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kalwisti · 04-12-2015, 04:03 PM

Hi, tdonline,

I thought I'd comment since I own both a Nook ST (my first e-reader, purchased around Nov. 2011) and a Nook GlowLight (purchased around Halloween 2014 from a neighborhood B&N store).

I've been reading a lot on the GlowLight since I got it, and am happy with the device. Although I'm still fond of the NST, the GlowLight has become my "daily reader" because it has a crisper display (1024 x 758 resolution) and I like the built-in frontlight -- nice and white, with even coverage. I do most of my reading to relax before bedtime, in an area of the living room which isn't well lighted. My needs are basic, so I typically don't spend much time fiddling with fonts, margins and layouts.

A few other random points:

Physical page turn buttons: You're correct that the GlowLight doesn't have any. I missed them at first, but have adjusted just fine and don't miss them now.
Sideloaded content / Storage space: This isn't a problem, in my experience. Like you, almost all of my eBooks are sideloaded (Project Gutenberg, etc.). I use Calibre to manage my library, which works great.

The GlowLight has 512 MB allotted for sideloaded content (which is twice the amount of my NST). Considering that most ePubs are small, this is plenty of space for my needs. For instance, I now have 171 sideloaded books in my Library and have only used 14% (76 MB) of the available space. So I don't find the loss of the microSD card slot to be a deal-breaker; I never used a microSD card with the NST.
Power button: I find the new location of the Power button (on the upper left side of the unit) to be more convenient than the back of the NST. (My NST is in a B&N case which requires me to carefully wedge my index finger behind the e-reader to cleanly access the button.)
B&N's ecosystem / future: This is a tough question ... It does seem that B&N has made numerous missteps and that it's a sinking ship. I still feel some loyalty towards B&N, and have tried to support them; however, it's becoming harder to maintain goodwill and there is no doubt that Amazon has a better ecosystem (better selection, cheaper prices).

I don't know whether you liberate (de-DRM, or "Alf" as it's known around here) your eBooks, but if you do, B&N's recent changes to their DRM scheme have made it more difficult to do that. I've been unable to do it since the changes (despite having experimented repeatedly), and as a result, I no longer purchase any eBooks from B&N.

I've successfully used Kindle for PC to purchase two Amazon eBooks, Alf them using the Calibre plugin, have Calibre convert them to ePubs and then transfer them to the GlowLight. It's a straightforward process, so that could be an option, if you need it.

There is a lengthy forum thread here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=246519
"B&N removed download option on all books in "My Nook" library."

Even if B&N's e-reader division goes out of business, it wouldn't affect me. I anticipate that my GlowLight would continue to function as dependably as my NST has.

Ultimately, I can't recommend which e-reader would be "best" for you, but I think I can safely say that if your choice were only limited to the GlowLight, you would find it a worthwhile improvement over the NST.

Hope this helps a bit with your decision.

P.S.
If you're interested in case/cover options for the GlowLight, I mention a few in the forum thread below:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=210623&page=3
"Nook Glowlight Poll: Have you experienced screen defects?"
(My reply is Post # 34).

04-12-2015, 04:03 PM	#5
kalwisti Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 262454 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: South Texas Device: Nook Glowlight	Hi, tdonline, I thought I'd comment since I own both a Nook ST (my first e-reader, purchased around Nov. 2011) and a Nook GlowLight (purchased around Halloween 2014 from a neighborhood B&N store). I've been reading a lot on the GlowLight since I got it, and am happy with the device. Although I'm still fond of the NST, the GlowLight has become my "daily reader" because it has a crisper display (1024 x 758 resolution) and I like the built-in frontlight -- nice and white, with even coverage. I do most of my reading to relax before bedtime, in an area of the living room which isn't well lighted. My needs are basic, so I typically don't spend much time fiddling with fonts, margins and layouts. A few other random points: Physical page turn buttons: You're correct that the GlowLight doesn't have any. I missed them at first, but have adjusted just fine and don't miss them now. Sideloaded content / Storage space: This isn't a problem, in my experience. Like you, almost all of my eBooks are sideloaded (Project Gutenberg, etc.). I use Calibre to manage my library, which works great. The GlowLight has 512 MB allotted for sideloaded content (which is twice the amount of my NST). Considering that most ePubs are small, this is plenty of space for my needs. For instance, I now have 171 sideloaded books in my Library and have only used 14% (76 MB) of the available space. So I don't find the loss of the microSD card slot to be a deal-breaker; I never used a microSD card with the NST. Power button: I find the new location of the Power button (on the upper left side of the unit) to be more convenient than the back of the NST. (My NST is in a B&N case which requires me to carefully wedge my index finger behind the e-reader to cleanly access the button.) B&N's ecosystem / future: This is a tough question ... It does seem that B&N has made numerous missteps and that it's a sinking ship. I still feel some loyalty towards B&N, and have tried to support them; however, it's becoming harder to maintain goodwill and there is no doubt that Amazon has a better ecosystem (better selection, cheaper prices). I don't know whether you liberate (de-DRM, or "Alf" as it's known around here) your eBooks, but if you do, B&N's recent changes to their DRM scheme have made it more difficult to do that. I've been unable to do it since the changes (despite having experimented repeatedly), and as a result, I no longer purchase any eBooks from B&N. I've successfully used Kindle for PC to purchase two Amazon eBooks, Alf them using the Calibre plugin, have Calibre convert them to ePubs and then transfer them to the GlowLight. It's a straightforward process, so that could be an option, if you need it. There is a lengthy forum thread here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=246519 "B&N removed download option on all books in "My Nook" library." Even if B&N's e-reader division goes out of business, it wouldn't affect me. I anticipate that my GlowLight would continue to function as dependably as my NST has. Ultimately, I can't recommend which e-reader would be "best" for you, but I think I can safely say that if your choice were only limited to the GlowLight, you would find it a worthwhile improvement over the NST. Hope this helps a bit with your decision. P.S. If you're interested in case/cover options for the GlowLight, I mention a few in the forum thread below: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...=210623&page=3 "Nook Glowlight Poll: Have you experienced screen defects?" (My reply is Post # 34). Last edited by kalwisti; 04-12-2015 at 04:07 PM. Reason: Fixed typo.