Kindle Electronic Reader vs Nook?

[Irulan]

We got the Nook a few days ago. My son was SO excited... but we are sending it back.

The whole idea with the Nook purchase is that it had built in PDF reading ability, plus you can add storage with a micro SD card.

Well.... it reads PDFs if you like looking at microscopic fonts on the screen. It shrinks the pdf page to fit the reader, which is not a good thing. It does not break the text into panels, so that you can read like the other book formats. Graphics become invisible. If the PDF text is is columns, it's even worse as the columns are now in microscopic fonts.
Sure you can zoom panels but it's VERY difficult to read with any flow as you have to select which peice of the PDF you want to zoom, read it, zoom out, select the next piece... you can't page through them.

We spent some time googling comments since people have gotten theirs this week, and the overall opinion on the PDF capability is thumbs down, from professionals trying to load and read journals in PDF form, to out of print books. We did call tech support, and nope, the PDF format is not going to change anytime soon.

We are VERY disappointed. The whole idea of this thing was so my son could load his 30 GB of out-of-print specialty books in PDF format onto it, and textbooks.

[OakLeaf]

My dad has a Sony e-reader that he loves. He uses it almost exclusively for out-of-print public domain books and manuscripts that he gets from Google and other sources, mostly as .pdfs.

I got one just like it for Christmas, and although I'm working my way through a stack of print books before I buy any e-books, I have to say I'm very disappointed that there's no option for backlighting. I need the same bright light to read my e-reader as I do for a print book. No reading on subways, buses, my living room at night, many hotels, etc., without carrying a book light too.

[7rider]

Kindle just came in the mail today.
I got to play with my SIL's when we were up at her place around Christmas. I kind of didn't want the Kindle, primarily I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of thinking she influenced my decision (she is quite confident that she ALWAYS makes the right choice, and anything SHE has is the finest available! ).
But...it was pretty easy to pick up and use with minimal effort. I figure, if I can figure it out...it's got to be idiot proof. Free downloads (sort of....I found out there's a charge to upload your own PDFs and reports to it. pfffft. They didn't mention THAT in their slick video advertisements!). I've started Sense and Sensibility tonight (free!) and have a bunch of others on my wish list. I've got some long flights and time in airports in my near future, so this should be a welcome diversion.

[KnottedYet]

I was angsting over the Nook vs. the Kindle. I love the idea of the touch-screen on the Nook, and being able to import and store and OWN your downloads. But I liked the open wifi and low-level internet functions (and calendar) available on the Kindle.

Then the iSlate started looming on the horizon, causing further hyperventilation and consternation; though the estimated $500 price was a huge drawback.

What's a disorganized book nerd to do?

Buy an iPod Touch, download "FreeBooks" for $2. The ereader format for Free Books is very nice and you have access to 24,000 out-of-copyright classics. (which are the very books I wanted to read) In the apps store there are several different ereaders (Kindle, Readle, etc) so I could expand if I need to. The iPod is mostly needed (or so I rationalize...) as a PDA. I have the NPR and NYT free apps on it already, those will load every morning while I eat breakfast and then I can read on the bus.

I love paper books. The feel, the smell, the whole gestalt. But I also really love having the complete works of Shakespeare (or whoever actually wrote them), Twain, and Frost with me on the bus. Oh, and Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and the Constitution of the United States. (when's the last time we all read THAT?)

I think I found the happy medium I needed between eReader and PDA. Someone will come up with something better in the next year or two, and I'll be in the front row drooling and slobbering, you can bet on it!

[Irulan]

My dad has a Sony e-reader that he loves. He uses it almost exclusively for out-of-print public domain books and manuscripts that he gets from Google and other sources, mostly as .pdfs.

I got one just like it for Christmas, and although I'm working my way through a stack of print books before I buy any e-books, I have to say I'm very disappointed that there's no option for backlighting. I need the same bright light to read my e-reader as I do for a print book. No reading on subways, buses, my living room at night, many hotels, etc., without carrying a book light too.

how does this one handle pdf files?

