eBook Reader

Why Buy an eBook Reader?

You can go anywhere, just take a look, it's in a book. From the African jungles in Michael Crichton's Congo to the farmlands of China in Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth to right at home with the magazine Martha Stewart Living, books expand horizons. We've all heard since shows like Wishbone and Reading Rainbow that books have the power to take us anywhere. One library, so many possibilities.

eBook readers take it one step further. One device holds about a library and gives you as many of your favorite book titles at your fingertips as you could ever really want. Plus, they make it easy to take notes, save clippings of quotations and highlight passages we want to be able to find again. They're convenient, portable and good for the environment. In fact, the only real downside we can see to an electronic book over a real paper book is that you'll have a few more problems if you accidentally spill your coffee on it or get splashed at the pool.

Find out if an eBook reader is right for you, in this site we give you some of the reasons for switching to digital. Here at TopTenREVIEWS you'll find reviews and comparisons of the best eBook readers out there some of the content that can be available. Because, at TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don't have to.
What to Look for in an eBook Reader

Most people only know Kindle. But there is a variety of eBook readers available, some with other features that may be more attractive than the Kindle. Here are the factors we considered to effectively compare these electronic books.

* Features: From touchscreens to LED backlights to the Read to Me feature on the Kindle 2, there are a lot of features that will help your eBook reader disappear so it's just you and the text. Features like the touchscreen, screen size and type and the wireless capabilities were given more weight.
* Content: Some of the eBook readers have hundreds of thousands of titles available from a dedicated service while others can support a few files found on the internet. We rated the number of content available for the device and how many different types of book files each device can support.
* Value: We rated the price over the features set. Does the price really reflect the number of important features you are getting?
* Tech Support: With every electronic device there is a potential for problems, or you may really spill your coffee on it. Before you purchase an eBook reader, know what kind of support you can expect.

The best eBook readers will have a good combination of each of these and will disappear as you read, just like a normal book would.

With new features and an overhaul on it's body design, the Amazon Kindle 2 is poised to continue taking eBook readers to new heights. After the success of the original Kindle, Amazon's sales of e-books jumped dramatically to end up being 10 percent of all the books on Amazon. With the Kindle 2, our No. 1 eBook reader, we expect that trend to continue.

Kindle 2 looks better - sleeker and much slimmer (thinner than the iPhone even). But the improvements go beneath the surface, too. With new features like better grayscale rendering, USB charging, longer battery life, faster page turns and a new text-to-speech option, the Kindle 2 really has become more convenient and more useful.

When you take all that into account and add in Amazon's incredible content library for the device, it's impossible to see any other eBookreader out there ranking higher than the Kindle 2. For now, at least, the Kindle 2 truly is the epitome of eBook reader technology.
Standout Features

* 20% faster page turns than original Kindle
* Wireless 3G
* Kindle Store
* Text-to-speech

The idea of an eBook reader seems pretty simple; it's hard to imagine a lot of ways to improve on the original Kindle when all you're doing is reading books. And yet, Amazon found several ways to improve on the Kindle 2, some more effective than others.

One of the first things you'll notice when using the Kindle 2 is the new navigation interface. Instead of the little scroll wheel from the original Kindle, the Kindle 2 uses a new 5-way control (basically a small joystick that can go up, down, left, right and can be pressed to select something on screen). This is a fairly big improvement over the scroll wheel because it allows you more freedom and control when selecting options on the screen or highlighting text.

But one of the features we're most excited about will sound a little silly unless you've used the original Kindle. Amazon has redesigned the page turn buttons on the Kindle 2. Hallelujah! So why is this such an improvement? On the original Kindle, it was hard to find a place to hold the device because the buttons took up most of the sides, and they would turn the page at the slightest bump, leading to a lot of accidental page turns. The page turn buttons on the Kindle 2 are smaller (but still easy to reach) and slant inward when you press them. This may sound like an insignificant difference, but it's light-years ahead of the first Kindle for usability. It makes the device easier to hold and you will never have to worry about accidental page turns unless to like to throw pointy objects at your Kindle 2 (in which case you have much bigger issues than accidental page turns).

