Buy Kindle With Special Offers Or Ad-Free?

Because I’m a big fan of the e-ink Kindle readers I often get asked whether to buy the “with offers” version that Amazon introduced this past year or the $30 higher (additional cost of special offers varies depending on which Kindle you purchase) ad-free Kindle e-reader.  Here’s my take.

If you’re buying for yourself, ALWAYS purchase the “special offers” version with the ads.  Why?  Because even if you hate those ads, you can always pay the difference and remove those ads permanently.  This gives you the option to see if you can handle those extra ads or not as there is zero risk.  If you’re purchasing as a gift it just depends on whether your worried about being considered a “cheapskate” or not.

To give you a real feel for the “Special Offers version, here’s what the last several ads look like on the Kindle:

Here’s some additional examples of the types of ads that will display when the Kindle is “locked” – in screen-saver mode.  These change each time you soft-power off your Kindle:

If you go straight to reading a book, you won’t see any additional ads while reading.  If you go to the home screen list of books on the Kindle though, you’ll see an ad at the bottom of the screen like this:

If you select one of those ads at the bottom of the main menu screen, it will open up a “more information” screen where you can request that offer to be e-mailed to you.

That’s it.  Nothing too invasive, but instead of getting the standard rotation of Kindle covers, you’ll get advertisements er… special offers instead.  I should note that those offers ARE occasionally nice ones, like the save $5 on $10 purchase offer you see in one of the ads above. 

To remove the Special Offers via Amazon, go to “Manage Your Kindle’ on Amazon.com and sellect “edit special offers”.  You’ll then see a screen like this:

You can then pay up to unsubscribe from the ads.  In my case I’d have to pay $40 to remove the ads for my Kindle touch.  If you already have a Kindle and for some reason you actually WANT to try out the ads on your Kindle, you can go to this same page and turn the ads on.  Those of you in this situation won’t of course have to pay to do this or to turn the ads back off.

So far I’ve left the special offers on my Kindle Touch, although I might attempt a “hack” to remove them just to try it out.  More on that later.

New Book Updates & Editions in an e-Book Age

Not long ago when a book was published with a mistake or revision no matter how small, your printed book was stuck with that mistake.  With e-books you have the ability to “update” your copy of the book whenever a book is updated.  If you happened to purchase Steve Jobs, by Walter Issacson in Kindle format from Amazon you’ll likely experience this yourself.

 

Saturday I received an e-mail from Amazon informing me of an updated version of the e-book with image and caption layout corrections.  Amazon doesn’t automatically push these updates to your e-reader.  Instead they offer you a chance to “opt-in” for the update via e-mail so they don’t mess up your bookmarks or anything else.  The other reason is so they aren’t “messing” with your e-book library without your permission.

Here’s the message I received from Amazon notifying me of the update:

For a book that is addressing a current event-type of topic this feature could be very useful as the author could ensure the content doesn’t become stale.

Kindle Touch–Quick Take

My Kindle Fire traveled in the same UPS truck with my new Kindle Touch e-ink reader today so I thought I’d take a minute to give my very brief impression of the new Kindle Touch also.

The Kindle Touch is a bit smaller, a bit lighter and without many buttons.  Having used the iPad Kindle app for the past several months after over a year of the Kindle Keyboard I was already mostly used to the page turning and other navigation of the touch screen.  I can report to you that I really love the new Kindle Touch.  It’s a small step up from the other Kindle e-readers in my opinion but one that makes this e-ink reader just perfect for my long-term reads of books.  I’ll still use a tablet for web browsing, newspaper reading and magazine reading, but the e-ink reader is the obvious winner for in-depth reading of novels and the like.  So far this new Kindle has a lot to love an not much to dislike.  I’ll provide a more complete review soon.

Kindle Fire Review – Hands On Early Impressions

I’ve been using the Kindle Fire for much of the last 6 hours this evening and am ready to share my first impressions.  I plan to give it at least a couple of days to give a new device a real chance, but read on for my take so far on the Kindle Fire.

Look & Feel – Not awesome, but just fine for my taste

The Kindle Fire isn’t stunning or anything, matter of fact it’s pretty average looking compared to some other tablets.  But it’s comfortable to hold in one hand and feels very solid to me – not cheap.  The screen when turned off is like all other tablets – it’s  like looking into a mirror.  It’s a little heavier than I expected, but still lighter than my iPad2.  The Kindle Fire weighs in at 14.3oz (405.4 grams) versus 1 lb 5.2oz (601 grams) for my iPad2.

