Jun 27 2010
Dear Jane: Should I Buy the Nook or Kindle now that prices have all come down?
I get the question of which device to buy quite a bit, but more often than not I get the question of whether readers should buy a nook or Kindle. I received several inquiries last week when Barnes and Noble started a ereader price war by slashing the nook to $199, introducing a wifi version at $149. Amazon responded within 2 hours and reduced the price of Kindle 2 to $189.
Short (and Long) Answer: If you can wait, I would hold off until October. October is usually the time in which manufacturers and retailers start announcing products for Christmas. Amazon will likely be announcing new Kindles and the will be new devices on the market like Copia’s set of eReaders and possibly others.
If you can’t wait, here’s what I would consider when making a decision between the nook and the Kindle. With the Kindle, you are going to have better selection and lower prices for books, if there are lower prices (generally). The nook, however, accepts Adobe Digital Edition books (ADE) which means you can borrow digital books from libraries and you can shop around. I feel like those are the basic differences in the nook versus the Kindle these days.
The wifi version of the nook does through a little wrench into the things. The wifi is a good alternative for those who aren’t in a coverage area for Kindles as the only way to add content to your Kindle without a 3G connection is via a USB cord.
Both the nook and Kindle have applications allowing you to access your purchases on the iPad, iPhone/iTouch, Blackberry, PC and Mac. Kindle says that the Android App is coming. Neither have a Linux or Ubuntu version.
I do not think that the LCD screen on the nook is an advantage. I actually find this fairly confusing because the LCD is touch and the main screen of the nook is not. I tap the nook screen quite a bit by accident.
I do not forsee color eink screens this year. If you want color, you will want to get an LCD based screen like the iPad or some other tablet device.
Some other minor things you can consider in making the decision are the following
- nook is heavier than the Kindle. Some like this because it feels more substantial and some don’t.
- Kindle allows syncing of last place read, bookmarks, and notes across all devices for the content purchased at Amazon. Nook allows syncing of last place read across the iPhone/iPad app and the Windows version. It does not sync last place read on its device but says that feature is coming. (This is a pretty awesome feature because it means that you can start reading on the Kindle during the day and open up the Kindle App on your iPhone or Blackberry and pick up at the last place you’ve read in that book, along with all the notes and bookmarks you’ve made).
- nook allows lending of books, if the publisher has authorized this. Kindle has no such feature although you can hook up more than one Kindle to your account and you can share your authorization code (name on credit card + credit card number) for the nook. More on sharing without stripping the DRM here.
- Because of the LCD screen, the nook has a shorter battery life than the Kindle.
- The nook has an onboard (on the LCD screen) keyboard whereas the Kindle has awkward bubble keys.
- You can buy a replacement battery for the nook ($29.99) and replace it yourself by removing a little cover in the back. The Kindle’s battery needs to be replaced by Amazon which will cost you $59. (or you can do it yourself with a little surgery kit).
- nook offers you free content if you go into the store.
Why not the Kobo? Well, at this point, I wouldn’t recommend the Kobo at $149.99. I have heard a lot of people have problems with the device crashing and slow to load. Simple things like removing a book from the device is quite difficult and the font scaling (increasing or decreasing the font size) can lead to blurriness in the text. Further, the Kobo store lacks full content for romance readers. Often books we review here are not in the Kobo store. If you want to read more about what to consider when buying a device, check out a previous article.
Send to Kindle
Jun 27, 2010 @ 05:42:09
I’m trying to be strong and hold off till October. I have the Sony 505 and I’m waiting to see if Sony comes out with a new reader or drops the price on the Daily Reader.
My friend wants to jump on the eReader bandwagon and I told her to go to Best Buy and hold both the Sony and Nook in her hand — which one is more comfortable to hold, etc. And buy what best suits your needs.
Great blog!
