Kindle vs. Nook, Battle of eReaders
 

Hello my friends;

I have read many of the reviews and customer comments on several forums regarding both the Kindle and the Nook. I am seriously considering purchasing a Kindle in the very near future (I never thought the day would come when a dedicated hardcover bibliophile would give it up to an electronic device) However, before I make the jump I'd really like to hear from owners, yes actual users. What to you like best? Are there disadvantages and if so please define them.

Most of the professionals say the war is essentially over and Kindle holds the field of battle. What do you think?

Your comments will be so much appreciated.

Thanks!

We've had 3 Kindles. I bought my wife a Kindle 1 for Xmas a few years ago. I'm not a reader but I enjoyed reading on her Kindle so when the Kindle 2 came out I purchased one for myself. When the Kindle 3 came out at a reduced price I got her one and we gave our Kindle 1 to a friend. Of course we have really enjoyed our Kindles and the customer support at Amazon is superb which to me is a big plus. There was one feature of the Nook that the Kindle didn't have. That was the book lending. I understand that you can now do that with the Kindle. I personally don't think you can go wrong with either device.

John

One thing to keep in mind is the financial situation of the companies involved I would think that Amazon is on a much better footing and therefore the Kindle should be around for a while.

We are a two Nook house. I'm sure either the Nook or Kindle will serve you well.
The Nook has a open platform allowing you to borrow ebooks from the library as well as buying them from other places besides Barnes and Noble. This I like. My Nook has library books on it all the time. My daughter works in a library and would not buy an e-reader that did not accept library books.

If you're not interested in library books and are content to buy only from Amazon, the Kindle I think would be fine.

Make a trip to B&N to see the Nook. Then check out the Kindle at Best Buy. Both seem to be great e-readers.

Customer service with the Nook has been great. B&N offers free classes for Nook owners. Also you can run and see them with any problem as well as the B&N 800 number for help.

I love my Kindle
 

I got a Kindle 3 for Christmas...and I love it. Don't want to read/subscribe to magazines, I just want to read a book and didn't mind the non-lending of Kindle, but now I think they do allow to any device for 14 days. Anyway, some of the things I really like is: lighter, thinner; easy to use; page turning is quicker than the nook; wider range of books Amazon just has more; better PDF support; text to speech; battery life (1 month as compared to 10 days w/nook). I'm sure I'll discover more to love, but that's what I came up with. Before getting my kindle, though, I read a LOT of reviews from techno geeks that were very helpful. Whatever your choice, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I too would never have thought that I'd be using an electronic device instead of a real book.:icon_wink:

I just bought a color Nook and am completely satisfied with it. I researched the reviews (google "ereader reviews comparison") on both and it was obvious you could not go wrong with either one. Read the reviews and see which one fits your preferences. I chose the Nook because of the color aspect and the extra things available when in B&N, including the free classes there. I went to the one held Saturday and there were about 30 people attending. I was able to go out to the site Project Gutenberg where you can download over 33,000 free ebooks to read on your PC, iPad, Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, iPhone, Android or other portable device (http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page). I downloaded several books to the PC, hooked up the Nook with the USB cable and copied them to the Nook.

Also, did you see the "Skins" Amazon is selling for the color NooK?
http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&x=0&...%3Delectronics

Hi dfn8ly,
BeeGee summed up my thoughts. In addition, the current Kindle has a sharper screen, and I like the navigation on the Kindle better.

I've loved to read books all my life. I think you will be pleasantly surprised that, at least at our 55+ age, the e-readers are easier on the eyes than many printed books that with smallish type and average-quality paper.

Enjoy!

I have owned a Kindle for over a year now and absolutely love it. However, the nook has come a long way in the past year. The few shortcomings I have found in the kindle after a year of use are: no color; no back-light; no ability to download books from the library or other open sources;
The things I really love about the kindle are: easy to use, to carry around and to navigate; huge selection of books from amazon. But the best thing about the kindle has been customer service. I have dropped and broken it twice in the last year. Each time I broke it, Amazon sent me a new on via ups with 2 days. Now that my year warranty is up, I am being a lot more careful with it.

Thank you everyone! You have been and continue to be a big help. I have ordered my Kindle and really look forward to many happy days with this ingenious device. One of my "good" friends made the comment "YOU ordered an electronic reader?" I responded with pride (you see she knows I'm an electronics geek. I can't plug in a string of holiday lights).

Again, so many thanks to all who responded. You helped me make what I hope will be a rewarding experience.

Congratulations on your new Kindle.
I'm sure it will be a source of reading pleasure for you. :wave:

Kindle vs. Nook
 

I brought the Kindle back because the web browser was inferior. The Nook now has Flash as part of its web browser. The reader is good on the Nook and I like the touch screen. Plugged into my PC, the Nook functions as a separate drive with the ability to download .pdf files as well as E-PUB books from Project Gutenberg.

