Comparison of e-book readers

Products > High-Tech > eReaders
6
2012-05-15 21:49:26

e-readers also known as e-book readers or e-book devices, are designed primarily to read digital books and periodicals. There is two different kind of devices in this comparison:

ePaper devices

The electronic paper technology (e-paper), try to simulate a traditional printed paper. It offers a better readability especially in bright sunlight. This technology also extend the battery life, since the screen requires electricity, only when refreshing the page. The drawbacks of this technology is the bad refresh rates which make it not appropriate to play videos, and the colors are limited to few levels of gray. However due to the reading comfort the technology provide, choose this kind of device, if you plan to use it intensively for digital books.

Other devices

In this comparison there is two devices which don't use ePaper technology, but use instead traditional color screen (and are more considered as tablets): The NookColor and the iPad 2. Both of them offer applications to read electronic books, but reading on these devices might not be as enjoyable in particular in sunlight. If you are looking for a device which is not dedicated for reading but more of a versatile device for surfing the web or playing games you might consider it.

Find below a feature oriented comparison table to choose the ereader you want. And don't hesitate to modify the table, correct errors, comments or promote the ereaders you like.
Apple iPad 2FnacbookiRiver Story HDKindle DX GraphiteKoboNOOK Simple TouchNOOK ColorOyoSony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-350SCSony Touch PRS-650
Video tourhttp://youtu.be/Z_d6_gbb90Ihttp://youtu.be/YhtBaGUNEwAhttp://youtu.be/Li7M-UoNb60http://youtu.be/r0YeWrv0x-8http://youtu.be/EAMkHgu1O_ohttp://youtu.be/xHyHmY6rKyghttp://youtu.be/O7STSgPDDRkhttp://youtu.be/VAsC_T8XR5Mhttp://youtu.be/fSTzDwa7m0Ihttp://youtu.be/5LIVoozHa6M
Like 2 0 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0
Product details
Screen size9.7 in6 in6 in9.7 in6 in6 in7 in6 in5 in6 in
Price399 USD199 EUR139.99 USD379 USD119.99 USD99 USD169 USD207 USD179.99 USD320.43 USD
Price
ManufacturerAppleFnac (Sagem)iRiverAmazonBordersBarnes & NobleBarnes & NobleThaliaSonySony
Operating SystemiOS 4.3Linux 2.6.21Android 2.1Android 2.2 (Froyo)MontaVista LinuxMontaVista Linux
Dimensions
Height241.2 mm153 mm190.4 mm264 mm184 mm165.4 mm210 mm152 mm145 mm168 mm
Width185.7 mm123 mm127.5 mm183 mm120 mm126.6 mm130 mm123 mm104.3 mm118.8 mm
Depth8.8 mm11 mm9.3 mm9.7 mm10 mm12 mm12 mm11.4 mm8.5 mm9.6 mm
Weight601 g240 g207 g540 g200 g212 g450 g240 g155 g215 g
Battery
Battery life10 h15 days14000 pages (6 weeks without wireless)14 days2 months (without wireless)8 h (without wireless)14 days (8000 pages)14 days14 days
Battery capacity1530 mAh Li-Polymer1800 mAh940 mAh940 mAh
Charge via USBYesYesYesYesYesYes microUSBYesYesYes
Replaceable batteryNoNoNoNoYesNoNo
Wireless Access
Wireless technologyWi-Fi, 3GWi-Fi, 3GWi-Fiwhispernet (3G)BluetoothWi-FiWi-FiWi-Fi
Free wireless accessNoYes 3G gratuite en France métropolitaine (réseau SFR)NoYes AT&T + 100 countriesYes Free Wi-Fi at Barnes and Nobles and 24,000 AT&T hotspotsNo
Storage
Internal memory storage16 GB - 32 GB - 64GB2 GB2 GB4 GB1 GB2 GB8 GB2 GB2 GB2 GB
Memory extensionNoYes microSDHCYes SDHCNoYes SD cardYes microSDYes microSDHCYes microSDNoYes SD card, Memory Stick
Number of books storage20003500100060001500
Automatic library backupNoYes retélécharger gratuitement vos livres (6x)YesYes Re-download your books for freeYes
Features
Free ebooks0503000000 Free Google eBooks010010
Free book samplesNoYes read first chapters for free
Built-In DictionaryYes (English)Collins DictionaryThe New Oxford American DictionaryMerriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th EditionMerriam-Webster Collegiate®American Oxford
English Oxford		American Oxford
English Oxford
Personal document support.jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc, .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm, .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview Adobe Acrobat); .ppt, .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls, .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)TXT, PDF, MP3, HTML, JPG, PNG, BMPPDF,TXT,
PPT, XLS, DOC, HWP
JPG,GIF,PNG,BMP (in zip files too)		unprotected Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX), PDF, HTML, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP through conversion, PRC, MOBI files (fee for wirelessly emailing), MP3, RTF, PRC, MOBI files (fee for wirelessly emailing)PDFPDF,JPG,GIF,PNG,BMPXLS, DOC, PPT, PPS, TXT, DOCM, XLSM, PPTM, PPSX, PPSM, DOCX, XLX, PPTXPDF, JPEG, PNG, BMP, MP3
