Kindles, Nooks, & iPads... Oh My!

odusgolp
odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
edited December 17 in Chit-Chat
It's official. I need an e-book solution...

I do NOT want and iPad (I'm good w/ my laptop and iPhone and don't want that big of an investment).

Help a sista out:

**I want to read in the dark & the sunlight if possible??
**Color would be nice, but really not necessary.
**Under $200
**Other than the ability to download, and read books, I do not need it to have any other functionality...

Suggestions on the different Nook vs. Kindle options? What you love/hate?

Replies

  • tiffpage
    tiffpage Posts: 19 Member
    I have a kindle fire and aboslutely love it. No need for an ipad. I can watch netflix on it and there's tons of free apps and books. It's my favorite thing ever. The battery life on it also kicks *kitten*. The only thing you'll have to buy is a cover. I bought one at best buy that allows you to prop the kindle up for easy readying.
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
    My mom loved her Nook
    My gf loves her Kindle.

    I love iPad and I win :D
  • GasMasterFlash
    GasMasterFlash Posts: 2,206 Member
    Some reviews from reputable sites.

    http://gizmodo.com/5857041/nook-tablet-vs-kindle-fire-the-differences-add-up

    http://www.pcworld.com/article/244282/kindle_fire_vs_nook_tablet_which_should_you_buy.html

    http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009738-1/kindle-vs-nook-vs-ipad-which-e-book-reader-should-you-buy/
  • tamsinwhitfield
    tamsinwhitfield Posts: 135 Member
    Kindle is awesome. To be honest, I mostly use my iPad for reading when I'm in the house, but obviously becomes more or less useless the second you're outdoors or in bright sunlight. This is why I also use a Kindle - since a Kindle app is available for pretty much any platform going, you're always able to sync your ebooks across all your devices (for instance, on your phone if you're caught short without anything to read).

    Plus, very competitively priced.
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    I got the Kindle Fire. The guy at Best Buy gave me the pros and cons vs Nook. Frankly I don't remember them all, but I remember the Kindle Fire winning that competition. $199, and I love it.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I have the Nook SimpleTouch. It's just a simple eReader with eInk. I love it because it's very compact (fits in my backpack), and because there's no backlight, there's almost no eyestrain, and I can read in bright overhead sunlight without a problem. It's just like reading a book, but more compact and portable. I love it.

    It only set me back $79 also.

    Oh, and it's held a full charge now for almost a month. I think my battery is only down to 1/2, and I use it every single day for several hours per day during my commute to work.
  • ComicBookGeekGirl
    ComicBookGeekGirl Posts: 202
    The new Nook E ink has a glow light in it now, so you can read at night. I didn't realise the old verison could only be read in the daylight, but not anymore.
    I have the Nook Color which I adore, but never tried to read in sunlight.
  • Froggy1976
    Froggy1976 Posts: 472
    I have the original kindle and my son has a kindle fire. My son loves his and my husband uses my kindle. The original kindle has no backlight so you have to use some other source of light, that was a drawback for me. I just downloaded the kindle app on my android and use that to read. It has a backlight and it's always with me. The app is free and uses your amazon account so all the books you have purchased are available on the phone too.

    ETA: original kindle about $79 but no backlight
    Kindle fire $199 I think but has lots of other functionality besides reading
    Kindle app for iPhone is free, just need an amazon account.
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
    For less than 200, I would say Kindle fire is the way to go. I have an asus transformer and LOVE it..but it's 500...
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    OK, I do like the idea of streaming Netflix on it... My mini would love that over using my iPhone.

    However, I also like the appeal of the low eye strain on the eInk.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    I have the Ipad with the kindle app... :tongue: Mostly 'cause then I can borrow ebooks from the library that way... and I can buy and read both nook and kindle books on it.

