Best Ebook Readers of 2015 - Comments Page 1

I do most of my reading on my ipad mini, but would like to have a dedicated reader such as the Voyage. I have an old Nook Color, but it was heavy and I have put it away until I can find another use for it. I have a Nexus 7 which I used to read on, but it is kind of heavy too so I have put it away also. I read news etc. on my Samsung phone when I have just a few minutes of spare time.

Hi Bob,

First thing to remember with ereaders is that a tablet does the job with the right software.

Starting with a sony ereader a few years ago I have progressed to a lenovo 13inch 'monster' tablet.

The reasons are many and varied, the size of screen makes larger font sizes possible (just wait - old age comes not alone!) and you can actually see the maps and piccies in ebooks.

The second reason, which could be the most important, is - you don't need the light on. This is an advantage for those of us who read in bed and who would really like to wake up in the morning...... Most husbands will know what I mean.

For software I use Moon Reader Pro - the paid for version but there is a free version not so adaptable. The only criticism is that you can change far too much... Works with everything I've tried so far.

If buying from Amazon the kindle app (I hate that why can't they be called programs like they used to be?) free works well.

I read every night and have saved the cost of every reader many times over from the difference in price between paper and ebook.

For those considering ebooks there is another big advantage for bedtime readers - they turn themselves off AND remember the page you were on when you fall asleep.

Jon

P.S. I still LOVE real books and there are many worthy of buying and reading in 'solid' form.

My wife and I each have a Kindle Fire HD and just love it. Although it can be used for much more than a reader (wife plays games on it all the time) I use it mostly for reading. In your article you state that the Kindle is not able to read epub format which is essentially true but if you download an epub ebook and then run it through an online converter such as "online AZW ebook converter" (http://ebook.online-convert.com/convert-to-azw3) then you can read it just fine. I must admit it would be nice to have it read epub directly but I guess you can't have everything.

We love the Nook as it's lightweight and portable.
For low light conditions I use apps on the iPad, android tablet and PC for graphic heavy sessions. I use Caliper for conversion of PDFs to EPUB and can convert Mobi (Kindle) if necessary. B&N has been responsive and have a good selection. For those of you that have committed to both there methods to convert DRM secured among standards--after all you own and purchased the products.

Bob,
Another great article, but I think you missed covering one nagging question: Once you pay $69 for the 3G connectivity (i.e. for the Amazon Kindle Voyage), are there any future charges for maintaining 3G connectivity?

EDITOR'S NOTE: There are no ongoing charges for the 3G. It's really only there so you can access the Amazon bookstore and download new books when you are out of WiFi range.

I wish kindle would bring back the text to speech option for the sight impaired. Sure, the voice was monotone, but if you can't see well, it was a wonderful bonus.

I use kindle for the PC is a lot better to read as the display is 21 inches can see it a lot better and the PC app is free at amazon

I notice that only one response mentions tablets (or phones) with ebook software instead of the single-purpose physical ereader. My choice is CoolReader. As with the comment above about MoonReader, its major flaw is that you can modify too much. I have a Nook HD+ but wouldn't think of getting the "Nook Experiece" by using BN's sorry software. If you want BN to tell you how to read, get their less expensive locked units. And, another vote for Calibre as a must-have program to convert+ between formats.

I have a Kindle Voyage with ads and love it. I previously had a Kindle Keyboard,and the Voyage is much better. It is smaller and the built in light works wonderfully for reading in bed.

I use Calibre and it is a very useful program to convert epub and PDF to the Kindle standard. The program is free and constantly updated. I have used it for over 3 years with no problems.

The print is a bit small for a reader, and battery life is lousy, but the convenience of the iPhone 6 Plus makes it my go-to reader.

Hi Bob well I use an old Kobo e reader first generation with no illumination I can buy and download books both from their website or anywhere else from the web or anything from anywhere.useful for workshop manuals sometimes all readable in bright sunshine battery still lasts weeks and text can be as big as you like 1 word per page if it suits.It's never given any trouble which is how I like things.

Bob,

I'm afraid I need to take issue with one of the sentences you wrote, namely:

> The PaperWhite lacks the PagePress and adaptive front light of the Voyage, and it can only be charged via a micro-USB port.

True, the Paperwhite does lack PagePress, but it has the same front light as the Voyage - so it's only the adaptive quality that's missing, because it doesn't adjust itself automatically, as in the Voyage, and instead requires one to adjust the light level manually (which is my preferred way of using the light on the Voyage, anyway).

