Reading time: 9 – 15 minutes
Let us begin with the obvious: eReaders are popular right now. While some are not yet on the bandwagon, due to their nostalgic attachment to the physical book, most others would never go back. I have listed five of the best reviewed eReaders. Of course some cell phone devices can technically be eReaders, and the iPad is a popular choice, but i have only included those devices that are strictly eReaders.
1~ The Kindle (Amazon)
The Kindle was the first eReader to become widely popular. One of the biggest selling points for this device is the e-ink screen – this means there is no glare and it will not strain your eyes because it is powered by natural light rather than LCD. This also means your battery life will last longer. The Kindle will not have to be charged for up to a month. Starting at $139, the eReader holds up to 3500 books, including free book samples, and WiFi. The device also has text-to- speech, which is extremely popular among users; it reads the book to you aloud.
Pros: Cheap eBook downloads, downloads quickly, won’t strain eyes, built-in dictionary, allows note taking
Cons: Slow web-surfing, limited book selection, no color
2~ Nook (Barnes & Noble)
With over two million book titles, the Nook has become the Kindle’s biggest competition. Starting at $149, the Nook is known for its clear picture and text, and it is in color. It offers free WiFi at over 20,00 AT&T hotspots, and it includes the built-in dictionary and free book samples. With the Nook you can organize your own library and share books with your friends.
Pros: Color touchscreen, book sharing, Android OS, free WiFi
Cons: 10 day charge, LCD may strain eyes, no text-to-speech
3~ Sony eReaders
Sony has three editions of eReaders out: The Daily Edition, which is the most expensive at $299, The Reader Touch Edition at $229, and the Pocket Edition at $129.99. The main differences between the three are size and memory. The Daily Edition has a 7″ screen and holds up to 50,000 books, The Reader Touch has a 6″ screen but will also hold up to 50,000 books. The Pocket Edition is the smallest at 5″ and will hold 1,200 books. The battery life on these will last up to 10 days with the WiFi on and 22 days with it off.
Pros: Easy to use, functional design, very portable
Cons: No backlight adjustment, runs slow, screen is hard to read, too dark
4~ Kobo
The wonderful thing about the Kobo is that you pay $149 and you have access to your library’s free eBooks, and you get 100 classics for free just for purchasing. The battery life is about two weeks, it has WiFi, and has the E-ink screen, which again, means it is comfortable on your eyes. The Kobo carries up to 1000 books and comes in three different colors: pearlized lilac, onyx, and metallic silver.
Pros: Free PDF downloads using Calibre eBook Management Software, easy to handle, E-ink screen
Cons: Slow page turn, hard to reference back pages, some images and PDFs are hard to read
5~ Alex eReader (Sprint Design)
This devise has a 3.5″ LCD screen, too small? Wait, it has a second 6″ EPD screen. The screens are adjustable you can view content on two screens simultaneously or you can just use one. At $299, Alex allows you to not only read books and build your own library, but you can watch movies, news clips, and listen to music. The battery life is about two weeks and the WiFi is in full color. You will also have access to Android applications.
Pros: Easy to use, clear, readable screen
Cons: Weak speakers, glitches in preproduction test model
The advantages of having an eReader are that you won’t have to carry around heavy books, this is great for those who travel a lot, and for students. Many professors are assigning books that are available to buy and download onto your device. Also, think of what it does for the environment by saving paper used to print books. Hopefully, from this list you can find the eReader that works for you.
Hi Babe, you need to update this (I tweeted you too)…that Kindle is no longer available, they are on the 3rd generation now, and the Nook has web-browser capabilites. You can delete this after you get the message, just giving you a heads up.
Penelope,
thank you for the information on the web-browser, that has been updated. The original Kindle is still available and is still being advertised. I made sure everyone knew that it was STARTING at $139. The link I included will take you to all the Kindles available.