discussion E-reader

[Bond007]

Anyone using one? Thoughts/recommendations?

I am considering getting both of my kids one for Christmas. It would be for text only, so no need for color. I feel like the small 6” ones may be a bit too small, and was leaning towards the new paperwhite as what appears to be the cheapest (yet still well rated) one above that (it’s 7”). I also don’t want to go too large or expensive.

 

[Lysrin]

E-reader, are you referring to ones like Kobo or Kindle? Or something else?

My wife and I are long-time Kobo users, a couple of gens now, and have been pleased. Mine does this weird thing where it doesn't seem to report the battery usage correctly. It will show as having perhaps a third or so left, then next time you pick it up, completely dead. Other than the frustration of not being able to read at that moment, I've had no other issues.

My model is not made anymore, and I am not near it atm, but it certainly isn't any bigger than 7" screen.

Book selection is very good. Can't recall anything I couldn't find. And I avoided Kindle because I didn't want to be tied to Amazon. Not sure if that is still a thing.

 

[LaughingCrow]

I had a Kobo, then a Kindle I used to use when taking my mother to various appointments, primarily because of the small size factor. My preference is for books.

I can't recall seeing anyone recently reading with a tablet. Seems to be primarily cellphone texting and use now. But I think reading is an essential skill more than ever, whether it's an e-reader or books. And no advertising!

 

[Bond007]

Thanks for the info. Yes the paper white is a kindle.

Amazon.ca

We looked a kobo. They seem more “open” for what you can install, but they also seem a bit $ and mostly 6” at the lower end. I have no first hand experience with any though, so I am not sure how much of an issue those considerations are either way.

 

[Bond007]

I had a Kobo, then a Kindle I used to use when taking my mother to various appointments, primarily because of the small size factor. My preference is for books.

I can't recall seeing anyone recently reading with a tablet. Seems to be primarily cellphone texting and use now. But I think reading is an essential skill more than ever, whether it's an e-reader or books. And no advertising!

Thanks for the info. Both of my kids are pretty big readers, so I hope to keep it that way. I figured something like this would make it cheaper to buy books and more convenient for travel.

Any chance you can give your thoughts on pros/cons of kobo vs kindle (more for perks/deficiencies of either as a brand/ecosystem than the specific models you may have had).

 

[SugarJ]

I use a Fire HD 8 tablet just for reading and have for years. The Fire 7 is $60 BF deal, the Fire 8 HD is $65. I jailbroke mine to install Google Play store and an epub reading app. I also use the Kindle app and store on it. You can buy a lot of books for the $120 savings. I charge mine about every 10 days. Plus I use it for Netflix, Prime and Disneyplus when I travel.

 

[Lysrin]

I unfortunately don't have any Kindle experience. Back when I bought our first e-readers, I didn't want to be locked into Amazon, but I guess I chose to buy into Kobo to a degree clearly. However, at the time Kobo seemed to support more formats for getting e-books from the library for example. In the end I did that some, but not as much as I though. We usually buy the e-books we want. So my experience could be out-of-date on that.

In terms of buying e-books, they aren't always cheaper, certainly for new, but you can get good deals on older e-books.

In terms of travelling, absolutely! Mine will hold 30,000 books. Chucking that one e-reader in the carry on is super light and easy.

And as much as I love actual books, and having book shelves full of books, my wife is a voracious reader. And she reads a lot of books that she enjoys once and may never care to read again. Having those books tucked away in an e-reader or an online account is much less clutter around the house!

 

[SugarJ]

Also, Bookbub.com is a filtered mailing list that sends you deals on ebooks. I've got mine set to send me a weekly list of the types of books I'm interested in.

 

[LaughingCrow]

Any chance you can give your thoughts on pros/cons of kobo vs kindle (more for perks/deficiencies of either as a brand/ecosystem than the specific models you may have had).

I did get a lot of use years ago with the Kobo. I replaced that with the Kindle Fire 8 (which I still use to play YouTube food recipes ). However, while the small size was convenient for carrying while travelling & waiting, I found them both too small for extended reading periods at home. I haven't checked out any modern e-readers reviews, so I can't offer much advice. I'd say size will be based on the convenience factor and where they will be used.

It will also depend on what types of books they'll be reading. Recent publications will probably be costly compared to older publications that have gone past copyright dates available for free at a variety of websites. Some of the formatting may not be up to modern e-book quality but they're still readable. Plus some of the text versions could be converted to PDF format.

Another option might be ebooks from your local library system. I haven't done that in a long time, so I don't know how it works now. Our local library system (Southern Ontario) has Overdrive and Hoopla for ebooks and audio books. (I use Hoopla & Kanopy occasionally for movies on the PC.)

https://www.gutenberg.org/

 

[Izerous]

Got my wife the kindle paperwhite (e-ink screen and waterproof for using in a bathtub or similar). Way nicer to read than the color screens for actual reading. Battery life because of the e-ink screen is amazing.