Hardware Usability – Buttons

The Kindle Fire has an on/off button and the rest is controlled with the screen.  I miss the volume up/down button I’ve grown used to on iOS and other devices.  There is also no hard, home button so that is built into the touchscreen UI – not really a problem for me like the lack of volume buttons.  The bigger issues I ran into though with the hardware design was the location of the on/off button which is on the bottom of the Kindle Fire when held in a vertical position.  Sometimes when I rested it on the edge in that position it would accidentally turn off – a major annoyance to me in the first few hours of using and I confirmed that this was happening to at least one other new Kindle Fire user.   

Another dislike MrsGeekTonic pointed out is the speaker location.  When holding the Kindle Fire with both hands your left hand tends to cover up one or both of the tiny speakers – both located on that edge of the tablet.  I’ll mention it just to be complete although most of you reading this already know – the Fire has no camera, no GPS and only Wi-Fi for wireless.

Screen & Device Size – Nearly Pocketable

I really like the size and weight of the Kindle Fire – more than I expected to.  The 7” screen tends to be a bit small for some web browsing, but for reading and most other functions you’ll be using the Kindle Fire for it’s not too small.  It’s just small and light enough to hold comfortably in one hand for viewing videos, reading books & magazines etc.  The iPad is just too large for holding it like you would a book or magazine for very long unless you’re resting it on a table or case.  I suspect I would find a 10” screen just right for me.  Apple & Amazon – are you listening?

Video & Music Streaming – Nice

Video streaming works very well on the Kindle Fire as does music streaming.  Amazon Prime comes free for a month with the Fire although I already had it. 

Prime is a good deal if you order much from Amazon and the content selection for video is getting better all the time – I see it as the next Netflix with added perks.  I also have been using Amazon Cloud Drive for music.  It’s working well for streaming to my Kindle Fire so no problems there.

Reading books & magazines – very good

The Kindle brand has been all about reading and this device reflects that focus.  The Kindle reading app is very good and will be extremely familiar to anyone who has used a Kindle.  It’s not as nice for reading for long periods of time (novel reading etc) like the e-ink devices are, but it is backlit for reading in the dark and will work just fine for those casual readers – even better than with the iPad because of its smaller, lighter form factor.  The magazine newstand is nice too with free trials for magazine shopping so you can try things out.  I found the magazine selection very good and reading a magazine looks good as well.

Web Browsing – Acceptable

Our first experiences with web browsing on the Kindle Fire were good.  Pages rendered fairly quickly and looked good.  But dig in deeper and you notice some minor issues.  I’ll save most of this explanation for the full review, but just expect less than you get with the iPad and some other tablets on the web browsing performance.  Not a deal breaker, but not perfect either.

Value – Nice

The Kindle Fire is priced right at $199.  Don’t mistake this for some of the more expensive tablets with better specs, but for this price it’s a good device in my opinion.  This is a value buy with Amazon backing, a very solid video streaming lineup and much of the functionality you’ll want in a consumption-based tablet.  But you are giving up some things for that lower price.  As long as you’re good with that tradeoff this looks to be a good choice given the lower price.  I’m an iPad owner and I consider that to be the high-end tablet to beat today, but there are things I really like about the Kindle Fire especially for the price.  This thing does the basics most people care about – email, reading books & magazines, web browsing, video, some light gaming and more.  I expect Amazon will keep updates coming to the software on this Fire too so it will get more polished as time goes on.  Best of all, this is Android without the awkwardness that non-techies can enjoy.  The UI really seems uniform compared to the other Android tablets I’ve tried out.

I’ll be back in a few days to go in more depth – if you have specific questions or things you’d like me to address let me know in the comments.

It’s Cloudy on my Internet Tonight–Music going to the Clouds

The "Cloud" is likely freaking out Monday night as I'm adding my music collection to Amazon's Cloud, iTunes Match and Google Cloud all tonight.  I do not have a great reason for going with “the cloud” to three different services other than the fact I want to compare the three and see if I want to stick with any of them.

It should be noted that I’ve been at the iTunes Match process for several hours now and I’m guessing Apple’s servers are getting smashed due to today’s public release of their cloud service.  here’s what I see over two hours in:

Most of my music is there now, but it’s still working on the last 416 items.  I’ll have to try out the functionality of it all in the next few days.

