The best e-readers for Christmas
Digital reading devices separate into two basic types. On the one hand, you have the traditional e-reader, based on e-ink technology, and designed specifically reading. But now we have the 7in tablet, an altogether more sophisticated gadget, but one now starting to challenge the old-fashioned e-reader on price, especially when …
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Re: Tablets v e-readers
There is. A lot of 7in tablet owners I know - and me too - use one pretty much solely for reading.
Title of the article was:
The best e-readers for Christmas
So it was a comparison of e-readers and tablets used as e-readers. The article then pointed out that tablets do more, and cost a bit more (though the cheapest not that much more).
Perhaps if your tablet were a better e-reader you'd have noticed what the article was about...
And my point is how can you compare e-ink e-readers to LCD or whatever tech tablets? Or was it just that you wanted to get a sarcastic wee comment in there cos just.
Perhaps I was over-grumpy. But the article actually covers your point. So it's not as if they hadn't thought about it.
To put things a different way, "I have £150 to spend, what portable tech can I get for that money that I can read books on?" To which the answer is, an eBook reader or a small tablet. Then the article discusses pro's and con's. I think that's a pretty good argument to say you can compare the 2. They cost similar amounts, and do some similar things, it would be stupid not to compare them.
I don't really understand your objection. LCDs are different to eInk screens, this is discussed, and it's then a matter of what you prefer. Obviously multi-purpose tablets do more than eBook readers, but don't do reading as well (in some peoples' opinion).
For example, I prefer real books, but I never read outside in the sun and don't want to be locked into Kindle. I also don't find LCD screens tiring on the eyes, and would use a smallish device with web and GPS. For me the Nexus 7 is a no-brainer, should I chose to go the eBook route.
For someone who prefers the eInk screen, good luck to them. They lose functionality, but if they only want to read, eInk is probably the correct choice. Or as the article states, at these prices, they could afford both.
So if you're complaining about the article (did you read it?), then I think you're being unfair. It specifically covers your objections. If you're making a point that you can't compare the two types of devices, you're patently wrong. You can. This article does. Other people have. They are comparable options, with different use-cases, advantages and disadvantages. What's the problem?
Bedtime reading...?
Given the constant claims that backlit screens are particularly bad for messing up melatonin production, isn't it worth pointing out that an e-ink based screen is a far better option for your wee bittie bedtime reading...?
Re: Bedtime reading...?
Who claims this? Sounds improbable. Isn't melatonin linked to Vit D production, which itself - in this context - instigated by UV?
Of course, I might be wrong - if so, cue correction in 3....2...1...
Re: Bedtime reading...?
Afaik the retina has some cells that are triggered by blue light that also play a part in day-night rhythm.
IOW it should be fixable by setting your tablet background to red :)
Re: Bedtime reading...?
I used a little program called redshift on my ubuntu laptop to drop the colour temperature in the night-hours. I believe similar apps are available for other platforms. It makes a huge difference to eyestrain, haven't noticed particular impact on my (admittedly awful) sleeping patterns.
Broadly speaking blue light wakes you up, red light makes you sleepy.
Re: Bedtime reading...?
Broadly speaking blue light wakes you up, red light makes you sleepy.
Doh! That explains it!
Now I understand why I was struggling not to fall asleep, 'afterwards', in the brothel, but was suddenly wide awake when I'd been carted off to the police station...
Next Christmas this might be a very different article with colour ereaders about to hit the mainstream.
Craziest score there: iPad Mini vs Kindle Paperwhite
Battery life: Kindle massively wins
Cross-device book portability: Kindle wins
PPI: Kindle wins (212 vs 162)
Weight: Kindle wins (213g vs 308g)
Price: Kindle wins
Reading in daylight: Kindle wins
Reading at night: Draw
Free 3G: Kindle wins (for the 3G version)
And yet they're rated the same? Are you joking, El Reg? Probably on all of those useful eBook reader properties every device here beats the iPad Mini. Stop inflating iPad scores all the time.
