Yay almost my birthday (and an ereader shall be mine!)

[jackitsu]

Ahoy!

After a lot of time thinking about it, my husband told me he wanted to get me an ereader for my birthday (also since I probably spend more on books in a few months than I would on a device ) and I've finally figured out my needs. So here I am!

What I want:

E-ink
.epub
pdf
fast page refresh
adjustable text size

What I don't want:

Something that will make it so I have to 'break' the device to keep from having to convert the billion books I already have in .epub and .lit format (aka probably not a nook or a Kindle

What I don't care about (could take or leave):
wireless capabilities

Thoughts? I was looking at some of the Sony ones that looked pretty ok.

Thanks!

[viviena]

I guess you live in the USA? Your choices are probably the Nook, Sony Readers, and the new Kobo.

The Nook can also read EPUBs. None of them can read LIT, as far as I know, though the format is easily converted by Calibre.

Does screen size matter to you? Form factor? The Sony Readers have the newest Pearl e-ink screens, meaning the darkness of the text is much improved. Some people notice a difference and prefer the newer screens, some don't.

I can't speak for the Nook, but I have a Sony Reader 350. I love it. It's fast, compact, and handles PDFs very well (though my PDF use is limited to novels published in that format, not technical PDFs). Lack of wifi isn't a downside for me at all, but I have my reasons -- others would regard the wifi as essential. The touchscreen is very responsive. Build quality is solid. The few bad things I can think of are that the Sonys are considerably expensive compared to other ereaders, and the 350's 5" screen may be too small for some unless one's willing to spend extra for a 650. If you really do have a billion books and would be using a memory card, you should be considering the 650 or 950.

There is a new Kobo coming out very soon, I believe, which means nobody has any hands-on experience with it. (It should be significantly improved over the old model.) Still, it's worth considering.

[jackitsu]

Thanks viviena.

The price is an issue, in that I don't think at the moment I can afford anything more than ~$200, which at least puts the nook in my price range (the only reason I didn't want a nook was because I thought it wouldn't take outside sources so cool!)

What is the size of the nook screen? Its the only one I've actually managed to get my hands on in life and the size of their screen is fine for me, though I don't imagine much smaller would be good.

Kobo is Borders? Or did I make that up? Doesn't effect my choice, just curious.

After looking into the three (Kobo, nook and the Sony line) the Kobo so far looks the most enticing, though I am leery of making purchases like that without having played around with it. Sony looks great but I'm just not sure about the price.

I'm not sure what Form Factor is. :-/

Also, they can all change the size of the text right? I have eye problems and thats most of the reason I wanted one in the first place. :P Weird I forgot to mention it.

[viviena]

Yeah, if price is an issue, I'd probably pass on the Sony too. Their Readers do have a pretty good interface, dictionary and notetaking abilities, etc., but it's not worth the premium if you're not interested in those features.

Nook is a 6". From what I understand, the advantages: tightly integrated to the B&N store, the touchscreen at the bottom. Disadvantages: shorter battery life than other e-ink ereaders, books purchased from B&N use a DRM unique to that company (probably strippable). Lots of Nook fans here though, I'm sure one will come along soon enough to answer your Qs.

Kobo has deals with various companies in various countries. In the USA it's Borders that sells the devices for them, yes.

Sorry about that. I was meaning to say the physical shape and weight, the ergonomics. See what you're comfortable with. For example, the Kobo is pretty light, but you'd probably hate it if you're a lefty. For some people, the Nook takes some getting used to in swiping pages. The 350 feels too light for some people. Etc.

All of them can change text sizes, yes, at least five levels. One of the things I love best about these ereaders.

[jackitsu]

I'm a righty, which is cool because it means most of the e-readers are made with righties in mind.

The more internet research I do the more confused I get. Been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on the Kobo and the nook. The only one that seems to have flying colors are the Sony models, which might be worth it if they are the best. I've played with the nook in the store and wasn't overly impressed with the refresh rate... though they are store models so they see a lot of use...

Sony especially since connectivity isn't important to me. I'm not a collector or gadget person so I sorta never want to have to buy another one (or, you know, not for a very long while) and I do like the extra features Sony has. Kobo, you should have a dictionary at least! :P

Man, I am so confused. ^_^ And indecisive.

