Choosing an E-Reader
Oct/31/2010 02:50 PM
Recommended E-Readers. Depending on a variety of factors, there are a number of e-readers that might meet your needs. Industry experts are predicting that the prices on the e-paper versions will continue to drop over the next 6 months, but if you want one now, don’t hesitate. Most are available at retailers like Target, Best Buy, the Apple Store, Borders and Barnes and Nobles or you can search online. Pick one up and play with it to make sure the features work for you -- weight, font size, how pages are turned, brightness/ease-on-eyes, etc. We love e-readers and you will, too!
At the Aging Summit, we found a lot you were interested in e-readers -- those contraptions that allow you to read books electronically.
Recommended E-Readers. We like the Amazon Kindle because of Amazon’s exceptional customer service. However, depending on a variety of factors, there are a number of e-readers that might meet your needs. Industry experts are predicting that the prices on the e-paper versions will continue to drop over the next 6 months, but if you want one now, don’t hesitate. Most are available at retailers like Target, Best Buy, the Apple Store, Borders and Barnes and Nobles or you can search online. Pick one up and play with it to make sure the features work for you -- weight, font size, how pages are turned, brightness/ease-on-eyes, etc. We love e-readers and you will, too!
The Wall St. Journal reported in April that “A battle is under way to replace a 550-year-old invention called the printed book, and the winning technologies could have a big impact on everything from how students learn to the way people read a novel at the beach.” They go on to say that the battle is between e-paper technology and the iPad’s liquid crystal display technology.
Here are a few things to consider if you are purchasing an e-reader for yourself or someone else.
Since Apple introduced the iPad, there has been much discussion regarding the benefits and downfalls of the e-paper displays that most e-readers use and the liquid crystal display that the iPad uses. For many people, the difference between the two technologies can be negligible and the choice between the displays really depends on other factors. In most cases, the e-paper displays are strictly used for reading black and white books, much like a traditional book or paperback.They currently do not support color, and, if the book has a lot of pictures, it is not a good format. The iPad’s display works great for magazines and other documents that have a lot of pictures but is not as easy on the eye as e-paper.
One of the key differences between the two types of displays is where they can be read. E-paper displays need ambient light and work very well outside or next to your favorite reading lamp. The iPad is hard to read in a bright environment like the outdoors, but, indoors does not need additional lighting. However, some researchers are concerned that the iPad lighting may interfere with melatonin production and interrupt your sleep patterns.
Most of the e-paper e-readers are priced about the same -- in the $150-$250 range. The iPad is much more expensive ($500 and up), but it provides far more applications than just e-reading. Because e-readers download books using different networks, you should take a careful look at what additional costs may be incurred for downloading.
The easiest way to download books is to buy an e-reader with a built-in cell phone. These e-readers bundle the cost of the download into the price of a book with no extra monthly fees. This can be a great solution for folks who don’t have a computer or don’t have an always-on Internet connection like DSL or Cable Modem. It can also be a terrific choice for travelers -- wherever you are you can download a book at your convenience.
Some of the e-readers allow download using an Internet WIFI connection, but this means you have to be somewhere where you can access one. Others require a computer, where you download books to your computer and then transfer them to your e-reader. We believe that is too much of a burden unless you intend to borrow e-books from the library (only Sony supports library e-books at this time.)
One of the most convenient features of e-readers is the ability to store hundreds or thousands of books in a small device that is easy to hold. Once you get used to an e-book, it is really hard to go back to a traditional book format for everyday reading. They are lightweight with batteries that can last weeks at a time. Table 1 shows some of our favorite e-readers. All of the e-readers have adjustable font sizes so you can leave your bifocals on your nightstand.
If you just intend to download books (free and paid), this may not be an area of interest. But if you wish to listen to your books via your e-reader or have other types of files that you want to read on it, you should carefully evaluate the supported files. Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook lead the pack in the number of books you can purchase or download for free. There are literally tens of thousands of free books available including many classics for all of the e-readers. There is an open e-book standard called ePub which is the format Google uses for its free books. To see what freebies are available for the various e-readers, do an Internet search on “free ebooks for READERNAME.”
For the much higher price, you can find free iPad apps for all of the popular e-readers. If you are a bookaholic, this can make the purchase price worth it. But, remember that the iPad is harder to hold than the smaller, lighter e-paper versions.
