I'm contemplating whether I should join the revolution and convert to an eReader. I'm a sucker for a new gadget so the idea of owning an eReader is spellbinding. However, I'm an even bigger sucker for physical books. The comfortable feel of a trade paperback. The official new feel of a hardcover. The act of physically turning pages can never be replaced. After all, an eReader kind of nulls the term "page-turner."
But there are advantages. I like the idea of having access to over 100 classic books conveniently in one place. But will I really read them all? I also like the idea of traveling with multiple books without the extra weight. It makes it easier to read more than one book/magazine at a time.
Through my research, I've narrowed my choices down to three of the most popular types. (Note the Apple iPad is excluded because it's in a league of its own. #TeamApple) Here's what I found:
($139 Wi-Fi; $189 Wi-Fi + 3G; $379 DX)
- High contrast e-ink screen
- No glare; readable in bright sunlight
- Sleek design
- Weighs less than a paperback
- Battery life of up to one (1) month
- Stores up to 3,500 books
- Seamless page reading
- Dictionary lookup, notes, & highlight
- PDF reader with search and annotations
- Send, carry, & read personal docs
- Web browser
- Can read English-language content out loud
- Book lending coming soon
- Transfer/play MP3's & podcasts
- eBooks $9.99 or less
- Free out-of-copyright books
- Free book samples before purchase
($249 Wi-Fi; $199 Wi-Fi + 3G)
- Color touch screen
- No glare or backlight
- Customized font sizes
- Free book browsing/reading in store
- Surf the web
- 8GB of space & expandable memory
- Offers over 2 million titles
- Electronic newspapers & magazines
- Lifetime library
- 14-day lending from local library
- Borrow/lend to friends
- Share passages/quotes on Twitter & Facebook
- Bookmark, highlight & take notes
- Most bestsellers & new releases $9.99 or less
- Sample eBooks for free before purchase
- "Poor Man's iPad"
$179 Pocket; $229 Touch; $299 Daily Edition
- Pink ribbon bundle edition
- 14-22 days battery life
- Clear touch screen
- Six (6) adjustable font sizes
- Access up to 350 books anywhere
- Carry up to 1,200 books at a time
- Virtual keyboard, highlight & take notes
- Two (2) dictionaries & ten (10) translators
- Transfer titles to both PC and Mac
- Adobe PDFs, personal docs, blogs, & RSS feeds
- Play MP3's & audio files
- Borrow books from local library
- Daily subscriptions to newspapers
- Access to Google Books & Sony eReader Store
In conclusion, I am still a fan of old school paper books, but will broaden my reading experience with an eReader. If you are an eReader user, please share your experience with us.
Happy eReading!
Congrats on your 100th Blog
ReplyDeleteFrom your Biggest Fan !
The verdict is still out on the eReader, I'm a "page-turner" .
A good point that deserves to be noted is the Amazon Kindle has an application for most smartphones and the PC/MAC as well, that lets you read kindle-ready books. I have the app on my Android and it is by far the most useful app I've seen so far, but I'm also a fan of digital books with too many to count in my collection.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog lady! I think the eReader will be the better buy! Let me know which one, if any, you decide to go with.
ReplyDeleteThanks to my biggest fan, Gabby! I wouldn't be an avid reader if it wasn't for you.
ReplyDeleteChristopher, that is a very good point. I have the Kindle app on my MAC. I'm still getting used to digital books.
Thanks Jen! I'll let you know which eReader I choose.
I got the NookColor for Christmas!
ReplyDelete