The Kindle 2, of course, still enjoys the benefits of having an E-ink screen, although the Kindle 2 can show more detail than the original, thanks to the 16-level grayscale. While the biggest problem for many people is that the Kindle can't display color, the 16-level grayscale has done wonders for images displayed on the screen, offering more detail and smoother grays.

There are several new features that have been added to the Kindle 2 that may seem like great benefits at first, but which in reality don't improve the usability of the device much over the original Kindle. First of all, the Kindle 2 has seven times more memory and almost double the battery life of the original Kindle. You might be thinking "But that sounds great!" The fact is you probably didn't need either of them that much unless you are an especially avid reader. The first Kindle could hold hundreds of books, more than you would need at any given time, so the ability to now hold 1,500 books isn't a great improvement unless you absolutely insist on having every book you've ever read ready for recall at any moment. And the original Kindle could go an entire week without a recharge (more if you only used it for an hour or two each day) so being able to go two weeks isn't really that important. Odds are that just about anyone could find time to charge their Kindle in a week's time. I guess now you can go on that two week wilderness trek without fretting about losing your reading material half-way through.

One of the most interesting, and possibly useless, features included in the Kindle 2 is the new Read-to-Me ability. Basically this is a text-to-speech program that can read your books for you and synthesize the words into speech. At first glance this sounds like a great idea because it can turn any book into an audiobook, leaving you free to do other things while you listen. However, once you listen to "Tom" the Read-to-Me voice, you'll realize why you could never use this feature for more than two minutes. Tom's reading voice is so choppy and electronic sounding that it's aggravating to listen to it for more than a few minutes. It doesn't make for a relaxing reading experience. And good luck trying to have the Read-to-Me program read sci-fi novels that have any alien names or any other words that aren't in the Read-to-Me database.

We actually would have preferred a more user-friendly MP3-playing program integrated into the Kindle 2 rather than text-to-speech capability. If you like audiobooks read by actual humans, you will be happy to learn that the Kindle 2 supports audiobooks downloaded from Audible.com.

The most useful feature of the Kindle device is still present in the Kindle 2, and better than ever. You are still able to access the Kindle book store and some Websites wirelessly without the need of a Wi-Fi hotspot because of Amazon's whispersync technology. Basically, this allows you to connect over cell phone networks for free anytime. No contracts, no connection charges, no hotspots, nothing.

However, don't think it's a free internet connection. Surfing the web is definitely easier with the 5-way controller, but in no way is it as easy as using a computer. It's exceedingly nice for finding and downloading books; it's so-so for quickly looking up a news article or a Wikipedia entry; it's painfully complicated to do anything else.

By far the most attractive thing about the Kindle 2 is the content library that Amazon has put together and the ease with which the device syncs with that library. You don't need to hook up the Kindle 2 to your computer. It can do everything you need it to by itself.

At the time this review was published the Kindle Store had 230,000 titles available, which is almost 100,000 titles more than what it had when the first Kindle became available. That should give you an idea of how seriously Amazon takes its content. The Kindle Store does a great job of providing contemporary titles soon after they are published and it appears they are also selectively going back to older books as well and making them available.

Another advantage of ebooks, as you may already know, is that they can be much cheaper than the actual "dead tree" books in the stores. The same holds true for the Kindle Store. You can get a brand new New York Times bestseller for $10.

The reason the Kindle Store is such an advantage is that it seamlessly integrates with the device. You simply pick a book and it's downloaded to your device in less than 60 seconds. It has made the book-buying process so easy that it's no wonder the Kindle and Kindle 2 draw comparisons to the iPod, which finally made the music-buying process simple by introducing iTunes. The Kindle and the Kindle Store have finally made eBook more convenient than real books.