Kindle Fire-First Reviews

My Kindle Fire is scheduled to arrive Tuesday.  My expectations are medium-high for this low-priced tablet device.  I expect less than my iPad2, but something close to the “others.”  If Amazon did this right it will be a good device for those just wanting a smaller, simple consumption tablet that doesn’t have the Apple premium cost applied to it.  Don’t expect great speakers, a video camera, lots of memory etc.  But do expect decent hardware and lots of content available along with the Amazon backing.

I’ve been browsing the big Tech sites for their reviews and here’s the ones I’ve found interesting:

• The Verge: The new tech site, The Verge calls the Kindle Fire a “great tablet for the price” but they don’t pull punches where there are obvious negatives.  One of the best, most objective reviews I’ve read thus far.
• Wired – The title of this review tells us their opinion:  “Is This Really the Tablet Everyone’s Talking About?”
• NYTimes – Pogue isn’t a big fan of the Kindle Fire:  “The Fire deserves to be a disruptive, gigantic force — it’s a cross between a Kindle and an iPad, a more compact Internet and video viewer at a great price. But at the moment, it needs a lot more polish; if you’re used to an iPad or “real” Android tablet, its software gremlins will drive you nuts.”
• Gizmodo: Gizmodo calls the Kindle Fire “the first real competition for the iPad” which is strong words.  I personally agree mostly because of the low price and the featureset focused on the value shopper.  There are plenty of negatives addressed here though so check out the full review.
• Arstechnica – Ars spends it’s first look giving you just what you’d expect from a first look review – their impressions like this one “The body is thicker than the iPad 2, but because it's only a 7-inch screen that's closer to a 16x10 ratio, it is this close to fitting in the back pocket of my jeans.”  Conclusions will come in the next day or so after actually using it for more than a couple of hours.  I like this take as it’s how I do it.
• Mashable: Another good review of the Kindle Fire
• PC Magazine: PC Mag calls the Kindle Fire the “first easy-to-use, affordable small-screen tablet, the Amazon Kindle Fire is revolutionary.”
• Engadget: Engadget calls the Fire a “usable” tablet.  The reviewer is an obvious Apple fan and takes that slant then entire way through.  This is a good review to read to see a mostly negative take on things.
• Kindle Chronicles – Len Edgerly of the excellent“Kindle Chronicles” Podcast has a review Kindle Fire in his hands.  His review of the Kindle Fire will be one I’ll be listening for as Len is a big fan of the Kindle product in general as well as a huge Apple fan and owner of the iPad2.  For now follow his twitter feed for his takes on the Kindle Fire:

The stakes are pretty high for Amazon with this one.  It certainly doesn’t need to be awesome with the pretty nice price, but it better be a “good” tablet.  If it is, Amazon will change things for itself and become a very serious player even in the same world with Apple and Microsoft.  Fail and they’ve possibly put a bad taste in the mouth of many who may not give their next tablet a chance.

I’ll be providing my own complete review of the Kindle Fire with a good comparison to the iPad2 in the coming days.  Stay tuned for more at GeekTonic!

My Eyes Are Crying for an e-ink Reader

Since the beginning of e-ink readers and tablet computers, kindles and iPads there has been a debate about whether back-lit LCD screens cause more eye strain than the more paper-like e-ink screens.  When I first reviewed the Kindle 2 I admitted then that the Kindle’s e-ink was “easier on the eyes” than reading on a laptop or tablet.  Then the iPad happened. 

I bought the original iPad to try it out and over time found myself using it more and more.  When the iPad 2 arrived I sold my iPad and moved up to the iPad 2 and over the next several months found myself using that iPad2 more to read everything than the Kindle 2.  Then I began travelling a lot for work and for vacations and in the process began looking for ways to “downsize” the gadgets I carried with me.  In the process I started weaning myself from the Kindle.  Yes it had much better battery life, but I wanted – almost needed that iPad as it many times replaced my laptop AND e-reader on trips.  Finally this summer I gave away my Kindle to my daughter since I was using it so little.

Now many months and books later I’m finding I miss that Kindle’s e-ink screen.  Many days I work on a PC all day with it’s dual-screen LCD and then at home catch up on my reading, researching and even working on my PC and iPad at home.  And you know what I’m finding?  My eyes are really strained – I think from non-stop LCD viewing.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be reviewing the new Kindle Fire tablet and the new Kindle touchscreen e-ink reader.  I’m pretty confident I’ll be going back to using both a e-ink Kindle AND a tablet.  If I can get away with a smaller tablet like the Kindle Fire I might even keep that lighter load goal I’ve been working towards.

What about you?  Do you think there is something to the eyestrain argument against back-lit screens versus paper or e-ink?

