Archive for the ‘ebook reader reviews’ Category

Apple iPad Review Roundup

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Apple iPad Review Roundup

The Apple iPad is here to compete in the ebook reader market. Sure it’s not just an ebook reader — you can watch video, surf the Web, play games, and do all sorts of cool stuff that you can do on an iPhone or iPod touch — but Apple’s step into the ebook market is causing waves in the ebook industry, even before the iPad was officially announced. This review is focusing only on the ebook reading related features of the iPad.

The Design
Simple and beautiful is the best way to describe the iPad. It has a 9.7-inch multitouch display (1024 x 768 resolution) and a Home button on the front and that’s it. Measuring 9.56 x 7.47 x 0.50 inches and tipping the scales at 1.5 pounds, the front is basically all glass and the back all brushed aluminum. While it feels sturdy and elegant, it’s heavier than the Amazon Kindle which weight just 10-ounce. Also, the glass front will easily pick up fingerprint smudges, which will become quite obvious when the display is turned off.

Apple iPad

The Reading Experience
Different from other ebook readers available on the market today, the Apple iPad has a LCD screen instead of an e-paper screen.. and there’s good and bad about this. On the good side, a LCD display can support color graphics, video, and nearly instant page-turn speed; while the e-paper screen is currently monochrome-only and suffers slow refresh rate. On the bad side, a LCD display causes shorter battery life, and long-term reading discomfort. Also, reading outdoor (under sunshine) is almost impossible due to reflection. Having said that, casual readers might find the iPad’s screen more attractive to them as it gives the ability to view embedded color photos and video within ebooks, and Apple have given iBooks its own specific brightness control, so you can tone down the backlight and not blind yourself if you’re reading in bed. For hardcore readers though, an e-paper display is still the best choice since it has much longer battery life and won’t leave you with aching eyes after long hours reading.

You need to download the iBook app, the ebook reading software seperately. Upon launching, you will see a bookshelf which you can populate with titles. Winnie the Pooh comes free with the app, and you can download free samples before you buy titles in the iBook store, which you access with a tap. While the iBook app is slick, and the ibook store is easy to navigate, it still lags behind the Kindle in some ways. First, the iBookstore’s selection is fairly limited now at 60,000 titles, versus 450,000 for Amazon’s Kindle and app. Second, with Amazon you can browse a summary online or download a sample containing a few teaser chapters, but unlike the established retailer the iPad is the only place you can actually consume your iBooks content.

Summary
The iPad is not just an ebook reader. It’s more of a multimedia device that allows you to surf the web, watching video, playing games, etc. If you are looking for a device solely for ebook reading, the Amazon Kindle is still the best choice as it has much longer battery life, e-ink technolgy display for more comfortable reading, much more selection of ebooks, and is much lighter. But if you want a device that you can just casually read some ebboks, browse the web, read news sites, watch some online video, and listen to music, the iPad is for you.

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Overall rating and customer reviews

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Total Customer Reviews: (13) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
A large, high-resolution LED-backlit IPS display. An incredibly responsive Multi-Touch screen. And an amazingly powerful Apple-designed chip. All in a design thats thin and light enough to take anywhere. iPad isnt just the best device of its kind. Its a whole new kind of device.

Amazon Kindle International Wireless Ebook Reader

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Amazon Kindle International Wireless Ebook Reader

Overview

A few years ago Apple introduced its iPod music playing device that was linked to the iTunes store. Today, Amazon has introduced the Kindle 2 International Version e-book reader that is linked wirelessly to Amazon.com. It is the goal of Amazon that this e-book reader continued to evolve and become the iPod of e-book readers. Contained herein is an Amazon Kindle 2 international version review.

First, let us take a look at the good points of the Amazon Kindle 2 International Version. The device features a very sleek design that is quite user-friendly as well as aesthetically pleasing. The display makes use of a new technology called eInk and ePaper which uses far less energy than a traditional LCD or LED display. Because of this design, battery life is estimated at up to one week linked wirelessly to the Internet or up to two weeks with no Internet link.

