Which e-reader do you use?

HelenW82HelenW82 Posts: 178
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I am thinking of getting an e-reader and was wondering what everyone else is using or has used in the past.

Ideally I'm looking to spend between £50 - £150 as I appreciate that I may have to pay out for a decent quality.
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  • wakeywakey Posts: 3,073
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    Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. Not everyone likes being locked into the Amazon Eco system but the hardware with the ebook Eco system really can't be beat. Just a shame Amazons tablet setup isn't anywhere near as effective
  • mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
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    Started out with a Sony PRS-350 which was excellent until it bricked almost 12 months ago... It won't reset or switch off and it totally unresponsive, the screen still has the loading symbol on it...

    Now I have an Amazon Paperwhite and love it.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,300
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    I have Kindle Paperwhite, 2nd gen. Amazon also has a cheap entry model without light, but I think paperwhite is worth the money difference. The entry model is fine, too, you just need external light.
  • wakeywakey Posts: 3,073
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    IvanIV wrote: »
    I have Kindle Paperwhite, 2nd gen. Amazon also has a cheap entry model without light, but I think paperwhite is worth the money difference. The entry model is fine, too, you just need external light.

    Plus entry level isn't touchscreen. The page change buttons on the entry level are maybe better for some than a touchscreen but when you need to enter text or want to highlight a word to look it up in the dictionary or want to mark a passage the touch screen is much easier.

    The front light is also better than using an external light as its more even and the light also improves reading in the daytime too, especially in direct sunlight
  • HelenW82HelenW82 Posts: 178
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    Thank you :)

    Will check out the Kindle Paperwhite for sure.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,300
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    There's paperwhite 1st and 2nd gen, make sure you get the newer one. The light is improved, better screen resolution, too.
  • Anika HansonAnika Hanson Posts: 15,629
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    I've got the second gen paperwhite. It's awsome. My best ereader so far and Amazon's best kindle yet.
  • clm2071clm2071 Posts: 6,637
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    After years of insisting I would never get one, I've relented (after having a go on the other halfs and quite enjoying it) and have decided on the Kobo Glo.

    I really didnt want to be restricted to Amazon, and the Glo is cheaper + I can borrow books from my local library directly onto it.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    Kobo Touch, just under £30 in WH Smith there are so many places you can get the books from, free and paid for.

    i would not go for a kindle, tied to much to Amazon.
  • tony le mesmertony le mesmer Posts: 876
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    I use a Nook Simple Touch that I picked up when they were £29. For the price it's fantastic.
  • wakeywakey Posts: 3,073
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    clm2071 wrote: »
    After years of insisting I would never get one, I've relented (after having a go on the other halfs and quite enjoying it) and have decided on the Kobo Glo.

    I really didnt want to be restricted to Amazon, and the Glo is cheaper + I can borrow books from my local library directly onto it.
    noise747 wrote: »
    Kobo Touch, just under £30 in WH Smith there are so many places you can get the books from, free and paid for.

    i would not go for a kindle, tied to much to Amazon.

    I would point out that anyone who shares the 'fear' of being tied to Amazon that you aren't really any more tied than using a Kobo or most other ereaders. Using calibre you can make ePub bookks work on the Kindle then you just sideload them like you do any book not bought from the devices prefered store so its only really the library lending you lose out on.

    If you aren't wanting to have to sideload then You are also more likely to pay more to stay away from Amaazon as most of the time their books are at worst the same price but often cheaper so depending on how many books you will be buying the cheaper hardware prices may be misleading if you plan to stay in the devices Eco system
  • bobcarbobcar Posts: 19,424
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    wakey wrote: »
    I would point out that anyone who shares the 'fear' of being tied to Amazon that you aren't really any more tied than using a Kobo or most other ereaders. Using calibre you can make ePub bookks work on the Kindle then you just sideload them like you do any book not bought from the devices prefered store so its only really the library lending you lose out on.

    If you aren't wanting to have to sideload then You are also more likely to pay more to stay away from Amaazon as most of the time their books are at worst the same price but often cheaper so depending on how many books you will be buying the cheaper hardware prices may be misleading if you plan to stay in the devices Eco system

    Nonetheless many of us don't want to be tied to Amazon and don't want to be sideloading. The library lending is really useful.

    I still have the Sony PRS-350 I bought years and it is still going strong. At the time it was much better than the Kindles with the touch screen and smaller size, obviously now other devices have moved on.
  • KleistKleist Posts: 141
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    Kobo Touch, only thirty quid at moment, very impressed with it. You can try it out in branches of WHS
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    clm2071 wrote: »
    After years of insisting I would never get one, I've relented (after having a go on the other halfs and quite enjoying it) and have decided on the Kobo Glo.

