What is the best e-book reader for under or around $150? I saw some really negative reviews about the Kindle gen3 software having freezing problems but I would like to get something with good wifi technology as I will have access to a dediated oc3 at school. This is for my wife, so style counts for something.

honestly, save your money a little longer and get a tablet.

Readers are great if you really want a ridiculously dedicated device that will never serve any other purpose. Otherwise, spend double the money and get something that will work as a reader and give you loads of other functionality as well.

Just my $.02

I've been looking into this in the past year, and it seems NOW3P might have a point. Many of the eReaders I had been considering (Nook, Kindle) have now gone all 'proprietary' and you can no longer read another book provider's format (without a complex series of conversions - you know I'm a geek, and I know there's always a way). I got so bent out of shape about it that I decided to just hang on and wait until I can afford an iPad (or maybe a first gen Galaxy tab, because I understand that's about all it's good for and they should be selling off cheap in the near future).

All the major book providers seem to offer their software for free, so why not just get a tablet and download the software from any provider you decide you'd like to purchase from?

(And if this isn't an option, then my research indicated that the Nook was probably the better option. You can pick up the B&W one for under $150 - the color one will cost you more.)

NOW3P summed up everything I wanted to say.

If style counts for something, buy her an iPad/iPad2 already. But that's like at least triple of $150 lol.

Galaxy tab is a cheaper alternative to the iPad, but they're less... "fancy".

Well, tablets have some downsides, too. If you want it for reading books only, an E-Book reader has many advantages like way more readable display, even in sunlight, way less powerconsumption and lighter weight. I don't own one, but thought of buying one in the near future. A friend of mine likes the readers from Sony most, fancy and good.

i have an ipad2 and it's a bore, though undoubtedly the less one cares about 'doing computer stuff' and the more value one places on how others perceive them, the more appealing an ipad might be. not trying to be geekier-than-thou, just my personal experience. my grandmother would do well on an ipad, as would my teenage sister.

i'd love a kindle for all the reasons hohiro just listed, but in the end i'm extremely content with paper books. granted i'm not a very fast reader, but i don't see tremendous value in carrying around more than one book. paper books perform well in virtually any lighting scenario and require extremely little energy to operate. ;)

also, i've used a nook and a kindle and much preferred the kindle.

I prefer actually books as well, especially since I usually buy only hardbacks and 1st editions, and cover them all to protect them.

I dont have to worry about sand and water as much as I would with an e-reader, lol

Balin, what did you like about the Kindle? I'm about to start taking the train (kinda stupid to pay $700/month just to travel and park downtown), and I am not as big a fan of paper as you are. :p I'm torn between the two, and was leaning toward the Nook (as I've already bought a bunch of books on B&N)...

Doesn't Calibre easily do the magic, if you like the Kindle more?

From the posts I've read, it looks like a lot of trouble... but that may just be the posts I've read. lol I'm in IT, so I generally don't have a lot of trouble converting - still, I'd rather not HAVE to convert.

the kindle has 2 things going for it - it is terrific for reading text, and you don't have to pay for the 3g wireless connection. The internet browser sucks and music function is barely passable. If all your wife needs is a reader, and maybe occasionally check email, than the kindle is great. If she wants a device that can do more, than the kindle is probably not right for her.

As a kindle owner (I typically spend 3-4 hours a day on mass transit), the main issues I have with it are as follows:

1. It can not handle graphics in books - there is no zoom function.
2. It is very easy to break the screen. Amazon will replace it for free within the warranty period, but it's a pain in the neck.

What I like most about the Kindle:
1. It is not backlit, which goes a long way to reducing eyestrain. Yes, you may need a book light, but it beats staring at a tablet for hours on end.
2. The display is very high contrast - you can read in direct sunlight.
3. As long as you keep the wireless off, and use it to read books, the battery lasts forever. I've gone 2-3 weeks of regular use on one charge.

My main concern with the Nook is what will happen to its market and support when B&N goes out of business.

The key difference between e-reader and tablet is the screen. The e-ink is really much better for reading. It really doesn't bother your eyes. Just think about reading a book on your computer screen if you can't do that i don't think reading on a tablet would work.

I have a nook and use it 3 hours a day on my commute. It works great.

Plus free books i have probably saved 300 in not physically buying the books. That is less of a feature but more of a fact.

The nook is less restrictive than amazon with formats so you need to jump through less hoops to get stuff on to it.

I've been considering a reader for a bit now. Especially after my first AK trip. The ability to pack a ton of books with me without actually having to cram them into my bag is great. And the screen is all the reason to use it over my laptop.

I got a Kobo from my chick for my birthday. It's pretty basic, but was cheap ($70) and with Calibre it's easy to load any book I want on there. It's only good for reading, but it does that much better than tablets I've tried for it.

I think the readability of e-readers is ridiculously overrated personally. I have yet to run into a situation where I haven't been able to read the text on the screen of my tablet/laptop/smart phone as the e-reader ads would have you believe.

