Research+-+Product+Evaluation

7 December 2010 E-Readers There is nothing more relaxing than curling up with a good book, but what if books could be bought and read on the spot without ever leaving home? The new e-Readers enable readers to do just that. The e-Reader technology is fairly new and is quickly gaining popularity. An e-Reader is an electronic device that allows an e-book (downloaded from an e-book store) to be downloaded and read on the device, much like a real book. Many companies have come out with their version of the e-Reader, including the Kindle made by Amazon, the Sony Reader made by Sony, Kobo by Kobo, the Nook by Barnes and Noble, and, of course, the iPad made by Apple. With all the options out there, it is best to research before buying. When it comes to deciding which device is right for a certain person, it all depends on what that person is looking for in an e-Reader.

When shopping for an e-Reader, it is important to keep in mind what one needs in a reader; while some want a reader with many functions, others just want a simple reader. The Kobo, sold by Borders, is a “super light, thin, rugged, and simple reader for e-book reading only” (Chase). Without all the extra features its competitors have, it might be overlooked. With its 6 inch screen and small weight of only 7.8 ounces (Kobo), the Kobo is about the size of a paperback book and the most comfortable to read for long periods of time, followed closely by the Kindle (Chase). The Kobo can hold up to 1,000 e-Books on the hard drive, and 8,000 e-Books with an SD memory card (Kobo). The interface for the Kobo, much like a second generation iPod, is relatively simple (Chase). With a labeled directional pad, appropriately labeled buttons on the side, such as ‘Home’ and ‘Menu,’ and a light that flashes at the top every time a button is hit, the Kobo wins the award for being easiest to operate (Chase). On top of it all, the Kobo comes with 100 free e-books to get started (Chase). Although the simplicity of the Kobo is great, it is not perfect. The Kobo’s battery life is only up to 2 weeks for 10,000 pages read, which is seriously small compared to some of its competitors. It does not have Wi-Fi or 3G capabilities, so it requires frequent use of a computer to load books (Chase). The Kobo also supports the least amount of file formats (Chase). Although the Kobo may not sound all that great, it is made to be strictly an e-Reader and it serves its purpose well and can be picked up for a price of $130.

Barnes and Noble’s version of the e-Reader is called the Nook. The Nook weighs 11.6 ounces and has a 6 inch screen, not as small the the Kobo, but still not too shabby. The Nook has Wi-Fi only version for $149 and a Wi-Fi and 3G version for $199. The Nook holds 1,500 e-books and has a 10 day battery life (Barnes). What makes the Nook really awesome is its ability to ‘loan’ a book to a friend for up to two weeks for free (Chase). Owners can also access e-books for free while in a Barnes and Noble store (Chase). It is also the only reader, besides Sony, that shows actual pages numbers (Chase). Unfortunately, it is hard to find all these great features because the navigating system is so confusing (Chase). When it comes to displaying document types, the Nook will not display doc, txt, and some other common file types (Chase). On the bright side, the Nook is among the best Wi-Fi and 3G readers and the Nook Color is the best color touch screen on the market (Falcone).

The Sony Reader Daily Edition is one of the best touch screen readers on the market today. The touch screen responds quickly and there are few buttons for basic controls (Chase). The interface is fairly easy to navigate and page turns are brisk, which is good for impatient readers (Chase). Although it is a great touch screen, the display looks slightly gray, but still readable, due to the touch screen overlay (Chase). The Daily Edition is the bulkiest of all readers; it weighs 13 ounces, has a huge 7 inch screen, and is a half inch thick (Chase). It holds a charge for about 10 days with wireless on and 22 days with wireless off, and is also hard to read in bright light (Sony). The worst part of this model is the price. The Sony Reader Daily Edition sells for a whopping $250 (Chase). For a more practical reader, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition sells for $180 (Sony). The Pocket Edition weighs only 5.47 ounces and has a 5 inch screen, but with an adjustable font option, the screen size does not affect the size of the text (Sony). It holds a charge for 2 weeks and holds up to 1,200 e-books at a time (Sony). As far as Sony goes, the Daily Reader Edition is for those who read mainly periodicals and the Pocket Edition is a small, light weight e-book reader.

