Opinions wanted - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

[PG4003]

I have a Kindle 3 and an original Nook. For me, the Kindle is a far superior product. The screen is better, the dictionary function is so easy, and I don't care for the little touch screen on the Nook, I prefer pushing a button to turn pages. I used to have a Sony PRS300 but did not like the 5" screen. At this time, My K3 is my primary reader, I mainly use my Nook for library books. The Nook just feels heavy to me compared to my K3 too. Once Amazon implements library lending later this year, I probably won't use my Nook at all.

[DArenson]

I own a Kobo and a Kindle 3. I've also read on an iPad, though I don't own one. I tend to prefer the Kindle 3 -- it's responsive (faster page turns than the Kobo), comfortable, easy on the eyes, and overall a great device.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Hopefully those with multiple readers can share their thoughts on which of their ereaders they like best for general reading, and why (if they do) they may switch between one and another.

I prefer my 1st gen nook for general reading in good lighting conditions and room temperature weather conditions. I get more text per page and the low glare e-ink screen is more comfortable for my eyes. The e-ink supposedly doesn't stand up to extreme heat or cold for a long period of time, so if I am going to have to, for instance, leave the device in a hot or cold vehicle for a long time, I'll leave it at home and read from my iPhone.

If the lights are out (someone's sleeping next to me; I'm a car passenger after dusk; there's a power outage), I prefer the backlit iPhone as well.

If I'm out and about and would find the extra weight/bulk of the nook annoying, I read from my iPhone. My iPhone fits in my pocket. The nook does not.

If I want to read a kindle book and haven't converted it yet to go on my nook, I will read it from the kindle app on my iPhone.

So generally I prefer the nook, but the iPhone is highly flexible and convenient in some situations when the nook is not. The nook books on the iPhone also sync automatically with my nook, usually correctly, so continuity of the reading experience is often preserved.

I used to read on my PC too but prefer the devices because I cannot take the PC with me, which kind of defeats the purpose of MOBILE reading (though not electronic, obviously).

[VydorScope]

Hmmm I have Nook Color, Phone, and Asus Transformer Tablet. I have used Kindle and original e-ink Nook.

I use my Android phone when on line, waiting at doc's office and else where on the go. It is pocket size and I always have it on me.

I use my Asus rarely for reading. I find it to be an awkward size, even though I can fit a lot more text per screen.

My clear favorite is the NookColor. Its about the size of some real books, can read Kindle, Nook, or any kind of ebook on it I want (well cept apple), works with out external light source, and all normal areas I would read in, etc.

I've played with the E-Inks, and yeah reading poolside with them might be great... but ehh... if Im by a pool, I'm jumping in not reading. Battery life on e-ink is pretty cool, but honestly my NookColor goes long enough that it no longer matters...

tldr; Nook Color is my favorite general purpose reader.

[tdmsu]

I have used a Kindle2, iphone, and iPad for reading. I am almost exclusively using the iPad now.
The kindle is great for reading, being light and crisp, long battery life and a good, paperback size.
The iphone is great because I always have it, and the retina display is excellent. I have read whole books on it without issue.
The iPad wins for me because of its larger screen. I don't find the text blurry at all, and I use the kindle app so I can keep all the books I previously bought. I also use the nook app to share books with my wife - she was able to lend me Water for Elephants (recommended, by the way) so we could both read it for one price and discuss it after seeing the movie. The iPad, and iPhone, can also use several other reading apps, like kobo, stanza, etc. This provides unequaled access to books from different vendors.
The iPad is quite a bit heavier than a kindle or nook, so that could be an issue for you.
Good luck in your search!

[Statch]

I used an iPod Touch (with Stanza) for a long time as my only ebook reader, and loved it. No problems reading on the smaller screen at al, and it was so portablel. Then I decided to try a larger ereader, and ended up with a Sony PRS600. It was a nice device, but I found I rarely used it, just because the Touch was always with me, and it was backlit. The Sony also seemed to need charging a lot. When I got an Android phone, I started doing all my reading on that.

