E Reader - what do you use?

[Sonora Shepherd]

I have discovered that a lot of books that I want to get are only available as downloads now. I am being nudged kicking and screaming in the direction of e-books. Any advice? Thanks.

[Tammy]

My iPhone is my e-reader. Kindle app. I love it.

[Tradd]

Kindle Paperwhite.

[kimberlyf0]

I have a Kindle Paperwhite as well.

[Simplemind]

Kindle Fire. I also have to say that I haven't fully embraced it. I read one book on it and didn't enjoy the format. I've gone back to the good old fashioned kind. I use the Kindle to check e-mail/facebook/Pinterest etc before bed.

[gimmethesimplelife]

This Black Friday I cashed out $242 in Amazon.com gift codes I have earned over the year from various panels I do surveys for. I have been wanting a Kindle for some time and Black Friday pricing was $49 for the basic Kindle on Amazon.com so I ordered one. It is still sitting in it's box, I haven't gotten to it yet but I am looking forward this week or next to open it up and get it up and running. I don't know that it could ever replace a real book for me - as an introvert, books have so much meaning and so much weight to me - but I do like the idea of using it while travelling, or if I should do another seasonal job, it would be great to have instead of burdening myself with heavy books. Rob

[catherine]

Kindle Paperwhite--but I also spend a lot of time reading Amazon Kindle books right off my computer.

[Rachel]

If your public library offers e-books check out what app they require. Most likely it will be 3-M Cloud and/or D-Reader plus Kindle and Nook apps.

The most versatile hardware for all of these apps is either an iphone (if you can stand to read on that tiny screen) or an ipad Mini, which is what I use.

the Mini ipad is a little heavier than a Nook or Kindle reader and definitely more expensive, but again--it is versatile. I have saved over the long run by being able to read so many different formats from the public library.

[kimberlyf0]

I have extreme difficulty sleeping if I use an iPhone or iPad to read on before bed; I am sensitive to the blue light. I read on my Kindle Paperwhite (which I upgraded to with a hefty discount from Amazon when my other Kindle experienced a screen failure right after it went out of warranty) with the LED lighting turned to the off setting (which still isn't quite off).

There are many genres for which I far prefer a bound book, but at night I actually prefer the ease of reading with an e-reader, in part because I can lie down in a position that is comfortable for me. The Kindle is so light, plus it's small and easy to use.

For me, this is one area where a multitasking device just won't do it for me, and if I was in the market I would gladly pay what Amazon is asking for their newest Kindle, the Voyage. I really dislike reading on a phone/tablet screen and find that Kindle to be far different than that, much more like reading a book. I choose to buy Kindles without the "special offers" even though most people say they aren't bothered by them in the slightest.

DH has a Paperwhite that is a generation newer than mine; DS#1 dropped his Kindle Keyboard (although when we bought it it wasn't called that) and he contributed to buying a new Kindle for DH and then received the old one to be his. DS#2 reads on an old Kindle Keyboard (again, they didn't used to call it that), purchased refurbished. My kids are voracious readers and while I wouldn't attribute that directly to having Kindles, I do think that the devices have helped them read longer and more challenging books. DS#2 was reading Dickens at age 11; he didn't get intimidated by the size of the books or the small fonts.

[Alan]

I have extreme difficulty sleeping if I use an iPhone or iPad to read on before bed; I am sensitive to the blue light ......
I use an iPad with the background set to black and the text in white. One of the latest OS updates (8.0?) enabled automatic switching as an option for the iBooks app, dependant upon the ambient light at the time the app is opened.

I love the iPad since it enables me to read in bed without disturbing my wife with reading lamps. When you get to be my age paper books require a lot of light.

[JaneV2.0]

Kindle Fire, which I find most useful for games :D. I really prefer the Kindle app for PC--easier to read on my laptop (and free!) . But the Fire is very portable and handy for other things, with a gorgeous display.

[razz]

Kobo Glo which works well.

[Tradd]

I had a Kindle Fire for a bit, didn't like it. I wanted a dedicated eReader, so I went with the Kindle Paperwhite. It's got a built in light. Beautiful screen. It's a real pleasure to read on. Very light.

[Birdie]

I have the kindle app on my ipad mini. I love the versatility of the ipad.

