There are so many electronic book readers on the market that it can be difficult to decide which one to buy. You can learn about the pros and cons of various models and the different features available in this electronic book reader buyer’s guide. First, let’s take a look at the top models by feature, then we’ll look at each model individually.
The Cheapest Electronic Book Readers
Price is an important consideration when making any purchase, but it is not always the most important criteria to use in making a buying decision. However, if your budget limits the amount you can spend or you are just a bargain hunter at heart, you’ll want to choose one of the less expensive e-book readers. Of the top ten electronic book readers on the market, the cheapest is Amazon.com’s Kindle. The latest generation Kindle with a 6″ display and Wi-Fi connectivity is just $139. If you need to be able to download via a 3G network, you can get the 3G version, which includes Wi-Fi connectivity as well, for $189. The second-cheapest electronic book reader in the top ten is the Kobo eReader for $149. However, this e-book reader does not offer access to newspaper, magazine, and blog subscriptions like the Amazon Kindle does. It also does not have text to speech, so you won’t have the option to listen to your book rather than reading it.
E-book Readers that Read to You
If the text to speech feature is important to you, then you only have four choices: the latest 6″ Amazon Kindle (either version), the Kindle DX, which has a much larger display, the Nookcolor, the Pandigital Novel, and the Astak 5″ EZ Reader Pocket PRO. Any of these electronic book readers will allow you to listen to your e-books as if they were audio books.
Electronic Book Reader Connectivity Options
Almost any electronic book reader will allow you to transfer content from your PC to the reader. Where connectivity is an issue is when you want to be able to download books wirelessly without going through your computer. This is especially important if you plan to take your electronic book reader with you when you travel.
The wireless options available in the top ten e-book readers are Wi-Fi, 3G, and Whispernet. If you require a certain type of wireless connectivity, your choice in electronic book readers will be limited to those that offer that option. The most popular wireless download option is Wi-Fi. This option is available on both versions of the latest Kindle. It is also a feature on the BeBook Neo, Barnes & Noble Nook, Alex eReader, and Pandigital Novel. 3G access is offered on the 3G version of the new Amazon Kindle, the Kindle DX, and the Barnes & Noble Nook. The Nookcolor doesn’t support 3G networking, just WiFi. Whispernet is only available on the Kindle DX.
Screen Size
One of the most important features to consider is the screen size. Your electronic book reader needs to feel comfortable in your hands and it also must be easy to read. The largest display available is the 9.7 inch screen on the Kindle DX, so if a large screen is important to you, there is really no other choice. The second largest screen in the top ten e-book readers is the 7″ screen on the Pandigital Novel reader. All of the rest of the top e-book readers have 6″ screens except for the Astak 5″ EZ Reader Pocket PRO, which has a 5″ screen.
Memory and Battery Life
The electronic book reader with the most internal memory is the Kindle. All three versions have 4 GB of internal memory. The Barnes & Noble Nook has 2 GB. However, although these electronic book readers have the highest internal memories, they do not have any removable storage. The Nookcolor has 8 GB and accepts SD cards up to 32 GB. All of the other models, which have less internal memory, offer memory expansion through the use of a memory card. This makes storage space virtually unlimited, as long as you don’t mind carrying around a bunch of memory cards.
As for battery life, most of the top e-book readers range between 7,000-8,000 page turns per charge, so there isn’t much difference between them. However, the Barnes & Noble Nook only lasts for about 5,500 page turns per charge. No page turn data was available for the latest 6″ Kindle, but it can retain a charge for up to 4 weeks with the Wi-Fi disabled or three weeks with it on. The Nookcolor will only work for 8 hours with Wi-Fi turned off.
Electronic Book Reader Reviews
6″ Amazon Kindle – The latest Kindle is available in a Wi-Fi only version for $139 and a 3G version, which also offers Wi-Fi, for $189. The Kindle has access to Amazon.com’s dedicated content service, which offers an unbeatable selection of e-books as well as the ability to subscribe to newspapers, magazines, and blogs. There are over 1.8 million public domain books available in the Kindle format as well. This electronic book reader offers the text to speech option.