I thought hard about an iPad, but when I tried one in the store, I realized it was just too heavy for me to be comfortable reading on it.

Recently I started wondering whether reading on a backlit screen in the evening was causing my insomnia...and at the same time, I heard that Calibre can sync the last page read between the Kindle and other Kindle reading apps (like on my phone) even for books I didn't buy at Amazon, which is something I really wanted to do. I had a gift card, so ran right out and bought a Kindle 3 Wi-Fi.

I love the Kindle and use it constantly at home now. (I still use my phone outside of the house.) I can't get over how much better the resolution is than the PRS-600. It's also lighter and more ergonomic for me. I've been surprised to find that I haven't missed the touch screen at all, either.

But the real deal-clincher is that 'last page read' sync. Being able to read a book at home on the Kindle, then be out somewhere and pick up my phone and be on the exact same page where I left off on the Kindle is just wonderful. Being able to do that for books I didn't buy at Amazon (and converted to Mobi using Calibre) is amazing.

Did stopping use of the backlit screen at night help my insomnia? Not one bit. Oh, well, it was a good excuse....uh, I mean, reason...for buying the Kindle.

[rleguillow]

I've had quite a few items that I used for reading ebooks, starting with a variety of Palms and Windows-based PDAs, going to a Rocket and then an 1150, then the PRS-700. I then tried a Kobo for grins when it was on a deep sale from a closing store, and now am reading on a PRS-650.
The 6" size seems about right for me, I don't read pdfs often, if at all. I liked the back of the Kobo a lot, but for whatever reason, just couldn't get comfortable with the reading experience on it - unlike the Sonys, I kept finding myself thinking about the reader rather than the book. I LOVE the side-lighting on the PRS-700 and wish one of these companies would come out with another self-lighted eInk touch reader. I don't particularly like the way Sony organizes books on the PRS-650 and am unhappy with the way it closes my book when I recharge, giving me a blank screen. This is particularly a pain when I'm reading several different books at once, as I may not remember which one I'm reading on the eReader when I take it off charge. I do like the eInk for reading and will admit that the 650 is head and shoulders above the 700 for clarity. Going from an 1150 to a 700 meant that I didn't get it, what others were complaining about re: the screen clarity. Going from a 650 to a 700... well, I had been planning on keeping it because of the light, but in the end I sold it. I don't do the music and video thing and see no need for connectivity beyond hooking it up to my computer... and I have no interest at all in the social networking aspect that is being touted on the new Nook. I want an ereader for reading books. The more functionality it gives me for that purpose and that purpose only, the happier I am. So I want to know what I have and have not read, I want to be able to organize in various ways, I want light, I want touch (AND buttons, I want it all), I want it to support lots of formats and I want a clear screen and long battery life. I haven't met the perfect ereader yet, but have hopes that as they get more popular, someone will develop it.

[SameOldStory]

I've been keeping quiet because I have little to contribute to this thread.

But I do want to thank all of you. It's fascinating to read the different viewpoints on why you find yourselves choosing one or another when you have several readily available.

Again, thanks.

[Jowi]

Reading in bed with lights out, all curled up on my side ... my iPod 4g hands down favorite! The text resolution is awesome!! For reading during the day on the couch with plenty of light or at the park or beach, my Kindle 3 would be preferred. My iPad ... Meh. I like it for the apps for my kids and web browsing, but as a reader, I'd never choose it over either iPod 4 or Kindle in any reading setting.

[sakura-panda]

I have a Sony PRS-505 that I carry back and forth in my work bag for reading at lunch. I have a Kindle 3 that I that I use for reading at home, stocked mostly with Kindle freebies. My reason for getting it was for a Kindle exclusive book, which I still have not bought.

It is nice to have one less thing to move around when I get home -- besides making sure my phones get charged and my lunch bag gets unpacked. It doesn't sound like much, but when I get home I hear lots of "Mommy! Mommy!" so I try to settle in as quickly as I can.

I seem to do most of my reading in that half hour at work and the Sony is my preferred device. It's too bad they don't make them anymore -- I'm in love with the buttons on it too.