    I really didnt want to be restricted to Amazon, and the Glo is cheaper + I can borrow books from my local library directly onto it.

    I got a old kobo wi-fi, which is ok, but it is starting to play up a bit, the button started getting less responsive, also some books would not display as they should.That is why I got the Kobo touch, it was also a good price. i did have a quick look at the glo, looks good, but a bit pricey.

    I did not really want to be tied into Amazon either, i don't think we can borrow ebooks from our Library, saying that the way our council is cutting costs, it may not be there for much longer.

    I do like the the kobo and would recommend it to other people and when the time comes for me to get another reader, it will be another kobo.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,623
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    I'm still using the Kindle Keyboard 3G. The battery life isn't what it used to be but it's still going strong.
  • mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
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    After reading the smallprint for using a Kindle a few years back I used to be vehemently anti-Kindle but now I don't feel 'tied' to Amazon at all.
    I have lots of ePubs from my Sony, I just converted using Calibre and then emailed the books to my Kindle - I don't know if that's what folk class as 'sideloading' but it's easy to do and Amazon even promote it as an alternative method for adding books. Completely non-restrictive.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,300
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    Sideloading is when you copy books on your reader using USB cable, but email works, too. Amazon will convert your emailed books to mobi/azw, too, but with Calibre it's not a big deal anyway and it's more a matter of personal preference now whether Kindle or something else. I prefer Kindle, because it's convenient for me to buy books there, huge selection, good prices, being tied to Amazon isn't such a bad thing for me. And I am actually not, Amazon is just my primary source.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    wakey wrote: »
    I would point out that anyone who shares the 'fear' of being tied to Amazon that you aren't really any more tied than using a Kobo or most other ereaders. Using calibre you can make ePub bookks work on the Kindle then you just sideload them like you do any book not bought from the devices prefered store so its only really the library lending you lose out on.

    If you aren't wanting to have to sideload then You are also more likely to pay more to stay away from Amaazon as most of the time their books are at worst the same price but often cheaper so depending on how many books you will be buying the cheaper hardware prices may be misleading if you plan to stay in the devices Eco system

    I know calibre can convert epub to AZW/KF8 for kindle, but it is just another step that I don't want to do. Being locked into the amazon system was not the only reason to go for the kobo. i go for the underdogs, the smaller companies if I can, that is why I always have AMD based computers, ok i know AMD is not small by any means, but Intel is massive compared to them. The same with Kobo, how many people have heard of Kobo?
    I take my e-reader to work to read at lunch and break times and people say oh a kindle, and when I say no a Kobo, I get back what is that then?
    Another lad gets the same thing about his Nook and we sell the things at work.

    Another reason I got the Kobo or my original one, was because I thought it was better than the Kindle at the time, having seen and used a kindle and found I could not get on with the buttons on the side.

    As for books, I can get what I want at the price I want to pay, loads of free books from different sites. I don't just get free books mind you.

    I tend to avoid amazon these days if I can, I buy from them if I can't find what I want elsewhere for a decent price. i used to buy a lot of CD's from amazon, but now I go elsewhere.
  • wakeywakey Posts: 3,073
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    bobcar wrote: »
    Nonetheless many of us don't want to be tied to Amazon and don't want to be sideloading. The library lending is really useful.

    I still have the Sony PRS-350 I bought years and it is still going strong. At the time it was much better than the Kindles with the touch screen and smaller size, obviously now other devices have moved on.

    You however are missing my point. Whatever route you go you either have to use the default store (if the device has one) to purchase/get your books directly to the device OR you are have to sideload it from your computer so you are in the exact same boat.

    And the problem with most of the other ebook stores is how reliable are they in the long term. Look at the issue people had with Digital Music where you had all the competing devices and stores tied to these devices that. I bought music from a few different sources back in the day but the only ones I can still download are the iTunes ones (And even though I have all the source files still for the others they won't play as the licencing servers no longer exist)

    So its fine if you make sure you backup all your books and ensure there are no DRM restrictions on them so if say the Kobo store shuts down you can still access your purchases (Kobo store is perhaps one of the best placed ones outside Amazon as its fairly well established but not sure its yet at a point where it makes enough ebook sales or its hardware profits are high enough for it to be totally secure. The high street retailers I wouldn't trust based on their history with digital music)

    The likelihood of Amazon shutting down is alot less (Although I still take a backup of all my purchased books and make sure they have their DRM removed as I got burnt with Digital Music)
  • wakeywakey Posts: 3,073
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    noise747 wrote: »
    I know calibre can convert epub to AZW/KF8 for kindle, but it is just another step that I don't want to do.

