Okay, so I'm going to buy an ereader.

Like, after Christmas, I mean.

Part of me just wants to do the easy thing and just get a Kindle, but I find it irritating that they aren't compatible with library books and now, with the Google eBookstore. I don't want to feel tied to any specific bookseller.

I do want one with 3G capabilities, and as I'll primarily be using it for review copies, I certainly want one that doesn't make PDFs look crappy.

I'm thinking that a Sony Reader might be my best bet, but I haven't really played with one. Thoughts?

Comments

[Jen Simon Lento]

I have a Sony eReader. I love it. I use it for pdfs as well as purchased books and free stuff. Steve loves it too because I can use the light feature to read in bed without the lamp on.

I also love that I can read whatever crappy embarrassing crap I want and no one is ever the wiser because the cover is always the same. Oh, also, e-books mean no more book-storage issues.

Summary: Get one. You will love it.

[Lisa Parkin]

I have a Kindle, and I think it's amazing and totally worth it. I've bought close to 20-30 books already. I see what you're saying about library books, but in all the books I've looked at getting so far, there was only one that wasn't available digitally. Amazing!!

In terms of usability, the Sony Reader is a bit clunky. Have you seen it in person? It's thick and heavy. Not so with Kindle. It's light and has ZERO trouble with glare, etc. (That's a big problem with the Nook, btw). Also,the Kindle has 3G that's free and amazing. I used its wireless in Paris and had no trouble connecting. It was actually faster than our hotel's internet!

I sound crazy going on and on about this, but before my husband bought a Kindle,I was a staunch opposer of e-readers. But seriously, the Kindle can download books in 60 secs and has a battery life of 2 weeks. I am now eating my words and am a Kindle-holic.

If you're biggest fear if not getting access to all the books you want, I think Amazon will give you the least trouble with this. They have so many digital books and are continually adding more.

lol Hope that helps!

[Drawexplosions]

The library where I have my internship has a Nook and a Sony eReader - I think I like the eReader better, although I haven't played with it too much. It's touch-screen page-turn functionality is much better than the Nook's, at least, although I think either of them would be fine.

And good for you for not getting a Kindle! I feel like Amazon is really just being a jerk by not playing nice with libraries and I'd like it if they felt the pain of that jerkiness. If you'd like to feel extra vindicated, check out this article on Amazon's effect on the publishing market: http://www.bostonreview.net/BR35.6/roychoudhuri.php

[RBoyce]

I work in book publishing, and my group is responsible for ebook production. If you are going to be purchasing a new device for ebook reading, I do not recommend the Sony eReader: it is dated technology at this point. Sorry to all those who have one and really like it - I am not trying to insult it. I recommend that you get some hands-on experience with the Kindle, Nook, and iPad and decide between them based on that. Or another route might be to use a mini-laptop (the low-cost iPad alternative).

[Kristi]

I don't have any experience with the Kindle or other ebook readers, but I ADORE my Nook. I've had it about six months now and I use it all the time. Haven't tried any PDFs on it yet, though.

[Wendi Gratz]

When I was a sales rep we all got Sony e-readers to use for reading manuscripts and review copies. The download process wasn't as intuitive as I would have liked, but PDFs and Word docs both looked great on it. My husband just bought an e-reader for use when traveling (I can't believe how many books we carried around Japan for a month!). We were tempted by the Kindle - but the inability to read EPUB docs (what most libraries use) was a deal-breaker for us. We went with the Sony.

[Grace]

Our library has a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, and iPad in our Tech Petting Zoo. I'd say the Kindle is the most intuitive and easy to use (but doesn't work with Overdrive), We have an original Nook and I found it a bit clunky to use the small touch screen...I'd be interested in seeing the new color Nook, which looks quite a bit easier to use. The Sony Reader is fairly easy and IMO easier than the Nook. The iPad is gorgeous and wonderful to use. I know you can try the Nook and B&N stores. I agree about testing different devices if you can.

[Heidi]

It really is a shame that the inability to get library books is a deal-breaker on the Kindle. It is far and above the best ebook reader. It has the best navigation, best search function, best screen, is fastest, and has the most books available...though google ebooks might change that. It is also the easiest to hold. I find it easier to hold, easier on the eyes, and I am able to read far longer than with a book. It has FREE 3G connection for life.

