Tech Wham | Ereader Tablet and Ebook Reader Reviews, Videos, and Comparisons

For the last 3 years, a popular gift has been the Amazon Kindle, but the popularity has skyrocketed this year with the release of the new family of Kindles. The Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, and newest Kindle models are hot once again. Are there discounts to be found for the Kindle this 2011 Christmas?

The best place online to purchase the Kindle, still, is straight from Amazon.com. With the release of the brand new family of Kindles, one could expect the Kindle 3 (last years model with a keyboard) to go on sale. Already the Kindle 3 3G model is discounted compared to the Kindle Touch 3G by $10. The Kindle with Keyboard isn’t a bad model either. Many people still prefer it over the new Kindle Touch.

Some physical stores that may offer a discount are places like Best Buy, Target and Walmart this 2011 holiday season. Keep an eye out when shopping at these stores this year.  Many of these stores have an inventory of the older Kindle 3 model and may end up discounting the device this December.

If you haven’t already, you may want to compare the Kindle vs Nook, as Barnes and Noble has released it’s own newest versions of E Ink reader and Tablet reader. They are definitely different in many ways, but are competent devices as well.

Good luck this 2011 December finding a Kindle Christmas deal, whether online or in a physical store. These are sure to be hot items this year and appreciated gifts for sure.

Last year Amazon announced a deal on Black Friday that had people scrambling for their credit cards in a frenzy, and all signs point to a Kindle Black Friday Deal 2011 on the horizon. It makes sense with all the new models undoubtedly jamming Amazon’s warehouses.

DEAL ALERT- Amazon has announced a deal on the Kindle DX! Click to Visit.

On Black Friday 2010, Amazon announced an $89 price tag for the previous year’s version of the Kindle, dubbed the “Kindle 2″. Now that there is a whole new smorgasbord of Kindle models arriving in droves at the Amazon distribution centers for the 2011 Black Friday and Holiday Season, they’ll need to clear out some of the older models.

So it looks like the Kindle 3, or “Kindle With Keyboard” models will be the hot Black Friday Deal for post-Thanksgiving internet shoppers.

Another obvious candidate for a great deal this Black Friday or Cyber-Monday is going to be the Kindle DX. The DX seems to be the forgotten big brother with all these newest models being released.

What About A Kindle Fire Black Friday Deal? A Kindle Fire deal actually has a chance of happening, though it could be a short lived sale on November 25th. The first orderers of the Fire will had just begun receiving their devices after pre-ordering, so it would undoubtedly cause a stir to offer a discount only days later to people who didn’t stand in line, however it is completely possible.

It’s already reported that Amazon is losing money on the sale of the Kindle Fire. So what’s the big deal about putting the Fire on sale for a few hours on Black Friday and gaining some more Amazon customers, undoubtedly buying hundreds of dollars worth of content to fill the device in the long run?

And A Kindle Touch Black Friday Deal? The newest version of the e-ink Kindle family, the Kindle Touch, is already competitively priced and not yet in pre-orderer’s hands, but it could show up as a Black Friday Deal at Amazon as well.

The SECRET? Keep an Eye On The Gold Box Deals

If there is going to be a Kindle Fire or Kindle Touch deal this Black Friday, it will be at the Gold Box “Today’s Deal” Page. (You can click to visit)

These deals only last for a few minutes or hours, so you’ll definitely want to keep checking throughout the day.

So it looks like the Kindle Black Friday Deal 2011 will be the Kindle 3 for sure, or now known as Kindle With Special Offers. By checking the Gold Box Deals, one could perhaps get lucky with a newer device as well.  Make sure you’re quick on the draw this year, as the deal is most likely going to be extremely hot with shoppers.

Now that there’s a whole smorgasbord of new Kindle models, it would make sense there is a whole slew of Kindle accessories to follow. What are the hottest new sleeves, covers, reading light systems, screen protectors and other accessories? Let’s take a look.

Kindle Fire Hottest Accessories

The new hottest Kindle model is the Kindle Fire, the full color touch screen ebook reader slash tablet PC. Since the device is color touch, the accessories are obviously going to be different than the E Ink readers. Here are some of the hottest sellers at Amazon.com so far this 2011 Holiday Season.

1)  Kindle Fire Leather Cover by Marware (Assorted Colors)- This is a no-nonsense cover that comes in black, brown, green or pink. It’s available for pre-order to be released when the Kindle Fire is. Check Pricing at Amazon.com

The Marware Leather Cover comes in black, brown, green or pink

• Certified “Made for Kindle” accessory (Kindle Fire)
• Durable, genuine leather folio lined with soft microsuede for enhanced protection against impact and scratching
• Transforms to stand the Kindle Fire in 2 angles ideal for viewing and display
• Built-in interior hand strap for improved grip and hold during usage
• Convenient, high-grade elastic strap holds the lid open or closed

2) Verso Prologue Cover for Kindle Fire (Tan)- This cover has a little more rustic look and is proving to be popular among pre-order customers. Check pricing at Amazon.com.

The Verso Prologue's rustic look is proving popular

• Certified “Made for Kindle” accessory (Kindle Fire)
• Exceptionally crafted cover wrapped in luxurious fabric.
• Sturdy construction is lightweight but provides protection for your device.
• Soft, microfiber interior with full pocket for holding receipts or travel documents
• Features patent-pending corner elastics to provide a snug fit without impairing functionality.

3) Kindle Fire Zip Sleeve- Instead of getting a cover that stays on the device at all times, the zip sleeve acts as a carrying case. These are stylish, coming in “coral”, blue, “graphite”, “charcoal”, and “lime”, shown below. Check Pricing at Amazon.com.

Other Kindle Fire Accessories To Consider

Screen Protectors- These are clear film pieces that are affixed to the touch screen to protect from scuffs and scratches.

Headphones- You may want to pick up some nice quality headphones to enjoy all your media with booming sound.

Kindle Touch Hottest Accessories

For the E Ink devices, like the Kindle Touch, there are a lot of accessories. People will often get a sleeve for basic protection on the go, and others want a lighted cover. Some want to make sure they have a “hands off” experience, with a cover that can prop open and stay standing on it’s own. Here are some of the hottest Kindle Touch accessories available for the 2011 Christmas Season.

1) Marware Eco-Vue for Kindle and Kindle Touch Cover (Assorted Colors) – This cover is the most popular to date on Amazon.com for the Kindle Touch. It comes in three colors, black, brown and pink. Like many of the other covers, it has a “micro-suede” interior. Check Pricing at Amazon.com.

 

• Certified “Made for Kindle” accessory (Kindle and Kindle Touch)
• Durable, folio-style cover with RoHS compliant, eco-friendly leather exterior and soft microsuede interior for added protection
• Built-in interior hand strap for improved grip and hold during usage
• Thin pocket stores small items such as ID cards, credit cards and money
• Convenient elastic strap holds the lid open or closed
• Check out more Covers at Amazon.com

2) Kindle and Kindle Touch Zip Sleeve- Again, just like for the Kindle Fire, this is a good alternative for people who don’t want a cover affixed to the device, but want to protect it nonetheless. These come in the same colors as for the Fire with coral, lime, graphite, charcoal, and blue. Check Pricing at Amazon.com.

Marware Eco-Flip for Kindle and Kindle Touch Cover- This is a good alternative for those people who want to prop up the Kindle to read.

Look at more Covers on Amazon.com…

3) Kindle Lights and Lighted Covers- These are extremely popular because unlike the back lit screen of the Fire, the Kindle Touch and Kindle need exterior lighting when reading at night. There are a few options available. These are basically a must accessory to have for the Kindle. Check All Lights and Lighted Covers at Amazon.com.

Verso Rechargeable Wrap Light for Kindle- This is a popular solution for many. The big feature here is it’s rechargeable, so you won’t spend money on batteries.

Verso Clip-On Reading Light for Kindle- This is by far the most popular solution for lighting for most Kindle customers. It’s cheap, and it’s simple.

Kindle Touch Lighted Leather Cover- Here we have the light built-in to the cover. This model comes in a variety of colors, purple, green, brown and black.

Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire Accessories Abound

There are some great Kindle and Kindle Fire accessories this 2011 Christmas and Holiday Season to choose from. Some are pre-order to coincide with the release of the Touch and Fire, whereas others are available now. Have fun picking your favorites and making your Kindle your very own unique device. The great thing about Amazon.com is there’s plenty to choose from. When comparing the Nook vs Kindle for instance, one notices there are fewer options for the Nook user since only Barnes and Noble sells B and N covers on the site! Amazon users enjoy a lot more variety for sure.

Many people are finding themselves asking the difference between E Ink vs Back Lit LCD ebook reader screens at this point in time. There are, after all, more color touch and E Ink options than ever before. Amazon just announced their color touch Kindle Fire, Barnes and Noble has their Nook Color, and now we have a hole new family of E Ink Kindles and new Nook Simple Touch.

Which one should you choose?

It comes down to the reading experience in natural lighting, reading experience in the dark, battery life, and how much you want to expect from your device.

E Ink vs LCD Video- Very Different Reading Experience In Different Lighting Conditions

The video above establishes a few points about the reading experience difference between E Ink and back lit LCD screens.

1) Back Lit screens are downright horrible to read in bright overhead natural lighting.

2) E Ink screens excel in visibility in bright overhead natural lighting.

3) LCD back lit screens collect fingerprint smudges and are difficult to see through reflections in bright lighting conditions.

4) Reading in the dark requires an exterior light for the E Ink screens.

5) Reading in the dark requires no light for the back lit screen, and there are “night time reading” settings available that make the screen black and text a soft white.

Battery Life Difference

Another major difference between say, a Nook Color or Kindle Fire and a Kindle Touch or Nook Simple Touch is the battery life on one single charge.

The reader is tethered to the charger with the color touch screen, whereas the thought of charging crosses the E Ink customer’s mind once every 2 months! Obviously this is a big difference that one needs to take into account. Of course, it all comes down to the last point.

Bells and Whistles or Simple Text?

Obvious question, I know. But very important nonetheless. Do you want to read novels? Do you want to read magazines? Are you interested in other media like movies, music, games and surfing the web?

If you want to read novels, you’ll want to compare some E Ink devices like the Kindle Touch vs Nook Simple Touch. You most likely don’t want to be tethered to the charger, you’ll want to be able to read without reflection and glare, and back lit LCD screens have been shown to hurt readers eyes after extended periods of reading. Sure you need a lighted cover, or light at night to be able to read, but the other benefits outweigh this one drawback.

Do you want more out of your device? If games, videos, music, internet surfing, email, and other options of an all in one device are your fancy, then you want more of a tablet PC style device that doubles as an ebook reader. You can check out our detailed Kindle Fire vs Nook Color review and the Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire review to see how they stack up against eachother.

So there are some important considerations when comparing the benefits and drawbacks of an E Ink vs Back Lit LCD screen ebook reader. It all comes down to reading experience outdoors and indoors, major battery life differences, and knowing how much you want out of a device.

Last holiday season Barnes and Noble really shook things up with it’s new Nook Color, a color touch ebook reader. Now it’s Amazon’s turn to shock everyone with it’s new Kindle Fire. This 2011 holiday season and beyond is going to have a lot of people wondering, which is the better choice? Let’s compare the new Kindle Fire vs Nook Color side by side and see which comes out on top.

Kindle Fire vs Nook Color Video- Our Hands On Comparison

Click to visit Amazon.com For the Kindle Fire

Click to visit Barnes and Noble for the Nook Color

Kindle Fire Vs. Nook Color

After seeing the above video, it’s pretty apparent the Kindle Fire looks to react to the user’s touch much smoother and faster, and it looks to make nice intuitive sense.

Let’s compare the Kindle Fire vs. Nook Color features side by side now. Here’s a convenient chart to quickly see the differences between the two devices.

