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If you prefer to read at night with e-ink, however, all is not lost; cases with built-in lights are available for the top Amazon models--but they are pricey:Lighted Cover for Kindle ($60);Lighted Cover for Kindle Touch ($60).
?How to find free e-books for your Kindle
Read:How to get free library books on your Kindle
Ironically, the Kindle Fire offers no 3G version. With its reliance on cloud entertainment options--streaming video and audio from the Amazon online store--its a curious omission. (That said, some--but not all--videos can be donwloaded and stored on the Fire for offline viewing.)
Technically Incorrect
?Best e-book readers
Media Maverick
On the 3G versions of the iPad, youll pay a monthly fee to the cellular company (AT&T or Verizon), but its a prepaid monthly service, not a long-term contract; in other words, you can cancel or restart any time, without paying an expensive early-termination fee. But for the privilege of 3G connectivity, the iPad costs $130 more than its respective Wi-Fi-only equivalent model.
Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy? handheld ebook reader,When we say e-book readers, were now really referring to three classes of products: black-and-white e-ink readers ($80 to $150); 7-inch color LCD mediatablets($200 to $250); and full-size color tablets like theiPad(most $500 and above). The market has consolidated around a handful of major players: Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble are the leaders, with Kobo, Sony, and a host ofAndroidtablet manucturers bringing up the rear.
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If you want more functionality--and a color screen--youll need to step up to a tablet. High-end full-size tablets like the iPad 2 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 are much more versatile than e-ink readers, and they can replace a laptop for some tasks. But theyll cost you upwards of $500 to start.
iBooks:Apples e-book store is currently only available on Apple iOS devices--iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.
If you want to stick with just reading--books, and maybe some newss and magazines (in black and white)--an e-ink reader ($79 to $149) is probably your best bet. They come closest to duplicating the experience of reading a book, and-- while they have some online features--you wont be distracted while reading by a stream of incoming e-mails, tweets, or Facebook messages.
LCD readers are prone to glare.
Nearly all of these apps allow you to sync your position in a book across devices, so if you read up to, say, Page 229 on your phone, you can pick up on that same page on your tablet or reader, and vice versa.
This multidevice support is accomplished through apps. On tablets (iPad, Android, and more), smartphones (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and others), and PCs (Mac and Windows), users can download free apps that let them read e-books from a variety of vendors. So, you can read a Kindle book on your iPad, a Nook book on your Android phone, or a Kobo book on your BlackBerry--and thats just for starters.
3. What are your screen preferences: E-inKindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy? handheld ebook readerk or color LCD?
So, which screen is better for reading: e-ink or LCD? We cant answer that question for you. (SeeLCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate.) If you dont have a problem staring at your laptop or LCD monitor screen for hours on end--or if you enjoy reading in low light without an external light source--youll probably like an LCD screen. Likewise, if you enjoy reading Web sites, magazines, and newss, and if you want support for interactive childrens books, youll want to go with color. However, if you prefer the look of newsprint or if you enjoy reading outside, an e-ink display is your friend.
Beyond the preference of the screen, theweightis often a bigger issue. Unlike a laptop--which sits on a table or in your lap while in use--youll be actively holding these readers or tablets aloft. For long reading sessions--say, more than 45 minutes or so--many users will find that their fingers and arms becoming strained.
Depending on what features are important to you--color versus black-and-white screen, backlight versus readability in the sun, touch screen versus not, cheap versus expensive, 3G versus Wi-Fi, lightweight versus heavy, reading-only versus full-featured--the device you prefer may be different from ours. However, theres no arguing that the range of choices for e-book readers is better and more affordable now than it ever has been.
Most versatile hardware readers:Apple iPad 2,Apple iPhone,Apple iPod Touch, Android phones with full Android Market support, Android tablets with full Android Market support
Touch screen: All but the entry-level Kindle
4. Do you need always-on wireless data?
Crave
For dedicated e-readers--download and sync:Users of the Nook, Kobo, and Sony Readers can download e-book files from their local librarys Web site and transfer them to the readers via a USB cable. Youll need free software such asAdobe Digital Editionsto complete the process. The video below details the process on the Nook, but the process is similar on Kobo, Sony, and other EPUB-compatible readers. (You can also do a version of USB sync for the Kindle--see below.)