You can covert word documents, html, and put jpegs on it, as well as music. You can also put pdfs on it directly, as well as have them converted so you can navigate screen changes and font sizes more easily.

I don't think Amazon is being an ass about library ebooks, but maybe I don't know the whole story. I get the idea it's a technical issue, that they don't format well. I think someday we will be able to get library books on the Kindle. This didn't stop people from getting Ipods, and now, finally, you can get library stuff through Apple equipment. I say that to make the plea that you not rule out the Kindle only because of the library ebook thing. Really, every other thing about the Kindle is better.

I've no doubt google ebooks will be able to be converted soon as well, unless someone fights with Amazon over it.

[Brigdh]

I have a Nook, and I *love* it. I was slow to come around to the idea of ereaders, but they really are so wonderful, particularly if you travel a lot, as I do.

[Jen]

I've decided to get an iPad. I had read that it wouldn't work with overdrive, but there's a new app (bluefire) that will let you download those books. And overdrive is working on a compatible app for it as well. I would mostly be using it for review galleys as well, but I also wanted to be able to get library books for when we travel. I imagine it's easier than packing 3-4 library books and then being afraid of leaving them at my mom's house!

I'm going with the iPad because I am an Apple cult follower, I'm familiar with the iPod touch, and I also want to do other things with it--e-mail, internet, etc. I'd like to replace my iPod touch for my on the couch, after the kids go to bed, internet goofing off.

[bibliogrrl]

I bought a Nook over the summer (the old one with the wee touch screen) and while I loved it, when I had problems with installing books and customer service was NO HELP AT ALL ("Oh, You're using a memory card? We don't support that." "Even though you say in the instruction book there is a place to expand memory?" "The card isn't ours, we don't support it"), so I returned the nook after 2 very frustrating weeks.

In it's place, I got the Sony Daily Edition. I *love* it. It isn't the most intuitive, but it is far easier to use than the nook was (and I HIGHLY recommend you get Calibre to manage your library, the Sony software kind of sucks). I opted for the Sony for the same reason - as much as I loved the Kindle, I didn't want to get something that I couldn't read library books on.

[Angela]

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2010/11/26/%E2%80%9Cwhich-ereader-device-should-i-buy%E2%80%9D/

[sassymonkey]

I'm anti-Kindle until Amazon stops having a closed system. I have an older Sony (the 700) and the software is a bit clunky. I love it anyway though.

What I'd recommend is narrowing it down to a couple and then try to find a couple to play with. Figure out which one feels best in your hands. Sometimes it's all about the placement of buttons in the end.

[Katie N]

I would recommend the Kobo... it's pretty basic, but very easy to use and very affordable. I love it!

[Molly]

Alot of e-reader choices seem to come down to which bookseller you're most comfortable with.
1. The Kindle is very easy to use, and a lot of people prefer to keep all their purchases in the single house of Amazon. They're also the easiest platform for publishers to upload into, so you may find a lot more independent publishers available there that aren't available on other platforms.
2. HOWEVER, the Nook Color is - at this point - the most advanced of the e-readers. You lose the whole e-ink no-glare feature, but you gain a whole lot of smarts in the process. You get all the Google books as well, and the library features, the 3G, internet browsing capabilities, wider selection of kids lit, etc.
3. HOWEVER, if you don't want to support one retailer over another, or if you want to use your e-reader for a hundred other things besides e-reading, then get the iPad. If you carry around a laptop with any regularity, there's no reason to have an iPad; but if you DON'T, it just might change your life. And you get Nook Books, Kindle Books, Kobo Books, Google Books, or Apple Books - whichever you prefer. But you may want to wait a few months for the newest iPad to come out. Word on the street says anywhere between February and April will drop a new one on the market.

[Jackie Parker]

I love my Nook. 3G eInk.

[(monkey) steve]

I'd like to vote for an iPad, too. I was worried that it would be too difficult to read on the LCD screen, but I have found no problems. BUT it isn't great for reading outdoors in bright sunlight because there is too much glare on the glossy screen. And it is much heavier than the other readers.

