Which E-reader for Kids? - Page 2

wallcraft · 12-01-2010, 07:56 PM

The JetBook Lite (reflective, not backlit, LCD screen) is worth checking out. It has a 5" screen, as does the Sony PRS-350 (with the latest E Ink Pearl, like the Kindle) which is one of the best pure ebook readers out there.

CountryGirl · 12-01-2010, 10:04 PM

Thank you to everyone for the advice, comments, and suggestions. Like most of you stated, I'm not at all worried about my kids' abilty to operate or responsibly handle the unit. I also realize that it may seem like a bit of an extravagantly priced gift to give to kids their age, but since we are moving and won't have access to the library or used bookstores (which is about the only place we buy our books now), this seems more economical than purchasing paper copies of books and having them shipped to us. So, I guess whether or not to get an e-reader is pretty solid in our minds, I'm just still on the fence as to which one is the best fit for us.

A better question for my original post may have been to ask what format will have the most books available that will be of interest to my kids. Also, looking to the future, if we don't get a reader with ePub capability will we regret it? Is that the way that most ebooks are going and is the library system going to radically change in the future to make ebooks even more readily available?

I appreciate the suggestions for other units that I hadn't previously considered. I'm going to check them all out and see if there might be one that would better fit our needs. One thing that interested me in the suggestions is that a few of you mentioned the smaller sized readers (5"), which I hadn't really considered. However, for kids, I can see how this size might be more appealing.

Thanks again!

CountryGirl · 12-01-2010, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terraskye

P.S. I've also heard that there are places still in the US where you can buy the sony prs-300 for ever less than what I paid for mine too

Fiona,

Can you point me to these deals? I tried checking a few places but they all seem to be quite a bit more expensive.

Thanks!

hnoto · 12-01-2010, 11:01 PM

I bought my son a used 300 from a reader here on this forum. It was in superb condition and I loaded it up with public domain and Baen books for him.

For the OP's kids, what format of reader to get depends upon how much time you yourself want to use up filling up their readers. I got my son a Sony because that is what I myself have and already have books to share with him. Plus our library is a good one with plenty of scifi for him to choose from. (He's 16.)

There are lots of free books around as well as here on MR that might be appropriate for your kids. (Oz books, Lang's fairy tales, come to mind right off.) IDK if they come in Kindle-ready formats or not. I personally started w/the Sony because I wanted the most flexibility when purchasing/finding books and didn't want to be locked into one store and didn't mind spending lots of time organizing and reformatting, etc.

However, if you want them to be able to go to Amazon and buy that ONE new book that they are dying to read, in a hurry, then maybe the Kindle is the way to go. Or maybe not.

Delayed gratification and all that.

doreenjoy · 12-01-2010, 11:01 PM

I agree that e-readers are too fragile for 8-10 year olds. How many of US have accidentally broken the substrate layer?

sun surfer · 12-01-2010, 11:18 PM

Do you specifically want e-ink? It's a little more expensive, but a nook colour may be a good choice for kids. Touchscreen, easy to use, supports many formats, and has a colour screen which kids may find more appealing.

And for your youngest who you say may occasionally read on it for now, it does children's books very well.

If you don't want a nook colour and want a regular e-ink reader, I honestly think it sounds like you'd be pretty happy with any of them. The only thing it sounds like you really want is large format support, and in that case Kindle would be out of the running. The nook is the best of both worlds, with a great e-book store for the nook yet also supports many formats. But the Sonys are also great, and they make a 5" 350 which you seem interested in. And there are other cheaper ones such as Kobo which may fit your needs as well.

ficbot · 12-01-2010, 11:21 PM

I don't think buying for a chapter book aged kid is an issue. I wouldn't buy for the 5-year-old maybe, but that's because I do think the mechanics of tech can be extra barrier when they haven't managed the mechanics of actual reading yet

I do think you might regret giving up the epub. Most libraries are using Overdrive, which is mostly pushing epub now. It is trivial to remove---for now, anyway---and I have easily made such books work on my Kindle. But not everyone is comfortable with fiddling, and as an out of the box experience, it won't work for you on a Kindle.

On the other hand, my library (for example) has just changed its policy so that you cannot use your library card unless you show up in person once a year to verify your existence and continued eligibility. And I know other libraries have similar policies. So if you plan to purchase books and read free ones, the library issue might not be a deal-breaker anyway, in which case Amazon does have a decent selection. On the other hand, I have found every book *I* have wanted at the Kobo store and never run into 'I want it and only Amazon has it' except for a handful of times...