Best reading tablet for under $250:Amazon Kindle Fire,Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet
Best 3G tablet:Apple iPad 2 (3G/Wi-Fi):VerizonorAT&T
Besides the iPad 2, other 10-inch models include the e-inkKindle DXand theSamsung Galaxy Tab 10.1(or similar Android models). All of them weigh between 1.2 and 1.4 pounds.
Editors note, November 23, 2011:This story has been updated since its original publication to reflect the latest products (including the Kindle Touch, Kindle Fire, and Nook Tablet).
Best 3G e-ink reader:Amazon Kindle Touch (3G/Wi-Fi):With SpecialOffers;Without Special Offers
Many users of e-ink readers dislike the refresh flashing that occurs between page turns. While those flashes still exist, user settings now allow them to happen once every five to six pageturns, rather than every time a page is refreshed. Also, pageturns on the latest e-ink screens are notably ster than on previous years models.
As of November 2011, heres how app support breaks down for each major e-book platform:
Kobo:Besides Kobo hardware readers, Kobo books can be accessed on iPads, iPhones, iPod Touch handhelds, Android phones (version 2.1 and later), Android tablets, many BlackBerry phones, the Palm Pre (WebOS), the BlackBerry PlayBook, Windows PCs, and Macs. Full details:smartphones,tablets,PCs/Macs.
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With their color screens and beefier batteries, the 7-inch tablets are heavier than their e-ink counterparts. The Nook Tablet weighs 14.1 ounces, the Kindle Fire weighs 14.6 ounces, and the Nook Color is almost a full pound (15.8 ounces). To put that into perspective: the 10-inchApple iPad 2weighs 1.33 to 1.35 pounds (21.3 to 21.6 ounces--the heavier one is the 3G model), but it hastwicethe screen area of the 7-inchers. Thats why many people pick up a 7-inch tablet and say, This is heavier than I expected.
The current Nook, Nook Tablet, Kindle Fire, and Kobo models are only available in Wi-Fi versions. Amazon offers two versions of the Kindle Touch with 3G wireless (using AT&Ts cellular network). The wireless is free, but its really only useful for shopping for new books and downloading new issues of magazines and newss--dont expect to be surfing the Web and watching video on those e-ink screens.
Sony Tablet S and theSamsungGalaxy Tab 10.1are currently our top-rated Android tablets.
Amazon Kindle Owners Lending Library:Its also worth mentioning that Amazon has itsownversion of a library. TheKindle Owners Lending Librarymakes thousands of books available to Amazon Prime subscribers at no additional charge--think of it as Netflix for books. (Prime costs $79 per year, and also entitles members to free two- day shipping on most physical Amazon orders, plus free access to thousands of streaming video titles on Amazon Instant.) There are many caveats: besides needing to pay the Prime membership fee, you can only check out one book per month, and it only works Kindle hardware (not via Kindle apps on other devices). The biggest issue is the comparative dearth of titles--less than 6,000are available, with very few from the large publishing houses. And because of the licensing issues (read: potential loss of sales), dont count on more publishers signing on.
Best full-featured reading tablet:Apple iPad 2. If you want a more full-featured tablet that can double as an e-book reader, the Apple iPad 2 is currently the best choice. It offers free Kindle, Nook, and Kobo reading apps, with full access to the content in those e-book stores. (Additionally, the iPad offers Apples own iBooks application, though those e-books cant be accessed on any non-iOS device.) And the iPads Good Reader app remains the best way to read, edit, and annotate PDF files that weve seen to date. To be ir, Android tablets also double as good e-book readers, with those same three major e-book apps available--but for $500, wed still rather have an iPad. The
Dedicated e-book readers, such as the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, and Sony Reader, use an e-ink screen. However, e-ink screens have some drawbacks: theyre black and white, and the pages dont refresh as quickly as those on an LCD do. However, they do an excellent job of reproducing the look of printed . Theyre not backlit--so you cant read in the dark--but you can read them in direct sunlight, which is something you cant do on an LCD screen (a ct Amazon is keen to point out in itsadvertising).
