~Guest Post from Amber Paley~
With so many e-readers out there, it’s difficult to know which one to choose. Here are the facts on some of the most popular.
The Kindle Fire
Price: $199
Operating System: Android
Weight: 14.6 oz
Size: 7.5 inches
Storage: 8 GB (or 6,000 books)
External Storage: Incapable
Battery Life: 8 hours of continuous reading
Made by Amazon, this inexpensive tablet works flawlessly not only with Amazon's impressive e-book selection, but also with all of Amazon’s media collections. Users have access to magazines, music, and video. Additionally, because it works on the Android OS, users have access to the Amazon market place, i.e. app market, which includes widely-used apps like Netflix and Hulu.
The iPad 2
Price: $475 - $630
Operating System: Apple iOS 5
Weight: 21.2 oz
Size: 9.5 inches
Storage: Starts at 16 GB (or 12,000 books); can pay more for more space
Battery Life: 10 hours
Everyone’s heard of the iPad 2; it is after all the leader in the tablet market. Offering access to iTunes, the iPad 2 allows users to buy books, movies, music, and popular apps (like Netflix or Angry Birds). This tablet isn’t just an e-reader; it’s an all-out entertainment electronic. Users can also video chat, take pictures with its front and rear cameras, and browse the internet quickly through its 3G option.
Barnes and Noble Nook Tablet
Price: $250
Operating System: Android
Weight: 14.1 oz
Size: 8.1 inches
Storage: 16 GB (or 12,000 books)
External Storage: SD capability.
Battery Life: 11.5 hours of continuous reading.
This e-reader is one of Barnes and Nobles products. Though technically on the Android OS, users do not have access to the Android market. Instead, users can download eBooks, eMagazines, and apps through Barnes and Nobles’ Nook. It comes internet ready and is “optimized for Netflix and Hulu Plus video playback.”
The Bottom Line
Before deciding between these e-readers, you must ask yourself what you want out of your product. Are you looking specifically for an e-reader, without all of the bells and whistles? Or are you looking for a media tablet, where you can download games, movies, and browse the internet?
If you’re looking specifically for an e-reader: Go with either the Nook or the Kindle Fire; they are less expensive than the iPad 2, and both have glare-minimizing screens as opposed to the iPad 2. The Nook offers more in the way of storage and battery life. But the Kindle Fire offers more in terms of apps.
If you’re looking for something beyond just an e-reader, go ideally with the iPad 2, or if your budget doesn’t permit it, go with the Kindle Fire. Barnes and Nobles’ app store is very new and pales greatly in comparison to the access Kindle Fire and iPad 2 users have to apps.
Thank you Amber for this guest post!
-CYM
Amber Paley is a guest poster bringing us a comparison of some of the highest ranking e-readers. Though the tech world is a hobby of hers, Amber is first a writer and she spends much of her professional life writing about nursing home abuse.
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