Tuesday, October 27, 2009

A look at Ebook Readers


Well, I don't have an ebook reader - at least not yet, but ebooks are gaining in popularity and ebook reader's are a must. The most I hear about is the Kindle. Here's the stats on the new Kindle from the Kindle home page:
Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines
Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
3G Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle; no annual contracts, no monthly fees, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
International Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries.
Paper-Like Display: Reads like real paper without glare, even in bright sunlight
Carry Your Library: Holds up to 1,500 books
Long Battery Life: Read for days without recharging
Of course, there are more features, I'm being brief here. I like all these features and more. The new Kindle is weighing in at $259. So....is it worth it?
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I have a Kindle app for the IPhone and in fact, I read Rita's Hestand, "Runaway Bride" off my Kindle app. I liked the conviencence (sp) of it. Since I take my phone everywhere, my book went with me. And it opened up at the touch of a button. I bought it at the touch of a button and it's hooked up to my Amazon account. There wasn't too much glare and the font was easy on my easy.
Who says I need an ebook reader, right?
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Then there's the Sony Ebook reader. They have a touch edition and the cost is only $199. The screen is 6" and it has access to Google books. It is compable with many ebook stores and has 5 different sizes for text. There's a 2 week battery with audio/picture player and the memory can be expanded.
I like this too. So it doesn't have access to Amazon's library. That is probably the only set back.
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Then I found the Barnes & Noble Nook. It's not available yet. Maybe Christmas? I wasn't sure. It has lots of features comparable to the other readers and access to the Barnes & Noble ebook library. It's got a touch screen and the battery will last 10 w/o wireless. Mind you, wireless sucks the life out of batteries, trust me on this.
Here's a link to the top 10 ebook readers - mind you this link is PRICEY and quite honestly, I don't want to spend over $250 for my ebook reader.
Ebook readers shout out. What ebook reader do you have? What's the TOP 3 features you LIKE about it. What did you think of the price. Do you find having access to Amazon, Google Books or B&N convientent or a deciding factor in your decision to get one? Love to hear your thoughts.
Steph

2 comments:

  1. I don't have a reader yet, but will likely get one. I was going to go with Sony, but I was looking at the BN reader, also, and might go that way. I like that both use the standard Epub format so you can buy books from anywhere to use on it (except Amazon of course since it offers only its own format unless you pay them to configure each book you buy in a different format). No monopoly attempt with either BN or Sony - only a nice gadget with wider options.

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  2. Yeah, Loraine, I've leaning toward Sony, but I have to admit, I do like the easy convience (sp?) of Amazon and the one touch buy. We'll see, I'm not sold any one ebook reader yet and I'm going to try a few more books on my Kindle app for the Iphone.

    Steph

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