[RedHerring]

Hey there,

I'm probably going to be buying an eReader for Christmas but I'm not sure which one I want to get.

First of all though, I have spent some time on the resident wiki and on the forums, but it seems like the base knowledge required for what I want to know is a bit high.

For instance -- I think I'd want to root my Nook if I got it, because that apparently lets you do more stuff, but I'm not sure what that entails. I can find guides on how to root it and I can find definitions of root (something about the highest level of the OS), but nothing that actually says "If you root your Nook you can do X, Y, Z, etc. on it."

I mean, if it let you use it as a tablet how would that even work with the eInk for things like browsing?

Most of the comparison tools compare things like the formats and whatnot that will work with the eReaders too, but that doesn't matter to me because I already have a large library of eBooks that I read on my laptops. I can always just use Calibre to change them into ePUB or something else if needed before moving them to my eReader, right?

Basically I want the tablet with the good battery life (has to be eInk I think for that) that offers the most "extras." "Extras" seem to all come more or less with rooting your eReader though? And you can't root a Kindle? Or?

I'm just at a loss as to what these things "can" be capable of.

I'd also like to get one with a decent external light option. I saw some beautiful Kindle leather covers with built in light, but not so much for the Nook.

So, basically, the info I've found is either (1) too basic, and covers things like what formats the various eReaders take or (2) too advanced. I could not find this info very well on Google.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much,
RH