Kindle Versus Kindle

Kindle, Nook, iPad, Touch, Fire, Kobo, Sony AHHHHHHH! How is a person supposed to pick?

I've had hands on experience with three of these electronic devices. My own classic Kindle and iPad. Then my dad's Kindle Fire. I'm not going to cover the technical specifications, or all their features. I'm just pointing out the user (thats you and me) end of things. Here is my opinion for what it's worth.

First, the iPad 2 ~ You have the option to use iBooks, where you buy books from the Apple store. You can also download the Kindle or Nook app and buy books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. So if you already have a Kindle you can read your book on both devices. It is a good way to share a book with a family member that you may share an account with.

The down side to using it as an ereader is the size and weight. It works good for a short amount of time but if you plan on kicking back for an all day read-a-thon it can get inconvenient. I use it as a part time ereader but mostly for surfing the web and working on my manuscript on the go. Keep in mind the iPad is marketed as a tablet. Being an ereader is not its primary focus, just a bonus.

The Kindle Fire ~ Like the iPad it has a color, back-lit screen, and can access the web. I love the Kindle Fire. It's light, easy to send your books to and fits in your purse. It is very comfortable to hold compared to the iPad.

The down side ~ This applies to both the Fire and iPad. These have glass screens, which gives us very clear, color pictures and video. But along with the clear picture you can also get a pretty bad glare depending on your light source. (notice the glare in the pictures) My favorite spot to read is my over sized chair that sits directly under a recessed light. When I read on my iPad I have to hold it at a certain, unnatural angle to avoid the glare and that gets old. Plus you cannot see the screens in the sun. So if reading outside is your thing these are not for you.

The plus side of the back-lit screen is if you like to read in bed or do not want to disturb anyone else in a room with minimal light, you can see your book perfectly fine. Plus they are touch screen so you can navigate through things with ease.

Kindle ~ The Kindle is lighter than the Fire and is the easiest to hold for long periods of time. It is the same size as the Fire but has a smaller screen. The screen is not back-lit so you need to sit where you would read a paper book. With this screen you can read in the sun. The battery on this work horse lasts about a month.

You can access the web but it not a touch screen so navigating through the web is very inconvenient.

But if I had none, and could only have one, I think I might go with the Fire. I like the screen better on my Kindle but the Fire also lets you access the web. Its fun to check Facebook, and Twitter on and you can even play Angry Birds. (Yes I am simple that way) I guess it depends on your personal needs.

If you have never seen or held an ereader in person head over to Best Buy, they have all of these plus about a hundred others to choose from, including the Nook. You can get hands on experience with them and give them a test run. I know I just scratched the surface on what these can do. I mostly wanted to point out what I consider the most and least convenient points.

If you already have an ereader, what kind is it? What do you like the most/least about it?