    But if you aren't buying from the devices default store its not really any more hassle as Calibre will convert and sideload it with a couple of clicks
    Being locked into the amazon system was not the only reason to go for the kobo. i go for the underdogs, the smaller companies if I can, that is why I always have AMD based computers, ok i know AMD is not small by any means, but Intel is massive compared to them. The same with Kobo, how many people have heard of Kobo?
    I take my e-reader to work to read at lunch and break times and people say oh a kindle, and when I say no a Kobo, I get back what is that then?
    Another lad gets the same thing about his Nook and we sell the things at work.

    Not saying that the Kobo is a poor bit of kit (its not) but its a bit of a strange stance to take in general. Surely it should be what gives the best bang for your buck not simply choosing the underdog. Anyone who buys AMD CPU's or Systems is just getting false economy these days as the CPU's are so underpowered compared to Intels that they really don't provide the value they used to. Its a shame because while Intels have always been better chips AMD's prices were such that you could get a level or two higher in the range than with Intel.
    Another reason I got the Kobo or my original one, was because I thought it was better than the Kindle at the time, having seen and used a kindle and found I could not get on with the buttons on the side.

    Perfectly valid reasoning. The Kobo is a good bit of kit and some people will prefer design aspects of the Kobo while others may prefer Amazon or Sony or Barnes & Nobels or another devices design.

    If its a solely preference on the hardware/software then its all personal opinion and no-one is right but all too often it seems it comes down to fear mongering about being locked into 'Evil Amazon' while 'insert alternatives name' is all free and good (And I'm not saying you yourself have done this but it does seem to happen)
    As for books, I can get what I want at the price I want to pay, loads of free books from different sites. I don't just get free books mind you.

    Unless you are buying illegally though that usually means Public Domain works though. Pricing in the default stores is usually less at Amazon. The High street retailers (which means sideloading books) are a bit more competitive at times but can also have a smaller range. And Amazon will usually respond so when judging overall cost its something that really needs to be considered. Just looking at the 3 New Release books on the front page of the Kobo store gives the following
    The Night Guest
    Kobo £9.99
    Amazon £6.99
    
    Dark Bites
    Kobo £6.99
    Amazon £4.68
    
    The Verdict
    Kobo £8.49
    Amazon £5.69
    
  • Kaz159Kaz159 Posts: 11,824
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    I've got a Kindle (basic model). I got it because I couldn't read a tablet in the sun. I like it and it does what I need. If I need a light source at night I have a clip on light or I just read on the tablet.

    Most of my books on it aren't from Amazon, I used Calibre to convert the ones I had (some bought, some free from Project Gutenberg).
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,689
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    wakey wrote: »
    You however are missing my point. Whatever route you go you either have to use the default store (if the device has one) to purchase/get your books directly to the device OR you are have to sideload it from your computer so you are in the exact same boat.

    And the problem with most of the other ebook stores is how reliable are they in the long term. Look at the issue people had with Digital Music where you had all the competing devices and stores tied to these devices that. I bought music from a few different sources back in the day but the only ones I can still download are the iTunes ones (And even though I have all the source files still for the others they won't play as the licencing servers no longer exist)

    So its fine if you make sure you backup all your books and ensure there are no DRM restrictions on them so if say the Kobo store shuts down you can still access your purchases (Kobo store is perhaps one of the best placed ones outside Amazon as its fairly well established but not sure its yet at a point where it makes enough ebook sales or its hardware profits are high enough for it to be totally secure. The high street retailers I wouldn't trust based on their history with digital music)

    The likelihood of Amazon shutting down is alot less (Although I still take a backup of all my purchased books and make sure they have their DRM removed as I got burnt with Digital Music)

    The likely hood of kobo shutting down is pretty slim as well. there are larger companies than Amazon that have gone under and if they annoy customers too much by changing things people will go elsewhere.

    Epub is not KOBO format, it is a format by Adobe and is pretty well accepted, so DRM is not going tobe a issue even if Kobo did fail.


    Amazon uses their own system and as poplar as Kindle is, a lot of other stores just don't offer ebooks in the kindle format

    Waterstones, their e-books is in Epub format
    Sainsburys ebooks are in Epub format.

    No doubt there are others, but I have not really looked into it.

    sites that offer free books and just because they are free, don't mean they are rubbish, most of them are in epub.

    wakey wrote: »
    But if you aren't buying from the devices default store its not really any more hassle as Calibre will convert and sideload it with a couple of clicks

    But I am buying from the default store, not sure where you got the idea from I am not.
    I have grabbed some free books from other sources, but I normally stick them onto a SD card, try doing that with a kindle. sure there is more than enough space on the device itself, but the SD card slot is still useful,, i can stick a bus time table on there when I go visiting. i have not done it with the touch, but I done it with the old kobo.