Do you mean the color nook or the regular nook? I bought the regualr nook a few months ago, and don't have flash.

I do like the ability to get library books that the nook offers. I'd never buy a kindle for that reason.

Taj44
Amazon has indicated the Kindle will be able to get library books within a few months. I just bought the 114.00 Kindle and love it. I like the feature that you can get a sample of a book before buying it, most likely available on all e-readers.

HELP - accessing library books on Nook
 

Following advice on this forum, I bought a Nook and have a Philadelphia library card. I cannot figure out how to get the books from the library. Can someone help?

I don't have a Kindle or a Nook, but my wife has a Nook. I just setup the Nook for android application on my droid, can access my wife's account and once I figured out how to use it, I fould that it's easy to use. Turning pages requires just a touch on the side of the page your turning and saving your page takes just a touch on the upper right side. You can also adjust the font size to what you're comfortable with. There is also an application for Kindle users but I don't know anything about that!
http://media.bstdownload.com/icons/2...by_BN_icon.jpg

Hi JoJo,

Are you able to get to the area where you select the books you want or are you having a problem getting the book to your cart and then downloading it? We use the Philadelphia Free library and it took us a while to learn how to navigate the site but once you figure it out it is not that difficult. If you need help PM me and I will try to talk you through it.

Technically challenged,
Halle

I was at the Leesburg City Library yesterday and they have ebooks. Since I live in Sumter County, I had to pay $20, but will get that back quickly as I borrow their books. There is a sign up that all ereaders will be able to borrow except Kindle. Kindle is proprietary

I-Pad w/Kindle. Apps
 

For those contemplating purchasing Kindle or Nook, have you thought about purchasing an I-Pad and adding a Kindle Apps? You can also download other free e-book apps. I-Pad may cost more initially but there are more usage with it. Just a thought.

Avista, thanks for that info. Is the $20 annual?

NO, It's for 6 months. Sumter is supposed to get ebooks soon, and I'm hoping they will be available then.

Lake County Library System
 

Avista, Thanks for the info! Leesburg is part of the Lake County Library system, so anyone in the Lake County area of TV who has a Lake County Library Card can borrow the ebooks for free.

You need to download Overdrive for your device (computer, iPad, nook, etc). Here's the link for the Library system info page on ebooks.

JoJo... As Halle said, it's a sort of convoluted process to get books from Free Lib of Phil, aka FLOP, but once you get it setup it works fine.

You need to put adobe digital editions on your main computer. Login to FLOP, get to the Overdrive section where media is downloaded, search and find a book you want that is available for download, add to cart, download to your PC via adobe digital.

Once on your PC in adobe, plug in the nook and drag a copy of the ebook from the adobe folder to the nook.

This is a pretty common setup for library ebooks. lake County might work the same way.

Text to speech in the kindle was the deciding factor for me.
I can take any pdf, text or .doc file and email it to my free kindle email account for conversion to a kindle text to speech file that is sent to my kindle.
I can then read a book on the screen and at any point have the reader speak the book to me. Great for walks with the dog.

I think that the kindle is slightly better for reading. My wife enjoys hers. Also most of the library's will be doing down loads for both units very soon. Inside information from my granddaugther who works for the library in NY.

The "Free Library of Philadelphia",(FLOP) which has an extensive collection of ebooks, has raised their fee from $15 to $35 per year for non-residents. Quite an increase, percent-wise, but, still a bargain if you read a lot.

I asked at Sumter/Pinellas library last week about ebooks. They say coming soon, perhaps after the first of the year. I didn't get a warm, fuzzy feeling that their collection was going to be very extensive. Time will tell.

When my FLOP subscription expires next March, we'll see if the Sumter fee/offering is a better alternative.:read:

Wow that is quite an increase but like you said V07 still a bargain since we usually read at least one book a week each,(more when we are out working in the BUSH). We will probably stick with Free Library of Philadelphia since they have such a wonderful selection.

PS
see you in December.

Word on the street is that Amazon is developing a Kindle with Android to compete with the iPad.

I bought a Chinese knock-off Samsung Android tablet ($150) to see if I would actually use something like that. I downloaded the free Kindle app, and can read books just fine on it. I can also read my email, Facebook, play games, To Do list, Evernote, Google Talk, Google Calendar.... So why would I want a seperate Kindle for just about the same price? :shrug:
(I'm not being sarcastic. I really don't understand why I should buy a Kindle instead of using the free app)

My thoughts exactly! I bought a tablet (Viewsonic G) for exactly the same reason. Has wi-fi but not 3g. Do my downloading a home where I have wi-fi. Get my email, etc. on it. Tried reading at the pool the other day, and no amount of fooling around with the settings could I get a readable screen, unless I went in the shade. Experiment over! I ordered a Kindle yesterday (with 3G, of course!). Maybe the settings on the expensive iPad enable reading in the sun.

