What To Look For In Electronic Book Readers
It’s now been three years since Amazon launched the first Kindle reader. Notwithstanding the huge influence of the Kindle, it’s worth recalling that it wasn’t the first ebook reader to be launched. However, ebooks are now becoming accepted by the public – mainly due to the influence of the Kindle. Whether or not traditional printed books are under threat is debatable – but ebooks seem to be here to stay.
However, ebook readers seem to have been adopted by the public and many people are buying them. The recent round of price cuts from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Sony has made ebook readers a much more affordable option for many customers. Whilst the Kindle is the clear market leader, it’s far from the only option available. So what are the key points to look out for if you’re thinking about getting your first ebook reader?
Possibly the most important factor for consideration is the quality of the display. Special e-ink technology displays are used in most ebook readers. This gives a reading experience that is surprisingly similar to reading text printed on paper. It’s very much easier on your eyes than a back-lit computer screen. It’s also easy to read in brightly lit conditions – and even in direct sunlight. Another advantage of e-ink technology is that it draws power only when “turning the page” – so battery life tends to be measured in weeks rather than hours.
If you have the spare cash, then choosing the largest available display may seem like a good idea. Clearly readers with bigger screens are more expensive than those with smaller displays. They are also physically larger of course – and they weigh more. This will have implications on how portable the device is. If you intend to read mainly at home, then you may not consider that to be a problem. Even so, a bigger reader will be more difficult to operate with one hand – something which most users will wish to do.
The ability to browse and download books from virtually anywhere in less than sixty seconds was undoubtedly a major factor in the success of the Kindle. Nevertheless, both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have now launched Wi-Fi only entry level models of their readers. These cost a little less than the 3G readers and could be a good option for anyone who doesn’t foresee the need to download books without using a computer or connecting via a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Obviously there’s little point in having an ebook reader unless there’s a good selection of books to read on it. For the moment at least, no industry standard format for ebooks exists. Google uses the ePub format – but Kindle books come in a format which is proprietary to Amazon’s reader. However, Amazon has released a number of free apps that allow users to read Kindle books on a wide variety of different devices.
Ebook prices can be very different on different readers. In fact, if you choose the right reader, the money you save on ebooks could cover the cost of your reader in just a few months – depending upon how many books you read. It’s well worth your while to check before you come to a decisions as to which reader to choose.