Whatever you choose, you will enjoy the freedom of an e-reader. Let us know which one you pick so we can feature your comments in the next newsletter. Drop us an email at chris@aldea.com or call us at 760-510-8407.
Recommended E-Readers. We like the Amazon Kindle because of Amazon’s exceptional customer service. However, depending on a variety of factors, there are a number of e-readers that might meet your needs. Industry experts are predicting that the prices on the e-paper versions will continue to drop over the next 6 months, but if you want one now, don’t hesitate. Most are available at retailers like Target, Best Buy, the Apple Store, Borders and Barnes and Nobles or you can search online. Pick one up and play with it to make sure the features work for you -- weight, font size, how pages are turned, brightness/ease-on-eyes, etc. We love e-readers and you will, too!
The Wall St. Journal reported in April that “A battle is under way to replace a 550-year-old invention called the printed book, and the winning technologies could have a big impact on everything from how students learn to the way people read a novel at the beach.” They go on to say that the battle is between e-paper technology and the iPad’s liquid crystal display technology.
Here are a few things to consider if you are purchasing an e-reader for yourself or someone else.
E-paper Versus Liquid Crystal Display
Since Apple introduced the iPad, there has been much discussion regarding the benefits and downfalls of the e-paper displays that most e-readers use and the liquid crystal display that the iPad uses. For many people, the difference between the two technologies can be negligible and the choice between the displays really depends on other factors. In most cases, the e-paper displays are strictly used for reading black and white books, much like a traditional book or paperback.They currently do not support color, and, if the book has a lot of pictures, it is not a good format. The iPad’s display works great for magazines and other documents that have a lot of pictures but is not as easy on the eye as e-paper.
One of the key differences between the two types of displays is where they can be read. E-paper displays need ambient light and work very well outside or next to your favorite reading lamp. The iPad is hard to read in a bright environment like the outdoors, but, indoors does not need additional lighting. However, some researchers are concerned that the iPad lighting may interfere with melatonin production and interrupt your sleep patterns.
Price
Most of the e-paper e-readers are priced about the same -- in the $150-$250 range. The iPad is much more expensive ($500 and up), but it provides far more applications than just e-reading. Because e-readers download books using different networks, you should take a careful look at what additional costs may be incurred for downloading.
Book Downloading
The easiest way to download books is to buy an e-reader with a built-in cell phone. These e-readers bundle the cost of the download into the price of a book with no extra monthly fees. This can be a great solution for folks who don’t have a computer or don’t have an always-on Internet connection like DSL or Cable Modem. It can also be a terrific choice for travelers -- wherever you are you can download a book at your convenience.
Some of the e-readers allow download using an Internet WIFI connection, but this means you have to be somewhere where you can access one. Others require a computer, where you download books to your computer and then transfer them to your e-reader. We believe that is too much of a burden unless you intend to borrow e-books from the library (only Sony supports library e-books at this time.)
Weight/Size/Battery Life
One of the most convenient features of e-readers is the ability to store hundreds or thousands of books in a small device that is easy to hold. Once you get used to an e-book, it is really hard to go back to a traditional book format for everyday reading. They are lightweight with batteries that can last weeks at a time. Table 1 shows some of our favorite e-readers. All of the e-readers have adjustable font sizes so you can leave your bifocals on your nightstand.
Content/Supported Files
If you just intend to download books (free and paid), this may not be an area of interest. But if you wish to listen to your books via your e-reader or have other types of files that you want to read on it, you should carefully evaluate the supported files. Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook lead the pack in the number of books you can purchase or download for free. There are literally tens of thousands of free books available including many classics for all of the e-readers. There is an open e-book standard called ePub which is the format Google uses for its free books. To see what freebies are available for the various e-readers, do an Internet search on “free ebooks for READERNAME.”
iPad Advantage
For the much higher price, you can find free iPad apps for all of the popular e-readers. If you are a bookaholic, this can make the purchase price worth it. But, remember that the iPad is harder to hold than the smaller, lighter e-paper versions.
Whatever you choose, you will enjoy the freedom of an e-reader. Let us know which one you pick so we can feature your comments in the next newsletter. Drop us an email at chris@aldea.com or call us at 760-510-8407.