The display is also easier on the eyes because it is less bright than LCD or LED displays. The refresh rate on pages is relatively slow but the overall effect is to keep the eyes fresher and ready to view new content.

The device features advanced text-to-speech software that can be used with some e-books to have the machine read aloud. It does have integrated built-in speakers, but these are not of exceptionally high quality and could possibly be viewed as a negative point. This system also includes built-in MP3 player that would allow one to listen to music while reading the book.

The operating system includes a wireless connection to Amazon.com, Google, and Wikipedia. Using any of these as a portal, one can actually access the entire Internet. The best part is that the wireless access is free to the user as Amazon.com pays for the Internet usage.

The international version of the Kindle 2 makes use of the AT&T 3G wireless network to provide access virtually anywhere in the US. It is designed to work with partner carriers in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, there are still some remote areas where coverage cannot be guaranteed. This leads to some connectivity issues when traveling outside the US.

The display on the device is strictly black-and-white with a 16 point grayscale. This is not a problem when one is simply reading an e-book, but it does affect the way one views the cover of an e-book and seriously affects the quality of the display when one is looking at photo rich websites.

Amazon is continuing to work on improving this device. They have recently added support for the PDF file format as well as supporting TXT, DOC, and BMP formats.

Customer rating: 4 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • Display: 6″ diagonal E Ink® electronic paper display, 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale
  • Size (in inches): 8″ x 5.3″ x 0.36″ (203.2mm x 134.6mm x 9.1mm)
  • Weight: 10.2 ounces (289.2 grams)
  • Storage: 2GB internal (approximately 1.4GB available for user content)
  • Battery Life: Read on a single charge for up to 1 week with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to 2 weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low-coverage areas or in EDGE/GPRS-only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly
  • Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via the included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable
  • Connectivity: HSDPA modem (3G) with a fallback to EDGE/GPRS; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide wireless coverage via AT&T’s 3G high-speed data network in the U.S. and partner networks outside of the U.S.
  • USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-B connector) for connection to the Kindle U.S. power adapter or optionally to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer
  • Audio: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, rear-mounted stereo speakers.
  • Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion
  • Included Accessories: U.S. power adapter (supports 100V-240V), USB 2.0 cable, rechargeable battery

Overall rating and customer reviews

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Total Customer Reviews: (11183) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
Say Hello to the Newest Kindle Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered wirelessly in less than 60 seconds; no PC required 3G Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle; no annual contra[Read More]

Amazon Kindle DX Wireless Ebook Reader

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Amazon Kindle DX Wireless Ebook Reader

Overview

The Amazon Kindle DX is, all in all, much like the Kindle 2 only a fair bit bigger. Amazon has been saying that this new kindle will allow students to easily access and carry textbooks, whilst also being ideal for larger format newspapers. Whilst these promotions might make the new kindle sound rather revolutionary in the market, the truth may not be quite the same.

The larger screen size on offer does simplify certain things and make reading a little easier. In addition to this, the screen is of slightly better quality as well with a higher resolution and pixel count. All in all, this makes reading on the DX a slightly nicer prospect than it was on the previous version.

Whilst this display makes it easier, some of the fundamental problems remain and its still a little bit awkward to use. The keyboard is one thing that has not been improved and the keys are simply too small and narrowly spaced to allow for real genuine ease of use.

One of the new physical features of the DX is the auto rotate system. All of the control buttons are placed on the right hand side of the screen which might make it a little more tricky for left handed people to use. However, with the auto rotate you can simply turn the gadget upside down and then all the controls will swap over.

Another of the new features on offer is the ability to read PDF files once they are imported from emails. In addition to this there is double as much storage space than with the previous kindle, which allows you to enjoy even more of your books, magazines, and newspapers.

When all is said and done, however, this new kindle offering is not what we might have hoped and still suffers from a lot of the same design flaws as it had before.

Customer rating: 4 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • Display: 9.7″ diagonal E Ink electronic paper display, 1200 x 824 pixel resolution at 150 ppi, 16-level gray scale.
  • Size (in inches): 10.4″ x 7.2″ x 0.38″
  • Weight: 18.9 ounces
  • Storage: 4GB internal (approximately 3.3GB available for user content)
  • Battery Life: Read on a single charge for up to 1 week with wireless on. Turn wireless off and read for up to 2 weeks. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store and downloading content. In low-coverage areas or in EDGE/GPRS-only coverage, wireless usage will consume battery power more quickly.
  • Charge Time: Fully charges in approximately 4 hours via the included U.S. power adapter. Also supports charging from your computer via the included USB 2.0 cable.
  • Connectivity: HSDPA modem (3G) with a fallback to EDGE/GPRS; utilizes Amazon Whispernet to provide wireless coverage via AT&T’s 3G high-speed data network in the U.S. and partner networks outside of the U.S.
  • USB Port: USB 2.0 (micro-USB connector) for connection to the Kindle DX power adapter or optionally to connect to a PC or Macintosh computer
  • Audio: 3.5mm stereo audio jack, built-in stereo speakers
  • Content Formats Supported: Kindle (AZW), PDF, TXT, Audible (formats 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion
  • Included Accessories: U.S. power adapter (supports 100V-240V), USB 2.0 cable, rechargeable battery.

Overall rating and customer reviews

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Total Customer Reviews: (1124) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
Sleek & Trim Kindle DX is as thin as most magazines. Just over a third of an inch in profile, you'll find Kindle DX fits perfectly in your hands. International Coverage: Enjoy 3G wireless coverage at home or abroad in over 100 countries. Beautiful Large Display Kindle DX's large display is ideal for a broad range of reading material, inclu[Read More]

Barnes and Noble NOOK Ebook Reader

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Barnes and Noble NOOK Ebook Reader

Overview

The Barnes and Noble NOOK ebook reader was the first android powered ebook reader to appear on the market and as such it got quite a lot of people excited. This great gadget allows you to access thousands of ebooks, newspapers and magazines and read them at your leisure. The idea for these new gadgets was to do for reading what the iphone was supposed to do for music, allowing people to access their favorite books wherever they were and whenever they wanted.

The Nook has some great little features. First of all, the nook has two screens rather than just the one. One screen is for the book itself and the other is an iphone-esque touchscreen that allows you to type onto a virtual keyboard. You are also able to look through all of your book covers and even customize the pages by adding your own pictures, music and documents.

The nook also has wireless capabilities for downloads. Therefore you will be able to download any book that you want more or less wherever you might be. The basic number of titles that the nook can hold is 1700, but Barnes and Noble have said that you will have access to over a million ebooks. You will be able to remove any books should you have finished with them leaving space for additional titles if your capacity is full.

Another of the interesting features that the nook offers is a function that allows you to pass over a book that you have to a friend who is able to use it for fourteen days. This should allow plenty of time for them to read it before the deal expires.

These are only a few of the more interesting features that the nook has. For anyone who is always on the move and would prefer not to be constantly carrying around the papers or a book, this is a superb little gadget.

Customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • 6-inch E Ink Vizplex electronic paper display along with a secondary 3.5-inch TFT color LCD
  • 2GB of internal storage (that will hold up to 1,500 books) + microSD card slot that can add up to an additional 16GB of storage
  • AT&T 3G connectivity along with Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
  • Free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble retail locations
  • Measures in at 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5 inches
  • Weighs in at 11.2 ounces
  • Charging via USB to computer or wall power adapter
  • Charge time of 3.5 hours via wall power outlet
  • Battery life of up to 10 days with the wireless turned off
  • 3.5mm headphone jack and built-in mono speaker
  • Supports EPUB and eReader formats as well
  • Ability to view PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and play MP3 files

Overall rating and customer reviews

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Total Customer Reviews: (19) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon

Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition PRS600

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Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition PRS600

Overview

If you’re looking for a new, state of the art way to read all of your favorite books and transcripts without having to break your back by lugging a huge tote around, you may be ready to learn more about the Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600. This device helps you store up to several hundreds of your favorite literary pieces easily and quickly call them to front when you need them.