Jun 27, 2010 @ 06:45:38
Deciding which coporation you want to give your dollars to should be another factor, since we vote with our wallets, and I for one don’t want to see Amazon becoming too dominant. I went with Nook and I’m very happy with it. Shopping is easy and I do like the color screen at the bottom to see the covers. When I’m not shopping, I switch to “airplance mode” and the battery lasts a long time.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 06:48:27
I just wanted to point out that you can still download Kindle books without 3G coverage. You can’t if you don’t have ANY Sprint coverage at all. For example, last fall my husband and I vacationed in Wisconsin with my family. We barely had Sprint signal, and it wasn’t 3G, but I was still able to access the Kindle store and download new books.
I would have saved a lot of money that trip if there wasn’t any signal. ;)
Jun 27, 2010 @ 07:49:24
nook owner here. I used a Sony 505 before deciding to use nook. It is a lot heavier but I got used to it. In my mind now, it’s not all that heavy to me anymore. iPad is heavier than both of them and I don’t use the iPad to read. It is a brick. Never adapted to it for fiction reading.
LCD screen is wonky but it’s needed since nook doesn’t have FOLDER SUPPORT. I’ve accidentally hit the LCD screen maybe a few times but once you start to read, the LCD screen automatically cuts off but you can either turn the page by using the buttons on the side or swiping the LCD screen.
My experience with it: I love reading on it and I don’t miss my Sony at all. I rarely purchase via wifi because I feel that it takes too long and plus, you have use that damn LCD screen that is wonky as hell. I finally got to fondle a Kindle at Target yesterday. Not bad except for the bubble button keyboard. I’d opt for a online keyboard myself but that’s me.
Also, I had to replace my nook device after 5 months of use since it all of a sudden died for no reason at all. The customer service was excellent in replacing it so all is good here.
Nook vs. Amazon’s Kindle. Tough call there and good luck to all who are still undecided on who to invest you’re hard earned dollars to.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 09:13:52
Where you buy your books is also something to consider.
I like my Sony Pocket, lightweight and convenient. But I can’t shop Amazon or B&N for ebooks anymore.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 09:14:24
A few more things to consider re the nook. You are able to purchase books from a variety of sources, bookstores, and publishers, and do not have to strip drm to put them on the nook. With the kindle you are pretty much limited to what you can buy at their bookstore. The nook has an android operating system which means there (so far) have been frequent updates to address customer needs. I am also not sure about the cheaper at amazon thing. Since agency pricing went into effect all of the sellers have to sell the agency 5 e-books at exactly the same prices so there are not the price differences there used to be.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 09:21:33
@Terri: @helen: yep, I noted inmy second paragraph that you can shop around for books.
There actually have been analysis of pricing and Amazon is 11% to $1 cheaper. Pre agency books are still discounted and everyone who is not Agency can be discounted such as small presses, harlequin, Random House, Kensington and the like.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 09:44:26
I think you didn’t mention that the nook allows for memory expansion via SD cards, thereby allowing you to hold more books, whereas the Kindle does not.
Also, I believe the nook’s screen is a little larger and the unit itself is more streamlined.
As for waiting for October, I wouldn’t. You are going to get so much enjoyment out of your eReader in the next three months and, there will ALWAYS be a new eReader being developed.
Because of this, I would recommend you purchase a nook. Kindle’s proprietary eBook format is going to severely limit your options to carry over the books you purchased into another device.
Kindle cannot compete with the nook’s capability of being able to borrow from the library. Even if your local library does not offer eBooks, there may be one nearby that will allow you to use their library for a small fee. ($30 or so)
Jun 27, 2010 @ 10:01:25
I've had a Nook since they came out and really like it. It uses epub, pdb, and pdf. I picked it over the Kindle due to the epub and pdb formats. The Kindle seemed okay, but I wanted the additional epub and pdb formats. I'm not tied down to B&N with buying. I buy all over the place and sideload the books. I didn't like the Sonys at the time and can't remember why now.
Reading on the Nook in sunlight (or indoors) is easy on the eyes with the e-ink display. The small LCD color touchscreen at the bottom of the Nook isn't bothersome for me and works well. Another sell point for me was the customizable android OS (which they haven't taken advantage of very well). I really like the ability to change the font sizes (6 so far). Battery life is great. I like the page number display, read progress bar, search by word or page number, goto, and dictionary. The highlights and notes feature could be a little better I think. I like the size and weight of it and the location of the page turn buttons.
