Kindle or Nook?

[Impromptu]

I have had the Nook 2 since last May, and I love it. I bought one for my non-techie mother this year for Christmas - she has arthritis, and she has no problems with the weight. She's pretty happy with it as well.

The nice thing about a Nook is that if you do have problems with it, you can just run into a Barnes and Noble, grab a bookseller, and say "help!"

[Prancer]

The nice thing about a Nook is that if you do have problems with it, you can just run into a Barnes and Noble, grab a bookseller, and say "help!"

I think that's a huge advantage the Nook has over the Kindle. One of my friends got a bad Nook 2; he took it to the store and they swapped it out on the spot, no questions asked, as soon as he showed them what it was (and wasn't) doing. Amazon is really good about all that, too, but you still have to do everything by mail and phone.

There's a guy I call the Nook Evangelist at my local B&N who gives everyone who buys a Nook a personal lesson in how to use it and even gives people his cell number so they can call him if they have problems . He used to hang out in the cafe on his own time to help people with the Nook because he loved it so much, and B&N finally gave him a job. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so in love with an electronic device.

Another nice thing about the Nook is that when you go into a B&N, its little antennae pop up and it says, "Hello, mothership" and offers you coupons for the cafe. You can also read books online in the store for an hour while you drink your latte and eat cheesecake, although your selection of what you can read is very limited (something they don't tell you in the sales pitch),

[Wyliefan]

Oh, I have. I got an iPad for days when I have to be away from my computer, and every time I bring it to the office, the men go into spasms of excitement. "Look, there she is with her iPad!!!" I'm starting to feel like nothing more than a walking electronic device. Me, I mostly see gadgets as a necessary evil!

[Prancer]

Oh, I have. I got an iPad for days when I have to be away from my computer, and every time I bring it to the office, the men go into spasms of excitement. "Look, there she is with her iPad!!!"

Yeah, I've seen that, and nothing seems to get people going like iPads.

But this guy had another job and would come in to B&N after work just to hang and talk Nook with people. That's something I've never seen anyone do. And he took a pay cut to take this job.

I think he's crazy, but if I have a question, he's the guy who will know the answer.

[modern_muslimah]

This really depends on your library district and what books you want to read.

I was thinking the same thing. I've been able to borrow e-books from my library (downloaded onto iPod touch) with no problem. I do agree that e-book selection for my library is rather limited compared to paper books. In the future though, e-book selections for libraries will increase though right?

Prancer, do you have any librarian contacts for the Free Library of Philadelphia? I've read that they offer library card to non-residents for $15 and that this allows anyone outside of Philly to access their e-books. I've also heard their e-book selection is pretty good. I was just wondering how accurate this is.

[modern_muslimah]

But this guy had another job and would come in to B&N after work just to hang and talk Nook with people. That's something I've never seen anyone do. And he took a pay cut to take this job.

I think he's crazy, but if I have a question, he's the guy who will know the answer.

Wow! That's umm, interesting.

[Prancer]

In the future though, e-book selections for libraries will increase though right?

No doubt; the whole e-book thing is still in its infancy, and libraries aren't all caught up yet.

Neither are publishers or authors. Publishers still aren't sure of how this is all going to work and some authors just refuse to participate. Audrey Niffenegger, for example, is completely against having her books converted to and sold in e-format because she does not believe that e-readers are aesthetically beautiful.

E-books right now are about where music was back in the days of Napster; no one knows what they're doing yet. But this is clearly the wave of the future and the prediction is that e-readers will become more iPad like, and less Kindle-ish because the market of people who just want to read is relatively small.

Prancer, do you have any librarian contacts for the Free Library of Philadelphia? I've read that they offer library card to non-residents for $15 and that this allows anyone outside of Philly to access their e-books. I've also heard their e-book selection is pretty good. I was just wondering how accurate this is.

Nope, no contacts there. But the library card for out-of-staters is listed here: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/register/getcard1.cfm so that part of it is true, at least.

Now I have to check out their catalogue .

[judiz]

I absolutely love my kindle, the only issues are it freezes when the battery gets low and, if you buy a cover that clips into the side of the kindle, you can short circuit the kindle. The clips come in contact with the kindle's wires. Avoid covers that clip into the kindle.

[JasperBoy]

Does anyone have anything to say about Chapters/Indigo Kobo?