Best overall e-ink reader:Amazon Kindle Touch with Special Offers. Unlike the Nook Simple Touch, the Kindle supports audio (Audible audiobooks, MP3 playback, and text-to-voice autonarration). Its also a great touch-screen e-reader. Add support for library lending, the Kindle Owners Lending Library (for Prime members), and integration with Amazons world-class online store, and youve got an e-ink reader that edges out the competition for just $99.
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Sony Reader:Besides Sony Reader hardware, Sony books can be accessed on Android phones, Windows PCs, and Macs. (Now that Apple has modified the terms of the App Store, we expect that the Sony Reader iOS app--originallyrejected by Apple--will be modified and resubmitted.) Full details:Android phones,PCs/Macs
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Current recommendations
As of September 2011, CNET can enthusiastically recommend three e-ink e-book readers and one full-size LCD tablet. We can also recommend two 7-inch LCD reading tablets with minor reservations.
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When buying many tablets and some e-book readers, youll need to make a choice between two versions: the Wi-Fi model or the 3G version. In other words: do you want the more affordable Wi-Fi model (which requires you to be near a Wi-Fi hot spot to download books or access the Internet), or do you prefer to pay a premium--via a higher up-front price and/or a monthly bill--to add 3G access on a cellular wireless network?
Start by asking yourself what youre really looking for. Do you just want to read books? How about magazines and newss? What about browsing the Web? Want to add to the mix--music, audiobooks, or video? Are you a Netflix junkie? Do you need Flash support? E-mail and messaging? Gaming?
Best e-ink readers:Amazon Kindle,Barnes& Noble Nook,Amazon Kindle Touch
Related links
Finally, remember that if you add a case or a screen cover to your reader or tablet of choice, its going to add some weight as well.
Whether youre checking your preference for e-ink versus LCD or touch screen versus keyboard controls, wed strongly recommend that you try a few devices before you buy one. Youll find most major e-book readers (Kindles, Nooks, Sony Readers, Apple iPads, Android tablets) under one roof at your local Best Buy.
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Best basic e-book reader:Amazon Kindle($79, no touch screen),Amazon Kindle Touch($99 to $189, with touch-screen),Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch($99, touch-screen),
1. Reader vs. tablet: Do you want more than just reading?
Best sub-$250 color e-reader:Barnes & Noble Nook TabletorAmazon Kindle Fire. Were not gonna lie: choosing between these two products is a game of inches. Both products are great deals at the price ($199 for Kindle Fire, $249 for the Nook Tablet), but each requires the user to be prepared for some compromises and caveats. To help figure it out based on your needs, check outKindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: How to choose.
2. How large of a screen (and weight) do you want?
Best LCD readers/tablets:Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet,Amazon Kindle Fire,Apple iPad 2, orany good tablet
Mid-size readers/tablets:Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet,Amazon Kindle Fire,Nook Color
?See all recent e-book reader reviews
All of the apps are free, and--since each bookstore offers a wide selection of free books--you can freely experiment with any and all of the apps that work with your respective hardware.
5. Apps vs. hardware: Which reading platform offers the most flexibility?
Kindle:Besides Kindle hardware readers, Kindle books can be accessed on iPads, iPhones, iPod Touch handhelds, Android phones (version 2.1 and later), Android tablets, many BlackBerry phones, Windows PCs, Macs, Windows Phone 7 phones, and via HTML 5-compatible browsers (theKindle Cloud Reader). Full detailshere.
Best bargain e-ink reader:Amazon Kindle. Its pretty much the only e-reader you can buy that doesnt have a touch screen. Nor does it have the audio or X-ray (Wiki-powered metadata) features found on its big brother, the Kindle Touch, that costs only $20 more. But at $79 (with ads), the 2011 Kindle is the cheapest--and lightest--e-reader you can buy. And if you dont need touch-screen navigation and you dont do a lot of text input (for notes or social media), its a pretty great basic e-reader.