As far as cost, there are a ton of second-hand readers on Craigslist in my area. Most of thema re overpriced---why they think anyone would pay $250 for a used Kindle 2 when they can have a new Kindle 3 for half that is beyond me---but if you know the retail prices and bargain accordingly, you can probably score some deals on your local swap and sell board...

terraskye · 12-02-2010, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryGirl

Fiona,

Can you point me to these deals? I tried checking a few places but they all seem to be quite a bit more expensive.

Thanks!

I looked around too online and couldn't find the deals I'd hear about..I did hear on the sony board ( if memory recalls) that some Target stores had them discounted so you may need to call around. I'll try and check around more too. Maybe some walmarts may have them discounted. I'd try instore as opposed to online 1st.

99$ here in Canada was the lowest I found but it was a great deal for me. I thought the screen would be too small but it isn't at all.

terraskye · 12-02-2010, 01:04 PM

Countrygirl~

The best place it looks like for the Sony PRS 300 online seems to be Frys @112 unless you go the amazon.com sellers marketplace (12 starting at 88-ish).

I guess all the super clearance prices are gone now

P.S. Bestbuy.com has the 300's for 99$ too...make sure you are looking for the 300's and not the newer 350's. The 350 are great but not the older model on clearance

CountryGirl · 12-02-2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terraskye

Countrygirl~

The best place it looks like for the Sony PRS 300 online seems to be Frys @112 unless you go the amazon.com sellers marketplace (12 starting at 88-ish).

I guess all the super clearance prices are gone now

P.S. Bestbuy.com has the 300's for 99$ too...make sure you are looking for the 300's and not the newer 350's. The 350 are great but not the older model on clearance

Thanks for looking around for me. I think I was only finding the 350s before. Do you know what the differences are between the older 300 and the newer 350....... besides a nicer price

.

Thanks!

CountryGirl · 12-02-2010, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ficbot

I don't think buying for a chapter book aged kid is an issue. I wouldn't buy for the 5-year-old maybe, but that's because I do think the mechanics of tech can be extra barrier when they haven't managed the mechanics of actual reading yet

I do think you might regret giving up the epub. Most libraries are using Overdrive, which is mostly pushing epub now. It is trivial to remove---for now, anyway---and I have easily made such books work on my Kindle. But not everyone is comfortable with fiddling, and as an out of the box experience, it won't work for you on a Kindle.

Yep, this is what I'm afraid of. Our library doesn't have a huge selection of books now, but I'm guessing they will just continue to keep adding them and I don't want to be left behind because we don't have ePub capability.

Quote:

On the other hand, my library (for example) has just changed its policy so that you cannot use your library card unless you show up in person once a year to verify your existence and continued eligibility. And I know other libraries have similar policies. So if you plan to purchase books and read free ones, the library issue might not be a deal-breaker anyway, in which case Amazon does have a decent selection. On the other hand, I have found every book *I* have wanted at the Kobo store and never run into 'I want it and only Amazon has it' except for a handful of times...

I'm not sure what our library policy is concerning keeping my card valid since it has never been an issue but it is definitely something I better check out! Glad to hear that it seems the other stores have good selections too and I'm guessing most of the books we'd be buying would be pretty common and popular selections. My only concern is access to some of the other ebook stores while overseas. I've come across people sucessfully being able to access Amazon's store but not the other stores (not to say it isn't possible, just that I haven't been able to find "proof" one way or the other). Maybe that is a topic I should address in a new thread.

Quote:

As far as cost, there are a ton of second-hand readers on Craigslist in my area. Most of thema re overpriced---why they think anyone would pay $250 for a used Kindle 2 when they can have a new Kindle 3 for half that is beyond me---but if you know the retail prices and bargain accordingly, you can probably score some deals on your local swap and sell board...

Yeah, the few I've seen on craigslist in my area were definitely not worth the risk of buying used.

Thanks for all your help!

CountryGirl · 12-02-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Do you specifically want e-ink? It's a little more expensive, but a nook colour may be a good choice for kids. Touchscreen, easy to use, supports many formats, and has a colour screen which kids may find more appealing.

And for your youngest who you say may occasionally read on it for now, it does children's books very well.

