Ereaders again - a ramble that reflects my confusion

[LandSurveyor]

I just can't keep up with all the ereaders. Under the Kindle name alone, there are six devices currently offered for sale, including the Fire, which is really a tablet.

I do know from browsing through just those that it doesn't have to be a choice between a reader or a tablet any more. With e-ink devices often running below a hundred bucks, cost is not much of a bar. Add to that the fact that the devices are really thin and light, and you could actually stuff it in a pouch with your tablet or laptop without adding appreciable bulk.

The question now becomes which one? I have three different ereader apps on my smartphone and really can't decide which is best. With a dedicated reader, I will have to make an informed choice as I will be stuck with that service.

I'm thinking the Kindle Keyboard model might not be too bad since I get so frustrated with the "keyboard" on this Touchpad.

At this point, magazines will no longer complicate the decision.. Electronic magazines just aren't there yet and I've pretty much decided that color e-ink is never coming.

There's a lot of old stuff out there that's free but what I've seen is rather difficult to navigate through to find the content that interests me.

As to paid books, I get ads from Books-a-Million and others but don't really read a lot of fiction, especially current fiction.

Anybody else out there thinking along these lines?
Come to think of it, where is everybody? BH has been all too quiet lately.

[Mi An]

There is one way to get an eink reader without being too tied down: Nook Touch Android Development - xda-developers

I haven't kept up with it, but especially now that there's a NST with glowlight, it's a pretty versatile setup. You could install reading apps from one and all. Unlike the new kindles IIFC, it retains side page turning buttons, a big bonus IMO. Unlike the Kindle Keyboard, which does have the side buttons IIRC, it doesn't have the nice hard keyboard to work with, but will you enter much text on a dedicated reader? And of course, as another downside, you have to figure stuff out to get your freedom.

4670417d-7169-42c3-845f-5a2777b4a75e.jpg I didn't think I'd get to post this after I missed my opportunity when everyone was talking about nootered Nook Colors.

You did want us to post more things to make your decision harder, right? ;v)

[Mitlov]

We have a Kindle Keyboard. It's well built, the page-turn keys have nice action, and no touchscreen means no fingerprints on the screen. Very good purchase.

I looked at the Nook Simple Touch e-reader and was unimpressed by page-turn buttons (not physical buttons but flexible areas on the case, which makes the case feel cheap, and they're too far from the edge to be convenient). The only other option was touching the screen, which adds up to a lot of fingerprints on a hard-to-clean matte screen. I'm not biased against B&N--hell, I worked there for a couple years when I was young and I loved it--but the Kindle Keyboard is just a better device than the Nook Simple Touch.

[questionfear]

Within the Kindle line, the major difference is touch or non-touch, and keyboard vs non-keyboard. The cheapest option IIRC is the non-touch non-keyboard, but if you are doing a great deal of note taking or searching for books on your ereader it's a pain from what I have read. I have a keyboard Kindle and only use the keyboard while picking up a PRIME title (you can't borrow PRIME titles unless you do it from a Kindle device).

If a keyboard is a dealbreaker, you're stuck with Kindle. No one else has the physical keyboard (well, there's a handful of knockoffs, but those aren't exactly high quality).

[LandSurveyor]

Its another case of not knowing how I would use it until after I actually get one. I might not need a keyboard much at all but better safe than sorry. I have a feeling the keyboard model might be the last of the Mohicans. Is there a downside to this model?

[Hook]

I really love the Kindle Keyboard even though I almost never use the keyboard. It is just the right size and shape and has a perfect screen and the page turning side keys. It is the best book simulator I have ever handled. I love it not being a touch screen. I don't want the software to do something if I happen to point to a word.

By the way, you can still get the wifi only version, though they make it hard to fined.

Kindle Keyboard with Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display

The $79 model is fine, you don't need the keyboard, but I like the controls and the screen size better on the keyboard model (the smaller keyboard model).

[questionfear]

The keyboard model is what I have as well. It's a great device, and Amazon supports their Kindles for quite a while. I had an original Kindle, and eventually Mrs QF used the original Kindle, and it died last year from blunt trauma (dog butt+dog jumping onto an air mattress+kindle=badness), but was still going strong and worked great (aside from the labrador shaped cracks on the screen).

Kindle with "special offers" is cheaper, but remember that means small ads on the screensaver and home screen (NOT in your books). However, I believe Amazon also lets you pay the difference and remove the ads if you buy a special offers kindle and then decide you don't want the ads. And no wifi=no ads, so you can also just turn off the wireless to avoid them as well.

[Mitlov]

Its another case of not knowing how I would use it until after I actually get one. I might not need a keyboard much at all but better safe than sorry. I have a feeling the keyboard model might be the last of the Mohicans. Is there a downside to this model?

It's got a worse screen-size-to-device-size ratio than the non-keyboard models.

[Hook]

It's got a worse screen-size-to-device-size ratio than the non-keyboard models.

I actually prefer this to the newer more square Kindle. The screen is plenty big and there is enough bezel to hang onto. It feels more like a book in the hand.

[LandSurveyor]

All in all, the keyboard model still sounds pretty good. I would probably opt for the 3G version and get what use out of it I could. I understand that it has limited browsing capability which would make physical keys welcome. I will never get used to onscreen keyboards.

Assume that this model is not backlit in any way? If so, what solution is available for people who read in the dark and don't want to disturb their SO?