Best E-Reader - any advice???

WhoElse

Has anyone any advice on which e-reader works best? Most online reviews include ones not for sale in ireland, and none of them seem to mention price of the books either.

Has anyone bought one and how have you found it? Paperbacks are just filling shelves so I need help! :-)

Packet

I use the Amazon Kindle. They've just released a few new ones. The most basic version is available in Ireland as well as the one with a keyboard and 3G.

Tesco are selling both, the keyboardless one is €110. It has WiFi only.

I haven't tried non-Amazon e-readers but it is generally said that the Kindle is the best because it has a matt display. Others with touch screens are more subject to glare. The new Kindle touch screen isn't available here but it works by having the sensor beneath the screen and works by heat detection instead of pressure.

Khannie

Nook > kindle IMO. More or less all of the newer touch ebooks have the matt display. The nook has the advantage that it's running Android, can be rooted and run lots of other apps. If you have the option, I would take the nook simple touch in a heartbeat over the wifi kindle tbh.

I got mine through a friend who was visiting the US. Came in at €82 ($99 + tax). If you don't have a friend in the US, you're looking at ebay. You can get refurbished ones for about 90 delivered. New ones are around 120 delivered.

akonobi

Kindle Fire is great if there are still any available. Kindle Fire Review

WhoElse

@Packet
Regards the Kindle, it has the advantage of being to install an app for every OS to share the same books out to other devices - very handy. And it has generally favourable reviews. How have you found the pricing of the e-books copmpared to paper?
Also I read on silicon republic (admittedly an old article) that for some reason Irish customers were routed to amazon.com, not .co.uk. Is that true, and is it a limitation at all?

@Khannie
I used to be technical, so I'd be confident of being able to root a Nook (I can do basic tasks like upgrade my phone's android version, so it's no dissimilar, right?)
What's the benefit - it looks like you get an andorid tab without a camera and GPS for the price of an e-reader.
My worry is that it woudl just duplicate a lot of what my phone does. In all honesty, I'm leaning towards android lock-in because they have the lower price point, so it's finally at a point where I'd be prepared to bring the e-reader around with me without worrying too much about losing it. Whereas a rooted device woudl be harder to replace. I guess that's a slightly illogical argument but I'm looking for a simple solution!

@akonobi
I thought the Fire's functionality was limited outside north america? Also I'd be wary that the flashier the device, the less likely I am to bring it with me on the go

Thanks again to all of you for the advice, I really appreciate it. Boards.ie is allways the best place to ask or share info!

Cork24

I use my Ipad,, can download E-books from the net.. can also install a Kindle App which allows me to buy kindle format off Amazon and read off my Ipad

Packet

WhoElse wrote: »

@Packet
Regards the Kindle, it has the advantage of being to install an app for every OS to share the same books out to other devices - very handy. And it has generally favourable reviews. How have you found the pricing of the e-books copmpared to paper?
Also I read on silicon republic (admittedly an old article) that for some reason Irish customers were routed to amazon.com, not .co.uk. Is that true, and is it a limitation at all?

As far as I know the B&N Nook has software that can be installed on other OSes and devices. I'm not sure if books can be legally bought for the nook outside the US - assuming Nook defenders will leap in on this if it is wrong.

It is true that Irish Kindle users have to buy from the .com site. I thought it would be a problem but in practice haven't found it to be. I buy non-fiction books exclusively and for that category at least it hasn't been for me.

A bigger problem is some books not being simultaneously released on Kindle and hard copy. So I've had to buy a couple old fashioned books in the last year that I wanted on Kindle.

The prices for most books vary from free to about €12. Amazon adjust the prices so sometimes a book will be free or low priced for a while. On principle I don't buy a book for more unless I really want it. The new Steve Jobs biography was more than this and the kindle edition was more than the hard copy!

CNET published a review of "Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad" on Nov 23rd.