My only major complaint on the Nook is the lack of folders (like Keishon said), which I hope will be addressed soon. When they did the first software update, they added a web browser and games and ignored their customers cries for folders. The second software update wasn't much better. You can jailbreak the thing to add apps and features, but that voids the warranty.
Page turning could be a hair faster for me. The web browser is meh. I don't use the games or audiobooks, so can't comment on that. I had to replace my Nook after 5 months due to a hairline crack in the housing over a page turn button (overuse?). No downtime, and they shipped it overnight free.
I'm patiently waiting to see if BN gets their act together soon by adding folders and better sorting. Don't know if I'll find another one with 3G and wifi with a Nook price, but with the influx of readers coming, I could be wrong. I thought the Pandigital Novel might have been the answer, but they yanked them right back off the shelf due to bugs. The Alex by Spring Design was close, but it was crazy expensive for what little it did.
Jane, is the industry still pushing for epub to be the standard format? Is this like the HD DVD and BluRay? Or is it Adobe being delusional. I do like the epub format over the others though. It's all irritating with the different formats and DRM.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 10:09:46
How does the nook do in the hot sun?
I have a Sony Touch edition, and I like it for actually using an open format, but the display washes out if I read on a hot day in direct sunlight. My deck has no shade until 5 or 6 right now, so I haven’t been reading much. I’m fine until it hits 75 or so, then it’s washout city.
If the nook works well in the hot sun, I might pick up the cheapie wifi version as a backup.
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Jun 27, 2010 @ 11:13:58
My mom and I are talking about getting my grandmom an ereader for her birthday and I knew I could depend on Jane to have a comprehensive post outlining the differences. :) So helpful. I think we’ll be going with a Nook because Grandma is a huge library supporter.
Just one question about waiting ’til October – is that when *announcements* of Christmas products are made, or is that when the new versions actually come out? Because Grandma’s birthday is actually in November.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 11:17:13
@ehoyden I think that publishers want to move toward epub but they won’t exert any power to eliminate opposing formats. Part of the problem, too, is the encryption issue. You can have ePub format as the universal format but when you add encryption on top of that, it really does an injustice to the idea of standard. For instance, BN does use epub, but its encryption scheme is totally different. So you can buy ePub at BN, but you can’t read that ePub on any non BN branded device or app because other devices that read ePub can’t use the encryption scheme.
Kobo released an Android App and the encryption scheme for the Android ePubs are different than the encryption scheme it uses for iPhone or for the iPad or Kobo device. Fortunately, Kobo allows you to download the book from the web using the standard ADE encryption but it shows you how encryption schemes can really mess things up no matter what the underlying format is.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 11:22:45
@Lorelie: If you are buying a nook, I don’t think that there will be new devices announced, but there may be a lowering of the price in response to something Kindle does. New Kindles will likely be announced in August or October and available in October/November. That’s my best guess.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 11:59:57
Kindle owner here. I’ve had the Kindle over a year now, and absolutely love it. I went digital after driving from bookstore to bookstore (including B&N) as they don’t shelve books on lay down dates for all books. I got tired of the extra gas and time it took to eventually turn to Amazon. Pre-ordering was easy and I received the books when I wanted them. I now save in shipping too.
Someone above, mentioned that Amazon’s corporate attitude was off-putting. I agree, however, B&N is no less so. In fact, it was B&N and then Borders who started putting the indie booksellers out of business. Their business structure is every bit as corporate as Amazon. Amazon simply has more in it’s store and can take loss leader hits easier.
The Kindle is fast on refresh, page turning. The synching between the Kindle & iThing is fabulous. With the recent upgrade, more font sizes available and ability to create collections (think playlists) is now available. While there is no side loading with an SD card, the file format/compression is Much smaller than that of epub and PDF. Usually about 500k for single title books, rather 900k+ for epub or PDF. With Calibre, you can convert non-drm epubs to Kindle format and load. I use this method with Carina Press, to give the publisher and author a bigger chunk of the pie.
