Opinions wanted - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

SameOldStory · 06-26-2011, 05:10 PM

Opinions wanted from those with multiple readers.

I can easily see why one ereader or another may be better in some situations; reading on a phone when carrying a full ereader is impractical, reading magazines on a iPod, a Kindle DX with large fonts for those with sight problems.

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.

For instance: I used to have an Ebookwise-1150. Being back-lit it was great for reading when the lights were turned down low. I still miss that capability.

pidgeon92 · 06-26-2011, 05:22 PM

Currently, my favorites are my K3 and my Sony-950. I find them almost interchangeable. If I could combine the two, it would be practically perfect. Both have good dictionary support, and - for me - very good user interfaces. I like the size of the Sony screen, and the touch screen. On the Kindle, I like where the page turn buttons are situated, and I really like the lighted cover. 99% of the time when I read in bed, I will use the Kindle due to the lighted cover. I have a nice light for use with my Sony, but I've fallen asleep with it on more times than not, and it really eats up the battery life.

However, I just got the Boox M90 a few days ago, and it is really growing on me. The 9" screen is nice. Really, really nice. Once I get used to doing page turns on the odd little IR button, I think it will be my favorite "daytime" reader. It's quite heavy, but it's comfortable laying in my lap, or on my book holder. The user interface is so not my favorite, but I'm using it to read books, not store my life.

I've pretty much completely forsaken my original nook. I just never took to the little color touchscreen interface, which for me was clunky and hard to use, even with my relatively small fingers.

SameOldStory · 06-26-2011, 05:30 PM

Can you compare the 9" screen with a 6" screen? What about the size makes it better?

rakulos · 06-26-2011, 06:55 PM

It all depends on how and where you read, I usually read at night in the bedroom and a backlit iPad works great for me - my wife travels a lot and uses her K3 in well lit areas (mainly airports!).
While I have used the K3 and do like it, it just doesnt fit my reading habits and vice versa.

What are you're reading habits? Maybe a backlit kindle (or other eink) would work for both of us.

Another factor is how techy you are, I liberate my purchases (and I do purchase) and can convert as required - for a simple life, the K3 wins here due to the number of available books and ease of purchase/ download (despite it's 'rental' model).

I guess it's all down to how you read and what you want to do with your purchases - hope the ramble helped

vxf · 06-26-2011, 06:58 PM

I just don't think there is such thing as a 'best' reader.

I use an iPad for most magazines and to annotated PDF files (academic). Big screen and nice software for annotation (iAnnotate) make this the best choice.

I read books on a SONY PRS350. I love the fact I can hold it comfortably with one hand.

I use a SONY PRS950 for newspapers and a handful of magazines - I get the Financial Times and WSJ delivered on it, use Calibre to get Economist/Newsweek/Businessweek and few others. The screen is bigger than the 350, which is great for newspapers - and the 3g is great for delivery. Eink is more pleasant than the backlit iPad display...

montsnmags · 06-26-2011, 07:06 PM

I first bought an Iliad, then an iPad, then a Kindle (K3). I can quite happily read on my iPad, and have, and the iPhone can be a handy "emergency" reading device for me, but ultimately I most enjoy reading on the K3 (in Amazon's case-with-light). The combination of eInk, simplicity, lighting and size fits my reading comfort best, such that when going traveling I take both iPad and Kindle (I've this nice, small, Crumpler laptop shoulder bag which holds both, plus my assorted device chargers and bits and pieces, in a conveniently cartable form).

Cheers,
Marc

pidgeon92 · 06-26-2011, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SameOldStory

Can you compare the 9" screen with a 6" screen? What about the size makes it better?

It's bigger.

It sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not. Lots more text on a page, lots fewer page turns.

Good grief, I am getting really lazy in my old age.

exscentric · 06-26-2011, 08:05 PM

I have a kindle and a Pandigital Novel. Love the battery life on the kindle, not so much on the Novel. I find the backlite screen easier to read but heavy on the Novel. The kindle is light, easy to grab for a few minutes or hours reading.

I am old so the light seems a bit easier to read.

Overall over a few months I think I like reading the novel but find the kindle much handier. I think that the Novel is winning out overall.

OtterBooks · 06-27-2011, 01:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

It's bigger.

It sounds like I'm kidding but I'm not. Lots more text on a page, lots fewer page turns.

Good grief, I am getting really lazy in my old age.

Merely pointing out that 9 inches is 3 inches larger than 6 inches does not fully illustrate the difference between the two.

oh wait, yes it does lolz.