Kindle Tablet Details Leaked

TechCrunch has the scoop on the coming very soon Kindle Tablet from Amazon.  Here’s the rumored details:

• Runs Franken-Android.  Supposedly a “forked” version of Android custom to Amazon.
• 7 Inch Tablet
• Form Factor much like the Blackberry Playbook
• $250 – same price as Barnes & Noble Nook Color
• Amazon-Centric – the “forked” version of android has this tablet focused on media and more specifically Amazon’s media.
• Storage will be 6GB
• Wi-Fi Only
• No camera

For more, read the TechCrunch article.  I’m expecting to see the tablet in the next month or so hopefully with a Kindle update including library borrowing support!

Some eBooks Cost More Than Hardcover Books–Here’s Why

I’ve always wondered why an e-Book would EVER cost more than the hardcover version of a book.  You see this happen fairly often at Amazon and other places and it just didn’t make sense.  The cost to print a book, bind it, ship it etc SHOULD add to the cost right?

Here’s one example, the new book “Inheritance” costs a penny more for the Kindle version compared to the hardcover:

 

Author, Nathon Bransford does an excellent job of explaining how this happens and why.  Bransford explains that it appears Amazon (and others) are sometimes selling the hardcover as a loss leader – in other words they are losing money on the hardcover book.  He also explains that publishers make a better cut from the hardcover copies than they do on the e-Books.

If you’ve ever wondered about this sort of thing and what it means when people say it’s the agency model versus the wholesale model of book-selling this is a must read.

Why Some E-Books Cost More Than the Hardcover

My Kindle Screen is Broken–Now What?

When you’re carrying around a paperback book you can treat it as careful or carelessly as you wish.  Most people would toss it in a backpack with a pile of books and other heavy items without a worry.  If you drop that book, accidentally drop a glass of water on it or most any other bad behavior the worst that could happen is that single book might be partially damaged.  But do that with your eReader or Tablet reader and your risking more of an investment.  That is what happened to my adult daughters Amazon Kindle 2.

As you look at this photo from the screen you can see the lines on the screen.  Looking at it closely you’ll notice the text is not as dark and after a few moments the text gets even harder to see – mostly unreadable.  We don’t know exactly what happened to this poor eReader, but from the looks of it, the LCD screen had what Amazon calls “impact damage” which is a nice way of saying “the screen got pushed on too much” or “you dropped it.”  If your eReader isn’t too awful old, Amazon will replace it with a refurbished model for free.  My situation today was not quite that good as this is a Kindle 2nd Generation that we purchased the day it was available which means out of manufacturers warranty.  Amazon replaced many that were beyond their 1-year warranty, but they are not going that far back. 

I thought about selling it on E-Bay for parts, but first called Amazon support to see what they would offer me..  After clicking “contact me” on the Amazon website, the Customer Service Rep contacted me instantly and a live, native English speaking person was talking with me in a matter of seconds AND they had all of my information ready for the call.  The CSR told me it was beyond the manufacturers warranty, but they would replace the broken Kindle with a refurbished model (same 2nd gen with 3g) for $40 with a 3 month warranty.  I’ll be receiving this new Kindle in 2 days and will mail the broken one back to Amazon within 30 days.

Pretty good customer service compared to most any other company I’ve dealt with.  If I were to sell this refurbished Kindle on E-Bay I could sell it for over $115.  Not a bad return for a Kindle that was very likely abused in the first place.  Then again, it’s pretty difficult to make that much-cheaper paperback so damaged it’s unreadable.

Ad-Supported Kindle 3G Drops $25 in Price

Amazon announced a $25 price drop for its ad-supported Kindle 3G today saying a new AT&T sponsorship and money from ads.

So the Kindle 3G with offers costs you $139 while the Kindle Wi-Fi with offers is $114.  The 3G version without the advertising costs another $50.  This makes the 3G version of the ad-supported model pretty attractive price wise.  I’m beginning to think we won’t see a new e-ink version of the Kindle this year after all.  My bet is on a tablet branded with the Kindle name and no new e-ink.

Amazon Press Release

Netflix Inflation

Netflix today announced a new pricing structure today that has already caused a ruckus on the web.  If you are a Netflix subscriber you are sure to be unhappy about a roughly 50% – 60% increase in cost of your movie rental plan.  The only people that will be happy about this change will be some Netflix shareholders, Amazon and Apple.

