RSS Feed

Nook Vs Kindle Vs iPad – The Works!

Marin M. asked:




In the world of ebook readers, the common comparison has always been between Nook vs Kindle vs iPad.

If you want to make sure that you get what you pay for, then you are also likely to ask, “Should I buy an iPad? Or a Kindle? Or maybe a Nook?

To help you make your decision, I’ve put down a list of Nook vs Kindle vs iPad facts.

To compare Nook, Kindle, iPad, check the following facts:

1. Price: When it comes to price, Nook and Kindle are head to head, with both prices ranging from $190-$260. Apple iPad on the other hand costs around $500-$630. Nook could be slightly more expensive than Kindle because Barnes & Noble sometimes charge taxes in their deployed locations while Amazon Kindle doesn’t. Thus when it comes to price, Kindle has it.

2. Battery Life: Once again Kindle is leading when it comes to battery life. It can last up to 2 weeks while iPad can last only up to 12 hours and Nook only lasts 10 hours.

3. Storage: If you compare Nook vs iPad vs Kindle in terms of storage, then the sure winner will be Barnes & Noble’s Nook. Aside from its 500,000 built-in storage, it comes with a microSD slot that expands the Nook’s external memory, allowing you to store more eBooks to your liking. Kindle has a capacity of 450,000 books (2GB), while iPad can only have 60,000 books.

4. Content: Thumbs up will be for Amazon Kindle. Although it is 50,000 short of titles compared to Nook, most reviews favor Kindle because it offers titles that are more in demand to readers. iPad lags behind as it doesn’t have too many books to compete.

5. Portability / Size and weight: Thinking about Nook vs iPad vs Kindle when it comes to size and weight, the leading model once again would be Kindle. It only weighs 10.2-ounces and has a 0.36-in thinness. Nook weight 12.1-ounces and is 0.5-in thick. iPad on the other hand is big and bulky for the traveling reader, weighing almost 1.5-lbs.

6. Connectivity: The comparison is hard between Kindle and Nook. Currently the device that has the better connectivity is Nook as it both has 3G and Wi-Fi, plus it can be in sync with other devices through Android-technology. Kindle2 though has International Wireless Capability, and soon there will also be a Kindle-Android.

7. Touch Screen: iPad has the most advantage when it comes to screen features. It rates high in color, resolution and touch-screen ability. Nook is also colored and touch-screen though. And Kindle is black-and-white and not at all touch-screen.

8. Readability: Kindle is said to be more reader-friendly because aside from its electronic ink, its contrast is so much better compared to Nook and iPad. Both the screens of Nook and iPad could be glary, thus could be faulty when reading on direct sunlight or during nighttime.

9.Text-to-speech: Kindle and iPad competes fairly as both have text-to-speech features; Nook doesn’t.

10. Other Nook vs Kindle vs iPad considerations: Nook has book lending and in-store browsing options. iPad has web browsing, email sending, and even gaming capabilities.

E Reader Review Terms

A 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 Vs Sony Reader PRS-700

Travis Van Slooten asked:




The Amazon Kindle 2 and the Sony Reader PRS-700 are two of the hottest ebook readers to hit the market in the past 12 months, bringing reading pleasure to an entirely new level. For those who are new to ebook reading devices and are interested in getting one, here’s a comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Sony Reader and how they match up against each other.

Price

The price of any gadget is a big factor for many individuals especially for first-time buyers. The Amazon Kindle 2 is currently priced at $359, while the Sony Reader is currently pegged at $399, making the Kindle 2 cheaper by $40.

ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2

Size and Weight

The size and weight of these gadgets don’t really give one distinct advantage over the other. The Sony Reader PRS-700 weighs around 10 oz., the Kindle 2 just slightly over that. The Sony Reader is a bit wider and thicker, while the Kindle is a couple inches longer. In any case, both are very convenient to carry around.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

Display

The two reading devices both use e-ink technology which creates a display that is very similar to text on paper, eliminating eye strain, and providing an easy read with crisp, clear text and images. The Amazon Kindle 2009 however, is now enhanced with 16 shades of gray, while the Sony Reader has an 8-level gray scale.

ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2

Wireless Capabilities

Here is a category where the Sony Reader is clearly bested by the Kindle. The Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes use of the Whispernet technology, providing free wireless coverage in the US via Sprint’s 3G high-speed network. Kindle users can gain access to over 240,000 book titles, magazines, newspapers, and even blogs. By just choosing the reading content of choice and paying for it, the book or magazine will be downloaded to the Kindle anytime, anywhere within minutes! The Sony Reader PRS-700 on the other hand, still lacks this wireless capability, and with only less than 100,000 books to choose from, it does not even come close to the breadth of content that the Kindle offers.

ADVANTAGE: Amazon Kindle 2

Formats Supported

Both electronic book readers support most commonly used formats such as TXT, MP3, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP, plus some formats unique to each device. The Sony Reader however, supports PDF while the Kindle 2 does not – not directly, anyway. PDFs still need to be emailed to Kindle’s support desk to be converted for viewing on the Kindle and Amazon has gives an advance notice that “some complex PDF files may not format correctly” on the Kindle.

ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader 700

Storage Capacity

In this feature, the Sony Reader gains the clear upper hand. True, the Amazon Kindle 2 has 2G of internal memory of which 1.4g is available for content and can hold up to 1,500 books, but it no longer supports external memory cards. While the Sony Reader’s 256mb internal memory may seem like peanuts compared to the Kindle, the main advantage actually lies in the Sony’s ability to support up to 16G of external memory. Now that’s a great benefit not only when it comes to holding thousands of content should one need it, but also for managing files into different memory cards.

ADVANTAGE: Sony Reader PRS-700

Battery Life and Charge Time

The two ebook readers have the same capacity when it comes to battery life. On a fully charged Kindle 2 or Sony Reader, one can read straight for two weeks without needing a recharge. The only difference is that if the Kindle 2 is used with the wireless turned on, the battery capacity is reduced to just four days. Charging time for both readers is four hours via USB, or two hours using an AC wall charger.

ADVANTAGE: Tie

The Bottom Line 2009 Comparison of the Amazon Kindle 2 vs Sony eBook Reader:

Although it’s not a total knock out for the Kindle over the Sony Reader, it’s close! The Amazon Kindle 2 remains the better ebook reader hands-down. The price, breadth of content, wireless capabilities, and overall design improvements of the Amazon Kindle 2nd generation makes it a clear winner over the Sony Reader 700.

E Reader Review Terms

What is the Apple iPad and How Much Does it Cost?

TC Thorn asked:




Everything Apple does causes a storm in the tech world, but if you’re just an Average Joe (or Jane), you may be wondering what all the hubbub is about. What’s the Apple Ipad (and do you want one)? Let’s take a quick look.

What is the iPad?

The iPad is essentially a portable entertainment system. It allows you to watch movies, read ebooks and news stories, play games, listen to music, and send email (wireless connection required). It’s sort of a souped up version of the iPod Touch, except with a significantly larger display. With it’s full-color 9.7-inch screen, it matches the size of the Amazon Kindle DX (one of the largest-screened ebook readers currently on the market). The iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and, according to Apple, has 10 hours of battery life (computer manufacturers tend to overrate these things, but surely you’ll have enough to get through a couple movies before needing to recharge).

The iPad can run most App Store apps, and its interface is similar to that of the iPhone, so it’ll be an easy tool to use if you already have some familiarity with Apple’s recent products (and even if you don’t, the touch-based interface is quite intuitive).

While the iPad isn’t supposed to be a replacement for your laptop, it does have an iWork application suite app (which includes Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets, and Pages for word processing) that you can download. This will allow you to do some basic computer work on it. As with the iPhone, an on-screen keyboard appears if you need to type in text. With the bigger screen size, the “keys” should be a little easier to use than on the iPhone. The iWork app costs $10 and will be available in the iTunes App Store.

What can’t the iPad do?

The one thing the iPad isn’t is a cell phone. You can’t make calls on it, and you need to have a local wifi signal in order to access the Apple store (to download more ebooks, movies, music, games, etc.).

How much does the iPad cost?

The original iPad costs $499. According to Apple there will be an upgraded 3G-enabled iPad (meaning you’ll be able to access the internet the same way a cell phone with a web browser does) in a few months. That version will reputedly cost $629 and run $29.99 a month for 3G access (unlike with the iPhone, there won’t be a monthly service contract that you have to sign).

Now that you know what the iPad is, you’ll have to decide if it’s the right all-in-one entertainment gadget for you!

Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress