NBR: E-reader suggestions?

[babymakes5]

Thinking about finally joining modern times and purchasing an e-reader.  Is the kindle the way to go?  The standard one is only $79 on amazon which seems good to me.  Any other suggestions for different ones to look at?

Also, stupid related question: can you rent books with an e-reader, or do you have to purchase everything?

Thanks ladies!

[slurpeelove]

I have the kindle paper white. I love it!

[kellwhy]

I got the new Galaxy Tab 4 Nook for Christmas. I like it because you can get books from the nook store, but you can also download the Kindle app and Google books. I also have the Overdrive app and I borrow A LOT of ebooks from the library. You can also do regular tablety stuff (it uses WiFi). I think you can do all, or most, of this stuff on regular tablets, as well.

[danious]

@justinslovo. You should still be able to download the Nook app to be able to read those?? I just got my Kindle and haven't played with it much, but I think you can??
I actually like my Nook a heck of a lot better, but maybe that's because I'm not used to the Kindle yet. I'm trying to give it a shot, but so far I'm just annoyed with it. My Nook felt more reader friendly but it was really old and had a couple charging issues so I figured I'd try something new.

Overdrive is awesome. I love that I can rent library books. Plus, they automatically return at the end of the check out period so no worries about getting to library on time.

[slurpeelove]

Jan 17, 2015 16:04:46 GMT -5 @justinslovo said:

I just recently switched from a Nook (Barnes and Noble brand) to a Kindle Paperwhite. I love the Kindle! Many libraries offer ebooks that you check out just like regular books.

Kindle has a program you can pay monthly for rented books. I think they limit the amount of books you have "out" at once, and it was around $10 a month. I think there is a rather large library to choose from, but NOT all books are available.

I will say that I am slightly pissed off at B&N. I am not able to convert my books to be compatible with my kindle. They have a "lock" on them. Regardless of the fact that I purchased them, they will only work on my nook. Kindle seems much more user friendly and format compatible.

Also you can download the apps for free and read on your phone.

Also, since I'm an accountant, I did a price comparison. Nearly every book was cheaper with Amazon over B&N.

[bookitup]

I also love my Kindle Paperwhite. I'm an Amazon addict.

[CALEO]

I have a nook!

[danious]

Jan 17, 2015 16:18:43 GMT -5 @justinslovo said:

Jan 17, 2015 16:13:40 GMT -5 danious said:

@justinslovo. You should still be able to download the Nook app to be able to read those?? I just got my Kindle and haven't played with it much, but I think you can??
I actually like my Nook a heck of a lot better, but maybe that's because I'm not used to the Kindle yet. I'm trying to give it a shot, but so far I'm just annoyed with it. My Nook felt more reader friendly but it was really old and had a couple charging issues so I figured I'd try something new.

Overdrive is awesome. I love that I can rent library books. Plus, they automatically return at the end of the check out period so no worries about getting to library on time.

Paperwhite doesn't have apps... unless there is someway that I haven't figured it out. I also had an old Nook and it just stopped charging and the updates kept failing. I can still read from it while it's plugged in thankfully.   AND I also LOVED my NOOK, but now the more I read on the Kindle I am finding it to be awesome. I love the "X-ray" feature which reminds you of who characters are if you are confused, and I love that it tells me reading time for the chapters. So I know if I want to read the next chapter or if I should go to bed. I'm not sure if all Kindles are the same though...

Tell me more about Overdrive please!  Is it an app?

I'm pretty sure you can do the Nook to Kindle, but I think it's a shady back door work around type deal. I haven't played with mine a lot yet, but if I figure it out I'll let you know!
Overdrive is a huge system for public libraries. I downloaded it though the my actual library website. It takes a minute to figure out, but after that it's really simple.

[kasiaskis]

I have a kindle and I like it, but it is the one ereader that my public library doesn't support. So it's always a good idea to check your library first to see which devices you can borrow with.

