E-Book Readers

[makattak]

I've been sort of tempted too. But as stated there are the Android tablets to consider, and have heard good things about the iPad as a reading device. Then again I don't think the Android tablets will really start hitting the market in numbers until Android 3.0 comes out with its support for higher resolutions. HP/Palm may be the first there, and that's an interesting option too.

Your dilemma sounds like mine. The e-ink thing is really pushing me towards the E-readers, though.

The thought of sitting on a beach in the bright sun reading my Nook/Kindle is a strong temptation.

[makattak]

UPDATE:

As I suspected, B&N came out with a new Nook for Christmas:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nookcolor/index.asp

First impression is they are trying to compete with the Ipad and Kindle.

It's enough that I will be investigating this, but the E-ink screen is a big draw for me. (New Nookcolor doesn't have one.)

Also, only 8 hours of battery life, wireless off, isn't that impressive.

It might be Kindle for me after all, but I haven't ruled out the Nook color yet.

[BrokenPaw]

I was looking at the Kindle and the Nook, and I settled on the Nook.  I haven't regretting buying it.  I went with the Wifi-only one, because I could not conceive of a situation where I would need a new book so badly that I would not be able to wait until I was in range of Wifi to download it.

[Nick1911]

The sony PRS-300 has had my eye for a while...

I'll have to take a look at these newer ones though

[grampster]

I think I read that the Nook Color is Wifi only.

[Ben]

I read a couple of reviews today, and though they were enthusiastic overall, they did mention that the plain old E-Ink screen on the Kindle had the new Nook beat while out in the sun.

[Strings]

I gotta give the Sony a thumbs up: mine has had zero problems, great battery life, and I can read it anywhere. And it disappears into the zipper pocket of my Maxpedition pack, so it's always with me.

Yes, it has to be hooked to the computer to download more books. So?

[KD5NRH]

Newest nook is Android based, as well.

How "Android based?"  If it can run all Android apps, there's a Kindle app that works great.

[Marnoot]

How "Android based?"  If it can run all Android apps, there's a Kindle app that works great.

The Nookcolor doesn't have access to the Android Market, due to not meeting several of Google's requirements for doing so. I'm sure there will be some way to crowbar it onto the device, though.

[KD5NRH]

The Nookcolor doesn't have access to the Android Market, due to not meeting several of Google's requirements for doing so. I'm sure there will be some way to crowbar it onto the device, though.

Without having all the details available, the main thing to know would be whether it's possible to get root access on it.  If that's possible, then pretty much anything is, since the Market itself is easily fooled.

[BrokenPaw]

Without having all the details available, the main thing to know would be whether it's possible to get root access on it.  If that's possible, then pretty much anything is, since the Market itself is easily fooled.

The earlier Nooks had been rooted, but B&N figured out how to stop it, and began shipping new ones that were specced the same as the original ones, but had some hardware changes that would cause it to go into an endless reboot cycle if you tried to root it using the soft firmware update method. 

Part of that change was that they took out the SD card that the OS lived on and (IIRC) replaced it with a ROM of some sort.

From what I read in the community, no one has figured out how to root a Nook with a S/N beginning with 1003 yet; I would be surprised if the Color Nook were more susceptible to rooting than the mono one is; they'll likely be using the same OS and similar hardware under the hood.

If the Color Nook uses a backlit screen instead of e-Ink, then it misses the point, for me.  I hate (hate) backlit screens for outdoor use; my laptop has one of the brightest screens I've ever seen, but a little bit of sun glare makes it unusable.  My phone (Droid) is the same; great screen, borderline useless in the sun.  But I can use the nook in full sunlight without a problem.

Until they come up with color e-Ink, there's no point (for me at least) in a color e-reader.

[Marnoot]

Until they come up with color e-Ink, there's no point (for me at least) in a color e-reader.

Ditto. But I'd add that even color e-ink won't be terribly attractive to me until the price eventually comes down a while after such a product comes out. I use my Kindle to read books, that's about it; and books generally are just black & white text. Color wouldn't be worth the extra premium to me.

Color e-ink would be great for magazines, but I have no desire to read magazines on something the size of the (regular) Kindle, the IPad and Kindle DX are about the right size for that, but a color e-ink that size would probably be outside of my price range for quite some time.

[Ben]

Color e-ink would be great for magazines, but I have no desire to read magazines on something the size of the (regular) Kindle, the IPad and Kindle DX are about the right size for that, but a color e-ink that size would probably be outside of my price range for quite some time.

I'm at this point flipflopping between the regular Kindle and the DX as a Christmas wish. A DX with a "read anywhere" color screen would be really cool for me, because I often read various tech journals for work or pleasure that are much more easily read, and their images displayed, on a DX. But the price difference between the current standard Kindle and DX is pretty outrageous. I'm not sure how they justify it. If it were $100 cheaper, I would say that's more in line and I wouldn't be fence-sitting.

A color Kindle DX right now would probably cost what an iPad costs, and the iPad would do a lot more.

[makattak]

Until they come up with color e-Ink, there's no point (for me at least) in a color e-reader.

According to some of the reviews I've been reading, the color e-ink screens may be coming out next year.

Now I have to decide whether to wait for that or go for a B&W. For the next couple of years, at least, I'm betting the B&W will have better performance.

[Vodka7]

I'm at this point flipflopping between the regular Kindle and the DX as a Christmas wish. A DX with a "read anywhere" color screen would be really cool for me, because I often read various tech journals for work or pleasure that are much more easily read, and their images displayed, on a DX. But the price difference between the current standard Kindle and DX is pretty outrageous. I'm not sure how they justify it. If it were $100 cheaper, I would say that's more in line and I wouldn't be fence-sitting.

A color Kindle DX right now would probably cost what an iPad costs, and the iPad would do a lot more.

If you plan on reading technical manuals or PDFs on it regularly, you definitely want the DX.  On the other hand, most pundits expect the WiFi Kindle to be down to $99 for Christmas this year.

Also, if anyone has an ereader and needs a light for reading in bead, check out this post:

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,40821.0.html

I grabbed two Kandles when they were $11.25 each if you bought two, now they're down to $5 each if you buy two, which is a steal.  It's just a simple clip on the top light with CR2032 batteries and will work on any ereader.

[makattak]

If you plan on reading technical manuals or PDFs on it regularly, you definitely want the DX.  On the other hand, most pundits expect the WiFi Kindle to be down to $99 for Christmas this year.

Also, if anyone has an ereader and needs a light for reading in bead, check out this post:

http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,40821.0.html

I grabbed two Kandles when they were $11.25 each if you bought two, now they're down to $5 each if you buy two, which is a steal.  It's just a simple clip on the top light with CR2032 batteries and will work on any ereader.

Wow, thanks, I'm getting a e-reader soon, that's awesome.

[KD5NRH]

I grabbed two Kandles when they were $11.25 each if you bought two, now they're down to $5 each if you buy two, which is a steal.  It's just a simple clip on the top light with CR2032 batteries and will work on any ereader.

Don't forget to order 2032s by the case while you're at it.  They ain't cheap if you're burning a pair every couple days and have to buy them at Wally World.