Apparently they don't. My daughter-in-law has an ipad and says she can't read in the sun. That is the advantage of the ereaders like Nook and Kindle.

Sometime in the not too distant future, we will have a lightweight tablet that will replace laptop , eReader AND smartphone. Oh yeah, also at an affordable price.:a040:

I used to have a library with over 1000 books, i loved my books! all gone now and thanks to the kindle I don't miss them.

New Kindle (iPad competition) coming out soon. I believe it is called "Fire".
The street thinks this may be the iPads only serious competition.

Your Wish Has Been Fulfilled (almost}
 

The Kindle Fire came pout today. It is not a smart phone, but is a fully functional color touch tablet and a fully capable eReader. It lets you do 90% of what the iPad does including web browsing, e-mail and an eReader. The price is $199 and with Amazon Prime membership gives you access to free movies and TV shows. It does everything the Nook Color does and more for less money.

It is expected to be the first serious competitor to the iPad. For a black and white touchscreen Amazon introduced the Kindle Touch. It like the Nook b&w eReader has a six inch screen, uses e-ink and is in most ways very similar. The difference in price will be touch for B&N to match. The Kindle goes for $99 while the Nook sells for $139. Amazon offers a new model of its existing Kindle for $79.

I have ordered the new Kindle Fire and will use it to replace my iPad AND my existing Kindle. At $99 for the touchscreen Kindle delivered, my Christmas shopping list is going to be easy this year!

I ordered a Kindle touch for $99 but at that price you also get ads which doesn't bother me. Without ads it costs $139.

John

Just heard the FIRE will be fine tuned AFTER the holidays with more than ever before! When to buy....hmmmm....I do LOVE my IPAD. However, when you put on polarized sunglasses, you can't read it in the sun. So I wear a hat instead!

I too ordered the Kindle for $139 (includes 3g). My understanding is that the Fire DOES NOT have 3g, so you're tethered to a Wi-Fi location. To each his (her) own..whatever melts your butter!

I also was reading about the Fire yesterday. I don't think it will drastically affect the iPad for these reasons...
Apple has a great track record with their devices.
The Fire is only available in the US. 50% of iPads are sold overseas.
limited to only wifi- no 3G connectivity
smaller screen at 7 inches
only 6GB of storage space. That can fill up fast.
Might be ok if everything is stored on the Cloud. But then Wifi connection must be used to access it.
no camera or microphone for Skype
though it uses Android in the background
limited number of Apps currently available
Amazon can track everything that you do every web visit, transaction, etc.
To access movies you need an Amazon Prime account. 30 day trial included. Membership is $79 a year.
Maybe some don't realize that an iPad has both Nook and Kindle apps for books

Great Points But I See It Otherwise
 

1. Apple has a great track record with their devices. Absolutely true, but so does Amazon
2. Kindle Fire is available only in US. A clear advantage for iPad, but probably temporary. Previous Kindles are available world-wide.
3. Wifi only, no 3G. Again true, but a mixed blessing. 3G adds a minimum monthly cost of $15 to iPad ownership and a more realistic cost of $40 per month if you are using the data feed at all. Cumulative 2 yr cost of ownership: Kindle Fire - $199, iPad $859 to $1459 (and potentially more)
4. iPad 10" screen vs Kindle Fire 7" screen. True, but a mixed blessing. The increase in screen size comes with an increase in weight. iPad weighs in at 21 oz, the Kindle fire at 14 oz both without covers. A typical paperback (I used Silva's, The English Assassin, 491 pages} weighs 10 0z.
5. Only 6GB of storage space. That can fill up fast. Might be ok if everything is stored on the Cloud. But then Wifi connection must be used to access it. Good point and a clear advantage of iPad. How much this will mean in real life remains to be seen.
6. No camera or microphone for Skype. Clear advantage for iPad, if you use Skype. But isn't this what your smart phone is for?
7. You need to have Amazon Prime for movies and this costs $79 per year. I think this is an advantage. It eliminates the needs for NetFlix and saves money at the same time. It also provides free two-day shipping on anything you buy from Amazon and hassle free returns, if for ANY reason you don't like what you purchased.
8. iPad has both Nook and Kindle apps for books. True and there is also an Apple app for the iPad. I've used all three and have found that it is best to have all your books in one 'library'. All of these apps function well, but I have found I prefer using the Kindle app on my existing Kindle, iPad and Computer.

I am both a Kindle and Apple fanatic. I've owned Apple computers since my Apple 2 and then the original Mac. I am now on my iMac and have a mac.com e-mail address. I'm also a iPhone and iPad user. I've used Kindles since they first came out and found that the only one I did not like was the Kindle DX with its 10" screen and 19 oz weight. Just too heavy to be comfortable for extended reading.

In the final analysis both are great at what they do, but the two year cost of ownership: $199 for the Kindle Fire vs $1459 for the iPad with 3g capability makes the Kindle an easy decision for me.