Kindle, Nook, Ipad, tablet. What works best for download
 

DH wants to start getting books online. We have seen a few of the sites that are available, but have not bought a device as yet. I would like a few opinions about pros and cons of readers, if possible. I know they have different operating systems, so if I buy one, I am "stuck" with that choice. I just want to know if one has better choices in books, (free, preferably), ease in download, etc. Any advise??? Thoughts??? Thank you in advance.

Has he ever tried to read a book this way before? There are quite a few differences in screens. Some will be easier to read than others, on an individual basis. Also, does he want the ability to have the book read out loud to him? This is a nice feature to have when your eyes get tired; you can close your eyes and listen. However, with ebooks (in contrast to audiobooks), the voices are synthesized. Although the synthesized voices keep getting better, they are still not totally natural and can be annoying to some people.

Do you have a Best Buy near you? I would recommend going in, asking what options are available, and taking a look at each. This way you can at least rule out a few. They should have Kindles, etc. there for you to check out.

Edit: I suspect the best source for free eBooks would be your local library. I would go to the library and ask about it. That may actually be the best place for you to start. I don't think all libraries have this capability, but some in your state should (and you can usually arrange for a non-resident library card). See this article for more info:
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/201...ing-overdrive/

I have a Kindle Fire HD, a Nook and a Samsung Tablet. I pretty much exclusively use the Tablet. I read quite a bit and find it very easy to get books. I have signed up for a couple of mailing notices that come daily and list free or special priced books that you can download from Amazon. I love the convenience of downloading a book when I want to as long as I can connect to the internet. Our library has ebooks, but I have never checked one out thru them. I swore when e=readers first became available that I would never want one--now I would never be without one! My tablet goes pretty much everywhere I go--I can easily access the internet, read email and facebook, shop, whatever I want. I have even started leaving my laptop at home when I travel and just take my Tablet. My 5 year old granddaughter has an iPad and I can honestly say I'm not impressed with it. She is on her second one and can use it better than I do!

I use my ipad for e books. There is a kindle app as well as a nook app so you can read those both. These apps are free. I also use three public libraries with an app called Overdrive. Again, a free app that most of my libraries in NY use. Last but not least, I get an email everyday from "BookBub" which sends me cheap and free books based upon my interests. I have not paid for books yet. Good luck, reading on a tablet is great for vacations- no bag of books to tote!

I love Overdrive especially when we travel. I load up a bunch of books before we go.

Pixel of Ink is another source of free/discounted books.

I've had a Kindle Fire for a couple of years, received as a gift. I like it and it was an easy transition for me from paper. Especially like the convenience for travel. I used to have stacks of books in our motorhome that took up too much room! At home, too. The only drawback is that it is hard to read outside and that is something that I like to do, mainly on vacation. I can do it by using prescription sunglasses and a visor and careful positioning. I guess that can happen with paper, also. If I were to buy a new one I might look into that feature. My Kindle is associated with Amazon but I rarely buy full price books from them. I use Bookbub and the library for the most part. Bookbub actually is through Amazon, anyway the billing is. Most of their books are very inexpensive, 1.99, 2.99, or free.

My daughter has the iPod Mini - the screen is the size of a paperback book and she loves it. It fits easily in almost any thing. My other daughter has the standard iPod. They get the audio books - they thought they would not like being read to, but since they drive over 30 minutes one way to work, they love it. And sometime when they just feel like being quiet and read - they can.

I have a Kindle Fire HD and DH has an iPad with the Kindle app. I went with the Kindle because it was cheaper. I love it. The reading part is the same on both, but the iPad is faster for email and the web.

OK, I hate to admit it but I have a Kindle Keyboard, an Android tablet and and an iPhone. I am selling my tablet and the Android tablet and saving for an iPad Air.

Anything that gives you the option to flip pages with the swipe or tap of your finger is best, IMHO. On the Kindle Keyboard you have to press the bar on the side of the device which is fine but it soon gets tiresome.

A few times a week I use my iPhone to read my Bible during Bible study. I tap rather than swipe and it works seamlessly. I love it. I have several options to get books through my Kindle app and iBooks. One of these days I will load the library's app or website so I can get audio books. Oh, I almost forgot I recently downloaded Sherlock Holmes Adventures from Old Time Radio which are audio books. We are going to go through those first before purchasing any. On the iPhone I also watch YouTube and my Craftsy classes.