Kindle DX – The Kindle DX’s biggest selling point is its extra large 9.7″ viewing screen. If you want a large screen, this is the best electronic book reader for you. The Kindle DX does not have Wi-Fi capability, but it does offer downloads by 3G and Whispernet. The Kindle DX also has the text to speech feature.
BeBook Neo – The BeBook Neo supports a wide range of document formats and offers WiFi connectivity. It has a 6″ touch screen and 512 MB of internal memory. You can expand the memory by using a 16 GB memory card. Newspaper, magazine, and blog subscriptions are available.
Barnes & Noble Nook – There is a lot of content available for the Nook, which is to be expected since it is marketed by Barnes & Noble. It offers 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and has 2 GB of internal memory. With the Barnes & Noble Nook, you can subscribe to newspapers, magazines, and blogs. It supports EPUB, PDB, and PDF e-book formats. The Nook has a touch screen.
Recently Barnes & Noble upped the ante by setting a release date of November 26th for the Nookcolor. This is the first really strong color ereader and the new B&N interactive children’s books take full advantage of it. This WiFi only reader has 8 GB internal memory, touch screen, and plays mp3 and mp4 media files. While it is not the most expensive read, $249 is still a lot to pay. The Nookcolor sports many attractive features including the ability read ebooks borrowed from your local public library.
Alex eReader – The Alex eReader has a very small amount of memory compared to other leading models. It has 256 MB of internal memory and takes a 2 GB expansion card. It offers WiFi connectivity and takes only three hours to recharge. It also has a touch screen. The Alex eReader offers newspaper and magazine subscriptions, but it does not offer blog subscriptions.
Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600 – The Sony Reader has a 6″ touch screen and offers blog subscriptions but no newspaper or magazine subscriptions. It has 512 MB of internal memory and can accept up to a 32 GB memory card for expansion memory. It does not have any wireless download capabilities.
Pandigital Novel – The Pandigital Novel reader has a 7″ touch screen and allows you to subscribe to magazines and newspapers, but not blogs. It has 1 GB of internal memory and can take up to a 32 GB expansion card. The only document formats it supports are EPUB and PDF. It has WiFi connectivity and offers a text to speech feature.
Kobo eReader – The Kobo eReader does not offer any subscriptions, but it supports EPUB, PDF, and Adobe DRM document formats. It has 1 GB of internal memory and can accept up to a 4 GB external memory card. It does not support any images and does not offer wireless downloads.
COOL-ER – The COOL-ER portable electronic ebook reader offers blog subscriptions but no newspaper or magazine subscriptions. It has 1 GB of internal memory and accepts up to a 4 GB memory card. It supports PDF, EPUB, FB2, RTF, TXT, HTML, and PRC documents. It does not support wireless connectivity.
Astak 5″ EZ Reader Pocket PRO – This electronic book reader has the smallest screen of the top e-book readers, at only 5 inches, so if you’re looking for an e-book reader you can put in your pocket, this is probably your best bet. You’ll still need large pockets though. The Astak 5″ EZ Reader does not offer subscriptions or wireless downloads, but it does have text to speech capability. It has 512 MB of internal memory and takes up to a 16 GB memory card. It supports PDF, DOC, ePub, LIT, PRC, MOBI, WOLF, DJVU, HTML, TXT, CHM, FB2, and PPT files.
The Best Electronic Book Reader
Hopefully, this electronic book reader comparison has helped you narrow down the options and choose the best electronic book reader for you. As for many people, the choice is clear. With its low price and wide range of features, the 6″ Amazon Kindle wins, hands down. However, the Barnes & Noble Nookcolor will be very popular as a ebook reader and iPad wannabee.
