eReaders: what to get?

[Blackferne]

So Jess and I are looking at getting an eReader or two. We have decided we don't care about 3G/4G access, basically want to buy a device that has wi-fi and not worry about any network stuff beyond that. Our top two candidates are a Kindle and a Nook. Alvians give me input!

[Dood]

I have a Nook WiFi and I really like it. The browser experience is......stupid. No, actually it's FUCKING LAME if you're browsing the internet. But the openness of it, combined with the book lending capability and the virtual keyboard is just awesome.

The Kindle gives you more new releases as ebooks than the Nook does as Amazon continues its drive to utterly dismantle the publishing industry, but otherwise I see no real advantage to the Kindle and it's lack of native PDF support or it's insistence on it's own, closed and proprietary ebook format.

[Reese]

I have a Sony e-Reader (3G, no wifi) and an iPad (3g, Wifi).

I would say the benefit of the Sony is the touchscreen, note taking, all native formats including pdf and Google Books integration. If I had not bought the Sony, for sure it would have been the Nook. I dont care for the Nook build quality, but the firmware upgrades have made it quite capable. The downside of the Sony e-Readers is, as is always the case, Sony itself. Their library software is crap. Their firmware upgrades are crap. They do have a new model 650 out that looks very promising and you should at least look at it.

Say what you will about the iPad, all my e-reading is done there now. But I keep the Sony by the bed, because sometimes you dont want a backlight in your eyes.

FYI, to make up for bad PC/Mac software on everyones part with e-Readers try Calibre. It is by far the best free ebook software out there. And dont be scared by the Amazon / B&N / Sony ebook stores. There are many, many ebook stores online that are far better than the built in stores. And with Calibre you can buy from any store and get it on your device.

Reese, tool.

[Furiel]

I vote Nook, merely because it would be alot more fun to tell people, yeah, Jess and I are headed to bed for some Nookin'

[Happyclam]

You guys are fucking lazy. Get a book.

[Kitoshi]

I've used Kristen's iPad as an eReader before and it's pretty nice actually. But they do cost a whole lot more than other eReaders, but if I wanted an eReader I'd get an iPad or something similar. Perhaps one of the new Android tablets coming out.

[Vespasian]

the ipad is great as a ereader. You can get the ebooks from anywhere, and the kindle app for it is pretty sweet-especially for the plethora of older books that you can get for free. By older I mean Dickens, Shakespeare, Cicero, etc. So if you've ever wanted to read some of those older tomes without paying for them you can. Plus they have periodical apps (such as Zino) so you can read your magazines there (cheaper as well). There is also built in pdf access and surfing the web is just like surfing the web. And the abilities to watch movies / videos, upload family pictures, maps, drink recopies, et. al. . I almost don't know how I lived without it.

[Roza]

the ipad is great as a ereader. You can get the ebooks from anywhere, and the kindle app for it is pretty sweet-especially for the plethora of older books that you can get for free. By older I mean Dickens, Shakespeare, Cicero, etc. So if you've ever wanted to read some of those older tomes without paying for them you can. Plus they have periodical apps (such as Zino) so you can read your magazines there (cheaper as well). There is also built in pdf access and surfing the web is just like surfing the web. And the abilities to watch movies / videos, upload family pictures, maps, drink recopies, et. al. . I almost don't know how I lived without it.

[Kitoshi]

The only time I ever use it is if I order a book an Amazon and don't want to wait on it to ship. I just hop on demonoid and download it and it works well. The only problem is that the eBooks need to be in the epub format, so you have to use a converter to change them from .doc or .pdf to the proper format.

I found a program called Calibre that works great for converting and gathering the metadata for books.

[Bulwark]

What's wrong with a library card?

Kids these days....

[Kitoshi]

When I want something I want it to be mine. I'm not good at sharing.

[Blackferne]

So looking at it I'm thinking Kindle.

