eBook Reader Comparisons

Prices (as of December 2011)

Kindle with Special Offers $79
Kindle without Special Offers $109

Amazon also offers the Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Keyboard and Kindle Keyboard 3G, and the Kindle Fire Tablet. These tech specs refer to the basic Kindle with Special Offers model.

Tech Specs

º Weight: 5.98 ounces (170 grams)
º Size: 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34" (166 mm x 114 mm x 8.7 mm)
º Screen: 6", 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi, 16-level gray scale
º Memory: 2GB internal storage with free cloud storage for all Amazon content
º Connectivity: WiFi

File Formats Supported

Amazon Kindle Books only sold at Amazon.com
Document files: TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively; HTML, DOC, DOCX
Image files: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion

What You Get in the Box

º Kindle e-reader
º Quick Start Guide
º USB 2.0 cable

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

If you install the Kindle software on your other devices (phone, laptop, etc) you can read your Kindle ebooks on those devices as well as the Kindle itself. Also, Amazon automatically backs up your purchases for you. You can download ebooks from Amazon directly to your Kindle in 60 seconds.

Where To Get More Information

Amazon's Kindle Store

Price (as of December 2011)

WiFi: $99

Tech Specs

º Weight: 7.48 oz
º Size: 6.5 x 5 x 0.47"
º Screen: 6" E Ink® Pearl Display, 16 level grayscale.
º Memory: 2GB Internal memory with expansion slot
º Connectivity: Wi-Fi® (802.11b/g/n)

File Formats Supported

Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP

What You Get in the Box

º Nook device
º Nook microUSB Cable
º AC Adapter
º Rechargeable battery (installed)

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

When you're in a Barnes & Noble store, you can read full ebooks for free, get other free content, and free WiFi access. Some ebooks can be shared with friends for up to 14 days at a time. B&N says that the battery on this model lasts for up to 2 months.

Where To Get More Information

Barnes & Noble has a very comprehensive section of their website that covers everything about the Nook. You can get a ton of information about the Nook's features, tech specs, and also see FAQ and Support help.

Price (as of December 2011)

WiFi: $199

Tech Specs

º Weight: 15.8 oz
º Size: 8.1 x 5 x 0.48"
º Screen: 7" color touchscreen
º Memory: 8GB Internal memory with expansion slot
º Connectivity: WiFi

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM or non-DRM)
Documents: XLS, DOC, PPT, PPS, TXT, DOCM, XLSM, PPTM, PPSX, PPSM, DOCX, XLX, PPTX
Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Audio: MP3, AAC
Video: MP4

What You Get in the Box

º NOOKcolor
º USB Cable
º Quick Start Guide
º Power Adapter
º Rechargeable Battery

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

The Nook Color has a slightly bigger screen, at 7 inches, and the display is LCD instead of e-Ink. There is a third-party SDK developer kit available. It runs on Android and additional apps are already being made available.

Where To Get More Information

The Nook Color page at Barnes & Noble

Price (as of December 2011)

WiFi: $249

Tech Specs

º Weight: 14.1 oz
º Size: 8.1 x 5 x 0.48"
º Screen: 7" color multi-touch screen
º Memory: 8GB Internal memory with expansion slot
º Connectivity: Wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi® (802.11b/g/n)

File Formats Supported

EPUB (Adobe DRM or non-DRM) and PDF
Documents: XLS, DOC, PPT, TXT, DOCM, XLSM, PPTM, PPSX, PPSM, DOCX, XLX, PPTX
Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Audio: MP3, MP4, AAC, AMR, WAV, OGG
Video: Supports Netflix video up to 720p and sideloaded video up to 1080p; renders at 1024 x 600

What You Get in the Box

ºNOOK Tablet
º USB Cable
º Quick Start Guide
º Power Adapter
º Rechargeable Battery (installed)

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

The Nook Tablet is an Android OS Tablet (very similar to the Kindle Fire) with pre-installed apps for games, video, music and more. Barnes & Noble is putting a lot of effort into digital magazines, which display nicely on the large color screen of the Nook Tablet.