And yes, blah blah general-purpose, other apps, whatever. The review is for eBook readers. Obviously the Mini beats these readers at other tasks.
Re: Craziest score there: iPad Mini vs Kindle Paperwhite
I agree with everything you said, but I want to add one more point.
Glossy screens suck. They are absolutely useless outside, semi useless inside (unless you are in a completely dark room).
With laptops getting touch screens, it's hard to even find those with matte screens anymore. This world is going insane.
I luve my BB playbook
... which is not even mentioned here. I have read several hundred sites of different ebooks, in bed, on train and elsewhere, used the DocumentsToGo for IT device inventory, have my favorite movie clips on it etc. etc.
The thing is still not mature, as the Android app compatibility is nothing to boast about, but experiences seem to differ.
And if you *really* wish to stand out of the masses - use one of them Symbian Nokia touchphones with Albite Reader ;-)
In praise of the codex.
I'm reading a paperback thriller. It cost me a one pound donation to a school in Africa. I can read it in the bath. When I'm done with it I can return it whence it came. How is a Kindle better?
Re: In praise of the codex.
Can't speak for the Kindle but I have a Kobo touch with over 250 books loaded, yes it cost more than £1 but a lot less than £250 (including media) so per volume it's cheaper than woodpulp-tech. It also weighs a little less than a stack of 250 books.
Another advantage is if I fall asleep and drop it while reading it stays on the same page unlike woodpulp-tech which has the "automatic random page selection" feature.
So assuming the Kindle is much the same (reasonable assumption I think) as the Kobo, that's how an eInk reader is better, at least for me, I suppose YMMV.
The Times Newspaper seems to like the Nexus 7...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/20608145
Seems the Times Newspaper likes the Nexus 7, since they'll give you one for £50 if you take out an 18 month sub for the newspaper. (Seems like a good deal if you were actually going to read the Times...)
Tablets are NOT e-readers!
E-readers were designed to substitute books. Books don't have to be recharged every couple of hours. Therefore tablets fall at the first design hurdle as far as a book replacement is concerned. Couple that with the increased eye-strain when bright, back-lit screens are used in darkened rooms and you have something that's a vastly inferior reading experience compared to a book or an e-ink e-reader.
Re: Tablets are NOT e-readers!
I can read on my Nexus 7 for more than 12 hours (reading, not playing games of course).
That's more than 6 times as long as time you mentioned...
I personally don't suffer from eyestrain when reading backlit text (I'd have a nasty time doing my job otherwise), but I do find it easier to read ebooks. I'd have thought the solution to that problem would be to, you know, not sit reading in a dark room?
However, does anyone read actual real books in darkened rooms? With some kind of magic see-in-the-dark eyes?
Re: Tablets are NOT e-readers!
"I personally don't suffer from eyestrain when reading backlit text, but I do find it easier to read ebooks."
So what you're saying is that you do suffer from eyestrain with transmissive screens - albeit mildly - because eInk causes less strain on your eyes? Don't worry, that's perfectly normal. Eyestrain doesn't have to mean sore eyes.
Reading in the 'dark' was one of those things long-touted as causing eyestrain, but recent research suggests it's not actually the case. I read "in the dark" with a little clip-on led light, just enough to see by but not enough to wake up the person sleeping next to me. My personal feeling is that the difference in the amount of work your eyes have to do with different screen technologies is to do with refresh rates, colour temperature and resolution.
Nah, I don't get any eye strain at all. I spend all day reading computer screens - I'm a software developer!
I tell you what I do find makes the most difference - using a 10 inch tablet rather than 7 inch ones (including the Kindle). Reading on my wife's Nexus 10 is amazingly better than reading on a Kindle.
(Can't edit my previous reply)
I meant to mention: My wife's pretty much stopped using her Kindle at home now. She always uses her Nexus 10 instead.
Re; Nexus 10 better
Just curious as to why that is. I have a Kindle 4, which I really like, but if there's a better option out there then I'd be interested to know what the advantages are.
Using American Nooks in Britain
Can you use a nook simple touch bought in US with a british Nook account?