	Kindle Fire	Nook Color
Price	$199.00	$199.00
Memory	8 GB (Free Cloud Backup/Overflow)	8 GB
Expandable Memory?	No	Yes
# of Apps Available	16,640	729
App Store	Kindle Apps For Android	Nook Color Apps
Screen Size	7 Inches	7 Inches
Screen Resolution	1,024 x 600	1,024 x 600
3G?	No	No
Battery Life	8 Hours	8 Hours
Browser	Amazon Silk	Customized Android
Camera?	No	No
Device Dimensions	7.5″ x 4.7″ x .45″	8.1″ x 5″ x .48″
Content	Amazon	Barnes and Noble
Wireless Delivery Of Content Outside the U.S.?	Yes	No
Availability?	Available Now	Available Now

Kindle Fire Vs Nook Color- Features

One can see there are some obvious differences when looking at the above chart. Specifically, a Kindle Fire user will be able to enjoy many more apps on the device, free cloud storage, much more media availability, and faster web browsing if Silk is all it’s hyped up to be. However, will the “Cloud” be well received by customers? We’ll see.

Browser Winner: Amazon’s Silk Browser

Amazon’s browser will certainly be faster than Barnes and Noble’s customized Android browser. Amazon has promised ultra fast web browsing, taking advantage of their EC2 Cloud service to help load essential pieces of a page faster. If you want a technical explanation, you can visit Amazon.com to see their Silk Browser Video. However, just taking a look at the video above shows the difference in browsers.

The Silk Browser for Fire is more intuitive, faster, and streams videos with flawlessness. The Nook Color browser is clunky and slow. Streaming videos play great audio, but the video is choppy every time we try it here at Tech WHAM.

Memory Winner: Kindle Fire

People are going to dislike the “Cloud” notion, and will fight having all of their content only accessible when connected to the internet, but that’s not a perfect explanation of the situation when you see how the Kindle Fire actually works.

One can toggle in between “Cloud” and “Device” functions to swap content on or off the device. That means if there is ever a point in time when the user is running out of space for a movie, book, or other piece of digital content, they just need to put something on the cloud to make room. Next time the user is within wi-fi range, they can swap the content out for new on the cloud.

Some, like me, will embrace this new technology. “The Cloud” seems a good idea, especially for Kindle Fire users, because you never have to worry about memory, for no extra cost. Cloud backup comes free. For non-Amazon content, users will get 5 GB free usage on the Cloud Drive, then will have to pay a subscription after that. One example of this is a 20GB subscription for $20 per year.

Price Winner? Both are now $199.00. 

So Which Is Best? Kindle Fire or Nook Color?

It’s apparent that when you compare the Kindle Fire vs Nook Color, Amazon’s device offers more for the same price. Our assessment is the user interface, reaction time of the device, web browser, and overall user experience is just better on the Amazon Kindle Fire. Of course, you may want to check out our Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire page to see how the Tablet fairs differently. In the end, both are going to be very popular devices this holiday season. Both the Kindle and Nook devices have loyal fan bases.

Related posts…

Kindle vs. Nook
Kindle vs. Nook Color
Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire

Ad example for the Kindle With Special Offers

Amazon has unveiled it’s newest model of ebook reader, the “Kindle With Special Offers”. What’s the difference between the Kindle With Special Offers vs. Kindle? Let’s compare the two and see if it’s a good value or not.

Kindle With Special Offers vs Kindle Difference #1- The Special Offers

The glaring first difference between these devices is the “Special Offers” that will be available on the Kindle With Special Offers. It’s a glorified way of saying, “This Kindle has ads”.

Amazon has made it clear that the device will have 4 default special offers to begin with…

1. $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
2. $6 for 6 Audible Books
3. $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store
4. $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? DENIM SHOP??

The other thing many are no doubt wondering, “Will ads be staring at me when I’m trying to read my books?” The answer is no. The ads will be shown on the screen savers (seen in picture) and also on the home screen, not within the books themselves.

KWSO Vs Kindle Difference #2- Pricing

The newest model of Kindle is being offered at $25 dollars less than the cheapest WiFi only model. Ironically, Amazon will undoubtedly make bundles more in sales with showing these ads to people than the $25 dollar cut they will take on the sale of the ebook reader.

