Nook 1.5 vs Kindle 3

dengar · 11-23-2010, 10:44 PM

Greetings all. First post here. For the last few days I went to BN and Target to look at the Nook and Kindle. I was leaning toward the Kindle but now with this update Im back to "up in the air." Can anyone comment on how the Nook w/1.5 compares to the Kindle when it comes to screen contrast and anything else they can think of? Thanks in advance.

desertgrandma · 11-23-2010, 10:46 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, dengar

Care · 11-23-2010, 11:10 PM

Welcome!

I don't have a Kindle 3, but the difference between 1.4 and 1.5 with contrast and font is extremely noticeable. It looks great, very crisp and sharp.

The page turns are at least twice as fast and the finger or thumb swiping is so much easier to do.

The bookshelves on the nook will be similar (I assume) to the collections on the kindle.

I'd say it comes down to battery life, weight, and what format you need. The Kindle will be lighter and have a longer battery life. With the Nook you will be able to use library ebooks and other epubs.

AndyfromVA · 11-23-2010, 11:13 PM

They are tied in page turn speed and screen contrast (though the K3 has a whiter screen). They both let you organize your files. They both have access to a lot of books for purchase (the B&N website and the Amazon website).

The Nook has a few more options and a useful touchscreen LCD in addition to the main e-ink display. The Nook allows you to read books from the public library - the K3 does not. The Nook allows you to turn pages by pressing a button (kind of clunky) or swiping the touchscreen. The K3 only allows page turns by pressing a button (works better than the Nook's buttons but the K3's buttons are rather small). The K3 is thinner and lighter in weight. The K3 has a longer battery life.

LDBoblo · 11-23-2010, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyfromVA

They are tied in page turn speed and screen contrast (though the K3 has a whiter screen).

Pearl does not have a whiter screen than Gen2 Vizplex. It has roughly the same background gray and a much darker gray text.

elemenoP · 11-24-2010, 10:03 AM

The first thing you need to do is check if your local library has ebooks. If it does, get the Nook.

eP

barrist · 11-24-2010, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

The first thing you need to do is check if your local library has ebooks. If it does, get the Nook.

eP

There's also libraries in some cities that allow out-of-state users for a small fee (Philadelphia is $15 a year i think)

Pomtroll · 11-24-2010, 03:53 PM

What AndyfromVA said.

I have both & like both. I like the touch screen page turn & keyboard of the NOOK. The Kindle3 has better organization for your books. I don't really notice a big difference with the screens for reading. If you want library books then the NOOK.

dorino · 11-24-2010, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

Pearl does not have a whiter screen than Gen2 Vizplex. It has roughly the same background gray and a much darker gray text.

The screen has a higher contrast ratio. The background is actually slightly darker on Pearl screens than Viziplex, but the Pearl screens are much sharper, and with much deeper blacks. The difference in background color is hardly noticable when compared to the difference in blacks. They're much, much darker.
Courtesy of smashing118 at hi-pda.com:

The Kindle 3 is on the left, and the Kindle 2 (sporting the same model screen as the nook) is on the right.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elemenoP

The first thing you need to do is check if your local library has ebooks. If it does, get the Nook.

eP

If you intend to use your local library for ebooks.

LDBoblo · 11-24-2010, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dorino

The screen has a higher contrast ratio. The background is actually slightly darker on Pearl screens than Viziplex, but the Pearl screens are much sharper, and with much deeper blacks. The difference in background color is hardly noticable when compared to the difference in blacks. They're much, much darker.
Courtesy of smashing118 at hi-pda.com:

The Kindle 3 is on the left, and the Kindle 2 (sporting the same model screen as the nook) is on the right.

You didn't need to go to a completely different site for a comparison photo.

For a general idea of the difference...courtesy of LDBoblo at MobileRead.com:

Or for Chinese...courtesy of LDBoblo at MobileRead.com:

Or for much more accurate apples-to-apples photo...courtesy of LDBoblo at MobileRead.com:

So yep, you're pretty much right. Pearl has roughly equal background white reflectance, with the variability in individual screens being greater than the generational difference; and a much darker text (not just bolder).

dorino · 11-25-2010, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

You didn't need to go to a completely different site for a comparison photo.

Sorry, I just grabbed the first decent one I could find!

speedlever · 11-26-2010, 12:10 AM

In my research, I've found that I don't care for the touchscreen controls on the Nook. But I like the native access to library ebooks via Overdrive. The K3 feels really nice in my hands and I like the buttons for control. Also, I've not found a way to have the Nook go into landscape mode like the K3. I think the Nook e-ink screen is perfectly readable. (I took a Color Nook outside to test the other day and it was awful in the sunlight. But it sure looked nice inside the store.)

While there are ways to port ePubs to the K3, there are ethical issues involved. Also, I don't know how practical it is in that some files may not be convertible and I don't know how well the conversions display on the K3.

The choices are tough if you prefer the Kindle hardware but still want library ebook access. It shouldn't have to be this way.

dengar · 11-27-2010, 11:18 AM

So after a bunch of research I decided on the Kindle. After feeling both, the Kindle just feels better in my hands (lighter and thinner). I think after prolonged reading the Nook will start to weigh a bit.

