Looking for a reader for my wife

jabberwock_11 · 10-13-2010, 01:42 PM

I have been looking to buy a new ebook reader for my wife and, as of yet, have not come up with a suitable choice. I want to get her something that is easy to use and has a good battery life. WiFi would also be nice, but is not really a deal breaker.

I have been mostly bouncing back and forth between the Sony 350, the B&N Nook, and the Kobo ebook reader. I like aspects of all three, but I also have concerns about all three. Hopefully you fine folks can help me out.

The new Sony sounds spiffy-keen and I have always liked Sony's devices, but the price, lack of WiFi, and my past experience with the Sony's slow refresh rates after being hooked up to a PC or turned off all make it seem like a less than wise option for my wife.

The B&N Nook has the advantage of price and the B&N store, but the battery life, lack of a true touch screen, and (the big drawback in my opinion) lack of ability to put books into either collections or folders really makes me pause.

The new Kobo seems to address a lot of my desires without costing an arm and a leg, but the lack of a touch screen and its past poor performance make me wonder if this new one will be another disappointment waiting to happen.

Before anyone mentions it, I have already ruled out the K3 due to Amazon's ability to remove books from the device, the keyboard (which just seems pointless), and their annoying and snobbish commercials (specifically the one where the smug bikini clad woman says in response to a simple question, "It's a Kindle, only $139...I paid more for these sunglasses.").

Any input that anyone cares to give me on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

ProfCrash · 10-13-2010, 01:54 PM

Is there a reason you have exclude the Kindle from your list? It sounds like you want a touch screen but you are not happy with the Sony line.

If a touchscreen is not a must then I would strongly encourage you to look at the Kindle. It has a basic collections system, which seems to be something that you want, great battery life, the best screen on the market, and the WiFi option that you want. Not to mention, Amazon has an amazing book store that is easy to use.

Pegster · 10-13-2010, 01:56 PM

Jabberwock, I can't comment on the nook or the kobo, but I have the 350 and I'm extremely happy with it. It can take a couple of minutes refreshing after having a larger number of books placed on it, but adding only a few books doesn't slow it down once disconnected for any reasonable time. It comes back from standby extremely quickly, and page turns are super fast. I don't find the lack of wifi important for myself - I rarely have to get a book THAT quickly, and I have other means of accessing the web if I need to surf on the go.

Whichever one you get for her, I hope she enjoys the experience.

andre66 · 10-13-2010, 02:10 PM

I have the sony 350 and i love it, have not noticed any problems regarding refresh rate, touch screen is excellent. The only downside to it is the price.
Tested the Kobo at chapters and found it to be so slow turning pages and it looked like the screen had an image burned into it. Would not recommend that one but hopefully the new one will be better, may get that one as a christmas present for my wife if it is improved.
My brother has the nook and he is very happy with it, i haven't had a chance to play with it, he is in Finland working at the moment.
Ebook readers are such a great device i think you will be very happy with whatever you decide to get for your wife.
Andre

tubemonkey · 10-13-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jabberwock_11

The B&N Nook has the advantage of price and the B&N store, but the battery life, lack of a true touch screen, and (the big drawback in my opinion) lack of ability to put books into either collections or folders really makes me pause.

The Nook has another problem to consider. The bezel is prone to cracking because of a design flaw. B&N readily replaces devices that crack, but they haven't fixed the underlying problem. Some people have exchanged cracked Nooks more than three times.

Also, B&N could just as easily remove books from the Nook like Amazon did. After the bad PR Amazon got from its episode, I doubt they'll ever attempt it again; and it didn't go unnoticed by the others.

lene1949 · 10-14-2010, 05:11 AM

If your wife loves reading, I'd go for the kindle.

sun surfer · 10-14-2010, 05:58 AM

Honestly, after reading your criteria, I'd suggest you go with the Sony. And this is coming from someone who loves the nook.

The reason is that it sounds to me like that's what you really would rather get her. I don't think refresh rates are a problem on the new ones, and you already said that wifi is not a deal breaker. So, the only reason I see for you not to get one would be the price, if it's too expensive for you.

If price is too much of an issue, then I would recommend the nook. The battery life really isn't that big of a deal. The collections/folders thing may be addressed in a future software update; B&N has been very good about their updates.