The Reader Touch Edition features a 6 inch display with simple, easy-to-use touchscreen navigation. Turn pages with the swipe of a finger and enjoy fast and intuitive navigation of your favorite books. Take freehand notes and highlight sections of text you want to revisit later, just as you would in a real book, using the included stylus. If you prefer, a virtual keyboard is also available for entering quick notes or searching your eBooks. If you want, you can even export your notes to your computer using the eBook Library software. Enjoy access to a wider number of books from a wider number of places. By supporting both industry standard formats, ePub and PDF, you can access books at Sony’s eBookstore, check out books from public libraries, access over 500,000 free public domain titles from Google, as well as sharing sites, online aggregators and personal publishers (Internet access is required).

The Reader Touch Edition, comes with 512MB of onboard memory lets you carry up to 350 of your favorite books at a time. Whether you’re venturing across town or across the country, the Reader Touch Edition makes an ideal traveling companion. Measuring just 0.4″ thin and weighing less than 9 ounces, the Reader Touch Edition is thinner and more lightweight than almost any book, and even many magazines. The Reader Touch Edition utilizes E-Ink screen technology to deliver an amazing, paper-like display that’s more like ink on paper and fully readable in direct sunlight.

Unlike others in its class, this is a very lightweight reader, weighing about 1/3 less than the other similar models. So what is all the fuss about Sony’s PRS-600? It’s easier to use and easier to download virtually any file type that you wish. Unlike the other models on the market, with Sony you’ll be able to easily download from a plethora of locations, both free and paid. You can even load books from your local library system directly onto your PRS-600.

It’s a compact pocket reader, coming in at 4.8 in x 0.4 in x 6.9 in, it’s easy to take with you, wherever you may fancy. The screen is glare resistant, so you won’t have to squint or try to find a dark corner on the train or at the cafe. Sony has partnered up with Google and provides you with over one million downloadable eBooks. That’s quite a selection.

The reader comes in black, red and silver, all very attractively packaged in a small reader. The backlighting is superb, you can easily read all of the text of your document or eBook without having to hold the thing sideways. You’ve got plenty of options and preferences on this reader, as well. Make it your own and never miss out on what’s going on in the world or a relaxing ride across the globe with your favorite classics in hand. It makes traveling so much lighter and can really perk up that long business trip you were dreading.

Get the world, your way with the Sony Reader Touch Edition PRS-600. You can find it in stores today priced under $300. Shop online and get the best deals on this reader, yet.

Customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • Displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
  • Displays Adobe PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, Microsoft Word files, and RSS web feeds
  • Plays MP3 and AAC music files (protected files not supported)
  • 512MB internal memory holds approximately 350 eBooks
  • Two full weeks of reading (7,500 continuous page turns) on a single battery charge
  • Built-in Oxford American English eDictionary

Overall rating and customer reviews

Overall Rating:
 

Total Customer Reviews: (47) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
The Reader Touch Edition features a 6"display with simple, easy-to-use touchscreen navigation. Turn pages with the swipe of a finger and enjoy fast and intuitive navigation of your favorite books. Take freehand notes and highlight sections of text you want to revisit later, just as you would in a real book, using the included stylus. If you prefer,[Read More]

Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300

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Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300

Overview

Today it’s all about size. How small can you make something and still get it to work properly? Today’s technology calls for smaller and slimmer versions of the great tools we’ve been using for the past decade. Recently, an incredible innovation came about that will change the way we read periodicals and books, including text books for students-forever. The Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 has given the world a new means of learning.

If you enjoy reading, you’ll love this Sony product. It’s basically a mini computer for you to store your books, magazines and any other data in book form on. You can purchase and download a multitude of topics and authors. This little pocket gadget will set you back about $200. Not bad. Not bad at all. Compared to other similar products, this reader is knocking everyone else to the curb.

What’s so great about it? Considering you can carry up to three hundred and fifty of your favorite books or periodicals at once in this tiny 4.2 in x . 4 in x 6.2 in package, everything about it is amazing. Priced below competitors and capable of giving you every bit of information packed punch as the others, why anyone would buy any other model is beyond me.

