E-Book readers forum: E-book choices, oh my!

My wife and I have Kindles and love them. We are both in our 60s, and while I am comfortable with technology, my wife still struggles with the TV remote

If you want it primarily for reading ebooks, then you want the best screen possible for that purpose. That narrows your choices to those readers that use e-ink screens. They are as readable in bright sunlight as they are in indoor lighting. The LCD type screens as are found on tablets, are normally back lit and don't fair well in bright sunlight.

Since your grandmother is an email user, she will have no problem browsing Amazon's web site for books that she wants to read. Once her account is set up, all she has to do is click one button to order, pay and download her book. It's all automatic.

The only problem would arise if she doesn't have wireless internet access at home (you didn't state whether she does email wirelessly or through a wired Ethernet connection). If she doesn't have wireless, then you might want to consider a Kindle with 3G access. Then she will be able to get her books through a cell tower.

As far as battery life goes, the Kindle will last up to 2 months on one charge inder normal circumstances. This obviously varies with the amount of use the Kindle gets on a daily basis.

Kaitlyn said she wants to get her grandmother the eBook Reader for her Birthday. It just may be that she intends it to be a surprise. Therefore taking her to a store to look at them or surfing the web would defeat the purpose of a Surprise...wouldn't you think??? I may be incorrect but you're just as incorrect for jumping to your conclusion that Kaitlyn thinks her grandmother in your words...."is too old to use something...." Don't read more into her question than what's there....she's asking for advice so that she can make an informed decision. Now... what constructive advice can you offer?

I realize everyone is different but I agree with badbounder to not assume your grandmother's abilities (or lack of) unless you already have first-hand knowledge of her ability to learn new things. My grandkids have taught me to TEXT since I am severely hearing impaired. Yes, it may take us a little bit longer to catch on but I am a whiz these days!!!

I have had a Kindle since it came on the market (when it was $359!) and absolutely love it. Anyone who loves to read and travels as well will be delighted. The ability to change font size is a big plus and living in Naples, FL I can attest to the fact that reading at the beach in full sun is no problem at all.

I might also get an IPad at some point if the prices come down since I like the ability to leave my kindle and Ipod home when I travel and only carry one electronic device but my advice is that the KINDLE is the place to start . I hope this feedback is helpful.

Go grandma! grammyannie

I have been a ebook user for many years. I resisted getting a Kindle, Nook or any other dedicated ereader because I dislike spending that much money for one use only devise.
I had been reading my books on computer and my phone, first a Palm Treo then Palm pre now the iPhone and iPad.
if she likes to read alot I think an ereader is excellent idea. If she is willing to use a computer I think an iPad might be a good way to go.
one device for many uses. iPad can use kindel, iBooks and nook readers and she can do skype to talk to grandkids or you. or if the family has iPhones, Mac or iPads they can use facetime.
I like the ease of finding books on iBooks. with the new iCloud there are many things to say about having an iPad. I have over 700 books actually if you count my kindel books and stanza books probably over a thousand , on the iPad and iphone.
i also use the ipad to view movies and listen to music. a good way to pass the time if you are waiting at a doctors appointment or solo eating at a restaurant.
Kindle did just come out with a cheeper ereader so that maybe a deciding factor but i really don't like buying an electronic that will do one thing only.

As well as the font size of the text, I am wondering if it has any audible features for people with eye problems. I talked to someone at Amazon about the fire and suggested that they consider making a physical keyboard with it as an accessory, for those with sight problems or putting in some audible voice prompts. Why? Lots of seniors loose their vision. I have congenital vision loss.

The Nook color also has the read out loud feature with a more natural sounding voice. Just tried it yesterday at the store. I am still in the process of looking a the e-readers, but am leaning heavily toward the Nook for a few main reasons. 1) I have the app's loaded on my Android phone and my laptop already and love the fact that all Nook items sync up to where you left off in a book. 2) The color screen seems to be easier to ready. 3) B&N has a huge availability of free & discounted books. 4) It is compatible with my hometown's library.
Hope your gramma loves her gift! I'm sure she'll get many hours of enjoyment from it.

I am a 71 year old nana and more computer-savvy than my children and grandchildren. (I trade stocks on TradeStation, so I have to be.) I also have an ipad because I don't want to be limited in what I can see or do on my computers, and I can tuck it in a bag and take it with me everywhere. Why not take Nana out shopping and show her what is available and let her make the choice. Be sure to stop at the Apple store and let one of their people show her what an ipad is and what it can do. Why assume she will be happy with black and white, and just email and e-books. Why not give her a key to the universe--the internet--so she can see and read about what is happening with the Arab spring, the Republican caucauses, the Occupy protests...keep her connected and engaged in the real world. When we stop caring about what is happening around us, we are disconnecting and preparing for "the inevitable".
I bought all my kids and grandkids computers and/or ipads precisely because they are keys to the universe. I explained to the grandkids that when I was a kid, you had to look everything up in the newspaper or the encyclopedia, or hopefully find a book or a person that explained it. Now they type in the likely phrases in a browser, and they get thousands of answers in a matter of seconds, sorted according to relevance. How great is that!? They can read the answers and decide what makes sense to them, rather than assuming what they found in a book is the ultimate answer simply because it was the only book they could find on the subject in their library. What if books on the subject they are researching is banned by their state or school board?
Sorry for digressing, but I think it's important to look at all the choices before making a decision, not just limit yourself to one-trick ponies. A 71-year old grandmother is old enough to have some say in decisions that affect her. "If not now, then when?"

and I love it! The screen is very easy on the eyes, the font size can easily be enlarged, and it has a much better screen than any phone ever could. The goal Amazon had was for the device to "disappear" when you are reading, and they have accomplished that.

With that said, I do not ever allow anyone to use my Kindle because of the ease of buying books on it (with my credit card!) and I did hope to do two things on it that I found were impractical: I wanted to use it for my college textbooks and I wanted to be able to take it to church with me in place of my Bible. They have fixed the textbook problem by adding in page numbers (although I haven't used one with that feature yet, so I can't comment on it), and I still can't easily find a scripture reference at church. I also can't "hold my finger" in one place while I check another.

For just reading, you can't beat the Kindle. The fact that Amazon works hard to keep the prices of ebooks down and has the biggest selection is not a minor matter, either. I highly recommend this reader to anyone who asks.

We got one for Christmas. I am very disappointed in it on many counts. I read in bed at night.
Whoever designed the layout of the Nook did not have any common sense. The location of the charger plug is in the middle of the bottom. Since I use it to read in bed at night, if it is not fully charged you have to read while the unit is charging. A while back I had that scenario & tried to read in bed with the charger cord plugged in. It was sitting on my chest.
The charger plug bent & before I knew it it broke off so I had to buy a 2nd charger cord. If the placement was on any of the other 3 sides it would have been an improvement.

The most aggravating problem I have with the Nook is the supersensitivity of the edges of the screen. If a shadow of my finger is on the edge of the frame it turns the page, or causes several notifications to pop up every few minutes. Also it can trigger a yellow section on the page. It is very heavy & the battery life is horrible.

When I saw the spec's on the newer black & White Nook they were all the things that should have been in the color Nook considering the price they charged. I see no reason to have color when the only time you see any color is when you first see the book.cover when you choose the book. The price of the Nook Color is over $100 more than the new Nook. I really think we buyers of the NC should have waited for the 2nd Nook so B&N would get all the bugs out of it. I am a senior citizen so I think my perspective would probably be similar to the grandmother mentioned here. I hope that helps. Good luck to you.

I have the nook color. I like it. But the Nook Reader the new one is perfect for the purse, pocket and the bed stand. I like it's e-ink screen. It supports most of the common file types, and is easily managed with a computer. Bright light does not effect the read, but you won't be able to read in the dark so your partner will have to suffer! The nook color on the other hand you can read in the dark. But wait till the new Kindle is on the market before you make any decision.. Lots are happening in the small tablets and e readers. Be Patient. And when you go to buy find a demonstrator and get a hands on experience before you buy.

I'm 70 and travel for work on long-term assignments and have no problem carrying it in my purse. I love my Kindle. I have bought 4 more for family. There are many free ebooks from Amazon. Now you can check out from the library on your Kindle. I also get Audible books t listen to on the Kindle. The e-ink screen is easy on my eyes and I can make the font big enough to see when I get my hair done and have to take my glasses off. I have pre-ordered the new Kindle Fire and I hope to be as pleased with it.
I think if your grandmother is a reader, any of the e-readers would work but I can certainly recommend the Kindle.

Actually, it is only the lowest cost ($79) new Kindle that has no speaker. The Kindle Touch ($99) does have a speaker and a "Read To Me" feature.

I have a kindle and I love it. It can be password protected so no one but you can purchase books. It is a big cumbersome to enter a password everytime but does protect you. I just borrowed my first book from my library on it and it was so simple. My husband has one also and loves it. Can't think of any negatives that we have found.

My sister has a Kindle and she loves it. I had a chance to play with it the last time I visited her. I thought it was
a rather interesting way to read a book. Being able to change the font as well as the size of the text is a great
feature for those of us who are older and require glasses to see ANYTHING clearly. The Kindle "turned" and loaded
the pages quickly. The screen is a decent size and it is indeed possible to read in sunlight. The battery life was
great. I read for several hours a day for 3 days and the battery was still going strong.

Some of the things I didn't like. The only place you can buy ebooks for the Kindle is Amazon. It is a proprietary
gadget. It is difficult to find a particular page because the page numbers change as you change the size of the
text.

I would suggest that you look at Consumer Reports article and ratings for e readers. It contains some really
good advice on choosing an e reader as well as links to other helpful sites. There is a great video featuring
Paul Reynolds and Paul Eng discussing the Kindle versus the iPad.

You are correct in noting that books can be loaded onto Kindle from sites other that Amazon. There are numerous sites (well several at least) from which e-books can be obtained. The books vary in quality of format, (i.e., how good it looks when you try to read it, navigation within book, correction of errors, etc.) and choice of titles. I have been very mean (that's a good Scottish word for stingy) about spending money on e-books, mostly because they have been overpriced in the past. So, mostly I download free, out of copyright, books. Although there are other sites with free e-books, I usually get them from Amazon and from a French site called www.feedbooks.com. The key to downloading and using e-books from sites other than Amazon is a program called Calibre. Calibre is a magic program written and maintained by a gentleman called Kovid Goyal (he produces a new update about every two weeks). The formats from most of these sites include epub and mobi, as well as others. Kindle uses mobi, or Amazon's version of mobi called azw (they bought the mobi format from the French company that produced it). The Nook and the Sony readers use epub. One of the many features of Calibre is that it can convert between formats, although it cannot convert books that are locked with DRM (Digital Rights Manager, I'm not sure about the last word). This means that if you buy a modern book in epub format you cannot convert it to mobi to read on the Kindle. Likewise, if you buy a DRM'ed book from Amazon in azw format (equivalent to mobi), you cannot convert it to read on a Nook or Sony. I have downloaded directly to my Kindle from the feedbooks site although I prefer to download to the computer, add it to the Calibre library, convert to mobi if necessary, and transfer it from Calibre to the Kindle through the USB connection.

All this technical chit-chat was intended only to reply to monisanchez and is probably of little interest to the original questioner. I have made more general comments in the main thread.

Dr. Arthur R. Berg
Scotland