The text might be crisper on e-readers, but given the loss of other functions, this is hardly a selling point for me.

It's not. As others already mentioned it's not backlit, the screen doesn't need refresh. It's just like ink on paper. Even though with current display's ridiculously high vertical refresh rates that you won't even notice I still find it far more comfortable to read my Kindle 3g than staring at a LCD display.

It doesn't have many more extra features but then again a paper book doesn't have any extra feature at all. But the built-in Webster dictionary is a a great help, especially for a non-native English speaker like myself. I can't vouch for the music and text-to-speech functions that it has as I never used them and never intend to anyway.

If reading books is what you want then get an e-book reader. If you also want to play games or do whatever other stuff buy a laptop, not a tablet. Buy a tablet only if you really really need to tweet and update your bookface profile whenever you board a train or bought a hotdog or whatever and the world needs to know.

get a notebook, install a free ereader, and have the same functionality as a comptuer when you dont need to be ereading =P

Yeah. I second that. Get a GalaxyS WiFi at least and u'd be able to even check the internet and see movies. I dunno why ppl woudn't pay 50-100$ more, rather than buy a kindle which aside reading, is useless.

Uhh... I did that. I bought a Dell Inspiron Duo, which I love. It's the size of a tablet (10") with the functionality of an (albeit underpowered) notebook. But it's heavy. It'll run Office 2010 on Win7, but it's too heavy to cart back and forth on the train every day.

I've gotta look into the Galaxies more closely, I guess. When I bought my Duo, I was absolutely stunned at how little you got for so much money with the Galaxy Tab (first gen). Unless they've come down significantly in price and gone up significantly in specs, I'm definitely not going there.

better buy galaxy tab before apple gets court order for samsung to stop selling those at canuckland too.

that will go on for just about few months till things clarify. that is in response to Apple getting sued by Nokia for using coding from Symbian for their iPhones.

anyways, Android (any over 4") better than anything. A phone/tablet with at least AMOLED screen (AMOLED+ even better) beats anything. If you want an investment, just wait for those dual core Motorola phones/tablets Google wants to sell from Jan/Feb next year.

I have a Galaxy S and all I can say is that it does everything from logging to irc to watching TV.

Also...if you want a second opinion and why not Kindle, read this:

http://www.xrangegifts.com/...re-the-new-internet-pads/

I think he's very accurate in measuring the upsides and downsides of your decision :)

From reading about lcd vs amoled screen before buying a phone half a year ago, I got the impression that lcds displays text better than amoleds. The phone I've got was the lcd version and it's very good for text. May be that amoleds beat it in most other regards though, and I'd rather have a ebook for just reading. But I'm very parsimonious, so the phone will have to cover that for a while ;)

amoleds ARE better for reading by my understanding - I just think the gain in visibility is negligible in relation to the huge amount of functionality you use getting a device that has it.

I have yet to find a situation where a LCD screen doesn't suit my needs just fine

my dad has an iPad and a Kindle, and my GF has a Kobo (1st gen)... the Kindle & Kobo are *SOOOOO* much better for reading it's sick... if you actually want to read books, *don't* get a tablet...


The Kindle felt a little nicer, but I understand the Kobo is easier to just do what you want with

amazon is making tablet too so ..........

This.

i use Nook for PC on my Inspiron Duo. one of these days, i'll go look at a Nook Book and see how well it fits in my cargo pants. B&N has a cafe 3.9 miles away that i intend to start using for internet. it let's me read stuff from gutenberg or whatever it's called. though it doesn't let me remove them.

iPad uses retina display which essentially is a LCD (invented more than 4 years ago) with a slightly improved name. Tabs like motorola, samsung or HTC began implementing the AMOLED screen which is in its third generation (Super AMOLED Plus) and is only in its second year and is a new technology. It's like saying LCD = LED screens which is ... totally different in terms of perception of image and technology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/...i/LED-backlit_LCD_display

I'm not a fan of Apple technologies mainly because they ask for more money than other companies for products that don't have the latest technology and the only thing that you pay for is that they you have as software things that you need or don't. If you're a laid back guy that wants to check mail/call/listen to songs they want you to hear and occasionally surf at not so great speeds, then buy that. If don't then buy anything else.


iPad:

Display


9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously



Galaxy Tab

Display Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 600 x 1024 pixels, 7.0 inches (~170 ppi pixel density)
- Gorilla Glass display
- TouchWiz UI
- Multi-touch input method
- Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate
- Three-axis gyro sensor
- Touch-sensitive controls
- Proximity sensor for auto turn-off

Kindle

Sorry I haven't found full point-by-point specs, but you can read the tons of reviews out there . Apparently Kindle 3 has a problem with the screen? (I dunno if they managed to solve that and reimburse the ones that bought defective ones)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsQLUNXkpQg

Lulz, I can't believe you nubs still pay for books let alone ebooks that sell for about the same as the physical editions (total ripoff lol) and probably cost like 10-20% of the original price (physical book) to produce.