Here’s a rundown of the new plan basics (ignoring Blu-ray costs):

Basically what Netflix has done here is build in a flat cost for unlimited streaming of movies at $7.99.  If I used streaming even once a month I might consider that, but only my daughter uses that service so…. I’ll stay with the one-out-at-a-time service for $7.99 plus the Blu-Ray premium with no streaming.  It’s still not that bad of a deal folks, but yes if you use streaming at all, this is a hefty increase if you’re in the sweet spot of 1-3 DVD’s out at a time.  One thing not being talked about much by the other bloggers is the fact that the price has gone down if you’re a heavy (6-8 DVDs at a time) user.  While some are so upset at the cost increase that they’re cancelling Netflix, I’ll stay with them for now.  I agree with what Richard Lawler of EngadgetHD:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix doesn’t move to offer discounts or additional revisions in their offerings soon.  They are trying to cover their costs of acquiring more streaming rights and make a plentiful profit along the way without losing too much of their subscriber base.  It’s much easier to play around with these things when your main competition (Blockbuster) is mostly gone.  Thank goodness for Redbox and others…

What are you doing with your Netflix subscription?  Any changes in store?

Netflix Blog Announcement

Kindle Getting Library Lending – Enhanced Overdrive Support

One of the last disadvantages of the Kindle compared to other true e-Ink readers is being eliminated by Amazon – Later this year, the Kindle will have the ability to check out library e-books onto their Kindle.  And it will include some enhanced features not available on other e-Readers.

Amazon announced “Kindle Library Lending” today, a new feature that will allow Kindle users to borrow Kindle books from any U.S. library that supports the Overdrive platform (currently over 11,000 libraries in the United States.)  This free new feature is planned for later this year and will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps.

Enhanced Features for Library Books

Kindle users will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone. As an added feature, you can annotate and bookmark your borrowed library book and if you check that book out again or if that book is purchased from Amazon, all of your annotations and bookmarks will be preserved.  You will also be able to sync that borrowed book across your different Kindle devices so you can read on the Kindle and pick up where you left off on your iPhone or Android phone while on the move.

Amazon Press Release

The best place to pick up the Kindle is online at Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax for most states:

• Kindle Wi-Fi $139
• Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi $189

Read More Kindle Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Kindle 2 - From the Recreational Readers Perspective

The GeekTonic Ultimate Kindle 2 Review

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Battery Life of Kindle Wi-Fi – Awesome

To the Point: Kindle 3 Hands On Reviews Trickle In

New Amazon Kindle Cover – LED Built In

Kindle Update Coming – With Real Page Numbers

Now this is something those who haven’t adopted eReaders yet will chuckle about:  Amazon let us know today they have a beta preview of the next Kindle firmware that includes real page numbers!  Here’s how Amazon describes this:

“Real Page Numbers – Our customers have told us they want real page numbers that match the page numbers in print books so they can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others in a book club or class. “

To be honest, this is an issue some with eReaders have complained about for good reason.  Most times for me it’s fine to only know the percentage of the book I’ve read so far, but there are times you want/need to compare where in the book you are compared to others so this will be a very welcome feature.

The old page location info looked like this on the Kindle:

The new page numbers will display like the diagram below:

Depending on the font size and other formatting on your Kindle, you’ll often be on the same “page” of a book through multiple screens so the location number may change, but the page wouldn’t in that case.  Only the corresponding page number for the text displayed at the top left of the screen will be shown.

Another nice part of this update is the ability to “Go-to” a certain page in a book via the menu.  Again this is useful in a class or book club type situation.

Page numbers are only displayed on Kindle (Latest Generation) with software version 3.1 or higher.

 

New Firmware Features Include:

• Public Notes – This feature lets Kindle users choose to make their book notes and highlights available for others to see.
• Real Page Numbers – As described above, Amazon is adding “real” page numbers that correspond to paper books.  This will not be on all books at first, but they say: “We’ve already added real page numbers to tens of thousands of Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store that have matching print editions and thousands more of the most popular books.  Page numbers will also be available on our free “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” Kindle apps in the coming months.”  So it should be on most books right away.
• Before You Go: When you reach the end of the book, we will now offer a seamless experience that lets you immediately rate the book, share a message about the book with your social network, get personalized recommendations for what to read next, and see more books by the same author.
• New Newspaper and Magazine Layout: Amazon is updating their layout for newspapers and magazines.  This new layout gives you a quick snapshot of the news and helps you decide what you want to read first.  This will be a welcome update for those that use their Kindle for reading newspaper and magazines but I really feel the tablet format lends itself to these periodicals much better anyway – just as the eInk eReader lends itself more to books.