Geek Gestalt
Cutting Edge
Best cross-platform providers:Kindle, Nook, Kobo
LCD: Bright, backlit--and potentially tiring
Remember, all e-book readers let you adjust the font size of the content youre reading, so even a small screen can display much larger type than youre used to seeing in a book, magazine, or news. In other words, a smaller screen does not mean you need to sacrifice text readability. However, small screens often make magazine and PDFs look cramped, since theyre generally designed with large print sizes in mind.
John P. FalconeJohn P. Falcone manages CNETs New York City reviews team. Hes been a CNET editor since 2003.
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Color LCD screens found on all tablets (including the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire) are bright, colorful, beautiful displays. But those advantages have trade-offs. The reflective screens on LCD tablets make it hard to read in bright light, and many people find that the backlight tires their eyes over long reading sessions.
This is where terminology can get a bit confusing: the e-book stores can be available on different devices, including (in the case of Apple) those of rival e-book publishers--the e-book equivalent of buying a can of Pepsi from a Coke vending machine.
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?How to user OverDrive to download e-books from your local library
If youre primarily interested in reading books, youre probably going to be fine opting for Wi-Fi-only models. You only need Wi-Fi access when youre buying new books. (E-book files are stored on the device--once downloaded, Internet access isnt necessary.) So, if youre a voracious reader, you can (for instance) buy a bunch of books, toggle off your Wi-Fi, and work your way through them at your leisure. In ct, many users keep the wireless on their readers switched off most of the time since it significantly boosts battery life.
?LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate
Share your thoughts and experiences about e-book reader preferences in the comments below.
Best all-around full-featured reading tablets:Apple iPad 2,Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Best ad-free e-ink reader:Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch. Personally, we kind of like the Special Offers found on the ad-supported Kindle models. Some of the offers are useful (cheap e-books, local Groupon-style bargains), and they only appear on the Kindles screensaver and main menu screen-- never within the books themselves. But some folks, with good reason, dont want any ads at all. For them, the Nook Simple Touch--ad-free at $99--is the best choice for a touch-screen e-ink reader.
?How to self-publish an e-book
?How to get free library books on your Kindle
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If youre a power user or frequent traveler, opting for a 3G product is worth considering.
If youre using your hardware to access anythingbesidese-books--magazine or news subscriptions, e-mail, the Web, apps, and so forth--ubiquitous wireless access becomes more important. Still, if youre using the reader/tablet primarily at home, Wi-Fi will probably remain sufficient.
?Kindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: How to choose
Many local libraries offer the ability to check out an e-book on loan--just as you can do with a regular book. Previously, support for this varied across e-readers and tablets. However, now its basically universal. The Kindle was the last major holdout, but as of September 21, Amazons e-reader can be used toread free libraryloanersas well.
All tablets (iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook tablet, etc.) have touch screens, as do all current models of major brand e-ink readers--exceptthe entry-level $79 Kindle. Most users will find the touch-screen to be the most natural way to interact with a device. That said, if youre only interested in reading--without taking notes, tweeting, or doing other text input--that supercheap, superlight Kindle may well be all you need.
Tablets, of course, offer a much wider array of media options--and, as a result, 3G (or 4G) data access is much more tempting. Many Android tablets, such as theSamsung Galaxy Tab, are available in carrier-specific versions with terms similar to that of smartphones: you get a discount on the hardware, but youll need to sign up for a two-year contract with beefy monthly bills. (Most Android tablets now also offer contract-free Wi-Fi-only versions.)
Deep Tech
Choosing among those three categories of readers is the dilemma cing any shopper today. But dont worry; CNETs here to help. If youre an experienced shopper, you can jump straight to ourcurrent recommendations--or check our lists oftop e-book readersandtop tablets. And, if youre just trying to decide between a Kindle Fire and a Nook Tablet, check outKindle Fire vs. Nook Tablet: How to choose. But if youre looking for a more in-depth discussion, read on to consult this quick guide, which boils the purchase decision down to seven questions:
E-ink: As close as youll get to a printed page
Best Wi-Fi tablets:Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet,Amazon Kindle Fire,Apple iPad 2 (Wi-Fi),Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
The Pearl screen by E Ink is now standard on all major e-ink readers. So, whether youre getting the Nook or Kobo or Sony Reader or Kindle, youre basically getting the same exact screen. Furthermore, E Ink has confirmed that itwont be releasing a Pearl successorbefore the end of 2011.