Pros: Larger new release library, multidevice synch (ie I can read the kindle on the couch, but if I find myself waiting at the doctors office I can use my phone to pick up where I left off), Jess and I can share the same book archive (nook has a lending program, but I don;t know enough people I'd really trade books for two weeks with), device can hold more books and is slightly lighter, and as Dood pointed out they are their way apparently to own the eBook market so might as well fall in line now than end up on the wrong side of VHS/Beta (or to modernize it for Kit Blu-Ray/HD-DVD)

Cons: Giving into an evil empire? Not really seeing a whole lot of downside.

[Kitoshi]

as Dood pointed out they are their way apparently to own the eBook market so might as well fall in line now than end up on the wrong side of VHS/Beta (or to modernize it for Kit Blu-Ray/HD-DVD)

What is this VEE AIGH ESS ? And what does it have to do with the second letter of the greek alphabet?

[Dood]

So looking at it I'm thinking Kindle.

Pros: Larger new release library, multidevice synch (ie I can read the kindle on the couch, but if I find myself waiting at the doctors office I can use my phone to pick up where I left off), Jess and I can share the same book archive (nook has a lending program, but I don;t know enough people I'd really trade books for two weeks with), device can hold more books and is slightly lighter, and as Dood pointed out they are their way apparently to own the eBook market so might as well fall in line now than end up on the wrong side of VHS/Beta (or to modernize it for Kit Blu-Ray/HD-DVD)

Cons: Giving into an evil empire? Not really seeing a whole lot of downside.

Actually you're VHS/Betamax comparison doesn't apply here. VHS beat out BM because it was cheaper and more people started using it. The difference here is that Amazon isn't letting ANYONE else use their Kindle format. Only they support it. EPUB is the open standard that's used by every single other ebook reader. That would be like Sony releasing Betamax, saying you could only buy it from Sony and only Sony movies could be watched on it.

Further, the Kindle supports epub, so that's not really an issue either. The only issue is that books purchased through Amazon can only be read on the Kindle, whereas books purchased through other stores can be read on just about any ebook reader you can find. So the bonus of the Kindle is that it can read the most formats, assuming you don't count PDF as an important one. The downside is that the books you buy through Amazon can only be read on your Kindle or your PC, and you can never switch to another reader.

The bottom line with ereaders near as I can tell is that whatever someone has is the best thing they could imagine having. When I polled people before buying my nook, everyone who had a Kindle said the Kindle was the best. Everyone who had a Nook said it rocked. Everyone who had the Sony ereader loved it. Everyone who had an iPad was clinically brain dead.

[Kitoshi]

Everyone who had an iPad was clinically brain dead.

I will be sure to relay this to Kristen ASAP. Thank you.

[Dood]

Everyone who had an iPad was clinically brain dead.

I will be sure to relay this to Kristen ASAP. Thank you.

I'm with the government; I'm here to help.

[Happyclam]

Everyone who had an iPad was clinically brain dead.

I will be sure to relay this to Kristen ASAP. Thank you.

Will she be able to understand using such big words?

[Kitoshi]

Not really. I just pointed at her iPad and pointed at her face and started smashing my head into the wall. She might have gotten the gist of it.

[Furiel]

Not really. I just pointed at her iPad and pointed at her face and started smashing my head into the wall. She might have gotten the gist of it.

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

[Gandolfini]

Not really. I just pointed at her iPad and pointed at her face and started smashing my head into the wall. She might have gotten the gist of it.

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

[Kitoshi]

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

Your mouth words is too big. make small plz.

[Furiel]

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

Your mouth words is too big. make small plz.

Better?

[Blackferne]

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

Your mouth words is too big. make small plz.

Lizard man say you do it wrong.

[Sir Psyko]

Wait, let me get this straight, you beat your head against the wall, and from that she's supposed to realize that she's the one that's brain dead? I'm no expert but Inigo Montoya summed that up best when he said "I do no think that means what you think it means"

Your mouth words is too big. make small plz.

Better?

Furiel wins the thread.

[Jimer Lins]

Nook- get the b/w version.

Reasons:

* 3g is more secure than Wifi (I just got my gmail hacked, as you know).
* Reading on a non-transmissive screen is much easier on your eyes. The reason books are easier to read than a computer screen is they're not like shining a flashlight into your face.
* It's fairly inexpensive.
* Book lending FTW