I also am not as concerned with Amazon going out of business and rendering the books unavailable when forced to switch device/formats. As Jane mentions, not all epubs are wrapped using the same encryption.
Ridley, the Kindle loses it’s readability in direct sun. I believe most ereaders do, as function of eink technology. Sitting in a shady spot is fine.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 12:13:54
The kobo is nothing more than an ereader. It’s nothing fancy. I’d LOVE an iPad but I cannot justify the price even to put the http://www.proloquo2go.com/ download on it for my youngest son.
It’s a PITA… it is slow to load but not bad since I have slow highspeed. It won’t let you download your books to the harddrive which I dislike so there’s no back up. There is no ability to replace the battery but they books are in your online library.
BUT, it doesn’t allow you to pick and choose the one’s you wish to download.
It does put in your “documents” other books that you can drag from your hard drive to the device. So when I downloaded the free ehqn’s, I simply dragged them across the screen from my hard drive to the device and viola… there they were under documents.
It’s cheap… and it’ll do for now.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 13:13:03
Thank you so much for this column, Jane! I have one question that I’m hoping someone can answer. I’m leaning toward the Kindle – but my concern is the same one I have when getting a new iPod: will I be able to move my books from my Kindle to my computer, in the event I get a new reading device some day? I’m still researching, so I apologize if someone has answered this – but I want to be sure that I can move books from my computer to my Kindle and back again, therefore saving my investment if I ever upgrade in a year or two – if I go with the Kindle.
Waiting until October is going to be very difficult…I’m dying for a Kindle now! :)
Jun 27, 2010 @ 13:30:57
Catherine, Amazon has apps for Windows, Mac OS, and of course mobile devices such as the the iThings and I believe Blackberry too. I think they are building an app for Androids as well. You can download to your desktop from the Kindle store and copy from the Kindle itself using the USB cable. You can’t access the books from the mobile devices. I have my Kindle books on my hard drive for backup.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 13:52:53
According to the articles below, Sony will also be coming out with a new reader in July.
http://www.teleread.com/2010/06/22/digitimes-new-ereaders-from-amazon-and-sony/
http://www.e-reader-info.com/digitiems-research-740000-e-reader-shipped-april-may
Jun 27, 2010 @ 13:55:30
@Ridley: So far the Nook screen hasn’t washed out in direct sun and heat. That’s between 1-4 hours at a time(not daily). It might eventually wash out in time. It’s great in the shade.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 14:04:23
I use an iPad – I was recently in Sydney and went to the Apple store on the off-chance that they had some iPads in stock. Fortunately for me they did, as there is still no release date or price for New Zealand.
Due to geographical restrictions etc I need to have to shop around to find the eBooks I want and now very rarely shop at Fictionwise or Books on Board. Some authors have lost sales as I haven’t been able to buy the eBooks and have gone to the library instead. I buy in either eReader PDF or ePub formats so that I only need to use 2 apps on my iPad – Stanza and Txtr. Whist I will buy eBooks from Kobo and Whitcoulls, the NZ version of Kobo, I don’t read from their apps. I don’t like the fact that I can’t amend the title and author details in their app so that I can sort my eBooks in author and series order. Txtr, in a round abouy way, and Stanza allow me to do this. I always download the eBook to my laptop first, and then use Calibre, the Stanza or Txtr apps to edit the title and author details and transfer the eBooks to my iPad. I’d rather shop around for my eBooks and just use a couple of apps on my iPad than have all the various apps loaded on my iPad – I just wouldn’t be able to keep track of my purchases otherwise. Whilst Txtr isn’t the best app around, very limited functionality, at least I can read my DRM ePub and PDF books on my iPad.
I did try the Kindle app but didn’t think much of it plus there weren’t very many eBooks for my geographical zone and geographical restrictions preclude my buying any of the Barnes and Noble eBooks.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 15:00:52
@Jane: I was under the impression that I'd be able to take my existing BN drm’d epubs and load them up on a different ereader. The BN epubs won't transfer/load onto an Alex, Sony, or any other ereader without first stripping the drm off? Are the other big guys like that too? Amazon and Sony?