Sweetpea · 06-27-2011, 02:32 AM

I primarily use 3 readers now. I usually read 3 different books (one on each reader), unless I must finish that one book...

I use my Sony (6") for day-time reading, all over the house and outside. My BeBook Mini (5") is always with me, where I am, outside the house. It's more sturdy than the Sony (or, at least, with the cover, it feels more sturdy). And my JE100 (backlit LCD, 7", 16:9) is used for bedtime reading.

I don't really have a preference, all my readers have a time and place where they work best.

lestatar · 06-27-2011, 03:34 AM

I am task oriented.

For many years I have been reading on small screens, largest of which were PDA style for the Sony Clie Palm. Last few years I have read tons of books on Blackberry's using MobiPocket.

Now, I have my first dedicated ereader, a K3 and a Galaxy Tab. Sure, the bells and whistles of the Tab are excellent and night reading is tres cool. But I just tried reading outside whilst sunning and I felt like that guy in the Amazon commercial. The Tab while quite slick, is also pretty heavy, though dimensionally quite satisfying to my hands in terms of width.

The K3 just works. Period. Light, even with the cover and single AAA reading light.

My fave: Overall gotta be the K3.

Yes, I miss the eye candy of the Tab running fbreader, but both are better than my Blackberry MobiPocket. Still, if BB had better multi-tasking and MobiReader for BB loaded faster, the BB would be extremely convenient and like an old friend to me as it has been for years.

Panda Rose · 06-27-2011, 05:39 AM

My first love was and still is the Sony PRS 505. But its the "light on at night/waking partner" syndrome. So I also have a K3 with lighted cover. The K3 is very user friendly and the ease you can get books from Amazon is frightening.
I havent got a favourite at the moment. They are used for different purposes, but the battery is going on the 505 and, although I might replace the battery, I wont get another reader.

Pomtroll · 06-27-2011, 10:38 AM

My first reader was the Nook Classic, then Kindle3 & finally the Sony 350. So I can only compare the 6" to the 5". I definitely prefer my Sony 350 because I find the size & weight comfortable to read with. Both the Kindle & Nook Classic feel heavy & awkward to read with when I'm reading for any amount of time. Plus I don't like large purses, so toting my 350 around is perfect for my purse size.

I never would have noticed the Nook & Kindle being heavy or awkward though if I hadn't gotten a Sony 350.

Beerman · 06-27-2011, 12:39 PM

I'm cheap! I have an iPad 2 (not cheap) and use it for work and home and while it may not be as good as the true e-readers, it's paid for and works well enough for my needs. My only gripe is the glare outside or very bright rooms but since I usually only have time for reading in the evenings, it works for me.
The wife has a Kindle she loves (and she was slow to give up paper). She's not interested in the other stuff the iPad does (which I need for work and home as well) so she's very content with it.
I have an android phone and while I can read with it, I hate the tiny screens so other than the chance to read a quick email or text message, I stay away for phone reading.

MSWallack · 06-27-2011, 01:06 PM

I started with a REB 1100. I really loved that device (especially the backlight and the overall form factor). However, the battery life wasn't very good and putting books on it was ... a pain. When it was upgraded to the 1150 it became a better device, but somehow diminished the reading experience (though I'm not sure I can say why). I used my Sony Clie UX for a while. The downside was the screen size and battery life. The upside was that eReader was nice to use and had a autoscroll that worked very well when I wanted to read while working out.

I leaped to buy the Sony 500 when it came out. I loved that device, though I had to admit that the screen was dimmer than I would have liked. I upgraded to the Sony 505 (with the lightwedge cover) and was in reader heaven for about 2 years. I still think it was one of the best devices made. The lack of connectivity didn't bother me, but I did wish that it had a dictionary.

I've also owned a Kindle 1. I never thought much of it. I found its menu system very frustrating and the lack of page numbers are real downer. (My wife has a Kindle 3 and loves it; my daughter has a Sony 300 and she likes it, but doesn't love it...).

I've switched to the iPad. It is heavier and harder to read in bright sun. But in all other respects, it is a much better reading experience. I like the color. I like the screen size. I love the dictionary. It is easy to get books onto the device (even if I don't buy them through Apple).