While the average user may never need to venture beyond the Kindle Store, the Kindle 2 can support formats from other sources. For instance, it can display the MOBI format, although it cannot be DRM-protected MOBI files, ruling out several prominent ebook stores. You can read DOC, HTML, PDF and TXT files on the Kindle as well, but you must first send the files to Amazon for conversion before they will work on the Kindle 2. It would be a huge imp

With many unique features and an all-in-one feel, the Sony Reader PRS-700 is a good way to get all your reading in one place. With the paper-like E-ink touch screen and a built-in LED backlight this Sony digital reader gives you the ability to read in any type of lighting setting.
Standout Features

* Touch screen display
* Built-in LED light
* Can store up to 350 titles

One of the most impressive features on Sony's digital reader is the 6" touch screen display. That means Sony didn't have to include a keyboard on the body of the device, so it has a nice compact look and feel. You can still make annotations and search for titles with the virtual keyboard which acts much like a touch screen smartphone. You can highlight text with your finger or you can use the included stylus pen which will help you take care of all these features as well.

We like the search feature on this device. It's simple to use and convenient especially when you use your device for reading more than novels and newspapers. A lot of reference books are also available through the eBook store.

The Sony Reader PRS-700 has a built-in LED light display. You can turn it on and it will light up the text enough for you to read it but not enough to bother others around you. This is really convenient. Sure a regular paperback doesn't come with a light, but in today's world of all-in-one features, it's really convenient to have the light included in with the device. Add on the e-ink technology, and you can read the device in all types lighting situations. From bright, direct sunlight at the beach to a red-eye flight home, you'll be set no matter where you want to read.

Because of the E-ink technology, the battery life can go for as long as two weeks of reading on a single charge. That makes it convenient when you're traveling with it and still gives you the wireless feel that a real book provides. The Sony Reader PRS-700 also has 5 different font sizes and the ability to zoom in and out on the text.

Where Sony's device falls short compared to the Kindle is the number of books it can hold. The Sony 700's internal memory has room to store about 350 "average size digital books". Although you can get hundreds more with removable memory cards, this still doesn't even get close to the Kindle's 1,000 titles without a memory stick. Plus, if you add on text files and music files, we imagine that the device will get full pretty fast. However, the average reader probably won't need too many more books stored on their device, and if you're not afraid of deleting a book or two once in a while, then the Sony electronic book reader will work just fine.

The Sony Reader PRS-700 has a dedicated service for books called the eBook Store. However, that service is limited to U.S. and Canadian residents (one more country than the Kindle has). Right now Sony is offering 100 free Classic titles from the eBook store if you purchase your device before the end of March 2009. We did not like the fact that this device needed to be connected to the computer in order to download books. With the somewhat limited storage capacity, that means users might have to plan ahead before going on trips to make sure they have a variety of titles they'd be interested in. Other than that, the eBook Store has thousands of popular titles available, so you should be able to find something you'd be interested in.

Along with being able to get books from Sony's eBook Store, the Sony Reader PRS-700 can also get books from other sites that have DRM free content in PDF, Word, BBeB, EPUB/ADEPT and Adobe Digital Editions. All these formats are supported on Sony's device.

As with many of the electronic books we've reviewed, the Sony digital book also supports MP3 and AAC files so you can listen to music while you read.

The Sony 700 is on the more expensive side of digital readers. At $400 plus change for warranties and other accessories like a memory card you're getting up there in price. However, the Sony Reader PRS-700 offers a bundle of features that make it worth what you pay. The touch screen and the LED backlight really make up the difference in features and price.

The Sony Reader PRS-700 offers a lot of features for a fairly low price. We were impressed with the touch screen and LED backlight features that gives the reader a chance to read a book anywhere really. However, the lack of space on the internal storage for this device still keeps it below our number one product the Kindle 2.

The first offering in digital books from Sony, the Sony Reader PRS-505 is one of the few electronic reading devices that comes in a variety of colors. With its long battery life and thousands of titles available from Sony's eBook store, the PRS 505 is a good travel companion. However, because of its limited internal storage, avid readers may be steered away.
Standout Features

* Variety of colors
* Stores up to 160 titles
* Supports a variety of document formats
* 7,500 continuous page turns battery life

The Sony Reader PRS-505, the first digital reader from Sony, may not be at the top of the line in features and storage space, but it does offer a variety of colors. Attractive, especially in the relatively new world of electronic book readers that gives consumers few options to personalize their devices. From the striking Sangria red, dark blue and silver, the PRS 505 has a couple options that will be sure to get you noticed wherever you decide to read. Sony also offers several limited time offers with this electronic reader. From the annual Valentine's edition in bright red and preloaded with Harlequin novels to the current Ian Fleming limited edition that comes with a leather case embossed with 007 on the front.

