E-Reader opinions

BouncingSoul

Stranger Than Fiction
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Kindle or Nook? Or something else?

Don't say iPad. I don't have the cash to pay the Apple tax.

My experience is limited, I used a Kindle for about a month and I enjoyed it. The one I used was a 2nd generation model but it was quick and I was shocked at how crisp the type was. The current generations are said to be even better and substantially cheaper than the earlier models. I've never used a Nook, nor do I know anyone with one so I'm hoping someone here can tell me which one they prefer.

If it was for me I'd pick the Kindle but this is going to be a Christmas gift for my dad. He's an avid reader but he's not tech savvy at all. I have a bad feeling I'd be having to drive home (3 hours one way) to add books to it. I can't have that, so I need one that has the easier possible way to buy and install new materials to it.

If both are the same installation wise, well great, but how about selection? Can you get the same books from both BN.com and Amazon or are certain books only available from certain vendors? Which leads me to my biggest fear which is will one product dominating the market and make the other becoming a glorified paper weight? I'm looking at you HD DVD.

Opinions please!
 
What you want is something that will be able to view all the files. The Kindle and Nook I believe are proprietary and only read the forms made for them ..
 
The Kindle from what I've seen is the easier of the two you mentioned to use. Yes it uses its own format but it also can do PDF and mobi that I'm aware of.

It also allows you to purchase books directly from it so they are loaded to it directly from Amazon. Bestbuy sells both the Kindle and Nook now and the Kindle runs about $140 I believe, not sure what the Nook costs nor what its features are compared to the Kindle.

The Kindle I believe in Windows 7 is seen as a mass storage device.

If you can find somewhere that carries both and compare them, if possible without giving away your going to get from have your father check them out.

Both amazon and bn have books that overlap and have ones that the other doesn't but I'm sure there are ways around that issue.
 
What you want also is something that will view epub. That way you can download free ebooks from Project Gutenberg and Feedbook..
 
I own a nook, and have extensive usage of a kindle after helping out my sister with both of hers.

Good things about the nook are:

  • Expandable storage on MicroSD
  • Touch screen interface
  • Android
  • Some community support
  • Supports PDF, EPUB, eReader, PDB, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, MP3
  • Chess and sudoku
Bad things about the nook are:

  • Can't search for books, have to flip page by page til you find the book you want (although you can still search for words within the book) although if you install a hacked firmware, someone implemented such a thing.
  • Doesn't support HTML, TXT (HUGE wtf...it has a web browser that supports those!)


Good things about the Kindle:

  • Supports PRC/MOBI, PDF, HTML, DOC, TXT, MP3, Audible
  • Solid software support with frequent updates
  • Ability to mail books to your @kindle.com email address

Bad things about the Kindle:

  • No epub support
  • No expandable storage


ePub support is important to me, and that's the big thing I liked about the nook, but then I discovered Calibre and I just convert everything anything I have into PRC or mobi anyway.
 
Last edited:
Nook allows you to checkout e-books from your local library but Kindle does not.
 
Wow ... Didn't expect the outpouring of affection for the Nook. But after reading these opinions I'm now leaning towards the Nook. Glad I asked.

Thanks for all the responses.
 

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