EPUB reader: Nook, Kobo, Sony, or Pandigital?

zsmomma · 07-14-2010, 01:16 PM

Ha, the $109.99 refurb Kindle hasn't even arrived yet, and I'm already thinking about my next reader...

After some researching, I found out that although my local library doesn't carry ebooks, the San Francisco library does, and all I need to do to access over 2000 ebooks is to have a EPUB reader (and to go over and apply for a card, of course).

I purchased the Kindle for the following reasons:
-wanted a dictionary
-access to current popular children's and adult fiction
-good customer service

Since these criteria have now been satisfied, I'm looking for a reader that will be pretty much dedicated to EPUB library books (and maybe Borders or B&N books). Other features I'm looking for in this reader:
-not too fragile
-ease of use
-connectivity is not necessary, but I guess it's nice
-at least 5" screen
-a price range ~$150 plus/minus, so all the ereaders in my subject line fit the bill.

Yes, I'm in the US, so while there are some lovely readers out there, the price plus shipping is prohibitive. And yes, I've read about the wonders of Sony 505, but that's no longer being produced (and it's more than I want to spend).

If Nook, it would be Wifi only, Kobo since there's a Borders down the street, Sony could be 300 or 600 and also sold through Borders, and I threw in Pandigital since they're selling it at Bed Bath and Beyond, also in the 'hood.

Any thoughts as to why one would be better than the other is greatly appreciated. Or should I wait until the holiday season?

petechan · 07-14-2010, 02:24 PM

I would suggest you also look at the Aluratek Libre, now selling for $119 at certain online sites. I have this primarily for library books, and it can read pdf and epub books without a problem.

The main advantage of the Libre is that it has no internal clock. So that library books that you borrow on it will not expire until you synch the unit to your PC again. I usually borrow 2-3 books, and I can spend weeks and weeks reading it at my leisure. I "return" the books using my PC, but they stay readable on the Libre till you sych it to borrow more books.

I am not certain about Sony, but I believe that with the Nook and the Kobo, after your 2 or 3 week lending period, the books will not be openable. And some of the digital fiction books lent by the library have a long waiting list for them so you won't be able to just "reborrow" them right away.

kaduncan · 07-14-2010, 05:42 PM

The pandigital novel got blasted last month after its first release at Kohl's. A recall was made and firmware was updated. I didn't get the first one so I don't have a comparision for that but I did pick up the new release of it at BB&B today.
My opion so far? Not bad. I am not looking for something to compete with my quad core pc but instead something that has easy access to ebooks and i can read at night without an extra light source.
I already have a Barnes & Noble account and read books via my iPad so when O got the Novel, i connected straight to B&N and was able to download the same books that were already on my iPad. Everything worked perfectly for me.
I even surfed the web some and had fun with it.
So, in comparision to my iPad, the iPad is faster, has more options, etc AND costs $829
The Novel is easy for buying, downloading and reading books AND costs only $149

Not sure on the battery life yet but since i plan on keeping it next to my bed, I can charge whenever needed, evan while reading.

zsmomma · 07-14-2010, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Aluratek Libre, now selling for $119 at certain online sites. I have this primarily for library books, and it can read pdf and epub books without a problem.

Thanks for that suggestion. I was looking at the comparison chart on the Borders site and wasn't really that thrilled about the fact that it didn't have a long battery life. However, I hadn't considered the no clock thing. That just brought it back in the running. If they have them at Borders in August, I'll go check them out.

As for Pandigital Novel, I will have to go check that out at BB&B. Just what I need, to surf before bed...

boswd · 07-15-2010, 12:39 PM

I own the Nook and love it. Cant see any reall reason to buy the Kobo over the Nook.
Nook has larger internal memory
replacable battery
IMHO better Bookstore platform. ( so in essence you would have Amazon's(with your Kindle) and Barnes and Noble, doest get any better than that.
Download wirelessly ( you may not think it's a big deal and just nice. Wait until you use it. My favorite part is I can shop on my computer, hit buy, confirm and bam it's on my Nook, with no hooking it up . Let alone buying on the fly with the device.
You'll see

InStore BN features for Nook only owners.
Better contrast.

though I do like the concept of the kobo, at the same price as the Nook, to me its like asking "Do you want your Car fully loaded or bare bones basics, for the same price".

Noah98 · 07-16-2010, 12:23 AM

See my post below for my experience with the Pandigital Novel vs. the Nook:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90901

petechan · 07-16-2010, 09:21 AM

I do not have any other ebook reader, so can't really comment on their battery life. Regarding the Libre battery life, I think it depends on how much time you actually sit and read at a given time.

The battery life fully charged can probably run 20 hours straight, but it does have a reminder to charge that pops up somewhat irritatingly the last few hours of its life. I read about 45 minutes a day and recharge it on average every ten days to two weeks. This doesn't add up to 20 hrs has to do with the fact that it doesn't really turn "off" but goes into a sleep mode which still consumes a little power continuously. Charging takes 5-6 hours which I usually do overnight, but you can read while recharging.

