If faced with the question as to which is the best e-reader in the market, you would be quite at a loss, thinking of the right answer. In this case, there can be more than one right answer. The answer depends totally on the criteria you have set in looking for an e-book reader.
The factors that would guide your choice, can range from size, weight, design to content, content sources, capacity, navigation and price. From all that you have been reading about e-book readers or heard about them on talk-shows, you know that there are not one but many devices, which has added to your confusion.
Going by the size, most of them have a 6-inch touch screen, except Kindle DX and I-Pad, which have 9.7 inch screens. The prices begin at $259 and can touch $ 549, depending totally on your budget.
Now for all the surprises stored inside. If you want to know how much content is available, you also need to know the file standard used and its compatibility with others in the market. Kindle can give you the largest shelf-space but is restricted to Amazon’s own format. If you have downloaded material elsewhere, chances are your Kindle will not read it. Also, your Kindle books cannot be accessed in a non-Kindle e-reader.
This opens the case to DRM or Digital Rights Management, which restricts you from converting one format to another or from copying it. Amazon is capable of deleting e-books from Kindles, even after you have paid for it. You purchase an e-book on your Kindle, but you still don’t own it. This is an important consideration that has to be kept in mind, before you treat yourself to one of these gizmos.
Touch screen is fine but whether you want it to be interactive or not, is a completely personal requirement. A Kindle, a Sony or a Nook offer inter-activity in the form of highlighting text, annotating and making notes. If you are one of the many who just want to read and enjoy novels, you could save a few dollars and pick a non-interactive e-readers.
Most of them have E-Ink display, giving clarity in resolution of images. Whether it has Wi-Fi or 3G capabilities, how long does it take to charge and what is the battery life are questions you need answered. Tired of reading, you may want the book read to you. For this, the e-readers should be able to switch from text to speech mode and not disrupt the course of your novel.
First consider your needs and what exactly you want your e-readers to do for you, and then you are sure to find the one you have been looking for.
And if you still can’t make your mind, let the good guys at e-reader forum to help you out. You can also be at our e-reader blog to catch up with the latest from the world of e-readers.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
