Ars Tecnica tests the 5 best e-readers for every budget 20190523

[Adoby]

Guidemaster: Ars tests and picks the best e-readers for every budget

They may all look similar, but these e-readers have big differences between them.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019...-every-budget/

Note: I wouldn't buy any of them...

[hollowpoint]

I agreed with all the choices in the article. The author has a good grasp of the devices and why you'd pick one over the other. And especially that the Ipad Mini is the nicest tablet reading experience.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by hollowpoint

And especially that the Ipad Mini is the nicest tablet reading experience.

I hear that often. But I don't seem to hear justifications for that claim.

The iOS App Store lets you partake in multiple different e-book libraries at once—instead of being locked into Amazon's or Kobo's systems, you can download both apps in addition to Apple's iBooks and library apps like Overdrive, Libby, and Hoopla. As a standard tablet, the iPad mini can also play audiobooks, and its headphone jack will be a saving grace for many users who haven't quite made the transition to the wireless life yet.

Inside the iPad mini are Apple's A12 chipset as well as either 64GB or 256GB of storage.

Android tablets do all of that as well and tend to include expandable storage.

I suppose only iOS lets you buy Apple books, but that only matters if Apple's book experience is absolutely the best available, which it is not.

Also, from memory, you can't buy books directly from Amazon's apps and have to use a clunky workaround of signing in to Amazon via Safari, buy the books and then read them in the app. How is that good?

Lastly, when it comes to reading comics, I've used tablets that have the iPad's 4:3 screen ratio and tablets that use Android's 16:9 screen ratio and comics fit better on the 16:9 screen (though the Surface Pro's 3:2 ratio seems to work best of all).

[ottdmk]

For the most part, a well written roundup article. I'm impressed that the author acknowledged Kobo, even preferring the Forma over the Oasis. Given Kobo's smaller presence in the US that's not always a given.

I'm not sure why an iPad would make for a better reading experience than a decent (and probably much cheaper) Android tablet though.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by ottdmk

I'm not sure why an iPad would make for a better reading experience than a decent (and probably much cheaper) Android tablet though.

Nor me. I suppose the typical Android 16:9 aspect ratio could be considered a bit too long and thin. However, the larger choice of epub reading apps in Android would offset any "shape" benefit for me.

[lumpynose]

I think it's disappointing that the reviewer never mentions the advantages that EPUB has over the Kindle format, one being embedded fonts.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by lumpynose

I think it's disappointing that the reviewer never mentions the advantages that EPUB has over the Kindle format, one being embedded fonts.

You've been able to embed fonts in Kindle books for years now. Not in "Original Mobi" format, but in the newer and better kf8 format it's just as easy to do as if you were using EPUB.

Shari

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by shalym

You've been able to embed fonts in Kindle books for years now. Not in "Original Mobi" format, but in the newer and better kf8 format it's just as easy to do as if you were using EPUB.

Shari

Yeah, thanks. I didn't know that. Dunno why.

[leebase]

I'd change from "some readers" can read on an LCD to "most readers" can.

I'm surprised they didn't put in the Kindle Fire HD 8 as a budget alternative to the iPad Mini.

Speaking of....I got the new mini and LOVE it for reading.

[hollowpoint]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I hear that often. But I don't seem to hear justifications for that claim.

Some of it is mentioned in the article, worth reading. I'm sure it's somewhat user preference. I've used Windows, Android (Google, Samsung, Huawei, Asus), and now Ipad tablets. Of the three, the new Ipad Mini is the fastest (CPU-wise), nicest screen in terms of color rendering, nicest reading aspect ratio (4:3), nice size at just about 8 inches, intuitive UI, and choice of apps in the app store. It's just a beautiful multi-purpose tablet for both reading, and doing other things online. With reading apps like Mapleread and Kybook 3 around, I strongly prefer the Mini over the other tablets I've used, I think the reviewer nailed it.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Android tablets do all of that as well and tend to include expandable storage.

In my case, I keep my Calibre library in a cloud drive which I can access on the Mini. So I don't need much storage in any tablet I use. The mini has 256GB, so I'm not expecting to need more than that, it has 4x the storage of the last Android tablet I used. My thinking is not that Ipad does anything Android doesn't do, it just does it better and faster. :-)

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I suppose only iOS lets you buy Apple books, but that only matters if Apple's book experience is absolutely the best available, which it is not.

Wouldn't know. I don't buy Apple books due to the encryption situation.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Also, from memory, you can't buy books directly from Amazon's apps and have to use a clunky workaround of signing in to Amazon via Safari, buy the books and then read them in the app. How is that good?

This part is true, although it's a non-issue for me as I don't buy books that way (on my devices). I browse the Kindle store on a PC, tag and buy the books I want, then push them to my devices in bulk from the PC. Including that I push a copy to Kindle for PC, so I can import into Calibre. I do this step all at once, so it's more efficient for me than buying books on devices.

[leebase]

The iPad Minis have always been very nice reading devices. The New Mini improves the screen and is even faster. But...really...for reading purposes, even the original iPad's were more than fast enough and always much faster than any eInk reader at any price.

Horses for courses and budgets. There is no reason one MUST choose an iPad mini for the purpose of ereading....at the price of $399.

What I like over Android tablets (that I've used which doesn't include any of the expensive ones) is the fluidity of the motion on the screen. I like that an iPad doesn't need to be turned off....at idle, it doesn't run down the battery.

