Pick your e-reader

[LadyLuck]

I actually have the Nook Tablet. I love it for both myself and my children. I think a lot depends on what it is you wish to read on it. If you are looking for magazines, illustrated books, etc. A color device is key. I also can't say enough about the B&N content. There are a lot of crummy reviews out there for it, but I've actually had good luck. There is a ton of free content, and it is decently formatted. You get what you pay for on that, and often for $0.99 you can get a more enhanced copy. They're worth a look if you are shopping around. If you're dead set on a Kindle, I've heard good things about those too, but I just wanted to toss this option out there.

[Scheherazade]

What format books can you read on Kindle? EPUB etc?

[JBI]

What format books can you read on Kindle? EPUB etc?

Epub and Mobi are the most compatible, but any format really, just use Calibre to load the thing up. Pdfs work as well, which is what I mostly put on my thing. Will try using Chinese on it and see how it goes tonight (just got it).

As for me, I got the one with the keyboard because I like the way the page flip works better. Then again, it still is an annoyance to navigate through to the pages I want, so I plan on just using it when I travel or when I am abroad (which will be for a while, so I cannot drag my library with me.

[Eleanor62]

I've had Sony readers and several Kindles

[Kafka's Crow]

I have an IRex ILiad which was good but I don't use it any more. I do most of my reading on my iPad now. I am reading Guermantes Way these days and am really enjoying it on my old trusty iPad1. Stanza is by far the best application for reading on idevices. Amazon recently bought it from the developers and started killing it to promote kindle by stopping the upgrade process with the release of new versions of iOS. It was killed when iOS 5.0 came out as Amazon did not make Stanza compatible. We made a lot of hue and cry and after hundreds of complaints and requests Amazon finally gave in but they are killing it limb by limb by removing different functions. Now the dictionary is gone and people who upgraded to recent versions are having connectivity difficulties. For this reason alone, I will never buy a Kindle. I am leaning towards Nook Touch for my boys. I never upgraded my iOS when Amazon bought Stanza so I still use the old and almost fully functional version which connects seamlessly and wireless with Calibre and is, by far, the best reading experience:

[Scheherazade]

Epub and Mobi are the most compatible, but any format really, just use Calibre to load the thing up. Pdfs work as well, which is what I mostly put on my thing. Will try using Chinese on it and see how it goes tonight (just got it).

That is a relief. I had been told that Kindle only supported Kindle books for commercial purposes and it has been a worry for me since then because I get most of my ebooks from the library, which mostly come in EPUB or PDF.

I still have my SONY, which I love. I have not used Kindle but recently got a KOBO for a friend and she seems very pleased with it as well.

I don't like reading on the Ipad because of the backlight. It does not feel as good as an ereader.

[Kafka's Crow]

That is a relief. I had been told that Kindle only supported Kindle books for commercial purposes and it has been a worry for me since then because I get most of my ebooks from the library, which mostly come in EPUB or PDF.

I still have my SONY, which I love. I have not used Kindle but recently got a KOBO for a friend and she seems very pleased with it as well.

I don't like reading on the Ipad because of the backlight. It does not feel as good as an ereader.

The process of using non-Amazon books/ documents on Kindle is called 'side-loading'. It can be done on the Kindle ereader itself but Amazon recently disabled it on their Kindle app for iOS devices. I wouldn't be surprised if they disabled side- loading on the Kindle ereader as well. Would you trust your library with such an unpredictable company? For Sony you have to convert books into format (is it .lrf?) in order to read them on their readers.

[Charles Darnay]

I use paper. The only comparability issues I have is how to fit them on my shelves

Well, this is half-true. I do have an iPad 2 (and do have the iBooks and Kindle apps). I use the kindle app mostly for its sample feature - you could download the first chapter (or so) for free. So I do this, and if I like the book I will trot out to the store and pick it up. There are certain texts that are free that I want to read but do not have as must investment in buying them, so I will download them in e-format.

[JBI]

The process of using non-Amazon books/ documents on Kindle is called 'side-loading'. It can be done on the Kindle ereader itself but Amazon recently disabled it on their Kindle app for iOS devices. I wouldn't be surprised if they disabled side- loading on the Kindle ereader as well. Would you trust your library with such an unpredictable company? For Sony you have to convert books into format (is it .lrf?) in order to read them on their readers.