The Jetbook is essentially similar to the Libre, I think it has some added features in the latest firmware that are desirable, go over the the Ectaco forum. The jetbook lite is the least expensive and uses regular batteries.

J. Strnad · 07-16-2010, 07:35 PM

"I usually borrow 2-3 books, and I can spend weeks and weeks reading it at my leisure. (...) And some of the digital fiction books lent by the library have a long waiting list for them...."

Gee, I wonder if there's any connection between those two phenomena.

pilotbob · 07-16-2010, 07:41 PM

I would say get the Sony 300 or 600.

BOb

jehane · 07-17-2010, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petechan

The main advantage of the Libre is that it has no internal clock. So that library books that you borrow on it will not expire until you synch the unit to your PC again.

I have found when using my Sony that if I have a book open, then I can still read it even after it's expired, as long as I don't close it.

petechan · 07-17-2010, 08:38 AM

I was wondering about this jehane.

Right now on my Libre, I have two library books borrowed more than one month ago. I can close one, go to the other one, back and forth and they both open and read fine as long as I haven't resynched my Libre with the ADE program on my PC.

J Strnad, I don't think there is a connection between the Libre/Jetbook behavior and the waiting list, because on the ADE program on my PC, it still counts down the number of days left for a particular book before it expires. I don't know if they actually charge you a fine if you don't electronically return the book in time, because my practice has been usually to return the book in the computer the very next day after I borrow it, giving someone else the opportunity to borrow it. I don't read the books on my PC so I don't hold them there at all.

zsmomma · 07-30-2010, 12:56 PM

Update:

I ended up getting a Pandigital Novel. Hacked it per instructions. I still need to install a SD card and download my Amazon books (but that's sort of not required since I've got my Kindle).

I did have it almost die once (don't know what happened, my kid had it at the time) where the screen went black. No matter what I did, the screen stayed dark. I ended up doing a hard reset and everything's peachy again.

I believe this will be perfect for my non-Amazon books.

carld · 07-30-2010, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

"I usually borrow 2-3 books, and I can spend weeks and weeks reading it at my leisure. (...) And some of the digital fiction books lent by the library have a long waiting list for them...."

Gee, I wonder if there's any connection between those two phenomena.

Especially true if the people ahead of you keep the book out for the full three weeks. I was 3 of 3 on the waiting list for one book. Weeks and weeks later I'm 1 of 7, it's going to be months before unlucky #7 gets his hands on it.

dmacmart · 07-30-2010, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carld

Especially true if the people ahead of you keep the book out for the full three weeks.

I was unaware until just now that I could return ADE books. Overdrive Media are not returnable, so I assumed all digital media were not. I had to really hunt for the "return" option.

Thanks to this forum for making me look for it.

Vixhen · 08-06-2010, 10:28 AM

Right now I have a Libre and love it. It does just what I need it to do and always works. Now my experience with the Pandigital is that it's still a POS. I got on Tuesday, played with it a couple of days, and the thing froze up on me. I couldn't turn it off or reboot so back it goes to Kohl's. I will keep looking for a more high tech color reader.

07-14-2010, 01:16 PM	#1
zsmomma Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: kindle, Pandigital Novel, iPod Touch	EPUB reader: Nook, Kobo, Sony, or Pandigital? Ha, the $109.99 refurb Kindle hasn't even arrived yet, and I'm already thinking about my next reader... After some researching, I found out that although my local library doesn't carry ebooks, the San Francisco library does, and all I need to do to access over 2000 ebooks is to have a EPUB reader (and to go over and apply for a card, of course). I purchased the Kindle for the following reasons: -wanted a dictionary -access to current popular children's and adult fiction -good customer service Since these criteria have now been satisfied, I'm looking for a reader that will be pretty much dedicated to EPUB library books (and maybe Borders or B&N books). Other features I'm looking for in this reader: -not too fragile -ease of use -connectivity is not necessary, but I guess it's nice -at least 5" screen -a price range ~$150 plus/minus, so all the ereaders in my subject line fit the bill. Yes, I'm in the US, so while there are some lovely readers out there, the price plus shipping is prohibitive. And yes, I've read about the wonders of Sony 505, but that's no longer being produced (and it's more than I want to spend). If Nook, it would be Wifi only, Kobo since there's a Borders down the street, Sony could be 300 or 600 and also sold through Borders, and I threw in Pandigital since they're selling it at Bed Bath and Beyond, also in the 'hood. Any thoughts as to why one would be better than the other is greatly appreciated. Or should I wait until the holiday season?

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07-14-2010, 02:24 PM	#2
petechan Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 148 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Aluratek libre	I would suggest you also look at the Aluratek Libre, now selling for $119 at certain online sites. I have this primarily for library books, and it can read pdf and epub books without a problem. The main advantage of the Libre is that it has no internal clock. So that library books that you borrow on it will not expire until you synch the unit to your PC again. I usually borrow 2-3 books, and I can spend weeks and weeks reading it at my leisure. I "return" the books using my PC, but they stay readable on the Libre till you sych it to borrow more books. I am not certain about Sony, but I believe that with the Nook and the Kobo, after your 2 or 3 week lending period, the books will not be openable. And some of the digital fiction books lent by the library have a long waiting list for them so you won't be able to just "reborrow" them right away.

