organize them into collections by author, or genre - whatever.
I have a Kindle Fire I use as a backup. It runs Android-type apps, and you can download magazines and newspapers. Screen is glary and has short battery life, and it can play audiobooks.

[Tim A.]

My wife and I both have Kindle Paperwhites. We thought we would only use them for travel and yet we now use them for nearly all of our fiction reading. We get our content from the Kindle store.

Tim

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx guys can you read newspapers or magazines on the Paperwhite.

[Searching]

I read the Boston Globe newspaper on my Kindle Paperwhite. The Globe has a Kindle edition subscription. Not sure that all newspapers do, although I think the NY Times does also. The Globe's Kindle subscription leaves out many of the newspapers photos, so I do miss out on a little in that department. There are many magazines that have Kindle subscriptions, but the photos lack clarity and of course, lack color, on the Paperwhite.
I really like the Paperwhite's ability to be easily read in sunlight.

[djb75]

I download books, magazines, and newspapers from my library and Amazon. Also watch Netflix and Amazon Prime as well as YouTube, etc. No problems with PDFs, office documents, or Skype, so I can use the tablet as a reader or a makeshift workstation for my job. The tablet I use has a 9" screen, so it's easy to carry.

[Hittenstiehl]

Thx,

So it sounds like the e-readers are built for book reading. Lightweight with good lighting but black and white and can also do newspapers and magazines.

We need to decide if a pure e reader is the choice or a tablet that does dual duty. We happen to be in the market for a new tablet also. Tablets can double as laptops for travel. Sometimes it nice to have something bigger than a phone but not quite a laptop.

We won't be using it (a tablet) for work just looking things up, e mails etc.

An e-reader would be used on the road and at home for reading.

[brokeboater]

On principal I don't like Amazon, or smart phones, or the big banks. But when they've got you they've got you and sometimes you just have to throw in the towel. I've got a Paper White and love it, especially for travel although I like to read early, before the sun comes up and drink my coffee out on the porch. The Paper White is ideal for that. Amazon, pretty hard to beat. I've got their card which gives me 5% back. I delay my orders if it doesn't matter, which it usually doesn't, and end up with credits for e books which add up pretty quick. If my local library doesn't have the ebook I want, and I can't pick it up on the free sites, I use my Amazon credits to pick it up. Plus if you have a prime account there are other free books included.

[Ultraclassic]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

We would like to purchase an e reader, non apple product, and would like to hear about your experiences.

Nothing against Apple we're just Android folks.

I've done some research and see that the major options are Amazon's Kindle series, Barnes & Knoble Nooks and Kobo's.

So far the leaders are Kindle Oasis $$, Kindle Paperwhite $, Nook Glow, Kobo Clara and possibly an Onyx Book Note which would actually double as a tablet and monitor versus just e reader.

I understand that each brand supports it's downloading system better but there are apps that help if conversation is necessary.

We might want to read loaned library books, newspapers, magazine and possibly listen to audiobooks. Audiobooks take more storage space. We are not super techy but can get around. We have Amazon Prime membership. We also wonder about how many electronic devices will come with us.

What do you use?

Sony e reader, older unit but works great, paper white style, it has a SD card and I use the card to drop and drag epubs, pdfs, etc on it.

Battery last forever, great at the beach or camp site, I use a headlight if I want to read after sun set.

My wife uses her iPad and it is always going dead or hard to read at the beach/sunny.

[Mollysdad]

I have a Kindle. The cheapest one. Still uses e-paper. The screen puts out no light, so you need a reading light at night (the new ones have a built in light) It also means you can read it in Sunshine just like a book. There's no buttons, everything is touch screen. It's very light, I bought a cheap cover just to give it some bulk.
It's better than a book. First you're not always shifting so the light falls on the page. The page lays flat. I can carry 500 books in my pocket. Since the screen only uses power to change pages, the battery lasts an entire book+. How does e-paper work? Magic?
After adapting to a Kindle I read a real book and found it very inconvenient.
Amazon has millions of free or 99¢ books. I like mysteries, so I read two or three a week. I never buy full price books.

[Lafitte]

Kindle Fire here.
Use "overdrive" to link to my local library for free books.

[Hittenstiehl]

Getting lots of information here folks thank you.

So I'm hearing that a tablet is going through the battery faster as the tablet's doing a whole lot more besides showing you the print to read.

I like the "500 books in my pocket" comment that sounds fun. I always like when Maggie says she checked her Nook library to see what she has stored to available.

[pjshier]

Hittenstiehl, from your responses it seems your best bet is a simple dedicated e-reader. Cheap, effective and nothing else to gum up the works. I, too, like the Paperwhite experience.

I tend to find a solution the standardizes the power supply/charger, software update, peripheral ecosystem. Right now that looks like the Kindle App on whatever phone or PC i have along for the ride. I set the reader to black background, white text - seems to work well in all lighting conditions and uses less power.

My business just ordered a Surface Duo for me, maybe soon I'll be down to only one device. I saw the Kindle app demonstrated on the device - the page-turning animation was interesting. Now if they would just add a book glue scratch and sniff feature...

[link2dks]

+1 on Paperwhite, and now it's IPX8 waterproof (2 meters for 60 minutes.)

[Hittenstiehl]

Agree that Paperwhite is getting lots of positive results.

One of the comments of "maybe someday going back to one device" made me think that my living room side table would have a phone, a tablet and a reader on it. And that is just my side of the table. Although that sounds excessive maybe that's a norm these days. I have gotten used to the cell phone and tablet at this point so what's one more device sitting on the side table. I currently use my phone for short emails, airforum and quick lookups but all those things are a little bit easier on the tablet just based on size alone.

Maybe I should reframe my thinking. Instead of having a book, or several books, a couple of magazines and a newspaper plus phone and a tablet there I'll have an e-reader so in a way it's similar amount of items just more devices.

[68 TWind]

Love my Paperwhite. When camping in the Airstream, I can read into the night without disturbing my wife with a reading light. I never thought I'd say this but after a couple of years using it, I enjoy reading on the Kindle more that books. Bookbub.com offers daily deals on cheap reads.