Supported eBook formatsEPUB; Audible; Kindle (through app); iTunesePub, PDF, HTML, TXTPDF, ePub, TXT, FB2, DJVUKindle (AZW), PDF, TXT, unprotected MOBI, PRCePub, PDF, Adobe DRMePub, PDFePub, PDF, TXT, DOC, DOCM, DOCXEPUB, PDF, TXT, HTMLePub, PDF, BBeB Book, TXT, RTFePub, PDF, BBeB Book, TXT, RTF
BookstoreiBookstore, Kindle StoreFnacothèqueGoogle eBooksKindle StoreBorders eBook storeBarnes & Noble eBookstore, Google BooksBarnes & Noble eBookstore, Google BooksChapitre.comSony Reader StoreSony Reader Store
Bookstore size80000 books, 750 comics (in french)300000 books, 99,9% in english2000000 books, magazines, newspapers
Screen
E-ink electronic paperNoYes Sipix ePaperYesYesYesYesNoYesYes E Ink® PearlYes E Ink® Pearl
Display typeLED-backlit IPS Color16 level grayscale16 level grayscale16 level grayscale16 level grayscale E Ink® PearlIPS LCD 16M Colors16 level grayscale16 level grayscale16 level grayscale
Adjustable text sizeYes 5YesYes 6YesYes 7Yes 6Yes 6Yes 6Yes 6
Sharp display of images and photosYesYesYesYes
Full image zoomYesYesYes
Built-In PDF readerYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYes
Newspaper readingYesYesYesYes
Bookmarks and Annotationsyesyou can edit, delete, and export your notes. You can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you readyes
Touch screenYesYes touché capacitifNoNoNoYes IR ZforceYesYesYesYes
Rotating display (landscape view)Yes auto.Yes auto.NoYes auto.NoNoNoYes auto.
Audio
Headphone jackYesYesNoYesNoNoYesYesNoYes
Built-in speakerYesNoNoYesNoNoYesNo
MicrophoneYesNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
Supported Audio formatsAAC (16-320 Kbps), Protected AAC (iTunes Store), MP3 (16-320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAVMP3MP3, AudibleMP3, AACMP3MP3, AAC (DRM-free)
AudiobooksYes via AppYesNoYesNoNo
Read-To-Me (Text-to-Speech)NoNoNoYes English newspapers, magazines, blogs, booksNoNoNoNoNo
Sharing and synchronizing
Ability to read your eBooks on multiple devicesiPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac OSiPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC, Mac OS, BlackBerry, AndroidiPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC, Mac OS, BlackBerry, AndroidPCiPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC, Mac OS, BlackBerry, Android
Synchronized last page read between devicesNoYesYes between devices, Kindle apps on same acountYesYes
Lend books to friendsNoNoNoYes 14 days on selected titlesNoYes 14 days on many titlesYes 14 days on many titlesNo
Other features
Listen to Music & PodcastsYesYesNoYesNoNo
Web BrowserYesNoNoYesNoNoYesNoNo
Quick page turn by hard keyNoNoYesYesYes
Replaceable colorful back coverNoNoNoNoNo
Screensaver with your photosYesNoNoNoNoYes
Over-the-Air software updatesNoYesYesYesYes
InputVirtual keyboard (wireless keyboard available)Virtual keyboard (AZERTY)KeyboardKeyboard4 way D-padVirtual keyboard
Included accessoriesmicroUSB/USB cable, french power adapter (220v)USB 2.0 CablePower adapter, USB 2.0 cable, batteryU.S. power adapter, USB 2.0 cable, rechargeable battery (installed)
Release date2011-03-112010-11-102011-07-172010-07-072010-06-172011-06-102010-11-192010-10-302010-09-012010-09-01
Websitehttp://www.apple.com/ipad/http://www.fnac.com/http://local.iriver.com/usa/product/productOverview.asp?lpCode=M0015http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Device-Display/dp/B0015TCML0http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_koboereaderhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-simple-touch-barnes-noble/1102344735http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nookcolor/http://www.thalia.de/shop/oyo/show/http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666257813#specificationshttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Z97GKK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=glutintoinfo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B003Z97GKK
Last update2012-03-08 21:59:012012-04-03 09:44:142012-02-13 10:36:402011-09-29 01:35:032012-04-03 09:44:142012-05-15 21:49:262012-05-15 21:49:082011-12-10 21:29:562012-04-03 09:44:142011-10-06 15:40:08
Embed
  • 2010-03-01 01:57:48
    2012-05-15 21:49:26
  • eReaders
    English
  • Compare iPad vs Kindle vs Kobo vs Nook vs Fnacbook vs Sony ereaders
  • Public
    Public
  • Creative Commons License CC-BY-SA 3.0 / GNU FDL
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Comments