Also, I mostly use the WiFi connection to our home network and skip data charges. A lot of website let you download and listen to things off line. I rarely use data on my phone which also make me happy.:)

My succession of purchases were Kindle, Android, and then the iPhone. Had I known how much I could do on the Apple phone I certainly would have purchased the iPad Air and skipped the Kindle and Android. AND, my son tried to steer me towards the iPad Air first but I didn't want to spend the money. Oh well! I am happy now. :):)

I have the kindle keyboard, a nook tablet, and a ipad. I like the kindle for reading outside and when I don't have wifi, it has free 3G. The iPad is nice for reading at night, I don't have to keep a light on to read. I don't use the nook anymore because as a tablet it doesn't compare to the iPad but if all I was going to do with it was read it's ok. I guess it depends on where you want to read and what else you want to use your reader for.

I have an older kindle and an ipad. With the kindle app on my iPad I can read my books on either one, but I much prefer the black and white Kindle screen as it is easier on the eyes. And for travel I like the Kindle because the battery will last almost 2 weeks without charging whereas my iPad needs charging after just a day or two at most.

My DD reads more than any of you could realize. She now has the Ipad Air and besides a full library of books, she has thousands of songs, her complete recipe book, and that is just a very few items!! Hers is like an appendage to her body...never without it! My Hubby has one also and has his entire service and parts manuals for combines and cotton strippers on his. He never complains about waiting for me at JoAnn's(like today) as long as he has his Ipad! I have a Nook and have all my books on my MacBook Air, laptop, and Iphone.

I love my iPad mini for reading books.
Small enough to take places and dependable.

I have a Sony e reader and an older kindle. One of my biggest complaints with the Sony is it has a touch screen and when I reach over it and accidently brush it with my sleeve it will change pages on me and I have to find where I left off. I think I would like the notebook better. It has color, but I haven't tried one yet. I love having all those books on hand in such a small space.
Lynda

I have Kindle on my mini iPad and love it. I can adjust the font, amount of back light, etc. I've learned how to use the stylus to highlight words and passages. Even remove the highlighting, too, LOL. I can borrow eBooks from the library.

I have the kindle paper white, a Samsung tablet and the latest iPad. For reading I prefer my kindle. The paper white has the screen that lets you read in any light, from bright sunlight, to being able to read in the middle of the night without the need for a light. This lets me read in bed if I can't sleep without disturbing my husband. I bought the waterproof cover so that I can lie on a float in the pool on holiday as well. Kindle books I get from Amazon, as well as my favourite authors I take advantage of free or low priced offers to try out different authors.

I started out with a Kindle app on my netbook, finally broke down and bought a basic Kindle for $49 (on sale Thanksgiving, they may still be that price). I love it. I have mastered getting books from the library. It is hard to find free e-books on Amazon unless you want to read the latest romance novels, but I use Project Gutenberg to find the book, then copy the title onto Amazon, and there it is. I like older books.

I went through that research as a Xmas gift. Laptop is my preference, which does many of all the functions you describe. We have a local library that you can download free books. Was lucky enough to find a tablet after waiting for the right price to come along. Tablet has it's limitations but can download, and save it books.

Kindle is going out of fashion, so perhaps prices will be more favorable for you.. After looking into it, I found there be costs on top of buying the device. Membership fees, price of books, the freebies aren't the greatest. When I can obtain books from yard sales, all over for next to nothing.

Just my intake on the products. Of course a new basic sewing machine be interesting also..

I have both a kindle and nook . I prefer my kindle to down load free books it is easier for me . I am not very computer literate .lol I am slowly learning how to use my nook. lol jo

I haven't found any membership fees with my Kindle. Of course I still have one of the older ones, but it serves my purpose of reading books just fine and probably have close to 1800 books downloaded and they have all been free books to download. I can't begin to tell you how many I have already read, the 1800 is what I have on my Kindle to read and it goes everywhere with me, especially to dr's office where you wait, wait and wait. Sure passes the time away. Have thought about a Kindle Fire and looked into a tablet etc., but still like my laptop to take with me as I do genealogy work and it is much better than the smaller devices that you can't use a cd in. I would not part with my Kindle, my sister-in-law has the Nook and I think my Kindle is much easier to use. Just my opinion of course.

