Easiest ereader for older parent to use

[dorino]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

How computer literate is your mom? I would think a reader with 3G would be easier because you never have to mess with the computer. Unless you want to do all the loading for her, then go for the Sony with the touchscreen. The touchscreen is the most intuitive way to use a reader, I think. You see it, you touch it. Easy. But my mother would never be able to load books on it.

eP

Exactly my thoughts!

The nook 3G is probably a good bet, but the print on the touch screen is a tad small.

The Kobo isn't very easy to navigate, imo, so I wouldn't go with that.

[badgoodDeb]

If she is in the US, I think the kindle is about as easy as it gets. I have my mom on my amazon account (she has my older kindle) and I push over any books she would like. I phone up and tell her to turn in the network for 10 minutes, and she is set. I could also do the same with book samples, given how easy it is to buy if you like the book.

[MsAstoria]

If weight is an issue, then i would recommend the Kindle. Course if she doesn't have wifi or internet access, I'm not sure how she would download books. Also the Kindle is not library friendly either. I had a Sony a couple of years back and it was very easy to use. Again, with any e-reader, she needs to be able to get books on her device.
She can always stop by McDonalds or Starbucks and access free wi-fi for book shopping.

[polly]

Originally Posted by elemenoP

How computer literate is your mom? I would think a reader with 3G would be easier because you never have to mess with the computer. Unless you want to do all the loading for her, then go for the Sony with the touchscreen. The touchscreen is the most intuitive way to use a reader, I think. You see it, you touch it. Easy. But my mother would never be able to load books on it.

eP

I don't know that I agree with that. My mother can't/won't even use email. Her idea of being adventurous on a computer is to play hearts instead of solitaire.

Despite that, she was able to grasp dragging a book in ADE and dropping it on the little icon of her reader. She thinks it's black magic, but she can do it. With a fair amount of training, she also figured out the library website well enough to find something interesting and download it.

I'd think that trying to navigate a library or bookstore on a smaller epaper screen would be just as hard or harder, just for the frustration of make a choice, wait for the flash. Make another choice, wait for the flash. I didn't find the menus of the Nook to be at all intuitive. If I'd had to teach my mother how to navigate that, she'd have given up completely before she ever started. For that matter, can you check out library books using wifi/3G? If not, you'd have to sideload those anyway.

[abookreader]

I went with the Kindle for my Mom and when even the one click 3G gets to be too much for her I can email her the book she wants via Calibre. I'm not sure if the nook can do that, I don't think the Kobo can.

And one time when it froze up or she did something - I clicked on the "Call Me" button on Amazon Customer Service and put in her phone number. They called her in under 5 minutes and were able to get her going again, which is a real feat of Customer Service because when her electronics go haywire my Mom tends to get really hyper and can't even find the on off switch reliably.

That's important because she's about a 4 hour drive from me.

[demingite]

Originally Posted by abookreader

I went with the Kindle for my Mom and when even the one click 3G gets to be too much for her I can email her the book she wants via Calibre. I'm not sure if the nook can do that, I don't think the Kobo can.

And one time when it froze up or she did something - I clicked on the "Call Me" button on Amazon Customer Service and put in her phone number. They called her in under 5 minutes and were able to get her going again, which is a real feat of Customer Service because when her electronics go haywire my Mom tends to get really hyper and can't even find the on off switch reliably.

That's important because she's about a 4 hour drive from me.

I live less than 15 minutes away, so I am less concerned with the problem of adding books than I am with everyday use. I just picked up an Aluratek Libre Pro on sale at Kmart yesterday and am playing with it now. The fact that it turns back on to the page that was last viewed is good (perhaps they all do that?), as is the choice of font styles and sizes. I also like the rotation option. I will loan it to her and see what she thinks of it. She has macular degeneration, so readability is very important. She has a computer and can handle email and a little web browsing, so she probably ahead of many people her age. But I know that learning something new is difficult at that age.

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by demingite

... The fact that it turns back on to the page that was last viewed is good (perhaps they all do that?) ...

I like the way my Sony PRS-650 does that. It seems so natural that I hadn't really thought of being a feature. Like, you I imagined all readers do it.

Originally Posted by demingite

... I also like the rotation option ...

Whilst the Sony has that feature too, I really didn't like using it. I hadn't figured out why, but it just didn't feel right. I finally decided it was because the buttons ended up on the left-hand side. Anyway, I've now changed the screen orientation from the default rotate counter-clockwise, to the clockwise setting. So now the buttons end up on the right-hand side, and it feels a lot more comfortable using it that way.

Also, I appreciate the way my Sony provides an option for changing the page turn direction, so swiping can either signify turning a page, or moving through a book in the direction of the swipe.

[ellyka112]

Originally Posted by jbcohen

My Aluratek does great at the ease of letting you at the font sizes. When you are in an ebook push the menu button, select settings then select zoom rate and there are several to chose from: 100%,150%,200%, 250, 300,350,400. 100% is the smallest. Let me be clear of what it can not do for her, it can not change the font only the font size. Sold by Borders for $100.

She doesn't have access to wifi at home, but she could bring it to my house to load it up. I'm most concerned with how easy it is to navigate, how well it bookmarks pages etc., and how easy it is to read. I have a Jetbook Lite on order, and I thought of lending it to her to see how she does with it.
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[elemenoP]

If there's no concern about getting books on it, I would like to urge you to try out a Sony 650. The touchscreen is REALLY easy to use, the screen is fantastic. They are pricey, though.

Sheri

[boxcorner]

Originally Posted by ellyka112

... I'm most concerned with how easy it is to navigate, how well it bookmarks pages etc., and how easy it is to read ...

I find my Sony's user interface very intuitive. Pagemarking is simple. Just press the OPTIONS button, then tap on Add Bookmark (or Remove Bookmark). The reader will automatically return to the bookmarked page, next time the book is opened. In fact, it automatically returns to the last visited page, irrespective of whether or not it has been bookmarked. Also, it records a List of all the bookmarked pages, together with all the pages that include notes. OPTIONS > Notes > List.