06-26-2011, 05:10 PM	#1
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	Opinions wanted - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED Opinions wanted from those with multiple readers. I can easily see why one ereader or another may be better in some situations; reading on a phone when carrying a full ereader is impractical, reading magazines on a iPod, a Kindle DX with large fonts for those with sight problems. 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. For instance: I used to have an Ebookwise-1150. Being back-lit it was great for reading when the lights were turned down low. I still miss that capability.

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06-26-2011, 05:22 PM	#2
pidgeon92 Wizard Posts: 3,144 Karma: 8426142 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD	Currently, my favorites are my K3 and my Sony-950. I find them almost interchangeable. If I could combine the two, it would be practically perfect. Both have good dictionary support, and - for me - very good user interfaces. I like the size of the Sony screen, and the touch screen. On the Kindle, I like where the page turn buttons are situated, and I really like the lighted cover. 99% of the time when I read in bed, I will use the Kindle due to the lighted cover. I have a nice light for use with my Sony, but I've fallen asleep with it on more times than not, and it really eats up the battery life. However, I just got the Boox M90 a few days ago, and it is really growing on me. The 9" screen is nice. Really, really nice. Once I get used to doing page turns on the odd little IR button, I think it will be my favorite "daytime" reader. It's quite heavy, but it's comfortable laying in my lap, or on my book holder. The user interface is so not my favorite, but I'm using it to read books, not store my life. I've pretty much completely forsaken my original nook. I just never took to the little color touchscreen interface, which for me was clunky and hard to use, even with my relatively small fingers.

06-26-2011, 05:30 PM	#3
SameOldStory My True Self Posts: 3,126 Karma: 66242098 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Trantor, Galactic Center Device: Galaxy Tab 2 7.0	Can you compare the 9" screen with a 6" screen? What about the size makes it better?

06-26-2011, 06:55 PM	#4
rakulos Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 36 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: ipad, K3, acer aspire switch 10	It all depends on how and where you read, I usually read at night in the bedroom and a backlit iPad works great for me - my wife travels a lot and uses her K3 in well lit areas (mainly airports!). While I have used the K3 and do like it, it just doesnt fit my reading habits and vice versa. What are you're reading habits? Maybe a backlit kindle (or other eink) would work for both of us. Another factor is how techy you are, I liberate my purchases (and I do purchase) and can convert as required - for a simple life, the K3 wins here due to the number of available books and ease of purchase/ download (despite it's 'rental' model). I guess it's all down to how you read and what you want to do with your purchases - hope the ramble helped

06-26-2011, 06:58 PM	#5
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	I just don't think there is such thing as a 'best' reader. I use an iPad for most magazines and to annotated PDF files (academic). Big screen and nice software for annotation (iAnnotate) make this the best choice. I read books on a SONY PRS350. I love the fact I can hold it comfortably with one hand. I use a SONY PRS950 for newspapers and a handful of magazines - I get the Financial Times and WSJ delivered on it, use Calibre to get Economist/Newsweek/Businessweek and few others. The screen is bigger than the 350, which is great for newspapers - and the 3g is great for delivery. Eink is more pleasant than the backlit iPad display...

06-26-2011, 07:06 PM	#6
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I first bought an Iliad, then an iPad, then a Kindle (K3). I can quite happily read on my iPad, and have, and the iPhone can be a handy "emergency" reading device for me, but ultimately I most enjoy reading on the K3 (in Amazon's case-with-light). The combination of eInk, simplicity, lighting and size fits my reading comfort best, such that when going traveling I take both iPad and Kindle (I've this nice, small, Crumpler laptop shoulder bag which holds both, plus my assorted device chargers and bits and pieces, in a conveniently cartable form). Cheers, Marc

06-26-2011, 08:05 PM	#8
exscentric Addict Posts: 379 Karma: 1033424 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: WY Device: Kindle keyboard	I have a kindle and a Pandigital Novel. Love the battery life on the kindle, not so much on the Novel. I find the backlite screen easier to read but heavy on the Novel. The kindle is light, easy to grab for a few minutes or hours reading. I am old so the light seems a bit easier to read. Overall over a few months I think I like reading the novel but find the kindle much handier. I think that the Novel is winning out overall.

06-27-2011, 02:32 AM	#10
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	I primarily use 3 readers now. I usually read 3 different books (one on each reader), unless I must finish that one book... I use my Sony (6") for day-time reading, all over the house and outside. My BeBook Mini (5") is always with me, where I am, outside the house. It's more sturdy than the Sony (or, at least, with the cover, it feels more sturdy). And my JE100 (backlit LCD, 7", 16:9) is used for bedtime reading. I don't really have a preference, all my readers have a time and place where they work best.