    Anyway... if I didn't have the ipad I would want a kindle because you can loan books to people and if you have amazon prime you can borrow books for free (eta: But you can only do it from the actual kindle)....

    eta: I'm actually thinking about getting my mom one now that they have given the capability to lend books to friends (which is what my mom was concerned about)... and that woman is on the verge of hoarder with all her books... so seriously, a ebook would be awesome for her!

    eta2: I just looked and the nook has those features too... :-/ eitherway, now that they support lending, I am getting my mom one.
  • WarriorMom2012
    WarriorMom2012 Posts: 621 Member
    I love Kindle! I have the Kindle and the Kindle Fire. I've also downloaded the app to my phone. I have been known to have marathon reading sessions and kill the battery on the phone and the Kindle. I love that you don't actually have to buy a Kindle, you can download the app on just about any device including an iPod/iPad.
  • NU2U
    NU2U Posts: 659 Member
    I have the NookColor...it's GREAT....and with Netflix, it's PERFECT!!! :-)
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
    Do you get your books from Amazon or BN?

    If you only get one or the other, easy choice.
    You can side load a new OS in the nook, then get kindle and nook books.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I buy books right now :)

    Another dumb question: Do you get access to any books right when they come out? Or do you need to wait until some indiscriminate time to download them like you do to stream anything worthwhile off Netflix?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    I don't know why anyone would recommend the Kindle Fire for you. You said you want something you can read in sunlight, and all you want is a book reader. People may love the Fire but it's not at all what you're asking for.

    I have never tried a Nook so I can't comment on that. I had a first generation Kindle and I currently have a Kindle Touch. I love it. The only thing it lacks is a light, since you said you want to read in the dark. I find that a book light solves that problem, just like if you were reading a regular book.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
    I got an HP Touchpad after HP pulled the plug on the product line. Same size screen as the iPad. I side loaded android and set it up so that it can boot into Android or WebOS. (I'm a nerd).

    The Kindle Fire is locked down to Amazon's Android distribution. If you want to unlock the full capabilities of Android, some additional hacking/side loading required.

    Nook is pretty much the same deal... but you can set it up to boot from the SD card. The instructions for making the SD card can be googled. You can't use the latest version of Android but it's actually pretty good. Kindle fire doesn't have an SD card slot so it requires a little more work.

    I really like the iPad, too. It's really well rounded. BUT I don't like all the limitations (can't play Flash... can't install my own browser...etc). And it seems like the most expensive thing out there. (i think it's about 2lb to 2.5lb's... kinda heavy for reading in bed). The best part about an iPad is that everything works and it's stable.

    Regarding Hulu and Netflix: I can't stand that those sites add then drop support for one format or another. It's maddening. Hulu used to work on Android until they locked out users.

    Regarding eInk readers - I love them. Easier on the eyes. If you can get the book light to go with it, GREAT. It's light weight. And they're getting cheap enough that I can get one of those on the side.
  • gr8grl68
    gr8grl68 Posts: 417 Member
    I have a Kindle Fire and love it. I am also an Amazon Prime member so you can borrow books for free (not all are free, just FYI) and stream some movies from Amazon Instant Video as well for free. I have a Windows phone (which I love) and having the Android market on the Kindle is a nice addition to the app offerings (although I am not a huge app download person at all).
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
    If you want a dedicated e-reader, go for one with the e-Ink display (rather than a Kindle Fire or Nook Color). Like you, I've always got my laptop and iPhone, so I needed something just for reading (I read 1-2 books a week on top of my law school readings). I love my Kindle and use it all the time. I used to have the basic keyboard model, but it got stepped on and broke; my mom surprised me with the Kindle Touch for Christmas and it's great.

    The display is important if you read a lot because the backlight and glare can kill your eyes (not in terms of permanent damage, but discomfort), particularly if you're spending a lot of other time looking at screens (computers, phones, TV, etc.). If you want to read in the dark, you'll need another light source; Amazon does have a few lighted Kindle cases for that purpose which I haven't tried myself, but have heard good things about.

    The only caveat is that you usually can't get magazines without one of the full-color tablet-type readers; if you only want books though, I'd definitely recommend the Kindle.
  • TylerJ76
    TylerJ76 Posts: 4,375 Member
    I have cheapest kindle possible.

    I LOVE IT!!!
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Kindle reader software on a rooted Nook so you can read e-pub files from sources other than Amazon, but still use Amazon's awseome whispersynch service. Also, just get a smart phone and read on that.
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