[Impromptu]

Does anyone have anything to say about Chapters/Indigo Kobo?

Isn't that from Borders? I haven't heard anything about the reader specifically, but I had heard that Borders was very much in trouble these days ... so people who buy a Kobo through Borders risk getting a machine with no support.

[Prancer]

Isn't that from Borders? I haven't heard anything about the reader specifically, but I had heard that Borders was very much in trouble these days ... so people who buy a Kobo through Borders risk getting a machine with no support.

Kobo is actually a Canadian device. Borders kind of adopted it in the US, but it isn't tied to their stores and can be used with other bookstores and other downloadable books.

Kobo is a very basic reader; it doesn't do anything but read, and since it doesn't have 3G or WiFi, you can't download books directly to the device. It comes preloaded with 100 books and can hold about 1000 books total (about a third of what the big names hold, but how many books does one need to carry around?). It has an e-ink screen and is easy on the eyes. Some people have experienced "burn in" on the screen if they've left the screen on too long, as there is no screensaver capability.

The Kobo is a nice little reader if all you want is a very plain reader, but it was two other drawbacks besides the download issue--the response time tends to be slow, which annoys a lot of people, and software upgrades are kind of a PITA to do. It used to be that its big draw was price, but now there are other readers in its price range that offer more features, so Kobo has lost a lot of its market, but it's still not a bad deal for a plain reader.

[jlai]

Here's a link with a description of the big three: http://www.suite101.com/content/erea...eature-a329044

With the Nook Color, you press and hold on the word you want defined. A Text Selection toolbar pops up. You tap Look Up on the toolbar, and the definition appears.

I think they mostly work the same general way--touchscreens work essentially like the Nook Color, non-touchscreens work like the Kindle.

Ah, sounds like the Sony ereader works best for me with a stylus. Do you know it's backlit?

[JasperBoy]

Thanks for the info about Kobo, Prancer.

Mr JB is interested in an ereader, but can't decide which one to get. Your earlier link will help a lot.

[Wyliefan]

I ordered the Kindle 3G this morning. It's a little more than I wanted to pay (that groaning sound you hear is my credit card ), but other family members are going to pony up for part of it, so that'll help. I think she'll really enjoy it. Thanks, all.

[Prancer]

Ah, sounds like the Sony ereader works best for me with a stylus. Do you know it's backlit?

Sony uses e-ink so it doesn't have the backlighting issue.

Basically, if a device uses e-ink, it won't have backlighting. If it has color, it will.

[Yehudi]

I have an ipad and I use the free Nook, Kindle, and Kobo apps, as well as an Ibook app. It came in very handy when I was studying for the GMAT. The hard copy of the Manhattan GMAT books was $24. I could by a kindle version for more than half that plus I didn't have to carry all the books around when I had to travel. I also used ibook for the pirated versions of a bunch of other review books.

[nubka]

I like traditional books with pages that I can turn. I hope they don't become obsolete someday...

[modern_muslimah]

Nope, no contacts there. But the library card for out-of-staters is listed here: http://libwww.freelibrary.org/register/getcard1.cfm so that part of it is true, at least.

Thanks!

I wonder if we'll eventually get an e-reader/tablet that combines e-ink and LCD. I kinda want to get a Nook color because it functions in a lot of ways like a tablet but I know my eyes will get strained looking at a LCD screen after a while. I would primarily use an e-reader to read but I'm sure it's nice to have all those other features too.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Thanks!

I wonder if we'll eventually get an e-reader/tablet that combines e-ink and LCD. I kinda want to get a Nook color because it functions in a lot of ways like a tablet but I know my eyes will get strained looking at a LCD screen after a while. I would primarily use an e-reader to read but I'm sure it's nice to have all those other features too.

That's one of the reasons why I chose a Nook over a Nook color. I got the Wifi-only model because I don't really see myself utilizing the 3G too much to justify spending an extra $50. I won't ever be in a situation where I desperately have to download a title in a place that has no Wifi and I'll just download my books at home or wait until I go into a coffee shop or even a McDonald's. For me, I already have an ipod touch and a macbook. I don't need another tablet.

[redonthehead]

Daughter has a Nook and she loves it! I didn't buy the color because I didn't think she would use it much except to get her text books. But she has and now she carries it everywhere!