Kindle Fire vs Nook Color vs iPad?

[NogbadTheBad]

So I'm looking to buy an ereader for the wife for Christmas, she's mainly interested in reading with some surfing capability, & doesn't need game play capability.

Which is better/worth it?

[JKL2000]

There was a good rundown of them all in the NY Times a few days ago. If this link doesn't work let me know.

http://www.nytimes.com/article?a=1000759

[Jerjo]

Here's the long URL, see if that works.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/te...pagewanted=all

I figure that whatever store your wife is more locked into is the deciding factor. If she buys more from Barnes and Noble, go with the Nook. If Amazon, go with Kindle. The iPad is great but it's a lot of money. Nexus and Surface compete with iPad but don't have as many apps.

[Planechant]

I agree with Jerjo. I love my Kindle ... LOVE LOVE LOVE ... but almost all of my buying is through Amazon. The device was inexpensive and does everything I need it to do. The iPad is actually great -- its Kindle app actually looks and works better than the Kindle -- but it's twice or three times as expensive.

[Scott Bails]

Based on your description of how she's going to use it, there's no way I'd spring for the iPad - way, way too much money for her needs. I'd think either the Kindle or Nook would do fine. I agree with Jerjo.

[Duncan Glenday]

Based on your description of how she's going to use it, there's no way I'd spring for the iPad - way, way too much money for her needs. I'd think either the Kindle or Nook would do fine. I agree with Jerjo.

+1

And BTW - I can't count how many books I've read on my phone, using the free Nook app.

[Chuck AzEee!]

I have an iPod Touch 4 Generation, iPhone 4S and an Apple iPad 2 and all are fantastic, but i'm a bit teetered by Apple nowadays, yet leery of going back to an Android based e-reader, but i'll give you the skinny on the products that haven't been mentioned yet.

Although I have many Apple products, It all is how much you are willing to spend.

An Apple iPad (32 Gen) trust me, it might seem like way too much memory at first, but when you see how much you can do on the Apple iOS, you will start using up the memory. If you wife has tiny hands, the Mini iPad version would be perfect for her. Once again a 32gb prefered.

Of the Android tablets, the Google Nexus is up and coming with Android brining out apps on a weekly basis. Amazon and Barnes and Noble have limited apps on their OS, but the cheaper versions are meant to be used via the cloud for larger based files.

The jury is still out on the Surface tablet, aesthetically looks awesome, but the Windows 8 platform is still quite confusing.

My verdict, Apple has the best tablet out there, but is just too expensive and to Apple-centric for many neophytes.

Google Nexus is the underdog here.

The New Nooks are awesome, but if your wife is looking to Skype with her friends or family, neither Nook provides a camera, which actaully serves its purpose as an e-reader and entertainment tablet first.

Amazon is slowly working up their own OS (Operating system) which is nowhere near its competitors Apple and Google, yet their tablets are extremely economical and the latest versions have cameras for Skype and other Frontal based camera usage.

Charles

P.S. Everything else not mentioned is nowhere as good as the tablets/e-readers mentioned i.e. the Kobo which is similar to the Nook Color without the hardware.

[Planechant]

The question is: what does she want? An e-reader with some surfing? Or a tablet? If she wants a tablet then, yes, I agree with you. iProducts are the way to go. If you want a reader. the Kindle is great.

[Chuck AzEee!]

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/Class/Tablet

[UnephenStephen]

i can attest to the problems with Android apps that were mentioned in the article. i have an Asus Transformer Pad TF300 and have had problems with certain apps. one i had installed i used for quite a while then all of a sudden an update was flagged by my anti-virus as having a trojan horse. had to uninstall it. another one that had worked previously suddenly didn't work at all after the latest update was installed. and even on apps that run, there's the occasional quirkiness with some of the 'buttons' with their touch sensitivity. sometimes you have to touch the damn thing like 50 times before it takes.

[PeterG]

There's these small lightweight things you can buy cheaply in bookshops, newsagents, drugstores, all over in fact, and you can even borrow them from a library, they're called ........































































































































PAPERBACKS!!!!

[NogbadTheBad]

Personally I prefer books, I like the tactile feel, it's for the wife, what can I say, I like the quiet life.

