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What is the best e-book reader ?


Needle

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I'd say that a dedicated reader won't be using a tablet for reading, they will mostly go for an e-book reader. But occasionally reading on a tablet might not be so bad and you don't have to carry around another device just for that. I think e-readers are designed for a specific audience and I don't see the point of buying one unless the person plans on using it a lot. 

 

You speak of people using tablets to read but what about using your phone... 

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Which is why I never understand people using tablets to read books (its not what they were designed for). E-ink is a wonderful technology, I think. Although seemingly quite restricted to perhaps only 1 main use - reading at length.

I used to feel the same until the start of September this year when I started using my iPad to read ebooks as I had to travel a lot. I've almost (almost!) been converted to the iPad now. I prefer its 'sleekness' to the typical kindle. I know that shouldn't make a difference - after all reading is reading - but for some reason it does. I also find it easier to use the kindle app on the iPad in terms of highlighting and making notes. As for the glare from the screen, I find the Night Shift mode on the iPad very easy on the eyes when reading.

 

Plus I just find it very convenient to have everything under one tablet.

 

You speak of people using tablets to read but what about using your phone...

 

People read books on their phone? I guess they're younger people with good eyesight...

 

Nollaig - while you can of course do that on a tablet, you are straining your eyes as much as if you were reading on a laptop or desktop computer.

Again, I've started reading on my phone while waiting around for appointments etc and have found it rather useful. Everything I read on my IPad in the kindle app is synced to my phone so I can jump between the two as required. It's just so handy.

Edited by Angury
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People read books on their phone? I guess they're younger people with good eyesight...

 

Nollaig - while you can of course do that on a tablet, you are straining your eyes as much as if you were reading on a laptop or desktop computer.

 

I read on my phone occasionally too.

 

And I spend 8 hours a day reading computer screens, an extra hour in the evening isn't going to make a massive difference!

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Angury and Nollaig - I guess both you and your eyes are somewhat younger than me and mine! Not being patronising at all but your eyes do fail a bit eventually. I notice the strain when reading on LCD screens now - and reading text on a phone, other than the odd email, is a no no too. I did get some offer on my ipad to download a free book extract with an app once and did so - but it wasn't a relaxing experience at all so the app got deleted afterwards, I was never going to use it again. More like reading a web page than a book. I'll stick to the book. :) But each to their own, innit?!

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I'm 29, so yeah pretty young. I may get a second hand Kindle, maybe, to try it out. I did used to have a Kobo, and found that no better for my eyes than a tablet. Kindles are probably more well-made, though, so maybe.

 

I just don't really want to carry around a second tablet sized and shaped device :giggle:

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I can understand that. My going to work bag did get a bit silly at 1 point. I used to have a Sony PSP if I fancied playing a game on the train, my ebook reader (when it was new) and my mp3 player. Even now (or at least, last time I was working) I still had an mp3 player but also have a book and an ipad. I rarely travel light...

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I had to change from my keyboard Kindle to a Paperwhite when my old one broke on holiday, and had to hunt around shops to find one that sold Kindles, and the Paperwhite was the only option.  Having said that, I love it.  The improvement over the keyboard is that the light can be used up high in bright light conditions (e.g. in the sun) and you don't then get any glare or light reflecting off the screen, and then lower in low light conditions so it's bright enough to read but not brilliant white colour blaring out of the screen!

 

My one downside is that my library doesn't support Kindles for borrowing e-books, so I can't use them, but other than that, I'm very happy with it.

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  • 2 months later...

I can't imagine there are any books, as the technology changes so often, it would be out of date before it was even printed.  From a magazine point of view, in the UK, I would expect Which? to have something on it, and maybe some of the computing magazines like PC Magazine?  I've not looked into myself, as I was given a Kindle and have stuck to it ever since.

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  • 1 year later...

I have only just found this answer because I opened the forum for a look round yet I thought that I had ticked the notify box asking for replies so have I misunderstood that?

I noted that my question had "60" answers but I can only see one?

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When I’m writing anything that requires study I found that as soon as I took my eyes from the book and looked at the computer screen I had forgotten what I had just read.  This might be to do with the dyslexia I experience.  I then started to scan the page I required and paste it onto m y computer to use as an aide-memoire.  I hoped that being able to load an EBook onto my computer would relieve me of that task.
Exposing my absolute lack of EBook technology suggests to me that I don’t even need an EBook reader such as a Kindle.  However,  that depends upon the application that the EBook is built with so the question is this:  Will I be able to open whatever EBook I buy on my computer or do I require a “reader”?
Many thanks all.  By the way the reason why I took so long to reply is that although I ticked the "notify" box I received no notifications. 

 

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Its become glaringly obvious reading your most helpful comments above that it is not a matter of a Reader for EBooks that I need advice on but advice regarding any software that I may need to access and read any of what may be different forms of EBook.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I always recommend people to avoid Kindle unless they never want to read on anything else. Sure, there's Kindle for Windows, but what if you want to use another program, or you're on Linux or something?

 

If you're getting anything that works with a store that uses the EPUB format (pretty much everyone except the Nook thing and Amazon I think) you're having a much better chance of being able to actually read the ebook on your e-ink reader and also in any other place you want. It might have still adobe protection on it but that one is more universally supported, unlike the Kindle format where you're lucky if you can get your hands on the actual file at all, and if you know how there are actually ways to remove it to truly read it everywhere.

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  • 4 years later...

I started my ebook journey on a Sony reader which was practically the only thing available back then! When the main switch failed after some years, I got myself a Kobo reader. I was against KIndles as they only use one format of ebook (mobi) and lots of free books on the internet tend to be epub format. I have had my Kobo for some time now and love the ease of putting books by the same author into collections,and a much more user friendly interface than any Kindle I have ever seen. My Grandaughter was impressed by my Kobo, so I got her one too! We both are happy with our respective readers,and would not like to change!

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I've got a Kobo Libra (a present to myself from the tips I get at work) and I really like it. It's got a bigger screen than my previous Kobo which really increases my reading enjoyment, it's waterproof, easy to use and has the most brilliantly designed sleep cover which converts into a stand which was also quite expensive but one of those items that work so well that you don't regret spending so much.

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  • 1 month later...

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