This is brilliant stuff, business-wise, from Amazon. They are getting on the band-wagon with other apps on smart phones and Tablet PCs that show ads within to generate revenue. It’s upsetting some people who find the idea disgusting, but thankfully they have a choice to opt-out of the ads by not purchasing the Kindle With Special Options, and instead go with the Kindle.

You can click here to visit Amazon and learn more about the Kindle With Special Options…

As always, tell us what YOU think below!

Are you one of those many people that get giddy and excited when they talk about their Kindles? Do you preach about the greatness of it to your friends and family, and attempt to convert Nook users whenever you can?  Then get ready for 3 more reasons to love the Kindle. These 3 Kindle tricks will give you more enjoyment, put your ereader to better use, and give you some tricks to talk about to fellow Kindle users.

Trick #1- Book Swapping-  I’m not talking about the 2 week book swapping where you have to return the title before you finish the book. This is swapping books with your friends and family for good.

Follow these steps for book swapping:

1. Log into your Amazon account
2. De-Register Your Kindle
3. Have your friend or family member log into their account and add your Kindle to their account.
   -This means you’ll have to read them your serial number as they enter it into their account.
   -Click “add new Kindle” after serial number is entered.
4. Go to your Kindle home page and click on “Archived Items”
   -This will be a list of your friend or family member’s books.
5. Click on titles you want to have on your device.
   -These will automatically download to your device, keeping them safely on the original owner’s Kindle.
6. Have your friend or family member de-register your Kindle from their account.
7. Re-register your Kindle to your account.

Now you have all the titles you want from your friend or family member! This can be done up to 6 times per digital book.

Trick #2- Reading Library Books on The Kindle- It’s a well known fact that the Kindle isn’t compatible with EPUB files. It’s a simple process to convert these to a readable file using Calibre, but EPUB files that have a DRM attached to it cannot  be read by the Kindle at all, without stripping the DRM and breaking some laws in the process.

There is a way to read Mobi-Pocket files on the Kindle though. That means that if you belong to a library that allows checking out of Mobi-Pocket files, then you can read books from the library, and check them out for free just like users of other ebook readers.

Just click to get the free program and learn how to read library books on the Kindle.

Trick #3- Secret Games On the Kindle- That’s right, there are secret games on the Kindle right out of the box.

1. Hit “Shift+ALT+M” for access to Minesweeper.
2. While in Minesweeper, hit the letter “G” for access to GoMoku. GoMoku is a game closely related to tic tac toe. For access to Minesweeper again, click “M”.

So there you have some great Kindle tricks you can definitely try at home. Next time you get caught in a Kindle vs Nook argument you can pull out these morsels of knowledge. If you have any other tips or tricks please share them with us in the comments.

Many people looking for an ebook reader find themselves comparing and weighing the IPad vs Nook Color vs Nook vs Kindle. This is obviously a slight case of comparing apples to oranges…to grapes (?), but nonetheless, it’s important to at least compare the back lit screens with the E-Ink screens before choosing the right device for you.

This page will attempt to compare these 4 devices in meaningful and useful ways to help you choose what is best for your situation.

Video: IPad vs Nook Color vs Kindle vs Nook- How Well Do They Perform In Different Lighting Conditions?

You can click to visit Amazon.com for the Kindle or IPad…

You can click to visit Barnes and Noble.com for the Nook Color or Nook…

All In One Devices Or Ebook Readers?

IPad- The Ipad is obviously an all in one device that can be used as an ebook reader. It’s probably a safe bet that those who are purchasing the IPad (or IPad 2 at this point) are doing so for the all-in-one aspects of the device. The experience of reading on the device is taken into account along with watching movies, playing games, working on the device and listening to music.

Kindle and Nook- Those who are buying these ebook readers are looking to read ebooks. If one is buying an EInk ebook reader like the Nook or Kindle to surf the web, then they are in for a terrible experience!

The Nook Color- The waters are a little murkier as to what this device is. It doesn’t have the battery life of an ebook reader, or the capabilities of a tablet pc, yet still has a good many features of a color touch ereader device.