Where To Get More Information

The Nook Color page at Barnes & Noble

Price (as of December 2011)

WiFi: $79.99

Tech Specs

º Weight: 7.3 oz
º Size: 7.5 x 5.0 x 0.37"
º Screen: 6" E Ink Display, 16 level grayscale,1024 x 768 resolution
º Memory: 2GB Internal memory with expansion slot that can handle up to 32GB
º Connectivity: Wi-Fi® (802.11b/g/n)

File Formats Supported

eBooks: DJVU; EPUB; FB2; PDF; TXT
Documents: DOC; DOCX; PDF; PPT; PPTX; XLS; XLSX
Graphics: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP

What You Get in the Box

º iRiver Story device
º USB 2.0 Cable
º Quick Start Guide

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

This is the first eReader to be integrated with Google's eBook Store right out of the box.

Where To Get More Information

The place to actually buy this is very hard to track down. Try this link. You can also see the main iRiver website at http://www.iriver.com/ or search for it at Target.

Price (as of December 2011)

Kobo Touch eReader $99.99

Tech Specs

º Weight: 7.8 oz
º Size: 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.4"
º Screen: 6" Pearl high contrast E Ink display touch screen at 16 level grayscale
º Memory: 2 GB internal storage, expandable up to 32 GB
º Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/n

File Formats Supported

Books: EPUB, PDF and MOBI
Documents: PDF
Images: JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and TIFF
Text: TXT, HTML and RTF
Comic Books: CBZ and CBR

What You Get in the Box

º Kobo Touch eReader
º USB Cable
º A Quick Start Guide
º Kobo Desktop Application

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

Kobo Touch comes pre-loaded with 15 free previews. The device has a quilted back for comfort. Different colors available.

Where To Get More Information

Kobo eReader website

Prices (as of December 2011)

Pre Order: $129.99

Tech Specs

º Weight: 5.9 oz
º Size: 6 7/8 x 4 3/8 x 3/8 inches (H/W/D)
º Screen: 6" E Ink Pearl%u2122 with Clear Touch Infrared Technology
º Memory: Internal: Approx. 1.3 GB after initial setting. External: Micro SD card up to 32GB.
º Connectivity: WiFi

File Formats Supported

DRM Text : ePub (OPS v2.0, .epub file extension, Adobe DRM protected), PDF (PDF v1.6 or before, .pdf file extension, Adobe DRM protected)
Unsecured Text : ePub, PDF, TXT
Graphics: JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP

What You Get in the Box

º Sony eBook Reader
º USB cable
º Stylus Pen
º Safety Audio Tips
º Important Product Information
º Warranty

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

Currently one of the lightest eReaders at less than 6 ounces.Sony has long been a dependable product line.

Where To Get More Information

Sony Reader WiFi

Prices (as of December 2011)

BeBook Neo at BeBook store for $159 excluding shipping
BeBook Neo at eBookMall for $159 with free shipping

Tech Specs

º Weight: 10.5 oz
º Size: 7.7" x 4.7" x 0.4"
º Screen: 6" E-Ink display with Wacom touchpanel technology
º Memory: 512 MB internal, expandable up to 32 GB
º Connectivity: WiFi

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM and non-DRM)
Documents: TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI (Non DRM only)
Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF

What You Get in the Box

º BeBook Neo eReader
º USB 2.0 cable
º User guide (pre-installed)
º Quick start guide

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

You can use the ebook Portal to find ebook stores in your country. The BeBook Neo is the fastest eReader currently on the market. Offering up to 2.5 times faster browsing and operating speeds due to its powerful Freescale processor. The touch screen allows you to use your BeBook Neo for sketching, annotations and text mark-up; ideal for educational and business purposes.

Where To Get More Information

BeBook Neo website

Prices (as of December 2011)

BeBook Club at BeBook $129 excluding shipping
BeBook Club at eBookMall for $129 with free shipping

Tech Specs

º Weight: 9.8 oz
º Size: 7.7" x 4.7" x 0.4"
º Screen: 6" VizPlex true E-Ink
º Memory: 512 MB internal, expandable up to 16 GB
º Connectivity: Transfer files to your device over USB

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM and non-DRM)
Documents: TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI (Non DRM only)
Images: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF

What You Get in the Box

º BeBook Club eReader
º USB 2.0 cable
º User guide (pre-installed)
º Quick start guide

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

The BeBook Club is similar to the BeBook Neo, but at a more affordable price. It has an improved battery that is good for up to 12,000 page views or 25+ hours of music playback. It can also play WAV files in addition to MP3 files.