I'm thinking its now nook vs. Sony.

[terraskye]

Originally Posted by jackitsu

I'm a righty, which is cool because it means most of the e-readers are made with righties in mind.

The more internet research I do the more confused I get. Been seeing a lot of mixed reviews on the Kobo and the nook. The only one that seems to have flying colors are the Sony models, which might be worth it if they are the best. I've played with the nook in the store and wasn't overly impressed with the refresh rate... though they are store models so they see a lot of use...

Sony especially since connectivity isn't important to me. I'm not a collector or gadget person so I sorta never want to have to buy another one (or, you know, not for a very long while) and I do like the extra features Sony has. Kobo, you should have a dictionary at least! :P

Man, I am so confused. ^_^ And indecisive.

I'm thinking its now nook vs. Sony.

FWIW the new kobo that should be released in the U.S. early November will have a Dictionary.

I also ended up with a Sony after returning my 1gen Kobo, best decision ever too even though it was approx 100 more. I have the new kobo on pre-order but I'll probably just return it as it will be a bit redundant having the sony.

Good Luck and please post with what you end up getting

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by jackitsu

I'm thinking its now nook vs. Sony.

- Sony ($230) is $81 more expensive than Nook ($149)
- Sony is a newer generation and Nook is still last year's model
- Sony has an improved eInk display (Pearl) and Nook does not
- Sony has a touch screen display and Nook does not
- Sony (6.6"x4.8"x0.41") is smaller than Nook (7.7"x4.9"x0.50")
- Sony (7.6 oz) is 4 oz lighter than Nook (11.6 oz)
- Sony (14 days) has a longer battery life than Nook (10 days)
- Sony has more and better dictionaries
- Sony has better PDF support

- Nook is $81 cheaper
- Nook has a separate color LCD display to navigate and Sony does not
- Nook has WiFi for downloading/ web access and Sony does not
- Nook has a web browser and Sony does not
- Nook has a removable battery ($30) and Sony does not
- Nook has a speaker and Sony does not
- Nook has access to B&N eBookstore and Sony does not
- Nook can loan books and Sony can't

- both can borrow library books
- both have card slots: Sony uses SD and Nook uses microSD
- both can buy books from the same stores, except as noted above

Nook is at a disadvantage here, because Sony just updated their product line and Nook is still last year's model. The result is a newer eInk technology with a sharper display and an overall better performance for the Sony; but that will cost you an extra $81.

Also, Nook has a major problem right now with cracked bezels. They're prone to crack along the page turn edges where the plastic is thinner. B&N is aware of this design flaw and will readily exchange your Nook. The problem is, they haven't fixed it yet and probably won't. People buying Nooks today are just as likely to experience this problem as early adopters. Some people have gone through four and more Nooks already. Many are using the touch panel to turn pages to avoid this problem; but that defeats the purpose of having a page turn bezel. My guess is B&N will fix this design flaw on Nook 2 and just swap out defective ones in the mean time.

Overall, my preference between the two is for the Nook because it's cheaper, has a removable battery, has a speaker, and will access the internet (who knows, I just might use it). But I won't buy last year's model because of the cracked bezel problem and in light of Amazon and Sony both releasing newer models with better performance. I'll wait for B&N to release Nook 2 before I take the plunge.

My dream ereader is a Kindle 3 with ePub support.

[PrincessV]

jackitsu:

I have the Nook, Sony PRS 300 & Sony PRS 350. I will most likely sell my PRS 300 & keep the PRS 350. I like both the Nook & Sony's for different reason.

Both the PRS 300 have 5" screens, but the PRS 350's screen is so much better than the 300. Right now, you could probably find the 300 deeply discounted, but it lacks a dictionary. It's slightly larger & thicker than the PRS 350. Both are compact within their own right.

All three (Nook, PRS 300 & PRS 350) are flexible concerning ebook format (ie: epub) and available sources for ebooks (library access, you can purchase e-books from other sources).

While the Nook has the touch screen for page turning, I rarely use it. But, I like the other navigation options the touchscreen offers. The screen is crisp & clear & you can adjust the font type & size. I have e-books from other source than B&N, that I've "sideloaded" without any issues. The dictionary is a little clumsy to use. I've had my Nook since it's first release without any issues!

