Cover via AmazonI have been considering buying an eBook reader like the Nook or the Kindle for some time now. There have been a few things that have prevented me from taking the plunge. First and foremost has been the cost. The second consideration was which one to get. The final consideration would be how much use I would get out of it.Last summer, Barnes & Noble helped address the cost portion of my dilemma when they cut the pricing on their Nook which led to a price reduction by Amazon on the Kindle. They also released a wi-fi only version of the Nook as an alternative to the 3G version, which brought the price down more. This week, I came across a little extra money that we weren't expecting. We received a check from our mortgage company because we had a surplus in our escrow account. Plus we received our state tax refund as well.
The other consideration was whether I should go for the Nook or the Kindle. On the one hand, the Kindle is far and away the market leader on eBook readers. However, you are pretty much limited to buying your books only from Amazon. The Nook, on the other hand, allows you to buy ebooks from multiple sources. In addition, public libraries now allow you to check out ebooks that would be compatible on the Nook, but not the Kindle. For that reason, I have decided that when I take the plunge, it will likely be the Nook.
The final consideration is the last thing that I have to overcome before taking the eBook plunge. In the past, I have been a very active reader. These days, I have so many things going on that I do not get to read as much as I would like to. Now, I tend to do most of my reading when I go on business trips and have to spend a lot of time on an airplane or in the airport. I am concerned that I would not use the reader enough to justify the expense. Still, it would be so much nicer when traveling to carry a reader instead of a couple of bulky books.
All things considered, I am pretty close to making the purchase. This weekend, I will probably head out to my local Barnes & Noble and see what they have. These days, it is not very often that I treat myself to a relatively expensive gadget. Now that I have a few extra bucks available to me, now is as good a time as any.
I went through the same dilemma last month but I ended up going with the Kindle. Amazon has so many more E-books available and they are generally cheaper than Barnes and Noble. But the main reason I went with the Kindle is the free 3G internet. As long as I have a cell phone signal, I can get news updates, check my email or go to just about any website. And the Kindle can be used online in over 150 countries where the Nook can only go online here in the US which was a big deal to me because I travel a lot. I almost went with the nook at one point because you can read any book for free on it if you are in a Barnes and Noble store... but then I realized I can go to any shelf in a B&N store, grab a book, and read it for free too. Just something to think about. For me the Kindle 3G was the way to go, but if you aren't interested in 3G and you don't travel, then either one is good.
ReplyDeleteLast night I found the 'Kindle for Android' on my droid phone, which is free. I haven't downloaded it yet, but maybe you could try it to see if you like it first?
ReplyDeleteI think the Nook also has color. That would tip me if I were in the market... that and the ability to use multiple formats.
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