Where To Get More Information

BeBook Club website

Price (as of December 2011)

Cybook Opus $159

Tech Specs

º Weight: 5.3 oz
º Size: 6" x 4.2" x 0.4"
º Screen: 5" E-Ink screen, Resolution 600 x 800 at 200 dpi, 4 levels grey-scale
º Memory: 1GB internal storage with SD slot
º Connectivity: Transfer files to your device over USB

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM and non-DRM)
Documents: HTML, FB2, TXT
Images: JPG, GIF, PNG
Audio: MP3

What You Get in the Box

º Cybook Opus eBook reading device (12 months guarantee)
º USB cable
º Quick start guide
º Black leather protection sleeve

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

Comes in lots of different colors and can be used in portrait or landscape mode. It comes with a protective leather sleeve.

Where To Get More Information

Cybook Opus on the BOOKEEN website

Price (as of December 2011)

Cybook Opus $189

Tech Specs

º Weight: 8.6 oz
º Size: 7.5" x 4.9" x 0.29"
º Screen: 6" SiPix ePaper, Resolution 600 x 800 at 167 dpi, 16 levels grey-scale
º Memory: 2GB internal storage with SD slot
º Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, USB

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM and non-DRM)
Documents: HTML, TXT
Images: JPG, GIF, PNG

What You Get in the Box

º Cybook Orizon eBook reading device (12 months guarantee)
º USB cable
º Quick start guide
º Black leather protection sleeve
º 150 free ebooks (including more than 40 in English)

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

This eReader is being promoted as the world's thinnest. It comes with 150 free ebooks and a protective leather sleeve.

Where To Get More Information

Cybook Orizon on the BOOKEEN website

Price (as of December 2011)

A lot of these seem out of stock. The only one I could find was the white Pandigital Novel, on sale for $112.49

Tech Specs

º Weight: 19 oz
º Size: 5.5" x 7.5" x 0.5"
º Screen: 7" Digital TFT LCD, color, 600 x 800 pixels
º Memory: 1 GB internal storage, expandable up to 32 GB
º Connectivity: WiFi

File Formats Supported

EPUB, PDF (Adobe DRM and non-DRM)
Images: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Audio: MP3, AAC, WAV
Video: MPEG 4

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

The Pandigital Novel uses a color LCD screen, which allows you to use it in the dark or low-lighting situations. It can play more audio files than other e-readers, and it can also play video.

Where To Get More Information

Pandigital Website

Prices (as of December 2011)

Libre Air: $129
Libre Color: $129
Libre Pro: $89-$129
Libre Touch: $149

Tech Specs

º Weight: 13.1 oz
º Size: 4.875 x 8 x 0.5"
º Screen: 7" TouchScreen TFT Full Color LCD
º Memory: 4GB internal memory and up to 16GB with expansion slot
º Connectivity: WiFi

* Specs listed are for the Touch model

File Formats Supported

EPUB and PDF (Adobe DRM or non-DRM)
Documents: TXT, FB2, MOBI, PRC, RTF (non-DRM)
Graphics: JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG
Audio: MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, OGG
Video: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG 4(Xvid), Divx, H.263, H.264, RM/RMVB, WMV7/8/9, MKV, MOV, VOB, FLV

What You Get in the Box

º Libre eBook Reader
º USB cable
º Download Guide
º Quick Start Guide
º Power Adapter
º Warranty & Registration Card

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

These eReaders are low on price but have similar specs as their competitors. The Touch model comes with 100 free classic eBooks and is priced competitively for similar touch-screen devices. The black Pro model is only priced at $89, which is lower than even the cheapest Kindle.

Where To Get More Information

Start at the main Aluratek Libre page and select the specific model that you're interested in.

Price (as of December 2011)

iPad starts at $499

Tech Specs

º Weight: 1.5 lbs
º Size: 9.5" x 7.31" x 0.34"
º Screen: 9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology. 1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)
º Memory: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB flash drive
º Connectivity: WiFi or WiFi & 3G

File Formats Supported

Most recommend methods are: you can read your eBooks through the built-in iBooks app, or you can read your PDF and ePub eBooks with Bluefire Reader.

Viewable document types: .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Possible Advantages Over Other eReaders

Obviously the iPad is much more than just an ebook reading device. It's also a lot more expensive. It's really in a totally different category of devices but I wanted to mention it here because it does provide a great ebook reading experience.

Where To Get More Information

apple.com/ipad