I am not sure I want to upgrade to the new Kindle Fire HD. I have a friend who has one and I have not been impressed with it as I don't play a lot of games like some people. Yes the pixel of ink and Book E-bub both have free books and also reduced price books and one can get e-books from the library for a limited period of time as well. Sure beats buying even at garage sales and then all the clutter of the books laying around and finding someone to pass them on to. If you don't like a book after you start reading it, you can delete it from your Kindle and go to another one. I LUVVVVVV it! I had not heard they were going out of fashion even with the I-pads and tablets. They still serve their place in the line up of things.

I love my Kindle Fire. Books, videos, music-I can do it all!

I have a Kindle HD fire...This is my 3rd one..Not because they wear out..my sister gives me a new one every couple years for christmas..I then give my old one to some else..they are all still working great..one thing about getting a Kindle is Amazon is great for tech help if needed..the new one u just push a button and a tech comes on screen to help u.it is basically a computer for179.00...But u can get cheaper if u just want a reader only...Amazon has hundreds of free books..plus ones of all prices to buy..as u read them and are done..when u take them off they can go to the cloud ..this way..if years later u want to read a book again ..u can..I don't remember the exact number..but it was in the thousand ..u could keep in the cloud..the screens are clear and bright..
I have not own other readers..but have friends who have Nooks and others..I have check them out..Kindle is still my favorite..plus their is no virus protection to worry about..some of the I pads u have to have it yet..good luck in deciding

I'm on my 3rd Kindle, the first being the one with the keyboard, then 2 Kindle Fires, the Ipad, the Zoom, and an Iphone plus 2 laptops. Use the Kindles daily, the Ipad and Zoom rarely. Love the Kindles, down load free books from several sites, buy at discounted price often, check out e-books from the library occasionally. No longer have shelves of books everywhere. Would be lost without the Kindle, take it everywhere with me, small, backlight so I can read at night in bed w/o lighting, easy to hold, turns itself off when closed, holds zillions of books, recharges quickly, download on Wi-Fi at home so need no data plans. No cons, highly recommend Kindle.

I have had the 3g Nook, still have the color nook, 2 Nook tablets and now I have the Nook Samsung Galaxy Tablet, which I love. I 3G I had for around 8 yrs and I guess due to non use it finally bit the dust or maybe just needed a new battery. This yr Barnes and Noble offered a trade in on any other Nook devices for one of the tablets. I love all of the Nooks and they've only gotten better. The first two, you couldn't connect to any wireless, it depends on the firewall settings so even though here at the hospital we have free wireless, I couldn't connect because you can't change your settings. Last yr i bought the Tablet, it was alot cheaper than the Galaxy with more memory too. A few months later a co-worker who had bought one decided to buy one because we all had one and then 3 mo later he was going to sell it for less than 1/2 price, I bought it. When I went into the store to check to see if he'd bought the extended warranty because he couldn't remember, they said yes, switched it into my name and then gave it a new start up date for the warranty. My daughter got that one, and when I got my Nook Galaxy then I keep the other tablet at the house because the little ones love to play on it. They have lots of books, lots of free ones and I love the books that have the read to me feature because the 4yr old can now listen to the books until she learns to read. The great thing about Nook is that I can take it right into any Barnes and Noble store if I have a problem and they'll fix it or just give me a new one and I can ask any questions without being put on hold. I can read any book while in their store for free for an hour each day. They have thousands of freebee books and support many different formats. The first ereader I got was a sony and it would only take sony, it went back the first day. I love being able to watch videos, read books, play games, search the internet, have my contacts, calendar, bill ledger, etc all in one place and I can take it with me easily. I've never owned any of the others so the only thing I can say is that I wouldn't want one where I can't expand my memory. Now if he doesn't want it as portable, Barnes and Noble has free software that you can download to your phones or laptops so you can read books on them too. I'm sure others have the same feature. Barnes and Noble has this feature for androids, apple products, computers, etc. I know that Best buy and Target sells the nook products but like every thing else I'd check them all out to see what fits your needs. He might get buy with a free ereader on his laptop and be happy. Make sure you get the warranty, I know that Barnes and Noble has always stood by thier warranties with each one I've had and most time instead of dealing with sending to company for repair, they just give you a new one instead. Good luck and research.

I use my IPad Air for almost everything, but for reading books I prefer my Kindle Paperwhite. there is no glare, and I can read it in the sunlight or in the dark. It has a touchscreen so it's easy to turn the pages, and it's so small and lightweight I can carry it in my purse. I guess it depends on what all you want to do with it.

I use my iPad for downloading books. I use the kindle app on my IPad. Its very easy to use.