85% for all the top 3
But clearly the Nexus 7 blows all the others right out the water. What gives???
Your nexus 7 image is a tad large....
1,843.64 kB (1,887,884 bytes)
2,381px × 2,239px (scaled to 640px × 602px)
iPad Mini feels the best and if you have Kindle books you just install the Kindle app - but the point is you would either buy a Nexus 7 if you want Android or iPad Mini if you want iOS - quite why you would buy a dedicated (locked in Kindle)...?
There are a lot of different tablets
There are a lot of different Android tablets about, some of them surprisingly cheap, and with varying features. I think you still need Google Play access to get the Kindle reader app. Android 4, multi-touch screen, HDMI output, Micro SD slot: that's a quite common set of features, though the cheap hardware is thicker and heavier than a Nexus 7.
And I know people who use mifi gadgets that use wifi to connect to your computer.
It needs careful thought, but a useful tablet can be bought for around half the price of a Nexus 7. If you're thinking of essentially domestic use, around the house, do you need GPS or some of the other sensors? But I still would want Bluetooth.
There is no single answer.
Re: There are a lot of different tablets
You don't need a Google Play account to get the Kindle App - you can used the Amazon App Store instead, and get your Kindle App from Amazon!
Tablet reading apps
I have a Kindle 3 and a nexus 10. i tend to use the Kindle for general reading, and any reading on the Nexus is textbooks or illustrated books. A genuine question, though: which apps do you used in android to read ebooks, especially ePubs? the ones I've looked at are pretty ropey, or are linked to online booksellers.
Incidentally, will El Reg be publishing a review of the Nexus 10? I'd be interested in their take on it.
Fewer distractions = more reading
I find that when I want to get on and read, my Kindle wins hands down, not just for the quality of the visual experience, but because it's only a book. When I read on my Nexus 7, I'm always getting distracted by notifications from Twitter, Facebook and GMail. The Kindle's singular focus is great for my lazy mind, obviating any need for self-discipline, and allowing me no choice but to keep reading.
pixel dimensions of Nook e-reader screen; format exclusiveness
The article implies that the Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight has a "758 x 1024 panel rather than the 600 x 800 of the previous generation of E Ink-made screens".
According to Barnes & Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/Compare-NOOKs/379003181/ the dimensions of the 6-inch screen are 600x800, with a resolution of 167 ppi. If this is incorrect, I'd love to know it--the specs are handy for making screensavers. Haven't had time to check with B&N yet, or to do much research. The display, in any case, is much clearer than those numbers might suggest--in fact, excellently clear, so much so that I can't see room for improvement in the resolution. (I've spent a lot of time doing QC on type, on-screen and on paper, so I'm hypersensitive to resolution.)
As to format exclusiveness, I gather that one can download conversion software to go from Word, etc., to ePub, and vice versa. So that looks like it might be an answer the issues of format and long-term ownership of the e-book, if one has the time and a bit of know-how.
I've only had the Nook a few days, but very impressed so far. Very intuitive interface--I figured most of it out in about an hour without looking at the manual.
bleeping LoveFilm...
Amazon will only stream it to Kindle Fires... My Galaxy S2 is perfectly capable of handling the stream, but Amazon won't bless it... won't work on Linux either as it needs DRM and that doesn't work on the Moonlight client...
I do hope there isn't a patent on the "e-readers with lights" thing
Because adding lights at the side of an otherwise non-backlit display is an attachment I had for my original Gameboy.
I carry a Kindle 3 AND a Nexus 7. I still have room for an iPad mini.
Huge Gap!
These devices are nothing without their content, yet not a word about this topic. I can't understand how this could be omitted.
I still cringe about the (small) iTunes app and music libray that I had to throw away when I was finally annoyed enough by Apple's crazy restrictions that I sold the iPod and went Android. Multiple format compatibility, lock-in, etc are a deal breaker to me. I was hoping to learn all about the different formats, the DRM restrictions, the different sources for e-books. Can someone enlighten me?
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