  • voted for NOOK Simple Touch (Like)
    Posted 2012-03-24 14:40:48 by alyuev
  • voted for Apple iPad 2 (Like)
    Awesome !
    Posted 2012-02-26 17:05:27 by YS Bae
  • voted for iRiver Story HD (Like)
    Love it, it does everything advertised and more! +1'd!
    Posted 2012-01-12 06:02:17 by Tllc
  • voted for NOOK Simple Touch (Like)
    Super! With rooting is a small andoid tablet
    Posted 2011-12-11 20:41:53 by mikuzz
  • suggested on Sony Touch PRS-650 to set Editor to redninja-woxty84
    Posted 2011-10-10 21:05:28 by redninja
  • suggested on Sony Touch PRS-650 to set Editor to redninja-woxty84
    Posted 2011-10-10 21:05:06 by redninja
  • voted for NOOK Simple Touch (Like)
    Posted 2011-07-27 19:19:33 by Seralo
  • voted for NOOK Simple Touch (Like)
    Posted 2011-07-24 20:33:18 by Alexis
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Posted 2011-07-01 17:01:19 by Joe Harrell
  • voted for Apple iPad 2 (Like)
    iPad is great. Especially for the apps.
    Posted 2011-03-27 18:05:07 by WotV
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Posted 2010-12-13 23:58:24 by Seralive
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Posted 2010-12-10 16:31:14 by jeanmi
  • Beranger, vous pouvez les rajouter SONY PRS-350 et SONY PRS-650, c'est juste que je n'ai, pour ma part, pas eu le temps pour l'instant...
    Français Posted 2010-12-08 12:57:48 by Vanina
  • Bullshit. Où sont les lecteurs SONY PRS-350 et SONY PRS-650?
    Français Posted 2010-12-08 09:21:12 by beranger
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Great comparison!
    Posted 2010-10-28 19:17:40 by Elodie
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Posted 2010-05-03 02:08:28 by Seralo
  • voted for this Comparison (Like)
    Posted 2010-04-19 04:37:28 by Vanina

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