I'm actually safe since the DRMs are gone, and the bulk of my ebooks haven't been from BN. BN store is fine for impulse buys, and they do have decent prices on most books, but the DRMs keep me going to other sellers or the library.
DRM really does makes their idea of a universal format moot and laughable if I'm still stuck to one device or app. It's a waste of time and money to keep tagging them.
I now doubt my next ereader will be a dedicated ereader at all. It will probably be a small tablet with 3G/wifi. Smaller than an iPad. It’s coming.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 15:53:09
I too was debating about the Nook and the Kindle. I choose the Nook for a lot of different reasons but here are some things to also keep in mind.
The winning factor that made me choose the Nook instead of the Kindle was because of the mircoSD card expansion. (Not so winning now that I think about it.) The slot to it is covered by the back cover (which I’m afraid of breaking every time I pry the cover off). I think the actual slot for the memory card is quite flimsy. I use calibre to send books from the main memory to the memory card. But if the slot is flimsy and loose, the card can’t be read. I noticed this first when I was going through my books and one day all of the sudden, I couldn’t see the ones I had on the memory card. I opened the back cover and saw that the memory card was out of place and loose.
I stopped using the memory card. Another reason why is because like others have said, the Nook doesn’t really have any real great organization or folders. Basically it lists all the books you have and you can sort them (A-Z) but it would just be one giant list. I stopped using the memory card because of the above reason and because with so many books and no real way of organizing, it would take me a long time to go through all the titles. Now I just keep my TBR books on the Nook and archive it once I finish reading it.
I hardly use the wifi and the online bookstore on the Nook. It’s a personal preference for me to sit on the computer and do my own buying there. I like having multiple tabs and searches to see what books I’d like. I also found that it was quite slow in searching and buying so if I didn’t have a computer and really wanted a book, I’d use the bookstore on the Nook but otherwise I’d stick to my computer.
One last thing I found out last week, you have to keep the Nook at least partly charged. One night I finished reading and left it on the bedside table. The next morning I tried to wake it from the sleep mode but I encountered what I found out to be the “frozen screensaver” where no matter what you do the screen stays in the screensaver – even if you take out the battery. I searched for a lot of ways to fix it and finally I found the steps. However each person’s Nook takes a different amount of time to reboot. I had to leave mine connected to the charger for 2 hours before it rebooted itself. I’ve seen other testimonies online that ranged from 15mins to 6 hours. That’s scary for me because I didn’t know if it was the battery being dead or if my Nook just died all of the sudden. In order to avoid this problem again I just try to make sure it’s at least half way charged.
Overall I’m still satisfied with the Nook (but I think there’s gotta be something out there thats better) as my only other device to read books before was from my laptop.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 17:30:30
@ehoyden:
Right. You cannot read an epub purchased boo from BN on anything but a BN branded ereader or app. So you can’t buy a book at BN and read it on the Sony or other dedicated eroding device.
I think that these other companies can license BN’s encryption scheme but no one has done so. I am guessing it is likely due to cost
Jun 27, 2010 @ 17:46:15
@Catherine: As Deb said, Kindle has lots of apps but it is likely that only the only dedicated ebook reader you will be able to use is an Amazon device.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 19:20:16
@Jane: According to this post at Mobileread, the B&N encryption was added to Adobe’s “SDK”, but each hardware manufacturer has to add it to its firmware…which hasn’t appeared to happen any where yet. Disappointing, IMO, since I prefer B&N’s encryption method over the standard ADE version.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 19:55:31
I bought the Kindle last week when they offered the refurbed for $140. The thing that won me to the dark side was that it plays well with Audible. I’m anxiously waiting for Droid apps from both Kindle and Audible.
I also found out, when tinkering with it this weekend, that I could Tweet from the Kindle. The browser leaves much to be desired, but it was a fun discovery.
I’m happy so far. I have always had better luck with Amazon customer service than BN, which was another deciding factor.