[SlowButSteady]

What about the Entourage eDGe?

http://www.entourageedge.com/entourage-edge.html

[smilingcat]

There will be other electronic readers starting this summer. And if things go as planned, you will see a full color e-books. It's impressive. The form factor (display size) choices should increase significantly too. I've heard of 8-1/2 by 11 inches...

[boy in a kilt]

I'm gonna chime in here on behalf of the Kindle.

I got one shortly after I got to Iraq so I could have something to read. Selection of books is very limited and at some point, I have to get everything I have here home (or sell it cheap to the next unit coming in).

Also, when I'm on the road for a couple of days (as is the case when I head down to Baghdad), it's nice just throwing the kindle in my ruck.

I have something like 70 books on mine right now. That isn't considered excessive over here. One of our intel analysts has actually managed to fill hers. It's easy for one's book buying to get out of control with a kindle.

My reading list now includes the complete works of HP Lovecraft, all of the A.C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, a couple of zombie books, Richard Burton's Arabian Nights, et al. The point being it's broadened the range of possibilities and deals with one key problem: I read fast.

A couple of our lieutenants are working on their master's degrees here. One is using the kindle for her text books and says she doesn't like it much. The other one has most of his textbooks on hard copy, but does have a few on kindle.

Not sure how much use it'll get when I actually return to the states. I do have plans for a bike tour or two, so it'll probably go on that.

[limewave]

I've had my kindle 2 for two months now. And I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

There is a free converter software available that can convert nook books and pdfs to kindle format and vice-versa.

All your ebooks can be uploaded onto your computer for backup.

Also, the Kindle 2 has FREE mobile internet. While we were traveling, I could check up on my Facebook and Email via my Kindle (my cell phone won't do that).

DH said he would never want a Kindle, he loves his books too much. But he's starting to come around. I have a feeling a Kindle will be on his Christmas list this year.

By the way, for all you book-lovers out there. We have a full library with wall-to-wall books. That's what happens when two people are addicted to reading and one of us works at a Publishing House (free books!).

[OakLeaf]

FREE mobile internet. While we were traveling, I could check up on my Facebook and Email via my Kindle (my cell phone won't do that).

How is that possible??? Are there limitations to the service?

And... what's data entry like on it? Is it easier to type on as an iPhone/iPod?

[surgtech1956]

A friend at work got a Nook a few weeks ago and loves it. The battery life is excellent. What I like about the Nook is that you can swap books between other Nook owners(for 14 days) and the fact thats its Barnes & Noble. I really like the idea of an ereader, especially for travelling and convenience. But I grew up in the 'library' era, where our second grade field trip was to the library and got a library card and being able to browse hundreds of books. Just my .02.

[TrekTheKaty]

I LOVE MY KINDLE! I DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT MY IPHONE AND MY KINDLE!

My husband and I love our books--we have a whole room ("Library") in our small house dedicated to our collection. However, we were running out of room. We actually were considering moving to a bigger house to accommodate all the books (and we don't usually buy hardbacks!)

I bought the first kindle for my husband when they came out. We both travel for a living, he reads 2-3 books at a time, he was starting to wear reading glasses, and we're "techies." The wireless downloads and different font sizes were big selling points. My husband didn't take to it at first, so I stole it. I became addicted.

I read more, now, than I have since high school. Any books that are in public domain are free from Amazon or other websites (gutenberg, freebooks). Also, I read more new release hardbacks because they can be as low as $9.99 (publishers don't like this, and it may not last). I never dreamed it would pay for itself. Now, we have 2 kindles on the same account--so we can share books (you get up to 5 devices, including iphone and pc). We can actually buy a book and read it at the same time instead of waiting for the other person to finish! Instead of buying every book I'm interested in, I download a sample into my "virtual book pile" and only purchase when I'm ready to read it (that alone is a money saver--I never did get anywhere near the bottom of the book pile before hubby stole, read, and loaned out to someone else--then I ended up buying again). When I went to sell/donate some of our old books, we also discovered we had quite a few copies of some of our favorites. Amazon is polite enough to keep you from downloading twice.