[web]

Am not crazy about the Nook and my experience has been that borrowed library books/PDFs do look pretty bad indeed, though certainly still readable. The Kindle is much, much nicer - I can get lost in my book with the Kindle but not with the Nook. It's like the difference between a comfy paperback and a bulky hardcover.

[BookishlyFab]

I'll chime in for the nook, and I don't understand some of the previous commenters' problems with the formatting of OverDrive books. I haven't bought an ebook yet, and all of my library ebooks have formatted just fine on the nook. ePub and PDF both have worked well, and the process is really easy.

The new software update greatly improved page turn speeds and organization.

[web]

The library books I've read have all had the same repeating problem: pages with just a few words and words caught off in the middle. All readable, nothing actually missing, but annoying.

[Julie]

Would like to point out re: Molly's comment above that the Nook Color is NOT offered with 3G. Only the original Nook.

I started with a Sony Reader. Reading on it was fine but the software used for data transfer was AWFUL - died on me constantly and was just very counter-intuitive overall. Also, I thought I'd be doing a lot more with the stylus note-taking feature and I ended up barely using it at all.

I ended up taking the Reader back (they had a 90-day trial period at Target) and getting a Nook. I use it A LOT, mostly for library books but also for classics and there is SOOOOO much stuff available out there for free. Out of the e-ink readers I will say a friend of mine got one of the new Kindles and I would say the navigation etc. is actually a little easier to use than the small touchscreen (can't believe I'm saying that), the resolution and formatting are better (formatting probably depends on the book), and the page turns are fast, but with the Nook's recent update I would say the page turns are probably a draw. But that no-library-books-thing would be a deal breaker for me.

Just my two cents.

[Jim Randolph]

Love my Kindle but I can see why you'd want to shop around if you want to play in Google's sandbox. I haven't seen anything that really compares to a Kindle in terms of contrast, light weight and ease of use, but things are improving all the time. You definitely need to hold them in your hands for a few minutes to compare, though. My Kindle account synchs with my wife's iPad so we can both read the same books (my daughter too) so I feel like we're getting our money's worth when we buy from Amazon. Can't wait to hear what you go for.

[Lisa]

I LOVE eReaders. You can take 'em anywhere without breaking your back lugging all those books around, you can read stuff it would otherwise be embarrassing to be seen with, etc. I got my Kindle when the second generation came out. There are many things about it I have loved, but probably my next eReader won't be a Kindle. Why? Well, the screen went ka-blooey (meaning one inch of screen on one side suddenly wouldn't display) after only a year and Amazon couldn't fix it and couldn't tell me how to fix it. I got around this for six months by setting the layout to landscape and setting the margins so that one inch didn't obscure any text. Then a month ago part of the rest of the screen stopped displaying too, rendering the whole thing unworkable. So that's $400 for less than two years of reading! Reading the Kindle reviews on Amazon, I see a lot of people seem to have had this same issue. I see the device is now a lot cheaper, but 1) I am not sure I want to trust them anymore, and 2) there is also the fact that a LOT of books I want to read are not available via Amazon on Kindle. I'm trying to justify my next purchase being an iPad, but we'll see.

[Sarah-GreenBeanTeenQueen]

I have a Sony and yes it's outdated and the Nook, IPad and Kindle are pretty much winning the e-reader war, I love it. I've had no problem downloading books to it and it's very easy to use. It works great with Overdrive and I've also used it with Netgalley and recently Simon & Schuster's Galley Grab and had great experiences with both.

My husband works in IT and says the IPad is the way to go, but I like the Sony best because it seems likes it's more compatiable with the review copies I'm getting that way.

[z1ncy]

Recently got the Sony touch. It does great with PDF's and also love that it supports a wide range of file types including .doc files. I am a college student and loud text book sized pdf's as well as teachers notes. The reason I bought the Sony touch was the ease of use when annotating, I hated the kindle's highlighting technology, it was liking using an old computer in dos mode with no mouse. It has been great to use so far!

[al]

i was having a hard time trying to choose which ereader to go with as well. in the end i chose a kindle because i was MOST concerned with the glare/eink/size. i can reformat most any ebook with the program calibre (which all ereader owners should get and use - highly recommended) and i can read library books on my kindle with a script i use on my mac called mobi2kindle. it doesn't strip the drm, but it gives you a PID # for your kindle you can use to get book onto the kindle.