Jun 27, 2010 @ 20:53:13
@Deb, Thank you for your answer!
I guess I am just late to the game on this. I still don’t understand all this epub stuff, encryptions, etc., which is slightly embarrassing. But as I continue my research, that seems to be the biggest difference between a nook and a kindle. If anyone could explain this to me, that would be really great…
Jun 28, 2010 @ 00:56:32
I bought a Kindle today. What made me decide to go with Kindle over the Nook?
#1: The price $89.00 ($189 less $100 with subscription to Audible.com).
#2: I want to enjoy audio books along with ebooks on my ereader and the Kindle works best with Audible.com for the audio books (Amazon owns Audible), making the process to buy and listen easy without having to worry about converting different formats…The easier to buy/listen the better, IMO.
#3: I want a library that will always be there. If I'm going to invest in ebooks, I want to know that the books I purchase will be safe and secure if (heaven forbid) my equipment crashes or…I decide to upgrade to a new device.
#4: Sharing….My aunt bought her Kindle last year and is in love with it. Between the 2 of us, we read more than 10+ books a week and want to be able to share our library. The Kindle will allow us to do this without restrictions.
I'm one of those people that have been dying to get an ereader but wanted one that would fit all my wants/needs…..There isn't one on the market yet….And although their might be in the next few years….I've decided that I don't want to wait any longer…and The Price Is Right!!!
Now, on to the bigger question……What cover should I get and do I need a light???
Jun 28, 2010 @ 04:57:47
I got one of the very first Kindles as a gift (a month after they were shipped). I’ve replaced the battery myself with no problem. Just FYI, I’ve also found the Kindle tech support to be outstanding. I’ve called them twice and they were able to help me immediately.
Jun 28, 2010 @ 06:56:47
I bought a Sony touch about a month ago, just before B&N and Amazon started dropping the prices of the other two. Vaguely sour grapes aside, I actually really like my Sony. Having WiFi would be a nice feature so I don’t have to hunt down a cord to sync, but I’m better off not being able to buy books at whim from anywhere, anytime. And I like the stylus and note taking features.
If they’d just add a calendar to this thing, I’d be set for gadgets for a couple of years.
As it is, I figure I’ll get 2-3 good years of reading with this and then hand it over to my daughter and upgrade to whatever’s fancy at that time (at the curernt rate of development, it will be a phone/ereader/PDA/personal chef).
Jun 28, 2010 @ 09:27:08
I recently purchased 4 reading devices on eBay, and am using each to decide which is my preferred device. Given the nuances between hardware and software, I decided it was worth trying each of them personally.
I already eliminated the Sony PRS-700 (loved the built in light, but lousy buttons, and heavy for one-hand use with the touchscreen) and the Kindle 2 (too wide to hold in my small hands, lack of public library support). I’m currently deciding between the Nook 3G and the Sony Pocket.
Sony Pocket Edition
love Collections (especially with Calibre tags and series)
very easy to use one-handed
don’t like the feel of the naked device (plastic edge and metal back)
difficult to move around in a book
no dictionary
Nook 3G+WiFi:
feels good naked in hand (rubber back)
crisp white screen, and I like having 6″
compatible with my hefty collection of eReader format romances
like the customizability of screensaver
wireless access to store
LOUSY book organization
a little heavy for one-handed use for my small hands
If the nook had better organizing capabilities, I’d be set. So it comes down to deciding where to compromise – book organization or book navigation.
I’m debating keeping the Sony for my series books, and the Nook for library one-offs and nonfiction (which requires better navigation). The problem is, most of my romances are in eReader format, and they look awful and lose Table of Contents functionality when converted to ePub.
I know that B&N has been fairly aggressive with the firmware upgrades, but I don’t see any rumors of collection/tag support. And with their stupid My (Store) Library/My Documents division, my older titles will end up separated from newer titles anyway.
And to anyone looking at investing in eBooks – get Calibre! I wish I would have had it in the beginning – it takes time to (deDRM), import and tag 500+ books.