?Best tablets
Touch-screen models all weigh a tad more. The2011 Koboweighs a bit less than 7.1 ounces. TheNook Simple Touch, meanwhile, tips the scales at a very portable 7.5 ounces--more than a third lighter than the original. And the aforementionedKindle Touchweighs 7.5 to 7.8 ounces, depending if you go with the Wi-Fi or 3G model. But even with cases, all of these 6-inch e-ink models are light enough to hold for extended reading sessions without tiring.
6. Can I check out e-books from my local library?
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Nook:Besides Nook hardware readers, Nook books can be accessed on iPads, iPhones, iPod Touch handhelds, Android phones (version 2.1 and later), Android tablets, many BlackBerry phones, Windows PCs, and Macs. Full detailshere.
New products like the Nook Tablet (left) and Kindle Fire split the difference between e-reader and tablet.
For Amazon Kindle (hardware or app):Amazon partnered with OverDrive to enable library lending, and the result is pretty seamless. Choose the e-book from the Web site of your local library, add the Kindle version to the cart, and check out. Youll be redirected to the books corresponding Amazon page, where you can automatically send it to your Kindle reader or app (next time you sync via Wi-Fi), or you can download the file and sync via USB.
Shopping for an e-book reader? At first glance, the task seems daunting--there are more choices than ever before. The good news is that the list ofworthwhilechoices is actually pretty short. The other good news? Prices and features are better than ever.
Lightest e-book readers:Amazon Kindle,Kobo eReader Touch Edition,Barnes & NobleNook,Amazon Kindle Touch
For tablets, smartphones, and computers--OverDrive Media Console:If youre reading on a tablet (iPad or Android), a smartphone (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7), or a computer (Windows or Mac), reading e-books from the library is r r. Just install the free OverDrive Media Console app. OverDrive will allow you to download and read library e-books--and MP3 audiobooks--within the app itself, without the need to sync up with a computer. (See the video below for more information.)
Library support is generally accomplished in one of three ways (all of which, of course, require you to have an account with your local library):
Apple
Large-screen readers/tablets:Amazon Kindle DX,Apple iPad 2,Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1
Is 3G wireless a must-have? Thats a question youll need to answer. Just remember that--with morephones offering Wi-Fi hot-spot functionalityand establishments such as Starbucks offering free Wi-Fi--there are plenty of ways to get seamless online coverage with your reading device without it having 3G network support built-in.
How to choose
One of the advantages of having your reading collection in the cloud is that you can access your books on multiple devices, though some e-book vendors offer better cross-platform support than others do.
Even if you plan to never leave home with yohandheld ebook readerur e-book reader, you should consider its size before buying one. Since you hold the device in front of you whenever you want to read, the weight and size is a critical issue.
The iPad offers access toall major e-book stores via their respective apps.
Best Wi-Fi e-ink readers:Amazon Kindle,Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch,Amazon KindleTouch
The smallest and lightest dedicated e-book reader that we can recommend is the entry-level 2011 Kindle. Unlike the step-up Kindle Touch model, the baseline Kindle includes neither a touch screen nor any audio features. However, the trade-off is that you get the lightest e-book reader currently on the market--just under 6 ounces.
?iPad 2 as e-reader: Glare still an issue
But theres a growing class of smaller tablets that split the difference between e-ink readers and full-size tablets. The Nook Color blazed the trail in 2010, and has since been joined by the Nook Tablet and the Amazon Kindle Fire. In addition to working as e-readers, these 7-inch color LCD tablets utilize customized versions of the Android operating system to deliver a growing variety of media, productivity, and entertainment apps. Most significantly, these products are priced from $199 to $249--at least half the price of larger (and, admittedly, more full-featured) tablets like the iPad.