The PRS-300 is the base model that Sony has to offer but it’s more than plenty for even avid readers. Unlike other pocket readers, the smaller screen doesn’t mean you won’t be able to read the print. You’ve got plenty of flexibility with settings, a bright, easy to read screen that isn’t subject to glare and all for under two hundred bucks.

I have to say what impresses me the most about this Sony model, though is its ease of use. I’m not just talking about how easy it is to turn on and pull up the selection of your choosing or how quickly you can scroll through information. I’m talking about the vast capability of downloading books from free domains as well as paid sites.

If you’re looking for a pocket reader that will take you where you want to go, the Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300 has it all. Get yours now and you’ll never go back to carrying a backpack again.

Customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • Displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
  • Displays Adobe PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, and Microsoft Word files
  • 512MB internal memory holds approximately 350 eBooks
  • Lightweight design with 5″ display
  • Paper-look display for natural reading
  • Two full weeks of reading on a single battery charge
  • 3 font sizes to customize your reading experience
  • Quick page turns and high contrast ratio
  • Right and left-hand side page advance buttons
  • Thoughtful navigation and button placement

Overall rating and customer reviews

Overall Rating:
 

Total Customer Reviews: (34) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
The Reader Pocket Edition features a 5" display and an elegant, lightweight design that's easy to slip into a purse or jacket pocket for convenient, on-the-go reading. Not sure which books to bring on your trip? With the Reader Pocket Edition, you will never have to make that choice again. 512MB of onboard memory lets you carry up to 350 of your fa[Read More]

Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900

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Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900

Overview

Today it’s all about convenience and there’s nothing handier than being able to read several hundred of your favorite literary works all in the same place, no matter where your travels take you. With the latest round of on the go pocket books, you’ve got plenty of choices. The Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900 comes in well above the competition at a considerably lower price.

This is Sony’s first wireless reader. Using AT&T’s 3g network for its Wi-Fi functions; you’ll always be connected and can load books any time you wish. There are many places you can get your read on with this Sony model-you’re even able to load free books from your public library, a nice touch, I thought. If you subscribe to online periodicals, the 900 will push the function several times daily when you choose to have it go out and search for your information.

One of the greatest things about the Sony version of this hand-held reader is that it is much easier on power usage than the others in this category. It also comes with an A/C power adapter for when you need to charge up. With it’s power saver mode, you won’t be needing this very often, unlike the others in its class.

It quickly and easily slides into standby mode so that you’re not using all of your resources unnecessarily. It comes standard with a cover to keep it from getting bumped around too much. The cover is leather and plastic. Because of the Wi-Fi connectivity, metal simply won’t do.

Priced under $500, this is a pretty decent product. It comes with its own stylus as well. You really don’t have to go hunting the little extras that make this model extra convenient. Sony has thought of pretty much everything here. With a seven inch screen and anti glare materials, you can read your books, periodicals and even your own handwritten notes.

The built in dictionary round this daily reader out and make it hands down the best little pocket reader on the market.

Customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 – View customer comments on this product >>

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Features And Technical Details

  • Display Technology: E Ink
  • Display Size: 7.1 inches
  • Display Color Support: 4-bit (16 gray levels)
  • Input Device: Touch-screen, Stylus
  • Battery Life (Approx): 12,000 (ePub) Continuous page turns (average 17.5 days)
  • Battery Type: Rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery – DC 3.7 V(R)
  • DRM Text: ePub (Adobe DRM protected), PDF (Adobe DRM protected)
  • Image: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP

Overall rating and customer reviews

Overall Rating:
 

Total Customer Reviews: (3) Read Customer Reviews
Seller: Amazon
Wirelessly download books and periodicals while you're on the go with the Reader Daily Edition. An elegant 7" display with touch screen navigation, makes it a breeze to turn pages, take notes, highlight text and adjust fonts - all with the swipe of your finger. Ideal for on-the-go reading, the Reader Daily Edition is thin and lightweight, while E I[Read More]