Latest/Best/Smart/ E-Readers Price For 2011

E-Reader sales soared in 2010 with the market doubling in the last quarter alone. And 2011 looks to be promising for the e-book market with more tablets coming out and continued improvements upon existing e-readers. For a while it looked as if Amazon’s Kindle had cornered the market on e-readers, and while the Kindle still accounts for nearly half of all e-reader sales, competitors are claiming their piece of the e-reader pie. With more choices available, the decision on which e-reader to get comes down to personal reading preference. Do you read mostly novels? An e-ink screen may be the way to go. Do you enjoy magazines or have kids? You may want to consider a color screen. Do you read mostly at night or do you like to read outside? E-ink’s better in the daylight, while the LCD screens are better in low light.

The following e-readers offer a variety of options to suit your needs and are the highest rated by the most respected online consumer review sites. I also regularly peruse book forums to learn what people have to say about their e-readers and have had the opportunity to test several of these e-readers myself. The top review sources for this article were: Consumer Reports, Cnet, Amazon reviews, PCMag, CES 2011, MacWorld, Nathan Bransford, and Goodreads.

Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi or Kindle 3G ($139,$189)

Pros:

    * Readability- highest rated eInk screen, especially in sunlight, similar to reading a printed page, ability to change font size
    * Nice features and extras, including dictionary, notes and highlighting, games, and page numbers
    * Lightweight, slim and portable design
    * Access to Amazon’s extensive ebook store with wireless delivery, Kindle can hold up to 3,500 books

Cons:

    * Limited file support- doesn’t support the standard ePub file used by libraries
    * No expansion slot for SD card
    * Not the best for reading magazines or other illustrated materials

Top Review Sources:

    * Consumer Reports: 70 out of 100 for the 3G (their highest rated e-reader) 65 out of 100 for the Kindle Wi-Fi
    * Cnet: 4 out of 5 stars, latest design puts it at the top of the e-reader category
    * Amazon reviewers: Average 4.5 out of 5 stars from 19,359 customer reviews

Now in it’s 3rd generation, the Amazon Kindle is the best selling and best rated dedicated e-reader, setting the standard for which all other competitors are compared. The Kindle e-reader is best suited for reading books and printed material. Reviewers love that they can hold it in one hand, just like reading a paperback, and the long battery life is a draw as well. The less expensive Wi-Fi only model is a great value at $139

Barnes & Noble Nook Color ($249)

Pros:

    * Brilliant 7-inch color touch screen
    * 8 GB of memory plus microSD expansion slot
    * Excellent file support: PDF, Word, ePub
    * Web browser works well for the price with strong social networking (Facebook, Twitter)

Cons:

    * Short battery life of 8 hours due to the color LCD screen
    * No 3G
    * More expensive than the Kindle

Top Review Sources:

    * PCMag: 4 out of 5 stars, Editor’s Choice for Best of the Year 2010, “A compelling, color reading experience”
    * Consumer Reports: 68 out 0f 100, “The best color e-reader”
    * Consumer Electronics Show 2011: Winner of People’s Choice Award

The Barnes & Noble Nook Color bridges the gap between a dedicated e-reader and an all-inclusive tablet by blending color with portability. The Nook color would be perfect for parents and kids with access to vibrant picture books featuring Nook’s interactive AliveTouch technology as well as the text to speech feature. If you’re looking for an e-reader strictly for reading books, then the Kindle may be the better option, but if you want something that offers a little more without the expensive tablet price tag, then the Nook Color fits the bill.

Apple iPad ($499)

Pros:

    * Large, bright color LCD touch screen
    * 3G wireless, iOS 4 mobile operating system
    * More than just an e-reader, offers the benefit of a full-featured tablet, faster graphics, streaming media, web browser, loads of built-in apps and access to the Apple app store, including the Kindle app

Cons:

    * Expensive
    * Difficult to read in sunlight
    * Heavier and bulkier to carry around

Top Review Sources:

    * Cnet: 4 out of 5 stars, Excellent
    * Macworld: 4 out of 5 , “A great reading device with remarkable flexibility”
    * PCMag: 4.5 out of 5, very good
    * Nathan Bransford: “Loves reading on it almost as much as life itself”

The luxury model of e-readers, Apple iPad is for those who would make use of the laptop-esque features that a tablet offers. The iBooks library is not yet as extensive as either Amazon’s or Barnes & Noble’s e-book stores, so a good browse through the titles would be recommended. The LCD vs. e-ink debate is one of personal choice. Some love reading on the iPad with the crisp colors and fast page turns, while other prefer the e-ink which most closely resembles the printed word on paper. The iPad is easier to read at night while the e-ink e-readers such as the Kindle are best in sunlight.

Sony e-Reader Daily Edition ($299)
Pros:

    * Super-responsive 7-inch touch screen with crisp e-ink display and adjustable font sizes
    * Wi-Fi and 3G wireless access, link to Google books
    * Long battery life of 10-22 days, can be charged via USB port
    * Excellent file support (supports ePub)

Cons:

    * More expensive than similar e-readers
    * Sony online e-book store isn’t as extensive as Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Top Review Sources:

    * Consumer Reports: 67 out of 100, liked the Sony for it’s navigational features and ease of use, yet gave a fair mark for responsiveness
    * Cnet: overall score of 7.5 out of 10, gave it a 9 for design
    * Amazon reviewers: 3.4 out of 5 stars from 50 customer reviews, most liked it for the screen design

Though Kindle may be the most popular e-reader, Sony made one of the originals. The Daily Edition is Sony’s flagship model and though the responsiveness of the e-ink touch screen lags behind its LCD counterparts, it’s much improved over previous models. Sony’s chic, user-friendly design has been the key to staying in the e-reader competition.

Kobo Wireless e-Reader ($99)

Pros:

• Affordability
• Lightweight and portable
• Over a million titles on Borders eBooks
• Pre-loaded with 100 classics, access to free apps, ePub file support

Cons:

• Slower page turns and navigation compared to other e-readers
• On-screen keyboard can be difficult to use
• Searching through your library is tedious

Top Review Sources:

• PCWorld: 3 out of 5 stars, “the least expensive Wi-Fi-connected ePub-compatible model, and it handles the format well”
• Cnet: overall performance score of 5.8 out of 10
• Goodreads: average user rating 4.34 out of 5 stars from 29 reviewers

Though the Kobo’s performance may not be up to par with that of the Kindle or Nook, the under $100 price point is appealing to the budget conscious. It is the least expensive e-reader to offer Wi-Fi and is better designed than other budget e-readers. What users commented on the most was the portability factor and the ability to get ebooks from the library.