Kindle or a Nook??

[niersbach]

OK, so I think I may grab a couple of E-Readers for the wife and I....which one should I get and why??? They both seem like the top of the class....

[tedm]

i'd go kindle 3g if you think you'll want to do more than read books with it.

[BarkingTree]

I looked at both and I felt like the Kindle duplicated a reading
experience with the matte screen and font. It just felt most like
a book to me and not an Ipad. I think there at 129 now? which
seems reasonable. Color or no color , doesnt matter to me.
The controls were slower to navigate than the nook but its just
a matter of becoming accustomed to it.

[sosomething]

I love my Kindle.

When it's not locked up or randomly rebooting in the middle of my reading time.

[cob666]

I would go with a nook and NOT the nook color. The screen on the nook and kindle are very similar if not identical (same manufacturer). The difference being that the nook allows for more formats out the gate, although you can convert some formats to be readable on the kindle, the nook has native support for them (epub, pdf, rtf, doc). Also, the nook has 3rd party firmware that adds even more features.

Please do NOT listen to the people who try to tell you to get an iPad if you want to do more than read books or that the kindle has a better web browser. First, an ereader screen has a very slow refresh rate and they just aren't very good at things like checking email or web browsing. Of course I've checked email and browsed the web on my nook but that was just to see how bad it looked, I have a cell phone to do that! Next, ereader screens are not backlit so they require a light source to read (just like a REAL book does). Regardless of what anybody says about the iPad, the screen is backlit and is not comfortable to read for any length of time. Try reading a book on your laptop and see how long you last. Same thing really.

Take a look here, tons of good information:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/

Good luck.

[Travst]

I have the NookColor and love it. If you just want to read ebooks, then grab the smaller/lighter/less expensive Nook or a Kindle. I like being able to check email and surf on my NC, so it's perfect for what I do. I added a 16gb card and can run movies on the NC as well. Note that the NC continues to become more refined and will be adding an apps store and flash support soon. These updates are automatically downloaded to the device.

[SamsDaddy]

Originally Posted by cob666

I would go with a nook and NOT the nook color. The screen on the nook and kindle are very similar if not identical (same manufacturer). The difference being that the nook allows for more formats out the gate, although you can convert some formats to be readable on the kindle, the nook has native support for them (epub, pdf, rtf, doc). Also, the nook has 3rd party firmware that adds even more features.

Please do NOT listen to the people who try to tell you to get an iPad if you want to do more than read books or that the kindle has a better web browser. First, an ereader screen has a very slow refresh rate and they just aren't very good at things like checking email or web browsing. Of course I've checked email and browsed the web on my nook but that was just to see how bad it looked, I have a cell phone to do that! Next, ereader screens are not backlit so they require a light source to read (just like a REAL book does). Regardless of what anybody says about the iPad, the screen is backlit and is not comfortable to read for any length of time. Try reading a book on your laptop and see how long you last. Same thing really.

Take a look here, tons of good information:
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/

Good luck.

I'll go ahead and disagree about the Nook Color. I have the Nook Color and I absolutely love it and would NOT recommend the e-ink readers over an LCD (IMO of course). I read a lot in bed, so having a back-lit LCD screen makes that a lot easier. As for the eye strain comments, I get no more problems reading on my Nook Color than I do from reading a hard copy book (which is to say, almost none).

On the Nook Color I can read magazines in full color, and if you have kids, you can read kids books in full color too. The kids really like that, and it's an easy way to carry 15-20 kids books along with you somewhere to ease any boredom.

Page turns on the Nook Color are instant with no black flash on the page like you see on e-ink readers (yes, even the Kindle). I just tap anywhere on the right side of the screen, and BAM, the page changes.

Also, I would not recommend an iPad as a reader. The Nook Color is the right size to hold in one hand, and is purpose-designed for reading. The iPad is too bulky and too expensive if you're looking primarily for a reader.

IMO, the Kindle is being driven by hype.

[emilio]

Can you subscribe to magazines on a Kindle?

[cob666]

Originally Posted by SamsDaddy

I'll go ahead and disagree about the Nook Color. I have the Nook Color and I absolutely love it and would NOT recommend the e-ink readers over an LCD (IMO of course). I read a lot in bed, so having a back-lit LCD screen makes that a lot easier. As for the eye strain comments, I get no more problems reading on my Nook Color than I do from reading a hard copy book (which is to say, almost none).

I'm not going to disagree with you but I would like to say that I know that a lot of people that can't read for extended periods of time on an LCD screen, my wife being one of them. I have tried reading on an LCD screen and it really doesn't bother me as much as other people but I can read for a much longer period if I'm reading an eInk device or a real book.

I do suggest that anybody considering purchasing an LCD reader try to read a book on their computer first to see if reading on a backlit device bothers their eyes.

Thanks for pointing that out to me!

[Travst]

Speaking of eyestrain, one of the things I like about the NookColor is that I can change the pages to black with white lettering. This is great at night, as I can turn off my bedside lamp. It's much more comfortable for me to read without bright lights from the lamp and/or screen.

[Glenn D.]

Can the Kindle "borrow" and "lend"?

[tedm]

May want to mention what version you're using, as the newer models are different than previous ones.

Here's what I understand are some differences that may be of importance to you:

1. The latest Kindle turns pages faster and looks better in bright sunlight.
2. The Kindle can browse the web in 3g mode in 100 countries. The Nook can never browse the internet on 3G, only on wi-fi. The only thing you can do with the Nook 3g is to buy Nook books.
3. The Nook (and Sony Reader) support Epub DRM so if you plan to check out library ebooks with DRM (www.overdrive.com, etc.) the Kindle won't do it.

Agree with all, the iPad/2 is not as good as the Kindle or Nook for dedicated reading, though the 2 will have a better screen than the original for reading use.

[ford]

I don't think my Kindle is hyped at all... it's a great device for reading.... the Nook is very similar and also seems to be high quality.

I have the latest version of the Kindle..with the 3g option.

[GAD]

I love my kindle. If you're reading at night in bed, a backlit screen may actually help to keep you awake. A normal light will too, but less so than a computer screen. Read up on sleep problems and you'll see over and over not to use a computer or watch TV before bed.

IMO, if you want to read, get an e-ink display. If you want to do a pile of other distracting things, get an iPad. For me, reading is about escaping from all that stuff, so the Kindle is great.

[J.T.]

Can you read PDFs of sheet music with ease on any of these?