The POINT? These are obviously all different devices and have their strengths and weaknesses between them. Hopefully the video above helps you see the reading experience for all 4 side by side. Now the question is what you are willing to sacrifice in some areas in order to gain benefits in the other.

The Nook Color Vs IPad- How Do The Two Devices Differ?

The video below is a basic look at the Nook Color and IPad side by side. You’ll notice some of the limitations of the Nook Color compared to the IPad for certain things. Of course, for double the price, the IPad should be a little more robust!

You can click HERE to visit the Nook Color at Barnes and Noble.com…

You can click HERE for the IPad at Amazon.com…

The Big Question: What Do You Want In A Reading Screen? LCD vs E-Ink

It’s all going to come down to preference and your intended use choosing between the Nook, Nook Color, Ipad, or Kindle 3. If you can’t live without color and touch, then you must be willing to live with short battery life. There is going to be the challenge of seeing through glare and fingerprint smudges. You can always try a screen protector to minimize both of these. It is also well known that back lit LCD screens strain eyes more than Eink screens, so one must be aware of this.

If you are looking for battery longevity, little to no glare when reading outside, and don’t mind reading in black and white, then you may want to just compare the Kindle vs Nook and forget about LCD touch screens. E-Ink screens have also been found to be less strain on the eyes for longer reading sessions.

Other Considerations…

If you want to be reading ePub files, then you’ll have to choose between the Nook, Nook Color or iPad. The Kindle does not allow for use of the ePub. Reading a PDF file is doable on all 4 devices, but if you are in the habit of needing to read complicated, color-filled and well laid out presentations in PDF form, then the iPad will obviously be a good choice.

If you want a very large E-Ink reading screen, then the Kindle DX may be a good fit for you.

Nook vs Kindle vs IPad (and IPad 2) vs Nook Color Pricing

iPad- Can be found at Amazon for anywhere between $419.99 (16 gigabytes) and up for other models.
iPad 2- Can be found at Apple.com and Amazon.com.

Nook Color- Can be purchased at Barnes and Noble.com for $199.

Nook- Can be purchased at Barnes and Noble.com for $149 and $199 (WiFi only and WiFi+3G).

Kindle 3- Can be purchased at Amazon for $139 and $189 (WiFi only and WiFi+3G).

Hopefully this page has helped you choose between the iPad vs Nook Color vs Nook vs Kindle. They are all different devices, well suited for different needs. It will come down to preference of type of reading screen and ultimately the price you are willing to pay.

Barnes and Noble has shocked the ebook reader world with releasing it’s new Nook Color, a color touch screen version of ebook reader. How does the Nook Color compare vs the Kindle 3?

Nook Color Vs Kindle Vs Nook Video Demonstration

You can click HERE to visit Barnes and Noble for the Nook Color and Nook

You can click HERE to visit Amazon for the Kindle 3

New Nook Color

The new Nook Color could not be more different than the original Nook, and it almost makes more sense to compare the IPad vs Nook Color rather than the Nook Color vs Kindle 3.

But if you are in the market for an ebook reader, then you must compare these two devices. They are by far the hottest ebook readers on the market, hands down.

The Nook color is made with an IPS color touch screen. This is the same technology that the IPad from Apple is made with. The viewing angle of the screen is 178 degrees, meaning there is very low glare.

The screen is back lit, a sharp contrast to the original Nook and Kindle 3 alike, both with “E-Ink” screens. It’s interesting, Barnes and Noble released the Nook with E-Ink screen and claimed it reduced eye-strain compared to back lit devices, and yet they went ahead and introduced the IPS screen device anyway. The pull to compete with the IPad was obviously too strong to resist for B and N.

Battery power for the Nook Color is abysmal at 8 hours, compared to the Nook which is at 10 days…which is weak compared to the Kindle 3 at 30 days! However, the memory capacity is massive at 8GB, and expandable with SD cards.

The All-In-One Device Allure- You can basically do the same things with Nook Color that you can with IPad, except for take advantage of thousands of apps.