The official Amazon announcement is at Amazon.com and you can download the update from there as well if you don’t want to wait for it to be pushed out wirelessly.

Gifts Fit for a Geek – eReaders

One of the hottest gifts this year is the eReader.  Prices continue to drop while usability and features have steadily improved.  If you or a loved one reads many books, the eReader should be on your list of gift ideas.  So for those of you shopping for an eReader, which one should you get?  What things should you consider with an eReader?  Read on for advice on purchasing an eReader for yourself or as a gift.

eReader or Paper Book?

This question is becoming less asked, but I still hear it on occasion.  Lets say the person you’re considering an eReader for reads many books each year.  Will they like an eReader?  Most of the time the answer is yes, someone who reads many books will LOVE an eReader.  There are still those people who would rather have the “look and feel” of the paper book.  But most of those people change their mind after using an eReader for a short while – not all, but most.

Can I Borrow Library eBooks?

If the person you’re considering an eReader for gets their books exclusively from the library, it gets a bit tougher.  eBooks can be checked out for many libraries, but the selection is smaller and the supported devices are limited.  Many libraries use Overdrive which has a pretty good list of supported devices.  But the Kindle isn’t included.  If this person is really focused on the library model of borrowing books instead of purchasing, go with the Nook over the Kindle.

E-Ink or LCD/Tablet?

When someone asks me whether they should get an e-ink device like the Kindle or Nook or a tablet with an LCD screen like the Nook Color or iPad, I always ask this:  Does this person read many books?  If they do then the e-ink is really the better option.  Much better readability (easy on eyes like paper compared to the glare and eye strain from LCD screen), much better battery life (read for weeks with e-ink device as opposed to hours/day on LCD device), and mostly lighter with e-ink over LCD. 

The con with e-ink is that it does books great, but isn’t good for magazines or newspapers or web because of the lack of color and poorer navigation.  It should be noted that the e-ink devices are usually less expensive than the full-blown tablets as well.  If this person you’re buying for reads more magazines, newspapers and web browsing and little books – the Tablet is probably a better option.  Read the GeekTonic gift guide on tablets here.

Which One?  Kindle, Nook or other?

There are currently three major players in the e-ink eBook world:  Amazon has the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has the Nook and Sony has their family of eReaders.  I’m not a fan of the Sony because I see them as slow to adapt to the ever-changing eBook world and while their devices are decent, their store and competiveness just doesn’t seem to be up to par with the other two.  I recommend either the newest Kindle or the e-ink version of the Nook.

The latest Kindle is the perfect smallish size with a very crisp screen, it’s super light and has the best UI of all eReaders in my opinion.  I own the graphite-colored version of the latest Kindle and am very pleased with my choice.  MrsGeekTonic owns the slightly older international version of the Kindle and our daughter owns the hand-me-down non-intl version of the Kindle.  You won’t go wrong with the Kindle UNLESS you’re a serious library book borrower.

The Nook (not the Nook Color with LCD) with the latest firmware is nearly as good as the Kindle – even better in some regards.  It is supported by most eReader library collections and has a Barnes & Noble focus.  The original Nook before some firmware updating had some issues that kept me from recommending it equally to the Kindle, but they’ve worked out those kinks and I recommend the Nook to those that don’t want to be locked down by the Amazon’s Kindle store and those who want access to your local library eBook collection.

The Sony will be fine for some, but personally I recommend the Kindle or Nook over all else.  And please stay away from most other eReaders you find in stores these days.  For instance, you’ll find the Pandigital Novell at good prices and other wanna-be eReaders but you’ll be disappointed.  If you’re getting an eReader get the best, not a device the owner will be dissatisfied with.

Wi-Fi only or 3G+Wi-Fi?

I used to think 3G was a must-have.  3G gives you instant access to the online bookstore (Amazon Kindle or B&N Nook) wherever you get a mobile signal.  This is  a great advantage if you live a long way from a bookstore or travel outside of Wi-Fi locations often.  But most of us (me included) will be fine with Wi-Fi only which is a little cheaper.  These devices hold a LOT of books so why not load it up with several before travelling and then you don’t really need the 3G.  Then again, if you have the extra cash I guess the 3G is a good idea.

MrsGeekTonic reads several books a month.  I go through spurts where I read several and other times when I just read occasionally.  For both of us, the eReader is a great device.  Economically it makes more sense for MrsGeekTonic, but for me its a convenience thing as well as the fact that reading from a super-light/small Kindle is just more enjoyable compared to a thick hardcover or paperback book.  And not needing to pack multiple books on trips is an added bonus.

