Top e-book Readers
Got the details cleared away? Great. Now check out some of the hottest e-readers on the market today.
Amazon Kindle 2, $259
After taking the world by storm with the original Kindle, Amazon returned to the drawing board for the Kindle 2, a slimmer, sexier version of the original. It offers a 6-inch screen, 2GB of internal memory (to hold about 1,500 nonillustrated books) and most importantly, Whispernet access to pull down books from the sky when you’re out and about. Text-to-speech capabilities even allow it to read books to, if you don’t mind a little robotic intonation. Sadly, it’s missing a touch screen, and many users bemoan the lack of a backlight for evening reading. It also only handles Amazon’s DRM-protected AZW books, free Mobipocket titles, and plain text files, leaving out the popular EPUB format.
Amazon Kindle DX, $489
The best just got bigger, or so Amazon would have you believe. In an effort to promote the Kindle as a potential replacement for newspapers and textbooks Amazon bumped the screen size up to 9.7 inches for the DX. It also gets a hefty 4GB of internal memory and a price tag and gigantic as its screen.
Sony Reader Pocket Edition, $200
As the name would imply, the 5-inch screen on Sony’s Pocket Edition reader makes it one of the smallest readers you can buy. Sony also pared memory down to just 512MB (although 350 books should be enough for all but the most voracious readers) and stripped off the keyboard to shrink it down. Unlike the original Kindle, it will handle EPUB, Microsoft Word and PDF files natively, but lacks the dedicated modem and wireless access that allows the Kindle to download books from anywhere. You’ll need to connect it to a PC to load up on fresh titles.
Sony Reader Touch Edition, $300
Sony’s largest reader matches the Kindle 2 with its 6-inch screen size, but throws in an extra twist: a touch screen. Rather than controlling it with a variety of side buttons, you can simply swipe your finger across the screen to turn a page or highlight text with the included stylus. It will also play MP3 and AAC files in addition to all the open-standard text formats the smaller Pocket Edition reads.
iRex DR800S, $400
Somewhere between the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX lies the iRex DR800S, an e-reader with an 8.1-inch screen and a price tag to match. It outdoes both Amazon devices with a touch screen, and matches Amazon’s killer Whispernet feature with its own built-in wireless modem that rides on Verizon’s network, and access to Barne’s & Noble’s eBook store, which is currently stocked with 700,000 titles. It will launch at Best Buy retail locations by the end of October.
Foxit eSlick, $260
The makers of the popular Foxit Reader PDF software dipped a toe into hardware with eSlick reader, which served as a cheaper Kindle when Amazon still hawked the Kindle 2 for $300, but which has become less competitive with Amazon’s latest price drop. It matches the Kindle 2 in many respects, including 6-inch screen size, but lacks that unit’s built-in keyboard, and more importantly, its built-in modem. It also compares unfavorably in the memory department, with only 512MB of storage onboard compared to the Kindle’s 2GB. Only native support for PDF files and MP3s really redeem it.
Barnes & Noble Nook, $259
With the same white plastic rim and screen size as the Kindle 2, you could be forgiven for mistaking the Nook for Amazon’s child, but look closely. The bottom sports a small multi-touch enabled color screen for navigating, rather than the Kindle’s hard keyboard. Also like the Kindle 2, it uses a cellular data network to allow users to download books from the Barnes & Noble eBook store anywhere they get cellular connectivity – but the B&N version rides on AT&T rather than Sprint, and includes Wi-Fi for faster downloads when you’re at home.
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