[Scott Bails]

There's these small lightweight things you can buy cheaply in bookshops, newsagents, drugstores, all over in fact, and you can even borrow them from a library, they're called ........

PAPERBACKS!!!!

Good luck playing Angry Birds on one of those things, you Luddite!

[paythesnuka]

I have the Nexus 7 and I think it is perfect for what the OP's wife would use it for. She can download the Kindle and Nook apps (and Google books app as well) and have the best of all worlds. She won't be held to just one bookstore, as would be the case with getting a Nook or a Kindle

[jeffo621]

and you can even borrow them from a library

you can do that with ebooks too

Actually, I've had a pretty barebones Kobo that has served me well for almost three years. However, it seems like I'm ready for an upgrade and I'm considering whether I should go the tablet/smartphone route or not - I still would use it primarily for reading, but it would be nice to get magazine subscriptions and the kobo that I have won't support that. I may stick with a dedicated e-reader for books, and upgrade to a smartphone for magazines - pretty much just the sci-fi rags like Analog and Asimov's. The others that I read are available as epubs

[PeterG]

you Luddite!

My middle name, what can I tell ya?


BTW the Angry Birds board game is even more fun!!!

[Shadow]

I bought my wife a Nook at Barnes and Noble when we were at Progday. Other than that, I don't know squat about them.

[hippypants]

I still use paperbacks too, but there are some pretty good deals to make me want to spring for a cheap ereader. I noticed the other day that you can get nearly all ERBurrough's Tarzan novels for $3. For 5000 pages, that a good deal. I'm sure there are some others similar, plus I like the idea of not having to store a bunch of books too.

[jeffo621]

I noticed the other day that you can get nearly all ERBurrough's Tarzan novels for $3. For 5000 pages, that a good deal.

They're open source at this point, so you could download them all onto an ereader for free from Project Gutenberg (and you could throw in all of the Barsoom books while you're at it). An even better deal, and a heckuva lot easier to carry

[MmusicM]

There is a plethora of cheap, off-brand tablets around, & as Mr. Glenday said, the Nook & Kindle apps are free! - at least in the Android Play Store. Do some research on the off-brands to ensure they will accommodate your favorite app store, & you can have decent, casual, web surfing, email checking etc. as well as a nice 10" book reader for nearly 1/2 the price. (If you have a bit of computer savvy, you can modify the off-brand tablets to accommodate your favorite App Stores, if they don't accommodate them out of the box! )

[strawberrybrick]

Google Nexus is the underdog here.

I'll throw my vote for this. Foremost, it's inexpensive, $199 for a 7 inch tablet. Second, it has access to the entire Google Play store, not just some of it. So download the Amazon Kindle App, the Amazon MP3 app, and just about any other that you wish. Can't say that about the Kindle, Nook, etc.

The one big downside is that it does not have any video out, eg HDMI port, and you can't get video from the Amazon store (yet?)

For me, that's not an issue. I use it for my gmail account and surfing away from my computer (desktop guy!), as a book reader, to control my Squeezebox server and computer music, and for my subscription to PROG magazine. My daughter has her digital edition of Harry Potter books on it, and about a zillion games. There's 16GB and 32GB models, but honestly, it's all about cloud storage. I've had mine since it was released and am 100% satisfied.

[Scott Bails]

I got a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (refurbished) for Christmas, and it's everything I could possibly want. Google Play store and, with some finagling, the Amazon App store, and I'm good to go. Runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich, and I think will be upgraded to Jellybean soon. Seems pretty quick, and I also got a 32GB micro SD, so I should be set.

I got my daughter a Uniden "cheap" Android tablet for $60 from Big Lots on Black Friday. Amazing little device, given the price. Also runs Ice Cream Sandwich, also has the Google Play store and Amazon App store, again with some manipulation, and I got her a 32GB micro SD. It's slower than mine, but for what she's going to use it for (games, movies, books, music), it should be a great device for a couple/few years.

[Rael]

I'm a newbie when it comes to this e-reader stuff. Will the Kindle display color for magazines and comics or do you need to step up to the Kindle Fire?

[strawberrybrick]

E-ink (Kindle) is b/w. Kindle Fire is color.

[Shadow]

My daughter's Nook that we got her for Christmas just went up. I think the screen froze. They are going to send her a new one.