And the Kobo, well, I don't see anything special about it, but really, any of the three are fine choices.

tubemonkey · 10-14-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

The collections/folders thing may be addressed in a future software update; B&N has been very good about their updates.

What's taking them so long? It's going on a year since launch and it's the thing people want most.

Personally, I don't care one way or another about it. I want longer battery life, separate page turn buttons, and a black color option.

sun surfer · 10-15-2010, 11:37 AM

Well, I am hoping that what is taking them so long is a nook 2, but who knows? Not me.

ProfCrash · 10-15-2010, 12:44 PM

It took Amazon over two years to set up collections for the Kindle.

Leep · 10-15-2010, 01:01 PM

One of the very important issues in choosing an ereader is "where will you be getting your ebooks". I love both my Kindles. Wifi doesn't seem like much of a feature, but since I like to pick up a couple of free periodicals and keep a complete library of all my ebooks in Calibre, the wifi feature makes it effortless to load new stuff on my Kindle. (actually periodicals download themselves)

Since you live in the U.S., you have the option of "trying" out different options either via a retail store, or ordering and returning the devices you don't like. Postage is a small thing compared to how important it is to get the right reader to suit your requirements.

cheers

ProfCrash · 10-15-2010, 01:16 PM

I believe that Amazon pays the postage for a returned Kindle in the first 30 days.

sunnysmiles · 10-17-2010, 06:05 AM

I think the battery life on the sony is not very good and it takes quite some time to refresh. It does not have wifi might I suggest the iriver the new version which is coming out with Wifi have had the old version for some time and the battery life is superb to use. The best of them all through is the kindle which you dont like .

jbcohen · 10-17-2010, 09:45 AM

At least to me it comes down to two things: being like the crowd or paying less. Do you want to be like everyone else - then the Kindle is the way to go, however you are going to pay top dollar for that. If you want to pay less the Koboo and Alurtek are great solutions - they are not what everyone else is buying but so what and they cost less then what every one else is buying and work just as good. I do not own a koboo but I have experimented with one and let me tell you its a great reader, personally i have an alurtek, which does not meet your needs since its not touch screen.

ProfCrash · 10-17-2010, 10:29 AM

The new Kobo is the same price as the K3. It might be $10 cheaper but I am pretty sure it is $139. I cannot speak for the Alurtex.

10-13-2010, 01:42 PM	#1
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	Looking for a reader for my wife I have been looking to buy a new ebook reader for my wife and, as of yet, have not come up with a suitable choice. I want to get her something that is easy to use and has a good battery life. WiFi would also be nice, but is not really a deal breaker. I have been mostly bouncing back and forth between the Sony 350, the B&N Nook, and the Kobo ebook reader. I like aspects of all three, but I also have concerns about all three. Hopefully you fine folks can help me out. The new Sony sounds spiffy-keen and I have always liked Sony's devices, but the price, lack of WiFi, and my past experience with the Sony's slow refresh rates after being hooked up to a PC or turned off all make it seem like a less than wise option for my wife. The B&N Nook has the advantage of price and the B&N store, but the battery life, lack of a true touch screen, and (the big drawback in my opinion) lack of ability to put books into either collections or folders really makes me pause. The new Kobo seems to address a lot of my desires without costing an arm and a leg, but the lack of a touch screen and its past poor performance make me wonder if this new one will be another disappointment waiting to happen. Before anyone mentions it, I have already ruled out the K3 due to Amazon's ability to remove books from the device, the keyboard (which just seems pointless), and their annoying and snobbish commercials (specifically the one where the smug bikini clad woman says in response to a simple question, "It's a Kindle, only $139...I paid more for these sunglasses."). Any input that anyone cares to give me on the subject would be greatly appreciated. Last edited by jabberwock_11; 10-13-2010 at 02:01 PM.

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10-13-2010, 01:54 PM	#2
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	Is there a reason you have exclude the Kindle from your list? It sounds like you want a touch screen but you are not happy with the Sony line. If a touchscreen is not a must then I would strongly encourage you to look at the Kindle. It has a basic collections system, which seems to be something that you want, great battery life, the best screen on the market, and the WiFi option that you want. Not to mention, Amazon has an amazing book store that is easy to use.