Slow Device? The device has been reported as slightly sluggish compared to, say, an iPad.

Bottom Line- As an ebook reader, this device is not impressive at all compared to the Kindle 3 with it’s lack of battery power, no 3G access, and back lit eye-straining screen. As a e-magazine reader, this may make a little more sense to purchase. If one is looking to compare straight ebook readers, perhaps it makes more sense to compare the original Nook vs Kindle 3.

As a MAGAZINE reader, this product is a GREAT choice. If you are into daily, weekly, and monthly publications that are digitally delivered to you each day, then you’ll want the Nook Color, since it’s at the much cheaper price point than the iPad, and much easier navigation than the Nook or Kindle 3.

New Kindle 3

The new Kindle 3 was just released with a list of features that blew the Nook out of the water.

Memory capacity was increased to 3,500 books standard. The entire device was made lighter and sleeker. Contrast was improved, button noise improved, price decreased, page turn time was improved and it looked like the ultimate ebook reader.

Honestly, it still does look like the best ebook reader on the market, if you are into reading books and novels. However, you won’t find the Kindle 3 the best choice if you want to peruse digital magazines and subscriptions to newspapers with color photos.

The Battery Power for the Kindle 3 compared to the Nook Color is in a whole other dimension. Kindle 3 is at 30 days with wireless turned off, while the Nook Color is at 8 hours…with the wireless turned off! On a trip, how long is that not going to be annoying for to have a Nook Color? Not long.

Pricing- The Kindle 3 is just over $100 less than the Nook Color at this time.

Click for Kindle 3 Current Pricing at Amazon…

Click for Nook Color Current Pricing at Barnes and Noble…

TechWham’s Opinion

In our opinion, the Kindle 3 is by far the best ebook reader on the market today if you are the type of person who wants to read novels and books on your device, and be able to download them anywhere in the world.

The Nook Color is a great choice for someone who is willing to spend about $250 for a full-color almost all-in-one style device. This will be a great device for you to read your e-subscriptions on and check email, and surf the web, watch your movies on, and look at pictures with. Keep in mind the Nook Color is not quite as robust as the iPad or other Tablet PC’s. You may want to take a look at our iPad vs Nook Color video and page.

Recently my father asked me, knowing full well that I ran this website about the Nook Vs. Kindle, which is best between the Nook vs. Kindle vs. Kobo vs. Sony Reader?  That’s a fair question. All 4 of these ebook readers are similarly priced and have similar features. So I set off to find the answer for him. It’s not good enough for my dad to present my mom with an ebook reader, he needs to give the reasons why he chose it, right? Here’s what I found, and which ebook reader I think is best and why.

How the Nook Differs From the Kindle, Kobo and Sony Touch

The Nook is a quality ebook reader with some unique features that make it appealing.

• Color touch navigation screen- Obviously a little color is interesting.
• Lending Feature- You can lend books to others for up to 2 weeks with the Nook. (note- lender cannot use the book at that time also)
• Free Games- It comes with Sudoku and Chess for free.
• In Store Reading- You can visit a local Barnes and Noble store with your Nook and browse any title in the store for up to one hour for free.
• Expandable Memory- Add an SD card in the slot for more memory. (Expandable memory on the Kobo also)

Nook Downers…

The color touch screen is great, in the way that it is color and touch, but quite frankly it is more awkward to use than the Kindle 3′s simple touch keyboard or the all touch navigation of the Sony Touch Pocket Edition. It’s a hybrid between the touch that is a little confusing and slow to use. Just give it a spin at a local Barnes and Noble store and you’ll understand immediately. It’s not a deal breaker by any means…I mean you could get used to the navigation pretty easily, but in my opinion the Kindle 3 navigation is better.

Another downer is the battery life is only 10 days with the wireless off. That’s actually an impressive number of days considering you could never do that with a phone! But compared to other ereaders, it’s a low battery life time.

How the Kindle Differs From the Nook, Kobo, and Sony Touch

The Kindle has a few features that are completely unique compared to the other ebook readers in question.