If you don't want a nook colour and want a regular e-ink reader, I honestly think it sounds like you'd be pretty happy with any of them. The only thing it sounds like you really want is large format support, and in that case Kindle would be out of the running. The nook is the best of both worlds, with a great e-book store for the nook yet also supports many formats. But the Sonys are also great, and they make a 5" 350 which you seem interested in. And there are other cheaper ones such as Kobo which may fit your needs as well.

I was thinking we wanted eink just because its primary purpose is as a replacement for chapter books/novels that don't have pics and I figured the eink would be a more equal substitute. However, your point about the color being appealing for my daughter is a good point.

Thanks for the suggestions.

CountryGirl · 12-02-2010, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hnoto

I bought my son a used 300 from a reader here on this forum. It was in superb condition and I loaded it up with public domain and Baen books for him.

For the OP's kids, what format of reader to get depends upon how much time you yourself want to use up filling up their readers. I got my son a Sony because that is what I myself have and already have books to share with him. Plus our library is a good one with plenty of scifi for him to choose from. (He's 16.)

There are lots of free books around as well as here on MR that might be appropriate for your kids. (Oz books, Lang's fairy tales, come to mind right off.) IDK if they come in Kindle-ready formats or not. I personally started w/the Sony because I wanted the most flexibility when purchasing/finding books and didn't want to be locked into one store and didn't mind spending lots of time organizing and reformatting, etc.

However, if you want them to be able to go to Amazon and buy that ONE new book that they are dying to read, in a hurry, then maybe the Kindle is the way to go. Or maybe not.

Delayed gratification and all that.

Thanks for the thoughts. Not too concerned about getting specific books "right now", as we will just be happy to have access to any English books once we move

.

THanks for the tip to free books here on the forum.... I will definitely check them out!

I have to admit, the ease of use that seems to come with the Kindle is appealing but I'm sure we can figure out the organizing issues and such if we go with one of the other units.

Thanks for all your help!

Latinandgreek · 12-02-2010, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CountryGirl

Thanks for looking around for me. I think I was only finding the 350s before. Do you know what the differences are between the older 300 and the newer 350....... besides a nicer price

.

Thanks!

The 350 has a touch screen, better contrast, pan and scan and margin cutting for PDFs (I think), as well as 12 preloaded dictionaries (two monolingual English dictionaries, as well as bilingual French, German, Italian, Spanish and Dutch dictionaries. Great for language learners). The 300 doesn't have those features; both accept the same types of files and both are great devices. Your children might enjoy having the dictionary on the 350; they just tap on a word that they don't understand and the dictionary entry pops up at the bottom of the screen.

Karma for being great parents and encouraging your children to read! I still remember my father taking me to the library for the first time, it's one of my fondest memories. Your children will appreciate their gifts.

Care · 12-02-2010, 07:13 PM

I found a Sony 300 at bestbuy.com. I know this is one of the older models, but for a child's first reader I think it is fine. You would have to load it more often since it has smaller memory, but I am always adding to my Nook library anyway.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+R...&skuId=9453799

I would grab them up fast if you are interested since who knows when they will be out.

12-02-2010, 01:04 PM	#24
terraskye Groupie Posts: 176 Karma: 9738 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Edmonton Alberta, Canada Device: Mine:Kindle 3(wifi)Sony PRS-300(died)His: Sony Prs-300	Countrygirl~ The best place it looks like for the Sony PRS 300 online seems to be Frys @112 unless you go the amazon.com sellers marketplace (12 starting at 88-ish). I guess all the super clearance prices are gone now P.S. Bestbuy.com has the 300's for 99$ too...make sure you are looking for the 300's and not the newer 350's. The 350 are great but not the older model on clearance Last edited by terraskye; 12-02-2010 at 01:11 PM.

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12-01-2010, 07:56 PM	#16
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The JetBook Lite (reflective, not backlit, LCD screen) is worth checking out. It has a 5" screen, as does the Sony PRS-350 (with the latest E Ink Pearl, like the Kindle) which is one of the best pure ebook readers out there.