[melaniejaxn]

I love my Kindle 3, but I also have a Nook. I've given ereaders as gifts and when I have someone who is not all tech savy (no cell phone, no answering maching, no dvd) I give them Nooks. Anyone else gets Kindles.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by melaniejaxn

I love my Kindle 3, but I also have a Nook. I've given ereaders as gifts and when I have someone who is not all tech savy (no cell phone, no answering maching, no dvd) I give them Nooks. Anyone else gets Kindles.

Interesting, are you then implying that the Kindle is harder for the average person to use?

[kennyc]

I read on my Xoom a LOT indoors, and use my Sony 505 outdoors.
If only everything were available in ebook format I'd use both more, as it is about half my reading is still with p-books.

[ProfCrash]

I have a K1, K3, and DXG. The K1 was retired when I got the DXG.

I use the DXG at home. I love the larger screen but I have always prefered a hardback to a paper back because I like more words on the page and I find it more comfortable to hold something a bit larger then smaller.

I use the K3 when I am out of the house because it is more portable. I prefer the buttons and the five way controller on the DXG to the buttons and D Pad on the K3.

The weird thing is that I still find myself reaching to the back of my DXG and K3 to turn on the whispersync. I guess a part of me misses my K1. I actually liked the thickness of the K1 and how it felt in the hand. I liked the look, the buttons, and the little roller ball. The D Pad and Joystick are easier to use but I miss my roller ball and the little silver bar.

[mikegetz]

I started out e-reading with MS Reader on an IBM convertible (x41t) w/ XP tablet ed., then w7 ... i had a large library of .lit files i had accumulated, and it worked out ok. I never read outdoors, mostly on the couch, and in bed.
that was a pain - i needed something to prop the tablet up or it would overheat, and it had to stay plugged in, or backlight would drop 60%, and due to the glass overlay on the screen (resistive Wacom digitizer) i needed ambient light, or turn backlight all the way down. and, if holding in hand to read, it was HEAVY, and hot.

I got my wife a kobo wifi for x-mas last year, converted my library to epub (that was a long weekend), and was suitably impressed. much lighter, great battery life (if you are used to 2 hours, tops), virtually no eyestrain.

I ended up picking up a pandigital novel personal (the linux based 6" sipex touchscreen one) for next to nothing off craigslist. I used that for a few months, glad to be rid of the tablet. however, i noticed that the page turns were slow compared to the kobo. very slow. if you have compared a kobo's page turns to the k3 or nook classic, imagine the same amount of difference, only worse. the touchscreen was, well, touchy. it didnt always register swipes to turn - i ended up sticking with the forward and back buttons. it seemed very prone to page corruption when an epub was poorly formatted. it definitely choked on imbedded images - one book i ended up reading on the PC because the reader would totally lock up. And, as the most annoying feature, it was way too light.

After 5 months of dealing with the issues on the PDNp, i stumbled upon someone that was willing to trade an old unused laptop i had for a nook classic (wifi only). immediately, i loved it. it has the heft of a proper book (medium thick trade paperback is how i describe it), page turn buttons are VERY well placed, and i found a black silicone skin on ebay that covers up all the white. page turns feel instantaneous compared to the PDNp, and about twice as fast as the kobo wifi. the only time it feels slow at all is when i have handled my mother in law's K3.

I wiped my IBM, and gave it to my father in law to play around with now that he is retired. I installed Calibre for him, and use it as an offsite backup of my library. maybe i accidentally converted the format to mobi, maybe not.

My wife is still happy with the kobo, and with the freshly emptied shelves in the hutch above the buffet. My little sister got my PDNp, loaded with most of my sci/fi and fantasy series. my mom has practically killed her kobo, but she reads a lot more than we do. i am considering rooting my nook, just for the cover flow and library management.

if i could have my ideal device - it would be a nook classic w/ wifi only, pre-rooted w/ proper library management, the same turn buttons and lcd strip (i like it. sue me.) of the nook, and the 9.7" screen of a DXG - with about the same weight. maybe a hair more weight. between the PDNp and my samsung smartphone, i see enough finger streaks. i don't want a touch reader.