Ask Slashdot: I Want To Read More. Should I Get an eBook Reader Or a Tablet?

gspec writes "I read less and less nowadays, but I realize I need to get back into my old reading habit. Would getting an ebook reader or a tablet help me to enjoy reading more? Would you recommend one over the other? A little relevant background about me: I probably can spare two hours a day to read. I do not travel a lot. I am not a fast reader; if I force myself, I could probably finish a standard length novel in a week. English is my second language, so a built-in dictionary would be nice. I enjoy Netflix, and I have bought many computer/technical eBooks from O'Reilly for reference. I have many technical reference PDFs. I have 300-400 bucks to spare for this. I'd like to hear opinions based on your knowledge and experience on reading using ebook readers/tablets."

Ebook reader

[Anonymous Coward]

If you get an iPad, and you're not disciplined, you'll find yourself doing everything else but reading books because it's really nice to use. Ebook readers with browsers or application support are still pretty limited.

Try out one of each

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer the Kindle because it doesn't have a backlight. I find it tires my eyes much less, like reading a regular book. Try one of each and see which one works out better for you.

My experience with Nook Color

[opkool]

I had this same problem. I *love* to read, but I was hardly reading anything.

Then my wife got me a Nook Color. And it's awesome

- Decent price
- B&N reader (very good!)
- on-line dictionary (English is my 3rd language)
- I can read ePubs and PDFs fine
- New Nook Color has Netflix
- Rooteable and good Nook Rooter community
- B&N has free ebooks every week
- If you root it, you can install Kindle Android App
- MicroSD slot
- Decent battery life
- Not awful reading outside
- I can read at night
- (...)

So in those last 2 years I've read a lot, a little bit during lunch and some week-end marathons when wife is at work.

All in all, I love it and give it my OpKool Seal of Approval.

--- Peace!

Re:Ebook reader

[peragrin]

it is size actually.

if your reading 7-8" tablet size is easier to deal with than the 10" tablet's.

if you want the most flexiblity get a google nexus tablet. you want the easy setup get either a nook or kindle fire.

I love my nook tablet for reading and web surfing it is easy to hold on to and a decent size. the only draw back is that the stock OS sucks. if I root it i might as well get a full google tablet anyways.

I've read 10k+ pages on an iPad

[Neil_Brown]

.... and, in my opinion, if you want to read for pleasure, something with an eInk screen is the way to go. I've read tens of thousands of pages on my iPad over the past two years, on both the first gen iPad and, latterly, the iPad 3, and, were it not for the need to mark up / annotate my reading, I'd have much preferred an eInk screen; reading on the iPad has been tough on the eyes, and, whilst far from heavy, it's not ideal for reading over long periods of time.

When I read for pleasure, I used a Sony 505, and, before that, a COOL-ER reader. Each had its flaws, but, for the simple act of displaying a page in an easy-on-the-eye manner, they were streets ahead of the iPad. They are different things, for sure — I'm happy with my iPad for annotating my reading, as I tend to read mostly academic works now, and, when I do read for pleasure, I use the iPad, simply because it's with me, and the best book is the one I have to hand. But if I were looking for something to read for pleasure, I'd go for eInk, whether a Kindle or something else.

Oh, and I'd make sure I had DeDRM and Calibre installed, to ensure that I can read any book I purchase on any software client I like :)

Re:I had this issue

[History's Coming To]

Agreed. If you're actually going to be using the thing for reading in a serious way, then eReader without a doubt. Ridiculously long battery life, pleasant to read on, no reflections and usable in direct sunlight, and far cheaper. In fact, for something that can do everything, you can buy a netbook and eReader for less than a tablet, and you get superior reading and superior computing. Tablets are for when you want the reading experience of a netbook and the typing/input interface of an eReader.

Re:I had this issue

[Lord Maud'Dib]

I don't agree. I use a Toshiba Thrive 10" Android tablet with an SD card full of textbooks in PDF. Makes it really easy to transfer them to my notebook if need. By reading them with EzPDF I can highlight, annotate, draw on them and save them. I can add bookmarks and quickly do searches too. I also find the extra length of the screen in portrait mode (due to the widescreen setup on Android tablets) is beneficial as it allows menus and toolbars along the top and bottom of the screen which don't overlay on the page. Overall, I can't think of a better solution, except for possibly a matte screen to reduce reflections.

Books suck

[Asmor]

I know I'm in the minority here--particularly on Slashdot, I'm sure--but I absolutely hate books.

Before getting my kindle, I read only while in high school and college, and only during class. After graduating, I read almost nothing. Since getting my kindle, I read on my commutes, and even take out time to read when I'm at home and could be on the Internet or playing a game.

Books are bulky. It's a pain to keep your place. The feel of the paper in paperback books gives me goosebumps. I find the smell of books unpleasant. You have to hold the books open, making reading one-handed challenging (a necessity on subways, and also helpful for reading in bed). Holding books open is particularly annoying at the start and end of the book, when the two halves are quite lopsided.

Like I said, I know I'm in the minority, but as far as I'm concerned books are almost singularly unsuitable as a medium for recreational reading.

Re:I had this issue

[tricorn]

I have a Nook, which I love. It also doesn't do PDFs very well.

However, there's a great free app, Calibre, which will manage your e-book collection on your computer and does a great job of converting between formats. I just convert PDFs to epub format and then I don't have any problems with them any more (though it probably wouldn't work very well if the PDF is just a scanned image).

The advantage of the Nook Simple Touch, the Kindle e-ink reader, or the Kobo reader is that a battery charge lasts forever. Even the new Nook Glowlight doesn't chew up the battery (and you only turn the light on when you need it; it's very effective even at very low setting).

I like the Nook because it has a microSD slot (I think it takes up to 32GB), and it will boot off the external card without having to modify the firmware at all. You can also easily replace the built-in firmware, then restore it later (assuming you backed it up!). It's also VERY light.

Not sure of the others, but the Nook has 802.11b/g/n (only does the 2.4GHz n though).

Re:No.

[danomac]

I picked up a Nexus 7 when it came out. We have iPads (specifically the iPad 2 at work) but I found them too heavy for extended use (both browsing and reading.)

I stopped reading books more than a decade ago, short of tech manuals. I hated dealing with the books themselves (like storing them and donating etc.)

So far I've read two books in the weeks after I got the tablet, going to start the third soon. This is more reading than I've done in the last ten years. I love it so far, no dealing with the physical books themselves.

  I honestly didn't think I'd use it for reading books at all, just using it for browsing the web and typing responses like this one. Its not bad for reading at all.