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Best e-reader

M

macmesser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
921
198
Long Island, NY USA
Hope this is the right place for this post. My dad has trouble reading due to his eyes and so tends to sit for hours on end in front of the TV watching the news. I don't think it's healthy for his mind or body so I'm getting him a device he can use for e-books with oversize type. Hopefully I can persuade him to use it with the right books.

I have an iPad 3 and love the convenience. I have a few ebooks on it but they are reference manuals, computer and ecommerce books. I use them for how-to info and not for extended reading for fun so I don't really know how iPad compares to Kindle for this purpose. One negative I have with iPad is that Kindle (I don't use one) can have larger screen size. Also probably simpler for an older guy. Would really appreciate it if anyone who knows both would share experiences. Thanks in advance for any insights.
 
Shanghaichica

Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,725
13,245
UK
In my experience the best reader on the market right now is that kindle paperwhite, which is 6 inches. You can change the text size and there are 8 different sizes ranging from very small to very large. If you think that 6 inches is too small, you could try the kobo aura HD, which is ~7 inches and has a built in front light and has the highest resolution of any eink device on the market. Alternatively there is the kindle DX, which is 9+ inches, although the resolution isn't as high as the current readers on the market and it doesn't have a built in light.
 
pdqgp

pdqgp

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2010
2,131
5,460
Shanghaichica said:
In my experience the best reader on the market right now is that kindle paperwhite, which is 6 inches. You can change the text size and there are 8 different sizes ranging from very small to very large. If you think that 6 inches is too small, you could try the kobo aura HD, which is ~7 inches and has a built in front light and has the highest resolution of any eink device on the market. Alternatively there is the kindle DX, which is 9+ inches, although the resolution isn't as high as the current readers on the market and it doesn't have a built in light.
Click to expand...

^^ this. Our recent purchase of the Paperwhite makes our 6th Kindle purchase since they were introduced. Only one has died, the rest are in use throughout the family. Paperwhite is by far the best to read on thus far.
 
M

macmesser

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 13, 2012
921
198
Long Island, NY USA
Shanghaichica said:
In my experience the best reader on the market right now is that kindle paperwhite, which is 6 inches. You can change the text size and there are 8 different sizes ranging from very small to very large. If you think that 6 inches is too small, you could try the kobo aura HD, which is ~7 inches and has a built in front light and has the highest resolution of any eink device on the market. Alternatively there is the kindle DX, which is 9+ inches, although the resolution isn't as high as the current readers on the market and it doesn't have a built in light.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Will check them all out. The Koba might work but 7 inches might still be a bit small. I think the whole package for the Kindle is great so that would be my first choice if size were not an issue. About what fraction of a "paperback" page will it (Paper white) display at the largest size? (Or what's the approximate magnification from smallest to largest?)

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pdqgp said:
^^ this. Our recent purchase of the Paperwhite makes our 6th Kindle purchase since they were introduced. Only one has died, the rest are in use throughout the family. Paperwhite is by far the best to read on thus far.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm leaning towards Kindle due to reputation and service. Will try to borrow one and see how it goes. Maybe the 6 inch at large won't be too bad.
 
Hastings101

Hastings101

macrumors 68020
Jun 22, 2010
2,355
1,482
K
Like the others I love my Paperwhite. Easy to hold, the battery lasts for a long time even reading an hour+ a day, the built in light is convenient and doesn't leave you seeing dark spots at night, and the screen is great for reading on.
 
Fernandez21

Fernandez21

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2010
4,840
3,183
There used to he a larger kindle that was like 9". Not sure if its still available, but you might want to check that one out.
 
b166er

b166er

macrumors 68020
Apr 17, 2010
2,062
18
Philly
Throw in another vote for Kindle.

If you don't need the apps and web stuff a tablet gives you and you truly just want to read, nothing beats the Kindle right now. Aside from actual books.
 
S

scott craft

macrumors 6502a
Feb 10, 2011
697
143
Louisiana
I enjoy reading on my phone and tablet, but my kindle beats them both. I've got the original with keyboard and if I can ever wear it out I'm going to get one of the paperwhite versions.
 
blairh

blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
I had a Nook SimpleTouch but I sold it. The latest Nook has a white border. :(

Latest-gen Kobo or Kindle gets my vote.
 
S

sixrom

macrumors 6502a
Nov 13, 2013
709
1
pdqgp said:
^^ this. Our recent purchase of the Paperwhite makes our 6th Kindle purchase since they were introduced. Only one has died, the rest are in use throughout the family. Paperwhite is by far the best to read on thus far.
Click to expand...

I could not agree more.

Although I have a retina iPad mini, nothing beats my dedicated e-reader, a current Kindle Paperwhite.
 
mpayne2k

mpayne2k

macrumors 6502a
May 12, 2010
876
63
I'd put in a vote for a Kindle Paperwhite if I was in the market. I still own a Kindle Touch and love Amazon Prime's 1 book a month for free lending and special deals.

A note, however, you could consider a Nook HD+ which has a retina-like 9" screen and can be found at Target, Walmart and Best Buy for around $149. A few coworkers have purchased them and rave about reading books on the device because of the nice resolution. Sure it isn't an "ereader" per se, but it is only $30 more than the Kindle that has "special offers"
 
O

OctagonA

macrumors newbie
Dec 12, 2013
8
0
What books will be read is essential

If a book formats itself, then kindle may be slightly better than iPad, but I guess any device will be OK.

If a book formatting is fixed like with PDF or manga, then the minimum screen size is 10 inches for good eyes, and you likely need more. I guess a Chromebook now and either a just announced Samsung 12.2 or rumored "big iPad" later will be best.
 
mel823

mel823

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2012
628
324
NYC
I guess I'll be the odd woman out here and say give the Nook line a try. I have three of them. The 1st generation (wi-fi + 3G - yes the 3G still works after all these years); the Simple Touch; and the HD. I did buy the new glowlight, but returned it because I realized I didn't need the glowlight. I use the HD the most. It's light, in my opinion easy on the eyes (I can read a long time on it), and since it has access to the Google Play Store, you can download other reader apps to use with it if you want, including the Kindle app. One of the benefits of the Nook line (with the exception of the new glowlight) is that you can use micro SD cards with it for more personal storage. Also, you can buy eBooks from other sites and sideload them to your Nook, except for Kindle books, since the Nook doesn't support the mobi format. If your dad's interested in something bigger he can get the HD+. I believe you can turn off all the Google features, if he doesn't want to be bothered with that part of it.
 
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