Well, I’ve decided to buy an e-reader. Shelf-space is what finally pushed me over the edge, to be honest. As I begin to think about packing (the hubby and I have bought an apartment and will be moving next month!), all I can think of is how horrible it will be to deal with the mountain of books I’ve accumulated. There’s so many of them, and they’re so heavy. Have they been breeding and snacking when I wasn’t looking? And where will we put them all in our lovely new place?
Maybe a tiny electronic device that holds thousands of books ain’t such a bad idea after all.
So, which e-reader do you think I should get? I don’t want to break the bank (I already spend enough money on books as it is) and want something simple and straightforward that provides the best reading experience. I’m currently leaning towards the new Nook Simple Touch Reader. But I humbly request your advice in the comments. What factors are most important to consider and what have your own e-reading experiences been?
Help!
Comedy or Tragedy? 
Vlad
I’m loving my kindle dx. It’s not exactly small (the normal kindle is more portable), but it has a lot more page space than the smaller readers.
The book selection on Amazon is far better than both Sony’s and BN’s.
Danielle
I had a Nook and granted it was one of the first generations… but it completely failed me. I didn’t use it for about a month (shame on me, I know!) and when I tried to turn it on, it got stuck at the startup page. I’d had it for over a year and thus no longer had a warranty. B&N sent me a replacement battery but that still didn’t work. Now it’s just a paper weight.
After that frustrating experience I researched e-readers too and settled on a Kindle. It turns pages much faster than the Nook and the screen is lovely. It also has a very efficient organization system. And you know what? No stuck startup screens!
Also, I had my sister buy a Kindle at the same time and every time I buy a book at Amazon now I can send it to my device, her device, or both. Saves us a lot!!
Range
I second what Vlad says, and with as much as pool/beach time you’ve been logging … you really need to go with a Kindle.
Cath
I want to speak up FOR the Nook.
Tobias Buckell has been talking about the Nook on his website as well, and he loves it.
The trick is, you want to get the COLOR nook. It’s pretty smooth. No trouble with the documents, you can see the Internet in color, the organizational schemes are nice.
You can play chess or a crossword when your brain needs a break.
For this trip to Finland, I brought five books on my Nook. So far, so good.
So, yes. The Nook works. And unlike Kindle, you can put other kinds of files on the Nook (with the right data device to transfer them), so it is non-propriatery.
Let us all know what you get!
Cath
mirandasuri
Hi Cath,
Thanks for chiming in, especially from all the way across the pond! Hope your trip is going amazingly!!
Court Merrigan
I couldn’t live without my Kindle. Changed my reading life, that thing.
As long as you don’t have to annotate much, the Kindle is ideal. (I still need dead trees if I plan on annotating.) Among its surprising bonuses; perfect for reading while eating, in bed, or while toting around an infant (as long as you avoid the projectile upchucking.)
mirandasuri
Good point about the e-reader’s versatility – one-handed reading and page turning would certainly make multi-tasking while reading much easier 😉
As for the annotation, I was secretly hoping I could do Beta reading and mark manuscripts on the thing. Seems like you’re saying that functionality isn’t great?
mirandasuri
Thanks for all the comments, guys — this is very helpful! Those of you who’ve recommended the color Nook, any thoughts on eye fatigue? Is this an issue with this model? Any thoughts on a wi-fi hot spot style model vs. a 3G model (Kindle or Nook)?
Lots to consider!
londonchoirgirl
3G is definitely the way to go. The luxury of being able to browse for a new title the minute you click through to the last page no matter where you are, is immense. Ok, so it’s more expensive, but well worth it.
And you’re right that having too many physical can be a bind, although I’m guessing you’re not as pushed for space as this poor woman: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/jun/09/house-collapsing-weight-books
mirandasuri
That article is *wild* – thanks for sharing the link!
George Galuschak
My two cents –
I own a Kindle, which I bought two years ago. It works very well, although it doesn’t significantly cut back on the number of physical books I buy. I view it as an alternate to physical books and not a substitute, if you know what I mean. The e-ink is fine on my eyes (I tend to get a headache if I stare at a screen too long). It’s great when I travel, because it’s so lightweight and I can download multiple books on it. You can also download Word files onto the Kindle and read them, so it’s good for editing.
However, if I was going to buy an e-reader today I’d buy a Nook. Here’s why.
Nooks use the ePub format, which is as close to an industry standard as you’re going to get. I know you think libraries are for the birds, but if you had a Kindle you wouldn’t be able to take advantage of this: http://ebooks.nypl.org/F30E45D0-F117-42C0-8B59-28352704EF26/10/257/en/BrowseeBooks.htm
I have a Kindle, so I can’t download books free from my public library. I can’t buy books through the Google ebookstore (http://books.google.com/ebooks), because it doesn’t support Kindle. Basically, if you buy a Kindle you’re tied to Amazon; the only place you can buy e-books for the Kindle is through Amazon. You can’t shop around. Yes, the company’s doing great now, but who knows? If they run into trouble, the device is toast, because there won’t be anywhere to buy ebooks.
My two cents.
-George