Where to Purchase

The best place to pick up the Kindle is online at Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax for most states:

• Kindle Wi-Fi $139
• Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi $189

The Kindle is also available in Best Buy, Target and Staples stores.

The Nook is available at the Barnes & Noble Online Site and in their stores:

• Barnes & Noble Nook Wi-Fi $149 (e-ink version)
• Barnes & Noble Nook 3G+Wi-Fi $199 (e-ink version)

The Nook is also located in Best Buy and many other retail stores.

 

Read More:

Kindle Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Kindle 2 - From the Recreational Readers Perspective

The GeekTonic Ultimate Kindle 2 Review

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Battery Life of Kindle Wi-Fi – Awesome

To the Point: Kindle 3 Hands On Reviews Trickle In

New Amazon Kindle Cover – LED Built In

 

Nook Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Nook – From the Recreational Readers Perspective

A Look at the Nook – GeekTonic Reviews the Barnes & Noble e-Reader

Google Opens eBook store and eReader apps

Google unveiled their Google eBook Store and eReader apps this morning.  Actually the announcement was more about the fact that Google is bringing together their eBook properties all under a single roof since their eBook marketplace was already there before today.

The new eBook store has been named the “Google eBookstore” and is basically Google’s take on a unified eBook platform across multiple devices.  You can now read Google eBooks with the following devices:

• JavaScript-enabled browsers
• iOS devices
• Android devices
• eReaders that support Adobe’s eBook DRM (Nook, Sony Reader and many others)

Those not on the supported eReader list include the Amazon Kindle family, the Kobo, Blackberry and Windows Mobile 7.  Google has the official supported device list here.

To browse and download books in the Google eBookstore you simply go to their web-based store.  To purchase a Google eBooks from the store you’ll need a Google Checkout account or if it happens to be a book from one of their partner resellers (Powell’s Books, Alibris and others) you can pay with credit card or PayPal without a google account.

 

via Google Blog

 

For a good review of Google Books for Android had over to GigaOM

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Amazon announced today that Amazon shoppers can now purchase any Kindle eBook as a gift to anyone with an e-mail address.  Yes, it’s kind of difficult to wrap up that eBook as a present but as a Kindle owner I can tell you this is a really nice feature addition. 

 

The Gift giver chooses a book in the Kindle Store, and sends the e-book as a gift by simply inserting the recipient’s email address. Recipients can then redeem the gift in the Kindle Store to read on any Kindle or Kindle app.

Amazon adds this feature just in time for the holidays and right after earlier announcements that that magazines and newspapers will be available on Kindle apps and that users will soon be able to lend e-books for a 2-week period just like Barnes & Noble Nook readers can.

Full Press Release at Amazon

Ask the Readers – What Books Should I Read?

 

A little off topic here, but as the holidays near I’ll be doing a little more reading than normal.  I like to mix in some time for “off-the-grid” reading of fiction and history books and will be packing my Kindle with as much book goodness as I can.  I’m looking for your suggestions for about any book you geeks (and non-geeks) recommend I check out.  I read a variety of genres including history, mystery, suspense, sci-fi and more.

Let me know in the comments and I’ll do a follow-up post with some of your suggestions.

The New Nook – Not a Pure eReader

As the demands on my time these past few weeks continued to pull me away from blogging I was left watching quite a few tech happenings from afar.  One of the big news items for this past week was the new Nook Color eReader.  The rumors were true that Barnes & Noble included “color” as the biggest new feature.  What we also learned is this isn’t an eReader of the e-ink variety.

I own both a Kindle 3 and an iPad and both have their strengths.  If I could only own one of the those though I’d probably choose the Kindle.  I say this because I already own a small, light laptop that does the job for web browsing and the other stuff I need to get done.  So for an additional device I really am looking for a true reader – something that is made with book reading as the first priority. 

Here’s why e-ink devices are superior for that task:

• Battery Life – My Kindle lasts for days and days.  I can take it on a week-long trip (and longer) with me and not even need the charger.  The iPad has great battery life, but nothing even close to that
• Paper and Mirrors – eInk is a pleasure to read on for long periods of time.  I look at an LCD monitor and Plasma TV way too much of my day and night already so reading on eInk – like paper is easier on my eyes.  And the lack of reflection with an eInk device means I can read it outside and without glare from lights inside.
• Weight – My Kindle is lighter than most paperbacks.  Tablet PCs just aren’t as light yet.

