which is best

buttbott · 11-29-2011, 11:57 AM

Hi i love reading and my husband wants to buy me an e-reader for christmas but i don't know which one to go for i heard you can only use amazon with the kindle, but i don't know much about the kobo is it restricted its own site and whch is the better one for me

desertgrandma · 11-29-2011, 12:03 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, buttbot.

Asking 'which is best' is guaranteed to get you many opinions.

I have the Kindle 3, keyboard, and love it. One thing about buying from Amazon......if you dont' like it for any reason, you have a 30 day money back guarantee. Just pay return shipping, about $5.

This give you plenty of time to play with it, download books, (tons of free ones here!) and make your own decision.

Their customer service is outstanding, and there is a kindle CS number that can be called anytime for questions.

Whichever one you decide on, enjoy.

CRussel · 11-29-2011, 12:37 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, buttbott. This thread will likely get moved over to the Which One Should I Buy forum, where it belongs, but as desertgrandma says, you'll get as many opinions as there are eReaders, since they're all represented here.

The first decision point is what country are you in? If the US, then pretty much all the options will work and move to the next decision point. If outside the US, I would strongly suggest not getting a Nook. B&N only supports them in the US, and only ships them to US addresses.

The next decision point is touch or keyboard? Personally, I prefer keyboards, but others are strong proponents of touch. And if touch, with or without page turn buttons? Again, if I got a touch, it would absolutely have page turn buttons, but others might not be so concerned. (I currently have a Kindle Keyboard and a Kindle Fire. The Fire is touch only, and I can't say I like that as an option. )

Next, what is your current source of books? Do you buy from a wide variety of stores, or one store primarily. If one store primarily, then look at which one they support/work with and go with that.

Another question to ask is do you need to be able to travel with your eReader and buy books while travelling? If so, then one with a 3G option is probably a good investment. If you are happy with being restricted to WiFi, then pretty much all of them now support that. And you'll also be able to "sideload" to your reader using a USB cable to your computer.

If you're near a Best Buy or Target or other store that has several in stock, go look at them, and get a feel for them. That can help make your decision easier. Almost any brand can be made to work with almost any content, by shifting the format of the content. This isn't particularly hard, though it may require removing the DRM (Digital Rights Management, a way to prevent you from having access to what you bought) first. Again, not hard, but a topic for another thread.

The buying experience for Kindle is generally considered the absolute best. Completely transparent and automatic. The standard that others strive for, and sometimes achieve. Buying from a non-Amazon store might require using your computer. And might require format shifting. But buying from Amazon for any other reader might also require format shifting. And other readers are even more restrictive about where you can buy from while using the reader to do the buying.

Finally, the question of what will happen if there's a problem with your eReader and you need customer service. Here, Amazon is head and shoulders above ANY one else. They have been simply amazing, and there are innumerable stories reported here to support that.

Personally? I buy Kindles, and buy them for my friends' kids when they earn them. And no complaints at all.

DustyDisks · 11-29-2011, 01:03 PM

Agree with the above posts.

Asking which or what is best , is like asking 5 people and getting 10 answers! Everyone has their own standards.

Good luck in the hunt.

WT Sharpe · 11-29-2011, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttbott

Hi i love reading and my husband wants to buy me an e-reader for christmas but i don't know which one to go for i heard you can only use amazon with the kindle, but i don't know much about the kobo is it restricted its own site and whch is the better one for me

Kindle owners can buy books from anywhere that offers books in formats accepted by the Kindle. In addition, they can download a large selection of public domain books in mobi/prc format from our MobileRead library, Project Gutenberg, and many other places. There are some Kindle owners who never buy books from Amazon because they (just like books in the Sony Store, Kobo eBooks, and Barnes & Nobles) contain DRM. They prefer to only buy from those sites that sell books without it. This limits their choices, because DRM is insisted upon by most publishers, but it does show that Amazon is far from being the only place you can get books for the Kindle.

ProfCrash · 11-30-2011, 10:14 AM

buttbot: I agree with CRussel, go to a Target or Best Buy and give the various devices a whirl. That way you can get a feel for how they feel and operate.

Personally, I think the Kindles and Nooks are the best products on the market now. They do pretty much the same thing, are similarly prices, and both have good customer service. I would say that Amazon has better customer service but I have heard that BN has gotten a lot better and that the store side service has really helped folks.

Sony makes some great e-readers but the latest and greatest seems to be very glitchy. I will happily recommend it to folks when I hear that the various bugs have been fixed.

Kobo has many loyal fans but has never excited me. It seems to be a step behind the Kindle, Sony, and Nook in many features. It does what it does well but for the same price you can get devices that do a little bit more.

I have no experience with the smaller manufacturers and cannot comment on their devices.

I would suggest going to the bookstores you think you are going to be shopping at and searching for the books that you enjoy reading. Which bookstore has more of the books that you enjoy? Are the prices different?

People make a big deal about the format differences but the truth is that Amazon has the largest e-book store (when you remove public domain books from the totals) and most folks are able to find everything that they want there. As WT Sharpe pointed out, there are stores that sell Mobi formated books that you can read on a Kindle and a ton of websites with public domain books available for the Kindle.

Unless you are planning on spending a good amount of time shopping around many e-books stores to find the right price for your book, I think you will find that Amazon and B&N are comprable with what they sell and you would be fine with either store.

CRussel · 11-30-2011, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Unless you are planning on spending a good amount of time shopping around many e-books stores to find the right price for your book, I think you will find that Amazon and B&N are comprable with what they sell and you would be fine with either store.

The big problem here is that buttbott is in the UK. Either I didn't notice that when I wrote my post, or it was added after, but I really don't think B&N is a great option for someone outside of the US. This leaves Kindle, Kobo, Sony, and then all the rest. Though there are a couple of essentially UK only models, I think, from booksellers there.

ProfCrash · 11-30-2011, 02:08 PM

I checked before I posted about the Nook and did not see it.

I would not get a Nook outside of the US.

Kiwimick · 11-30-2011, 05:43 PM

You can pick up a Sony PRS650 from waterstones for £130. They are a great reader solidly built with a 6" touch screen or even the PRS350 which has a 5" screen.
I personally have avoided the new Sony as it seems to be having a few problems.
W H Smiths are pluging the Kobo including the new colour Vox but I have yet to see one so cannot say what that would be like.
If you can get into a W H Smiths or Waterstones you can have a look and play with them

Rizla · 11-30-2011, 06:04 PM

If you do get a Kindle, I'd get a Keyboard version. The Non-Touch version is okay as a very basic model, though many people report that the screen is not as good as the Keyboard version. I wouldn't touch the Touch version. It seems to have problems.

The Nook is okay.

The Sony-T1 is probably the best built and the best quality. It probably has the best screen. It's had some instability issues, but Sony is releasing a patch addressing it at the end of the month.

I wouldn't bother with a Kobo.

ProfCrash · 11-30-2011, 06:10 PM

The Sony has the same screen as the Kindle, Kobo, and Nook

CRussel · 11-30-2011, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rizla

If you do get a Kindle, I'd get a Keyboard version. The Non-Touch version is okay as a very basic model, though many people report that the screen is not as good as the Keyboard version. I wouldn't touch the Touch version. It seems to have problems.

The Nook is okay.

The Sony-T1 is probably the best built and the best quality. It probably has the best screen. It's had some instability issues, but Sony is releasing a patch addressing it at the end of the month.

I wouldn't bother with a Kobo.

All of these have exactly the same screen. And to say that the Kindle Touch has problems, but downplay the Sony's problems is disengenuous at best.

In general, the Kindle, Sony and Kobo are all excellent eReaders. The Nook isn't a good choice outside of the US. All share the same screen. It's features, infrastructure, and price after that.

buttbott · 12-02-2011, 06:29 PM

Thanks for all the great feedback on which would be a good e-reader for me as there are quite a few to choose from my sister-in -law lives in the USA and has just purchased the kindle fire and she says its great but its not out in the UK until next year so i'll have to wait a little longer for that one

cHex · 12-02-2011, 07:15 PM

Since you mentioned you love reading and spoke of an e-reader, people have been recommending e-ink devices to you. These devices are black-and-white, don't consume power when displaying a page, and are ideal for reading books. They are easier on the eyes than backlit displays, and easier to read in bright sunlight.