You and I both know someone will just find a way to crack the device, besides, I cannot see them doing that any time soon, because that would cut out all public domain books, something which encourages readers to get the device in the first place.

[Zee.]

I am in Australia, and I decided that i would like to get one as I am going on holiday in july to Vietnam. I was thinking to myself, "what books should I take?" etc, and then i thought it was time to get an e-reader.

I love books, hard copy books. But for traveling, the e-reader makes sense.

The only downside i have found is the unavailability of some books.. I wanted to get Game of Thones but I couldn't

[kev67]

What do you think of Kindles and other e-book readers? I have been slightly put off getting one because:

• I was worried Kindles would do for books what CDs and music downloading did to records.
  
• Electronic media keeps changing format every five minutes.
  
• I didn't want to be locked into any proprietary format like with ****** Apple.
  
• No tangible, nicely packaged object that stays put on your shelf and doesn't disappear when your electronic gizmo or software crashes.
  
• Something else to buy batteries for.

However, on the other hand:

• I wonder if a Kindle may be more environmentally friendly than buying lots of books. A Kindle has a lot of embedded energy, but so too, probably, have books.
  
• It would definitely be a lot easier to carry than a lot of books.
  
• I don't think they would kill off proper books. I enjoy walking through my local branch of Waterstones and browsing through the books. I quite like looking through Oxfam for 2nd hand books. You can't do that with e-readers.

[Calidore]

Another disadvantage I see constantly with e-books is poor quality control. Amazon's book reviews are loaded with complaints about typos/poor OCR in e-book versions of titles.

[Anton Hermes]

I'm a book lover and, like you, would rather look through a second hand bookshop than do virtually anything else. But my wife swears by her Kindle, because it's portable and can store a lot of material.

[paradoxical]

At first, I had no interest in an e-reader but after the Kindle Fire came out I decided to go for it, mainly for the wi fi access. I do have some complaints, however. First, the battery life isn't all that great. Not so bad if you're just using it to read but watching Netflix or Youtube really drains the battery fast and you have to recharge.

As far as reading goes, I didn't realize that ebooks would not be formatted the same way as regular books. There are no page numbers and no easy way to jump to a certain chapter. You can use the bookmark feature but there is no way to reference a page number. I thought it would be the same as the edition it was based on. I find that it's much easier to use real bookmarks with real books and you can also make notes in the margins or highlight text. I believe there is a way to do this with the Kindle, but I don't imagine it would be as simple or effective.

My main complaint is the price of ebooks. I had no idea that they were almost as expensive as buying a regular book. I believe the DOJ is investigating Amazon and some of the major publishers for price fixing. They really should be much cheaper as there is very little cost to the publisher and it is almost pure profit for them. The good news is that if you enjoy classics, there are many available for free from Amazon and it only takes seconds to download. You can even do it from a PC and it will send it to your Kindle.

I enjoy second hand bookstores and the feel of a real book. I like the smell of the pages and the feeling of holding a book and turning the pages. I also collect books, and enjoy seeing them on the shelf. However, a Kindle will hold many hundreds of books, all there at your fingertips. The backlit screen is nice for reading at night without a lamp; you can read in almost any position and sometimes it seems that it's actually easier and faster to read on the device rather than a book. I also enjoy the fact that no one can see the cover of the book you're reading. Want to read 50 Shades of Grey on the train but don't want to feel embarrassed? Just download it on your Kindle!

There are also a ton of apps available and some good games. I was addicted to Words With Friends for awhile and it has Angry Birds and a lot more. The screen is bigger than an Iphone but it's smaller then an Ipad. Almost the perfect size. However, as time goes on I find myself using it less and less and when I do, it's only to read. There is also a compatibility problem with ebooks designed for the Nook by Barnes & Noble and the Kindle, which works with Amazon. So you need to decide first which one you want to go with. Personally, I would recommend the Kindle but that's just my opinion.

[Scheherazade]

The process of using non-Amazon books/ documents on Kindle is called 'side-loading'. It can be done on the Kindle ereader itself but Amazon recently disabled it on their Kindle app for iOS devices. I wouldn't be surprised if they disabled side- loading on the Kindle ereader as well. Would you trust your library with such an unpredictable company? For Sony you have to convert books into format (is it .lrf?) in order to read them on their readers.

I use a Sony and don't have to convert them at all. I keep both my fiction books and work-related documents on it and have no problem.