Quote:
Originally Posted by Bookworm_Anna
I'm thinking either the Kindle 3 WiFi or the Nook WiFi, but I'm open to other stuff. The top of my price range is $150. Being able to read outside is important, and I'd really like to be able to read fanfic on it too[like harrypotterfanfiction.net, fanfiction.net and twilighted.net]. It would probably be easiest to get most of my books from Amazon. I like the look of the Nook, but I'm sure there's cons there that I'm missing. Any input or advice would be much appreciated!
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Either of those will do you fine. They're solid, quality products.
You're going about it the right way: focusing on the books first. Stick to that approach.
You first need to determine where you're going to get your DRM'ed books.
Then decide how much control you need over screen presentation; font face, size, margins, line-spacing, presence/absence of header/footer bars, alignment, etc.
Decide if library ebook access matters to *you*.
Decide if limited web-surfing/downloads matters.
Decide if support for Audible audio books matters.
Decide if text-to-speech matters.
Decide if SD-card expandability matters.
Decide if loaning *some* books out *once* per book-lifetime matters.
Decide if touchscreen matters more than wireless.
Decide if dictionary support matters to you.
Decide if in-book search matters to you.
Decide if note-taking matters and how much.
Decide how much the extra contrast of a Pearl eink screen matters to you.
It's your money, your reader, your choice.
Different people have different needs, different biases. There is no reader that can/will satisfy everybody; you just need a reader that will satisfy you. Today.
As for the future...
Well, with a bit of care, the hardware will likely last you as long as you'd like, so you'll be okay there.
However... In the consumer electronics business 5 years is a lifetime. The game is just geting started and there *will* be newer readers with significantly better feature sets coming down the pipe. And prices *will* come down, eventually. If there is a "must-have" feature missing from your affordable choices, you'll have to choose between waiting or going a bit higher. Which, might entail waiting. This is why you need to go through that list of options (and others I've missed; draw up your own specs) and decide what matters to you and how much.
Your budget is reasonable; there are quite a few quality readers available in that range with more to come within the next month or so.
What you need to do is get the reader that best meets your needs for now (and the near term) and let the future take care of yourself; as long as you're using the reader now and not letting it sit in a desk drawer somewhere you *will* get your money's worth.
Prioritize your desirable features, see how the available models meet your needs and if you're comfortable with the match, go for it. Afterwards, don't look back; don't second guess yourself. Whichever reader you get will not be your last. There will be other fun toys coming down the pipe, eventually. But between here and there you'll be doing a lot of reading, no? Remember, its not about the gadget, it's about you and your books.
Have fun!