Winter 2014

eReaders

New Age Pocketbooks

Matthew Bogart

Over the past decade many new devices have emerged, from smartphones to tablets. One of these new devices, albeit a lesser known one, is the eReader. eReaders are useful because they can store thousands of books, and are portable and energy efficient. In addition, the screen technology used is much closer to reading the pages of an actual book than reading a computer screen as they cause less strain on your eyes. This article discusses the most popular eReaders, what functionality they provide, and which eReader is right for you.

Before diving right into the brands and products, here is a brief explanation of common eReader features. An eInk display is a type of display that appears like a piece of paper, as it is not lit up pixels you are looking at. This is why eReaders cause less eye strain. A backlight is a light that is built into the device that will shine a light onto the eInk display, allowing you to read when other lights are not available. Finally, Wi-Fi on an eReader allows the user to access stores remotely and download new books without connecting to a computer, as well as allowing you to visit websites in some cases.

The Kindle

The most popular eReader on the market currently is the Kindle, made by Amazon. There are three main Kindle devices: Kindle 5, the Kindle Paperwhite, and the Kindle DX. The Kindle 5 has a 6” display, holds up to 1400 books, can connect to Wi-Fi and has a battery life of 14 hours. This is the most basic Kindle as it does not have a backlight or a touch screen. The next step up in Kindle eReaders is the Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle Paperwhite has the same features as the Kindle, 5 but with the added features of a backlight, a touch screen and the option of having 3G. Finally, the Kindle DX is a larger eReader, with a 9.7” screen, holds more books at around 3400 and comes with 3G. However, it does not have a backlight, and its battery only lasts about 10.5 hours. The Kindle 5 is available for $69, the Kindle Paperwhite for $119 (no 3G) or $179 (with 3G), and the Kindle DX for $199.

The Barnes & Noble Nook

There are two main Nook eReader devices currently on the market: the Nook Simple Touch and the Nook GlowLight. The Nook Simple Touch is similar to the Kindle 5. It has a 6” display, holds around 1000 books, can connect to Wi-Fi, has a battery life of 28 hours, and has expandable memory, allowing you to store even more books. The Kindle GlowLight will store around 2000 books at a time, has a backlight, but does not have expandable memory. The Simple Touch costs $79, while the GlowLight is available for $119.

The Kobo

The Kobo is the best-selling eReader brand in Canada, with three different eReaders currently availablethe Kobo Glo, the Kobo Mini, and the Kobo Aura. The Kobo Glo has a 6” touchscreen display, holds around 1000 books, can connect to Wi-Fi, can run for about 70 hours with the light on and up to 1 month with the light off, and it has expandable memory. The Kobo Mini has a slightly smaller touchscreen display at 5” and does not have expandable memory. Otherwise, it has the same features as the Kobo Glo. The Kobo Aura has a 6” touchscreen display, capacity for around 3000 books, Wi-Fi connectivity, a battery life of 28 hours, and expandable memory. It also includes Chess and Sudoku. Kobo products have a wide price range, with the Mini selling for $50, the Glo for $130 and the Aura being sold for $150.

Which eReader should I get?

With the wide variety of eReaders out there, it can be overwhelming trying to narrow your choices down to the one you want. The first thing you must consider is how often you will use your eReader. If you are an avid reader, you will probably want an eReader with long battery life, lots of storage space (although most eReaders have space for 1000+ books), a backlight, and Wi-Fi. You should consider the Kindle Paperwhite, the Nook Glowlight, the Kobo Glo or the Kobo Aura. If you feel you will not use your eReader as often, do not need a backlight, or do not want to spend $120-$180 on an eReader, then you should consider the Kindle 5, Nook Simple Touch, or the Kobo Mini. In the end it will come down to personal preference as they are all great products and will provide hours of enjoyable reading time and easy access to many books wherever you go.

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