Best Devices for Your Favorite ‘E-reader’

 

Not every reader is a purist. With a wide range of choices out there for bookworms, they can, as the saying goes, “eat their cake, and have it too.” Increasingly though, the dedicated ereader has taken a backseat to the more complex and heavy duty tablets on the market that are becoming closer in function to portable laptops.

Typically, you have two camps: those who aren’t too picky about how they read books and magazines, and those who prefer a reading experience closer to paper. Here are some popular devices for your favorite “E-reader” this holiday season.

The Nook GlowLight: Once upon a time there was something called E-ink, and essentially, it was going to revolutionize the way people read ebooks. Known for its deep grays and blacks, E-ink mimics the reading experience on paper (using natural light). You used to have to light them with tiny lamps that attached to the device, but Barnes & Noble, the makers behind the Nook, got clever. They finally added a lighting option. For those users preferring natural lighting to read ebooks, the original Nook Simple Touch is still available.

Kindle Paperwhite: Another device that uses a backlighting that won’t strain your eyes is the Kindle Paperwhite, which has the advantage of using Amazon’s ecosystem. Additionally, it’s had a ton of great reviews. As a rule of thumb, if your friend or family member has purchased most of their digital media from Amazon, the Kindle Paperwhite should be a perfect fit.

Kobo Glo: Kobo, as a brand, touts the freedom of the user. Unlike Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s Kobo Glo doesn’t lock you into one ecosystem. So long as the books you load onto it are DRM (digital rights management) free, you can put whatever you’d like on your Kobo Glo. Like the Nook and Kindle, it’s great for reading in the dark. Though not as sexy, or ubiquitous as the other two, the Kobo Glo is certainly a contender.

Kindle Fire HDX: Back in 2011, Amazon unveiled its first real foray into the tablet wars with the original Kindle Fire. It provided full access to the Amazon ecosystem, which means books, games, music and video, all on the same device. Not only does the new Kindle Fire HDX boast a high definition screen, and act as a wonderful multimedia device, it still has access to the largest ebook catalogue in the world, and that’s something to consider. Like the iPad, the Kindle Fire HDX comes in several storage sizes, 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB. For many, it’s still a great bargain.

iPad Mini: This Apple product has continued to grow in popularity, and has plenty of news apps available in the Apple App Store. It’s fairly inexpensive as well, so there’s no need to get an unsecured business cash advance to be able to afford it. You’ll have plenty of options to choose from with an iPad Mini. It’s smaller than the original iPad and yet has all the same capabilities. You can download Kindle, Kobo, and Nook apps as well. So long as your favorite bookworm isn’t completely devoted to the idea of eInk, the iPad Mini can carry all three ecosystems in convenient apps officially from those companies.

Scott Huntington is a writer, reporter, blogger, and tech-geek. He lives in PA and with his wife and son. Follow Scott at @SMHuntington or check out his blog, blogspike.com.