eBook Readers



What is an eBook Reader?

An e-book reader, also called an e-book device or e-reader, is a device used to display e-books. It may be a device specifically designed for that purpose, or one intended for other purposes as well. The main advantages of eBook readers are their portability, readability of their screens in bright sunlight, and long battery life. Any Personal Data Assistant (PDA) capable of displaying text on a screen is also capable of being an e-book reader, but without the advantages of an electronic ink display.

E-books have become the ‘it’ gadget of the year and these little devices are set to make a big impact on the way that you read your books.

They are small enough to fit in your pocket but large enough to carry a whole library, you never need to be without your favourite book or novel again!

eBook Reader Buying Guide: How to Choose an E-Book Reader

Almost all the e-book readers available are paperback-sized and sport a display sourced from E Ink, the Cambridge Massachusetts-based company.

Access to content: One of the most important factors to consider when buying an e-book reader is that most e-book manufacturers have their own e-books store. The more publishers the manufacturers have deals with, the greater the chances that the book you want is available. This is where someone like Barnes& Noble has a big advantage.

Formats supported: Almost all the e-book readers support HTML, Txt, MP3 and JPG. The battle of formats in the world of e-books is largely between the proprietary format that Amazon uses called .azw, a flavor of Mobipocket, and the open source ePub. 

All e-book readers on the market today promise to do one thing well: display text, especially for books. But when choosing an eBook reader you need to know that you will be getting the basic requirements.

These include:  It must offer long battery life,  Can be easily read in all environments including bright sunlight, Be easy to carry  and Have a screen that doesn’t strain the eyes.

 

                                         Best eBook Readers

 

Barnes & Noble - Nook eBook Reader

Barnes & Noble are one of the largest book sellers in the world and they have recently entered the eBook Reader market by announcing their own e-book reader called “Nook.” With Barnes & Noble entering the e-book market the competition will intensify automatically. 

Their eBook Reader “Nook” provides some new and improved features over their rivals, however, as this race for eBook reader domination has been taken to a new high, they will battle in catching up to the already well established eBook readers such as Amazon’s Kindle. 

One of these improved features or advantages is that the Nook has access to more than a million titles, 500 thousand free e-books and exclusive content.  

One disadvantage of Nook is that it works and is available only in the U.S. This will obviously limit their market growth and penetration into other markets. 

William J. Lynch (President of Barnes and Noble) stated the following: “We asked our customers what they wanted in an e-book reader, and specifically designed nook to be the most full-featured, fun, stylish and easy-to-use e-book reader on the market. With our nationwide footprint, Barnes & Noble customers can see, touch and hold nook. Our 40 000 booksellers are ready to help customers discover how easy it is to download and read e-books on Nook, and what a pleasure it is to have access to their favourite e-books, magazines and newspapers anytime and anywhere.”

The “Nook” e-book reader:

Is based on Google Android platform

Measures by 7.7” x 4.9” x 0.5” (196.2mm x 126mm x 12.8mm)

Weighs 11.2 ounces (317 grams)

Features black and white 6” e-ink Vizplex screen with undisclosed resolution

3.5” colour touch-screen for navigation

2GB of onboard flash memory for books or news-papers

Has up to 10 days of battery life with wireless

Learn More: www.barnesandnoble.com

 

  

 

Amazon Kindle eBook Reader

Amazon’s Kindle has its own ebook format that does not work on other readers. Amazon’s Kindle does not support ePub; almost all other e-book readers do.

Product Overview

·   Revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.

·   Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing.

·   Wireless connectivity enables you to shop the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle—whether you’re in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed.

·   Buy a book and it is auto-delivered wirelessly in less than one minute.

·   More than 350,000 books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available available, including more than 105 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers.

·   New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

·   Free book samples. Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

·   Top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes—all auto-delivered wirelessly.

·   Top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times—all auto-delivered wirelessly.

·   More than 5000 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post—all updated wirelessly throughout the day.

·   Lighter and thinner than a typical paperback; weighs only 10.3 ounces.

·   Holds over 200 titles.

·   Long battery life. Leave wireless on and recharge approximately every other day. Turn wireless off and read for a week or more before recharging. Fully recharges in 2 hours.

·   Unlike WiFi, Kindle utilizes the same high-speed data network (EVDO) as advanced cell phones—so you never have to locate a hotspot.

·   No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read.

·   Includes free wireless access to the planet's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopedia—Wikipedia.org.

·   New: Kindle Books can be read on your iPhone or iPod touch.

·   Email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to Kindle for easy on-the-go viewing.

·   Included in the box: Kindle wireless reader, Book cover, Power adapter, USB 2.0 cable

Learn More: http://www.amazon.com

 

 

 

Sony eBook Reader Touch Edition

Thinner, smaller and lighter than most magazines, the Reader Touch Edition™ lets you access up to 350 (or more with memory expansion card slots) of your favorite books from anywhere. The intuitive 6" touchscreen display makes navigation a breeze, letting you turn pages with the swipe of a finger. An included stylus offers freehand highlighting and annotation. With support for multiple file formats including ePub and PDF, you can enjoy books from more places, including The eBook Store from Sony and over one million free public domain titles from Google Books. 

Providing more than just a superior reading experience, the Reader Touch Edition, supports Adobe® PDF5, Microsoft® Word, BBeB Book® and other text file formats, as well as EPUB/ACS4 and connection with Adobe Digital Editions4. In addition to being PC and Mac® compatible10, you can even play back unsecured MP3 and AAC audio files9.

Learn More: http://www.sonystyle.com

 

  

Elonex eReader

This stylish matt-black reader, available from Borders bookshops, comes already loaded with 100 classic ebooks by Dickens, Austen, Shakespeare and more to start your library. It’s light and slim enough for one-handed reading (great for commuters) and the screen is easily customised with different typefaces and font sizes. Controls are kept to a minimum but omitting large page-turn buttons was a mistake — the circular navigation pad is fiddly. The Elonex eReader struggles to show high-resolution images and complex PDF files. It also lacks MP3 playback and search functions, and has a slow start-up time.

Learn More:  www.elonex.com

Apple iPod Touch (eBook Reader)

Unlike the dedicated ebook readers here, the iPod Touch is a miniature computer that can run thousands of applications, including the (free) Kindle and Stanza reader apps. It has a 3.5in colour touchscreen that lets you turn digital pages with the flick of a finger. You can browse and download ebooks, including free titles, using its wi-fi connection. Adept as it is at web browsing, playing MP3s, videos and audiobooks, the screen is too small for reading books, and the battery fades quickly.

iPod touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod, and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment, just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.Learn More: http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/

To learn more about eBook Readers be sure to check out the product features and don’t always buy the cheapest version of an eBook reader!