Ask Slashdot: I Want To Read More. Should I Get an eBook Reader Or a Tablet?

gspec writes "I read less and less nowadays, but I realize I need to get back into my old reading habit. Would getting an ebook reader or a tablet help me to enjoy reading more? Would you recommend one over the other? A little relevant background about me: I probably can spare two hours a day to read. I do not travel a lot. I am not a fast reader; if I force myself, I could probably finish a standard length novel in a week. English is my second language, so a built-in dictionary would be nice. I enjoy Netflix, and I have bought many computer/technical eBooks from O'Reilly for reference. I have many technical reference PDFs. I have 300-400 bucks to spare for this. I'd like to hear opinions based on your knowledge and experience on reading using ebook readers/tablets."

Comments

I had this issue

[2.7182]

I got an kindle dx which was terrible for pdfs, my main interest. Now I have an iPad and use goodreader and it is awesome.

Re:I had this issue

[Intrepid imaginaut]

Ebook readers aren't great for PDFs, but they are leagues ahead of tablets for reading textbooks. I'd leave it another couple of years until ebooks really get all the wrinkles ironed out, then get an ebook reader. I have a nook and I can store tens of thousands of quality books in there at less than the weight of a paperback.

Re:I had this issue

[History's Coming To]

Agreed. If you're actually going to be using the thing for reading in a serious way, then eReader without a doubt. Ridiculously long battery life, pleasant to read on, no reflections and usable in direct sunlight, and far cheaper. In fact, for something that can do everything, you can buy a netbook and eReader for less than a tablet, and you get superior reading and superior computing. Tablets are for when you want the reading experience of a netbook and the typing/input interface of an eReader.

Re:I had this issue

[Lord Maud'Dib]

I don't agree. I use a Toshiba Thrive 10" Android tablet with an SD card full of textbooks in PDF. Makes it really easy to transfer them to my notebook if need. By reading them with EzPDF I can highlight, annotate, draw on them and save them. I can add bookmarks and quickly do searches too. I also find the extra length of the screen in portrait mode (due to the widescreen setup on Android tablets) is beneficial as it allows menus and toolbars along the top and bottom of the screen which don't overlay on the page. Overall, I can't think of a better solution, except for possibly a matte screen to reduce reflections.

Re:I had this issue

[gmanterry]

Ebook readers aren't great for PDFs, but they are leagues ahead of tablets for reading textbooks. I'd leave it another couple of years until ebooks really get all the wrinkles ironed out, then get an ebook reader. I have a nook and I can store tens of thousands of quality books in there at less than the weight of a paperback.

Ebook readers aren't great for PDFs, but they are leagues ahead of tablets for reading textbooks. I'd leave it another couple of years until ebooks really get all the wrinkles ironed out, then get an ebook reader. I have a nook and I can store tens of thousands of quality books in there at less than the weight of a paperback.

I have a Kindle and an iPad. Both have their strong points. The remarks about reading PF files are valid. However there is one other thing to consider, environment. The iPad is 100% useless outside in bright light. I use mine for reading in bed. The Kindle needs ambient light for the display so it is perfect outside, even in bright sunlight.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

iRiver Story HD is awesome for PDFs (and djvu and epub, as well).
XGA-resolution e-ink. It's the best of both worlds.

Re:I had this issue

[JohnSearle]

Kindle DX isn't the best with PDFs, but it's definitely usable. It's large enough that if you have it in landscape mode the text is about the size you'd want it to be. It's still readable in both portrait and landscape, however.

On a side note, an audio book is what I use when doing housework, travelling, etc. Audible has a great selection of just about every major title out there, and are read by professionals. I read textbooks / paperbacks when I'm at home, and audio books when I'm doing some task that doesn't require my brain. I usually go through about 1 audio book a month just heading back and forth from work.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

Why wait a couple years? Just get a cheap tablet for now, and then get a good e-reader then when they improve. Nexus 7 should be alright for PDFs. I've been using a Galaxy Note n7000 and can't complain. I imagine a nexus 7 should be even better for reading with the larger screen and the price is right

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

The text density on all the current ebook readers is very poor. For some people this will be an issue. The retina iPad was the first screen of reasonable size that I found to be nice to read on. E-ink is less stressful on the eyes, but the low resolution causes the eyes to work harder. So it's a trade-off.

If I were you, I'd try some sample books on a retina iPad and a current generation grayscale e-reader. The choice between them is almost purely subjective.

Re:I had this issue

[2.7182]

Actually the display aspect of a pdf on the kindle was wonderful for pdfs. They wrote a good pdf converter a few years ago and it's awesome. I love the unlit background. But the killer is that it is hard to navigate through a document. The kindle controls are terrible. And the ability to flip pages by tapping the screen on the iPad is crucial for me. Also, I thought about the pre-retina ipad last year, but decided the resolution wasn't good enough. The retina display really is better, and I can tell because of reading the pdfs.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

That doesn't apply to the newer Kindles and Nooks, both of which offer an integrated light in some of the more recent models. It was true in the past, but honestly, having an external light was worth it because of the lack of stimulation from rapidly changing lights and the lack of eyestrain that comes from using a screen for long periods of times.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

My Nook handles PDFs just fine. Must be a problem specific to the Kindle.

Anyhow, E Ink > LCD for reading books. There is no debate.

Re:I had this issue

[narcc]

I find the buttons for flipping pages on my Kindle v3 are very well placed. I'd hate to touch the screen I'm reading on. It bothers me.

On the plus side for you, there are several ebook readers that feature a touchscreen, including recent Kindle and Nook models. Even my wife's old Sony eReader features a touchscreen (using IR, no less -- works with either a finger or fine-point stylus. It's very cool.) So if a touchscreen is important to you, for whatever reason, you can have your choice of e-readers.

Re:I had this issue

[tricorn]

I have a Nook, which I love. It also doesn't do PDFs very well.

However, there's a great free app, Calibre, which will manage your e-book collection on your computer and does a great job of converting between formats. I just convert PDFs to epub format and then I don't have any problems with them any more (though it probably wouldn't work very well if the PDF is just a scanned image).

The advantage of the Nook Simple Touch, the Kindle e-ink reader, or the Kobo reader is that a battery charge lasts forever. Even the new Nook Glowlight doesn't chew up the battery (and you only turn the light on when you need it; it's very effective even at very low setting).

I like the Nook because it has a microSD slot (I think it takes up to 32GB), and it will boot off the external card without having to modify the firmware at all. You can also easily replace the built-in firmware, then restore it later (assuming you backed it up!). It's also VERY light.

Not sure of the others, but the Nook has 802.11b/g/n (only does the 2.4GHz n though).

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

Same here, PDFs are a problem because you can't just scale them to screen, you have to use percentage values which may or may not fit. I rather use my phone for that. For e-books, however, nothing beats a decent e-ink device.

Re:I had this issue

[geminidomino]

I've had no end of problems converting PDFs to EPUB with Calibre, for my rooted Nook Color. Though to be fair, few of the other programs I've tried did any better. I finally broke down and bought EzPDF to read them (this was when it was still $0.99. I wouldn't recommend it at the current price). By replacing the horrible BN reader with FBReaderJ for epubs and EzPDF or Adobe (or whatever one you prefer) It does all right. Much better than stock, and it beats messing around with the wonky PDF-EPUB conversions...

Re:I had this issue

[anagama]

I hate being in bright sunlight so that isn't an issue for me. I have a basic kindle and Nexus 7, and I've read books on both.

Both are a handy size for reading and both can be held in one hand comfortably, though the kindle is lighter. I haven't read so long with the Nexus that I've drained the battery, but if you are going to be away from power for days, the kindle is better because it will have juice.

However, for reading PDFs, particularly PDFs with color, the kindle is very weak compared to the tablet. For example, I have the fishing regs for my state uploaded to my kindle and to the kindle app on the Nexus 7, and it's a real pain to use on the kindle. On the tablet, it's a snap to zoom in on a picture of a fish for example, or on some small print for a particular marine area. It's so clunky to do the same thing on the Kindle that I don't even bother trying.

However, reading in the dark with the kindle app on the Nexus 7 can be blinding. The Kindle app doesn't respect the brightness settings you set for the tablet, at least not once you're in your book. Fortunately, you can choose to adjust the display in the kindle app once you are on a page of the book by clicking on the font size icon -- then you can choose black on white, sepia, or white on black. You can also adjust brightness. I can't figure out why that is in the font size setting area, rather than in the preferences area, and I found it only accidentally. Anyway, for me, white text on black at the minimum brightness is tolerable enough for reading till I doze off. It isn't as good as ambient light on e-ink, but tolerable.

The nexus will play netflix vids fine, though I rigged up a bit of stand by bending up a coat hanger so I can just set it on a side table rather than hold it if I want to fall asleep watching a show. Obviously the kindle won't do video at all. The tablet is a lot closer to having a real computer too and can do interesting things like marine charts, games, etc. etc.

Anyway, if I didn't already have the kindle, I wouldn't buy one now that I have a 7" tablet. It will do what the kindle does best reasonably well, plus a million things the kindle won't do at all, and excels at a few things the Kindle does poorly (like full color PDFs).

I don't have a 10" tablet, but I don't think I'd want one either. At that size a laptop is more compelling to me, but a 7" tablet can be used with one hand quite handily. So anyway, I'd get a 7" tablet and use the $100 a kindle costs for buying books rather than buying both devices.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

I bought the Kindle DX for reading PDF, (mostly Apple Dev Docs) and it works for me, and very well for two column pages (with my reading glasses on). The principle limitation (for other than Apple documentation and other single column text) is that multiple column whole page views are best viewed in portrait view. Otherwise (if in landscape view to enlarge text) you must command the page segment view repeatedly down and up in order to view the columns in proper order. In short, for young eyes, no problem; for persons preferirng enlarged text, some inconvenience; for those needing enlarged text a greater inconvenience.

Re:I had this issue

[Antarell]

Ebook readers aren't great for PDFs, but they are leagues ahead of tablets for reading textbooks. I'd leave it another couple of years until ebooks really get all the wrinkles ironed out, then get an ebook reader. I have a nook and I can store tens of thousands of quality books in there at less than the weight of a paperback.

Yup. I had a tablet that I tried reading on, but it's a nightmare. It's a 10" so it's too big, too bright at night and too heavy (mainly when I fall asleep and drop it on the Wife's noggin!). I love it for PDF's and comics though.

On the other hand my Kindle (non touch) is awesome for books. Whisper sync is great as well for when I wake up in middle of the night, I just continue reading on my iPhone.

Re:I had this issue

[chmod a x mojo]

Couple things.

One, if you aren't tied to kindle books by DRM or can convert them to DRM free, check out moon+ reader on the tablet. It's a pretty decent app for reading, can be set up so a swipe on the left side of the screen will adjust brightness, and has a decen't library interface as well as being able to search through your SD card / internal memory by directory to find your books. It beats the pants off the nook app or kindle app.

Two, just root a LCD type reader into a full tablet. Nook color ( what I have ) runs Cyanogen mod 7 and works as good as a much more expensive tablet, even to running netflix. Total cost: $210USD, 200 for the device and 10 for the 16GB microSD card. I'm sure the kindle fire is probably hacked already too. The only real drawback is HW decoding h.264 video over 480P is crap, 720P xvid in software works out just fine though with only minimal size overhead for costs.

Re:I had this issue

[kiddygrinder]

you can buy cheap battery powered external led lights if you won't have one of the newer ones with built in lights. i'm assuming they last a while before they need charging or whatevs because they're led but i've never used one.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

I use a 24" monitor for an ereader. Works just fine, and even use it to read ebooks purchased from Amazon. Of course, I only use my netbook for an ereader if I don't want to sit at my desk.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

Ultimately what we need to do here is get rid of PDF for technical books/textbooks and move them to a better format..

PDF for both tech/textbooks do not work on 7" tablets and barely work on ipads and the like.. what you really need to actively use these for PDF based pages is a screen format as large as the textbook/tech book (8.5 x 11) to get rid of wonky scaling flowing of the book.. and just to match readability with the source.. many tech/textbooks are very dense in terms of words on page.. so once you start scaling them to fit on a smaller page even if the scaling and flow was perfect they become largely unreadable.

How thin/light/cheap can you make a 15" diagonal 4:3 aspect ratio display? Or would it be easier to change the texts to be a better fit on smaller screens (using callouts/popups for inline images/codeblocks/etc)

personally on my desktop I use a 22" display in portrait orientation beside my main monitor to keep pdf's and such in full view on the second screen .. but this is hardly a solution that would work in handheld tablet world (perhaps a dockable display that lives mostly attached to a dock /computer but can also travel to class with you for markup? who knows

Re:I had this issue

[halowolf]

I bought an iPad 1 (years ago now) to use as an eReader and as a tablet. Its been brilliant, as I can just pick it up and use it as a computer and an eReader. Its been great for trips because I can take books, rented movies and games on the go in a fraction of the luggage space that I used to use.

At the time there wasn't much competition. Nowadays I am looking towards something smaller that is a bit more portable, as the iPad is a bit big at times. Great for movies and TV shows and picking up off the couch to check your email or look up movie times, so great for Google Maps with its built in GPS and I don't have a problem holding it for reading. Just sometimes when you would like to take it out its just too big to just take with you when you don't want to be carrying much. Plus, its not a widescreen resolution. Nowadays I much prefer a widescreen resolution on things, it works better for reading too I think.

Thankfully it seems that the 7 inch wars are heating up just at the right time. I am interested in if there will be an iPad Mini of any note before committing to an upgrade.

Re:I had this issue

[EdZ]

I have both a Kindle and an iPad 3 (purchased solely because of the high-resolution screen). No matter what conversion tricks I try (with Calibre or otherwise), there is no way currently to comfortably read any sort of book with images, diagrams, charts, or equations on the Kindle's 800x600 display. It's just not going to work acceptably. For reading just-text books, the Kindle is miles ahead; it fits in a pocket, 'boots' in a fraction of a second to where you left it every time, and is just plain nice to read. The iPad is pretty rubbish as an e-reader, but perfect for textbooks, journal and technical papers, magazines and other PDFs, even better than a paper copy (zooming vector graphs is [b]wonderful[/b]).

Until a high-resolution, preferably colour, electrophoretic (or Mirasol) display is available, you're going to be stuck with two devices that do one function well, rather than a jack-of-all-trades reader.

Re:I had this issue

[flyneye]

If he's going to be doing a lot of reading, why not just get a laptop?
It can hold the software for most all formats of e-books, rather than just whatever the brand is selling.
It has far better capabilities than an e-reader, a bigger screen than an e-reader.
Until touch screen tablets are cheaper and run multiple OSes with ease, laptops still got the most bang for the buck and the most features .
Smaller might be trendy, but utility is what the whole thing is about.You want something that does something well and the most for your money. Trendy is seldom fulfilling of this criteria. I'd rather have a clunky laptop than pay to beta "the next big thing". The king wears no clothes except for that raggy speedo.

Re:I had this issue

[b4dc0d3r]

I only found 1 PDF with problems, and that was a color-intensive full magazine. If you read black-and-white content, Kindle DX hasn't caused me problems. I mostly had used PDFs from Project Gutenberg, or PDFs made up of JPEG content. Those work great.

The magazine was a true PDF using most of the detailed layout functionality. It's not great for those. But the technical/reference books should work without issue. It does have a dictionary.

Bookmarks, annotations, and such are possible as well. Text to speech, audio books, and random MP3 files too. I turned all internet connectivity off, but it does have a web browser.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200375680

Re:I had this issue

[Auroch]

I hate being in bright sunlight so that isn't an issue for me.

You're right, the outdoors is too bright. Wouldn't want to do anything outside I don't have to - like fishing. Better to stay inside with the bright lights there that give the exact same glare.

Re:I had this issue

[Anonymous Coward]

not all ereaders are kindles. i have a nook simple touch and it it works great for pdfs. you can get one for $70 and less on craig's list. spending big bucks is absolutely uncalled for.

even if the op bought a tab for pdfs, the $200 nexus 7 would be a worthy improvement cost-wise to any ipad.

Re:I had this issue

[david_thornley]

The new Nook Simple Touch with backlight doesn't need an accessory light, and if Amazon doesn't have an equivalent now I imagine they will soon. I don't know what it does for battery life. I don't often use it, but when I want it it's very nice to have.

Re:I had this issue

[david_thornley]

Calibre doesn't do PDFs very well, if there's any sort of fancy formatting (and sidebars do count as fancy).

I've worked with PDF files. The format does a good job of describing how a page should look, but it has no semantic content, aside from things like bookmarks. Down at the byte level, what looks like text is best treated as an encoding rather than text. This means that, if you've got a PDF of a simple document, you can usually get by with copying the text and using other instructions as semantic clues. Once it gets complicated, the conversion program has to essentially print it in memory, decide on the semantic organization from the physical layout, and make it up from there.

Re:I had this issue

[anagama]

You obviously didn't read any of the items.

Explain how it shows any regard for human decency to consider one's personal secret opinion to be the "due process" in "no person shall be deprived of life ... without due process of law."

And then there's the rest of the list. If you think Obama is about human decency, then you must likewise think the same about GWB and Cheney.

Re:I had this issue

[anagama]

Well, I live in the Pacific NW, and with the exception of July, August, and September, this region provides ample opportunity to fish in overcast conditions. Sometimes it even rains. Personally, I prefer a light drizzle but you can't have perfect weather all the time.

Re:I had this issue

[dwillden]

Because a laptop has a battery life of maybe 6 hours if the OS install is clean and the batteries are fresh. A Tablet can give you about the same. And eReader can go weeks between charges. You still want a laptop as that is where you will manage your library, but for readability, portability and battery life an eReader wins by a landslide.

I have a Nook, a laptop and a tablet, I can read my ebooks on all of them. Yet I find myself only really reading them on the Nook, because the laptop and tablet have to many other things on them capable of distracting from the reading. When I upgrade my 1st gen Nook, it will be to another e-ink based reader, because I want a reader NOT a tablet form computer.

Re:I had this issue

[dwillden]

The question is, have you used an e-ink reader for extensive reading? Most who do, that I've talked to, dislike reading on an LCD. You give good examples of how tablets can be used but until you have used both, you really can't speak authoritatively on which is better.

I have an SD card full of PDF's and epubs on my nook, there are some minor page formatting issues with PDF's in the nook, but they still read fine. And my Nook weighs a lot less than your 10" tablet and gets nearly a month between charges. Can your tablet do that. Will you tablet let you read through a 18 hour flight? My Nook will.

Re:I had this issue

[pnutjam]

I use my Android phone because it is always in my pocket. I can read afew pages in line at the grocery or while I'm waiting to pick up a kid. I can pop it out to "take notes" during a boring meeting and read while I'm waiting for a drive to image. Pulling out a dedicated e-reader would give me something extra to carry or loose, and look less professional.
I probably read 2 to 3 books a week.

Re:I had this issue

[nobodie]

"Ebook readers aren't great for PDFs"

Depends, I have a (at the time I bought it) cheap "Foxit eSlick". Foxit makes some PDF readers and editors and such for the business market (cheaper, safer and more powerful than the Adobe stuff, and lighter and cheaper too of course). And they handle PDFs really well, as well as all the regular ebook formats and txt and doc and odt too as i recall. They use a WolfLinux OS underneath it BTW.

The thing with a "real" eBook reader is eInk. Without it you have a backlit screen that, I find, tires my eyes and "weakens " them. I read too much on a screen already and am trying to "strengthen" my eyes by reading more paper and eInk. It does seem to help, I still don't need glasses (except to read paper and eInk and there I just use magnifying or "reading" glasses) most of the time and i'm 57 years old. So...

The thing with the eSlick that I like (and others might not) is that it has almost no "extra" features. No store to buy from, no wifi, no browser, no nothing. It is just a reader that you plug in to your computer to add books from whatever source you like. I have had this one since 2006 or so and it is still working great. So I am a fan of readers, with reservation about must have eInk and must not have all the shite everybody else wants.

Re:I had this issue

[flyneye]

Yeah, but I have many unsigned .pdfs in my library in addition. I still have questions as to whether plain old txt files are supported as the Gutenberg Project has more interesting books than I will ever have time to read. Proprietary formats, exclusive formats and DRM garbage protection is what kill these "handy" e-readers for me.

Re:I had this issue

[pnot]

As a pedant I am compelled to point out that, if you're on an 18-hour flight, you'll definitely have in-seat power. (I do agree that LCD sucks for extended reading, though. And there are plenty of >10-hour flights without in-seat power.)

Re:I had this issue

[dwillden]

That's why I bought Nook rather than a Kindle. The epub format is an open format. It can be locked down by DRM if you obtain your books from sources that lock the books. But I also have thousands of other e-books consisting of PDF's, epubs and .txt files that are not locked and are free to share. And there are many sources for unlocked epub books. Baen books for one.

Your argument is only partially valid even with the most locked in reader which is the Kindle. But even it can read .pdf's and .txt files. And there are many non-DRM sources even available for it's proprietary format .mobi.

The problems e-readers tend to have with .pdf's is formatting and there are converters available that will not only convert the text to a readable text format but will allow you to then edit the text to adjust it even more. And of course e-ink is NOT good with pictures of any form. But I'm not getting picture books to read.

Re:I had this issue

[Rary]

The most open option out there seems to be the Kobo, which supports EPUB (open format), PDF, and MOBI, as well as TXT, HTML, and RTF, plus image files in JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, and TIFF, and also comic formats CBZ and CBR. Even the DRM books that I've bought are so unrestricted that I've never noticed the DRM at all, even though I have them on multiple devices.

Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

If you get an iPad, and you're not disciplined, you'll find yourself doing everything else but reading books because it's really nice to use. Ebook readers with browsers or application support are still pretty limited.

Re:Ebook reader

[ottothecow]

For just plain reading, the kindle is where it is at. Even with a retina display, an ipad doesn't feel right.

It won't be great for techinical books, but for reading novels, the cheapest kindle is just awesome. eInk is super comfortable to read and it doesn't force you to read with an overly bright backlit display. The "page" is about the size of a normal book (the ipad screen is a little too wide to support a good reading speed IMHO).

Re:Ebook reader

[alen]

i don't know. i bought an ipad 2 expecting to do everything else and ended up reading more than anything

Re:Ebook reader

[peragrin]

it is size actually.

if your reading 7-8" tablet size is easier to deal with than the 10" tablet's.

if you want the most flexiblity get a google nexus tablet. you want the easy setup get either a nook or kindle fire.

I love my nook tablet for reading and web surfing it is easy to hold on to and a decent size. the only draw back is that the stock OS sucks. if I root it i might as well get a full google tablet anyways.

Re:Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

Bingo. What do you think I'm doing on my tablet right now?

Re:Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

It won't be great for techinical books, but for reading novels, the cheapest kindle is just awesome. eInk is super comfortable to read and it doesn't force you to read with an overly bright backlit display.

Finally, someone else who gets that backlighting isn't the problem itself, too much backlighting for the ambient conditions is. So... turn the fucking brightness down?

Some of my tablets float brightness according to an light sensor, but every one has a brightness slider to adjust that up and down, and with that on low (and auto-adjustment, if applicable, is suitably dim for any ambient level at which one could comfortably read eink. Does the iPad not?

As for page size, yes. 6-8" screens are better (more comfortable, though a bit slower) for reading text, and for 9-10" screens, 16:9 beats 4:3. Of course, you can black out suitable margins, but with LCDs you're still paying the price (in battery life) for the screen area you're not using.

Re:Ebook reader

[Sporkinum]

My wife has a nook, but ever since she got a 10" tablet (HP Touchpad on firesale), she never uses the nook anymore. Nooks and Kindles are a dime a dozen now (less than $100). 10" non-ipad tablets, if you get used/refurb, you can get for under $200.

Re:Ebook reader

[mrmaster]

I guess I am disciplined then. I got a tablet (touchpad) for the sole purpose of reading books and white papers(pdf). While I only recently hacked it to get android on it, the adobe reader and kindle app are sufficient. I definitely use my tablet more now that I get to use netflix on it. Keep in mind, used books cost me 50 cents for paperback and $1 for hardcover at the humane society. Kindle books cost more than paper books(which is total bs) so I only buy books that I will be reading when I am traveling (50% of the time), GET A TABLET! You can do so much more with it. That is all.

Re:Ebook reader

[iamhassi]

Get both. I bought a first gen nook for $40 on ebay buy it now. There's tons on there at that price and it's a great reader. I wouldn't try surfing with it, it works but it's strange using the small touchscreen to navigate, but it's great as a ebook reader, and the battery lasts practically forever, I think I've charged it twice since March. I like that the large screen is not a touchscreen because I'll often rest my thumb on the screen while holding it.