The other advantage is ergonomics. I can hold my kindle in one hand. Much easier than holding SK's lastest "Under the Dome." At the time, I was reading "Snowflake" about Warren Buffett. It was so thick, I wasn't comfortable sitting in a chair, at a table or in bed. With a Kindle, reading in bed is much more comfortable.

I love bookstores and still go--with my kindle tucked in my purse. I download samples and anything not available on my kindle, I purchase. I also donated a lot of my old books to the library.

The screen is e-ink so it is easier on your eyes than a computer screen. It has a grey background and less glare.

I would advise checking the Amazon and Barnes & Noble forums to learn more. Rumor is the Nook is slow to ship and has quite a few software problems. I finally demoed a Nook at B&N with a friend who was interested and it wasn't very user friendly, IMHO. I couldn't get it to open a book, and the employee wasn't doing much better. Also search both stores for your favorite authors (Grisham and JK Rowling are not available in ebooks).

Sitting on an airplane the other day, someone next to me had an interesting book. I downloaded a sample before we pushed away from the gate. Sweet. I can sit at home in my jammies, watching letterman while it snows and download a new book by an author just interviewed on TV. Sweet (and lazy!)

Not all books are available in e-book format. Authors have the right to say no. Being able to borrow from the library would also be nice. However, I don't miss loaning books--my friends never brought them back anyway. Mooches. The color screen seems to be a big selling point, but I can do without it. Rumor is Amazon may be working on color, but they claimed up to this point it wasn't feasible. Also, think about all the fingerprints on your "book" from the touch screen?!

You can also convert word and pdf's for your kindle.

Oh yeah--battery life. If you turn off the wireless when you're not using it, the battery lasts over a week (I lost track after a week and a half).

But, it's really up to you

[fastdogs]

soon I'll be going on a year with my kindle, and I love it as much now as when I first got it. I recently downloaded the free "kindle for PC" and can access my kindle books on my pc, but it's not as easy reading with a backlit screen, for me. I hope the kindle for mac comes out soon for macbook, although I won't use it much it would be nice to be able to continue a book I've started if there should ever be a time I don't have my kindle with me. That's hardly ever, though, because it goes everywhere with me.
The internet access is a nice convenience, if you are reading and want to check your email or something (and you are in a wireless area). I don't find it that easy to use the keyboard (but I don't text or anything). But it's nice to have when you need it, and no extra charges for it either.
I keep telling myself I will go one month without buying a single book, but usually I find something I want, although luckily they are usually 1.99 or something like that.
vickie

[andtckrtoo]

I just bought a Nook for my son for the holidays. You can load PDF's right into one, or store them on a smart card. The kindle requires cumbersome software to convert PDFs into a readable format. Son has his entire D&D library on PDF, plus many of his college textbooks are available in that format. So for us it's an obvious choice. No more carrying around 65 pounds of textbooks for starters.

The Kindle2 accepts .pdf's, word docs, etc via an email address. It's very easy to do. No converting anything.

I love my Kindle2. I also have shelves upon shelves of books and quite honestly, I was running out of room to put them all. The Kindle has a wonderful screen, very unlike a computer screen. It's a flat ivory and the words are black. It looks a lot like newsprint. It is not back lit, and I can read it with the sun shining on my back and on the screen. It's the size of a book, so it's comfortable to hold. On recent business trip to Munich, I was able to carry one, slim Kindle and went through 3 books. I was so happy not to have to carry all of the books. It took a bit to get used to hitting page forward instead of turning a page, but I got that. I think the only real drawback is that if someone mentions page 200 in the hard copy, I don't have an equivalent - at least that I found.

[OakLeaf]

I think the only real drawback is that if someone mentions page 200 in the hard copy, I don't have an equivalent - at least that I found.

That's funny...

On the books I have that are formatted for the Sony Reader (as opposed to universal format books, which are a little harder to read if they have a lot of chapter titles, short stories, etc.), I do get page numbers, but I don't know whether those match the hardcover, trade paperback or mass market paperback.