If there's a Bestbuy near, you can "test" drive either for 30 days & then decide which one is best for you!

[peitsao]

I had a nook and although the reading screen is excellent, the web browser sucks and didn't like the fact that the DRM is tied into my credit card number. I liked going into the B&N store and getting freebies, but I think that someone hacked into my account while I was there and tried to buy a bunch of books with my credit card. I complained to B&N, and they just said "sorry" without honoring my request to close my account promptly. Had to figure out how to close my account on my own. Of course, it is easy to strip the DRM from a B&N ebook for that reason, if that matters to you.

I have had sony readers since their first model and have never had any problems with them, but their book prices and choices are not as good as kindle store or B&N. I did notice that you can buy kobo reader from kobo website now and are not tied into the Borders store, which is the way I would go if you get a kobo.

Kindle with epub would be a perfect world, but that's not going to happen...sigh...

Good luck!

[cfrizz]

I love my Sony 600. It's nice & solid, I can purchase books from any store that sells epubs & pdfs with the exception of B&N which I tried with a free book of theirs & it won't load on my Sony.

I have yet to purchase any books from Sony either, since I do find them to be expensive, but I have lots of choices in where I can buy my books. I LOVE that I can adjust the font size to a size that I can read comfortably.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I love my Sony 600. It's nice & solid, I can purchase books from any store that sells epubs & pdfs with the exception of B&N which I tried with a free book of theirs & it won't load on my Sony.

That part sucks. Whereas pretty much everyone who uses ePub uses Adobe's DRM'd version, B&N adopted a variation of it; effectively denying access to all but the Nook.

Seems dumb to lock out other ereaders when they go out of their way to make their store compatible with other devices - Apple, Android, PC, Mac, and Blackberry.

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

That part sucks. Whereas pretty much everyone who uses ePub uses Adobe's DRM'd version, B&N adopted a variation of it; effectively denying access to all but the Nook.

Seems dumb to lock out other ereaders when they go out of their way to make their store compatible with other devices - Apple, Android, PC, Mac, and Blackberry.

I totally agree! I even told a salesperson in B&N that they were losing a customer who buys lots of books because of their BS!

[jackitsu]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the amazing responses!

I think I am going to go for the Sony 650. The extra price seems worth it since it does everything I want and nothing I don't want. The extra bells and whistles of connectibility and color touch and mp3 players aren't that important to me, and Sony seems to have near perfected all the actual e-book reading parts. ^_^ Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on one before I make a final decision (plus, the extra cost may make it so I need to wait a bit for the extra cash anyway) or may hold out for Christmas and hope for some kind of sale or something.

Plus the Sony 650 comes in RED.

One question, is there any difference between the 650 and 350 besides the screen size (and the color availability, which made me sad... my heart is set on red!) because if so I may just go for the pocket edition which would help with the whole cost issue.

You guys rock! Thanks so much. ^_^

[viviena]

Let's see, the 650 has a SD card slot and can play MP3s. Besides the differences you've already mentioned, there's just those two I can think of.

I chose to get the 350 over the 650 (though the latter had red -- I LOVE red!), but would the 5" size of the 350 be okay for you? You mentioned earlier eye problems, and although I read at either Small or Medium, my own opinion is that reading on a Large or XL on the 350 would mean the irritation of constant page turning. That really is the one reason why I might push the 650's 6" over the 350, so try your hardest to compare both models in person. I think there's several stores, not just Sony Styles, that have demo units across the USA.

Also, apparently it's a heavy shopping season in America soon? I don't think the new Sonys would be discounted by much, but there may be some competitive bundles around. This 350 + cover is an example.

Anyway, I hope whatever you end up with makes you happy.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by viviena

I chose to get the 350 over the 650 (though the latter had red -- I LOVE red!), but would the 5" size of the 350 be okay for you? You mentioned earlier eye problems, and although I read at either Small or Medium, my own opinion is that reading on a Large or XL on the 350 would mean the irritation of constant page turning.

Not only are page turns more frequent, but battery life will also be diminished because of it. Expect to recharge the battery more often with the 350.