10-13-2010, 01:56 PM	#3
Pegster Devourer of Books Posts: 135 Karma: 508928 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southeastern US Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-350, Sony PRS-T1, Samsung S5	Jabberwock, I can't comment on the nook or the kobo, but I have the 350 and I'm extremely happy with it. It can take a couple of minutes refreshing after having a larger number of books placed on it, but adding only a few books doesn't slow it down once disconnected for any reasonable time. It comes back from standby extremely quickly, and page turns are super fast. I don't find the lack of wifi important for myself - I rarely have to get a book THAT quickly, and I have other means of accessing the web if I need to surf on the go. Whichever one you get for her, I hope she enjoys the experience.

10-13-2010, 02:10 PM	#4
andre66 Member Posts: 18 Karma: 22 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: ALDERGROVE, BC Device: sony prs 350	I have the sony 350 and i love it, have not noticed any problems regarding refresh rate, touch screen is excellent. The only downside to it is the price. Tested the Kobo at chapters and found it to be so slow turning pages and it looked like the screen had an image burned into it. Would not recommend that one but hopefully the new one will be better, may get that one as a christmas present for my wife if it is improved. My brother has the nook and he is very happy with it, i haven't had a chance to play with it, he is in Finland working at the moment. Ebook readers are such a great device i think you will be very happy with whatever you decide to get for your wife. Andre

10-14-2010, 05:11 AM	#6
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,952 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Middelfart, Denmark Device: Kindle paper white	If your wife loves reading, I'd go for the kindle.

10-14-2010, 05:58 AM	#7
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Honestly, after reading your criteria, I'd suggest you go with the Sony. And this is coming from someone who loves the nook. The reason is that it sounds to me like that's what you really would rather get her. I don't think refresh rates are a problem on the new ones, and you already said that wifi is not a deal breaker. So, the only reason I see for you not to get one would be the price, if it's too expensive for you. If price is too much of an issue, then I would recommend the nook. The battery life really isn't that big of a deal. The collections/folders thing may be addressed in a future software update; B&N has been very good about their updates. And the Kobo, well, I don't see anything special about it, but really, any of the three are fine choices.

10-15-2010, 11:37 AM	#9
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Well, I am hoping that what is taking them so long is a nook 2, but who knows? Not me.

10-15-2010, 12:44 PM	#10
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	It took Amazon over two years to set up collections for the Kindle.

10-15-2010, 01:01 PM	#11
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	One of the very important issues in choosing an ereader is "where will you be getting your ebooks". I love both my Kindles. Wifi doesn't seem like much of a feature, but since I like to pick up a couple of free periodicals and keep a complete library of all my ebooks in Calibre, the wifi feature makes it effortless to load new stuff on my Kindle. (actually periodicals download themselves) Since you live in the U.S., you have the option of "trying" out different options either via a retail store, or ordering and returning the devices you don't like. Postage is a small thing compared to how important it is to get the right reader to suit your requirements. cheers

10-15-2010, 01:16 PM	#12
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I believe that Amazon pays the postage for a returned Kindle in the first 30 days.

10-17-2010, 06:05 AM	#13
sunnysmiles Addict Posts: 279 Karma: 1188010 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: I pad air, kindle pw2 and kindle touch , kindle had fire Nook pad nook	I think the battery life on the sony is not very good and it takes quite some time to refresh. It does not have wifi might I suggest the iriver the new version which is coming out with Wifi have had the old version for some time and the battery life is superb to use. The best of them all through is the kindle which you dont like .

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10-17-2010, 09:45 AM	#14
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,025 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Piper College Device: Samsung A21	At least to me it comes down to two things: being like the crowd or paying less. Do you want to be like everyone else - then the Kindle is the way to go, however you are going to pay top dollar for that. If you want to pay less the Koboo and Alurtek are great solutions - they are not what everyone else is buying but so what and they cost less then what every one else is buying and work just as good. I do not own a koboo but I have experimented with one and let me tell you its a great reader, personally i have an alurtek, which does not meet your needs since its not touch screen.

10-17-2010, 10:29 AM	#15
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	The new Kobo is the same price as the K3. It might be $10 cheaper but I am pretty sure it is $139. I cannot speak for the Alurtex.