Why an eReader?
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I am a software engineer and entrepreneur managing a web design and search engine optimization company in Atlanta. I am also involved in an open source application security software startup and I am considering going back to get an MBA (while still running both businesses, of course) to fill in some of the gaps in business knowledge clearly not covered by my engineering degree. Add to this a more than healthy interest in politics, and you get a widely varied melange of reading topics. Traditionally, I have read mostly technical books as my primary interest was extending my technical skills and learning about constantly evolving software technologies. A few years back, I broadened my reading list to include some classic fiction (re-reading JRR Tolkien prior to watching the LOTR trilogy) and lots of political biographies and strategy books. Now, I'm reading a lot of business books (entrepreneurship, marketing, econ, etc.) and I expect to read even more books of this type in the near future. Because of my very poor attention span (undiagnosed ADD, I'm sure) and because I find repetitive motion very boring, I do a good bit of reading on the elliptical machine at they gym where I am a captive audience. It's a real challenge to balance books of various sizes on the small ledge on most exercise equipment and turning pages is really a pain, so I've wanted to move to an eReader. Add the positive environmental impact of fewer trees being cut down, less fossil fuel burned to deliver traditional books, and the generally lower cost of books in the electronic format, and I'm sold.
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The eReader Contenders
Though there are lots of eReaders on the market, I narrowed the field to this short list:
Amazon Kindle 2 (9)
Sony PRS-600 (9)
Barnes & Noble Nook (9)
Apple iPad (9-9)
Amazon Kindle 2 (9)
Amazon is now a part of the "old guard" in eReaders and they clearly have ample experience as a book retailer. At 9, the Kindle's price is quite fair, but Amazon's philosophy of proprietary lockdown with regard to their eBooks requires total commitment to Amazon as your sole content provider. Despite the fact that Amazon is the 800lb. gorilla of online book retail, the number of available titles is limited due to the fact that they don't support the ePub format and must rely solely on conversion of various titles to their proprietary eBook format (a format that other readers will likely never support).
Pros:
Amazon selection
WiFi and 3G Connectivity with wireless purchasing and software upgrades
Viziplex eInk Screen
Software reader for PC, Mac and iPhone
Cons:
Proprietary Amazon eBook format, vendor lock-in
Fixed keyboard
Pay-per-document fee when reading office documents
Cannot share books
Black/white screen
Sony PRS-600 (9)
Like Amazon, Sony has been in the eReader business for years, and the consumer electronics business longer than most of the other vendors have existed. The PRS-600 has an eInk display like the Kindle and Nook, but adds a touch-sensitive screen for more intuitive navigation. The downside of the touch screen is a slight reduction in readability, and a slight increase in glare and fingerprints.
Pros:
Viziplex eInk Touch screen
Expandable memory (Memory Stick, SD)
Cons:
Clumsy sync software
Lack of wireless/online purchasing
Black/white screen
Barnes & Noble Nook (9)
The Nook is offered at a price equal to that of the Kindle 2, and it comes with WiFi and 3G connectivity like the Kindle. The Nook has a non-touch Viziplex eInk screen and is based on Google's Android operating system. The Nook can read eBooks in the open ePub format and for the first time allows the loaning of books purchased through the Barnes & Noble online book store to friends. The Nook also includes a nifty color touch screen with soft keyboard in the place of the Kindle 2's fixed keyboard allowing for greater flexibility and customization based on future software updates.
Pros:
Best book selection (over 1M books in B&N bookstore + free books in ePub format)
WiFi and 3G Connectivity with wireless purchasing and software upgrades
Viziplex eInk Screen
Color touchscreen and soft keyboard
Software reader for PC, Mac and iPhone
User-replaceable battery
Expandable memory (SD)
Cons:
Soft keyboard navigation confusing at first
Main screen black and white
iPad (9-829)
The iPad is by far the most powerful and sexy unit in this lineup. It includes a beautiful color screen with LED backlight, a much more powerful processor than other eReaders, and lets you run all of the software from Apple's App Store. Straddling the territory between eReader and notebook computer, the iPad is truly a revolutionary device. Still, if you only want to read books and don't have an unlimited budget, the iPad is serious overkill in terms of cost and capability.
Pros:
WiFi and 3G Connectivity with online purchasing
Color touch screen
Compatibility with Apple app store applications
Cons:
Cost
3G connectivity requires extra-cost monthly data plan
Battery life (compared to other eReaders)
The verdict...Barnes & Noble Nook
After reviewing all of the pros and cons, I decided to commit to the Nook. I liked the slim form factor of the Kindle 2, but I really hated the vendor lock-in, lack of open ePub support, and pay-per-document fees. I liked the intuitive touch screen of the Sony, but I didn't like the lack of wireless purchasing, the sync software and the reduced readability of the eInk display due to the touch screen. The iPad is an impressive product with far more capabilities than any other eReader. Still the iPad is not yet available and the price premium over the other units was substantial (almost twice the price for the base unit.) To enable wireless purchases when not in range of WiFi, you must purchase a more expensive unit with 3G and sign up for a 3G data plan at an added monthly cost. The Nook gives me a great online book store with many available titles, but also includes access to the many free titles available from Google Books, public libraries, and other sources supporting the ePub format. I like the crisp eInk display for extended reading, and the included 3G and WiFi connectivity is very convenient, indeed. The addition of the color touch display and soft keyboard made for a nice compromise between the iPad and Kindle 2, and allows for some customization of features through future software updates. I'm sure as the Nook matures, the software will become faster, easier to use, and will include some new features. I'll be receiving the Nook tomorrow, and will update this story with more impressions after gaining some extended hands-on experience with the unit.
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eReader Roundup and Top Pick - Kindle 2, iPad, Nook, Sony PRS-600
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