So, what's out there in the e-reader market?

[Torn Mind]

I'm thinking of getting one but I am not sure what exactly is worth getting out there.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Amazon and B&N have good ereaders. I think the more important question is who do you want to buy your ebooks from?

I really like Amazon myself because, combined with a Prime membership, you get access to the Lending Library, letting you check out a book for free a month. Also there are many self published books that are pretty good (and granted a lot that suck too).

So my recommendation is a Kindle.

 

[master7045]

Only ereader I've used was a kindle, which I loved as an ereader, however I sold mine for an iPad mini as I wanted in on the full tablet experience. I still use the kindle app exclusively though.

 

[nageov3t]

I love my Kindle Fire, but if you don't have Amazon Prime (for the lending library, which requires an actual Kindle, not just the app), I'd probably get a nook now that it comes with the Google Play store without requiring rooting it.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Just got a Nook Simple Touch and love it.

 

[BladeVenom]

There's also Kobo.

 

[Zaap]

I vote Nook Simple Touch. By the way, a simple, non-destructive SD-card hack turns it into a Kindle too.

 

[gorcorps]

I've owned all of the Nook e-ink devices and am now on a Kindle Paperwhite, and I prefer the Kindle. I used to be a huge Nook fan but Amazon's ebook store won me over (as well as superior build quality on the reader itself).

You can read about why I switched: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2306654

 

[shortylickens]

Has Anand ever done an e-reader comparison?

 

[zerogear]

I've always liked Sony PRS Readers, but they seem to have fallen out of the backlight-enabled e-reader race.

 

[OhBoy88]

Just get a Nexus 7. Affordable Android tablet/e-reader. Got a used 16gb on eBay for $150. Owner of an iPad 2 & Nexus 4 and enjoying it so far

 

[stlc8tr]

Just get a Nexus 7. Affordable Android tablet/e-reader. Got a used 16gb on eBay for $150. Owner of an iPad 2 & Nexus 4 and enjoying it so far

I enjoy reading on the PaperWhite a lot more than on the Nexus 7. It's the size, the long battery life, as well as the crispness/appearance of the fonts. If you plan on reading a lot, I would vote for an e-ink device. YMMV, of course.

 

[pcsavvy]

Here is a link about an upgrade coming to Nook e-readers:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/30461...b-browser-and-e-mail-to-the-tablet/index.html

Adding internet and email capabilities to the simple touch.

 

[xSauronx]

I enjoy reading on the PaperWhite a lot more than on the Nexus 7. It's the size, the long battery life, as well as the crispness/appearance of the fonts. If you plan on reading a lot, I would vote for an e-ink device. YMMV, of course.

agreed, as long as the primary purpose is reading. i have a kindle for the kids so they can just read. i have a transformer infinity so i can do whatever.

 

[sequoia464]

I enjoy reading on the PaperWhite a lot more than on the Nexus 7. It's the size, the long battery life, as well as the crispness/appearance of the fonts. If you plan on reading a lot, I would vote for an e-ink device. YMMV, of course.

I agree also, I have a Nook color and now a Nook HD+, but I much preferred my original nook e-ink device for reading. Kids lost that, so now I'm looking at buying a simple touch.

 

[obidamnkenobi]

I've owned all of the Nook e-ink devices and am now on a Kindle Paperwhite, and I prefer the Kindle. I used to be a huge Nook fan but Amazon's ebook store won me over (as well as superior build quality on the reader itself).

You can read about why I switched: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2306654

It's my understanding that you can relatively easily transfer Amazon ebooks to nook or kobo readers, so is this really a big deal?

Personally I'm just planning to buy, but think I prefer the slightly less locked-down nature of the kobo over the nook, and (more so) kindle.

 

[GregMal]

Before you do anything, check your local library for ebooks lending. My library does allow kindle books thru Amazon but have very little inventory. They also just started the 3M Cloud Library. Just install the app to your device (Ipad or Android), tell it your library and user/pw and I have access to a ****load of books to borrow. Works great......Be sure your new reader allows the 3M app.....

 

[Ksyder]

I enjoy reading on the PaperWhite a lot more than on the Nexus 7. It's the size, the long battery life, as well as the crispness/appearance of the fonts. If you plan on reading a lot, I would vote for an e-ink device. YMMV, of course.

I can understand this viewpoint, but what if you want to look at full color pdf's? I can't imagine an e-ink device is good for that.

 

[gorcorps]

It's my understanding that you can relatively easily transfer Amazon ebooks to nook or kobo readers, so is this really a big deal?

Personally I'm just planning to buy, but think I prefer the slightly less locked-down nature of the kobo over the nook, and (more so) kindle.

It's fairly easy, but can't really be discussed in detail because it's not fully legal. Basically if you buy from a store not supported on your device, you have to download to your PC, convert, and then sideload to your reader. It's not hard, but a little cumbersome compared to purchasing directly from your device and never having to plug into a PC period. That's what I'm doing on my Kindle now and I much prefer it over all the sideloading I did on the Nook, as I rarely bought stuff from the Nook store. Amazon has been the cheapest for the books I've been interested anyway so it made sense.

What do you mean locked down? If anything the Kobo reader is the most complicated because you'll have to convert both Barnes & Noble books AND Amazon books which are the major players right now.

Kobo has its own store, but those are still DRM protected. You would then have to convert all ebooks from B&N AND Amazon to use them. With a Kindle, you'll only have to convert B&N books (and I guess Kobo books if for some reason you used them still). With a Nook, you'll have to convert Amazon and Kobo books. All three have the same problem in that they don't read other stores' books natively. But (at least in my case) Amazon's store is the better buy and I also have Amazon Prime already.

Also, Kobo doesn't have a version with a built in light. That's a huge dealbreaker for me personally because I read in bed and don't have a lamp.

I can understand this viewpoint, but what if you want to look at full color pdf's? I can't imagine an e-ink device is good for that.

Completely different markets for completely different types of reading. Personally, I find any LCD reader at this point so awkward for general book reading that I'd rather have a separate device for novels and a tablet for color stuff (magazines, comics, whatever you want). They're heavy, have comparitively poor battery life, and even at the dimmest brightness setting have a rather high brightness that is kind of harsh in a dark room.

 

[Ksyder]

Completely different markets for completely different types of reading. Personally, I find any LCD reader at this point so awkward for general book reading that I'd rather have a separate device for novels and a tablet for color stuff (magazines, comics, whatever you want). They're heavy, have comparitively poor battery life, and even at the dimmest brightness setting have a rather high brightness that is kind of harsh in a dark room.

That is pretty easy to agree with that assessment, as I tried to use a few ipads and a nexus 7 tablet as e-readers and it isn't that comfortable really, imo.

I was kinda hoping it would work out better but none of those really caught on with me for that. I wouldn't mind a Kindle to access the lending library.

 

[Torn Mind]

Just get a Nexus 7. Affordable Android tablet/e-reader. Got a used 16gb on eBay for $150. Owner of an iPad 2 & Nexus 4 and enjoying it so far

I have seen a couple e-readers on display and the screen tricked me quite well into thinking it was a piece of paper for the sample. So I certainly prefer that to the eyestrain-inducing screens of tablets and monitors.

I am wary of the Nexus 7's build quality.

Now, I am interested in getting a tablet in the future, but that can wait.