At that price there's still plenty left over for a 16gb Google Nexus 7. Quad core tegra 3 and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean with 16gb for $249.

Under $300 he'll have a great ebook reader and a great tablet.

Re:Ebook reader

[SimonInOz]

Yes. For reading books a basic Kindle is far ahead. Screen is clear, battery life is awesome (as long as you turn wireless off). You can't read in the dark unless you get a little case/light.

A pad is far better for pad-type stuff. Games, random surfing, etc. Battery life is ok (cheap Android tablets not included), but they are heavy, hot and awkward to carry about. A Kindle you can lose in a bag, or even a big pocket. I have trouble getting my iPad out of the hands of my kids whereas they barely touch the Kindle.
The new iPad (stupid name) might have a amazing screen, but it's going to be a bit hot to read in bed in summer.

What the heck? Get one of each.

Re:Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

Go with a generic Android tablet.

I recently got a 7" dual-core Android tablet (Ainol Novo 7 Elf II) for just this reason. It's great! I've used it a ton in the last month. The awesome part is that you can carry an entire library around with the footprint of a large format paperback.

I found the fear that you will just play with the tablet greatly overstated. I played around with mine for a few days setting it up, but it probably spends 97.23% of its time being used as an eReader.

The system is very flexible. With some slight tweaking you can get good battery life and screen ergonomics. The Elf II is not a beast, but it has a dual Cortex A9 CPU and a dual-core Mali GPU, so it's pretty flexible. 16GB native with with 32GB microSD fits a lot of books (and other stuff). It makes a nice media play/display solution.

I recommend a 7" screen if you are planning on using it primarily as a reader. I found this much more comfortable.

Don't be lulled into the overpriced iPad camp. It's easy to find an Android ICS tablet with decent specs in the $120 to $150 price range. A little extra money gets you more pixels, and some extra interfaces. I definitely like having HDMI, USB and external microSD interefaces. I haven't missed Bluetooth or a 10" display.

Re:Ebook reader

[ottothecow]

The only problem I have with the kindle (applies to ipads/nooks/or any other ereader) is that the screen can get scratched.

Tear or bend or accidentally mark a page in a book and it won't matter in 30 seconds when you turn the page...but if you get a little nick in the middle of an e-reader's screen, it is going to be in the middle of every page of every book you ever read until the device is replaced. Ipads are less susceptible to scratching but more susceptible to cracking (the kindle doesn't care much about being dropped).

So basically...get a case for whatever you decide on ASAP. I got a scratch on my first kindle in the first or second book--luckily it had a networking issue so I was able to exchange it for a new one a couple of books later and I immediately bought a sleeve for it. The amazon-branded cases are a perfect fit and provide good protection but I prefer to hold the device by itself so I got a thick leather sleeve from saddleback that I can slide it into for storage.

Re:Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

If you do not read now, a gadget wont make you read more. Do not forget, that e-book readers are all DRM riddled crapware that gets force-feed on consumers. Funny thing is, that most of them are now happy that they have lost all control over their books they have paid for.

Re:Ebook reader

[jones_supa]

If you get an iPad, and you're not disciplined, you'll find yourself doing everything else but reading books because it's really nice to use.

But does one then even enjoy reading books if he has to be "disciplined" to do it?

Re:Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

The iPad doesn't "feel" right? What kind of argument is that?

I've had mine since the 1st generation began shipping. It feels plenty "right" to me.

An iPad is great for reading novels, it's great for reading technical books, it's great for reading PDFs (fast search, bookmarks, internal links to jump between pages), it's great for taking notes, it's great for reading the news on the web, it's great for reading social networks, it's great for reading RSS feeds, it's great for reading things you search for in google (eg: forums), it's great for reading at night or indoors during the day, it's acceptable for reading outdoors in direct sunlight... the list just goes on and on.

Personally, I wouldn't buy anything other than an iPad. If a book isn't available on my iPad or as audio book I will not read it —it's that good.

There are drawbacks:

  * the iBooks store is a bit locked down, it only runs on iOS devices and it has DRM (kindle has DRM too, but it's much more cross platform). But you should still install iBooks for anything sourced outside the built in store (PDFs, and eBooks downloaded from the web, etc)
  * it's a bit heavy. not too heavy (in my opinion) but it is heavier than I'd like. rumour is a new lighter one will come out in the next month or so.
  * it's expensive. you get what you pay for. rumour is a new cheaper one will come out soon

Of course, if you hate Apple. Well, then I guess you can cross it off the list. I'm surprised you read this far.

Re:Ebook reader

[Killjoy_NL]

Oh please, don't read apple-hate in what was written, I prefer e-ink than an lcd to read as well and I don't hate apple at all.
the ipad might be fine for pdf's, but for epubs etc, I prefer my e-reader above all else, right now I am rereading the complete Wheel of Time series on it, before that I read all the Game of Thrones and Robin Hobb's latest book (sucky ending, have to wait for the sequel again).

Get both?

[Anonymous Coward]

You can find an Allwinner android tablet for 75-80 bucks, and a kindle fire for the same price.

Re:Get both?

[Anonymous Coward]

I meant kindle touch, not kindle fire.

eBook Reader vs Tablet

[RudyHartmann]

I think the two are converging somewhat. eBook readers aren't as powerful or versatile. I need another gadget like I need a hole in the head too. But if I must, I would get a tablet. If money was no object, I would go with a retina iPad. But the Android tablets are catching up fast. Cheaper too. I look at an eBook reader as a crippled tablet.

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[kamapuaa]

That's not a good way of looking at it. ebook readers are much, much better for reading (easier to read off of is the main advantage, but not having to constantly re-charge is also a huge advantage, as is being able to fit it in a pocket). If you plan to read a lot, I just don't think a tablet is an acceptable substitute.

If you're not a heavy reader and but want to have the capability in case the mood ever strikes you, then reading a book on a tablet is fine.

It's almost a moot point, since a kindle is just $80.

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[sammyF70]

Having myself both a tablet ( HP Touchpad) and an eBook Reader (Sony PRS1), there is absolutely no contest when it comes to textbooks. No matter how high the screen resolution of your tablet is, it can't beat e-ink for pure comfort. Additionally, ebook readers are generally a lot lighter and smaller than tablets. Techbooks are another matter. I have plenty of oreilly books on the reader (epub format), and whilst not bad from an handling and speed point of view, the small B/W screen is really a problem. Anyway, all this to say that Parent is clueless ...

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[cpu6502]

>>>I look at an eBook reader as a crippled tablet.

I look at a tablet as a pisspoor substitute for a book. Heavy and it has that annoying light shining in my eyes. I want my book reader to be a closer to paper as possible, and e-ink does that.

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[Glock27]

I also have both, and my take is somewhat different.

People have different levels of tolerance for backlight. If I'm not outside (and I read indoors most of the time), I like the large screen and format of the "new iPad" (why the heck they didn't call it the iPad 3 is beyond me...). I prefer the true "black on white" appearance, and color is a big plus with some material. The iPad has plenty of battery life in general. Of course the other factor that's nice about the iPad is that it's useful for a whole lot of things beyond just reading - though its price reflects that as well.

I also like the Kindle Touch, and it is the clear winner for outdoor reading. The battery life is great. I really, really wish that the screen was much closer to looking like paper. I'm not a fan of the "black on gray" look at all. It's acceptable, but that's all. Other than that, the Kindle Touch is a great value and certainly works "well enough".

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

I seem to be taking the question a little differently than everyone else. If the goal is to read more then the versatility of a tablet might be a negative. It may just be what 'reading more' means to me. I already read things on the internet daily, I refer to textbooks often and yet unless I'm reading a book full of text I feel I should 'read more'. I understand that may not be the literal meaning but it's what I think of when people say they should read more.

And if you ever take them outside you will see that an eBook reader is not a crippled tablet but a different device. An eBook is no more a crippled tablet, than a tablet is a crippled laptop.

Re:eBook Reader vs Tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

For me, having a tablet is a complete waste. I have an ebook reader, I have a smartphone and I have a laptop. Why would I ever want a tablet? They offer absolutely nothing.

If you have 300-400...

[bananaquackmoo]

Why not both? You can easily buy two tablets for $300-400. One e-ink device @ $100 and one tablet @$200-300

Re:If you have 300-400...

[tompaulco]

If you have 300-400, why not buy 100 books?

Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer the Kindle because it doesn't have a backlight. I find it tires my eyes much less, like reading a regular book. Try one of each and see which one works out better for you.

Re:Try out one of each

[Em Adespoton]

eBook readers are generally lighter and easier to hold for long stretches with one hand on the corner, or propped up against something. They are generally great for reading anywhere you'd normally read a paperback book.

However, tablets are backlit. This means you can read in low light situations, and for coloured diagrams, they are significantly superior. They also have the added advantage of being an email client and a decent web browser, as well as being able to run custom reference apps (which the submitter commented on). The downside is that they're bulkier and harder to hold, and cost signficantly more.

Me, I started reading on a Palm Pilot, and after my Palm TX, ended up switching to an iPod Touch for my eBook reading -- small enough to slip into a pocket, holds tons of books, and can do other things as well. I usually read in black-on-white mode, with the white being blue-tinted and the black being black. There are lots of arguments that this is harder on your eyes, but I think most of those studies were done on printed text, not backlit text with a glossy polarized surface in front.

My best suggestion? Try a few out in store, and see which one fits your reading methods/habits/subjects the best.

Re:Try out one of each

[ACS Solver]

I have a Sony reader and find that e-ink is far superior for books. A tablet has the same screen as the computer does. I've never liked reading large amount of text from the screen. A tablet display feels like a computer screen, an e-ink display feels like a book.

I would definitely recommend an e-reader for anything except technical literature. If you have PDFs with equations, flowcharts, illustrations and the like, they should be read on a tablet or proper computer. For fiction, e-ink is far superior.

Re:Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

Email and web browsing capabilities may not be an advantage for many people when it comes to ebooks.

Re:Try out one of each

[cpu6502]

The Nook Glow is backlit (well actually side lit by LEDs and dispersive glass). It's designed for reading in the dark.

Re:Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

You've never read from an eink display, have you?

Re:Try out one of each

[RabidReindeer]

I prefer the Kindle because it doesn't have a backlight. I find it tires my eyes much less, like reading a regular book. Try one of each and see which one works out better for you.

I had reservations about self-lit displays, too, having spent many a long hour reading from a desktop display while my eyes water. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Nook Tablet is, if anything, easier to read than their eInk displays. YMMV, of course. I don't read in direct sunlight so I don't know how well it would do there.

Re:Try out one of each

[RabidReindeer]

You're an idiot.

Longer version: You're an idiot. You don't take into account the fact that self-lit sources mess with your focussing mechanisms. As far as it goes, shining too much light in your eyes can be a strain whether it's attached to a computer or not, but computer screen images exacerbate the problem because they make you try and focus on the apparent image and not the real one.

I will very definitely start crying if I spend too much time staring at a desktop LCD panel. However, as I've said elsewhere, the 7-inch tablets I can read all day long with no strain even though they're both basically the same idea. I can't speak for 10-inch tablets one way or the other - not enough time logged on them.

Re:Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

No kidding, I can read 30-40 minutes max on iPad before I need to relax my eyes.

Re:Try out one of each

[toruonu]

Seriously? I usually read in the evenings in bed and usually spend 1-2 hours, but at times if it's an interesting book / close to ending etc I read for 4-6 hours straight without noticing the time pass. In bed the best part is that you can turn the iBooks style to Night and you're reading white on black. This way the light emitted from the display is marginal yet provides a clear image to read and focus on in the dark. The added benefit is that I can prop the iPad against a pillow or use its smart cover as a stand and just read while on my side. I always hated that with books reading for hours your thumb would get cramped from keeping the pages apart and your hand tires. With the iPad I don't have either of the worries.

And the added benefit is that I can also download the newspapers (or well they auto-download in the night so I have the latest newspaper in the morning when I go to the toilet), check e-mail in the morning without getting out of bed or reading up on facebook/slashdot/whatnot without actually having to go anywhere close to my laptop. Only once I need to start doing real work do I move to the laptop for the larger screen and full keyboard as well as capacities that a full OS and hardware provide. Majority of the time I'm hanging around with the iPad though.

And if you're really against the 10" form factor (which I personally love as it's about the size of an A4 page so reasonably decent for PDF's), then the rumors are large that Apple's about to introduce iPad mini on 12th of September, which is just three weeks from now...

Re:Try out one of each

[Whuffo]

So how many hours have you spent staring at a TV screen in your life? Or a computer screen?

The whole "self lit screens hurt your eyes" meme was thought up by companies like Amazon who didn't have a self lit screen to sell

You may have various reasons for preferring a specific device, but if you're going to trot out that tired "self lit hurts" nonsense, how about citing some research that backs up that assertion?

Re:Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

How many hours have you spent reading books on a television screen?

Re:Try out one of each

[david_thornley]

My advice is to see if you can try out both self-lit and eInk, so you can decide for yourselves. Different people seem to like different displays. Personally, I thought I was fine reading a book on a laptop screen until I tried the original Nook, and that was finer. The retina screen on my iPhone 4 seemed about as good as (though different from) the old Nook, but I recently got a Simple Touch, and that put the Nook out ahead. You may try various types and resolutions, and come to different conclusions.

Don't assume ahead of time what you'll like, if you can avoid it. People who claim to have the Answer here may be worth listening to, but don't take it too seriously.

Re:Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

Each to their own. I do all my reading at night. My bright ceiling light isn't relaxing enough, and my bedside lamp is too dim to read comfortably.

A backlit display is perfect for reading in bed... and that's pretty much the only place I ever read - unless I'm stuck in town waiting for something. In that case, my smartphone is the only device small enough to carry with me.

Re:Try out one of each

[Em Adespoton]

How's the battery life? It seems to me that a sidelit eInk reader would have the negatives of both e-Readers and tablets....

Ebook

[Anonymous Coward]

For reading novels, definitely an ebook reader. Mine's a Kindle but I'm sure there's other good ones out there too. That shouldn't stop you getting a tablet too if you want to do other things, and for some technical PDFs a tablet might be handy, but definitely an e-ink device for novels.

--
I don't usually reply to gweihir (88907) either. So there.

Re:Ebook

[zippthorne]

Never had a Kindle, but I've been very satisfied with my Nook (although I'm surprised there's no cell-enabled simple touch..)

There have been some incredible improvements in both Nook and Kindle devices (and their prices) over the last few years, which I can only attribute to a price war between Amazon and B&N, although Amazon has a huge branding advantage because they also sell everything. Since we all benefit from the competition, I would would like to urge people to keep the competition going by considering buying a device from someone other than the #1 seller.

However, if the #1 seller really is the best choice for you.. it would be sub-optimal for you to buy anything else, so I only urge people to try to ignore the brand names when evaluating the various devices.

That said, I don't think we're ever going to see a Readius, though.

Reader for reading, Tablet for playing Games

[Anonymous Coward]

that pretty much sums it up

how about a library card?

[Anonymous Coward]

The have a wide selection, great price, and 2 weeks to read it.

Re:how about a library card?

[Anonymous Coward]

The have a wide selection, great price, and 2 weeks to read it.

Even though he says he's a slow reader, I don't think it would take 2 weeks to read a library card.

--
I don't usually reply to gweihir (88907) either. So there.

Re:how about a library card?

[Glock27]

The beauty of using a device is you can carry a large library around with you without breaking your back. ;-)

Re:how about a library card?

[paxprobellum]

Stole my reply. But +1. There's no need to buy a gadget to read more.

Re:how about a library card?

[sqlrob]

Yes, there can be.

I have series on my tablet that takes up a full shelf by itself. Lugging around 700-1000 page books is not fun.

Re:how about a library card?

[atomicxblue]

Oh, don't forget that library books don't have to be charged as often as a tablet or e-reader.

Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[rsborg]

Personally I have both a tablet and an e-reader (iPad/Kindle3) and for $300-400, you could get both e-ink and LCD Kindles, for example. If reading detailed image-based PDFs is your thing I'd probably recommend 10" tablet at least. Reflow on text doesn't help there as much.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[Glock27]

Hah! That's quite a clueless statement. I know many highly technical folk, and almost all have at least one Apple product - including myself.

Macs in particular are really the sweet spot in computers today. Excellent hardware, Unix based OS, great bundled apps, run the most software of any computer, generally painless to support and access to first-tier commercial apps. What a refreshing change from Windows!

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[Daniel Dvorkin]

What a deeply appropriate user name you have.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[HiThere]

Does their EULA still say they have the right to "add, modify, delete, or copy any file any this computer"?

When they slipped that statement into a security update, I said goodbye to Apple, and disconnected the machines I owned from the internet. It's likely to be a few decades yet before I forgive them for that.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[gnasher719]

That assumes a person with some technical grasp would actually want an Apple product.

In my area (well paid software developers), the majority uses Macs as their private computers, with a huge number of iPhones, and a good number of iPads. I think there is a certain level of expertise where being able to overcome technical difficulties is a source of pride, but at a certain higher level you choose products where there is no need to overcome these difficulties.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[Anonymous Coward]

Cha-Ching. Your check is in the mail.

-Tim

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[narcc]

It's the opposite here. Technical folks in the are avoid Apple products so that they *don't* need to overcome technical difficulties and limitations. That's spilled over to the average consumer here as well, for similar reasons. I guess you could say that the county is virtually Apple-free.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[toruonu]

I think that's one of the cleanest statements about why some people don't like Apple. Things cost. You can't have everything for cheap and free so you whine about it. Well I've learned over the years that the fact that things cost is not such a bad thing. Most things cost little enough that it won't have a high impact on your life (majority of apps on iTunes Store are between $0.99 and $2.99, if that's a hard bargain for you, then you really are in a crap situation anyway and can go and hack linux boxes further until you get a real job as then it's mandated by real need for you to do it). However the fact that things cost usually means that they are beneficial to the developer and therefore they keep supporting it. I've seen so many things in Linux die because of lack of interest and constant change in the underlying OS that makes it harder and harder to keep up. Watching movies legally for just $3.99 - $4.99 on Apple TV is far preferred for me to searching for the torrent downloading it and checking the quality etc. I can browse the store and start watching.

I used to be an utter linux affionado in the 90's, even managed one of the local computer companies here in Estonia to start selling machines with Linux pre-installed (it was an extended distro made by me that added loads of needed stuff that wasn't part of the distros at the time, but needed for by users to really adapt). I advocated linux everywhere and had extremely customized installations for myself. I used to support large servers and linux provided an excellent work laptop config to do that at a customer location, but I have to say fiddling and making everything work took a good quarter of my total work time in the early 2000's. I then moved to high energy physics and tuning the laptop became a hinderance to work, not as a fun pastime so I finally had the institute fork over the money to buy an iBook just to see if the stories were true and after the first two weeks of feeling like my arm had been chopped off because I first of all didn't know how to tune things and possibly even couldn't I discovered that I was doing a lot more work and that in fact the things I was used to tune most operated quite satisfactorily already on the default settings. Some things blew me away utterly like the instant suspend and resume that actually worked (at the time I had been hacking for months on swsusp on linux kernels with about 80% probability of recovering work and 20% kernel panic) to make it also auto-detect lid closing and opening, but it was nowhere close in the speed. So ever since then I've lived the Apple life and to be fair I'd not say things cost that much more than they would have cost living on Linux and related hardware. Yes, Apple products tend to be a bit more expensive, but that's only if you compare to the lowest of offerings. To get the same build (and I don't mean GHz, GB only) you need to look at higher end models from the competitors. For me at least the weight, battery life, screen quality, large trackpad, strong rigid case make up far more on the choice of laptop than wether I get 2.1GHz or 2.5GHz CPU (RAM you can get plenty, disk you get plenty). And OS X is in my opinion far superior to any Linux flavor for laptop use. No matter that the best VNC client cost me a whopping $4.99, there were free alternatives, but this client is 10+ times faster, I've never seen anything even close to that on any platform, you're working over semi-reasonable network you don't feel any lag at all. So things are worth buying if they are good and I don't mind paying for things as long as it's reasonably priced. Major OS upgrades for $20 is cheap and doable, reasonable office packages for $79 is reasonable etc etc.

If you absolutely adhore paying people for their work, then of course the Apple way is not for you. If you don't earn enough that 2-3 usd / day is something you can spend on things that you like just so, then probably the economic model is a bit tough for you as well and I can fully understand wanting cheaper alternatives and maximally things fo

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[warrigal]

Have you done the same with your Windows PCs?
Microsoft has the self-same conditions in the Windows EULA.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[Glock27]

I think that's one of the cleanest statements about why some people don't like Apple. Things cost.

Actually, I'm pretty sure what he's trying to imply is that I'm a paid shill. LOL

At any rate, I agree with what you wrote. As the saying goes "Linux is free if your time is worth nothing.". I like Linux, and use it quite a bit, but it is still quite rough around the edges even after many years of tinkering.

The Mac is the closest thing to "it just works", plus the focus on the UI experience has paid dividends. I hope Apple comes out with the xMac (small tower, high-powered i5s to i7s, large RAM expansion, high-end video card option, external monitor) along with the coming Mac Pro refresh. I think that would attract a whole lot of /. types, as well as providing a better value proposition than the iMacs.

The new MacBook Pros are really nice, I'll have to pick one up at some point.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[jones_supa]

When they slipped that statement into a security update, I said goodbye to Apple, and disconnected the machines I owned from the internet. It's likely to be a few decades yet before I forgive them for that.

I can't believe that the EULA change was the only thing that triggered you to say goodbye to Apple.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[HiThere]

I had ditched MSWind for the Mac earlier, when MS slipped that same language into their EULA. Apple was a few years slower in being so abusive. These days I don't allow either to be purchased, and won't allow the older systems that are still active to connect to a network.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[HiThere]

It wasn't the only thing that caused ME to say goodbye to Apple, but until that occurrence I was willing to buy Apple products for others in the family that wanted them.

(And, as someone else implied, I should say that I have previously come to the same decision about MS. This, however, did not affect others in the household because they were using Apple products.)

FWIW, I still don't actually forbid others to purchase MS or Apple products, I just clearly say that if they do they are on their own for support, as I will refuse to support them.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[MindlessAutomata]

If only I knew how to "Think Different," just like you.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[MindlessAutomata]

You can't even browse the file system on an Ipad by default; doing many things on Apple products is a headache simply because it's so stripped-down and lacking basic functionality.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[MindlessAutomata]

>generally painless to support

When it has much less features than the alternative, uh, yeah. It would be.

USING a Mac outside of Apple's "use-our-store-or-cry-yourself-to-sleep" model, not so fun.

Re:Wait for iPad 7" and make your choice

[Daniel Dvorkin]

First you'd have to learn to think at all.

I would recommend an e-ink reader

[dasunt]

I really prefer e-ink for reading. Its nice on the eyes, and the low-power consumption of the screen gives excellent battery life. Plus, most of the e-ink readers I see seem a little lighter than the corresponding tablets.

Right now I have a Kindle Keyboard. The screen may be too small if you read books with a lot of diagrams or illustrations. The Kindle DX would be better in this regards, but it is a tad spendy.

Regardless of what you get, I'd recommend Calibre for managing your library, and I would strongly suggest checking out your local library system's ebook lending. It is extremely convenient to be able to borrow books at any hour of the day or night. If you have access to different library systems, check out the ebook lending offers at each - sometimes one system will have a wider selection.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree. I have a tablet (iPad) as well as an e-ink reader (Nook), and I much prefer the e-ink device for extended reading. I spend enough of my day looking at an LCD; I find the much more book-like characteristics of the Nook far more conducive to serious reading.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree.

I like the dedicated e-ink book readers. For straight reading, I like the low power consumption, the space to hold lots of books, and I don't need a lot of "extra" features. I use my e-readers with wifi turned off and don't care about telling the universe what I am reading on facebook and twitter. I like drm-free books the best and don't like nosy vendors.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I also decided I'd go the eink route. I'd started reading for leisure again from about a year ago. I find that I use it as a "disconnect" of sorts, having only my book and my cell phone for dictionary lookup. I decided on the kindle 4 and ordered it half a week ago. Figured screen clarity would be more easily maintained over the Touch model, and i'm also shooting for extreme portabiliity and light reading for extended periods with one hand. Once I start getting some tablet functionality, I start using it by instinct, and I lose my purpose of getting away from things. Since it supposedly has a built in dictionary, I anticipate it being even easier to not touch my phone or lappy and getting in the quick facebook check for notifications.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[Spacejock]

Seconding e-ink. I have a Kindle 2 for reading and a powerful laptop for gaming/programming/media/etc. Reading on an e-ink device is like reading off paper. (The more light you shine on the screen, the brighter it gets.)