06-27-2011, 03:34 AM	#11
lestatar LB's lolz Mutt Minion Posts: 2,902 Karma: 5700001 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Hong Kong now but NYC forever Device: Kindle3, GalaxyTab, BB Bold9700, BB 8300, Sony Clie, Palm Vx, Palm III	I am task oriented. For many years I have been reading on small screens, largest of which were PDA style for the Sony Clie Palm. Last few years I have read tons of books on Blackberry's using MobiPocket. Now, I have my first dedicated ereader, a K3 and a Galaxy Tab. Sure, the bells and whistles of the Tab are excellent and night reading is tres cool. But I just tried reading outside whilst sunning and I felt like that guy in the Amazon commercial. The Tab while quite slick, is also pretty heavy, though dimensionally quite satisfying to my hands in terms of width. The K3 just works. Period. Light, even with the cover and single AAA reading light. My fave: Overall gotta be the K3. Yes, I miss the eye candy of the Tab running fbreader, but both are better than my Blackberry MobiPocket. Still, if BB had better multi-tasking and MobiReader for BB loaded faster, the BB would be extremely convenient and like an old friend to me as it has been for years.

06-27-2011, 05:39 AM	#12
Panda Rose Zealot Posts: 120 Karma: 204936 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: UK Device: Sony Prs505, Kindle 3, iPhone4	My first love was and still is the Sony PRS 505. But its the "light on at night/waking partner" syndrome. So I also have a K3 with lighted cover. The K3 is very user friendly and the ease you can get books from Amazon is frightening. I havent got a favourite at the moment. They are used for different purposes, but the battery is going on the 505 and, although I might replace the battery, I wont get another reader.

06-27-2011, 10:38 AM	#13
Pomtroll Guru Posts: 822 Karma: 1341819 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Minnesota USA Device: Sony 350, Sony T1, Kindle Touch, Kindle PW1	My first reader was the Nook Classic, then Kindle3 & finally the Sony 350. So I can only compare the 6" to the 5". I definitely prefer my Sony 350 because I find the size & weight comfortable to read with. Both the Kindle & Nook Classic feel heavy & awkward to read with when I'm reading for any amount of time. Plus I don't like large purses, so toting my 350 around is perfect for my purse size. I never would have noticed the Nook & Kindle being heavy or awkward though if I hadn't gotten a Sony 350.

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06-27-2011, 12:39 PM	#14
Beerman Member Posts: 24 Karma: 1286 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: Ipad 2	I'm cheap! I have an iPad 2 (not cheap) and use it for work and home and while it may not be as good as the true e-readers, it's paid for and works well enough for my needs. My only gripe is the glare outside or very bright rooms but since I usually only have time for reading in the evenings, it works for me. The wife has a Kindle she loves (and she was slow to give up paper). She's not interested in the other stuff the iPad does (which I need for work and home as well) so she's very content with it. I have an android phone and while I can read with it, I hate the tiny screens so other than the chance to read a quick email or text message, I stay away for phone reading.

06-27-2011, 01:06 PM	#15
MSWallack Right, Except When Wrong Posts: 353 Karma: 3968525 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Indianapolis Device: Kindle Oasis 3 (sometimes iPad Mini).	I started with a REB 1100. I really loved that device (especially the backlight and the overall form factor). However, the battery life wasn't very good and putting books on it was ... a pain. When it was upgraded to the 1150 it became a better device, but somehow diminished the reading experience (though I'm not sure I can say why). I used my Sony Clie UX for a while. The downside was the screen size and battery life. The upside was that eReader was nice to use and had a autoscroll that worked very well when I wanted to read while working out. I leaped to buy the Sony 500 when it came out. I loved that device, though I had to admit that the screen was dimmer than I would have liked. I upgraded to the Sony 505 (with the lightwedge cover) and was in reader heaven for about 2 years. I still think it was one of the best devices made. The lack of connectivity didn't bother me, but I did wish that it had a dictionary. I've also owned a Kindle 1. I never thought much of it. I found its menu system very frustrating and the lack of page numbers are real downer. (My wife has a Kindle 3 and loves it; my daughter has a Sony 300 and she likes it, but doesn't love it...). I've switched to the iPad. It is heavier and harder to read in bright sun. But in all other respects, it is a much better reading experience. I like the color. I like the screen size. I love the dictionary. It is easy to get books onto the device (even if I don't buy them through Apple).