Now for a comparison of the Nook Color vs the Nook based on what we know:

• Screen:  Nook Color is 7” Color touch-screen.  Slightly larger than the Kindle, is touch-screen and color.  But it’s also not e-Ink.
• Format Support:  Nook Color supports ePub and most library e-Book systems while the Kindle does not.  Advantage to Nook Color
• Memory:  Nook Color has 8GB internal memory but also has a microSD card slot.  The Kindle 3 has 4GB internal memory with no expandability options.  Advantage here is to the Nook Color in a huge fashion.
• Weight:  Nook Color is 11.6 ounces while the Kindle is only 8.5 ounces (8.7 ounces for the 3G version).  Advantage to Kindle, but not by too much.
• Connectivity & Price:  The Nook Wi-Fi is $149 vs Kindle Wi-Fi of $139.  Nook Wi-Fi+3G is $199 vs Kindle Wi-Fi+3G of $189.  Again the advantage goes to Kindle but the Nook Color pricing is very good – especially if it can do much in the tablet realm.

The new Nook is essentially a low priced ($249) touch-screen tablet computer locked down to Barnes & Noble’s proprietary software.  This puts the Nook Color in a strange place.  On one hand they’re marketing it as a pure e-Reader shoved inside a tablet.  But on the other hand it’s really a tablet without being able to do things most tablets can do – android apps etc.  They started off with a Pandora app but not a lot more than that.  Personally I think it could make a decent low-cost tablet if they’d free the reins a bit.  Transform it into a full-fledged android tablet with the Nook software featured and Barnes & Noble could sell a lot more of these.  That’s what I think Amazon would do if they take the tablet route.  Bottom line though I recommend a true e-Reader if you read much in the way of books these days.  No, it’s not ideal for web browsing or even magazines for that matter, but its far superior in terms of reading novels.

As you can see I still favor the e-Ink display for an e-Reader.  But I do think the Nook Color could be a force to recon with – especially if they would loosen the reigns a bit an let the device be a full-blown tablet.  What do you think?

Other New Nook Color Coverage:

• Hands-On with Nook Color – CrunchGear
• Nook Color, An Android e-Reader… with Benefits – ZatzNotFunny!
• Nook Color Hands On – Engadget
• Nook Color Revealed - BlogKindle

Barnes & Noble Nook Website

To the Point – Roku Updates Media Streaming Boxes

Roku tipped their hand that a new media streamer hardware lineup was on the way with their price drops and a choice FCC leak recently.  Today Roku officially announced the new, slightly updated lineup for all to see.

Roku’s new Hardware includes:

• Roku HD at $60 with 720p, Wi-Fi + Ethernet connectivity and HDMI
• Roku XD at $80 that adds 1080p full HD video playback, instant replay button and Wireless N to the feature-set
• Roku XD/S for $100 that adds dual-band wireless, component video & optical outputs and a USB port.

If it were me and I was simply looking for a good UI for my Netflix streaming, that Roku HD would fit the bill honestly.  Neither the XD or XD/S look like they will be competitive in the realm of streaming from your home collection like the WDTV Live Plus and SageTV HD300 are.  And seriously, how many 1080p online streaming videos have you seen lately?  Yeah, me neither.  Anyway, here’s a few interesting articles on the web from today that cover these new Roku’s:

ZatzNotFunny! covers the new hardware and I mostly agree with his buying advice:

“Anyone who currently owns a Roku, other than the SD model, really has no reason to upgrade at this time.”

“However if you’re primarily interested in economical and diverse local media playback (USB or LAN) that also happens to have some online streaming capabilities, the WDTV Live Plus is a better solution.”

Engadget has a good review of the Roku XD/S.  They generally like Roku as a whole and have some guarded praise of the more expensive XD/S:

“There's still some work to be done and more content partnerships to strike -- add in Hulu support and it's game over, guys -- but the Roku XDS is definitely worth a look if you need a streamer, and the oh-so-cheap Roku HD is probably worth a look even if you don't.”

Finally, NewTeeVee has a video showing the new hardware off along with a run-through of the changes from the now-older hardware.  They also go on with another video claiming that 12 percent of Roku customers cut the cord.  I guess that’s possible, but if you care at all about picture quality, content selection and LiveTV events such as sporting events or “gasp” realityTV you’ll still need at least over the air – and probably cable if you want the sports.  I say the same thing when talking about the AppleTV…

What do you think?  Is the Roku for you?  Or are you looking for something with more of a multiple personality like a Blu-ray Player, TV or more powerful media player/extender to handle your online media content streaming?

Check out the official Roku info at their website