• More standard memory- The Nook and Kobo are expandable memories, but the Kindle 3 comes with the ability to add 3,500 books standard, which is more than double than any of the other devices.
• E-Ink contrast- The reading screen is hands-down the best quality for an E-Ink reading screen available. The contrast between the light background and darker text is noticeably sharper on the Kindle 3 compared to other devices.
• Battery Life Galore- With the wireless turned off, the Kindle 3 lasts for up to 30 days. This is double the Kobo and Sony Touch, and triple the Nook battery life.
• Text-To-Speech- This is a feature that converts a book or PDF into speech and reads it to you. You can choose between a male and female voice and it sounds surprisingly human…as human as an electronic voice coming out of an ebook reader can be.
• International Use- The 3G coverage is available all over the globe in over 100 different countries. This is unique to the Kindle only.

Kindle Downers…

Lending books isn’t available yet on the Kindle. However, according to Amazon…”Later this year, we will be introducing lending for Kindle, a new feature that lets you loan your Kindle books to other Kindle or Kindle app users. Each book can be lent once, for a period of 14 days. Not all books will be available to lend – the publisher or rights holder determines which titles are enabled for lending.” I assume they mean later in 2011.

How the Kobo Differs From the Kindle, Nook, and Sony Touch Pocket Edition

The Kobo is Borders device competing for a smaller portion of the market, for no reason other than it was late to the party and a little lacking in some respects. Nevertheless, there are some unique aspects of the device.

• 4-way directional button for navigation. Instead of page turn buttons on each side of the device, the Kobo has a 4-directional button on the lower right hand front of the device.
• Comes with a “quilted” backing. The device is available in 3 different color schemes, white with silver back, white with lavender back, and black with black back.

Kobo Downers…

And it’s a big one…There is no AC adapter included with the device. So you can count on your computer being your charger, as it comes with USB connection cable.

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Sony Reader Pocket Edition Unique Features

The Sony Reader Pocket Edition is comparable in price to the rest of these devices, but otherwise it is completely different in many ways.

Sony Reader Pocket Touch Edition

• Pocket Size- There’s a reason it’s called the Pocket Edition! This is a smaller device than the other ereaders mentioned here. The reading screen is 5″ diagonally vs 6″ with the Nook, Kindle and Kobo.
• Touch E-Ink Screen- The Pocket Edition has a touch activated E-Ink screen. You can change pages by swiping the finger or touching on the side. Navigation is by touching the screen as well as a few strategically placed push buttons.
• Comes in two colors, pink and silver.
• 1 GB of memory allows up to 1,200 titles of storage.
• Battery life is 2 weeks

Sony Reader Pocket Edition Downers…

A big first downer for me on this device is the no WiFi. What? Okay, how about add on the no AC Adaptor! Now add on the fact that it is more expensive than the Kindle, Nook, or Kobo, and the reading screen is perhaps too small, and I cannot see how Sony expects this device to compete in the ereader market. I guess if you like a small screen that is touch, then this is the product for you. As you can guess, I didn’t recommend this to my dad.

Which eReader Did I Recommend?

It comes down to the Nook vs. Kindle 3 in my opinion. And furthermore, I think that the new Kindle 3 is a better deal, despite the recent release of the Nook 1.5 software, which doesn’t really do much except allow for a different way to categorize the books on the Nook device.

The newest Kindle 3rd edition (or Kindle 3) has a smaller and lighter body than the Nook, yet the same reading screen size. It has a much longer battery life than any other device on the market, allows for international usage, has the best E-Ink display available, most standard memory, and to top it off the price is the cheapest on the market.

Accessories Advantage- A thing I like about the Kindle 3 also is the fact that it is sold on Amazon, which makes for a much larger variety of accessories. Think about it, if you buy any of these other devices, there is going to be a small variety of accessories that you can buy, because Sony and Barnes and Noble and Borders aren’t going to spend more money than necessary providing accessories that may or may not sell!

Amazon, however, is an environment where the best product wins. So you have a lot of competition for really cool looking accessories for the Kindle.

The Kindle 3 is tough to beat. Period. And that’s why the Kindle is the most popular ebook reader on the market.