[babymakes5]

Jan 17, 2015 17:26:00 GMT -5 kasiaskis said:

I have a kindle and I like it, but it is the one ereader that my public library doesn't support. So it's always a good idea to check your library first to see which devices you can borrow with.

This is a good idea...

[fortunecookie2014]

I think the Kindle readers are the way to go. I switched from a Sony Reader to a Kindle Paperwhite and I adore it! It's the right size, had almost no glare, and does exactly what it should. Plus, to me, it reads like a book - which is important to me. Mine is Wifi only, and that's all I need.

Borrowing Ebooks depends on your library, but yes it can absolutely be done - and it's SO easy! I regularly download books from my library. It's especially cool because you can check out books even when you're traveling. I just select and download them on my laptop then onto the kindle.

My library also participates in Overdrive, but I thought it was just how they got their Ebooks. I don't have an app on the kindle (it doesn't support them). I download kindle books direct from the library's ebook collection, then it gets sent to Amazon where I download it to my kindle. Easy peasy.

[CALEO]

Confession. I do have a nook. My mil have it to me last year for Xmas. I never took it out of the box. It's now charging. You guys inspired me to use it!

[caymarks]

I have a kindle fire and I love it! I don't get to read nearly as much as I'd like but its always nice to go through the free books and download them for future reading.

[yelah250]

I'm planning on getting an e reader before the baby is born so I can read while nursing because the TV really sucked me in and kept me awake longer than I needed to be at night. Anyways, when I was looking at the kindles, I noticed that the cheapest version wasn't back lit. I don't need Internet access or apps, but I do want it back lit so I can read it at night without a light.

[bookitup]

Jan 17, 2015 20:15:45 GMT -5 yelah250 said:

I'm planning on getting an e reader before the baby is born so I can read while nursing because the TV really sucked me in and kept me awake longer than I needed to be at night. Anyways, when I was looking at the kindles, I noticed that the cheapest version wasn't back lit. I don't need Internet access or apps, but I do want it back lit so I can read it at night without a light.

That's a good point; my first Kindle wasn't backlit but I had a case with a light. It was kind of shoddy though. You also may want to consider an Internet connection if only to shop the kindle store from the device itself and download books without having to plug it in.

[yelah250]

IIRC, the paper white is backlit? I looked for a bit about a month ago but figured I'd research it in the spring before I purchased.

[yelah250]

If I remember correctly

[cookiesandwine]

I have the regular ol kindle. I won it at a company party and I do like it. I rarely use it though because I have the kindle app on my iPhone and it's so much easier not to carry two devices (I read on my lunch hour.) if you have a decent smartphone I'd try the app to see if you like it. I believe it's free. My podunk library even offers ebooks so I would assume most libraries do too. It's super easy.

[ashiscute]

I have a kindle fire. I really like it. I borrow books from our library via overdrive. It's super easy. I don't buy books very often but you can get them for pretty cheap sometimes. I bought the first outlander book for $2.99 which isn't bad.

An e-reader is a life safer with a new baby. It's so much easier than trying to hold a real book and a baby.

[fortunecookie2014]

Keep in mind that kindle fires are tablets, not ereaders. Like iPads and such, you can read on them, but if you're really looking for a reader then you want the Paperwhite line. The difference is the Paperwhite and other readers aren't shiny like tablets (meaning readers don't have glare), and they read like books (with a little backlighting - which you can set to your liking). Readers also hold their charge for weeks, and are pretty light to hold. They have a lower price that's subsidized by ads, but if you pay a smidge more, you get it without ads.

[lynnyloo]

We have both a first gen Kindle and the Kindle fire. I use the fire for movies primarily, but also read with it at night. The original is easier to read from for longer periods of time.

[babymakes5]

Thanks ladies! I'm leaning toward the kindle paperwhite now - I think I'm gonna run to Best Buy or Staples this morning and see if they have any on display for me to play around with before purchasing.

And my library does have overdrive, so yay!

[emeraldeyed315]

I use the kindle app on my phone and love it.

Also, you can download books from the library for free.