An Ebook reader can hold thousands of book titles that are accessible via a simple click at a moment's notice. Forget toting heavy books around when you have a portable, lightweight, well-designed Ebook reader that you can hold comfortably in your hands, carries your entire library, and is built to enhance your reading experience.
As the Ebook device market rapidly evolves, new opportunities also are arising. In addition, market segmentation is also occurring based on user preferences similar to the predilections shoppers have when purchasing a car or a cell phone.
Here are some of the key features to consider when purchasing your next Ebook reader.
Reading Experience
Ebook readers like the Kindle 3 are equipped with special e-paper screens that read just like printed books for optimal reading. This special E-Ink and e-paper technology mimics a newspaper format to recreate a reading experience that is familiar and easy on the eyes without glare or eye strain.
In addition, features such as type and screen size can also be adjusted in Ebook readers. Readers can zoom in and out to adjust page layouts for an optimal reading experience.
Design
Ebook devices vary drastically in their design from the user interface (UI) to the navigation of searching and finding content in their respective online bookstores. Design features to consider include screen size, type of screen, resolution, size, and weight.
For example, Apple's iPad has a multi-functioning touchscreen with an LED backlight. Rich in interactivity, the iPad offers full color graphics for all Ebooks in its iBook store.
Barnes & Nobles' Nook Color is an Ebook reader with a full-color LCD touch screen. eBook devices like the iPad and the Nook Color enable readers to read enhanced and interactive books, surf the web, listen to music, play games, and check email.
Due to its extensive capabilities akin to a large iPod Touch, the iPad, however, is also significantly heavier than other e-book devices. While the Nook Color weighs 15.8 ounces, Sony's PRS-700 weighs 10 ounces, the Kobo eReader comes in at 7.8 ounces, the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi weighs in at a comfortable 8.5 ounces and the iPad weighs a heftier 21.28 ounces.
Content
The availability of digital content also varies on ebookreaders. A typical Ebook device can easily retain thousands of eBooks. Different companies have different selections of books including free titles, inexpensive or discounted pricing, and lending options to friends.
As of February 2011, the Amazon Kindle 3, the Nook Color, and the Kobo eReader all offer 95% of the New York Times Best Seller List and over two million titles. Amazon's Kindle store has over a million Ebook titles. Google's recently launched eBookstore is also well stocked with additional access to out-of-copyright and out-of-print works as well via its Library Project. While the Kindle 3, the iPad, and the Nook Color all offer access to dedicated content services, newspapers, and magazines, only the Kindle 3 and the iPad enable the reading of blogs as well.
File Format Support
E-book devices also vary significantly in the file formats that they support. For example, the Amazon Kindle 3 enables reading of all Kindle (AZW) content, PDF, MOBI, HTML, PRC, DOC, and TXT files. The BeBo Neo offers support for ePub, DRM, RTF, and PDB files as well. The Nook Color supports XLS, DOCX, PPTX, XLX, PPT, AND PPS files.
Battery Life
Black and white Ebook readers such as the Kindle 3 have a long battery life of up to a month in comparison to the Kobo Reader that lasts up to 14 days or the full-color Nook that lasts up to eight hours when the wireless feature is turned off. Being able to read books without disruption creates a pleasurable e-reading experience and hence this is an important factor to consider before purchasing an e-book reader.
WiFi and 3G
All Ebook readers are wireless-enabled devices that require access to a wireless network or WiFi hotspot. Some of them also included 3G connectivity for an extra fee, which enables faster downloads from virtually anywhere anytime.
Special Features
Additional features include text-to-speech options, different audio formats, and the ability to take notes and highlight sections while reading.
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