On the other hand, reading off a tablet or LCD is like holding sheets of paper up to a flourescent light. I get enough of that every day on the PC & Laptop, and when I read I don't want more of the same.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[tricorn]

Calibre is wonderful, it converts between many different e-book formats (and manages them, i.e. you have ONE entry for a book, even if there are multiple formats), it is VERY flexible, and it knows about a whole heck of a lot of different e-readers and how to transfer to them. Just plug your reader into your computer, select what you want to transfer and click one button.

On my Nook, it knows about both the built-in memory and the microSD card (if you have one installed) and can transfer to either one. It will also show you which books are already on the device or card.

Re:I would recommend an e-ink reader

[Anonymous Coward]

Calibre + Evince 2.32 (at least) for PDF on an Acer Aspire One with 10" screen.
So now you have a good eBook reader and a usable netbook as well. (And before you start to wave your arms, I have 2: one with Windows 7 as OS and another with Debian.
.

I chucked all my other PC (and PC-like) equipment.

Tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

Hello,
I recently bought an Samsung Tablet 2 10.1 and I should have done that ages ago.
With Perfect Viewer's outcrop feature you can read pdfs perfectly, if you have to
read something technically. For literature you can go with fbreader.

Cheers,
          Thomas

eInk

[Manip]

I would recommend eInk. Less eye-strain. Less battery drain (weeks between charges). And seems to work great in strong sunlight or other adverse conditions.

Tablets are multi-media devices. They do it all. eInk based e-readers are just for books and they do it exceptionally.

PS - The text on this page is insanely small and CTRL+ won't fix it. What the hell /.?

Re:eInk

[Anonymous Coward]

PS - The text on this page is insanely small and CTRL+ won't fix it. What the hell /.?

CTRL+ works for me. What operating system and browser are you using?

Considerations

[Shoten]

The answer depends on a few different things. One, how durable a device do you need? Most e-readers are a bit tougher. Two, where will you be reading? If you expect a lot of outdoors reading, definitely go with the e-reader...otherwise, it won't matter. Three, how much use do you have for a tablet's functions? Tablets can do more than e-readers. Battery life: the nod goes to e-readers. Versatilty: tablets win. Up to you...

Re:Considerations

[Anonymous Coward]

I read a lot. About one book every two days on my laptop.

Book format. Because I use a laptop, I don't really care about the format, but e-readers will limit you. Calibre will make epub's from anything, and will probably have drivers and conversion plugins for your particular reader.

Font/display size. Resizing the text is very important, it's much easier to read when you make the text twice larger, especially on a 15 inch screen.

Backlight. Love it. I usually read at home, at night, and I can adjust the luminosity.

Internet access. If you start reading, any kind of book, you'll find things, names, people etc you'll want to google to better create that mental image the book is trying to create.

Other background services. Music for instance, mail, some online multiplayer game. Chat. Etc.

I don't know how this would be on a tablet or e-reader, but on my laptop, I usually have 2-3 books open at the same time, depending on what I feel like reading at that particular moment. Yes, it sounds strange, to me at least, but I usually read a few chapters from one book, then more chapters from another and so on. Alt+tab is faster than bookmarking, loading and reloading every time.

Depends

[jlechem]

Do you want to read or have a media device?
My wife has a kindle that she just wants to read on. If you want to read, watch movies, listen to mp3s, and browse the web get a tablet. If you just want books for the airplane or car ride get an eReader.

Re:Depends

[sammyF70]

just a small correction : many ebook readers have integrated mp3 players and, at least on my Sony PRS-T1, the web browser isn't really THAT bad ... it's good enough to read the huffpost, news.google or slashdot.

Re:Depends

[sammyF70]

since you use the word "retard" while being "anonymous", I assume you are a pretty lousy troll.

Really depends on the subject matter

[EggyToast]

If you're reading fiction, get a Kindle or other e-ink device, because these guys have the advantage of being lightweight, have long battery lives, and "disappear" when you're reading. You just read and read and can enjoy yourself.

If you're reading non-fiction, especially non-fiction with charts, graphs, and the like, get a tablet. They support more advanced features with ePub.

Finally, the device in many cases also ties you into a store. If you're just interested in loading up your own PDFs, you have free reign to select any tablet. If you want to read books from the iBookstore, you have to go with the iPad. If you like the Kindle store or the Nook store, you can choose most tablets OR their own tablet offering.

Re:Really depends on the subject matter

[Anonymous Coward]

I read nothing but PDFs and after comparing the Kobo Touch and the Kindle, the Kobo Touch handles PDFs far better so I went with that, and I'm glad I did. I sometimes have trouble with the text being too small but every ereader I'm aware of has at least some kind of zoom or text resizing feature. I wasn't even sure if I'd get much use out of it but it's fantastic, I use it a lot more than I anticipated.

Re:Really depends on the subject matter

[david.given]

You will only take my Kindle from the cold, dead hands. (Although, TBH, I'd rather you didn't.) It has made such a difference for me. I travel a lot, and having the Kindle has reduced the amount of luggage I have to take by half.

That said, it's not perfect by a long shot: the main menu is rubbish, the rendering has some weird glitches (full justification doesn't always work), and the book UI has some very rough areas. Paging backwards is slow. But the store integration is *superb* --- you buy a book on the PC, the web site prompts you to pick up the Kindle, I do, and the book's already there --- and its core competence of paging through long tracts of text can't be beat. With wireless turned off I to charge it every couple of weeks. (But it's not good at PDFs. Rendering is slow and the screen isn't high enough resolution to see a complete page at a time, and the refresh rate is too slow to scroll tolerably.)

And Amazon's technical support is superb. Not just good comparatively. Actually, genuinely, good. I got mine wet, and the keyboard started misbehaving. Talked to them on the online chat thing. "Yeah," the said, "your device is out of warranty, sorry. We'll have to charge you for a new one." They charged me 1/3 of the retail price, the new one arrived within three days, it had already been keyed to my account and my books were available, I sent the old one off in the same packaging, and they paid all shipping. I really have no complaints with that.

Re:Really depends on the subject matter

[Anonymous Coward]

Yep. Hard to beat the e-ink Kindle for black and white text. And you'll really want something with a real color lcd screen for color graphics. Technical books may have rendering problems on the Kindle. My wife complained about a poorly formatted accounting textbook a couple years back. I think she had problems with page numbers not matching between formats too (kind of a problem when the teacher says "Do problems 3-10 on page 200" when there aren't any problems on that page.)

My wife gave me her old Kindle after getting a Kindle Fire. I really don't like the Amazon prices for e-books (what do you mean you want $13 for an e-book when I can buy the hardcover for $10.00?) On the other hand between Overdrive (you can borrow e-books from your library) and places like Baen (most e-books are $4-6. DRM free. And available in just about anything but PDF. Oh, and they have their free library...) I'm not really tempted to buy many books from Amazon. That old kindle is great for reading in bed or just about anywhere else I'm likely to read.

I also have an iPad. It's too damn heavy to comfortably read in bed. But I've been getting a lot of my magazines as PDFs or via magazine apps. Oh. And the comic reader apps look great. Very usable. Just not happy about some of the prices for DRMed comics.

Now about the store thing. Don't put up with a device that'll only work with books from the company store. There are apps out there like Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/) that can be used to convert between formats. If you buy books from Baen, you can get the books in anything from straight text and html to epub and mobi formats. I hear Tor is supposed to start offering their books DRM free soon too. It looks like O'Reilly has it figured out too. DRM free and they only charge a few bucks more if you get the print and e-book versions together.

Re:Really depends on the subject matter

[david_thornley]

Is there an eReader that will only work with books from the company store (B&N or Amazon)? All the Nooks around here are fine with Project Gutenberg ePubs, and I'd imagine it works the same for Kindles. It usually works in reverse: the company store sells books that only works on their own devices (unless you have software that will break the DRM, and I don't know how legal that is).

300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[cpu6502]

Like 75-100 books. Do you really need an e-reader just to read? Plus many e-books are overpriced, where used books only cost 1 penny plus shipping.

If it were me I'd buy the cheaper e-book available which is the Kindle for $79. I wouldn't go spending hundreds of dollars on a device.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[opkool]

Like 75-100 books. Do you really need an e-reader just to read? Plus many e-books are overpriced, where used books only cost 1 penny plus shipping.

If it were me I'd buy the cheaper e-book available which is the Kindle for $79. I wouldn't go spending hundreds of dollars on a device.

The problem with $300-$400 in books is: where are you going to put them?

The poster is already an avid reader, thus (s)he surely has a sizable amount of books. As you cannot buy (yet) 400sqf on Amazon to expand your home, space becomes a premium.

My 2 cents.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[gbjbaanb]

amen to that. I do a bit of reading in the bath.... a tatty paperback is perfect for that, an expensive ereader is not. Same for out and about - a paperback is easy to pack and doesn't matter if someone nicks it.

And not only that, the feel good and they get you laid.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Anonymous Coward]

Four hundred paperback books will fit in a pile with a four square foot footprint and not even make it close to the ceiling!

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Anonymous Coward]

Subtract at least $100 for an Ikea bookshelf, or more if you're a grown-up and past your college days. Then there's having the space to put the bookshelf. Not to mention the extra space in your luggage for a couple books when on vacation, and the extra weight they add to your luggage (I'm always near my 50 lbs limit on each bag).

Yeah... I'll take digital books any day.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Anonymous Coward]

Assuming the reader intends to read them again in the future: I keep rather few books on the bookshelf, the rest get put up for resale or donated to the library after I'm done with them.

At least with paper you have the resale/gifting option, with eBooks you're stuck with them thanks to DRM and they're not even cheaper than paperbacks either!

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[ThatsMyNick]

Buy few at a time and donate it to the local library (or you nephew or someone else in your family), as you are done? If you want to read it again, you can buy it again.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[caffiend666]

My Kobo came with 100 (free) books pre-installed and I have read through about 20 of them so far. Having a good e-Reader makes Project Gutenberg books (free) easy to read, and there are about 40,000 books available, I have read about 10 so far. There are many great $1 dollar books available online. Given my Kobo cost me $80, I have broken even and saved money already, not to mention the tremendous convenience. I am also reading things I wouldn't have read otherwise, that I wanted to read. It wasn't worth spending $7 to buy a copy of Anna Karenina, but it was a worthwhile read at no-cost except for the reader which was already paid for.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[HiThere]

I've recently started to find that some technical books only have an updated edition for the e-book market. True, you might be able to read them on a tablet, but it's an argument that SOME kind of e-book reader is starting to be a necessity.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Anonymous Coward]

An expensive ereader in a watertight bag is, however.

http://store.aquapac.net/explore-product-range/waterproof-ipad-laptop-cases.html

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[tricorn]

I got a Nook, in part because I get great service from B&N in a real store nearby, but I just recently took a look at the Kobo e-ink reader. The reader appears to be very similar to the Nook Simple Touch, and I like Kobo's philosophy of being able to read your books on whatever device you want. They seem to have a very good catalog of books as well, including a lot of free books. They have a mix of DRM-free and DRM-encumbered books.

While B&N doesn't explicitly have read-anywhere as a philosophy, as a practical matter you can read them with a wide variety of devices and apps. Besides the Nook app available for iOS, Android, PC and Mac, they can also be read on e-book readers that support third-party Adobe DRM, an example is the Bluefire reader on iPad. B&N also has an extremely large catalog.

I'm not a big fan of DRM, but as a practical matter we have to live with it for now, and Adobe is the de facto standard. Both Kobo and B&N use Adobe DRM, in slightly different ways. One thing this allows is borrowing books from the library, it's relatively simple to do for my Nook, and should be just as easy to do for the Kobo e-reader.

My Nook will easily go for a month between charges reading for a couple hours a day; a bit less if a lot of that is with the Glow Light on, but enough that I don't need to bring a charger along on vacation.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Rary]

Kobo's philosophy also seems to be the most "free" of the various options out there. A great many of the books sold at the Kobo store are DRM-free, and even the ones with DRM are easily shared between multiple devices (in my case, for some of my books, 2-3 laptops, a smartphone, and 2 Kobos). I also don't think (haven't confirmed this, though) that it's even possible for them to wipe a book the way Amazon already has with the Kindle.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[Anonymous Coward]

Just recently got a used wifi nook myself. I'm a hardcore reader, and I would say that at least one major advantage the nook has over paperbacks is portability. I can read the nook while walking or riding the bus, since you can use the nook one-handed, but reading a paperback takes at least one and a half. (Haven't fallen into an open manhole yet!) I've even read the nook in the bath, after putting it in a plastic ziplock bag. (One advantage to getting a *used* e-reader is that they're cheap enough that you can get away with this.) Since the OP isn't already a reader, I'm not sure that an e-reader is right for him. I certainly wouldn't spend hundreds of dollars on it.

I think the OP needs to first think about *when* he would most likely be able to turn off all the distractions, sit down (or walk), and actually read an enjoyable book. Once he's got that figured out, he'll be in a better position to figure out if an e-reader would be a worthwhile investment. If he can read while walking or riding the bus, an e-reader might be good. If it's going to be in the bathtub or a comfy chair, paperbacks would probably be better. Incidentally, some lyric-free music helps block out distractions, and the wifi nook does have an mp3 player.

Given that he isn't already a reader, I'd stay away from tablets - too many distractions. A stripped-down e-reader would be better and cheaper. And it sounds like he's mostly interested in textbooks, which would be relatively cheap for e-readers. Not sure that's going to help develop a reading habit, though - he might want to start with something that would hit the pleasure centers more.

Re:300-400 dollars buys a lot of paper books

[tompaulco]

Assuming the reader intends to read them again in the future: I keep rather few books on the bookshelf, the rest get put up for resale or donated to the library after I'm done with them.
I have read most of the books in my collection two or more times. I'm always trotting out older ones I haven't read in a while and rereading them.
At least with paper you have the resale/gifting option, with eBooks you're stuck with them thanks to DRM and they're not even cheaper than paperbacks either! That's not true. You're only stuck with them until the DRM server goes tits up. Then all your books are gone.

E-ink reader here

[Anonymous Coward]

All depends on exactly what you want to do with it.

If you just want to read books then get an ebook reader - despite what everyone may say you cannot compare an tablet to an e-ink screen.

E-ink is so easy on the eyes, and feels like reading a book.

Plus they're light, and just the right size.

If you want to use any other feature that are tablet specific (and you can't do on your smartphone (if you have one)) - then a tablet all the way.

Both have merits...

[Fraser]

... but I do most of my reading on a Kindle Touch. It's always charged, as it can run for six weeks between charges and there are just less distractions -- plus it's so much easier to read when outside.

iPad 2

[SuperKendall]

If you mostly need it for books, the iPad 2 (last gen) is really good, and they are just $400 now - I would say it's a better option than other ebook readers for you because of the Netflix support which is also very good. The minimum configuration of 16GB would be plenty for books and a few other apps.

Reading is really nice on the newer iPad with the higher res screen, if you could find one refurbished or used that would be ideal. Apple refurb prices are around $450 though, still slightly out of your budget.

Re:iPad 2

[Anubis IV]

If an iPad is on his radar at all, he might be well-advised to wait until at least September 12th, since that's when rumors are currently pointing to an Apple product announcement taking place, with an iPad mini being rumored. It's possible that may either be more to his liking or else may trigger price drops on the rest of the line.

Otherwise, I agree. An iPad 2 is in his budget, handles Netflix beautifully, and does great with colors, diagrams, PDFs, etc..

Re:iPad 2

[Anonymous Coward]

Why does everyone here want/recommend an idevice? I thought slashdot was a little more enlightened than this, and an ipad2? The screen resolution's not all that special at reading range and it's too large, what about the lovely nexus7, high res screen, good size for reading, cheap, or if you must get a 10" device how about the asus transformer 101, pad only since you want it primarily for reading, refurbished for ~$200.

Re:iPad 2

[Golden_Rider]

Why does everyone here want/recommend an idevice? I thought slashdot was a little more enlightened than this, and an ipad2? The screen resolution's not all that special at reading range and it's too large, what about the lovely nexus7, high res screen, good size for reading, cheap, or if you must get a 10" device how about the asus transformer 101, pad only since you want it primarily for reading, refurbished for ~$200.

If all you want is to READ, then any e-ink device is much better than any tablet. First, because of the display and second because they are much LIGHTER than tablets. When I want to read in bed, I can comfortably hold my Kindle with one hand over my hand while lying on my back and use the thumb to page up/down. If you'd try the same with an ipad, you'd get muscle cramps within a few minutes. E-ink readers are built specifically for reading and do that exceptionally well - display, battery life, size/weight are all much much better than on any tablet. Tablets are built for so many more functions than only reading (video, games, surfing, ...) that if all you want is read e-books, they are too expensive and too big.

Only situation where I could accept choosing a tablet over an e-ink reader is if you mainly read pdf files which are heavy on colour photos/diagrams, because the b/w e-ink displays suck at those.

Re:iPad 2

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, of course the eink option is always going to be best, whatever happened to dual mode screens like the OLPC XO's, it looks like they've come a long way http://www.pixelqi.com/products , so why aren't we seeing such things in tablets? then again, put a large sheet of shiny glass, in the form of a capacitive digitizer, over the top of such a screen and i suppose you've just ruined it.

Choices...

[r0ni]

Ebooks definitely go with a kindle or equivalent. I find my iPad distracts me from actually doing any reading at all. But it is quite handy with PDFs, even the kindle app or iBooks handle them well. But if you want to read ebooks and not be distracted by other things I'd suggest a dedicated ebook reader. It's not useful for much else, so you'll actually get reading done on it.

Do you read before bed?

[Anonymous Coward]

If you read before you go to bed, I would suggest not getting a tablet. At least for me, the light from the tablet screen keeps me awake for far longer then a book (or e-ink for that matter). For tech manuals a e-reader isn't going to be very good... a tablet would be better. However because of the need to constantly flip pages in such manuals, I find both to be restrictive.

Want to read more? Get an exercise machine!

[Anonymous Coward]

I have long wanted to read more and have a large stack of books next to my desk. But the thing that really has held me back is lack of time. I always seem to have something else that is "more important" to do. I also have a problem in that I work as a programmer (sitting at a desk) and have a long commute (sitting in a car) so I've gotten out of shape.

The solution? I bought a treadmill. Now I get some exercise each day and I can read while exercising.

Of course, you don't necessarily need to get an exercise machine yourself, that is just an example and is something that has helped me. The important thing is to take the time to read. If you don't set aside time in your day for reading, then a tablet or e-reader is simply going to end up collecting dust.

My experience with Nook Color

[opkool]

I had this same problem. I *love* to read, but I was hardly reading anything.

Then my wife got me a Nook Color. And it's awesome

- Decent price
- B&N reader (very good!)
- on-line dictionary (English is my 3rd language)
- I can read ePubs and PDFs fine
- New Nook Color has Netflix
- Rooteable and good Nook Rooter community
- B&N has free ebooks every week
- If you root it, you can install Kindle Android App
- MicroSD slot
- Decent battery life
- Not awful reading outside
- I can read at night
- (...)

So in those last 2 years I've read a lot, a little bit during lunch and some week-end marathons when wife is at work.

All in all, I love it and give it my OpKool Seal of Approval.

--- Peace!

Re:My experience with Nook Color

[Anonymous Coward]

So you don't go outside, probably because the nook color is shit in sunlight.

Not having either

[Teun]

Not having either I could very much imagine a general purpose tablet taking my attention away from the book as does my laptop.

An e-paper reader can be used in full daylight, a tremendous advantage.
Plus they are not expensive.

Kindle pro: eInk -- Tablet pro: flexibility

[Scryer]

There's no guarantee that getting an electronic tool will make reading more interesting or fun for you. The main advantage of an ebook reader like Kindle is that you can read it outside in the sunlight, if that fits better with your lifestyle. A tablet provide its own light, so you can read in the dark and not bother roommates. I personally prefer the tablet (Nexus 7 for me), since I can do a great deal of other stuff on it when I'm not reading. I spend probably half my tablet time reading, and the other half web-surfing or writing. I plan to watch movies and read books on it the next time I fly. It's handy because I can copy and paste from what I'm reading into what I'm writing.

My wife has a Kindle and a Nexus 7 -- she no longer uses the Kindle. It'll be gifted to a niece, probably.

kindle change my (reading-) life

[Anonymous Coward]

I've read far more books since getting my kindle (keyboard version) than in the past. I also strongly recommend e-ink. Even after being warned about battery (happens every 3-4 weeks), you still have about 2 hours until it actually dies.. more than enough to get to a good stopping point. It basically took away all of the excuses I had not to read. Only problem now is making myself read books for work instead of Game of Thrones...

If you want to read PDFs, check the Onyx Boox M92

[Anonymous Coward]

Apparently this is currently the best 10" e-ink reader.
If you want to read PDFs, don't settle for 6" or 7" e-ink readers. The screen's resolution is too small for A4 PDFs.

Get both for versatility

[Anonymous Coward]

PDF handling on e-readers generally isn't good, and reading for extended periods on tablets is harsh on the eyes.

My choices are the discontinued Sony PRS-350 (very light and comfortable to hold) and the Nexus 7, both of which are inexpensive.

Get both

[caffiend666]

Get both. A $70-$120 dollar e-reader and a $330 to $280 tablet. e-Readers are bad for surfing the web or any interactive work, they are also bad for any graphical reading. Tablets are bad for long-term reading, both in strain on the eyes and they tend to go to sleep before wordy pages can be read, not to mention who wants to recharge multiple times to finish a book, and are worthless in sunlight, and Tablets are heavy.

I have a Second-gen Kobo I got on sale as Borders was going out of business. And, I have a HP Touchpad I bought as HP discontinued the product line. Together they cost less than $350. Watch for a sale, the previous generation devices can always be found cheap.

Both the tablet and e-Reader grew on me and I reach for each at different times. I keep both with me almost all of the time. My certification/professional work all ends up on the Tablet for the graphics. O'Reilly publishes their e-books without DRM, so I can put books on both and use whichever works best in a given situation. I wasn't too sure about the e-Reader until I went on a trip without it, I was miserable in an 8-hour layover without it. The Tablet I liked immediately, and have it dual booting between WebOS and Android. The E-Reader ends up with most fiction and non-technical non-fiction, I have downloaded about as many Gutenberg Press books as for pay books off of O'reilly, Google, and Kobobooks. I spend about an hour with each device EACH day. I also have learned to build my own Android APPs and ePub books, not that difficult.

Re:Get both

[Anonymous Coward]

Get Calibre on your computer to convert any non DRM content. All the O'Reilly stuff isn't DRM and you can download mobi (kindle), ePub (everything else) or PDF (print, non reflowable). Project Gutenburg has lots of good stuff.

Get a reader app on your phone & put books there in its format.
I used to carry my PalmPilot with mobipocket everywhere & used that before the phone.
I've read on my laptop too.
A tablet or reader is better because it fits better. The phone/palm is too small, the laptop is too big,

If you want to read comics, the tablet wins hands down. You need decent pixel count

Re:Get both

[grege1]

I cannot agree more. I have a Kobo WiFi and a Nexus 7 and a Xoom. 10" tablets are too heavy for serious reading. I have the Kobo app on my Nexus and the two sync. So I can use the Kobo in daylight for reading novels. The Kobo is light and runs for weeks and is easy on the eyes. I read a book on the Kobo faster than on a dead tree book. At night when every one else is asleep the Nexus is great because you can read it in the dark or in low light. The Nexus weighs more than the Kobo but is light enough. The Nexus wins hands down for reading magazines and technical books. Anything with pictures or diagrams and I use the tablet. The one big advantage to the Nexus is thet you can install Kobo, Google Play, Aldiko etc etc and buy books from all of them. Nothing like competition. And with Feedbooks and Calibre the whole universe of out of copyright books is available.

Reading or general?

[Millennium]

If all you expect to do with this thing is to read books, the eBook reader is far better, especially if you can get one based on e-ink. The batteries typically last longer, and the screen won't strain your eyes to nearly the same degree.

If you need something more general-purpose, though, then go with a tablet. E-ink is awesome for reading books, but is very specialized toward that purpose: the low refresh rate makes it unsuitable for many other tasks.

Kindle + Nexus 7

[bhunachchicken]

A Kindle will allow you to read books using e-ink, which will be easier on your eyes. The Nexus 7 will provide you with PDF and ePub support, as well as more purchasing options.

Even together, they will both be cheaper than an iPad.

Re:Kindle + Nexus 7

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Nexus 7 and think ebooks on it are nice. Then again, I'm reading indoors only so I don't need an e-ink display. An Android device like the Nexus 7 has the option of installing the Amazon Kindle app (which I've done), and also has the Google Play store for ebooks.

Re:Kindle + Nexus 7

[mattr]

You can use Calibre (free) to convert ePub to mobi for Kindle.
I really enjoy my e-ink Kindle. It is very bad at PDFs, but for reading English novels it is great.
Amazon's instant satisfaction purchase over wifi is too good.
I also read books with an ebook app (CoolReader) on my android phone (green on black night time mode). Even so reading on LED based screens keeps you awake and strains the eyes.

The question is..

[Anonymous Coward]

..would a normal book (as in paperback) also work for you?

eInk is great, but get a hard cover.

[metrometro]

My wife and I trashed three different eInk readers (Nook, Kobo, Kindle) by allowing sharp things to impact the screen, once even through a padded neoprene sleeve. Keys in a backpack = fatal. Get the eink reader for the screen, but then spend decent money on a case with a rigid, robust screen protector that flips shut whenever the device isn't being read.

Also: I was a big fan of our Kobo, if you can handle buying books via laptop and syncing via Calibri. A simple, focused, cheap device.

If you're serious about reading

[Dyinobal]

If you're serious about reading get an Ereader that uses Eink they are so much nicer for extended reading than a tablet, and they are also much cheaper than a tablet. I got my nook simple touch for 60 bucks on Ebay, it looked brand new and works perfectly.

I cannot stress enough how awesome Eink is, for reading it really does look just like a book, plus the battery life is so much longer with Eink, so long as you turn off the wireless while you're reading. My Nook has never been below 50% charge, I only charge it about once a month and I read like fiend.

Tablets!

[deltasabre]

I was in the same boat last winter and I jumped on the imaginary band waggon and bought a cheap $200 Blackberry Playbook that I thought was all the rage. I'm happy that I bought a tablet as it fits my reading demands quite nicely. The physical size isn't too large, like an Ipad. It's small enough I can carry it in my sweater pockets. Now that being said, don't get a playbook. The app scene is like a soviet warehouse: empty. I have yet to find a PDF reader that can do the same functions as my PDF reader on my Nexus S. So I'd bet on the Nexus 7 tablet. Good size, cheap at $200, and can do more than just read books if you ever feel the need to do more on a tablet. It can also leverage the whole Android market. I can say it will be my next tablet.

No.

[Anonymous Coward]

No.

That's how the new headline meme is played, right?

Re:No.

[xushi]

Unless the question is..

"Will you *not* go out on a date with me?"

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

How often do you answer and either-or question with a yes or a no?

Re:No.

[dietdew7]

Yes.

Re:No.

[danomac]

I picked up a Nexus 7 when it came out. We have iPads (specifically the iPad 2 at work) but I found them too heavy for extended use (both browsing and reading.)

I stopped reading books more than a decade ago, short of tech manuals. I hated dealing with the books themselves (like storing them and donating etc.)

So far I've read two books in the weeks after I got the tablet, going to start the third soon. This is more reading than I've done in the last ten years. I love it so far, no dealing with the physical books themselves.

  I honestly didn't think I'd use it for reading books at all, just using it for browsing the web and typing responses like this one. Its not bad for reading at all.

Re:No.

[MaskedSlacker]

I'll answer the way a man with two penises answers when his tailor asks him if he dresses to the right or to the left: yes.

Re:No.

[tsa]

That's the only sensible answer. If you read slashdot and even post a question on it you are smart enough to do some research yourself. If the poster had done some research (s)he would have found out that the choice between tablet and ereader depends on your personal preference. So why is this question on /. At all?

Re:No.

[Sique]

Because right now he is doing what you demand: He's researching the topic. He had probably waded already through a bunch of specs and documentations and explaining the differences between LCD and eInk, and now he is here to collect reports of personal experience. If you don't want to share yours, so be it.
I prefer the eInk based eReaders right now. Setting them to landscape mode lets me read PDFs just fine, it's always two screens per page. And for normal eBooks they are marvellous, for the reasons stated above: You can read them at the pool or in bed, they are easy to read, and you can carry a whole bookshelf worth of books within 170 g of hardware. The battery stays longer than a whole vacation. As long as you use it solely as a book reader, the space limits of a few GBytes like the Kindle has, are no problem - one GByte of text equals to about 500,000 pages, and there are enough tools to manage an off-reader library of books if the need arises.

Re:No.

[Anonymous Coward]

And how is your comment related to Betteridge's Law of Headlines?

Re:No.

[Geoffrey.landis]

How often do you answer and either-or question with a yes or a no?

The question was "Should I Get an eBook Reader Or a Tablet?"
The answer is "no."

Better device for actually getting a reading habit

[Anonymous Coward]

get yourself a library card.

obligitory

[Anonymous Coward]

How bout going to the library and picking up a couple of books and then returning them after your'e done. It is no cost to you and your need for reading is satisfied.

Re:obligitory

[Anonymous Coward]

On a side note ... TFA sounds like a troll/shill for ereaders.

Re:Buy some books

[mark_elf]

Because in an emergency can't roll joints with a Kindle.

Buy a Kindle

[93 Escort Wagon]

Then pocket the other $200-300 while you watch how the 7"-8" tablet market shakes out. Oh, but spend another $30 to get an Octovo Solis light for your Kindle.

I like the utility of the iPad; but, for reading, my Kindle 3 (what's now called the Kindle Keyboard) beats the pants off it.

Re:Buy a Kindle

[zippthorne]

Why spend $30 for an external light, when for not much more than that, you can just get an e-reader with a built-in light?

(I'm pretty sure there is a Kindle has a built-in light model, too, but I was lazy in my searching)

Re:Buy a Kindle

[93 Escort Wagon]

I don't think the built-in lights work as well. If you're going to be frequently needing a light, then maybe it makes sense though.

You'll read with an e-reader

[alispguru]

You'll fart around and waste time on the internet with a tablet.

At least, that's what I'd probably do...

Re:You'll read with an e-reader

[Trogre]

Oh I don't know - I used to read books with my Zaurus until it died. I then moved to an old laptop with FBReader (and RedShift of course). I now use a $75 Android tablet. No problems reading when I want to, I just get all my browsing out of the way first, and it's kind of nice being able to look up stuff from books that I don't fully comprehend.

dedicated readers are limited

[milkmage]

I used to think I'd always use the Kindle (3) over my ipadRetina because of 2 things:
1) weight
2) backlit screen

since I got a nexus7, I've changed my mind.
i use the kindle app as well as collections (the google book app)

the weight problem is obviously solved,
and I think the "backlit screen" problem is mitigated by fewer pixel i guess.. i don't get eye fatigue when staring at the nexus (white text black background, lowest brightness setting).

it even comes with a $25 credit so you can get a few books from google. $250 is right in your range, you could buy a ton of books with the change.

i like jellybean more than i thought i would, the nexus is a solid offering and it can do a hell of a lot more (quite capably).

if you have amazon prime, there are a few perks available to kindle hardware owners... unless you really need/want a specific ereader characteristic (battery life, outdoor use, "free" networking) a tablet is the way to go (7" that is, at least for me)

Will you be reading books or graphic novels?

[Anonymous Coward]

If all you will be doing is reading books, I would suggest an e-ink reader. The advantage of e-ink is mega-long battery life and it's much easier on the eyes. The kindle and the nook are obvious choices, and if you will be reading in bed or on airplanes I highly suggest getting the Nook with the front-light built in. (It's a front-light, not a backlight. Some of you might remember the Afterburner mod for the original Gameboy Advance, which was a similar idea.)

If you will be using it for reading comic books/graphic novels, movies or maybe surf the web, go with the Google Nexus. At $200 it's the same price as the Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet, and unlike the other two the Nexus isn't crippled to tie you to Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

And yes, you could blow a whole lot more money and get an iPad, but why? A 7 inch tablet is ideal for reading, and $300 cheaper.

Get a tablet.

[MindlessAutomata]

I was in the same situation myself. I ended up buying a Nexus 7and now I'm typing this on my tablet in between finishing a book. I am the first book I've read in years, and actually. The functionality and portability of a tablet combined with the ease of reading pdfs or epubs or whatever can't be beat.

You can have an entire library in your hand. You can use find functions for words or phrases and can look up words on Google or a dictionary app and pop right back into the reader program.

Also, you can get free public domain books off project gutenberg. I love my tablet and I love finally sitting down and reading again.

Of course. The being able to play games and watch video on this is pretty nice.

I'd recommend a Nexus 7 but wait a few months... The first runs of the device have had some hardware problems.

I've read 10k+ pages on an iPad

[Neil_Brown]

.... and, in my opinion, if you want to read for pleasure, something with an eInk screen is the way to go. I've read tens of thousands of pages on my iPad over the past two years, on both the first gen iPad and, latterly, the iPad 3, and, were it not for the need to mark up / annotate my reading, I'd have much preferred an eInk screen; reading on the iPad has been tough on the eyes, and, whilst far from heavy, it's not ideal for reading over long periods of time.

When I read for pleasure, I used a Sony 505, and, before that, a COOL-ER reader. Each had its flaws, but, for the simple act of displaying a page in an easy-on-the-eye manner, they were streets ahead of the iPad. They are different things, for sure — I'm happy with my iPad for annotating my reading, as I tend to read mostly academic works now, and, when I do read for pleasure, I use the iPad, simply because it's with me, and the best book is the one I have to hand. But if I were looking for something to read for pleasure, I'd go for eInk, whether a Kindle or something else.

Oh, and I'd make sure I had DeDRM and Calibre installed, to ensure that I can read any book I purchase on any software client I like :)

Re:I've read 10k+ pages on an iPad

[Neil_Brown]

If you do go for a tablet, be strict about keeping Wi-Fi off. Else you'll find yourself posting on Slashdot and not reading. The more capable the device, the more discipline required to get anything done, I reckon...

Re:I've read 10k+ pages on an iPad

[Anne_Nonymous]

>> 10k+ pages on an iPad

Pfff. This would be much more impressive on an eye-pad.

Re:I've read 10k+ pages on an iPad

[durdur]

I have both an iPad and Kindle. I take the iPad on trips because it has internet. Personally, I'm fine reading ebooks on it. But my wife strongly prefers the Kindle. It's easier on her eyes.

Psychological Considerations...

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

First, the hardware:

E-ink reader: Cheaper, lighter, better battery life, sunlight readable.

Tablet: Much more versatile, backlit, more expensive.

For travelling/commuting users, the hardware characteristics of the e-ink devices are pretty compelling. Sunlight readable, cheap enough that losing/breaking/having one stolen isn't the end of the world, and can last (literally) weeks on a charge.

For less mobile purposes, though, it matters rather less. Tablets aren't exactly laborious to carry, and they last long enough.

Given that your question is "I want to read more", I'd be concerned about the psychological and attention aspects of the device. A tablet, aside from the suckitude of a software keyboard, is a portal to the Internet, man's greatest corrupter and destroyer, It That Hungers For Free Time, devourer of souls. This definitely has its perks; but your odds of doing more serious reading are not among them.

E-ink devices, by contrast, frequently have wifi and may have some sort of rudimentary browser; but are largely too limited to muster any real distraction. You may put it down; but you won't just close the book and start tossing angry birds. That would make them my recommendation.

Unfortunately, there is a slight wrinkle: PDF support. PDFs tend to reflow/resize poorly(though this can vary by source, 'PDF' is a monstrously complex beast, and can mean almost anything from slightly overwrought plaintext to some seriously indigestable monstrosities that are virtually impossible to view in anything other than the intended size and layout), which makes them a bit tricky on e-ink screens(since the slower refresh rates discourage lots of zooming/scrolling). Tablets are often a better option there. Either category should support all reasonably common etext formats; but epubs and their ilk are much better behaved on more limited devices.

Re:Psychological Considerations...

[MindlessAutomata]

I got a tablet and now I'm reading more than ever.

depends on what you want to do.

[gnume]

if you want the ability to surf the net, play games and use email. get a tablet. if you want to just read books get an ereader. my personal recommendation is the pocketbook pro series.

Reading is so over rated

[l0ungeb0y]

But really -- hear me out. I found myself in the same position, having once been a voracious reader to not reading books at all. And I found that when I did make a conscious effort to start reading books again, I would finish a book and then take some time to start another, up to a year - or worse, start reading a book I really did not like, *cough*Crytonomicon*cough* which would stop me from reading all together for a period because I felt obligated to finish something that I really, really hated reading and would never actually get around to finishing.

What did get me "reading" again on a regular basis was audio books. It seems that it wasn't so much my lack of interest in reading, but my lack of ability to make time for reading and that the pace of my life is much more condensed than it was in my early 20s. So audiobooks fit in with my schedule better, I can listen to them while driving, while eating or while working and have averaged about 4 books a month. And since it was much less effort of my time, I found that I could even make it through books I found I HATED such as Bleak House (sorry Dickens -- that was a long-winded turd), if only because it didn't take physical effort of actually reading the book and feeling I was wasting my time. Audiobooks are not dumbed down and while being read to you, they require your mind to provide the mental imagery and are every bit as cerebral as a paper or digital book. And often times they have well known actors such as Tim Curry, or even Samuel L Jackson doing the narration, which adds it's own element to the book.

So you might want to ask if it's rally a factor of being able to make time and how busy your schedule is, and if it is pretty busy to the point of being unable to keep a constant commitment to a couple hours a day for reading, you might want to head over to Audible and give audio books a go.

Re:Reading is so over rated

[Ly4]

Different strokes, YMMV, etc.

But I thought Cryptonomicon was a fascinating and enjoyable work of genius. I stayed up late reading it, even when I shouldn't have. It got to the point where my work probably suffered during that time. There haven't been many books that have affected me that much; Catch-22 is the only one that comes to mind at the moment.

Of course, when I reached the end of Cryptonomicon, I wanted more. So when The Baroque Cycle was released, there was 'more'. Well, be careful what you wish for - sometimes more becomes 'too much'.

Anyway, if you're ever able to make more time in your schedule for reading, you might want to give Cryptonomicon another chance. Or not - it's not like there's a shortage of good books out there.

Re:Reading is so over rated

[Scryer]

You indicate your reading decline started from feeling you had to finish a book once you'd started it, even if you hated it. This is easily addressed: you need to recognize that life is too short to read bad books. There are many more books out there that you will enjoy than you have time to read. In fact, there are more good ones published every year than you can handle in a lifetime. The day of the Renaissance Man has passed - no-one nowadays can know everything important.

Samuel Johnson said "A man ought to read just as inclination leads him; for what he reads as a task will do him little good." (Boswell, Life of Johnson, 14 July 1763)

Re:Reading is so over rated

[MtViewGuy]

That would be great but unless you have an Audible-compatible portable media player that has long battery life per charge like an iPod touch or iPod classic, be aware that with Audible files they can run down the battery charge pretty quick after several hours of use, especially with the higher-resolution audio quality files.

I'd rather get an Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight, which is lighter than any 7" tablet and can store many, many books with microSD memory expansion. And you can use it at night if you need to read it in a darkened room with very little effect on battery life.

Re:Reading is so over rated

[olau]

Why do you read (or rather listen) to books you don't like?

I think the only time I've read a book to feel cool was The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera and that was actually interesting (and also a relatively short book).

My girlfriend sometimes borrows "in" books and usually never gets through them - e.g. I think she's been trying to get through The Lord of the Ring by Tolkien three times. Well, I did actually get through that 10 years ago, but only by speed-reading the whole life-is-so-hard-we-got-to-get-through-this-bog thing with Frodo. Anyway, I don't understand why she does it. That something is a classic just means that some people at some point really liked it, not that you will. If you don't like it, drop it.

But that's just my humble opinion. :)

Re:Reading is so over rated

[Anonymous Coward]

Anyway, if you're ever able to make more time in your schedule for reading, you might want to give Cryptonomicon another chance. Or not - it's not like there's a shortage of good books out there.

He doesn't like to read. So, your first suggestion is for him to reread a 900-page novel he didn't like the first time he read it?

Do you work for the government?

Re:Reading is so over rated

[rastoboy29]

lol dude learn to drop books that suck.  That's another alternative.

Srsly important happiness skill.

Re:Reading is so over rated

[Ly4]

He said he was once a voracious reader, but his schedule got in the way. While Cryptonomicon is an excellent work, it requires attention, and probably doesn't work as well when read in small chunks. So the problem could have been time, not "he doesn't like to read" (that's a massive oversimplification of his point, BTW).

The problem could also have been that he didn't like some topic in the book. I had a friend return a copy he'd borrowed because he didn't want to read through the "gay agenda" involving Alan Turing in the first few chapters.

Your problem, on the other hand, is a bit tougher to diagnose. What led you to post such a pointless, vapid comment? Are you really that bored?

Re:Reading is so over rated

[nanospook]

Cryptonomicon ranks as one of the most interesting fiction books I have ever read. But that's just me..

Get a library card

[Anonymous Coward]

If you want to read more go get some dead tree books for free (library/friends) or cheap (swap meets, garage sales, used book stores) and save your money.

If you want something JUST to read go for an ebook reader for the longer life.

If you want a justification to get a tablet, just admit it to yourself that you want to play angry birds or use/try other apps and buy one.

Re:Get a library card

[Anonymous Coward]

Wait. Libraries have books? I thought they were just for free porn err internet access.

Re:Get a library card

[Anonymous Coward]

Get a library card. Then you can check out paper books, and download audio books. For free.

Won't Make You Read More If You Can't With A Book

[Anonymous Coward]

Would getting an ebook reader or a tablet help me to enjoy reading more?

No, they will make it easier to carry around a large bunch of books you might want to read, but they don't make reading any funner (it will be a word if you use it enough). Tablet vs eBook doesn't matter. If you truly want it for reading and not social media/videos, pick something with an e-ink display. If you're a slow reader, text-to-speech is a very nice feature. I use it all the time on my standard Kindle.

You want an e-ink display.
You want good battery life.
You don't need much storage (books are at most a few MBs each).
You want something that you don't notice while carrying.
You'll want to use the free open source Calibre to manage your eBooks. I hate it's slow and annoying interface, but it's by far the best at what it does.
However, eBook readers are poor for PDFs.

If you can't handle carrying around a small book and reading that, getting a tablet or eBook read won't make you read books. Getting a Kindle has made me listen to books. I listen to them while doing things around the apartment, traveling on a bus, and whenever I have +10m of nothing to do and don't want to simply relax. But I still don't read more.

THEY GOT THIS THING, CALLED A LIBRARY !!

[Anonymous Coward]

Check it out !!

Re:THEY GOT THIS THING, CALLED A LIBRARY !!

[pbjones]

I'd mod this up, but I can't, so I'll add a note in the hope that it may catch someone's eye. Personally, paper is still ahead of e-readers, and there is the live social experience of going to a Library or bookshop, second-hand or otherwise. If I wanted an e-reader it would have to have a 10" screen, 'cause I find 7" screens too small.

Re:THEY GOT THIS THING, CALLED A LIBRARY !!

[Polarised Bear]

Libraries take too long and you don't get to keep the books, if you want to read a book again, you have to actually go down to the library and take it out again. I used to buy books from my local bookshop (Exclusive Books) but my bookcase is now overfull and book were starting to pile up on my desk and bedside table so I decided to give e-books a chance, I use my smartphone, at first it was hard to adapt, now that I am used to it though it has made reading easier. I do most of my reading during my dayly comute and not having to carry around a heavy book makes things a lot easier. Libraries are unfortunately an out dated model, having to go to a library to get a book I would have to take back just takes too long. I like being able to have a wide selection of books with me at all times so that I have something to read no matter what my mood is. Many authors also have books available for free download (William Gibson, Cory Doctorow etc.) and some books are no longer in print but can be downloaded. I don't think Libraries should be forgotten about, I just think they should be digitalised and archieved after say 10 years Online libraries should be allowed to add books to their archieves, with the option to be printed and delivered to your doorstep or downloaded. For my two cents however I recomend a tablet, they have a wider range of uses and can read multiple formats or convert useles formats to pdf's or whatever you choose.

how about using your phone?

[kbdd]

I have a Droid Razr and it is actually quite nice to read ebooks on it. I do not have a tablet or ebook reader, but I found that the Razr is quite sufficient.

The default display (for ebooks) is white characters on black background and that is easy to read. It is easily changed to black-on-white if you prefer, but the white-on-black has the advantage of saving quite a bit of battery life (feature of the AMOLED display compared to LCD).

Suggest Audible

[transporter_ii]

I used to read a lot and then I quit because I didn't have time. I got a subscription to audible and I get more enjoyment out of it than I do television and movies, at 1/4th the cost. For one, you can listen to a good book while doing something else, like walking. You can also listen to one while driving. I get stuck driving a lot where I work, and it sure makes for a good use of time. Now if you are doing something that takes a lot of concentration, audiobooks don't work so well.

Re:Suggest Audible

[darkfeline]

Suggest look up definition of "read"

Kindle. Period.

[Ecuador]

Eh, this is a no-brainer. The Kindle (not Fire, the regular with the e-ink screen) has been the best think that has ever happened to my reading habits.
Both me and my wife read a lot. While I don't mind reading the odd pdf on my (portrait-mode) LCD screen, I prefer the actual books since they are both portable and mainly much more relaxing to the eye. My wife cannot read on an LCD for more than an hour or so, so her only choice was books. That is until I bought her a Kindle Keyboard to try out. Well, let's just say that after a couple of weeks I got one for myself as well. While we have built a decent "paper" book library over the years (well over 1000 books), I now prefer to read the ebook versions - easier to carry, as relaxing to read, easier to hold, better night light, built in dictionary. Ok, I cheat a little - if I already own the book I download the kindle version without buying it again, but overall Amazon makes it amazingly easy to buy books instantly no matter where you are in the world.
Overall, a tablet seems kind of useless to me for reading books. During the day, it is as tiring as a good monitor. Which for some people like me it is not that tiring, but it never compares to the relaxed reading that an e-ink screen offers you (and then there are people who get quickly tired with any LCD). During the night you would think that the LCD would have an advantage, but to me when the environment is dark that is exactly when the LCD becomes too tiring, probably because my iris is not closed enough due to the ambient darkness. A good light with the Kindle (e.g. the Kandle) is much more relaxing. Then we go to battery power - for a tablet it is measured in hours, for an e-ink reader it is measured in MONTHS (provided you don't leave your wireless on of course), if you can't imagine how important a difference that makes let me assure you it is a huge disadvantage of the tablet. One last thing is that a lot of people don't like the touch interface for their e-reader and that includes devices like Kindle Touch along with Tablets. The reason is that you don't want to accidentally switch a page while you are re-arranging your hold on the device and also it is tiring to do gestures when you do want to switch to the next page.
Anyway, if it is not clear I am trying to say that a modern e-ink reader will actually improve your reading experience compared to traditional books making your read more in the end (at least in my and my wife's case), when a tablet is a device that among other things can let your read books, but makes a rather awkward substitute of the traditional book. I talked mostly about Kindle because I usually buy from Amazon anyway, plus I am a huge fan of free worldwide 3G access - but the rest of the points apply to any current e-ink based device.
Obviously there are some limitations - pdfs don't work that well, you have to wait for the next generation if you expect color etc. But you asked about reading more.
Also I am sure a lot of people will be adamant that e.g. an Apple tablet is as relaxing to read as admiring the landscape in the countryside (I mean - it's like a RETINA screen man, it's made for your eyes by Steve himself), but, yeah, you could try reading a few hours on a Tablet and on an e-ink and judge by yourself.

Re:Kindle. Period.

[Anonymous Coward]

Absolutely. And...now I have someone (AI) with with whom
I can play Scrabble.

I have also become addicted to turning pages with slight
thumb pressure.

I hate touchscreens like one I am using right now, so I
really appreciate my Kindle keyboard.

Also, the reading light on the Kindle (for reading in the
dark) works much better than I expected.

Re:Kindle. Period.

[takshaka]

The Kindle (not Fire, the regular with the e-ink screen) has been the best think that has ever happened to my reading habits.

Didn't do so much for your writing habits, though.

read books without reading...

[bhlowe]

Try online audio books if you commute.. Lots of free stuff online and at the library.. and Audible has tons of up to date new stuff. In case you want to try reading without the reading.

READ BOOK

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, just buy a damn book.

An E-Reader that Doesn't Suck sometimes?

[rueger]

Our local library (yay!) loans e-readers, so over a month I tried a Sony, a Kindle, and a Kobo.

In a nutshell, each of them had some serious missing feature that drove me away.

• Back-lighting. These should be ideal for reading in bed, but because they also need a lamp turned on I might as well stay with a book. I'd assumed that the screen would illuminate itself somehow for reading after dark.
• Vendor tie in - our library system has lots of e-books available, but they aren't accessible on the Kindle, only Amazon supplied content. For library users this is a big hurdle.
• Page turns - maybe these were older models, but it drove me crazy that every page turn required a blank of the screen followed by a redraw of the new page.
• Lack of touch screen I'm used to swiping my phone screen - the "dead" screen on the e-readers drove me insane - always hunting for the darned page turn button, or cursoring through (not very well designed) menus.

All in all it seemed to me that each of the e-readers seemed primitive compared to my Nexus S.

Re:An E-Reader that Doesn't Suck sometimes?

[Christopher Fritz]

Back-lighting. These should be ideal for reading in bed, but because they also need a lamp turned on I might as well stay with a book. I'd assumed that the screen would illuminate itself somehow for reading after dark.

Check into the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight. I haven't used it myself (it was announced a week or two after I bought the Simple Touch). Reviews generally praise it. In practice it's probably similar to a back-light, and it can be turned on and off, and I believe I've read the brightness is adjustable.

Page turns - maybe these were older models, but it drove me crazy that every page turn required a blank of the screen followed by a redraw of the new page.

I have an older reader (Boox) which has the screen issue you're referring to. My Simple Touch does a black screen fill every six page turns, but it's quite fast, and may be more tolerable. (The Simple Touch has an eInk Pearl display, a Kindle or other reader with the same display probably rate of screen refresh and speed.)

Lack of touch screen I'm used to swiping my phone screen - the "dead" screen on the e-readers drove me insane - always hunting for the darned page turn button, or cursoring through (not very well designed) menus.

The Simple Touch uses a touch screen (alongside page-turn buttons). I don't know if any Kindles do. (As much as I like Amazon, I went the Nook route due to epub support, so I'm not familiar with the latest Kindle releases.)

All in all it seemed to me that each of the e-readers seemed primitive compared to my Nexus S.

I've never used a smartphone, and I've only handled a tablet long enough to set one up for someone else, so I can't compare the reading experience with them. I do find eInk easier on my eyes. (Computer monitors are better for skimming than reading for me.)

The Simple Touch does have issues where the touch screen doesn't seem to be calibrated well enough, and where tapping on the screen to bring up the dictionary doesn't do anything. It's by no means perfect.

On the vendor tie-in part, I do buy books through Barnes & Noble, but I strip the DRM off before loading them onto the Nook, which makes them essentially non-vendor books as far as the Nook is concerned. However, that's not the same as library loans. I've never looked into library loan support for the Nook, so I can't comment on that one.

Re:An E-Reader that Doesn't Suck sometimes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Exactly - how is somebody supposed to read when you have to turn the page, there's no back-lighting, and no finger swiping?

Oh, wait...

Re:An E-Reader that Doesn't Suck sometimes?

[hawguy]

Page turns - maybe these were older models, but it drove me crazy that every page turn required a blank of the screen followed by a redraw of the new page.

If you think that's bad, a friend once lent me an old fashioned book -- she said it was made out of "paper" (which she claimed is made out of dead trees! Yuck, I hope that's not true since I had my fingers all over it).

Every time I turned the page, there was a brief moment where I could see both the left half of the previous page and the right hand half of the next page! Who ever dreamed up that UI?! It was so confusing and annoying.

My Kindle briefly flashes the page to black during page turns which makes a lot more sense from a UI standpoint than mixing half the content of the previous and next pages together.

In all seriousness, I found this to be a complete non-issue a few pages into my first book -- now I never notice the flash.

Tablet

[WindBourne]

The fact is that there are a number of different formats. ipad and android tablets support most, if not all of the formats. The readers are limited to what that company wants.

If you want an inexpensive reader, pick up a google nexus 7 with 8 mb.

My recommendation: tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

I own both the Kindle DX and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 (the one banned for being too much like an iPad). I used to think that a tablet was overkill for reading eBooks, but I never use my Kindle anymore. At all. My recommendation is to get one of the larger Android tablets and install the Kindle app. That way you can still read any Kindle books, but you'll also have no trouble reading PDFs or any other format. Plus you have the advantage of being able to watch Netflix or do any of the other countless things you can do with a tablet, as oppose to a dedicated eBook reader with it's handful of secondary functions.

The only downside to the tablet over the Kindle is the screen, which isn't as easy on the eyes as eInk. But on the plus side, you won't need a booklight. When I'm reading in the dark with the Kindle app on my Tab, I'll invert the page color (so it's white text on a black background) and turn the brightness down to the minimum setting. I actually prefer that over eInk, at least in most circumstances.

Eink Readers are much Better

[cpwegener]

Reading from a tablet is like reading with someone shining a flashlight into your eyes. Particularly at night a tablet, with its backlight, keeps you awake. An eink reader does not have that problem.

In general they are lighter as well making them easier to hold.

For people who want to consume from the web a tablet is the right choice. For those of us who want to read the eink readers are the right choice.

Regards,
Chris

Re:Eink Readers are much Better

[hawguy]

Reading from a tablet is like reading with someone shining a flashlight into your eyes. Particularly at night a tablet, with its backlight, keeps you awake. An eink reader does not have that problem.

I have both a Kindle and Nook Color. While I do find the Kindle to be easier on the eyes for extended reading, I've never had the nook keep me up at night, and my partner said that the Nook is much less noticeable to her than the kindle plus book light (and she doesn't like it at all when I leave the bedside light on for reading).

So even though I prefer reading on the Kindle, in bed I usually stick to the Nook for reading after her bedtime (I'm running cyanogenmod on the Nook so I can run both the Nook and Kindle apps but I usually strip the DRM off of books after purchase so I can read them on either device natively).

I've read elsewhere that a backlight will keep you awake, but I still don't understand how a dimmed down backlight is any different to your eyes than a bedside light or clipon booklight that not only lights up the display to the same level as the backlight, but also most of the bedroom.

In general they are lighter as well making them easier to hold.

I barely notice the difference in weight between the Kindle and Nook Color, but I find a larger tablet to be heavy and unwieldy as a book substitute.

For people who want to consume from the web a tablet is the right choice. For those of us who want to read the eink readers are the right choice.

But for those that want to do both a tablet is the right choice since a tablet makes an adequate eBook reader, but an eInk reader is terrible at web browsing (though my experience is limited to my early edition Kindle so newer devices with a touch screen may be better at web browsing, even if limited to black and white)

Tablets -can- prevent you from sleeping

[Anonymous Coward]

If you're very sensitive to light. I know for some people this is a problem but if you're reading this late at night, the odds are a little light won't keep you up, otherwise you'd be off the computer by now.

Get real books

[Khyber]

Having a nice large library is an impressive thing for women (or men if that's your inclination) to behold. It makes you look super-smart, and since you're trying to go for licensed e-crap, you're going to *NEED* to look smart, because you've gotta be lacking in brains to consider an electronic device that will fail versus a book.

Re:Get real books

[arthurpaliden]

Worked for me. Especially if she is a librarian. Don't be fooled by those classes and buttoned up high collared white shirts. Still waters run very, very deep and usually end up with wildly exciting rapids.

Re:Get real books

[icebraining]

What a waste. Those books in your "nice large library" could be being read by people if you donated them to an actual library.

Re:Get real books

[Khyber]

How is it a waste if I read them constantly and other people that visit read them constantly?

Oh shit, son. Sounds like you're living around a shit set of people to have that mindset!

Depends on use

[proxy318]

eInk is a billion times better than LCD for reading. If you want apps and web, get a tablet. One advantage of a general tablet like a straight android device or the ipad, you can load all of the stores: amazon, barnes and noble, kobo, google play, and buy books from whoever. If you get an ereader, you'll be stuck with the store that the ereader supports. Not sure if tablets support adobe digital editions, which you need to check out ebooks from most libraries.

Definitely ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

Less fancy, but you can use an ebook reader on a one week holiday even if you forget your charger. You can use it on the beach, on a long train journey. Epubs work perfect. For a novel you dont need pdf, epub is just fine.

You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[Nova Express]

1. They're easier on the eyes.
2. They retain their resale value; trying to resell an ebook ranges from hard to impossible.
3. They never crash.
4. They work even when you're out of battery power.
5. If you drop them, the book (and 500 others) doesn't instantly become completely useless.
6. You're not beholden to any particular supplier.
7. Neither Apple nor Amazon can remove the book from your house if they decide that releasing it was a mistake.
8. They look great on shelves.
9. They provide insulation in the winter.
10. You don't have to turn the book off for takeoffs and landings.

Of course, I'm hardly a neutral observer. On the other hand, I do take my own advice.

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[Anonymous Coward]

WORD, books are the way to go if your seriously want to read more. There's a satisfaction in closing a real book when you're done with the last page, and setting it down, and thinking, 'I just read that whole book'. You can still get books for free at your local library, zero investment. Get a library card, how could it hurt?
e-book readers and tablets are cool, I have nothing against them. They are neat toys. My mom reads more than anyone I know (she's a librarian) and she got an e-book reader AND a tablet, but she still reads real books more than anything else. Once you're addicted to reading, and have to have three books with you in case you finish two while you're out (my mom) THEN get an e-book reader for travel or whatever. It's a nice toy for avid readers. Don't spend a bunch of money because you think it will make you change your behavior, that doesn't work (gym memberships come to mind). GET A LIBRARY CARD. That's my main point.

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[icebraining]

• 1. They're a waste of energy and pollution, with making the paper, the ink, transporting those, printing the books, shipping them, etc. Huge waste.
  1. They weight much more, particularly if you want to carry many.
  1. They're bulky - both in your backpack and home
  1. They're expensive to share with people far away
  1. They don't last as long (e-readers come and go, but ebooks are forever)
  1. They cost money even when they're in the Public Domain

--

You're not beholden to any particular supplier.

Neither are you with most readers, or even with Kindle if you use a freely available tool.

Neither Apple nor Amazon can remove the book from your house if they decide that releasing it was a mistake.

See above. Also: they're hardly the only e-reader suppliers.

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[spitzig]

Used paperbacks are better. They don't retain their resale value, but they are so much cheaper, who cares? Except whether they look great on shelves-I think they do, though. The low price means you can buy more books, though. I've bought books at half the original cover price-25 cents.

Shopping in bookstores is pretty much the only kind of shopping I enjoy. Browsing for ebooks isn't quite the same.

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[Polarised Bear]

Shopping in bookstores is pretty much the only kind of shopping I enjoy. Browsing for ebooks isn't quite the same.

I agree shopping for books is definately the best kind of shopping and books look great on shelves. Maybe one day when I am rich I will be able to furnish a personal library and lovingly arrange my books as they deserve. Until then they are very cumbersom and their impact on the environment should be considered. That said I do think I take greater enjoyment form shopping for and reading paper and ink books. Reading certain genres in e-book format is more fun though especially Sci-Fi and Cyberpunk it makes me feel all futuristic.

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[Trogre]

5. If you drop them, the book (and 500 others) doesn't instantly become completely useless.

I think it takes more than that to kill an SD card. Unless you drop it into a canal, I guess...

Re:You Should Buy First Edition Hardback Books

[Inda]

I dunno. I found hardbacks harder to sell as no one is willing to pay the extra postal costs.

Forget e-books

[whargoul]

I use a tablet (Kindle Fire to be exact) for e-books and I like it just fine, but I only use it for free or low-price books. The problem I have with e-books is you lose all your rights with them. With real ink & paper books you can do what you want with them. They're yours forever until you decide to sell/trade/lend/donate/etc... them. With e-books, you don't have those options (yes yes, Amazon lets you "lend" a book...sometimes...with restrictions) and they're never really yours. They're only yours until that e-book provider shuts down, then your SOL. Just imagine what would have happened if Borders had their own e-book service like Amazon and Barns-n-Nobles when they went out of business. All those "books" you paid would have paid good money for (usually just as much as a real book) gone with no hope of return.

E-Ink, it sits between the ears

[SilenceBE]

Personally I don't have any "physical" problems of reading books on a tablet, although I seems people always tell that is "worst" for the eyes or that it is a much worst experience. That having a light source is bad for the eyes, that the refresh rate makes you eyes tired, etc. I don't experience those problems. The only thing where tablets do suck is reading outside and where e-ink sucks is comics and PDF's.

What I even find more remarkable is that every study or articles that I have read about the subject even refute the claims. I sometimes have the feeling that is something more then a psychological effect then a fact and maybe "facts" spread by e-ink manufacturers.

A backlit or nonbacklit display doesn't make a difference, Hornfeld says. And if you're reading a bright screen in the dark, your eyes will adjust. Your pupil gets large in the dark, so when you turn on a brightly lit display, it may bother your eyes at first, but they'll compensate. It's like when you wake up in the morning, open the shades, and are blinded by the light at first. But then you get used to it. LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate

From another article

Still, as regular readers of Bits comments know, there is a lively debate among fans of e-readers and paper books about which type of reading experience is most friendly to the eyes.

It turns out the answer isn’t as black-and-white as we might assume.

Doctors and researchers note that in most instances, paper can offer more visual sophistication than a screen. But certain types of paper, including inexpensive newsprint and the paper in softcover books, can actually provide an inferior reading experience for our eyes than the electronic alternatives.

Professor Alan Hedge, director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University, said that reducing eye fatigue is less a matter of choosing a specific display than of taking short breaks from looking at the screen. When we read, Dr. Hedge explained, a series of ocular muscles jump around and can cause strain, regardless of whether we are looking at pixels or paper. “While you’re reading, your eyes make about 10,000 movements an hour. It’s important to take a step back every 20 minutes and let your eyes rest,” he said.

Today’s screens are definitely less tiring to look at than older displays, which refreshed the image much less frequently, causing a flicker.

Do E-Readers Cause Eye Strain

So please don't let the tablet horror stories discourage you, I would ask friends if you can't lend a tablet or E-ink device for a couple of hours and try it out for yourself.

Re:E-Ink, it sits between the ears

[kamapuaa]

Right, my strained red eyes are some kind of psychosomatic response. What am I going to trust, my own eyes or an article from the NY Times?

Re:E-Ink, it sits between the ears

[SilenceBE]

Right, my strained red eyes are some kind of psychosomatic response.

Don't underestimate the mind and it influence, certainly if you believe something.

What am I going to trust, my own eyes or an article from the NY Times?

That professor isn't less credible because he got quoted by a NY Times article... .

I personally don't get red strained eyes. So what do you want me to say ? That he is wrong, that I suffer from strained eyes. That I have migraines or discomfort by reading on a tablet ? I don't, sorry for that.

It could also be that you have certain eye problems, if it as serious as you describe it I think this is the case.

Read more?

[Anonymous Coward]

Get a book

Kindle on SIII

[Anonymous Coward]

I actually use the Kindle app on my Samsung SIII. it's been long since I read this much. It *is* rather expensive for a reader. But then it doubles as a rather nice phone.

M.

tablet and eink reader

[Anonymous Coward]

For reading novels a e-ink reader is better

But if you want to read a technical book it is better a tablet, because 6 inches e-ink readers are too small to see the whole pages. Technical books usually have example, like source code or pictures.

Same thing for comic books and anything that has pictures or illustrations -> a 10 inches tablet is the best choice

A simple test: just buy a paperback

[petes_PoV]

If yo read it, then your desire to read has come back. If you don't finish it then you're really just kidding yourself - so no amount of technology will re-kindle (groan, no pun intended) your earlier love of reading. Either you want to read, in which case yo will, or you don't. Simply buying a new toy won't kickstart it. But I reckon you already knew that.

Re:A simple test: just buy a paperback

[DerPflanz]

My idea exactly! Reading is not dependent on the toys, but on time and having a great read. Paper still beats all electronic devices for reading.

Re:A simple test: just buy a paperback

[dbIII]

The form factor of a small e-ink reader has merit and I find that I carry it around far more than any book. Also it's hard to read a paperback while eating due to having to hold the book open while an eink device only needs to be touched for page turns.
After about six months with a Kobo Touch I'd say some features are overrated and a device without those features does the job as well in the long run. A reader can be contolled with just a few buttons so a touchscreen, while nice, doesn't really add anything of much use. WiFi is fairly pointless as well since it gets used rarely while adding new content and it's much easier to add content via a PC anyway (Calibre or the vendors application). I've turned WiFi off since the new firmware goes looking for wireless access points on startup which delays starting the device. Web browsing is not something that works very well on a small screen at the moment due to the way many web sites are designed.

Re:A simple test: just buy a paperback

[Anonymous Coward]

I concur. Is it reading you want or tech? Tech won't make you read, you will make you read. Find a subject that pulls you in and enjoy the ride.

From a few years of experience

[Angrywhiteshoes]

There's a lot of Pros to having an eReader, the most important is that you can carry your entire library everywhere you go in less than 2 lbs. Good luck toting your bookcase around. It's ultra portable and easy to read.

However, I found from using tablets and eReaders for reading that there is a lot of cons to them too. They may be personal pet-peeves, but they drove me to going back to printed books and papers.

Based on what you have posted in the main title, here's what I have to say. Do not get an eReader or a Tablet here's my experience with an iPad and a Kindle DX. Referencing pdfs is horrible. Here's my main beefs:
1. lack of quality indexing capabilities (ie, intuitive bookmarking), I never found anything that would let me easily go between pages without remembering the page numbers. When I did find it in the Kindle DX, it didn't let me name the pages anything meaningful, it was just like "Book title (page, #)".
2. Side-by-side comparison does not exist. You cannot have two pages open to compare different books.
3. 1 and 2 imply that it's very hard to reference 2 pages of the same book at once. You have to wait for it to either load, or scroll back, or spend a lot of time setting up the awful book marking scheme.
4. Kindle had horrible zoom features when using pdfs. It had these pre-determined zooms you could use. It would render full size pages too small to read, then if you zoomed in, it would shove some text off the side and you'd have to scroll over to see it. The horizontal view was your best bet a lot of times but still required you to scroll (which is an awful experience on the kindle).
5. iPad blasts your eyes with white light. This is very un-natural and after a while I started getting headaches. Even using the polarized view, it was still obnoxious. Because it's still back lit.

After 2 years of trying to get one of these things to suit my needs, I just quit and went back to killing trees. What I'll often do is print sections of the pdf I want to read and annotate.

For referencing with eReaders/tablets what we really need is a viewer that is more like a search engine, like if wolframalpha released a pdf reader or something. That we could ask it questions and based on the knowledge of the book, it could formulate an answer. Until then, it really sucks because the search functions are slow, the indexing is bad, the bookmarking is bad, the attempt at hyperlinking is ok but not great and overall, it doesn't satisfy what we really need for referencing material.

So, since you're just reading 2 hours a day, just use your laptop or a real book. There's no need to waste money on something like this. You can download the kindle client for free on your computer.

But if you want to get into novels, get a kindle, it's great for that.

Re:From a few years of experience

[zippthorne]

You can mark your place on a Nook by tapping the top right corner (a bookmark icon shows up) while reading, you can also mark a more explicit bookmark (nook numbers pages based on what the publisher claims, so two or three "nook pages" might be the same official page, and the top-corner bookmark only marks the official page) by holding your finger on a word or sentence on the page and saving a highlight or note bookmark.

All of these types of bookmarks, as well as a chapter menu, are available in two or three taps off the content menu that appears when you tap the center of the screen.

For reading though, not the mini.

[SuperKendall]

If an iPad is on his radar at all, he might be well-advised to wait until at least September 12th, since that's when rumors are currently pointing to an Apple product announcement taking place, with an iPad mini being rumored.

I don't think so, especially given some of the things he likes to read (technical manuals). As an all-around reader, especially of content with diagrams the larger size screen would suit much better than the Nexus 7 or iPad mini size. The same holds true of viewing Netflix.

If he were just reading novels, or needed a lighter more compact e-reader for some reason, the mini (or Nexus7) might be a better choice.

Why use a tablet at all? Read used books.

[hawguy]

I own a Kindle (and a Nook running cyanogenmod), but I still read most books on paper.

Not because I don't want to read them on the Kindle, but because a used book is often half (or less) the price of a used book including delivery. And I can still sell it for a buck or two when I'm done.

I read the occasional title from Baen or Smashwords, but I've bought only a handful of Kindle/Nook titles in the past 2 years.

As long as you don't care about reading new releases as soon as they are published, buying used is the way to go.

As an example, looking at a random book from a 2011 bestsellers list "The Tiger's Wife". Prices including delivery (assuming Amazon Prime free delivery):

New Hardcover: $10.50 (two day Amazon Prime delivery)
Used Hardcover: $6.57 (two day Amazon Prime delivery)
New Paperback: $10.20 (two day Amazon Prime delivery)
Used Paperback: $6.37 (standard shipping)
Kindle Edition: $11.99

Why pay more for the Kindle edition than it costs to buy and deliver a brand new book? About the only time I prefer an eBook is when I'm traveling and don't want to carry a heavy book(s) along with me.

Re:Why use a tablet at all? Read used books.

[kamapuaa]

Actually, it's free for the Kindle: http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/6444281/Tea_Obreht_-_The_Tigers_Wife_

If you feel bad about this, remember that evil book publishers are making money off the artists, and therefore stealing is fine. There's a million other pro-piracy arguments on Slashdot just choose a few favorites.

Re:Why use a tablet at all? Read used books.

[fustakrakich]

...therefore stealing is fine...

Only when the publishers do it.

Kindle all the way

[ThePhilips]

I have Kindle Keyboard (with the e-Ink screen).

Pros:
- Good screen. Easy on eyes.
- Very light. Weight can be adjusted by picking a different case.
- Battery life is 2-3 weeks. (I read a lot; dictionaries also tax battery more.)
- Keyboard is quite useful browsing dictionaries when reading foreign language books.
- One purpose device. I'm not strayed away/annoyed by the pop-ups/blinkies/etc.

Cons:
- One purpose device. You can't do much anything else with it.

At the time I have paid (with case and whatnot) about $170 for it - and 1.5 years later I think this is the best purchase I ever made.

I also had several hours of iPad and while the device is certainly attractive, it weighs too much, it is relatively large, battery life is miserable and (just like with the e-Ink) you need a well lit environment to read or the back-light would strain one's eyes too fast.

In the end, if one really likes to read, I think this is at the moment no brainer: e-Ink readers are cheap, they are not an investment like the current generation of the tablets.

P.S. Oh, yeah, if you happen to buy a Kindle, do NOT throw away the box. You might need the serial number printed on it later.

Kindle Fire

[omega8932]

I've been pretty pleased with my Kindle Fire for the price point. It took a little finagling to get it to do all the things I wanted it to, but most anyone reading Slashdot can probably figure stuff out. The biggest disadvantage is the stripped/locked down version of Android it runs. It does streaming video ok. I've managed to get apps I like. It's integration with the Amazon Kindle store is flawless and it reads great for those. PDF's are kind of so-so. I've tried the native reader and Adobe's app, but neither is perfect. They're useable, it's just a little more awkward than I'd like. I use it for games. I use it to watch video in bed at night. I use it to read on the go and at home. There are tablets that can do a lot more, but you have to pay for it. I sadly just didn't have the money to drop on one of those.

Smartphone is the most convenient

[KendyForTheState]

I used an HP Ipaq for years, then switched to a Windows Smartphone, and now finally to an Android smartphone. A Kindle is great for battery life and daylight reading, but way too big to carry around all the time. The smartphone has drawbacks... bad battery life, small screen, but can be read in all but the brightest lighting conditions, and mainly, I have it on me ALL the time. I never know when I'm going to get a few minutes to read, and since I always have the phone with me it is very convenient. I have read hundreds of books this way in the last 10 years, in line at the store, in the bathroom, waiting for a pizza, waiting for updates to download on a client's computer, etc.

Re:Smartphone is the most convenient

[CityZen]

Agree with parent. I've read several books on my iPhone (using Stanza) and several on my Android phone (using Moon+ Reader). I have no issues with the screen size or type. It's very handy to just pull out my phone and read when I'm on the bus or subway. Or when I'm cooking something, I'll usually set the timer on the phone and then fire up the reader app while waiting. And it's very easy to read while lying down and holding it above/beside me, which is in contrast to what I've found with larger readers: they become uncomfortable to hold up after a while.

Try paper

[Anonymous Coward]

You stupid fucks. Go to the library and borrow real books. The batteries never run out.

Throw half your budget at a Nexus 7...

[Almonday]

...and spend the rest on actual content via the Kindle, Nook and Play Store apps, among others. I've been really happy with mine over the past two months: The bezel widths are just about perfect for reading with one hand if I make an "L" with my thumb and index finger and use the other three fingers to brace the back, very similar to how I'm accustomed to holding paperback books. It's light enough that my arm doesn't get tired. Battery life is good. In terms of bang for the buck, you could do far, far worse.

Why should a tablet/ebook-reader be better?

[excelsior_gr]

Why do you think that a tablet/ebook-reader will be better than old-fashioned paper books? Especially if you don't travel much, I don't see any reason for having such a gadget (other, of course, than the joy of having a gadget). I also don't travel much (although definitely more than a lot of people) so I never had to carry more than one small paperback around to keep me company in the plane or the train (and I don't have to worry about it being charged, stolen, dropped down, sat on, having liquids spilled on it, etc).

Gadgets are good, but none is perfect in my opinion (paper books are also not perfect, by the way). I don't think that buying a gadget will somehow make you read more. Reading appetite comes from content not format. I have read great books in both paper and electronic form (even using a netbook, which is definitely not a good option). I have also dropped reading crappy books in both formats as well.

So the question should be: "I want to read more, What should I read?". If you insist on going electronic, as others pointed out above, the choice between a tablet and an ebook-reader can be better made based on what kind of books you will be reading (E-ink for black text on white background, i.e. novels, and tablet for graphic-rich colored books).

Re:Why should a tablet/ebook-reader be better?

[wavedeform]

Why do you think that a tablet/ebook-reader will be better than old-fashioned paper books?

For any sort of tech book, the ability to search is a big win. I've been buying tech books as ebooks for a while now, and I like them in that format. Fiction I still read on paper.

Re:Why should a tablet/ebook-reader be better?

[excelsior_gr]

I agree. A technical paper book without a very good index is close to useless. So which device do you suggest for diagram and equation-rich books?

Re:Why should a tablet/ebook-reader be better?

[MtViewGuy]

There are two things that drive increased e-book reader sales:

1. Lot easier to pick up an e-book reader compared to a hardback book. If you've ever picked up the hardback version of Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs or "Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN" by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, they're physically imposing monsters that make a MacBook Air look totally light in comparison.

2. You can change the display font size on an e-book reader. That has suddenly opened up many older Americans who had increasingly difficulty reading conventional books be able to read again.

Re:Why should a tablet/ebook-reader be better?

[wavedeform]

I went with an iPad, because of the "retina" screen, and because there were several music apps I wanted to run. I installed the Kindle app too, so I have a wide variety of ways to get content. Add the Good Reader app for better PDF handling, and it works very well for me.

Simple answer

[prefec2]

Read more. When your intention is to read more books, you should do it. eBook-readers do not help with that. They make it only easier to carry more than one book around. But normally that is not necessary. If you by an ebook reader you may consider the following points:
  * Can I move the eBooks to a different reader?
  * Does it cooperate with my system?
  * How many book sellers work with the device?

New Invention

[Anonymous Coward]

They make these magical devices that contain paper with words on them. Buy one or get one from the library to start reading. BOOKS!!, I tell you. If you're looking to crowds to get inspiration to start reading again, boy you're in trouble.

No.

[Geoffrey.landis]

I think this is a case that can be covered by Betteridge's Law of Headlines:
"Any headline which ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no'".

Kindle!

[Giloo]

I bought a Kindle.. And I now read a lot more than I used to, though it's especially in the train.. The e-ink display is really far ahead of the other technologies, and is really comfortable. Battery is never an issue, and the experimental browser is not too bad for news reading either.. The included dictionnary is really nice, as well as the nice wikipedia integration (especially while reading foreign litterature with local names and such..)
Then, you have 2 cons mainly.. a) PDF.. already mentionned here, but even if there are workarounds, it's mainly terrible.. b) the format.. can't really be happy with the amazon ebook format, but well, it works ®..
I'm happy with my Kindle, and as it's not a smart-tab-computer-coffee-machine, it's actually a lot better to stay focused on what you're reading, which enabled me to actually... read faster ;)

Find what works best for you

[Corwyn_123]

It doesn't matter what you get, but use what makes it easiest for you to sit and read, for however long you wish to read.

I have a tablet, and don't see the need to spend more money on an e-book reader, when my tablet works just fine for this purpose, as well as running other apps and accessing internet resources.

I also read slow, and used to find it a chore, until I found books that I enjoyed reading, and now I continue to find books that I enjoy, and prefer e-books over hard print.

So, as I said, regardless of what you put your money towards, find what works for you, and don't take other's opinions, what works for one person, might not be best for another. Make your own choice.

I read a lot and love my tablet

[fuego451]

Had a Nook Simple Touch for a spell and enjoyed using it but when I saw the Samsung Tab II 7" I had to have it. It was $40 more than the Nook Tablet, at the time I bought it, but has so much more. I do still use Barnes & Noble for ebook purchases, though, as all the ebook sellers are mostly identical.

Don't spend all of the money

[frovingslosh]

You could get an ereader or a tablet, depends on a few other factors like if you want to read outside in the bright sun or inside and even in bed. My suggestion would be to get a very inexpensive tablet, something in the $50 range with an older version of the Android OS. It will work great as an ereader. It will work minimally as a tablet; at that price you will not even have access to the Google Play app store (but can get access to some apps through third party app sources like GteJar and Slide). But it will do more than an ereader and will let you install alternative reading apps and some applications, as well as web browse and other things. You're experience with that inexpensive tablet will tell you if a more expensive tablet is right for you. If you decide it is not you will still have plenty left to buy an ereader, but I'm guessing you may want to upgrade to a much more capable Android device with Android 4.0 or 4.1. Your experience with the less expensive tablet will be well worth the cost in helping you make the right choice for a more expensive tablet, and you will still not spend your entire budget.

Of course, you could just buy a good tablet like the Galaxy 7 now, but it is hard to make an informed choice from the products out there with no previous background. You can get a Google Nexus 7 for about $200, but be aware that they left off the memory card slot, apparently to force you to store all of your media and music on "the cloud". If you have an ISP who charges you for overages beyond a monthly quota, or if you have concerns about your media being stored on some one else's hard drives and at their mercy, this may not be a good choice for you (it wasn't for me, I'm stuck with AT&T as an ISP). Also, there should be lots of 4.1 tablets coming out "real soon now", but until then the Google Nexus 7 is the only choice to get the current and greatly improved OS. So an inexpensive tablet (such as a Pandigital) will give you something for reading now and remove the urgency to buy something more expensive until more 4.1 devices are available (don't think that you will be able to upgrade later, that is the exception).

Of course, if you are an Apple Fanboy then plenty of people will tell you where your cash should go. I'm guessing that you would rather think it out, since you bothered to ask.

Libraries!!!!!!!

[fm6]

I would strongly suggest checking out your local library system's ebook lending.

Second that. Check your library's website for info. Lots of good books available this way. In the state where I live (Oregon) all the local libraries have formed a consortium for making ebooks available to their patrons.

Even if your local library doesn't have this, check out libraries in neighboring communities. Residence requirements for library cards tend to be rather lax.

Public libraries have an impressive set of online resources. In particular, there's often access to the Oxford English Dictionary, which is simply the most comprehensive dictionary in existence.

Back ontopic: for reading library books, the Kindle is a little less desirable than other readers. Kindle is the only popular reader that doesn't open ePub/Adobe format. Usually a book is available in both formats, but with ePub you just have to download a file directly, whereas Kindle books require a couple of extra steps on Amazon.com.

Re:Libraries!!!!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

That's why I ended up with a Nook first edition. Unfortunately, it got smashed on my current trip, but I've had it for years. The two things that it had over the Kindle at that time was that it used ePub format with Adobe DRM and I had the option of using a memory card which I don't believe was possible with the Kindle at that time.

I'll be getting either Nook Glow or whatever it replaces when I return home next year.

Amazon won't be getting any of my money any time soon for ebooks or ebook readers as they seem to be the only ones that feel they're too good to participate in the epub market.

Re:Libraries!!!!!!!

[dasunt]

That's why I ended up with a Nook first edition. Unfortunately, it got smashed on my current trip, but I've had it for years.

That happened to my first Kindle. I wised up and picked up a Pelican hard case for the second. IIRC, it was $40 off of Amazon, but well worth it, since I can now throw the kindle into any bag or case without too much worry.

In Addition to all the reading you will Do

[mgideon]

Hey, Since you are trying to get back into reading - I suggest that you check out these Top 10 Reader Picks for Bill Gates. If Bill Gates will read these books, then I thoroughly recommend you do the same - after you figure out which device you go for. I personally like paper and ebooks. For traveling, ipad rocks Top 10 Summer Reading by Bill Gates http://www.thegatesnotes.com/Personal/More-Great-Summer-Reading Later,

Re:In Addition to all the reading you will Do

[mgideon]

If you are lazy not to click on the site for list. Here are top 10 books on Bill's blog The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson The Art of War by Sun Tzu Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow Life of Pi by Yann Martel A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram A Rogue’s Guide to Acquisition by Ranak Jones, Jayesh Mehta, Anish Sikri The Alchemist by Paul Coelho That is it

Yes and more productive as well

[NZheretic]

It works for me. Carrying around both an e-ink reader and a cheaper larger Android tablet allows you to use the tablet to take notes without screen swapping. When used in combination with a Bluetooth keyboard & folio stands I find it far more productive than lugging around a laptop.

Or buy books

[Anonymous Coward]

300-400 bucks will buy a lot of books, plus you'll be able to read them in 20 years. On the Kindle, you won't.

Having an eReader can get expensive...

[INT 21h]

Disclaimer: I was the sort of kid that brought home two bags full of books from the library each week. I've always read a lot.

I bought a Kindle Keyboard as soon as they were available for the simple reason that a small apartment can only hold that many bookshelves chock full of small paperbacks. Last year I read over a 100 books on it, which rather surprised me as I haven't read that many paper books a year since before high school. The reason is that the kindle is so light and convenient that I now can read anywhere: waiting in line, while shopping, while walking, while in the tub (plastic ziplock baggie!), while on the bus, while on the plane, while whenever really.

I didn't buy all those books from Amazon. I've read ebooks from Baen since the late nineties, and there's Smashwords, Gutenberg, Mobileread, authors selling directly, and author coops like Bookview Cafe. With Calibre, it doesn't really matter where you get the books from. Unfortunately, since I would like a steady supply of books from well-nourished, creative authors, I do pay for my books. Even at an average of 5 dollars a pop, it adds up, especially when you've run out of your favorite authors and desperately need more to read and therefore start buying anything with a half way decent blurb and not too fawning reviews in hope of finding a new favorite author.

There are rumors going around that new Kindles will be announced in time for Christmas this year. I might just get one. Eink, mind, and it really needs the paging-buttons on the sides as that makes one-handed reading with any hand in any situation possible. With wifi off I only need to charge it every three weeks or so (unless I'm caught by a fat, impossible-to-take-a-break-from page turner, then I read with the power cable plugged in...). I was opposed to touch but now that I have a phone with touch I can see it would be nice for moving about menus. Not for the actual paging though.

I would also say, definitely eink if you're serious about reading. I've read books on VT220s, big CRTs, Sharp Zaurus, DS (homebrew), android, print outs, iPad (borrowed), projectors, glossy magazine paper, grey mass market paperback paper, extra cheap self-destructing school book paper, expensive non-acidic archive quality hardcover paper, yellowed copy paper, newspaper, toilet paper (I hope it was a gimmick), the lot: eink (pearl) beats them all. Much better in sunlight than paper since the background isn't bright white.

If you do get a tablet, read with the colors reversed: white on black. You won't feel like you've stared into the sun for hours after just.. one.. more.. page.. hey, is that the sunrise?

Re:Having an eReader can get expensive...

[Man Eating Duck]

With Calibre, it doesn't really matter where you get the books from. [...] ...especially when you've run out of your favorite authors and desperately need more to read and therefore start buying anything with a half way decent blurb and not too fawning reviews in hope of finding a new favorite author.

When it comes to books, we are very much alike. My mother was head librarian at our local library, so I learned to enjoy reading early, and I never stopped.

A tip for you regarding discovering new books: since you use Calibre you should import your books to Goodreads, and rate them. It will give you recommendations based on what you rate high, and those recommendations are uncannily good. In this case the crowds are very wise indeed. When I added some of my favourites many of the recommendations were books I'd already read, every one of which I loved. Seriously, not a single dud. I discover quite a few new books and authors that way, give it a try :)

Galaxy Tab 7 Plus

[andymadigan]

I have the Galaxy Tab 7 Plus with T-mo's "4G". Reading books works pretty well, the 7 inch size is good for portability, and it has access to Google Play, Kindle and Nook stores. (I've found Google Play has the best reader, it's unfortunate they haven't come up with a good ecosystem of third party apps). It's also good at news, PDFs, blogs, etc. Most ebook apps will put the UI into a hidden mode where you won't be distracted by notifications or the clock.

Biggest problem with the Galaxy Tab is it has a tendency to crash, and I had to send it in for repair (which took about 3 weeks) because the wifi stopped working. It turned out all it needed was firmware upgrade, something Samsung could have just told me...

If Apple comes out with an ~7" iPad I'll be buying that, my Galaxy Tab fits in my pocket.

Overall I'd say a tablet is better than an e-reader. Especially with mobile data, you can always find more books while you're on the road.

Books suck

[Asmor]

I know I'm in the minority here--particularly on Slashdot, I'm sure--but I absolutely hate books.

Before getting my kindle, I read only while in high school and college, and only during class. After graduating, I read almost nothing. Since getting my kindle, I read on my commutes, and even take out time to read when I'm at home and could be on the Internet or playing a game.

Books are bulky. It's a pain to keep your place. The feel of the paper in paperback books gives me goosebumps. I find the smell of books unpleasant. You have to hold the books open, making reading one-handed challenging (a necessity on subways, and also helpful for reading in bed). Holding books open is particularly annoying at the start and end of the book, when the two halves are quite lopsided.

Like I said, I know I'm in the minority, but as far as I'm concerned books are almost singularly unsuitable as a medium for recreational reading.

Re:Books suck

[Scorch_Mechanic]

It's less of a minority than you might think.

I have discovered that I still love books, but for portability and easy reading, an e-ink e-reader beats out everything else.
I can hold it in my left hand, lovingly flip the page with a gentle stroke of the thumb, and because it's so light and easy to use I commonly forget I have it in my hand. I can hold five hundred books in a quarter the mass of a single thick paperback, always have my place, flip the page as fast or faster than a real one and with less effort, look up words I don't know, use it as a notepad, use it as a browser (on wi-fi), and because I've rooted the thing I even have an IRC client on it.

Re:Books suck

[Anonymous Coward]

pussy

Re:Books suck

[theNAM666]

You mean *printed* books. Be precise!

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

I was precise. Books are the medium I was describing, and specifying 'printed' would be kind of redundant unless you were worried about the distinction between printed books and those produced somehow else, such as being hand-written.

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

For such a short, throwaway, trollish comment, that single word has a whole story invested in it.

Let's see. You dislike me badmouthing books, implying that you enjoy them. That you like books so much as to take offense to someone badmouthing them implies to me that you enjoy reading fiction. At least, in my experience, everyone I've ever known who's uttered anything along the lines of, "I love the smell of books!" had a particular fondness for fiction.

And yet, if someone reads a lot of fiction, you'd expect that person to have a well-developed and active imagination. You, on the other hand, seem to have a stunted imagination, posting an insult whose creativity lies somewhere between what I'd expect from a tween on Xbox Live and a German accountant with mild Asperger's expressing frustration under his breath at the bar when someone new starts chatting up the lady he's been eyeing for weeks trying to get the bravery to go talk to.

You're a mystery, AC, and you intrigue me.

Re:Books suck

[theNAM666]

An ebook is a book. A book on parchment or scrolls is a book. You said "books suck." That's imprecise unless you want to cover all books.

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

Neither ebooks nor

book/book/
Noun:
A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

Ugh, how'd that get clipped off?

Was saying that neither ebooks nor scrolls are books.

Re:Books suck

[theNAM666]

What's that, Webster? Try the OED or some other historical coorespondence which lists historical usages of words.

It may be that Mr. Webster (or whomever) did not have enough foresight to conceive that a "book" (concept: a collection of words) might be a class that could be instantiated in something other than the form he had experienced it in. That's an error of induction.

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

A book is not just a collection of words. A book is a specific medium. For example, if I take a bunch of pictures, bind them together, and add on a front and back cover, I've got a book with no words in it.

Feel free to cite something that's not obscure or achaic. I tried to look it up in the OED, as you suggest, but their website requires a subscription.

Re:Books suck

[gullevek]

Although I love physical books, I fully agree that they are not a good medium. I have to carry the heavy book with me wherever I go if I want to read it and once I am done, I need to go to the place where my other books are stored to read the next one.

Furthermore the place they use is enormous compared to the times you actually read them.

Once I can get a Kindle or a Nook (once the Kindle is available in Japan) I will switch.
Problem with out of US customers, how many e-books can you then legally buy compared to all the paper backs I can buy from anyplace around the world. This is my only big worry.

And art/photography books. That is just something that doesn't fly on a eInk display. Perhaps on a retina iPad, but then again you are limited the the 4:3 tablet size.

Re:Books suck

[Asmor]

I can actually empathize with you on the region locking front. My favorite series, the Shadows of the Apt series by Adrian Tchaikovsky, is 10 books long, but only the first 4 are released in the US. In order to buy the others, I need to register a UK address in my Amazon profile, switch my Kindle to the UK, and pay the exchange rate since the UK POS uses pounds.

Region locking sucks.

Re:Books suck

[gullevek]

Yeah, and I am afraid I end up with this if I buy my Kindle in Japan and register it my japanese Amazon account. Right now I can order pretty much any book I can imagine through the japanese amazon page (perhaps a view exceptions) and get it. Be it a book from America, the UK, Germany, Austria or who knows else.

But once I want to get a Kindle version I am suddenly restricted by some idiotic region. This is super stupid.

pmp

[deadl0ck]

I use my android unlocked gti5500 as an ebook reader and for audio books. I've been reading ebooks for close to 10 years on handhelds, started out with Palm. Only issue I have is locating non DRM ebooks and PDF,s . I picked up a $99 HP touchpad and it works ok for reading PDF , except the PDF reader kinda blows. I actually find it easier reading ebooks on a smaller screen as my eyes aren't scanning sideways as much. So I'd recommend a tablet for tech manuals and your phone/pmp for regular books.

Get the Kindle

[downhole]

My take: Get the most basic Kindle. Only $80, or $110 if you want to spring for one with no ads. Spend the rest on books.

What's really nice about the eReader experience is the instant buying. See a book you like, click, pay $10 or whatever, and you're reading it 30 seconds later. That, and the ability to carry around dozens of books in a package that's smaller and weighs less than one paperback.

Why the Kindle over a tablet? I have one of both, and I find the tablet slightly unwieldy for reading. The extra weight means that some positions get uncomfortable after 10-20 minutes. The extra size means you may have to reach or hold it in a funny position to turn pages sometimes. Granted, mine is 10", and a 7" one might be more comfortable. Also, even the cheap tablets are twice as expensive, making it less of an easy impulse buy. I also find tablets a little more fiddly - more updates and settings and such to worry about. Kindle gives you text size and that's about it, generally no apps or updates to get in the way. And you gotta love the 1-month battery life.

I bet you would like an eReader of some kind

[slacker2585]

I should start by saying I'm somewhat of a Google fanboy, so my opinion will be biased. However, I was somewhat skeptical of eReaders and the like for quite some time. I tested the waters by reading a few novels on my phone, which led me to believe that eReaders are great for people who love to read. I found that I could open up a book (eBook) at lunch, or on a bus, or wherever I had a spare minute, because my phone was always with me; likewise my library of books. Given that trial period, I decided to buy a Nexus 7, which is an especially great deal if you want a color reader. It's not as convenient as a phone to have with me all the time, but I take it to work, and to many other places. It's a huge improvement over the phone, however, for the reading experience in general. I can browse the web, read novels, RSS feeds, and even PDFs are pretty good on it. I can also watch netflix, or load my own movies, or whatever else I'd like. Long story short, I think you would be pleased with the convenience of an eReader, whatever brand you like. I'm partial to the Nexus 7 of course, but just being able to carry your library with you everywhere makes it a worthy purchase to me. Hope you find one you like!

Where do you want to read ?

[obarthelemy]

In bed, the best is an AMOLED display: luminescent so you can read in the dark, and without the blacklight effect and too-strong light of regular LCDs. I love my Galaxy Note for that.
In transit, either a Kindle or, again, a Galaxy Note (nice for being pocketable if you're big enough), though mine got stolen that way; at least Kindles are cheap.
Outside in bright light, an eReader is your only solution, though, again, I can make do with AMOLED.
Inside, anything goes.

I find AMOLED vastly superior to LCD, whetever the resolution. An LCD is a lightbulb, way to bright inside but at the same time not bright enough outside; plus LCDs (and epaper) have so-so contrast; AMOLEDs have excellent contrast, at the cost of color fidelity . I set mine to green on a black background, which I find easier on the eyes. The main issue is lack of 10" AMOLED tablets, the biggest one is the pricey Samsung 7.7.

eInk readers support epub just fine

[SuperBanana]

If you're reading non-fiction, especially non-fiction with charts, graphs, and the like, get a tablet. They support more advanced features with ePub.

All the major e-ink readers support epub.

If you need to read charts and graphs and large tables, your best bet is an iPad because of the high resolution, color display. The Kindle DX is one of the few large-scale eInk devices and it suffers from issues with PDFs and hasn't been refreshed software-wise in quite some time. The other large eReaders are basically DoA or vaporware...the Illiad large eReader goes through its battery in a matter of hours (defacto lifetime in eReaders is a week or two, sometimes more.)

Other than that, I agree that books without charts/graphs/large tables are best read on a small eInk device. I love my Nook Simple Touch (do not get the lighted version unless you NEED to read in the dark. The screen doesn't take scrapes and bumps and bruises as well; they show up as lighted-up areas. The non-light-up version's screen is very strong and has stood up to a year+ of being in a compartment in my bag. You can also root the Simple Touch and run all sorts of Android apps on it...including the Kindle app, and several free eReader applications like Moon+.

Google Nexus 7 $249 and CoolReader

[JakFrost]

A 7-inch Android based tablet that will handle all type of content and a reader app that has a up and down gesture on the left edge to control brightness and has night mode inverted color reading mode.

I prefer to read for entertainment on my phone since I always have it with me throughout the day and I have read hundreds of fiction books like this since my first smartphone.

A smaller tablet will be better for technical reading and complex diagrams and also allow you to access references online and do lookups but be small enough to carry. I find that a full size 10 inch tablet to be too large for reading unless you view 2 pages side by side so a smaller tablet would suffice at that point.

I have been using the newest Asus Infinity tablet for almost a month and while it is great for content consumption it seems overly powered for the submitted requirement of reading.

Big name brands getting lots of free advertising

[fustakrakich]

Try to play any games on those overpriced e-readers. Just get a 7 inch tablet. Make sure it's 1280 x 800. They are plenty comfortable to read. They're easy to hold with one hand. And for all those complaining about the back light, you know you can turn down the brightness of the thing. See? Now you have a reader and a DVR, with high def video no less. Be sure to get one with HDMI out.

If you want to read...

[mprindle]

If you want to read then get an e-reader. I have a Kindle for reading, not surfing the web, not checking email, etc. If I want to do something else besides read I pull out my phone or use my laptop. When reading with a tablet you'll end up getting distracted by new emails, something that pops into your head and you want to quickly look it up, but in reality you end up doing everything else except reading. With an e-reader you can focus on the book your reading and keep the distractions to a minimum.

Depends on what you do and when you read

[Anonymous Coward]

I have several eReaders. A Kindle Touch. A retinia iPad. And now a Nexus 7. I travel a lot for work (20+ weeks a year) so I got an original iPad to watch movies and read on. It works fine for that but is too heavy to comfortably hold for several hours in a row. You need something to set it on. Immediately after getting the iPad I found I went from the 1 book a month level to 4 or 5 per week. At least when traveling. It didn't really change how much I read at home because it wasn't comfortable to hold. I do prefer the screen on the retinia iPad now that I have it. Much cleaner fonts.

As soon as I realized that I bought a Kindle 3G which I later upgraded to a Kindle Touch. Which raised my home reading levels to a couple of books a week. Not as high as when traveling but much better than what it used to be. There are just too many other things to do while at home; unlike when I'm stuck in a plane or at a hotel.

I recently picked up a Nexus 7. I'm really enjoying it. Not because Android is better than iOS; it's just different (in both good and bad ways). What I enjoy is the weight and size. The screen isn't as good as my iPad but it's small enough and light enough that I'm taking it with me more. I'm looking forward to an iPad mini. The lighter weight would help.

I don't find a big comfort difference between eInk and LCD screens. Both can be tiring after several hours. But so can a real book under good lighting. The biggest difference I found was getting different magnification on my bi-focals. (I hate the fact that I'm now old enough to need them. Oh well, it beats the alternative.) And also setting the eReader font size and background color/brightness on LCDs correctly.

The other restriction is on where you get your content from. I like the fact that the iPad (iBooks and 3rd party readers) and Nexus 7 (variety of 3rd party readers) don't tie me to just Amazon. I have several hundred books in Amazon now but I also have several hundred from Gutenberg project and a few directly from publishers that don't use DRM. The Kindle does allow side-loading of books but it uses a different format than most of the rest of the eReaders. The iPad and Nexus 7 let me have multiple eReaders for different sources. Though it would be nice to have a universal reader so all my ebooks were in the same place instead of split between two programs.

- DLM
(First post in years. The chance of finding my account info is zilch; I believe it was tied to an old work email at a company that is gone.)

My reader, and other readers

[Dennis Sheil]

I wrote (forked, really) a book reader for Android earlier this year which has had over one million downloads since then. So I am obviously Android biased, but I also have looked into the field somewhat.

The main question is, why would you want to get something other than an Android tablet (or "phablet") as a reader? The main reason would be electronic paper - usually using eInk technology, like those Kindle's with eInk technology have. The Amazon Nook also has eInk, and other companies put out electronic paper products as well - Sony, Kobo etc. It is supposed to be easier to read, easier on the eyes, readable in bright sunlight etc. You can go to a store and try it out. Other people have commented about this technology, I have tried it but not on a regular basis. I don't know of any Android e-Ink products unfortunately, although the Microsoft/B&N Nook is a fork of Android.

Then there are Android tablets and phablets. One thing about them is you can choose different book readers - you can choose my book reader, or Google Play books, or the Kindle Android app, or the Kobo Android app, or apps like Aldiko, Moon Reader, Cool Reader, or the open source app I forked from - FBReader. Google Play is getting big on selling regular books like Harry Potter or Suzanne Collins or the like. You can buy them from apps like Kindle Android as well.

Then there's plenty of free apps with free books. My app is free and has free ePub format books in different languages - English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, French and Spanish. I will probably be adding more languages in the coming months. All of my ePub books which are free are in the public domain. Most, if not all, of them were published before 1923 and are thus public domain - Mark Twain, H.G. Wells and the like are popular English language books.

Plus, you can use your Android tablet/phablet for things other than book reading. You can buy a 7 inch Google Nexus 7 tablet, which people love. I have a Samsung Tab 10.1 which is 10 inches which I have been happy with. Try them out in a store, see how big they are and how much they weigh. If you are on a sofa or bed reading, how heavy will the tablet be on your stomach? The Samsung Tab 10.1 is 1.25 pounds, which is about the weight of a 500 page hardcover book. Since the weight is more evenly distributed, and not concentrated in the center like a book, it feels even lighter. But there are smaller and lighter tablets/phablets out there as well.

Slashdot has always been a fan of free software, and in terms of my app, it works out well in all directions. I have contributed back to my fork upstream, in the form of things like language translations. My app is on an open source framework - Android. While the app handles more than one book format, it concentrates on the book format which is the standard open one - ePub. My app primarily traffics in public domain, pre-1923 books in a variety of languages, so the content is free-as-in-beer/free-as-in-speech. The app made me over $430 in ad revenue last month. The ads are non-intrusive - originally I had ads over books while you were reading, but when testing it I found it annoying and distracting, so I put up ads before a book opened and hoped that I would still make money even though the ads were not as visible all the time, and it has worked out. Over time I will continue expanding languages, and sending those to my code upstream, FBReaderJ, and perhaps make other improvements and send those upstream as well. It is a free software ecosystem where the benefits flow back and forth in all directions and that has worked out for everyone.

Your want to read? E-Ink.

[Snospar]

You stated reading as your primary goal so the only answer is an e-ink e-reader. Tablets are capable of providing reading apps but none of them provide anything like a "printed page" experience. An e-ink e-reader looks and reacts like a printed page; it is non-reflective, non-glossy, non-backlit. The lack of back lighting is a plus not a negative because the lights used to illuminate most tablet screens are in the spectrum that triggers your brain into the "wake up, wake up, dawn is here" state. That's not so good for reading at bedtime. Step outside with a tablet and it's unreadable; you end up looking at a mirror (with smeared fingerprints). Step outside with an e-ink e-reader and you can read naturally.

I've been careful not to push you to a particular brand of e-ink e-reader but I would push for one that supports as many formats as possible especially those that are DRM free. If you get tied down now to Amazon formatted material you may find you regret it in the long run; some of their practices have been Orwellian.

Neither just go...

[Anonymous Coward]

Just go to a used paperback book store and go crazy with your money.... think how many used books you could buy for the amount your going to WASTE on a reader.

Re:Neither just go...

[Lawrence_Bird]

You can get a new low end e-reader for about $75 bucks, hardly a backbreaking expense when they say the budget is $300-400. They can also download thousands of free ebooks that are off copyright so it probably all washes out in the end.

Why not just use your phone?

[SpankyDaMonkey]

I've been an ebook reader for 10+ years now - ever since I needed to do a lot of travel for work and figured out it was a lot easier to carry a PDA with a few hundred books on it instead of a suitcase with half a dead tree inside. I went through 3 PDAs before I upgraded to my latest phone. If your screensize is 4" or larger then it makes a perfectly adequate ebook reader with the advantage that it's always with you.

I use FBReader on the Desire HD - mainly because it allows the use of the volume rocker for page-up / page-down. I have full control of font sizes and it supports open (epub) formats. Anything else there's an app for if needed. It's perfectly good for novels and works for me.

If I need to look at a technical manual then the chances are I'm on my main computer anyway (or not too far away from it).

Seriously - use your phone to start with. OK it may not be ideal in bright sunlight, but it works for me. Give the BAEN website a try - they have a load of SF / Fantasy novels made available for free by the authors in open formats and it's got me in to some great stuff and I've ended up buying the next books in the series as a result of reading the first from there.

Re:Why not just use your phone?

[GoodnaGuy]

I think using your phone is a good idea too. It saves you have to carry around an extra device which wont exactly fit in your pocket. I read on an htc wildfire which has a 3 1/4 inch screen which is bit small but I manage by using a big font size. This means I have to change the page more often than on a kindle or whatever but it doesnt trouble me.

Nook Color Vs Nexus7

[erica_ann]

I read a LOT. I have had a Nook Color since it came out. After a while, I saw there were ebooks cheaper on Amazon that I wanted to purchase through there and not B&N.. but I had a Nook . I also liked my phone (Galaxy Nexus) with Android, only I wanted a screen the size of my Nook Color. So, I got the Nexus 7 from Google. I can load Nook and Kindle Apps on it so I can read and buy from either B&N or Amazon, I received a $25 credit to Google Play from it, and I can also do more than I could do with my Nook Color. No regrets at all. If I had to do it over, I would buy a Nexus 7 again.

I would vote the B&N Nookcolor

[Anonymous Coward]

It's not all that great for a pure tablet function, but it's good for reading books on. Tablets are very nice, but the thing is that a larger screen is a problem here... A 10 inch screen seems hard to hold while reading so I prefer the 7 inch screen for reading on and when it comes to that you have a choice between the Kindle Fire and the Nookcolor or nook tablet and out of those three you might as well save a few bucks and go with the NookColor.

Android

[P0ltergeist333]

I use a free app called coolreader on my Android phone. No dictionary, but you can highlight text, so no biggie. Put the money in the bank or something.

Audiobooks as soundtrack music?

[aNonnyMouseCowered]

Skim don't read then. Because this is what listening to audiobooks while driving, cooking, running on a threadmill or making love means. You're not paying as much attention as when you're reading with two eyes focused on the page or eInk screen. Granted nobody can concentrate with 100% focus, reading a book the normal way is still a more mentally intense activity than presumably "listening" WHILE doing something else. This is besides the fact that reading even without skimming is still faster than listening to an audibook at 2x speed.

I have nothing against audiobooks. But using audiobooks in the manner you describe is no different from playing music while you exercise or do some boring office work. It helps to distract you from the pain or drudgery of your other activity.

If you find it hard to read a book, I can only suggest reading in spurts THEN doing something else, reading a few pages at a time if a chapter is too long. Or you can reverse the focus, and take reading breaks the way some people take smoking or Facebook breaks.

Re:Audiobooks as soundtrack music?

[fervus]

I guess it doesn't work for everyone and the attention focus is a problem in the first month, but after that you will adapt. I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks in the past 5 years and enjoyed every last one of them. I also haven't been run over by a car or missed my train station after the first month.

Re:Audiobooks as soundtrack music?

[l0ungeb0y]

That's a pretty harsh judgment and totally unfounded.

I'm a person who is able o freely visualize and conceptualize and when in grammer school was tested and proven to be a very astute speed reader, able to digest and retain knowledge at an intake of a page every few seconds.

So while that may sound like skimming, when I could read the entirety f the Andromeda Strain and visualize it in my head in a 6 hour timespan in the 6th grade, I guess I was only skimming.

And so far every audiobook title I've encountered has given me excellent mental imagery on par with normal reading no matter what other activity I was engaged in at the time. Which is exactly why I prefer audiobooks over reading and why I meant not to return to any visual input format.

Re:Audiobooks as soundtrack music?

[aNonnyMouseCowered]

That sort of proves my point, does it? You, and perhaps every other non-blind, non-dyslexic person, will read much, much faster from a page than listen from an audiobook. As for speed reading, I choose not to. I know all the tricks, but I find it works havoc on my writing. So I read at subvocal speed, which is still faster than llistening to an audio book at 2x normal speed.

Free Option

[Anonymous Coward]

Get a library card.

E-Ink for novels, hands down

[Man Eating Duck]

I'll join the E-Ink choir... I read *a lot*, and a 6" E-Ink device really can't be beat for reading novels. I have a Sony reader, and it's just about perfect for its designed purpose, I hear good things about the later Kindle E-Ink models as well. No eye stress, ridiculous battery capacity, and it's very handy for carrying around. PDFs can be somewhat cumbersome on it if they're not designed for a relatively small screen reader, but it works great for reference PDFs if you mainly use it for lookup. PDFs often have substantial margins as they're primarily designed for printing, make sure that you crop yours for use on a reader (goes for tablets as well). Mind you, E-Ink readers are single-purpose devices, but for extended, continuous reading it really beats the pants off any backlit device. Some will advice you to just get a tablet and turn the brightness down, I personally disagree, the reading comfort is in no way comparable. A tablet with the brightness turned all the way up *can*, however, double as a reading light in a pinch :)

If you are determined to read mainly PDFs a tablet might be the way to go, although you're somewhat limiting yourself in that case. PDF is good for fixed layout, but it basically sucks for novels.

I would advice you to get the free library software Calibre, and deDRM all books you buy. I also convert everything to epub for guaranteed forward compatibility. DRM stripping is automatic and completely painless, google "apprentice alf" to obtain the necessary Calibre plugins. That way you're vendor-independent, and don't have to rely on drm-servers which will surely not exist indefinitely. There are also a great selection of classics and a few contemporary novels available for free, and not all classics are heavy. Look into Wodehouse or any number of turn-of-the-century mystery/crime authors for light, free reads. I buy a lot of books as well, and rarely pay more than about $8 for a book, often far less. I won't get into any piracy debate, I really don't care, but I personally find that legally obtained books are very affordable and painless to use when stripped of DRM.

As for rediscovering the delight of reading: focus on light, enjoyable novels for starters, and don't force yourself to read. I see that you plan to set aside a fixed amount of time for reading, but never do it as a "chore". Take a break if you get tired or don't feel like reading. I very rarely abandon a book, but don't be afraid to jump ship if you don't enjoy a particular work. Your reading speed will pick up fairly quickly, and you will probably find that you read even more as you get into the habit. If you travel, reading is a great way to while away the hours on each stretch. Digital reading also lends itself well to "reading of opportunity", I always carry my reader in my pocket and whip it out whenever I have five minutes of dead time.

Finally, good luck, there are innumerable tales, settings, and good times awaiting you :)

Reading on your smartphone

[trawg]

A lot of people complain about reading being hard on LCD screens but I've been doing it for years and have no problems with it.

At first I read on an HP iPaq bought specifically for reading, but then once I got an Android phone I switched to that.

I read WAY more because I have my books with me at all times. Standing in a long line somewhere? Bust out the phone and read.

I also have a Kobo ebook reader which is great as well, but I find I end up reading on my phone still a lot.

The big problem is finding DRM-free ebooks for these platforms. The temptation to get a Kindle and buy into its ecosystem is huge, but I don't want to deal with that.

Have a phone?

[knarf]

Ever since I started reading on my N-Gage (which I got because it was the cheapest smart phone back in those days) I have not looked back. The phone is nearly always with me, it fits in my hand, it can be used both day and night without the need for external lighting, it can contain half a library and has access to the other half over the 'net. I can read whenever I want, wherever I want - even if I only have a few minutes to spare as often happens, that is enough to read a page or 2.

Yes, the screen on the phone is small. It helps to have good eyes. Don't try to compare reading on these devices to reading a traditional paper book - the reading experience is completely different. You don't read so much 'by the page' since - especially on more limited phones like the aforementioned N-Gage - a screen does not fit that much text. On my current phone (a Motorola Defy+) I can actually fit more than one traditional paperback page on one screen but that is because I like small print. Using a program like coolreader I can minimize the amount of interface clutter and more or less ignore the original book style. Holding the phone in one hand, I can walk through the book by just touching the left or right (or top or bottom, or wherever - configure it to your liking) of the screen - easy.

My parents both have a dedicated Sony reader. My brother has all the iGadgets St. Steve ordained. Me? I read more than all of them combined.

So if you already have a phone, and that phone happens to have a nice screen, just give it a try. You might like it.

Kindle

[Charliemopps]

If you want to read BOOKS, then a Kindle is your best bet. Specifically get one without the touch screen. The touch screen is neat for highlighting words and such, but you rarely need to do that, and far more often I find myself accidentally skipping entire chapters by accidentally swiping in the wrong direction. You really just need a button to turn it on, and buttons to turn pages. That's it. Anything that doesn't have e-ink is not nearly as pleasurable to read. The screen on the kindle is incredible.

If you want to read PDFs, browse the internet, or doing anything that isn't reading books, then get a tablet. In my opinion, given current technology, you need different devices for reading than you do for other activities.

Buy one of each

[ALeader71]

For straight through reading, I'd go with an e-ink display like a Kindle. Use the rest of the money for a tablet. A keyboard interface, even a touch one, will make searching your technical PDFs a lot easier. Keep the Kindle for straight through reading. Less eye strain and it's cheap enough to toss into your bag. Ditto for a $200 tablet like the Nexus 7 or a Kindle Fire.

I use both

[hendrikboom]

I use an old kobo reader for novels and .epubs I read straight through. Its pretty useless for conference proceeding .[df's -- the type size is too small. For those I use a Transformer TF101 Android tablet.

Another question is whether you want to read in daylight on in the dark in bed, My wife uses her tablet to read in bed without waking me. But the tablet is pretty useless in bright sunlight.

The ebook reader weights less than the tablet, and is easier to carry around and read on the bus.

e-reader hands down

[Lawrence_Bird]

You want this to read, not to fuck around surfing the web, playing games or using other apps. A tablet will be nothing more than a distraction to you. An e-reader will also be a fraction of the money of a tablet and you can use the difference to buy books for quite some time. If you like to listen to music in the background while you read you might consider one of the readers which can play mp3s off an sd card.

or a BOOK

[Internetuser1248]

There is a third option you know, cheaper too.

I read alot

[jeffgtr]

Wife has a Kindle with e-ink, I have an Ipad Retina Display. If you are only reading ebooks from Amazon get the Kindle. If you read pdf's, ebooks and magazines get an Ipad with the retina display. I have a ton of technical documentation in pdf, plus ebooks from Amazon and a few magazine subscriptions on my Ipad. Sure you'll have distractions with the Ipad, but you'll have them regardless. I have zero regrets.

Re:I read alot

[jeffgtr]

And the upside ..digital vs paper. 1) Less to carry around. 2) Always with you 3) Think about every time you've moved and the boxes of books.

E-reader 100%

[techman2]

I think an e-reader is the go. I recently received a kindle as a present and think it is great. Battery lasts weeks, screen is easy to read, it's slim and light and it doesn't try to do a million things poorly. It serves one purpose and serves it well. I also don't have to worry about storing heaps of books and can take my entire library with me wherever I go.

If you already have a smart phone, start there

[Anonymous Coward]

If you already have a smart phone (or an iPod Touch), and you are reading novels, then an ebook reading app will let you experiment with reading ebooks at no cost. Novels generally are just words and a smart phone ebook reader will adjust the font size to your tastes, plus you can hole the phone in one hand and generally just tap the screen to advance the page. After a while, you will not even notice you are touching the screen and get totally lost in the story (assuming you choose an interesting book). I started my smart phone ebook reading with free Sci-Fi books from the free http://www.baen.com/library/intro.asp library.

If your smart phone is an Apple iOS device, you can use GoodReader for PDFs and it will do a very good job of reflowing text so you can search and read PDFs at a comfortable font size. I suspect there may be a similar app for Android smart phones.

Again using an existing smart phone for your initial experimentation lets you get a feel for ebook reading, and based on what you want to read, it may help inform your tablet/dedicated ereader decision.

If most of your reading will be PDFs and you really need to graphics and/or code examples to be displayed as intended by the author, then I would suggest a tablet with a larger screen and good PDF support (as someone has mentioned an iPad with GoodReader can do wonders for PDF reading).

If at all possible, find places that will let you play with the potential devices to make sure it will satisfy your needs. Many Kindle devices are available to play with in various stores, Nooks are on display in most Barnes & Noble bookstores, iPads are in Apple Stores, and retailers that also sell Apple devices, Android tables are in many retailers (but since Android tablets are made by many manufactures, make sure you try and like any you decide to get as they are not all created equal).

I still read books

[Taco Cowboy]

Believe it or not, I still read books - yes, the old kind, made of paper and ink and binders
 

Re:I still read books

[Anonymous Coward]

So do I. And I have an eReader.

There's nothing about owning an eReader that precludes reading paper books. But when I travel, I'd much rather take my light-as-a-feather collection of eBooks than haul around an entire bookshelf.

Re:I still read books

[jedrek]

I don't. For anything but photo books, I can't find a compelling reason to use paper books. Less comfortable to flip, much heavier, harder to read at odd angles, can't be operated with just one hand, etc. Not only that, but I have to handle all my books: store, transport, clean, etc. If I can get rid of the bookshelves I have when I buy a flat, it will save me thousands of dollars in real estate (not kidding, literally thousands of dollars).

Re:I still read books

[History's Coming To]

So do I. Not only that, I used to work as a science buyer for a book chain and I still run a blog reviewing science based books from SF to pop-sci and postgrad texts. When working for the bookshop I found the company was split around 50/50 into two camps, the "eBooks are a fad and we should ignore them, paper is the only way" side and the "eBooks are going to be big, we need to be involved in this" faction. I'm in the second camp - real paper books aren't going anywhere in a hurry, I find them to be far more pleasant to read than an eReader, I love the feel, the smell, everything about real books, but eReaders still have their place when it comes to portability. I've got a huge library at home, but you can't carry that number of books on a train, being able to carry the entire works of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and all of the other classic SF writers is worth the cost of an eReader alone - I tend to use my eReader for free Gutenberg texts and buy new books in paper format.

eReaders and paper books aren't competing in my mind, they're complimentary.

Kindle made me read 4x book a year

[Anonymous Coward]

I probably read 4X since I got a kindle. I have a tablet as well, but I waste time on it browsing the net, looking at twitter, sending email. If I am on my kindle I am just reading, devouring page after page. I highly recommend a kindle if you want to read more, it is by far the best book I have ever had.

peace,
Dan

It's such a tough call

[DThorne]

...because it's subjective. My story - I had a Xoom and bought a Kindle...and I started reading fiction again, which I had forsaken and just couldn't get into on the Xoom because of the form factor. Kindle was perfect, I loved e-ink and the closeness to print. Then I got a Transformer Prime...and I gave my Kindle to my wife! I use the Transformer for all reading - fiction, graphic, technical, pdfs... I simply liked the convenience of all-in-one. The form factor just got 'good enough' for me to put up with that little more weight to have all my stuff on one device. I would imagine the new Nexus 7 would fit that bill even moreso. No-one was more surprised than I - I really liked the Kindle, but the multi-use and lack of yet another device to lug around won me over. So, FWIW.

Btw I left Apple out of this since we don't touch that stuff in our house. :) I'm sure the ipad is a solid ereader.

Nexus 7 + DODOCase

[SnowCrashed]

My personal suggestion (and current setup) is a Nexus 7 and a Dodocase (http://www.dodocase.com/products/hardcover-for-nexus-7). The Nexus 7 is a great all-around device for just about anything and the DODOCase is essentially a hand-made hard cover book that when opened and held apart like a book makes for a comfortable, and very traditional feeling reading experience. When you want to use it as a tablet just fold the cover behind or use the included strap to prop it up for watching movies and so on. Also, the adhesive that many people questioned as a poor design decision holds the tablet in place very well and is unobtrusive, it really shouldn't concern anyone unless they're swinging the thing around their head by the cover... I had a rooted Nook Color prior to this that I also liked, but the extra horsepower of the Nexus makes a substantial difference for the non-reading activities you might use it for. The only thing I really liked more about the Nook was the very nice rubberized finish. The Nexus doesn't feel as rugged but it still a very solid device in its own right.

Technical Reading

[martin-boundary]

E-ink devices are great for nontechnical reading. What do I mean by that? Reading which starts on the first page, and traverses each page fully in a linear sequence. That's the use case where tablets just can't compete. But be careful.

Screen size matters. Pick a font size you feel comfortable with, and then see how many words can fit on a page. It gets very annoying if you have to press a button to flip pages too many times. With a normal paperback, you only flip the page once every two pages, so that's the equivalent of one button press for 1000 words or so. An ereader increases the rate to at best two button presses for 1000 words, and often more.

For technical documents, e-ink devices fall over. There are two things that matter with technical docs: viewing images/equations/tables and easy searching.

For viewing images/equations/tables, you really want to see the full rendered page all at once, so any device that can't do it is a major problem. If you have to squint to decipher a full page, forget it. If you can't afford a big screen, you'll have to do a lot of zooming. That gets old very quickly, even with a tablet where zooming is responsive. You can try reading in landscape, but you'll only get 1/3rd of a page typically, so that means you'll be pressing the scroll button 3x for each page, ie 6x as often as a paperback.

The other major issue is searching. When you have lots of papers/textbooks, the most common thing you'll be doing is looking for a paragraph within, not actually reading anything from start to finish. For that, both tablets and e-ink devices suck major donkey balls, but tablets suck a little less, because flipping pages is much faster.

You might think that text searching capability would solve that problem, it doesn't. Searching for pictures, diagrams, or equations doesn't work. Searching for keywords tends to return too many hits in a textbook. With heavy hypertext linking, you can get lost very quickly. And the quality of indexes varies from book to book. Expect to be spending a lot of time flipping pages interactively, just like a real dead tree edition.

All that said, for technical reading I'm reasonably happy with a 10 inch tablet for now, although they are just not practical for carrying around everywhere, and can't be read in daylight.

Playboy

[PPH]

For the articles. Honest.

A vote for tablets

[Anonymous Coward]

eInk is very nice, *if* the lighting is right. If you read at night, you need a clip-on light or some other external light source. With a tablet, it's only in bright sunlight that you can't read it easily. Every other lighting condition, I think it beats eInk. I think the iPad with the Kindle app makes a better Kindle than any of the Kindles.

I've owned three eInk readers, a Galaxy 7.0+, and an iPad. I prefer the iPad over the others.Just nicer overall, more flexible if you want to do something other than read, and the support is excellent. Battery life isn't as good as eInk, but it's pretty awesome all the same.

Playbook is nice

[Anonymous Coward]

Forget about feeding the mega-corp google or apple, support the little guys, get a playbook! Mine's terrific, the 3rd party free ebook reader app is awesome and updated often so far, there's also a free 3rd party pdf reader that's great (and that's much better than the adobe pdf thing playbook comes with), and well, why settle for just an ebook reader when you can have all sorts of other functionality? Like having a startrek compad eh?

Tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

No point in getting a device just for reading books, when you can get a tablet and read books, magazines, websites, play games, do your taxes, watch YouTube, etc. all on one device.

Here's a thought

[Dcnjoe60]

Here's a thought. Since you are wanting to get back into reading, instead of already being in a position where you read a lot. Just read an actual book. It's a lot cheaper to buy a book or two every month until you find out you are goingwhere to stick with it instead of shellingout $ for an electronic device. If you use the library, the books won't even cost you.

Once you become an avid reader, then buy the device that will best fit your style.

neither

[sixsixtysix]

unless you can get the books at like 10% of the what the physical copy would cost... used. or maybe i'm mistaken and these digital goods have finally gotten all of their physical counterparts traits such as non-timetable-based lending to friends & the doctrine of first sale(and much, much cheaper as time goes on, for the most part). if none of that has happened, why bother with them? the convenience is minimal compared what you give up, and, yes, i do apply the same reasoning to music, movies, and games. unless they get cheap enough to reflect what consumers are losing, they should be nowhere near the same price.

Books.

[ring-eldest]

Here we just sell small rectangular objects. They're called books. They require a little effort on your part, and make no bee-bee-bee-bee-beeps. On your way ... -The Neverending Story

audiobook using kindle to read

[Anonymous Coward]

I have 3 hours commute time per day. I let my kindle keyboard 3g read the book to me while I drive. It really works for me.
watch out since the cheapest kindle does not support audio.

It has to look like paper.

[Deputy Doodah]

I have a kindle and a kindle fire. Christmas was good to me. I prefer the kindle for reading and the kindle fire for everything else. It hurts my eyes to read on the kindle fire.

I've never had this "issue" (i.e. serious problem)

[Anonymous Coward]

I feel sorry for those who are so unmotivated to read that they have to buy special hardware to make it as comfortable as possible. I sit here and read 6-8 hours a day on (gasp!) an LCD screen, just for the pure thrill of learning and expanding my mind.

Your excuses include not being able to read fast and English being your second language. If you force yourself to read more then you will gain proficiency and it will become easier. When was the last bodybuilder you saw who gained his muscles by buying only the right equipment and working out only under perfect conditions? To improve, practice.

Why not do what I do? Just load up a bunch of interesting PDFs in the background while going about your normal day to day computer routine. Read one book for a while until you get bored, then move on to something else for a while. It might be 2-3 days or a week+ before I come back to that same book again, depending. There is no need to cram one's brain with information; simply focus on taking in and understanding (re-reading as necessary), and be patient while allowing your mind to think about what it has read and process it. It's just like exercise. The important part is the habit, not the individual sessions.

Its not necessarily either/or

[Anonymous Coward]

For the money you have to spend, you can get both. An ereader is easier on the eyes and has long battery life. A tablet is better for reading PDFs, games, and web surfing. I have a Kindle Touch ($99.95) and a Lenovo A1 tablet (less than ($200.00).

Things to consider...

[erp_consultant]

Both a tablet and an eBook reader are great for reading books. I've got a tablet, an early Nook and a cheap Kindle. For pure reading I find myself using the Kindle more these days and it's more because of the content than anything else. It seems that Amazon has cheaper prices on the books I'm looking to read. The tablet is good as a secondary reader but it's a bit on the heavy side compared to the Nook or Kindle which seem feather light in comparison. For me, the eInk has no eye strain. I can read comfortably with it for hours. The battery on the Kindle will last for weeks without recharging which is nice as well. The tablet is more versatile, the eReader is single purpose. If you are a serious reader and like to read a lot I'd probably recommend the Kindle. Honestly I couldn't make up my mind so I ended up getting all of them. But I do use them all. I load up books on both the Kindle and Nook and switch between them according to my tastes at the moment. One final big plus for the eReader...it fits in the cargo shorts pocket...let's see you do that with a tablet :-)

eINK devices lack core features

[unixhero]

I bought an ebook reader with eINK display back in 2010. It was an iRiver Story. The specs were fantastic: mp3/ogg/flac reader, stunning looks, great battery life, about 1 week, no sync software only MASS STORAGE. I loved the specs and the design philosophy. No synching apps, no effing iTunes, no Windows synch-tool. I felt that it gave me a lot of freedom, just like it is supposed to. It had an eInk screen - You know, those displays that are really comfortable to read on and doesn't wear out your eyes, and that you can read in bright sunshine, like on the beach. It was a 7" device with. I thought it would revolutionize my reading, but it didn't and I'll tell you why. I mainly rely on PDF files for my books for various reasons. The main reason is my university's scholarly databases provide .pdf's not reflow formats. Therefore I was so happy when I got a device that said on the box "supports PDF". Well it DID support PDF, but the single most important function of a PDF reader, is the ZOOM. PDFs are mostly different from each other, and one always has to ZOOM this way or that way. Zoom to fit screen, Zoom in, Zoom out and so on. Well this eInk device and most eInk devices others I have perused after this first purchase, has this limitation: They only allow for 3 levels of "static zoom", there is no way to zoom it to make it useable, like for instant fill entire screen with half the document, or 1/4 of the document. No no, it required the user to set static "start and end points" and then provide 3 levels of zoom "some zoom, more zoom, a lot of zoom". In the end I had to give it up actually, and leave the gorgeous device in a cabinet. I occasionally used it to play music, which it happily did for for ever. Conclusion: The only real way to consume books is to bite the bullet and use a proper tablet. I might fall into the hands of the empire and use "Good Reader" and DropBox to read my PDFs on an iPad3 this fall, or I might get the Asus Transformer and download the "Cool Reader" app. Pinching and swiping gestures ARE very useful when reading. For the ZOOM, I'm going with a fully fledged tablet. The eInk device I bought was a huge letdown. /end rant

changing habits

[defective_warthog]

Is not going to rest on the purchace of a device. If you want to read more you will find a way to read more. My preferance is books; the search function provided by my brain becomes more powerful with each use. Buy your device and read the fine manual. -off reading to the spousal unit from a book we read together nearly twenty years ago...

From a Physical perspective...

[David_Hart]

... if you plan on reading books for an extended period of time, you are better off getting an e-Reader. The E-Ink display technology is as close to paper that you can get and I find it much easier on my eyes than reading a laptop or tablet screen. The Kindle works well in all lighting conditions and the battery lasts a really long time (over 2 weeks without a charge). I would recommend getting the official Kindle lighted cover. It's a bit on the pricy side, but it's great having the built-in light for late night reading, over-night plane trips, camping, etc.

However, if you are looking for a device to read manuals, search for content, and with interactive capabilities, then you need a tablet.

I have both a Kindle and a tablet. I use the Kindle to read books (i.e. Game of Thrones) and the tablet for manuals (i.e. Kenwood stereo installation in my car). Each has their strengths and weaknesses.

Kindle Touch for books, tablet for pdfs

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Kindle Touch and it's excellent. Compact, not too heavy, battery lasts very long, easy availability of lots of titles.

The Touch UI is not perfect, but it's an order of magnitude better than the joystick-style of the base-model Kindle and the kobo and sony reader, both of which I've had.

I have the Kindle cover with built-in light. It's only an okay light, but it draws power from the kindle (and not much in my experience) so you never turn it on to find out the batteries in the light are dead. Together they were $160 a couple of years ago. You can get a cheaper ebook reader and light but the Touch is a very elegant solution.

That said, when they release a Kindle Touch with the built-in edge light or whatever they're going to call it, someone in my family will inherit my touch.

How about a Library Card?

[Anonymous Coward]

Free. Huge number of books. No technical issues. If you just want to read just get some books. If you want to do other things and read, then maybe a tablet makes sense.

Novels: ebook, Referencematerial: tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

Reading from an ereader is more relaxed then from a tablet. Moreover there is next to none worry about re-charging however browsing is much too cumbersome with ereaders due to slowness. Thus for reading novels I can recommend an eReader, for browsing reference material and study material I can recommend a tablet.

How about buying a book?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is still the best media for reading and it does not require you to carry chargers and other hardware.
Buy the book you want and carry it with you, when you are done with it buy another one. This system is GREAT and has been tested for several hundred years.
If you feel that you don't read enough another piece of gadgetry will not help you; get LESS stuff.

Thinking out of the box ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... if you currently do very little reading, ask yourself if making the device purchase will make a difference in your current habits.

Myself, I simply don't want to spend the time. Instead, I download audiobooks through my library and Overdrive, load them onto my smart phone, and plug it into my car to listen to while I drive to work, or before I go to bed. It allows me to multitask, and fits in better with my current habits, rather than forcing me to change them.

F e-books, read ink on paper, use public libraries

[Anonymous Coward]

I renewed my library card after resigning my full time job a few weeks ago. Have read three fiction books, the first in 45 years and three non-fiction on film making. There is somthing about Dewey. The Kindle I have sucks - a port hole, a very small port hole, view of content. The pain of viewing pdfs on netbooks, laptops and large LCDs takes a toll. Nothing like thumbing 200 pages of a book found with Dewey's help before putting the tome back on the shelf. And, there's something about librarians.

experienced reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I have encountered the same problem and am in the same situation. I am a Computer Professional who mostly only reads technical references and training material, which is almost always in PDF format.

I first owned a Kindle 3, the PDF support on this device was poor at best. I have also owned a Nook touch, while the PDF support is much better, it is not adequate for my needs. I have tried many PDF re-flowing and reformatting tools but none were easy to use, or suited to the task.

About 6 months ago I brought a cheap Chinese tablet off Aliexpress for about $80 USD, It runs android 4.0 and I use Ebookdroid which is an open source PDF reader, it remembers the page I am on in each document and automatically trims the margins to suit (most of these books have rather wide margins).

What about a "phablet"

[twms2h]

Yes, I know, "phablet" is a stupid name, but the Samsung Galaxy Note (the smartphone, not the tablet) with the Kindle software makes an excellent e-book reader. You have to get used to the size, though. It is huge for a phone and maybe a little bit too small for a tablet, but in my view exactly right for an e-book.

Cheap eReaders are Proprietary, no?

[stewbacca]

Hi have an iPad and it runs all of the major eReader formats. I assume Android is the same. Those of you saying you can buy a cheap $75 eReader, did you multiply 75 by the number of eBook formats out there, since those cheap ones only play their proprietary format?

Wait for an iPad Mini

[Anonymous Coward]

I use an iPod Touch (retina display) for all my reading. It works fine for PDF's except for the small size of the screen. Kindle software works fine for PDFs, as does iBooks, and Stanza and MegaReader. However I would prefer a somewhat larger display. A 7" tablet would probably be idea. For this reason I am seriously hoping that Apple comes out with an iPad Mini, otherwise come October I might just surrender and get a Kindle Fire. PDFs are easy to import into your Amazon account.

Re:Wait for an iPad Mini

[Anonymous Coward]

P.S. If I can get books like the Handbook of SILICON WAFER CLEANING TECHNOLOGY (Second Edition) to work on my iPod Touch Kindle App, then there's no reason for anyone to complain.

get glasses,

[niftymitch]

Seriously,
Get reading glasses!

Then renew your library card and hunt some fun books to get back in the habbit.

Samsung apparently has a new tablet so look for bargains ...
Should be a winner.

IPods screen resolution is good and makes a big difference. Eink is easier to read in daylight.

The key is content and presentation. Since type setting is absent on all electronic presentations go for application flexibility. I.e a tablet.

The bigger screens win.

Re: Good point

[alfredo]

Tablets offer too many distractions. Every time the e-mail dings, your attention is drawn away from reading. I have an iPad and love it, but my Kindle has become my primary reading device.

Get a library card

[Anonymous Coward]

If you don't travel a lot, get a library card. There is nothing quite like the feel of a real book. Plus, the batteries don't run down...

I read a lot, as well, and ebooks are a backup choice for me - for the times when I can't really carry regular books with me.

ebook forever!

[Mr_Nitro]

Having tried both for long time, I can tell eBooks wins hands down, even better if you get one that can read (or made to read) both MOBI and EPUB formats,on the PDF side , if you read a lot of PDFs with a lot of graphics in it, I would agree that a tablet is better, but given software like Calibre you can convert the more 'textly' pdf to mobi or alike in a decent manner. I find e-ink display superlative compared to tablet-lcd/amoled and the likes, not to mention the incredible battery life difference...you can keep reading for weeks...etc. my2cnts

It depends, today.

[nurb432]

Novels = e-ink hands down, no debate
Tech manuals/comics/similar = tablet. ( At least until you can get an affordable color e-ink large format reader )

After struggling with 'e-books' since the mainframe days, there was no question in my mind that after the first time i saw e-ink in real life there was no comparison, and no going back.

I doubt ink will ever make it into the multimedia market, but really, it doesn't need to and should stick with what its best for. ( once we get color )

Know your material

[Anonymous Coward]

If all you want to read are books and/or newspapers, an eReader is a good cheap option. If you want those plus magazines, comic books and whatever else you can dig up, buy a tablet. Android tablets and iPads both have a great selection of reader apps. I have a Motorola Xoom and I use Komix, Zinio, B&N Nook, Adobe Reader and Amazon Kindle to read a variety of things.

Samsung Galaxy Player 5

[Anonymous Coward]

When my Palm TX died, which among other things I was using as an ebook reader, I got a Samsung Galaxy Player 5. I installed FB Reader on it and transfered all my books. It is small enough to fit in my pocket, so it is readily available any time I waiting for anything. Like in line at a grocery store or arrived early for an appointment. I was also able to install other programs that were similar to programs that I used on my Palm TX.

So far I only found two negatives with the device. It has a camera, which prohibits taking it into places where cameras are not allowed, like jury duty. And it is not eInk, so reading in bright sunlight is difficult.

Since it cost under $200, I am considering getting a $79 Kindle to use in those cases. The Kindle is a little bigger though and a little less convenient to carry around.

Yes.

[tverbeek]

That's all. Just "Yes." You should.

Get the one you like best.

Coming up on Ask Slashdot: "What movie should I go see?", "Which girl/boy should I ask out?", and "What should I major in?"

Nexus 7

[J4]

It's powerful, cheap and the battery lasts all day. The only place where e-ink has a clear edge is in broad daylight.

2nd Hand Paperbacks

[ayjay29]

I pretty much only read 2nd hand paperbacks. You can pay a couple of $ per copy from a 2nd hand bookshop or charity shop, read them, then give them back. You support charity / the local economy, and its pretty much carbon neutral.

budget hundred$ for content too

[peter303]

I heard the average kindle customer buys $300 worth of content a year. Thats a little over two ebooks a month. The convenience of buying instantly online may be what does it. They hook you with a free first chapter.

In the scheme of things, such content not more expensive than regular theater movies or a few bar beers a months. There is FREE content. But that tends to be classic books and old TV shows.

Lots of variables

[DedTV]

To actually address the OP's question specifically, as with anything, which one is best depends on many variables.
You say you'd like a dictionary, in which case a tablet is usually going to do that better.
But if you get distracted easily by things like having the ability to play Angry Birds, then a basic e-reader might be better.
If you read in bed at night, a front lit reader would be favorable (Nook has one and there's supposedly a front lit Kindle on the way soon) as backlit screens can be hard on the eyes or distracting if you have a partner who is trying to sleep while you read.
If you read in bright sunlight an e-ink reader would be best. Etc, etc....

My advice would be to get a $80 Kindle or the cheapest E-Reader you can find second hand or on clearance and give it a try for a month or so. If you end up not liking it, you'll at least have some practical use experience to determine why you don't like it and have a better idea of what you would like.

For me, I use a fairly old Sony PRS-505. I also have several other readers (Nook Glow, Kindle and a iPad) but the reason I keep it is because of my variables. The main one is that I read a lot of series books and I use Calibre to manage my book library and Sony's software allows me to group books in order by series very easily using Calibre. The Nook and Kindle don't allow outside programs that ability so you have to sort books one by one into Shelves or Collections on the reader itself which takes forever. The Sony doesn't also doesn't have a touch screen which is nice as I read in bed a lot and end up flipping pages or bringing up menus all the time whenever I shift with a touch screen. It also acts as an MP3 player which is great when traveling to block out distractions and allows me to play audiobooks as well. And it's much lighter than an iPad so it's easier to tote around or hold in one hand when I read at lunch and such.

Want to read more??

[Anonymous Coward]

Mr Obvious here.

Pick up a book and start reading it. Technology for e-books of any type does more to get in the way and unnecessarily raise the cost (and put up more barriers) than simply using the old fashioned technology of books.

Now if the entire premies of "reading more" is simply (and fairly obviously) bull shit, then just decide on what tech TOY you want to play with and stop lying to yourself and others that it has anything to do with "reading more".

You ASKED to be badmouthed!

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed that was your opening statement.

Now you're whining about how you're being badmouthed.

Tough shit, pindick.

Smart phone - Kindle/Nook/Google Books/Aldiko etc

[Acron]

Get a 4+" screen smart phone. The only negative here is it would be hard to handle textbooks on the smaller screen. Every kind of ebook distributor has an app that works on an android phone, and they all do seem to work okay for general reading. You can switch to white text on black screen for reading at night or to save on power. You'll adapt, it's definitely just good enough tech approach, and you read a lot less on the screen at one go, but it's a flick to get to the next page and you don't have to carry multiple devices. If you use your smart phone a lot, you are already set up to handle getting it recharged as you go (car charger, charger at work, by computer, in kitchen, etc, spare battery if you can remove yours, etc). Smart phones with 3G/4G access can go get new books. I've harvested tons of free books on the major 3 platforms, and Amazon also has free ebooks all the time. It's a new hook for authors with multi-book series, first book is free, second book is $1-2 and so on to newest book which is $4-5. I've done this multiple times, and I get all three books as fast as I can read them generally for $5-8, and for 3 full books I really enjoyed that's a good price. So I have tons of books, all of Frank Baum's Oz books are available free from Google Books for example, ready to be reread when the urge hits. Aldiko has a separate sync app that allows you to copy your Aldiko library to your dropbox and then to another smartphone/tablet/etc.

Buy both

[rhsanborn]

How about this, buy both. I read PDFs and color text books on a tablet (iPad) and I'll read linear content (novels) on the iPad if it's the only thing I have with me. But I far prefer linear content on an e-ink ereader. It's much nicer on the eyes and the battery lasts a really long time.

If the budget restricts, pick one - tablet is more flexible, but not as enjoyable to read on (in my opinion), or ereader if you like to read linear content like novels, linear non-fiction, etc.

I have both and recommend e-reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a new iPad and it's a fine device, but lousy for reading - too heavy, too hard to read with reflections off the screen. Battery life is too short, too.

I have a Kindle, and it's light, easy to hold at an angle, and I can read for many many hours before it needs recharging.

For reading, an e-reader is the better choice.

your quesion tells me

[Anonymous Coward]

that you are between two and five years of age. don't worry, you will get older and learn to google

Get a .....

[Anonymous Coward]

freakin' book.

Get a Playbook

[Anonymous Coward]

I have a Playbook and bought the app Ereader = total cost was ~$200 for Playbook and $.99 for Ereader. It's fantastic and it's also a tablet to surf the net. works well in bright light too I was impressed.

EReader ... but

[AaronLawrence]

I bought a cheap Kobo reader, and it's been a smooth transition from reading paperbacks - rarely - to reading ebooks regularly.
The availability of a store for instant gratification is nice, although it's still severely limited in range (maybe a Kobo thing).
The web browser is too crude to use daily, but I think shows that it would be quite nice to read web pages on an e-Ink device.

The Kobo has a nice looking UI, but everything else is a bit clumsy; PC software was clunky, store is clunky, performance is patchy. I just got it because I had some vouchers and it was cheap. And for plain reading, it's fine.

put you 300$ here...

[Anonymous Coward]

.. put your 300-400$ on books, normal, thick, technical books. On Amazon used books, you get about 20 of them for that price.

Audiobooks

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are like me and use your eyes at work (most on computer) you might enjoy listening to audiobooks. My Audible account is full of books I listened to over the last 5 years over my phone. Audiobooks are great for making use of time otherwise lost (like commuting, walking, jogging), but not so great if you want technical books. You don't need to spend money on new equipment if you already have a phone (even Symbian will do), just strap a pair of in-ear headphones and you are good to go. The most popular audiobooks you will find on torrents, classical literature is available for free and for all the rest you can get a yearly subscription from Audible or such at a great discounted price. I only touch hardpaper for technical books lately. You will get accustomed to walking and listening in about a month. 'Till then, just make sure you don't get hit by a car wile being absorbed.

Long term perspective

[Anonymous Coward]

Long time ago WordProcesors, like Wang, really a single function computers
came to the market. They sold, since they have had (for that time) good Word Processor software.
But they did not last.
I expect e-readers to follow the same curve.

The e-ink and light weight are a definite advantage, but there is no reason to buy
a special purpose computer th get one. In the future, I hope near future, it will be possible
to but a e-ink screen as a blue-tooth peripheral to a computer. So many things an e-reader does and
will be missing. For now it decent search function, scaling of fonts, and technical publications with
extended pdf functions.
For now, I enjoy e-reader fro novel and read technical papers on a computer.

Tablet or.. just a smartphone

[Anonymous Coward]

I love my Acer Iconia A500, but if all I want to do is read, it's almost as good reading on my Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Big screen for a phone, and it goes wherever I do. Try carrying a book into the toilet at work - people will talk about you. ;^)

BOOKS

[Anonymous Coward]

How about getting yourself some dead-tree books!

Nexus 7 and Kindle Reader

[Anonymous Coward]

I never thought I'd enjoy electronic books, until last week when my Nexus 7 16GB Android arrived and I loaded Kindle for Android on it. The right tablet, the right size, the right price, the right application. I'm enjoying it immensely.

It depends on where you plan to read

[flibbidyfloo]

If you plan to do your reading outdoors or in really bright places, an e-ink screen will likely give you a superior experience.

If you plan to read in bed before sleeping, an e-ink reader may be less disruptive to your sleep patterns, but will require you to have a light, or get a Nook Touch with backlight.

If you plan to read mostly indoors, on the couch, at the table, or somewhere other than in bed at night, you might prefer the versatility of a color tablet like a Nook, a Kindle Fire, a Nexus 7, or an iPad.

If you like to hack stuff and want complete control over your content, I'd recommend a Nexus 7 or a Nook Color or Nook Tablet, but that's just my opinion.

Get an ebook tablet reader

[cod3r_]

Aka IPAD!!!! and join the rest of the world in this day and time.

Tablet

[Meski]

Tablet. Typically eBook readers come with an app for reading Amazon, or B&N or ... With a tablet, you can get apps for these, plus public domain readers. Don't get a large format tablet, the Nexus 7 is a good size to hold. The Samsung 10.1 is too large.

Try reading old fashioned books first

[jimharris]

I have a Kindle 3 and iPad 2. The Kindle is much easier to hold than the iPad. The Kindle is easier on my eyes, especially for longer periods of reading. However, even though I have bad eyes, and both devices can enlarge the print, I've found it easier to read books instead. Lots of books I want to read aren't available yet in ebook format. Also, many ebooks are more expensive than a used hardback or paperback. Plus, now that everyone is going to digital readers, used books are cheap and plentiful.

thinks l an money

[qq7434138]

I would advice you to get the free library software Calibre, and deDRM all books you buy. I also convert everything to epub for guaranteed forward compatibility. DRM stripping is automatic and completely painless, google "apprentice alf" to obtain the necessary Calibre plugins. That way you're vendor-independent, and don't have to rely on drm-servers which will surely not exist indefinitely. There are also a great selection of classics and a few contemporary novels available for free, and not all classics are heavy. Look into Wodehouse or any number of turn-of-the-century mystery/crime authors for light, free reads. I buy a lot of books as well, and rarely pay more than about $8 for a book, often far less. I won't get into any piracy debate, I really don't care, but I personally find that legally obtained books are very affordable and painless to use when stripped of DRM.cheap nike nfl jerseys cheap nike nfl jerseys cheap nike nfl jerseys cheap nike nfl jerseys