I have the full size iPad Air 2, it's got WiFi and Cellular. It's big and it's heavy, too heavy for casual reading, great substitute for a laptop. We have an RV and travel monthly, so we have Nook e-readers, the basic glow light one. They are small and lightweight. They can be hooked up to the Internet but you can only shop at Barnes and Noble. BN has a free book every Friday. You need a computer to download from the library into Adobe Digital Editions then hook up your Nook to it and transfer it to the Nook. Adobe and Overdrive are what most libraries use. We've used nooks since they first came out, I did purchase a Nook color tablet, the small version for my granddaughter, it has WiFi capability and she loves it. I noticed my local mall has an Amazon Kisok, they had a lot of tablets and Kindle readers. My advise to to shop around, hold them, ask for a demo, don't be afraid to ask questions. Figure out what you want to do, just read, or use Internet, have it read to you? Take your time and even go back and look several times.

I love live my nookie bookie. Never leave home without. I have the no frills glo light one.

Same here. I use the Kindle app for books from Amazon, I use the Nook app for books from Barnes & Noble, I use the app that comes with the system for everything else, and I still can play games, surf the internet, listen to music, get my email, take pictures…

I love my iPad!

Years ago I recieved a Nook for Christmas and I absolutely loved it! I have a small fortune in books I purchased and I also utilized the Overdrive borrowing from our public library. My Nook does not have 'backlighting' so I can not read in dark (like outside at night or in bed). I now, also, have and iPhone, iPad, and iPad mini. Love them all but love the iPad mini the best! I have downloaded both the Nook and Kindle apps on it and can read on it as much as I want. Love the fact that I can easily switch from reading to surfing the internet, checking email, and even checking my phone text messages. It is comfortable to hold and easy to 'turn' the pages of whatever book I am reading. With my iPad, I use the wifi in our home to download my books. The only thing I read on my cell phone is my Bible on the evenings I am at Bible study. I think both Nook and Kindle are comparable so you would be fine with either app. I don't believe I would advise purchasing a separate Kindle or Nook. Just download an app.

My best friend has a Kindle Fire and she is trying to get me to buy one but I want a larger screen.

This appears to be Kindle only. Am I wrong?

Nook app has a lot of free books so you can build a library.The new Nook is a tablet and the Kindle app and your library app can be added.I do recommend that an Excel data base be set up to keep track of your newlibrary. I have a library of over 2900 eBooks acquired over the last 10 yearsor so. If I left you with questions please feel free to PM me.

If you just want something to store and read your books I would suggest the Kindle reader or the Kindle keyboard. I have the keyboard and love it. I also have an android tablet and use it sometimes to read, but find that the glare can be a problem. Once you do buy a reader, you will love it. There are lots of free books available. Good luck.

When shopping, look for a reader that is not back-lit as these are harder on your eyes than an e-reader. E-readers now have built-in lights which can make reading in the dark fairly comfortable if that's where you like to read. Before buying, check with your public library about on-line books as most now have free book downloads that you can borrow like at a regular library. You will have more options through your library, but not all readers are compatible. And finally, watch the weight. Most readers are now very light, but if you want a case it will add weight. The lighter the better. I don't keep mine in a case, but do slip it into a zip-pocket case when I take it away from home. Enjoy!

I have a kindle fire, using it this minute. If I had it to do over, I would buy an ipad. I like to scan and keep patterns as PDFs and the kindle system is not great for that. It also does not make it easy to download documents (patterns and such) from websites.
For reading the kindle fire with the swipe to move pagez is great. I also love to watch movies on it, but both of these are on ipad as well. I got this cheap though when it first came out, something that will not happen with an ipad.

Well I have a Kindle, Nextbook android and a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 and I can read off all 3. I prefer to get the books off Amazon on the Kindle . I've never tried to use the other 2 for reading . I may have to try that. The books I get on the Kindle are all free and I love free. hehehhee

I have the iPad don't like it as it has no holes for USB attachments or similiar. I like to download pictures onto USB to free up space on computer.
As far as downloads concerned the iPad and kindle do both jobs fine. The kindle does stay charged longer.
it depends what you want and how you will use it

I have the kindle program on my Ipad. I love it. Now DH's mom doesn't like to sit and read it, she tells me its too hard to read, she is in her late 70's and really never had a use for a computer(reading glasses for the computer are the best or put a screen on the computer when reading (I think those are still available now adays).