Jun 28, 2010 @ 10:39:03
I’ve had my NOOK for about six months now and love it. It fits in my purse, with my B&N subscription – which I always had – I don’t find the books to be costly at all (I think in the last six months I only bought one book over $9.99, most have been around $6 – $8 a shot, and I buy by the dozen). Love the lend me feature. I use both the 3G and WiFi depending on where I am, or send it to airplane mode when I know I have nothing to download and want to preserve battery life. Since I’m diligent about keeping my tech stuff charged, I think I’ve only gotten it stuck on the screensaver once but in airplane mode I can read almost 3 books without a recharge.
I enjoy the sudoku game for those times when I’m bored and need some brain stimulation. Have some personal documents and music on there for some diversity and have, in a pinch, used their browser which definitely needs some beefing up.
Maybe I don’t know any better – but my experience with the nook has been nothing but positive and I buy ebooks about 98% of the time now. I will even wait if a new release paperback / hardcover doesn’t immediately come out in ebook – although it has been rare in the authors I read.
Jun 28, 2010 @ 20:33:11
Ok, just bought a Kindle this evening. Deep breath. Downloaded Calibre and now trying to learn all this DRM/epub/encryption lingo I should have known months ago…but very excited to use my ereader!!
Jun 28, 2010 @ 21:03:31
@Kristi:
I’ll be right behind you to test-drive that!
Jun 28, 2010 @ 21:12:47
By the way, the Kindle app is now up and running on Android.
I’m reading on my Incredible right now, and it’s not too bad. I prefer the Sony, but this is a half-decent way to take advantage of book specials on Amazon. I like the black background/white text option. It’s the easiest to read.
Jul 01, 2010 @ 16:33:35
I am on the verge of buying an ebook reader. Current i do my reading on Iphone or on my laptop.
I like the specs for Nook but B&N really does not want to sell one to me ( I am in europe). I have tried bugging their support, tried setting a shipment via shipment forwarding services ,all to no avail. They seem to be really going out of way to avoid selling to people outside USA. Currently i am left feeling it might be easier buying a nuke than having a Nook shipped out of US of A.
So the current choice is between a Sony (touch edition) or a kindle 2 (the price is great now). I like the touch feature and the expansion slot on Sony PRS-600 but the screen apparently is not as good.
On the other hand, kindle is well kindle. The text to speech thing might be fun and at the moment its cheaper. I am a bit worried about the inability to read epub though.
The connectivity options are pretty useless for me since most of the time i am at places where i am lucky to get even cell phone reception let alone 3g or wireless.
No idea which one i would end up buying.. Tossing a coin is beginning to look like a good idea.
Jul 25, 2010 @ 21:17:59
@Emily: Wow, you’re just arrogant. It’s a review for a tech device, not corporations…utterly pathetic.
Jul 26, 2010 @ 10:04:07
@. Please refrain from personal attacks in the comments.
Jan 23, 2011 @ 19:15:17
First I’d like to say I love my Nook. That being said, beware. Barnes and Noble does not want to stand behind their product. I got one of the original Nooks and there was a design flaw. The right side page/turn button had some sort of flaw that caused the plastic frame to crack right across the button. B&N did extend the warranty and agreed to send me a “new” device. Low and behold, what I got was a “certified pre-owned” device that they will only warranty for three months. I feel that this is substandard service on a device I have over $700 invested in (paid $280 for the Nook and lots of books), with the likelyhood of my spending much, much more. I asked for either a brand new device or they warranty the “certified pre-owned” device for another year. Both denied. Buyer beware.
Dec 30, 2011 @ 14:01:19
@Danny: It’s a review for tech devices which are linked to corporations.
It seems to me that although publishers may be the ones calling for DRM, it’s manufacturers of ereading devices tied to book retail stores who are the ones really benefiting from it. Specifically Amazon. Once you’ve bought your Kindle you’re effectively a captive customer for them because of DRM (unless you are prepared to go to the trouble of shopping around, stripping DRM and converting to Mobi format – a lot of work compared to one-click buying in the Kindle store). So yes, buying a Kindle is an action which supports Amazon above all other booksellers. Similarly with the Nook.