Calibre + mjbookmaker + any old phone that can run java software = epic win

<---- The King of Pirated ebooks pays $0.00 and gets to read any book he wishes. :D

LOL. well, i'm actually replacing my physical library with the ebooks. some i can get for free off of that gutenburg dealy-bob because they're out of copyright. near as i can tell, i'm not going to have to cough up all my assets because i got caught for stealing an ebook or a song.

and per Patience's comment about the Duo being under-powered, i'm not sure. Office 2010 and Win7 might just be bloated resource hogs. 2G memory, quad-CPUs... though it does play Diablo2 really bad compared to my Mini.

http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/ don't have a clue why i can't remember what it's called. probably some brain-washing left over from commercials demanding that i go out and buy everything.

Fair enough, Dibs... they are bloated resource hogs. But even when I bought the Duo, I knew it wasn't going to be the most powerful laptop I ever owned - I just bought it to check my email, edit the occasional Word or Excel doc, and surf the net while watching TV. ;)

Thanks for all the input. My wife's birthday is rapidly approaching and she will primarily be reading books with the device. I purchased the kindle and dropped it in the mail.

I broke down and bought a Kobo last night... and so far I love it. Unlike the Kindle, I can borrow books from the library AND lend them out to my Kobo friends (as well as borrowing from their collections). :D

I have one of the older Kindles and love it. It doesn't do much outside of books but it is so easy for reading. My kids have played with it and never hurt it so I don't know what people are saying about the screen being easy to break (maybe thats the newer models).

I am looking forward to some of the new Kindle models coming out and the Kindle tablet for only 200$

Also for the kindle format (mobi) it is really really easy to convert with calibre. Just load the folder where you keep your books, right click and convert. Can't get much easier:P

Saw a great pic on Stumbleupon last night - The caption was "Last image I was looking at on my Kindle before I dropped it", and then the image of the Trolliolio meme with FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU on a cracked to fluff Kindle screen :-)

That pisses me off too, and encourages me to not spend any money on the book industry. Seems they will be following the music and movie industry's footsteps and do everything wrong while entering the digital age...

And that's why I bought a Kobo. Free library books rule. :D

This thread has me wondering. What purpose is there for a tablet, ever? I've been trying to figure this out since the i-pad came out. It doesn't replace an mp3 player for most people, it can't go to the gym with you. It doesn't replace a laptop. It is unreadable on a sunny day (clearly a few people here don't go outside to read). I just don't see where the nitch is for these things.

IMHO, tablets are a testing ground for technology that will be applied to the next generation of smart phones. The phone will eventually replace the laptop, tablet, desktop, etc.

phones are too small for my eyeballs.

you could've just used Nook for PC on your Duo. i don't understand how you can Swing Dance but complain that a Duo is too heavy. i just walked 5 miles with one of them contraptions hanging on my back.

lol It's not like I couldn't cart the Duo around if I had to... but if I end up standing on the train, it's not exactly feasible to fish my Duo out of my purse and hold it for 45 minutes while swaying back and forth in a crowded train. Let alone how I'd free up a hand to turn pages. :p The Kobo is feather light. I bought a case with an elastic closure which conveniently doubles as a hand-strap so I can hold it and turn pages with one hand while bobbing around on a moving train packed with people. It's awesome. :)

And did I mention... FREE LIBRARY BOOKS!!! :D

After tremendous debate and analyzing all of the points...
I went with preordering the Kindle Touch 3G.

Price, battery life, limited web browsing even though it maybe taken away at anytime, a company that is not having financial troubles, reading in sunlight, and the random other advantages that come with the amazon ecosystem were just too much to choose the tablet.

If there was a 3g Kindle Fire, it might have made the difference but I think the biggest thing was really the battery life. If a tablet got a couple days of battery life I think it would of been no contest.

The 3g is gimmicky but could be a life saver or at the very least entertaining.

This is about an e-reader, a device you can throw in a backpack or a bag and have a library with you, and not something to play angry birds on. If you have to worry about battery life, your eyes melting out of your head, or too much light it's not really like reading a book.

I absolutely have grown to despise single function devices and having to carry around a bag of gadgets is highly depressing but if you are a college student, an avid reader, or need reference books for your job than an e-reader is an acceptable device to have separate.

I almost went with the Kindle... it looks like a slightly better eReader than the Kobo, but what swayed me was the ability to loan books out to friends and borrow from the library.

So, when can we see a custom made kindle app for EE? :P

So did she like it aponic? Would love to know what you think of the thing after she gets a chance to use it a bit.

Engadget is reporting that web browsing is already pulled as a free service.

So I think I will look into the Kobo and Nook a bit harder. It's too bad they are planning to cut that service, it really is kind of a decision maker.

What are they doing that phones can't outside of having a bigger screen and maybe a bit more power?

Woot, I take it all back. I'm getting a Kindle Touch as soon as it comes out...except I'm still not gonna buy any ebooks lulz. <3