[Dhiana]

I use an iPad with the background set to black and the text in white. One of the latest OS updates (8.0?) enabled automatic switching as an option for the iBooks app, dependant upon the ambient light at the time the app is opened.

I love the iPad since it enables me to read in bed without disturbing my wife with reading lamps. When you get to be my age paper books require a lot of light.

Ditto, but with my iPhone.

[ToomuchStuff]

I was given a Nook simple touch with glowlight for Christmas one year. Now I would probably do a tablet (but again, this was free). I also use Calibre on my computer to keep books. (tend to get a lot of older, released under Creative common's books, or project Gutenberg books)
If I were looking for one to buy books on, rather then a reader that could just do things like library books, I would look more towards a Kindle (seems to be winning the war). I still prefer an actual book and tend to find them used, cheaper then the Ebooks and I can resell them or give them away.

[rodeosweetheart]

I have an ipad with Kindle app, and love it. Just wish I could grade papers on it, as it is so light for traveling.

[Miss Cellane]

Do check out the format that the ebooks you are interested in are available.

Most of the ebook formats are available for any electronic device you have--it may not be necessary to purchase a new device. Kindle books, for example, can be read on any computer or smart phone. I have a Kindle, plus the software is on my desktop computer, my Android smart phone and my iPod Touch. (Just so I'm never without something to read . . . .)

I found that although I can sit and surf the net at my desktop computer for hours, I don't find sitting there and reading a book enjoyable. I want to curl up in a more comfortable chair when I read. So, due to an Amazon gift card and the Black Friday special mentioned above, I got the most basic Kindle about a month ago.

For the first half of the first book, the fact that I was reading on an electronic device kept getting in the way. Eventually, I adjusted the font and font size and just got used to it. Now it seems very much the same as reading a paper book. The text is slightly pixelated, but adjusting the size helped with that and now I don't notice it as much.

The basic, unlit, Kindle does not have the blue light that researchers are saying interferes with good sleep, so it is currently safe to read on it just before bedtime.

Check to see if you can borrow a Kindle or Nook or tablet to check out the reading experience. My library loans out two different types of Kindle, pre-loaded with some of the more in-demand books. I tried out both the basic and the Paperwhite Kindles that way.

I find the small screen size on my iPod and phone to be annoying when trying to read a book--it's just constant scrolling and that starts to get disruptive to the flow of thought. They are last-ditch, emergency reading devices only--say if I am caught at an airport and delayed for hours, then they might be handy.

Also check out what the process is for downloading books. With the Kindle, I can download free books from Amazon anywhere there is WiFi, but to borrow ebooks from my library I need to use my computer to get the book, which then automatically gets loaded onto the Kindle. So it's a bit frustrating that I can't search my library's offerings from the Kindle. (Although this latest Kindle does a have a web browser, so I'm just realizing that I should try getting to the library's website through that, to see if I can get a book while on the Kindle.)

Not all Project Gutenburg books are available for Kindle yet, but there is software called Calibre which will convert EPUB books to Kindle format for free.

[Tammy]

It's funny - I lately find the wide pages of a physical book or even a wide screen annoying. I like the narrow columns on my iPhone - they are just right for my eyes.

Maybe it's my new glasses that correct an astigmatism - I have to physically turn my face back and forth a little when reading wide columns. So the narrow iphone kindle app screen is just right.

[Selah]

I had a Nook Simple Touch, which just gave up the ghost (my own fault...I tried to jam the wrong charging plug into the socket and broke the pin inside the Nook, rendering it unable to communicate with my computer). My DH then gave me his first generation Nook Wi-Fi (the first that ever came out) and it still works fine. A little clunky and user unfriendly, but it does the job just fine. I don't like using tablets for heavy computer work, so I just use my smartphone to read emails on the go (hence,
no need for a pricey tablet).

[JaneV2.0]

For those who don't mind a smaller format, the Kindle Fire HD 6" is 99$ now, with front and rear-facing cameras. If I didn't already have a Kindle, I'd be tempted to buy one--and a Fintie case to go with it.

ETA: The Kindle Fire is a full-featured tablet and will probably meet most of your needs for hundreds less than Apple or Samsung products. Since I'm already a Prime member, I went with Amazon. I seem to discover a new function every day.

[Glo]

Kindle paper white.