12-01-2010, 10:04 PM	#17
CountryGirl Member Posts: 14 Karma: 306 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: none	Thank you to everyone for the advice, comments, and suggestions. Like most of you stated, I'm not at all worried about my kids' abilty to operate or responsibly handle the unit. I also realize that it may seem like a bit of an extravagantly priced gift to give to kids their age, but since we are moving and won't have access to the library or used bookstores (which is about the only place we buy our books now), this seems more economical than purchasing paper copies of books and having them shipped to us. So, I guess whether or not to get an e-reader is pretty solid in our minds, I'm just still on the fence as to which one is the best fit for us. A better question for my original post may have been to ask what format will have the most books available that will be of interest to my kids. Also, looking to the future, if we don't get a reader with ePub capability will we regret it? Is that the way that most ebooks are going and is the library system going to radically change in the future to make ebooks even more readily available? I appreciate the suggestions for other units that I hadn't previously considered. I'm going to check them all out and see if there might be one that would better fit our needs. One thing that interested me in the suggestions is that a few of you mentioned the smaller sized readers (5"), which I hadn't really considered. However, for kids, I can see how this size might be more appealing. Thanks again!

12-01-2010, 11:01 PM	#19
hnoto Groupie Posts: 194 Karma: 177180 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Device: Sony PRS 505	I bought my son a used 300 from a reader here on this forum. It was in superb condition and I loaded it up with public domain and Baen books for him. For the OP's kids, what format of reader to get depends upon how much time you yourself want to use up filling up their readers. I got my son a Sony because that is what I myself have and already have books to share with him. Plus our library is a good one with plenty of scifi for him to choose from. (He's 16.) There are lots of free books around as well as here on MR that might be appropriate for your kids. (Oz books, Lang's fairy tales, come to mind right off.) IDK if they come in Kindle-ready formats or not. I personally started w/the Sony because I wanted the most flexibility when purchasing/finding books and didn't want to be locked into one store and didn't mind spending lots of time organizing and reformatting, etc. However, if you want them to be able to go to Amazon and buy that ONE new book that they are dying to read, in a hurry, then maybe the Kindle is the way to go. Or maybe not. Delayed gratification and all that.

12-01-2010, 11:01 PM	#20
doreenjoy 01000100 01001010 Posts: 1,889 Karma: 2400000 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Polyamorous	I agree that e-readers are too fragile for 8-10 year olds. How many of US have accidentally broken the substrate layer?

12-01-2010, 11:18 PM	#21
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44667380 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Do you specifically want e-ink? It's a little more expensive, but a nook colour may be a good choice for kids. Touchscreen, easy to use, supports many formats, and has a colour screen which kids may find more appealing. And for your youngest who you say may occasionally read on it for now, it does children's books very well. If you don't want a nook colour and want a regular e-ink reader, I honestly think it sounds like you'd be pretty happy with any of them. The only thing it sounds like you really want is large format support, and in that case Kindle would be out of the running. The nook is the best of both worlds, with a great e-book store for the nook yet also supports many formats. But the Sonys are also great, and they make a 5" 350 which you seem interested in. And there are other cheaper ones such as Kobo which may fit your needs as well.

12-01-2010, 11:21 PM	#22
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	I don't think buying for a chapter book aged kid is an issue. I wouldn't buy for the 5-year-old maybe, but that's because I do think the mechanics of tech can be extra barrier when they haven't managed the mechanics of actual reading yet I do think you might regret giving up the epub. Most libraries are using Overdrive, which is mostly pushing epub now. It is trivial to remove---for now, anyway---and I have easily made such books work on my Kindle. But not everyone is comfortable with fiddling, and as an out of the box experience, it won't work for you on a Kindle. On the other hand, my library (for example) has just changed its policy so that you cannot use your library card unless you show up in person once a year to verify your existence and continued eligibility. And I know other libraries have similar policies. So if you plan to purchase books and read free ones, the library issue might not be a deal-breaker anyway, in which case Amazon does have a decent selection. On the other hand, I have found every book I have wanted at the Kobo store and never run into 'I want it and only Amazon has it' except for a handful of times... As far as cost, there are a ton of second-hand readers on Craigslist in my area. Most of thema re overpriced---why they think anyone would pay $250 for a used Kindle 2 when they can have a new Kindle 3 for half that is beyond me---but if you know the retail prices and bargain accordingly, you can probably score some deals on your local swap and sell board...

12-02-2010, 07:13 PM	#30
Care Aes Sedai Posts: 659 Karma: 46166 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Aura and Kobo Mini, had a Nook, NOOKcolor, Nook STR.	I found a Sony 300 at bestbuy.com. I know this is one of the older models, but for a child's first reader I think it is fine. You would have to load it more often since it has smaller memory, but I am always adding to my Nook library anyway. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+R...&skuId=9453799 I would grab them up fast if you are interested since who knows when they will be out.