Also, you made it sound like the fact "it can only be charged via a micro-USB port" was something that made the Paperwhite different from the Voyage, while in fact BOTH version of Kindle use the same micro-USB charging method, with no option to replace the battery or charge it any other way.

My husband loves his Kindle Fire, but I have a very difficult time reading on it. I have a degenerative cornea disease that makes reading certain fonts difficult (like this one, used for us to type in comments), as well as reading with light behind the text. He hasn't been able to set up the Kindle in such a way that I can read anything more than a few paragraphs on it without becoming frustrated.

I recently found that I can read from my Android tablet without the issues I find using the Kindle. I'll stick with my tablet and old fashioned paper books.

My family (we have two children) has three NOOK HD+s (the 9" screen). We bought the second two after B&N discontinued selling them - they are really cheap from 3rd parties right now. Really versatile as a tablet (even if you don't root it!), and great as an e-reader. We travel a lot, so being able to carry so many books, movies, and games in one small package is wonderful for us. In addition to the ones you can buy, there are thousands of free books available from the B&N website (I know the Kindle has these, too) as well as from numerous other sources - I mostly use http://www.loyalbooks.com - they are all free, public domain books available in pretty much any format you could imagine. I'm not exactly in love with the B&N website, but I am very pleased with the NOOKs.

I agree with Clyde ... I LOVE reading e-books, on my PC, using my Kindle Library!!! I have a 23.5" monitor and can easily read my books. I am in a sitting position, which is good for reading and the "pages" are easy to see.

I just wish, that I could afford the Kindle Unlimited. I trailed it, for 30 days and read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, it was awesome. I was surprised to see, how the movie really did follow the book! But, being on a fixed income and my payment dates, change every month ... It becomes very difficult to pay the monthly charge.

I also, have an older Kindle, that was given to me. Right now, the battery is dead and I just need to get another one, so, that I can read anywhere, in the house.

I started with a Sony reader several years ago, then went to a Kobo reader when Sony closed their ebook store.
Through all these years, the biggest feature of both is the trouble I've had trying to use Adobe Digital Editions. It's always been buggy to me and I've spent as much time trying to get it to work as I have reading. I think ADE is the biggest obstacle to collecting and reading ebooks that I've encountered. For me, EPUB is a step backward.
So I read less and have stopped buying books altogether. Checking books out of the library I now find that I can't even open them on my authorized device.

I use several devices to read my ebooks via the Kindle app and the Nook app.

But for my dedicated ebook reader I use a Kindle Paperwhite (sixth generation) with 4gb of memory and wifi connectivity. If I'm out of wifi range when I just need to buy or download another book i can always turn on my phone's hot spot function and connect to the store that way. The screen is lit with an internal light making this ebook reader useable anywhere anytime.

My Nook is first generation and is loaded with my selections but sometimes I want the feel and use of a printed book. I will be ordering the Kindle Voyage based on your recommendation! Thanks!

I've sort of always wanted a Kindle, but couldn't justify the price (back in the days of the original Kindle). Then in 2009 they released the first app and it was first on the iPhone. I know, I know, too small, but for me it was perfect. B&N didn't have a reader yet. I got a Nook Tablet and made the N2A card and used Android, after they stopped side loading (which I loaded in the Kindle App), primarily for the Kindle App. So, I had the best of both worlds. Now it's at Kit Kat. Later several different tablets but ultimately never a Kindle. Now with an iPhone, iPad, Galaxy Tab, Nook, Mac and PC, I've more or less settled on Amazon. What I found later (about 4 years ago) is that ebooks that I read were cheaper on Amazon and Amazon had the better selection. In second place I found that iBooks had the next best selection, and only on one book was it cheaper than Amazon, but usually the same price as B&N which is more expensive than Amazon. So, all my books and magazines come via Amazon. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but can you subscribe to magazines with the Voyager?

I've had my Nook Simple Touch for several years now. Very happy with it. Lightweight, easy on the eyes with e-Ink and the battery can last for months. I went with the Nook because I'm not in favor of being "tied" to anyone's proprietary formats. It's the same reason we own Mp3 Players and not the branded ones. Does just what I want it to.

I borrow a lot of my reading from my local Library and not having to use additional software to convert the format for my Nook is great though our library has plenty of "Nook" formatted editions.

The Adobe Digital Editions software that came with the reader is also a big help in managing my library downloads as it keeps track of when the book needs to be returned, though I am now of a certain age that the library no longer fines me for being late. And if you're a little slow on a book you can renew it through the app instead of logging into your local library acct.