As for ethics, I have no problem converting an epub to kindle format after I purchase it. If IMO if I own the book I should be able to install it in whatever reader I own. That said I doubt I will be going down that route anyway. To me Amazon makes it super easy to purchase books and they have a ton of free books (started reading the Star Wars: Lost of the Tribe....great read so far)

Wolf3 · 02-18-2011, 10:12 AM

Hopefully people won't be annoyed by bringing this up in an oldish thread...but side by side in store at least, the Nook running 1.5 SEEMS like the text is super dark...they SEEM to be comparable despite the newer screen in the Kindle 3.

Don't know how they accomplish that, nor for sure if they really looks comparable under worse lighting conditions.

11-23-2010, 10:44 PM	#1
dengar Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 2810 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: PW2, K3, Ipad 4, Kindle Fire	Nook 1.5 vs Kindle 3 Greetings all. First post here. For the last few days I went to BN and Target to look at the Nook and Kindle. I was leaning toward the Kindle but now with this update Im back to "up in the air." Can anyone comment on how the Nook w/1.5 compares to the Kindle when it comes to screen contrast and anything else they can think of? Thanks in advance.

11-23-2010, 11:13 PM	#4
AndyfromVA Zealot Posts: 127 Karma: 1002610 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook 1E, K3, K4, Paperwhite 2	They are tied in page turn speed and screen contrast (though the K3 has a whiter screen). They both let you organize your files. They both have access to a lot of books for purchase (the B&N website and the Amazon website). The Nook has a few more options and a useful touchscreen LCD in addition to the main e-ink display. The Nook allows you to read books from the public library - the K3 does not. The Nook allows you to turn pages by pressing a button (kind of clunky) or swiping the touchscreen. The K3 only allows page turns by pressing a button (works better than the Nook's buttons but the K3's buttons are rather small). The K3 is thinner and lighter in weight. The K3 has a longer battery life. Last edited by AndyfromVA; 11-23-2010 at 11:15 PM.

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11-23-2010, 10:46 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462841 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, dengar

11-23-2010, 11:10 PM	#3
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	Welcome! I don't have a Kindle 3, but the difference between 1.4 and 1.5 with contrast and font is extremely noticeable. It looks great, very crisp and sharp. The page turns are at least twice as fast and the finger or thumb swiping is so much easier to do. The bookshelves on the nook will be similar (I assume) to the collections on the kindle. I'd say it comes down to battery life, weight, and what format you need. The Kindle will be lighter and have a longer battery life. With the Nook you will be able to use library ebooks and other epubs.

11-24-2010, 10:03 AM	#6
elemenoP Wizard Posts: 1,717 Karma: 3790058 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NYC Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Sony 650	The first thing you need to do is check if your local library has ebooks. If it does, get the Nook. eP

11-24-2010, 03:53 PM	#8
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	What AndyfromVA said. I have both & like both. I like the touch screen page turn & keyboard of the NOOK. The Kindle3 has better organization for your books. I don't really notice a big difference with the screens for reading. If you want library books then the NOOK.

11-26-2010, 12:10 AM	#12
speedlever Fanatic Posts: 592 Karma: 138200 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: NC, USA Device: PW2014, PW2012, iPad Pro	In my research, I've found that I don't care for the touchscreen controls on the Nook. But I like the native access to library ebooks via Overdrive. The K3 feels really nice in my hands and I like the buttons for control. Also, I've not found a way to have the Nook go into landscape mode like the K3. I think the Nook e-ink screen is perfectly readable. (I took a Color Nook outside to test the other day and it was awful in the sunlight. But it sure looked nice inside the store.) While there are ways to port ePubs to the K3, there are ethical issues involved. Also, I don't know how practical it is in that some files may not be convertible and I don't know how well the conversions display on the K3. The choices are tough if you prefer the Kindle hardware but still want library ebook access. It shouldn't have to be this way.

11-27-2010, 11:18 AM	#13
dengar Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 2810 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: PW2, K3, Ipad 4, Kindle Fire	So after a bunch of research I decided on the Kindle. After feeling both, the Kindle just feels better in my hands (lighter and thinner). I think after prolonged reading the Nook will start to weigh a bit. As for ethics, I have no problem converting an epub to kindle format after I purchase it. If IMO if I own the book I should be able to install it in whatever reader I own. That said I doubt I will be going down that route anyway. To me Amazon makes it super easy to purchase books and they have a ton of free books (started reading the Star Wars: Lost of the Tribe....great read so far)

02-18-2011, 10:12 AM	#14
Wolf3 Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 386 Join Date: Feb 2011 Device: Nook 2, Kindle 3, iPad 2, iPod 4	Hopefully people won't be annoyed by bringing this up in an oldish thread...but side by side in store at least, the Nook running 1.5 SEEMS like the text is super dark...they SEEM to be comparable despite the newer screen in the Kindle 3. Don't know how they accomplish that, nor for sure if they really looks comparable under worse lighting conditions.

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