MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - New to ereaders. Overwhelmed. Best to buy given these listed preferences?

filtery · 11-26-2013, 01:22 PM

Hi everyone. I'm interested in an eReader with an e-Ink screen for reading novels and textbooks (I'm a college student).

Here are my main priorities:

* Would like to have an eReader with a web browser that is able to effectively read text-based sites under WiFi. I read a lot on the internet and would like to be able to continue doing that with little eye strain with this reader. Mostly just able to browse mobile reddit discussion-based subreddits. Example

* Would like to have it fit in my pocket. I'm male and wear blue jeans and khaki shorts with pretty big pockets. I'm pretty sure I can fit most eReaders in my pocket so this mostly just eliminates those over 7 inches.

* I primarily obtain books through alternative means, and a lot of the times they are PDFs, so I need an eReader that is adept at displaying those, and one that isn't too locked down with DRM so that I can effectively and efficiently transfer books to and fro.

* Readability is huge. This is why I'm getting an eInk eReader over just a tablet. I've heard a lot of varying reports over which is currently the easiest on the eyes, often people claiming either the Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo/Aura, or Nook Glowlight having the best or most even screens.

* A good dictionary is a must. I have a pretty week vocabulary and often the books I enjoy most have quite a large lexicon. I heard the Kindle has the best dictionary but I wasn't sure if that was the case or how I could confirm that. A touch screen would be necessary for quickly tapping a word to get its definition. Some of the words may be spanish, italian, or french that I'll be looking up (but still 99.9% english words).

* Aesthetics and Durability. I suppose this one is more subjective but I'm a fan of simple, clean, and sturdy. Not a lot of wasted space and looking sharp. Also, if it could not shatter instantly when dropped that would be preferable.

* Release date. I would prefer to buy something new and up-to-date. So if something was released in 2010 and hasn't been updated since, I'll pass. Only looking for current revisions and not previous editions.

* Price. I'm looking to spend between $50 and $150 dollars.

* Customer support. If the screen dies or the device breaks in any way, I don't want to have to jump through hoops just to exchange it.

* Proper front light. I'm basically nocturnal but also like to read outside during the day at times. Would like a well-designed front light that clearly illuminates the entire screen evenly while also being able to turned to a very low intensity or even off for when the room is completely pitch black.

* Responsive touch screen. I'm not about to be swiping 5 times every time I want to go to the next page.

* Games. I heard some eReaders have games like Chess and Sodoku. While this is not a requirement that'd be kinda cool.

* Search feature. When reading a textbook it is often required to search for a piece of text.

What doesn't matter:

* Storage size. I don't read that many books and if I do run out of space I don't mind clearing house.

* Battery life. I figure as long as it can last a day I'm going to leave it charging when I sleep regardless.

* Anything cloud. I don't need any syncing, online backup, cloud login, or anything like that. This doesn't matter to me at all.

I feel like with these considerations in mind, it pretty much comes down to Kindle, Kobo, Sony, or Nook, but which of those I choose I'm still not sure of. Thanks for reading!

11-26-2013, 01:22 PM	#1
filtery Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2013 Device: none	New to ereaders. Overwhelmed. Best to buy given these listed preferences? Hi everyone. I'm interested in an eReader with an e-Ink screen for reading novels and textbooks (I'm a college student). Here are my main priorities: * Would like to have an eReader with a web browser that is able to effectively read text-based sites under WiFi. I read a lot on the internet and would like to be able to continue doing that with little eye strain with this reader. Mostly just able to browse mobile reddit discussion-based subreddits. Example * Would like to have it fit in my pocket. I'm male and wear blue jeans and khaki shorts with pretty big pockets. I'm pretty sure I can fit most eReaders in my pocket so this mostly just eliminates those over 7 inches. * I primarily obtain books through alternative means, and a lot of the times they are PDFs, so I need an eReader that is adept at displaying those, and one that isn't too locked down with DRM so that I can effectively and efficiently transfer books to and fro. * Readability is huge. This is why I'm getting an eInk eReader over just a tablet. I've heard a lot of varying reports over which is currently the easiest on the eyes, often people claiming either the Kindle Paperwhite, Kobo Glo/Aura, or Nook Glowlight having the best or most even screens. * A good dictionary is a must. I have a pretty week vocabulary and often the books I enjoy most have quite a large lexicon. I heard the Kindle has the best dictionary but I wasn't sure if that was the case or how I could confirm that. A touch screen would be necessary for quickly tapping a word to get its definition. Some of the words may be spanish, italian, or french that I'll be looking up (but still 99.9% english words). * Aesthetics and Durability. I suppose this one is more subjective but I'm a fan of simple, clean, and sturdy. Not a lot of wasted space and looking sharp. Also, if it could not shatter instantly when dropped that would be preferable. * Release date. I would prefer to buy something new and up-to-date. So if something was released in 2010 and hasn't been updated since, I'll pass. Only looking for current revisions and not previous editions. * Price. I'm looking to spend between $50 and $150 dollars. * Customer support. If the screen dies or the device breaks in any way, I don't want to have to jump through hoops just to exchange it. * Proper front light. I'm basically nocturnal but also like to read outside during the day at times. Would like a well-designed front light that clearly illuminates the entire screen evenly while also being able to turned to a very low intensity or even off for when the room is completely pitch black. * Responsive touch screen. I'm not about to be swiping 5 times every time I want to go to the next page. * Games. I heard some eReaders have games like Chess and Sodoku. While this is not a requirement that'd be kinda cool. * Search feature. When reading a textbook it is often required to search for a piece of text. What doesn't matter: * Storage size. I don't read that many books and if I do run out of space I don't mind clearing house. * Battery life. I figure as long as it can last a day I'm going to leave it charging when I sleep regardless. * Anything cloud. I don't need any syncing, online backup, cloud login, or anything like that. This doesn't matter to me at all. I feel like with these considerations in mind, it pretty much comes down to Kindle, Kobo, Sony, or Nook, but which of those I choose I'm still not sure of. Thanks for reading!