Further to our previous posts and comments about eBook readers I thought I'd have a quick look at this years choices. Last year I remember being dismayed that I couldn’t buy a Kindle at this time of year. I’m not actually sure, now, if it was because the Kindle wasn’t available, or I was too poor or whatever, but I do recall wanting but not getting an eBook Reader.
This year the range of choice is quite simply whelming (not quite overwhelming but getting there) and there are factors that need to be considered.
Not least amongst these issues is what format your preferred eReader uses or supports. As a technology trainer I am fully aware that most technological neophytes have absolutely no concept of file formats and I’m sure some eReader purchasers are going to be a bit surprised one they discover the 'joys' of unsupported formats.
I was going to do a quick summary of what to look for in an eBook Reader but I discovered that Harvey Norman have done most of the hard work for me at http://bit.ly/g0gdTa . It is worth mentioning, however, that they do not talk about the different kinds of screen. Essentially, you can get e-Ink (like the Kindle) or LCD (like the iPad). There is a lot of discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of both but I’m inclined to join the ‘eInk for readers, LCD’s for everything else’ team (as succinctly explained here http://bit.ly/f73sp7 ). These matters also directly relate to battery life and usability beyond reading digital books. (I am so not getting into a discussion of touchscreen versus buttons, either!)
Below is a very brief list of available readers right now. It is not comprehensive and I strongly urge you to research your choice before you buy; I have a strong suspicion that we, as library staff, are going to hear a lot of opinions about different readers over the coming months and a lot may be based on which model was bought.
Here are a couple of websites that are decent places to start researching your choices: http://www.ebookreaderreview.com.au/tag/best-ebook-reader or http://bit.ly/fbxDu9
(Note, I am including the iPad, despite it not technically being an eBook reader. With the size and shape it has I can’t imagine why you would buy one over an iPhone unless it was to use it as a reader. Now there is an opinion to incite bitter reactions.)
Migear 7 eBook reader
Supports PDF, TXT, EPUB, CHM, RTF, HTML
$129
GHT E-Reader
Supports Ebook, txt, pdf, epub, avi, divx, mp3, jpg, bmp and others
$124
iRiver reader
Supports ePub, mp3, txt, doc, ppt and others
$343
Kindle
Supports PDF, awz (Amazon proprietary format)
$139
Hanvon eLink eBook Reader WRN516b
Supports txt, mp3, ePub, html, jpg, pdf, png
$229
Laser eReader
Supports Abode eBooks, ePub, doc, html, pdf
$99
Kobo
Supports Adobe eBooks, ePub, pdf
$177.95
Sony Touch
Supports MP3, PDF
$229.95
Apple iPad
Supports MP3, pdf, jpg, doc, html and others
From $629
A big consideration when looking at eReaders is where you plan to purchase the books from. If you plan to use the Amazon Kindle store, your pretty much limited to the Kindle (obviously) and the iPad out of the list above.
ReplyDeleteTo my knowledge (quite limited on eBooks, so feel free to correct me) none of the other readers have access to the Kindle bookstore, and therefore none of it's books.
The iPad is an interesting one because it's more an all-round entertainment device compared to the specialised eReaders. Also while light for a computer, it can be quite heavy to hold for reading after a long period of time.
You are absolutely right, Andrew. Kindle uses a proprietary format called .awz (and possibly .awz2) and most others use ePub. OTOH, Amazon is one of the biggest markets for eBooks, so you won't be missing too much.
ReplyDeleteAnd, here is another article to help people choose... http://bit.ly/eJZol3
Great summation Gozzie - thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteOnly extra comment I would make is screen size. The ereaders vary wildly in how much of their real estate is devoted to the screen vs how much is devoted to buttons.
For example both the Kindle and my old iRex ereader 7" in size but the Kindle has only 6" of screen whereas the iRex has the full 7" in screen. A massive change for readability and page turns.
The battery life of most e-ink devices is measured in page turns. The larger the screen, the more you can read before "turning" the page.
One other point I've noticed as a big issue (usually after purchase unfortunately) is wifi compatibility. Those devices which can download direct from the website tend to be used more continually than those devices which need the item downloaded to PC and then transferred to device.
ReplyDeleteMy final comment is to agree with Andrew. Do not discount the flexibility of the iPad in terms of being able to read *everything* that can be read on any one of these ereaders. It can access the Amazon store, the Borders store, indie ebook stores as well as the iBookstore.
Between myself and my ex-partner we had 4 different ereaders between us. Since aquiring the iPads, neither of us have picked up any of the readers; they are all gathering dust.
Great post for us not-yet-eBook-owning neophytes! :)
ReplyDeleteI never even thought about the different file formats there would be for eBooks! Although I haven't really looked at buying an eBook reader *yet* (so I like to think I would have researched file formats eventually ... hopefully).
I didn't realise some of them were so cheap, either! Food for thought :)
As GozzieHoon and others have mentioned, there are many factors to consider when making a choice of eBook reader: weight, screen size, screen type, available content, battery life etc.
ReplyDeleteMy first consideration would be the type of screen. While LCD quality has increased dramatically in recent years, long periods of reading at one time can still be straining on the eyes compared to the e-paper technology used in traditional eBook readers.
Another issue that comes into this is where you plan to read. If you read in bed a lot you must consider that an LCD screen will produce a lot of light, even at it's lowest brightness setting. Whereas e-paper is not backlit, requiring other light sources to be able to see it (like real paper).
The second consideration would be what I plan to read. If its purely a replacement for regular books, than any device with access to Amazon should be a must. The Kindle bookstore has become the standard for eBooks much like iTunes is for music. While there are other ways to acquire eBooks, none are quite so simple and offer as much range as the Kindle bookstore.
However if you are also looking to access magazine or newspaper subscriptions, and iPad or any Android device should be worth considering. Now Amazon offer newspaper and magazine subscriptions via the Kindle bookstore, however these are gimped versions of the real thing since Amazon's Kindle device cannot support colour or video.
However many publications are looking into, or already producing, applications to bring their content onto the iPad or Android devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab.
News Corporation are about to release their iPad specific newspaper, Daily, and have recently released a Wall Street Journal app for Android tablets in addition to their iPad app. The New York Times, BBC, Reuters and various other news sources have also released applications for both platforms.
On a personal level, I'm not a book reader but I do like to read newspapers and follow topics in RSS feeds. My device of choice has been the Dell Streak as a combination of both phone and internet tablet. Some people may prefer to have a combination of a regular phone and an iPad, eBook reader or other large tablet instead. That's the beauty of technology today, you can choose the best device to suit your needs.
Thanks for all of this fab info. It's great of you all to share your knowledge in this way.
ReplyDeleteVery informative post. I believe the latest issue of Choice magazine (Dec2010/Jan2011) has also reviewed e-readers.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I am working on a website, digibook.com.au, that specialises in Australian e-books, the Kindle and other e-book readers. http://www.digibook.com.au
ReplyDelete