Then you mention your sister-in-law loves the Kindle Fire. Just realize that most of us consider that device (and other color backlit devices) as less ideal for reading. While the Fire has advantages of its own--viewing movies, for example, or playing more games and running more apps--when it comes to reading books, it will suffer in comparison to the less costly e-ink devices.

hughes · 12-03-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buttbott

Thanks for all the great feedback on which would be a good e-reader for me as there are quite a few to choose from my sister-in -law lives in the USA and has just purchased the kindle fire and she says its great but its not out in the UK until next year so i'll have to wait a little longer for that one

Hi and welcome, buttbott. As cHex mentioned, there's a strong dichotomy between LCD-based ereaders (tablets, really) such as the Kindle Fire, NOOK Tablet, Lenova Ideapad A1, etc and E Ink-based ereaders such as the other Kindles, Nook Touch, Kobo Touch, iRiver Story HD, etc.

If your priority is long-run reading, focus on the E Ink devices, which use ambient light like physical books. If your priority is on web surfing, apps, games, and video, focus on LCD devices, which use back lighting like computer monitors do.

E Ink is too slow for video, and E Ink ereaders' apps and web browsing experience is subpar. LCD long-run reading experience is more like reading from a computer monitor than a physical book. There's no single device which excels at both long-run reading and other tasks, so it's important to be clear on your priority in this area to be happy with your decision.

11-29-2011, 11:57 AM	#1
buttbott Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oswestry Shropshire UK Device: none	which is best Hi i love reading and my husband wants to buy me an e-reader for christmas but i don't know which one to go for i heard you can only use amazon with the kindle, but i don't know much about the kobo is it restricted its own site and whch is the better one for me

11-29-2011, 12:37 PM	#3
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,296 Karma: 80074820 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), iPad Air M3	Welcome to MobileRead, buttbott. This thread will likely get moved over to the Which One Should I Buy forum, where it belongs, but as desertgrandma says, you'll get as many opinions as there are eReaders, since they're all represented here. The first decision point is what country are you in? If the US, then pretty much all the options will work and move to the next decision point. If outside the US, I would strongly suggest not getting a Nook. B&N only supports them in the US, and only ships them to US addresses. The next decision point is touch or keyboard? Personally, I prefer keyboards, but others are strong proponents of touch. And if touch, with or without page turn buttons? Again, if I got a touch, it would absolutely have page turn buttons, but others might not be so concerned. (I currently have a Kindle Keyboard and a Kindle Fire. The Fire is touch only, and I can't say I like that as an option. ) Next, what is your current source of books? Do you buy from a wide variety of stores, or one store primarily. If one store primarily, then look at which one they support/work with and go with that. Another question to ask is do you need to be able to travel with your eReader and buy books while travelling? If so, then one with a 3G option is probably a good investment. If you are happy with being restricted to WiFi, then pretty much all of them now support that. And you'll also be able to "sideload" to your reader using a USB cable to your computer. If you're near a Best Buy or Target or other store that has several in stock, go look at them, and get a feel for them. That can help make your decision easier. Almost any brand can be made to work with almost any content, by shifting the format of the content. This isn't particularly hard, though it may require removing the DRM (Digital Rights Management, a way to prevent you from having access to what you bought) first. Again, not hard, but a topic for another thread. The buying experience for Kindle is generally considered the absolute best. Completely transparent and automatic. The standard that others strive for, and sometimes achieve. Buying from a non-Amazon store might require using your computer. And might require format shifting. But buying from Amazon for any other reader might also require format shifting. And other readers are even more restrictive about where you can buy from while using the reader to do the buying. Finally, the question of what will happen if there's a problem with your eReader and you need customer service. Here, Amazon is head and shoulders above ANY one else. They have been simply amazing, and there are innumerable stories reported here to support that. Personally? I buy Kindles, and buy them for my friends' kids when they earn them. And no complaints at all. Last edited by CRussel; 11-29-2011 at 01:33 PM. Reason: minor typo

11-29-2011, 12:03 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, buttbot. Asking 'which is best' is guaranteed to get you many opinions. I have the Kindle 3, keyboard, and love it. One thing about buying from Amazon......if you dont' like it for any reason, you have a 30 day money back guarantee. Just pay return shipping, about $5. This give you plenty of time to play with it, download books, (tons of free ones here!) and make your own decision. Their customer service is outstanding, and there is a kindle CS number that can be called anytime for questions. Whichever one you decide on, enjoy.