07-14-2010, 05:42 PM	#3
kaduncan That guy over there Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: none	The pandigital novel got blasted last month after its first release at Kohl's. A recall was made and firmware was updated. I didn't get the first one so I don't have a comparision for that but I did pick up the new release of it at BB&B today. My opion so far? Not bad. I am not looking for something to compete with my quad core pc but instead something that has easy access to ebooks and i can read at night without an extra light source. I already have a Barnes & Noble account and read books via my iPad so when O got the Novel, i connected straight to B&N and was able to download the same books that were already on my iPad. Everything worked perfectly for me. I even surfed the web some and had fun with it. So, in comparision to my iPad, the iPad is faster, has more options, etc AND costs $829 The Novel is easy for buying, downloading and reading books AND costs only $149 Not sure on the battery life yet but since i plan on keeping it next to my bed, I can charge whenever needed, evan while reading.

07-15-2010, 12:39 PM	#5
boswd Banned Posts: 2,391 Karma: 1001781 Join Date: May 2010 Device: The Nook, Nook color and Droid X	I own the Nook and love it. Cant see any reall reason to buy the Kobo over the Nook. Nook has larger internal memory replacable battery IMHO better Bookstore platform. ( so in essence you would have Amazon's(with your Kindle) and Barnes and Noble, doest get any better than that. Download wirelessly ( you may not think it's a big deal and just nice. Wait until you use it. My favorite part is I can shop on my computer, hit buy, confirm and bam it's on my Nook, with no hooking it up . Let alone buying on the fly with the device. You'll see InStore BN features for Nook only owners. Better contrast. though I do like the concept of the kobo, at the same price as the Nook, to me its like asking "Do you want your Car fully loaded or bare bones basics, for the same price".

07-16-2010, 12:23 AM	#6
Noah98 Eccentric Posts: 510 Karma: 342150 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Florida Device: The nook, ipad 3, Kindle Fire HD (8.9), Kindle Paperwhite	See my post below for my experience with the Pandigital Novel vs. the Nook: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90901

07-16-2010, 09:21 AM	#7
petechan Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 148 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Aluratek libre	I do not have any other ebook reader, so can't really comment on their battery life. Regarding the Libre battery life, I think it depends on how much time you actually sit and read at a given time. The battery life fully charged can probably run 20 hours straight, but it does have a reminder to charge that pops up somewhat irritatingly the last few hours of its life. I read about 45 minutes a day and recharge it on average every ten days to two weeks. This doesn't add up to 20 hrs has to do with the fact that it doesn't really turn "off" but goes into a sleep mode which still consumes a little power continuously. Charging takes 5-6 hours which I usually do overnight, but you can read while recharging. The Jetbook is essentially similar to the Libre, I think it has some added features in the latest firmware that are desirable, go over the the Ectaco forum. The jetbook lite is the least expensive and uses regular batteries.

07-16-2010, 07:35 PM	#8
J. Strnad Guru Posts: 915 Karma: 3537194 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo, Kindle 3, Paperwhite	"I usually borrow 2-3 books, and I can spend weeks and weeks reading it at my leisure. (...) And some of the digital fiction books lent by the library have a long waiting list for them...." Gee, I wonder if there's any connection between those two phenomena.

07-16-2010, 07:41 PM	#9
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	I would say get the Sony 300 or 600. BOb

07-17-2010, 08:38 AM	#11
petechan Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 148 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Aluratek libre	I was wondering about this jehane. Right now on my Libre, I have two library books borrowed more than one month ago. I can close one, go to the other one, back and forth and they both open and read fine as long as I haven't resynched my Libre with the ADE program on my PC. J Strnad, I don't think there is a connection between the Libre/Jetbook behavior and the waiting list, because on the ADE program on my PC, it still counts down the number of days left for a particular book before it expires. I don't know if they actually charge you a fine if you don't electronically return the book in time, because my practice has been usually to return the book in the computer the very next day after I borrow it, giving someone else the opportunity to borrow it. I don't read the books on my PC so I don't hold them there at all.

07-30-2010, 12:56 PM	#12
zsmomma Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: kindle, Pandigital Novel, iPod Touch	Update: I ended up getting a Pandigital Novel. Hacked it per instructions. I still need to install a SD card and download my Amazon books (but that's sort of not required since I've got my Kindle). I did have it almost die once (don't know what happened, my kid had it at the time) where the screen went black. No matter what I did, the screen stayed dark. I ended up doing a hard reset and everything's peachy again. I believe this will be perfect for my non-Amazon books.

08-06-2010, 10:28 AM	#15
Vixhen Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Aluratek Libre	Right now I have a Libre and love it. It does just what I need it to do and always works. Now my experience with the Pandigital is that it's still a POS. I got on Tuesday, played with it a couple of days, and the thing froze up on me. I couldn't turn it off or reboot so back it goes to Kohl's. I will keep looking for a more high tech color reader.

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