Posted: 12/29/2010 4:14:24 PM EDT
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Older Daughter got some gift cards for Christmas and asked about using them to get a book reader...Kindle, Nook, etc...
She's a reader (like me)...a couple of books a week. Generally teen books (15 y.o...so no pics for you pervs..), but has read some of my Sci Fi stuff that I recommended. Not one to get things on the NYT best seller list. We have a WiFi setup here so she can download via that (doesn't need 3G). Want something where I can let her look for cheap books, free books, and a few paid books (save a trip to the bookstore). Any suggestions on which will be the best? (She has about $150 in gift cards...I'll supplement a tiny bit if needed.) Thanks! AFARR |
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Bought my wife a Kindle for Christmas. She loves it. I did the same she really likes it over her older gen 1...the kindle even has text to speech and will read to you not to mention it will play mp3's I would suggest the lighted cover to go with it for reading in low light or in bed, the light is powered off the kindle so there is no need for extra batteries |
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I'll look for the kindle v. nook thread...
Not interested in an ipad...she has a notebook (last years Christmas present from my dad) that we have restricted to times she can use it (times we can supervise), let alone the price on the ipad. I've seen other setups....Tigerdirect has a 'Cruze" (android based) in the same price range. Not sure what else is out there. Thanks! AFARR Edited: Kindle V. Nook thread from a little while back... |
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I have a kindle (2 actually) and my neighbors have a nook and a literati. The nook is the black and white e-ink one and the display looks nice. It takes a lot longer than mine to start up, which is wierd, and has a touch screen instead of a keypad. The keypad on the kindle is faster and easier to use than the nook one in my opinion. People like touch screens for some reason.
The color literati takes a long time to start up, and my neighbor hasn't had any luck downloading books on it for some reason. It has a color backlit screen. It's like a tablet with non of the advantages of a tablet, and non of the advantages of an ereader. I'll try it again if he ever gets it working. There have been some problems with the amazon non-lighted cover shorting out the kindle. The lighted cover does not seem to suffer from these problems. I have a leather oberon cover for mine. I've had no problems with it, nor my larger dx model. Keep in mind, an e-reader is not a tablet. It's like an mp3 player only it reads books. A lot of people are complaining about not being able to do things the kindle was not meant to do in the first place. It's an electronic book, nothing more, nothing less. It's awesome to have a lot of books at your disposal in such a small package. But if your not an avid reader that goes through a lot of books it probably won't we worth the trouble. There have been some issues with cracks in the screen and keys letters wearing off. I have not had these problems but amazon has replaced the ones that do have problems. If you do decide on a kindle, order it from amazon, don't get the ones in the store. That way, if you do have a problem, amazon will overnight you a new one. |
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I got a Nook for Christmas, I'm very happy with it. I'm a fan of the open source nature of the Nook as opposed to the Kindle DRM protection and closed source OS. (Nook is Android based) I like the Amazon book store interface a little more, (I think it's easier to find books, but then again I use Amazon A LOT already) I don't hate the B&N store setup that much though and it will probably just take more getting used to. |
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Quoted:
Older Daughter got some gift cards for Christmas and asked about using them to get a book reader...Kindle, Nook, etc... She's a reader (like me)...a couple of books a week. Generally teen books (15 y.o...so no pics for you pervs..), but has read some of my Sci Fi stuff that I recommended. Not one to get things on the NYT best seller list. We have a WiFi setup here so she can download via that (doesn't need 3G). Want something where I can let her look for cheap books, free books, and a few paid books (save a trip to the bookstore). Any suggestions on which will be the best? (She has about $150 in gift cards...I'll supplement a tiny bit if needed.) Thanks! AFARR Nook allows you to check out library books. |
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get a 300 dollar android tablet.. you can convert any format to .epub to read using aldiko in addition to browsing the web, watching youtube videos etc... A tablet is nice, but comparing them to an ereader is like comparing them to an mp3 player. Some people want something primarily to read. My kindle (I'm not sure about the others) can go weeks between charges if I turn wireless off, and is so thin I always have it with me. It starts instantly as well. I think a lot of people are going to get ereaders thinking they will perform as tablets and be dissapointed. People that dont' read a lot of books will not find an ereader very useful. |
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After a lot of research, I asked Santa for a Kindle. I've been very impressed thus far. I'd highly recommend buying the leather cover that includes a reading light. While the contrast is great for reading in any light that would normally work if reading a hardcopy, the little light would sure come in handy when reading in subdued lighting conditions. I bought the plain leather cover. Quality. Sharp looking. Just wish I'd bought the model that had the built in light that runs off of the Kindle's battery. No worries other than that. |
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Quoted:
After a lot of research, I asked Santa for a Kindle. I've been very impressed thus far. I'd highly recommend buying the leather cover that includes a reading light. While the contrast is great for reading in any light that would normally work if reading a hardcopy, the little light would sure come in handy when reading in subdued lighting conditions. I bought the plain leather cover. Quality. Sharp looking. Just wish I'd bought the model that had the built in light that runs off of the Kindle's battery. No worries other than that. Thought I would forgo a cover. Realized I didn't always have available light. Got the leather cover with light. All is well. |
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I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab and I love it. Ipad is too big. The galaxy tab is much more than a reader and probably out of the price range you want. What you could do if you wanted to go a similar route but cheaper is get a Nook Color (android based) then root it. For 250 bucks you get a 95% solution on a tablet (it lacks a camera etc...) that runs Android, has access to the B&N store/Nook application plus you can get the Kindle app for android AND download all the free books (guttenberg project, Baen Library etc) and read them easily. Plus all the android apps (Angry Birds is the shiznit on the big screens). The rooting for it is VERY easy and not tech difficult at all. (Root Nook Color
The cons to the NC are lower battery life compared to e-ink and a bit heavier. The pluses are that it has its own light source, it has full access to the android marketplace, much better support for magazines and other color-required media (comics etc). You can watch movies, listen to MP3s etc. Browse the web, blah blah blah. If I did not like the Samsung for it's extra features (3G, cameras, slightly smaller) I would have a NC right now. |
| I'm surfing ARFCOM right now on my Nook Color. It does everything that every other ereader does, surfs the web and reads all the Microsoft office products. Its better than my Droid for somethings. I can turn it on and be surfing thd web in less than 10 seconds. |
| I love my nook (e-ink). Battery life is great, and it has a web browser (kinda). I also like the little deals that pop up now and then on it, like free coffee in the B&N stores. Being able to loan books out is great, too. It'll also play MP3's while reading eBooks, though this does cut down on the battery life. |
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My wife has had a Nook for about a year. She loves it and reads a lot on it. Lots of free books available. Not just public domain books either. Lots of authors have free ebooks to get you interested in their writing. She's found a few new authors to read that way.
I'm probably going to get a NookColor sooner or later as I want to use it as a tablet as well as an ereader since I don't read as many books as I used to. (I know it will be a limited tablet, but after you root it, it's the cheapest 7-inch tablet out there right now.) |
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Kindle. I've used both Kindle and the Nook (along with some of the older readers like the Sony) - personally I hate the color display on the Nook and I don't really like the interface. The Kindle's sorting options could be improved, but that's my minor gripe. As a few others have pointed out, the Kindle is a purpose-built device. IMO, devices that try to do everything, wind up only doing those things marginally well. The Kindle was built from the beginning to do one thing very well, and it succeeds. If you want a tablet to surf with, get a tablet. If you want an e-book reader, get the Kindle. Maybe some day there will be the perfect single device, but it doesn't yet exist. The new 3rd gen kindles with the increased contrast, reduced weight and increased capacity and battery life are a steal at $139 (for the wifi only model). |
| After a short period of ownership I'm blown away at how much better e-ink is for reading than an lcd. The kindle has the better e-ink screen, is lighter, has better battery life, and is tied to a retailer in a more sound position financially. If I wanted to surf the web I'd use my desktop, laptop, or phone. I won't compromise readability for it on an ereader. |