Which eReader do you recommend?

[katz]

Which eReader to purchase?

I'm thinking of moving into the modern computer age and ditching buying any more paper books. Which model do I want? I know Kindle is a big name, and a couple of my customers have those. I like a lot of free stuff (who doesn't) and I see that google offers a ton of freebies in the Epub format, which Kindle does not support, at least from my research.

At this point, I am leaning towards the Kobo models, as they seem to support virtually any format, and I like the idea of a larger screen. Not sure why the eReader manufacturers seem to think that 6" is the magic number for book size. Most smartphones phones these days have a larger screen than that.

What should I be aware of/looking for? Dim areas/edges on the screen, screen brightness/other? I've read some reviews where folks talk about the response times being slow. Also, is 8 GB (fixed) enough storage? Not sure how much space the average book takes up.

I know I can do a ton of research, but I thought if any of my fellow techs have personal experience with them, I could get a few pointers on what to look/watch out for, what are some drawbacks/issues and so forth.

Or, would it be simpler to just forgo the eReader idea and use an app on my tablet, such as the Amazon Kindle app? Does a tablet ebook work the same, as far as chapters/bookmarks, dictionary - looking up a word in the tablet app, similar to how it works on an eReader?



Thanks so much for your replies!

 

[Computer Bloke]

Background: From my late teens until a few years ago I'd rarely owned fewer than 1,500 dead-tree books, and often many more. Moving house was always a really big deal and I think I might have been a fire hazard. I now own fewer than a dozen and have no regrets. I'm as surprised by this as anyone.

The best thing about a dedicated eReader is that it isn't a tablet - it's a book, and therefore doesn't even count as technology. No distractions, just lots of lovely words. In order, without hyperlinks or adverts. It's a totally different experience from an app on a tablet and seriously better than paper.

Between the five members of my immediate family we have three Sony and four Kobo eReaders of various types, and of all of them the 6" Kobo Glo HD is my personal favourite. It's small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (unlike the slightly larger H2O, which is technically "superior" but somehow not as nice to use), the "front-lighting" is clear and well-distributed, page-turning is faster than paper, the dictionary has a slightly larger vocabulary than I do (and speaks several more languages), and battery life is excellent.

Most (possibly all) of the Kobos allow you to plug in a microSD card for increased storage, and actually most also use a microSD card for their internal storage as well so they're very easy to upgrade if you're handy with a couple of guitar picks. Mine started out with the standard 4GB and currently has 16GB, which is plenty - the last time I checked it was half full and had more than 2,000 books on it, which is enough for a wet weekend. It supports ePub, Mobi, and (at a pinch) PDF and books are available for it all over the place. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Whatever you get, you should look at Calibre for managing your books and converting between formats.

And then there's Project Gutenberg, the fastest free way to achieve SABLE - Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.

Disclaimer: I've never owned a Kindle. I don't like closed systems, I don't like advertising-supported systems, and I especially don't like the idea of being locked in to Amazon. I understand that some people do like them, but then some people also like Vegemite.

 

[Moltuae]

I don't use them myself, so I'm no expert, but my g/f is very much a bookworm and has had numerous Kindles, most (if not all) I've bought her as Christmas or Birthday gifts. She has had them all, including the original Kindle, the later backlit Kindle (Paperwhite, I think?) and the Kindle Fire tablet. She uses all of them but the Fire is essentially just a tablet so it's better suited to occasional daytime use. For prolonged use and night-time reading, the devices that use ePaper are much better and more like a real book to read, unlike regular computer screens that can cause eye-strain and have been shown to upset sleep patterns. The Kindle units are quite locked-down for Amazon use of course, but for someone who uses Amazon a lot to buy books, it's a great convenience to have any book purchases instantly appear on the Kindle devices. The Kindle units seem to have superior design and build quality to most competing products too.

 

[NJW]

The best thing about a dedicated eReader is that it isn't a tablet - it's a book, and therefore doesn't even count as technology. No distractions, just lots of lovely words. In order, without hyperlinks or adverts. It's a totally different experience from an app on a tablet and seriously better than paper.

This.

Whatever you get, you should look at Calibre for managing your books and converting between formats.

And this.

And then there's Project Gutenberg, the fastest free way to achieve SABLE - Stash Acquisition Beyond Life Expectancy.

And this, lol.

... and I especially don't like the idea of being locked in to Amazon.

You don't have to be locked in to Amazon. You don't even have to connect to Amazon at all (my Kindle, second-hand, is only ever connected to Calibre, by USB) and you can load books from many sources. Calibre is your friend.

 

[katz]

Thanks for all that info. Nothing like personal experience, as opposed to reading biased online reviews.

I was looking at the Kobo Aura One - it features a 7" screen, which I seem to think I need, lol. However, it is locked at 8 GB and does not have an SD slot, so I guess that is kind of limiting. The specs list it as being able to handle virtually all formats.

But, since I don't know a lot about them, maybe that really isn't a "feature"; does an eReader need to have the capability to handle all of the formats? Guess not, as it appears that is what Calibre is used for.

Is there a downside (other than the obvious bulkiness) to having a large screen eReader? It seems to me that in order to experience the full "feel" of reading a book, the screen should be "book size." A quick search turned up several 8" readers, and a few up to 13" or so.

Also, when using them, do you have to be careful not to inadvertently touch the screen or a bunch of stuff "happens", like when I'm holding my tablet, if I accidentally brush or touch the screen, it sets off other apps, etc.

 

[trevm999]

The best thing about a dedicated eReader is that it isn't a tablet - it's a book, and therefore doesn't even count as technology. No distractions, just lots of lovely words. In order, without hyperlinks or adverts. It's a totally different experience from an app on a tablet and seriously better than paper.

This again. I think one of the causes for the decline of ebook market share is because they have been marketing tablets as ereaders. Several years ago my mother purchased a Kobo Vox, but she gave it away because she never used it. I got a Kobo Arc, and now we just use it for audiobooks. (and it can barely manage that) Two years ago I got my mother an e-ink Kindle. I was super impressed with e-ink, and she uses it all the time. E-ink is definitely the way to go for ereading. We went with the Kindle because it has this feature where you give it an email address and you can email books to it. Super handy, I email books to my mother all the time. However it is a PITA that it doesn't support ePUBs. Calibre makes it manageable, but I hope to get an ereader soon and I'm definitely getting something that supports ePUB. I would like to hold our for something more open like an Onyx Boox or BQ Cervantes, but they seem to be either highly priced, hard to find, or I have stability concerns. I might have to settle for the most 'hackable' of the popular ereader brands

 

[mraikes]

The best thing about a dedicated eReader is that it isn't a tablet - it's a book, and therefore doesn't even count as technology. No distractions, just lots of lovely words. In order, without hyperlinks or adverts. It's a totally different experience from an app on a tablet and seriously better than paper.

I read extensively for pleasure just using my phone with the Kindle app. No hyperlinks or adverts, or other distractions. It works great.

Personally, I don't care for dedicated tablet/e-readers. Partly because of the size. I read a lot in bed and the smaller form factor of my phone (a Note 5) is just more convenient. I also read while standing in lines, in restaurants, waiting rooms, etc. I don't want an additional device laying around, needing charging, to keep track of, or to carry around.

If it's really important, there are relatively simple ways to read e-pub and other formats in the Kindle app, but why bother? Just like any other tool, open the appropriate app for what you want to do. If there's an app that handles e-pub, mobi, etc. better - then use it.

I primarily use Amazon Prime/Kindle Unlimited (not sure exactly what they call it now). Some books are free, many are included at no additional charge as part of Kindle Unlimited, and others cost something - but less than "real" books.

 

[Moltuae]

Personally, I don't care for dedicated tablet/e-readers. Partly because of the size. I read a lot in bed and the smaller form factor of my phone (a Note 5) is just more convenient. I also read while standing in lines, in restaurants, waiting rooms, etc. I don't want an additional device laying around, needing charging, to keep track of, or to carry around.