The reading apps for iOS are just way better than those on Android. IMHO. But, having said that, I've recently developed a fondness for FB Reader which is cross platform. It is not my favorite app, but it meets all my personal requirements and works on both iOS and Android.

My favorite Android reading tablet is the Kindle Fire series. You can't beat the prices. Someone looking for a "general Android" tablet might not choose them. I find that I like Amazon's custom interface. All I use it for is reading and watching tv shows and movies when I'm traveling. eBooks take up little space, but not so with video files. So the external memory card is very nice. Plus losing an $69 tablet always hurts a lot less than losing a $500 one.

Where I find the Android tablets fall down most is in the 16/9 aspect ratio. Good for video content, not so good for reading and really not good for web browsing. And finally, it annoys me that my Android tablets are always dead when I go to pick one up. I don't use them every day, if I did, they'd get nightly recharging.

BTW, you have to do a bit of work (not that hard) to enable the Google play store on the Kindle Fire tablets. Without that, you don't have access to the alternative to Amazon ereader apps.

The New Mini is a great size, nice and light, beautiful screen, nice and fast. I bought it to replace my iPad Air which is now over 4 years old and suffering from battery retention. A new battery would fix it, but I treated myself.

When I go back to it now, it seems HUGE. The iPad mini is a terrific reading size.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by hollowpoint

Some of it is mentioned in the article, worth reading.

I did read through the article and quoted from it.

In my case, I keep my Calibre library in a cloud drive which I can access on the Mini. So I don't need much storage in any tablet I use. The mini has 256GB, so I'm not expecting to need more than that, it has 4x the storage of the last Android tablet I used.

Reminds me of the old quote attributed to Bill Gates '640K is more memory than anyone will ever need.'

Just because you don't need the space doesn't mean expandable memory isn't a positive.

This part is true, although it's a non-issue for me as I don't buy books that way (on my devices). I browse the Kindle store on a PC, tag and buy the books I want, then push them to my devices in bulk from the PC. Including that I push a copy to Kindle for PC, so I can import into Calibre. I do this step all at once, so it's more efficient for me than buying books on devices.

Again, just because you aren't bothered by it doesn't mean it's not a serious shortcoming in a device that is being claimed as the best reader. I'd wager the average user who reads on a tablet doesn't use Calibre. And the Apple way of buying books from anyone but Apple on an iOS device is not a good experience.

That alone tells me that an iPad is not the best tablet to use as a reader.

[hollowpoint]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That alone tells me that an iPad is not the best tablet to use as a reader.

Roger that. I accept that you have a different understanding of 'best tablet' than I do.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Again, just because you aren't bothered by it doesn't mean it's not a serious shortcoming in a device that is being claimed as the best reader. I'd wager the average user who reads on a tablet doesn't use Calibre. And the Apple way of buying books from anyone but Apple on an iOS device is not a good experience.

That alone tells me that an iPad is not the best tablet to use as a reader.

I think you are overselling this feature as it relates to reading. It would be really hard to cast a device that could hold tens of thousands of ebooks as deficient because it couldn't be expanded to hold more.

I'm not sure what you are suggesting in "The Apple way of buying books". I have a Kindle app, could load any app from any of the makers. Calibre is supported.

Sure, I have to use Amazon's website to buy a book, but it is automatically delivered to the kindle app on my iPad.

It's a LOT easier to add other book apps and buy from other book stores via their websites than jumping through hoops to load Google Play store on an Amazon tablet to allow the same.

I'm an Apply user for sure, but I buy my ebooks from Amazon due to the ability to strip DRM (but I've been too lazy to actually do any of that).

That said, there is very little difference in the selection and prices of books on Apple's book store and Amazon....except for Amazon's budding "off broadway" writers. But that works to Apple's detriment as I have little reason to buy ebooks from Apple. Even though I like Apple's ebook app better than Amazon's....and many 3rd party apps far more than either.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by leebase

I think you are overselling this feature as it relates to reading. It would be really hard to cast a device that could hold tens of thousands of ebooks as deficient because it couldn't be expanded to hold more.

I'm not intentionally doing so. I mean to say: If there are two tablets, equal in all other regards and one offers expandable storage and the other does not, expandable storage would be a plus.

To be fair, my main use for reading on a tablet is comics that I sideload. Comics can be fairly large files, so for me 64GB is just not enough.

I'm not sure what you are suggesting in "The Apple way of buying books". I have a Kindle app, could load any app from any of the makers. Calibre is supported.

When I said 'the Apple way of buying books', I meant: you can't buy books directly from Amazon's apps and have to use a workaround of signing in to Amazon via Safari, buy the books and then read them in the app. I believe other book seller apps work the same?

It may not be a pain to you. But you have to admit it is not in any way more user friendly than being able to buy directly in the app.

It's a LOT easier to add other book apps and buy from other book stores via their websites than jumping through hoops to load Google Play store on an Amazon tablet to allow the same.

I'm no fan of the Fire tablets myself. I had one, wouldn't buy another.

Again, maybe iPads are the best tablet to read on. But when I hear that claimed, I don't hear solid, concrete reasons this is so.

The 4:3 screen ratio is a good reason. I know there are Android tablets that are 4:3, but not sure if they have the same resolution as the iPad.

You said the reading apps for iOS are just way better than those on Android. That could be true. I haven't used them.

I can say in a couple of posts, you and hollowpoint have offered more concrete reasons than I have ever read in any review where they say iPad is the best.

When I hear such a claim made with little to no backup, I just think of the downsides I've already mentioned.