Choosing the Best E-Reader for Your Reading Needs Kathy Petlewski, Electronic Resources Librarian

Plymouth District Library – Dec. 2012

Let’s talk about…. Your Budget!

• Dedicated e-readers can range from $69 up to $300 for e-ink (black & white) devices. • Color e-readers associated with book sellers (Kindles and Nooks) list from $139 to $499. • Color tablets (iPad, Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface) cost between $199 and $849.

What do you want to do with your e-reader?

• Only read e-books, either purchased or borrowed from a library. • Read e-books and listen to some e-audiobooks. • Read e-books but also be able to get e-mail and go on social media sites like Facebook & play

games. • Read e-books, play games, use a full-blown web browser, and also view movies & TV shows. • Do all of the above, plus Skype, take photos and do word processing tasks.

Will you be reading at night or during the day? Do you plan to only purchase e-books or do you want to borrow from the Library? Who will be using the e-reader/tablet?

• Are you the only person that will be using your device, or are you planning to share it with another adult or child?

• If so, the Kindle Paper White has parental controls and the Nook HD can have several different accounts on the same device.

How Will I Get My e-Books? • Purchase from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books, or iBooks. • Download free or inexpensive books from Project Gutenberg, Smashwords, or OpenLibrary.org. • Borrow OverDrive e-books free of charge from your local library.

• PDL is part of a 25-member consortium for e-books and audio e-books. • These books are provided by OverDrive in several formats: EPUB & PDF for e-readers and WMA

& MP3 for iPods and MP3 players. • E-books are single user licenses, so you must place a hold on books that are “checked out”

electronically. • Titles are checked out for either 7 or 14 days. After that time they will cease to work.

Downloading E-Books from PDL

• Some Devices are REALLY Easy with OverDrive • Android tablets (Google Nexus, Samsung Galaxy Tablet and Droid smart phones ) have a free

OverDrive “app” at the Marketplace. • iPads, iPhones & iPod Touch use an “app” from the Apple App Store. • Get the Nook Color and Nook HD Tablets “app” from Barnes & Noble. • Once the apps are installed, you can download your ebooks directly to your device.

• Some Devices are Easier than others with OverDrive

• Kindle Fire 2 and Kindle HDs have full browsers, so you search the OverDrive site, check out your titles and download them from the same device using wifi.

• Once you check out your title on OverDrive, you are taken to the Amazon site where you log in and complete your downloading from that screen.

• The entire process is done wirelessly.

• Some Devices are Fairly Easy to use with OverDrive. • Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle 2012 and Kindle Keyboard don’t have full browsers, so you must do

your OverDrive searching and check out process using a desktop or laptop computer. • After your title is checked out, you’re taken to the Amazon site where you select your device

and tell it to download the title. • Your e-book is downloaded wirelessly to your device if you are connected to wifi.

• Some Devices are Not That Easy with OverDrive!

• With the Nook Simple Touch and Simple Touch with Glowlight, you must also use a laptop or desktop computer to search, checkout and download e-books from OverDrive.

• You must download first to your computer and then transfer the titles using a USB cable to your device

• Adobe Digital Editions software must also be installed on your computer.

What is available on the market and things to consider in making your selection.

least expensive e-ink devices

• Kindle 2012 - $69 • No audio • Wi-Fi, 3G optional • 2GB Memory • 3-8 week battery life • Weighs 5.98 oz. • Supports parental controls • “experimental” browser • No touch screen – controller • “special offers” on cheapest model.

• Nook Simple Touch - $99 • No audio • Wi-Fi only • 2GB Memory (1 GB storage) micro SD

card slot for 32 GB • 800 x 600 resolution • 3-8 week battery life • Weighs 7.48 oz. • No browser available • No landscape mode

6 inch e-ink devices with features

• Kindle Paperwhite – $119 • No audio • Wi-Fi, 3G optional • 2GB Memory • 1024 x 758 resolution • 3-8 week battery life

• Nook Touch GlowLight - $119 • No audio • Wi-Fi only • 2GB Memory - micro SD card slot • 800 x 600 resolution • 3-8 week battery life

• Weighs 7.5 oz. • Front lit, high resolution screen. • No support for EPUB format • Parental controls

• Weighs 6.95 oz. • Front lit screen • No browser available • No landscape mode

Kindle Fire Color e-Readers

• Fire 2- $159 & up • 7” display – 14.1 oz. • Wifi • Supports 3rd party apps. • 2 speakers, audio jack and mic. • 8-9 hours battery life. • Costs more to remove ads. • Great for movies!

• Fire HD - $199 & up • Either a 7” (13.9 oz) or 8.9” (20 oz)

display. • No SD slot, but Amazon Cloud Storage • 2 speakers, mic, Bluetooth, front

camera • 16 GB memory minimum • Supports 3rd party apps. • 9-11 hours battery life.

Nook Color & Nook Tablet

• Nook Color - $139 • 1024 X 600 res. • 7” display, 15.8 oz. • 8GB memory & microSD card slot • 1 speaker for audio • Wifi, full web browser • 8 hour battery life. • Parental controls

• Nook Tablet - $159 & up • 1024 x 600 res. • 7” display, 14.1 oz. • 8 or 16 GB memory & microSD card

slot. • 1 speaker for audio • Wifi, full web browser • 11 hour reading battery life • Parental controls

Nook HD and HD+

• Nook HD - $199 & up • 1440 x 900 res. • 7” display, 11.1 oz. • Dual-stereo speakers • 8GB or 16GB memory • Parental controls • Email & Calendar Syncing • Great kid’s learning apps!

• Nook HD+ - $269 & up • 1920 x 1280 res. • 9” display, 18.2 oz • Dual-stereo speakers • 16GB or 32GB memory • Up to 10 hrs. reading • Create up to 6 profiles • Email & Calendar Syncing • Stunning video display.

Android Tablets

• Google Nexus - $199 & up • 1280 x 800 res. • 7” display, 12 oz. • 8 GB or 16 GB memory • 10 hours of e-reading • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS • Wifi & Bluetooth • Speaker & audio jack • Front-facing camera

• Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 - $249 (low as $179) or $400 ($299)

• 1042 X 600 res. or 1280 x800 • 7” display, 12.2 oz. or 10”, 1.25 lbs • 8 - 16 GB but has slot • Android 4.0 OS • Front & Rear cameras • Dual speakers & jack • Wifi & bluetooth

iPad & iPad Mini

• iPad 4th Gen. - $499 & up • 2048 x 1536 res. • 9.7” display, 1.4 lbs • Front & rear cameras with video • 10 hour battery life • Dual core processor • Speaker & audio jack • Largest app selection • Wifi – 4G & LTE optional

• iPad Mini - $329 & up • 1,024 x 768 res. • 7.9” display, 10.8 oz • 16 GB & up • Front & rear cameras with video • 10 hour battery life • Speaker & audio jack • Wifi – 4G & LTE optional • Great app selection!

Wrapping It Up

• Lots of others on the market, but these are currently the most popular ones. • Make a list of your priorities when looking for an e-reader. Then narrow your choice down to those

that meet that criteria. • It’s best to actually have a hands-on demonstration of the device so you can see if you like the “feel”

of it. • Realize that something flashier will be released soon, but the products out today are better than those

from last year.