Where this device really loses its appeal when compared to other electronic digital readers is its internal storage capacity. The Sony Reader PRS-505 can only hold 160 titles. This is really disappointing, especially for avid readers. Unless, of course, people buy it as a supplement to their physical book library. They still keep their books, but they can use the digital reader for traveling.

The battery can last for about 2 weeks, or 7,500 continuous page turns. That helps, especially if you want to travel with the book.

We liked the fact that, although this is an older model from Sony, it is still compatible with the Sony eBook Store. So, although it can't hold very many titles, you still have thousands of titles available at your fingertips %u2026 and USB cord connecting it to the computer. New releases, classics and other popular titles are all available. Plus, if you can find an digital copy of a book from another site, as long as it's in one of the supported formats (i.e. PDF, RTF, TXT, BBeB and Word).

For how few features the Sony Reader PRS-505 offers compared to its competitors and even Sony's newer model, we were really disappointed to see that it was still so expensive. Sure it comes in a variety of colors, but we don't think it's worth $300. Especially since this would be a good device for those who would use it to supplement their physical library. We would like to see $100 or so knocked off before we could really think this device would win out over its main competitors.

Sony has an eSupport page where you can contact Sony by email, find FAQs, troubleshoot and download the user manuals. You also have the ability to track your product when you send it in for repairs.

Show your style with any one of three unique and bright colors. However, because of its lack of internal memory, the Sony Reader PRS-505 should be considered more as a way to supplement a physical library and used mostly for travel. But, the $300-price tag may be discouraging.

We imagine most people have the same initial reaction to eBook readers that we did. Sure it's great, but there's no way it will ever replace real books. Plus, if it's anything like reading text on a computer, count us out.

But as technology has developed and the popularity of eBook readers, especially the Kindle, we started to wonder why Oprah called it her most favorite gadget. Oprah considers herself to be a professional reader and has the Midas' touch on the books she picks for her book club. She's no stranger to reading and if she likes it maybe there's more to it. So, while there are always pros and cons to everything we do, we came up with the Top 10 reasons we like eBooks. Who knows, maybe this will be enough to convince you to make the switch:

1. Don't have to pack 10 or so books for one trip. Probably the most compelling reason, especially with rising costs to bring baggage on planes, it makes it easier to keep bags light.
2. With dedicated services, you can have thousands of books available virtually at your fingertips. Just the concept is enough to get us excited. Any book we can think of is available and we can get it whenever we feel like it.
3. Saves money buying new books. Many New York Times Bestsellers are available for $9.99 and some of the old books (like the Nancy Drew Files) are available for less than $1.
4. Portable. Just like a book, you can take it anywhere. Compared to some of the big reference book I've read or even textbooks, these eBook readers are a piece of cake to carry around.
5. Can last for 2 weeks without being charged. Sure it's electronic and it has to be charged, but when you wait two weeks to charge it, you can almost forget it's electronic.
6. Compact, everything in one place (books, newspapers, blogs). Today's world is all about consolidating, making every gadget do more. So being able to consolidate and get all your reading material in one place makes it invaluable.
7. The Kindle is especially flexible switching from read to me to regular reading easily. Sometimes it's hard to go to work when I'm reading a really good book. The Kindle makes it easy because you can just switch to the Read to Me function and at least listen to it in the car.
8. Can zoom in on text and different sizes. Sometimes the text on those old paperbacks is just too small to read easily, being able to change the font size at least means you can probably use it longer than some of your old books.
9. Supports multiple document formats. You can even do homework/work on it. Not that you'd want to, but the option is available.
10. Ergonomic. Admit it, your wrists hurt when you hold the book open for hours on end. This stays open by itself while you nurse your wrists back to health.