    Not saying that the Kobo is a poor bit of kit (its not) but its a bit of a strange stance to take in general. Surely it should be what gives the best bang for your buck not simply choosing the underdog. Anyone who buys AMD CPU's or Systems is just getting false economy these days as the CPU's are so underpowered compared to Intels that they really don't provide the value they used to. Its a shame because while Intels have always been better chips AMD's prices were such that you could get a level or two higher in the range than with Intel.

    KOBO is a great bit of kit, the screen is clear and the touch at least is pretty fast, granted my old KOBO was a bit.

    As for AMD processors, they do what I want to do and more, I prefer AMD and have done more or less since I came into the wolrd fo the PC from my amaiga, apart from the first PC, which was a cyrix. apart from my laptop I have never had a Intel machine and I am not starting now. If you think AMD chips are underpowered, then think again, they certainly are not.

    Perfectly valid reasoning. The Kobo is a good bit of kit and some people will prefer design aspects of the Kobo while others may prefer Amazon or Sony or Barnes & Nobels or another devices design.

    It is a bloody good bit of kit. I did look at the Nook before I got the Kobo touch as we sell them at work, someone got one at work, but it did not appeal to me.

    If its a solely preference on the hardware/software then its all personal opinion and no-one is right but all too often it seems it comes down to fear mongering about being locked into 'Evil Amazon' while 'insert alternatives name' is all free and good (And I'm not saying you yourself have done this but it does seem to happen)

    I do think Amazon have got too big and like google they are trying to get their feet into everything and trying to link it all together. look at Lovefilm, at the moment I am still using it for a couple of disks a month, everytime I log into the site they want me to link it with my Amazon account. Something I don't want to do, after all I joined Lovefilm as lovefilm, not Amazon. Ok that is not 100% true, I joined lovefilm as Sainsburys DVD rental, but Sainsburys dumped it and Lovefilm took over my account, because it was run by lovefims anyway

    but that is not the reason I did not get the Kindle, i just did not think it was the right reader for me and i did not want to be stuck with a non-standard format that only one company supports.

    It is like the days when digital audio players had their own system, until MP3 became the norm, apart from Apple which still uses their own format.


    Unless you are buying illegally though that usually means Public Domain works though. Pricing in the default stores is usually less at Amazon. The High street retailers (which means sideloading books) are a bit more competitive at times but can also have a smaller range. And Amazon will usually respond so when judging overall cost its something that really needs to be considered. Just looking at the 3 New Release books on the front page of the Kobo store gives the following
    The Night Guest
    Kobo £9.99
    Amazon £6.99
    
    Dark Bites
    Kobo £6.99
    Amazon £4.68
    
    The Verdict
    Kobo £8.49
    Amazon £5.69
    

    I don't buy new books to be honest, books I buy are normally a few years old and I only buy when they come down in price.

    The difference in pricing is pretty minimal and no doubt I could go on both sites and find some books cheaper on Kobo than Amazon. I have no idea why you seem intent on making out that the Kindle is the better reader and you seem to not like people having other readers.
    I got friends/mates who got kindles, Kobos, Nook and one got a sony. some even use tablets, but that is not for me, i prefer e-ink for reading, at the end of the day they buy what they think is best.

    I like my kobo and I certainly prefer it to the Kindle, but it don't mean the kindle is crap, it just means it is not for me.
  • edExedEx Posts: 13,460
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    I have a Kindle Touch, which I use during daylight. For nighttime reading I use my iPad.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,395
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    I use a standard Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 to read ebooks and I configure it like this:

    Those of you who don’t happen to be productivity obsessives may have missed this one, but last night, Lifehacker posted a really simple trick that’ll give your tablet or smartphone screen an appearance similar to that of an E-Ink screen … sort of.
    http://www.teleread.com/e-ink/wishing-your-tablet-smartphone-had-e-ink-now-it-does/

    One of the advantages of a tablet is that it can also be used to play audiobooks as well, e.g. from Libraries West and Librivox.
  • mred2000mred2000 Posts: 10,050
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    noise747 wrote: »
    Epub is not KOBO format, it is a format by Adobe and is pretty well accepted, so DRM is not going tobe a issue even if Kobo did fail.

    Amazon uses their own system and as poplar as Kindle is, a lot of other stores just don't offer ebooks in the kindle format

    Epub is not an Adobe format at all. It's an extension of the open ebook format. Amazon purchased the Mobi format a while ago and used that as the basis for the Kindle format. Whether Amazon charge others to use their format or not, I dunno.

    As someone who has created and edited ebooks in both formats, epub is the easier to work with.
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