Have you ever used a proper eReader that uses 'electronic paper'? They do have their advantages. Apart from being much easier on the eye, like a real book, they can be used in direct sunlight. Also, since they use almost zero power to display a page (not counting any backlight), they can sometimes last weeks between charges rather than hours.

If you're reading in bed, you should especially consider switching to an electronic paper based reader:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media_and_sleep

 

[NJW]

However, it is locked at 8 GB and does not have an SD slot, so I guess that is kind of limiting. The specs list it as being able to handle virtually all formats.

But, since I don't know a lot about them, maybe that really isn't a "feature"; does an eReader need to have the capability to handle all of the formats? Guess not, as it appears that is what Calibre is used for.

Don't get too caught up by numbers and lists of supported formats. My (old) Kindle Keyboard has a bit less than 4 GB and my other half's Kindle Paperwhite has 2 GB. I just asked her if she has ever filled it and she says Calibre complained of insufficient space when she had 650+ books on the Kindle. They were mostly novels, but included about 60 cookery books, which bumps up the file size (photos).

My workflow is to load up half a dozen books and swap them out for another half a dozen when I've read them. The file size for a .mobi novel is around 0.3-1.0 MB. Calibre shows the file size. Without wishing to suggest that 640 kB is enough for anyone storage space requirement will depend on how you use it, but may be very low.

Regarding file formats, I don't care what the original file format is as I exclusively use Calibre to manage the books and it does a fine job of converting between formats (automatically, when I tell it to transfer selected titles to my Kindle). There is a penalty of a few tens of seconds delay for the conversion, depending on the capability of the PC running Calibre.

Also, when using them, do you have to be careful not to inadvertently touch the screen or a bunch of stuff "happens", like when I'm holding my tablet, if I accidentally brush or touch the screen, it sets off other apps, etc.

I don't have this problem with my Kindle as it has the buttons at the side to turn the page. Madame's Paperwhite is touchscreen and it's delightfully easy to reach across and flip over a few pages, to my amusement and her despair. I prefer the physical buttons for my own use.

Have you ever used a proper eReader that uses 'electronic paper'? They do have their advantages. Apart from being much easier on the eye, like a real book, they can be used in direct sunlight. Also, since they use almost zero power to display a page (not counting any backlight), they can sometimes last weeks between charges rather than hours.

Exactly. The superiority of an e-ink display cannot be overstated. It's also a prime example of doing one thing, extremely well. Any other display, for reading books, is a compromise, imo.

 

[mraikes]

Have you ever used a proper eReader that uses 'electronic paper'? They do have their advantages. Apart from being much easier on the eye, like a real book, they can be used in direct sunlight. Also, since they use almost zero power to display a page (not counting any backlight), they can sometimes last weeks between charges rather than hours.

If you're reading in bed, you should especially consider switching to an electronic paper based reader:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_media_and_sleep

I've seen them (set them up for family & customers), but I've never owned one myself. Being more readable in direct sunlight isn't particularly an advantage for me - that's not my typical reading environment.

Regarding the study you linked to, I guess I fall in the 27% unaffected. But it's more likely that I just know how to manage my screen brightness, font style and size. I use Lux on my phone so I can dim the screen to sub-zero levels, and choose a font/size that is comfortable to my near-sighted eyes. In my pitch dark bedroom, I also reverse the screen, so it's a dark screen with kind of off-white letters, which is easier on my eyes. As a side note, I'm surprised at the number of people that make no effort to manage screen brightness in varying light levels (reading or not).

The study also mentioned reading for 2 hours per night - I wish I had that kind of time. I doze off after probably 1/2 hour to 45 minutes max. That brings up another advantage to reading from my phone instead of a tablet/e-reader: a smaller device to bop me in the head when I doze off.

 

[trevm999]

This again. I think one of the causes for the decline of ebook market share is because they have been marketing tablets as ereaders. Several years ago my mother purchased a Kobo Vox, but she gave it away because she never used it. I got a Kobo Arc, and now we just use it for audiobooks. (and it can barely manage that) Two years ago I got my mother an e-ink Kindle. I was super impressed with e-ink, and she uses it all the time. E-ink is definitely the way to go for ereading. We went with the Kindle because it has this feature where you give it an email address and you can email books to it. Super handy, I email books to my mother all the time. However it is a PITA that it doesn't support ePUBs. Calibre makes it manageable, but I hope to get an ereader soon and I'm definitely getting something that supports ePUB. I would like to hold our for something more open like an Onyx Boox or BQ Cervantes, but they seem to be either highly priced, hard to find, or I have stability concerns. I might have to settle for the most 'hackable' of the popular ereader brands

After thinking about it more, I might just have to go with a Kindle, for me being able to put other books on it via email trumps native support for epub.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I have a Kindle fire and a Nexus 7 tablet. Both use the Kindle app and they DO read epub formats. I also would like to get a Kindle Paperwhite at some point for the benefits mentioned above.

 

[fencepost]

I'll throw in a note that on the Kindle at least I believe the hardware page-turn buttons are a thing of the past on almost all of the models. My wife prefers those so her Christmas present a year ago was the Kindle Voyage, though it looks like the new (and pricey!) Oasis also has those.

 

[katz]

Without wishing to suggest that 640 kB is enough for anyone

LOL - I can never get that out of my head! Classic!

 

[katz]

Ok, real dumb question here, but I ask because I haven't been able to locate the answer. Can an eReader audibly read any book to you, in the manner of an audio-book, or is that a special feature not found on all or any models?

 

[trevm999]

Ok, real dumb question here, but I ask because I haven't been able to locate the answer. Can an eReader audibly read any book to you, in the manner of an audio-book, or is that a special feature not found on all or any models?

Looks like Kindle has some capability

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=14100715011

 

[nlinecomputers]

The Kindle app does this as well.

 

[fencepost]

Ok, real dumb question here, but I ask because I haven't been able to locate the answer. Can an eReader audibly read any book to you, in the manner of an audio-book, or is that a special feature not found on all or any models?

I thought some Kindles did, but apparently it's only on some of the older ones - the ones before they purchased Audible. A question on the Voyage page indicates that you can get the Amazon Echo to read your Kindle books to you, but I'd look into that before depending on it.

You're more likely to find text-to-speech on readers on tablets and phones. There's a TTS plugin for FBReader (Android), though the pickings otherwise seem slim https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/TTS (appears possibly outdated). Moon+ Reader Pro is also listed as having it, also on Android.

As a side note, for those looking for information about ebook readers, Mobileread is an excellent resource.

Edit: Also, http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/04/05/round-up-text-to-speech-in-reading-apps-on-android/

 

[nlinecomputers]

I thought some Kindles did, but apparently it's only on some of the older ones - the ones before they purchased Audible. A question on the Voyage page indicates that you can get the Amazon Echo to read your Kindle books to you, but I'd look into that before depending on it.

Yep. I stand corrected. The Kindle Android app use to read to you. Now it wants you to buy an audible book. Had not realized that they turned that off.

 

[katz]

Update - I decided to go with the Kobo Aura One.

I am happy with it so far. It seems to work fine for me and has enough features - of course, I really have nothing to compare it to since this is my first one. What I do know is that it is responsive, no glitches that I can tell, the screen is very easy on the eyes, no strain.

Plenty of free reading available on many formats, which is cool, and if there is an "oddball" format, then Calibre or Adobe Digital Editions can remedy that, I suppose. I really like the larger screen format; I had a little experience with a friend's Kindle, and it was too small for my liking. This eReader measures 5 1/2" horizontal, 7 3/4" vertical, and 9" diagonal.

It is a wee bit of a stretch to hold one-handed, but I can do it. A friend of mine has a case for his table that hand a hand loop on the back that you slide your hand in to, I may look for a case like that for this reader. If anyone knows of such a case for this purpose, please let me know.

I understand that this is one of the few, if not the only eReader that is waterproof, as in submerged. Could come in quite handy for reading while lounging at the pool or the beach.

A couple of pics of my new toy!