11-29-2011, 01:03 PM	#4
DustyDisks Old Fart In Training Posts: 534 Karma: 2742476 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Gladewater, Texas Device: K3+3g/KFHD 7"/Nexus 7/Nexus 7.2	Agree with the above posts. Asking which or what is best , is like asking 5 people and getting 10 answers! Everyone has their own standards. Good luck in the hunt.

11-30-2011, 10:14 AM	#6
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	buttbot: I agree with CRussel, go to a Target or Best Buy and give the various devices a whirl. That way you can get a feel for how they feel and operate. Personally, I think the Kindles and Nooks are the best products on the market now. They do pretty much the same thing, are similarly prices, and both have good customer service. I would say that Amazon has better customer service but I have heard that BN has gotten a lot better and that the store side service has really helped folks. Sony makes some great e-readers but the latest and greatest seems to be very glitchy. I will happily recommend it to folks when I hear that the various bugs have been fixed. Kobo has many loyal fans but has never excited me. It seems to be a step behind the Kindle, Sony, and Nook in many features. It does what it does well but for the same price you can get devices that do a little bit more. I have no experience with the smaller manufacturers and cannot comment on their devices. I would suggest going to the bookstores you think you are going to be shopping at and searching for the books that you enjoy reading. Which bookstore has more of the books that you enjoy? Are the prices different? People make a big deal about the format differences but the truth is that Amazon has the largest e-book store (when you remove public domain books from the totals) and most folks are able to find everything that they want there. As WT Sharpe pointed out, there are stores that sell Mobi formated books that you can read on a Kindle and a ton of websites with public domain books available for the Kindle. Unless you are planning on spending a good amount of time shopping around many e-books stores to find the right price for your book, I think you will find that Amazon and B&N are comprable with what they sell and you would be fine with either store.

11-30-2011, 02:08 PM	#8
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	I checked before I posted about the Nook and did not see it. I would not get a Nook outside of the US.

11-30-2011, 05:43 PM	#9
Kiwimick Addict Posts: 211 Karma: 37308 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: London UK Device: Sony PRS650	You can pick up a Sony PRS650 from waterstones for £130. They are a great reader solidly built with a 6" touch screen or even the PRS350 which has a 5" screen. I personally have avoided the new Sony as it seems to be having a few problems. W H Smiths are pluging the Kobo including the new colour Vox but I have yet to see one so cannot say what that would be like. If you can get into a W H Smiths or Waterstones you can have a look and play with them

11-30-2011, 06:04 PM	#10
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	If you do get a Kindle, I'd get a Keyboard version. The Non-Touch version is okay as a very basic model, though many people report that the screen is not as good as the Keyboard version. I wouldn't touch the Touch version. It seems to have problems. The Nook is okay. The Sony-T1 is probably the best built and the best quality. It probably has the best screen. It's had some instability issues, but Sony is releasing a patch addressing it at the end of the month. I wouldn't bother with a Kobo.

11-30-2011, 06:10 PM	#11
ProfCrash Tea Enthusiast Posts: 8,554 Karma: 75384937 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Somewhere in the USA Device: Kindle1, Kindle DX Graphite, K3 3G, IPad 3, PW2	The Sony has the same screen as the Kindle, Kobo, and Nook

12-02-2011, 06:29 PM	#13
buttbott Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oswestry Shropshire UK Device: none	Thanks for all the great feedback on which would be a good e-reader for me as there are quite a few to choose from my sister-in -law lives in the USA and has just purchased the kindle fire and she says its great but its not out in the UK until next year so i'll have to wait a little longer for that one

12-02-2011, 07:15 PM	#14
cHex Zealot Posts: 127 Karma: 2843950 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle Keyboard (K3)	Since you mentioned you love reading and spoke of an e-reader, people have been recommending e-ink devices to you. These devices are black-and-white, don't consume power when displaying a page, and are ideal for reading books. They are easier on the eyes than backlit displays, and easier to read in bright sunlight. Then you mention your sister-in-law loves the Kindle Fire. Just realize that most of us consider that device (and other color backlit devices) as less ideal for reading. While the Fire has advantages of its own--viewing movies, for example, or playing more games and running more apps--when it comes to reading books, it will suffer in comparison to the less costly e-ink devices.

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