The Kindle is probably the most popular of all the e-Readers. Made by Amazon, the newest model, Kindle 3, holds a whopping 3,500 e-Books at a time and comes with Wi-Fi capabilities (Amazon). There is also a model that has Wi-Fi and 3G, if one is willing to pay nearly 200 hundred dollars (Chase). The Kindle 3’s size is pretty small, weighing only 8.5 ounces, with a display size of 6 inches (Amazon). Along with the slim size, the Kindle boasts an extensive battery life of one month with the wireless off, and 3 weeks with the wireless turned on (Amazon). When it comes to e-Readers, many are concerned about the screen. Reading on a bright LCD screen for long periods of time irritates the eyes and is all but impossible in bright light. The E-Ink screen is very popular; it is as close to printed paper as an electronic device can get. Although the E-Ink is great for reading long periods of time, some complain there is no backlight and it is hard to read in dim light. Although this may be true for some, it appears it is not for the Kindle: “The new...E-Ink screen is so well contrasted that it nearly glows in the dark,” boast fans (Chase).

The Kindle is one of the best e-Readers on the market, but this does not mean it is perfect. The Kindle also its drawbacks, including the fact that there is no memory card slot and to load books, one must first e-mail the file to the device and then convert it (Chase). Along with having to convert most files, the Kindle also cannot read files in the EPUB format (Falcone). Using the EPUB format, one can borrow books from local online libraries (Falcone). Although the Kindle can accept most files, so long as they are converted, it is only compatible with the Amazon store. Even with the negatives, the Kindle is a best selling, top of the market product. For a mere $140 (Chase), the Kindle has been said to be the best Wi-Fi and E-Ink reader (Falcone).

Now, some may say, ‘what about the iPad?’ Some believe the iPad should not even be compared to other e-Readers because it is “...first and foremost, a media device that happens to have e-Reader capabilities” (Chase). The iPad is large and heavy compared to many e-Readers, and it only holds a battery charge for about 10 hours (Chase). The LCD screen on the iPad makes reading in bright light almost impossible and it has a rather large price tag. The biggest positive with the iPad is the fact that is compatible with most other e-books stores when other e-Reading devices can only hook up to that company’s store. With the iPad’s price ranging from $500 for the most basic version all the way up to $830, one should not buy the iPad solely for its e-Reading capabilities. The iPad is a multiple function device is designed to be like a small computer and not to mimic the look and feel of a real book.

There are many more options to choose from when it comes to e-Readers, these readers are simply the best ones on the market today. Each contender has it’s own strengths and weaknesses and what one person may love, another may hate. When shopping for an e-Reader, consumers need to keep in mind what they will be mainly using this product for, how they want it to work, and how close to a real book do they want it to look. Some like the Nook’s navigating system, while others find it confusing and prefer the Kindle’s user friendly interface. All these companies are continually designing their e-Readers to be more and more like computers, when they should be working for them to be more like an actual book. No matter what features a reader has, or how easy it is to use, it will never replace a real book.

Each e-Reader has qualities I like and dislike, and choosing one has been difficult. I like the Kobo for its simplicity and 100 free e-books, but I dislike how few file formats it supports. I love everything about the Nook, except the confusing navigating system. After trying the Nook in store, I still cannot figure it out. I am simply not a fan of the Sony Reader. It seems like there is a lot of extra stuff that is not needed and the price is just too high. Although, the Sony Pocket Edition is a good choice for an e-Reader and I would recommend it, it does not hold as many e-books as some if its competitors.

It seems the Kindle comes out on top as the best e-Reader for this Holiday season. The only complaint I have about the Kindle, is that I would have to convert all my files. After learning how to do this, I think I would enjoy it very much. If I do decide to purchase an e-Reader, the Kindle will most likely be my choice. All these readers would make wonderful gifts; just make sure to know exactly what someone wants in an e-Reader before buying one.