I have to admit, when e-readers first came out, I wasn't sure how I felt about them. As a reader, I like the feeling of a book in my hand. I like the smell of old books. I like turning pages. I like cracking the spine and setting the book on the nightstand for the evening. I like hardbacks and paperbacks and glossy magazines.
As an author, I definitely earn more from a print book than a digital edition. And there were questions about how lending worked and the integrity of the formatting on e-readers. I just wasn't sold on the technology.
Until I picked one up. I'll admit it. I was instantly seduced. I'm a voracious reader. If I have time, I'll squeeze in two - three books a week. The ability to carry twenty books at a time without running to the bookstore - it got me. Reading an author, loving their work and then downloading everything they've ever written sold me. So much so that I had to establish a spending limit for myself. Once I took the dive...
We are an e-reading family. Amongst the BougieExtendedFam we have 3 Kindles, a Kindle Fire, 3 Nooks, a Galaxy Tab and an iPad. David just got the Nook Tablet, I just got the Kindle Fire in addition to my regular Kindle. I have both the Nook app and the Kindle app on my PC as I am equal opportunity. C|Net had a great article comparing what's out there. But here are my thoughts:
If you just like to read without bells and whistles - get a basic Kindle or a Simple Touch Nook. They are easy to use and have super-long battery life. The edge that basic Kindle has over the Nook is the link to Shelfari which gives you all sorts of back info about the book, for instance - if it is number 3 in the middle of a 7-part series. I found this invaluable when trying to catch up on the Alex Cross series. I need to be handheld from book 8 to 9 to 10.
The Nook has the advantage of having a store and associates to go with it. When you walk into a Barnes & Noble with your Nook, it welcomes you home and you have all sorts of specials and freebies gifted to you for coming in. As you know, Amazon is all about the virtual. If you need help with your Kindle you have to call in and play the customer service game.
I think both the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire are fun. They are both interactive and loaded with a ton of stuff that has nothing to do with reading. The Kindle Fire is Android powered which I preferred because it synced with my phone and Google-isms with ease. But the Nook Tablet has better battery life.
If you are Team Amazon you pretty much have to go Kindle. All of my music, movies, tv shows and books loaded onto the Kindle Fire. [If someone ever hacks the Google/Amazon cloud - I'm done for] While I was on vacation, I found that I still preferred my basic Kindle just to read. If I read on the Fire, I'm always distracted by my email, UberTwitter, and Facebook updates not to mention the multiple games and apps I've downloaded.
My sister got the Galaxy Tab for Christmas. She also has a first generation Nook. She downloaded the Nook app onto her tablet but also preferred to take the trusty old Nook to the beach. My older brother has the iPad and uses it for everything.
So what does it all mean? I like them both. The costs are pretty comparable. I lean towards the Kindle because my comfort zone is there but I've got no beef with the Nook. As a writer, I say buy them both and put my books on them. Now. Today. Here you go: