Best eBook Reader

Have you decided it is time to join the eBook revolution and buy a new electronic reading device? Congratulations! You are going to love how easy it is to take a whole stack of books with you no matter where you go. Take them with you to the dentist office, on your lunch break, and even to the beach.

The number of eBook devices is increasing almost daily which makes it rather difficult for us consumers to decide on which one is the right one for us. It is clear that right now, the Amazon Kindle is still leading the way when it comes to a handheld electronic device that is designed for you to read books in the most comfortable and seemless way possible.

There are a few things that make the Kindle the go-to device for book lovers:

The E Ink screen display makes it remarkable comfortable to read a book on the screen. For years people thought that because of eye strain, electronic book devices would never be popular, but Amazon has used technology to erase that conception.
You will rarely find yourself having to charge the battery. It has a battery life of one month if the Wifi signal is turned off. In comparison, the Nook Color has just an 8 hour continuous reading battery life.
Built in Wifi, and possibly an independent wireless signal depending on which model you choose. The built in Wifi allows you to download books when you are within a Wifi server range. For instance, if your house has a wireless network, it will work. Or, if you are at a local coffee shop that has free Wifi, it will work there as well. Now, if you are at the beach and want to search for a new book, you may have a hard time finding an available Wifi network. This is where the 3G comes in handy. Say, for instance you are on a road trip and driving down the interstate – as long as there is a 3G signal (similar to a cell phone signal), you will be able to search for and buy from the Kindle store.
Another great thing about the Kindle that sometimes is overlooked, is it’s weight. It is amazingly light (the exact weight depends on your model). It may go unnoticed if you don’t actually compare what it feels like to hold an iPad (1.6 pounds) for a few hours while reading.
Whispersync is another feature of the Kindle that increases it’s functionality. What the whispersync technology does is allows you to read the same book on multiple devices. For instance, you could download (free) the Kindle app for your phone and your personal computer that would let you read your ebooks. The wonderful thing about this is that it knows where you have stopped reading, and no matter what device you are using, you can pick the book back up at the same page.

Now for all of the Kindle’s great points, there are a few drawbacks. In most people’s opinion the number one drawback to the Kindle is the fact that they can’t check out books from their local library.

Do you want to be able to check out books from the library?

If yes, then you might rule out the Kindle from Amazon. While this device has a lot of really cool features – the biggest drawback is it’s inability to read EPUB documents which is the format that most digital downloads from your library comes in. The EPUB format is an open-source e-book format that is not bound by patents and it supports digital rights management or DRM. So far, Amazon has chosen to require their Kindle buyers to buy all of their books instead. Of course not all Kindle buyers are happy with that and so there is a way to force a Kindle to read these files, but it is tricky and requires a bit of work.

This drawback may not even pertain to you if your local library doesn’t provide access to eBooks. Or, if you like to own all of the books you read, you will definitely want to consider the Kindle as a top choice in your selection. Amazon does offer a number of free ebooks for the Kindle as well.

Two alternatives, the Nook & Sony eReader, do offer the capability to read the EPUB format.

Do you want more functionality than just reading books?

If you say yes to this one, then you must know that for that multi-functional device, you are going to end up paying more for it. The newest tablets (iPad, Samsung Galaxy) are a similar size and shape as your typical eBook, however they can do many more things. Things like watch movies, listen to music, and surf the web. Good news is that the Kindle has started to move into this territory with their introduction of games and other apps.

There are a whole host of things to consider – size, weight, and display options to name a few – but we think it really comes down to whether or not you want a tablet or eReader device.