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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Kindle or Nook, Ipad or pulpy print: What's your reader?

I finally got the nerve to go digital.  I'm talking e-book reader.  Yes, I know.

I went to my book wall, gathered all my beauties and told them what I was about to do.  Most of them took the news pretty well, except for hardcover Hunger Games--she pulled out her quiver and bow, aimed, but I was able to talk her out of the shot.

Hardcover Shiver looked at me with his soulful wolf eyes, but I'm a cradle Catholic.  I know how to handle guilt.

Fountainhead smirked; Howard Roark went back to standing naked on the cliff.

"We'll see you again," they all said.

Amex in hand, I clicked to Amazon.  And guess what the heck ever? Temporarily Sold Out. The Kindle, all the jaunty little screens in cool graphite gray sold out until mid September.

Amazon nicely advised me to order now to reserve my place in line.

Pre-order?  Look, Amazon, it's like this: I pre-order books.  I've pre-ordered Mockingjay, anticipating rich pages set in not-too-flouncy Adobe Caslon, though I'd settle for Garamond. 

Place In line?  Maybe for Modest Mouse or Muse tickets, definitely for Radiohead (as if they'd ever) but for a Kindle?  Hmm.  Maybe karma is wagging its craggy Graveyard Book hardcover finger to reconsider.

I'm second guessing my Kindle choice--maybe the Nook or the Ipad is the reader for me. So now I wonder if you can help me.  Which e-reader do you love?

7 comments:

  1. I have a Nook and I LOVE IT. I got it before my MIL got her Kindle (the one before this latest generation) and having had an opportunity to compare, I really prefer the Nook. It's WAY TOO EASY to accidentally buy something on the Kindle, and I prefer the navigation system on the Nook. The e-ink technology was comparable on both, so it's really a matter of which organizational system you prefer. The reason I opted to go with Nook to begin with is that I am not locked into buying books ONLY from Amazon. The nook reads EPUB (which is an industry standard), PDF, and PDB. Kindle doesn't. The nook works with library ebooks. The Kindle doesn't. Since I check out a LOT of books from my library, that was really the deciding factor for me.

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  2. Kait, you may have saved me from an untimely Kindle. Thank you! I didn't realize the Kindle doesn't work with library ebooks or PDF. *off to Google the Nook.*

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  3. My Kindle Graphite was ordered for me today by my lovely girlfriend for my upcoming birthday.

    You can try out the Nook at a Barnes & Noble brick and mortar if you want to touch before buying.

    Both the Kindle and Nook are great in outdoor light (with the awesome E Ink). Both require lighting for night reading, just like a book does. I recommend candles :-). And both offer two versions - wi-fi or wi-fi with 3G (for about $50 more but no monthly 3G fee). I think they're comparably priced.

    The iPad is quite expensive, plus the 3G service will cost you a monthly fee - it is color, which is lovely for applications, the web, magazines or comics, but it doesn't emulate eInk like the Kindle and Nook. It is backlit for night reading (though that hurts my eyes) and is atrocious in bright outdoor light. I want an iPad for geeky reasons, not book reading. It's a bit heavier (and probably warmer to the touch after time) than the eReaders.

    I'm excited about finally getting my Kindle. I can use it to carry screenplays/scripts for reading, and can even subscribe to blogs (though Amazon is still charging $1.99/blog - hoping this policy changes soon). Good luck with whatever you choose!

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  4. I have a Kindle 2 and I love it. It's fast to respond, very intuitive to use and the battery charge lasts forever. My husband has a Nook, and my daughter just ordered the Kindle 3.

    Amazon is aware of the library issue and I think it will be coming to Kindle, but yes, the Nook has "borrowing and loaning" capabilities. The Sony e-reader and Border's e-reader can do so as well.

    Good luck with your decision. :-)

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  5. Mike,
    I agree, the Ipad is a little more than I need and I think I'd wait for a lower end version of same to purchase.
    Will you let me know about the Kindle when you receive? And, by the way, what a nice gift.

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  6. Jeannie, your family is wired in, lol! I love the Nook's borrowing and lending abilities and find that very intriguing. Thanks!
    Helen

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  7. Hello again, Helen! I got my Kindle and I love it! I'm using it to read screenplay/script PDFs and it's fabulous. Something as simple as saving the page for each book/script, and carrying it everywhere so I have quick access is worth it. I'm also meeting lots of authors on Twitter, so I appreciate an $8 (or less) e-book purchase. I've only had it for two weeks so I'm still in the gadget honeymoon phase. :-) Best, Mike

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