E-book readers Price War!

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Barnes and Noble is pushing its Nook (at $149 for the Wi-Fi) and in response Amazon has come out with a $139 Kindle Wi-Fi version.

I briefly had a Sony Touch which I liked a lot until it just froze. I had planned to just replace it but Best Buy didn’t have the Touch in stock when I returned it so I took my refund to B&N and got a Nook.

The new Kindle Wi-Fi and the Nook are pretty much identical except you can add a micro SD card to the Nook.
I still prefer the Sony Touch even though it doesn’t have any Wi-Fi or G3 (honestly, when’s the last time you needed a book so bad you couldn’t wait to get to a computer?). The touch screen lets you turn pages just by sliding your finger across the “page” and add/remove bookmarks by tapping the upper right corner. Sony can also handle more formats than either Nook or Kindle.
Just my opinion.

Anyway, I figure a price war is always good for consumers. If you want a reader, now may be the time or deals might be even better by Christmas.

Btw, I saw an article that last month, for the 1st time Amazon sold more Kindle books than real books.
 
I’ve already told my mom that I want a nook for christmas. I really like how bn.com doesn’t charge you for classic books.
 
I have a nook, and I do enjoy it, however, I still have bought actual books, just got 4 of them in the last month…
I have an I phone and have a Kindle app, that comes in really handy, I think I have about…hum…8-9 books on the Kindle app for the i phone?
The web browser on the nook really takes some getting used to. I was actually on this website for a bit on the nook;0D
Thing is, it’s really hard to scroll, etc. Might just be me, though…I plan to put some tunes on the nook when I get a chance…
 
One big thing I forgot to mention in the Nook’s favor – it has a removable battery. In fact you can buy an extra (charged by plugging into your USB port) and have it ready to switch out.
Of course, I’m not sure why you’d need to do that unless you were on a two-week trek across Siberia or the Australian outback.
 
I bought my Nook in March and have loved it ever since! I have to say the thing that sold me was the ability to buy or rent books from anyone other than just Barnes & Noble. I didn’t like how the Kindle was exclusive to Amazon books as it reminds me of iTunes and apple software too much. The library near me doesn’t have a whole lot of ebooks yet, but as the technology catches on I imagine the number will grow.

I also love the free books offered every Friday. Some of them I’ve read only a few pages before deciding it was boring, but they’ve offered some really good ones like “Eat, Pray, Love”.

The updates they do every month or so have also been nice as it has added games and beta web browsing that was not available when I purchased mine. Web browsing I’ll admit is a bit tricky and I usually don’t use it for that, but I’m hoping they keep working on it.
 
Being a gadget person, I have looked on with interest as these devices have gotten progressively less expensive. However, what’s holding me back is the relatively small differential between the price of an e-book and the same physical book. I’ve looked at books I’d be interested in and seen maybe a $2 or $3 difference. For the extra money, I can have a physical book that’s not in danger of disappearing into the Twilight Zone if the electrons get rearranged or the device crashes or if sunspots shift the earth’s magnetic poles or whatever Art Bell-like calamity might happen.

I’d really be interested in hearing from happy users and what they think about the seemingly small price difference. Of course, if space and portability are the key issues, than that’s another matter.
 
Tarpeian Rock - See for me the price is a bit discouraging in the beginning, but you also gain so much space and portability by buying books this way. My DH and I are moving into a one bedroom apartment in the next 9-12 months after my MIL and FIL sell a rental home in a different state. Right now we have the room for two bookshelves, but in a one bedroom storage space is limited. I always told myself I was never going to become a pack rat…well with books I have a hard time not becoming one! The Nook allows me to keep books rather than have to go through my collection once a year to weed out classics I really like.

I also enjoyed the idea of taking my books anywhere. DH is an amatuer photographer so our adventures often take us to outdoor places. Being that I’m not as into photography as he is I still love being with him but the Nook allows me something to do so I’m not bored out of my mind! 😛 It’s easier for me to expose my Nook to the great outdoors rather than a paperback book whose pages could get dirty or worn.

So for me 1) The ability to have hundreds of books at my fingertips without taking up tons of space and 2) Portability to anywhere I chose were reasons why I like the Nook.

My sister has told me she will never get a Nook not because it’s not a cool device but because she loves holding a physical book. I understand the argument as I still have hardcover books I can’t part with regardless if I had them in ebook formatt. Electronic readers are like watching Lord of the Rings on TV: it’s still a great movie but for some people it’s not the same effect they’re looking for like they would get at the theater.
 
I’m rather disappointed in the Nook’s black and white main screen for reading, though I did like the free Internet access, however difficult to use with the touchpad (too little space to touch/press links)

I’ve heard rumors of a new version of the Nook coming out eventually, and figure I’ll hold out and see what it’s like.

If it’s something entirely color/touchpad, which I admit would be more of an iPad competitor, that would be the best. With free Internet, who wouldn’t want it?

Otherwise just a mini laptop PC from someplace like Walmart would read books just as well or better, hold more, and in color, and in more formats, for a bit more expense admittedly.
 
I like the feel and the art of books. I have no sympathy for electronic doodads.
 
One of my problems with e-book readers, is the books are MORE expensive that a 90% of the books I buy. Almost all of my books are from the local used book store or from Amazon Marketplace, so anywhere from $.01 (with $4 shipping) on Amazon to $7 or $8 at the book store. The only time I buy something for more than $10 is if I REALLY want it and want it NOW! 😃
 
DH bought me a nook for my birthday and it is the best thing I have owned in a long time! The cost of the eBooks I have purchased were 1/3 to 1/2 the price of a printed book. This will save a ton of mone for me. I think the savings in cost of books is significant if you tend to buy a lot of books. (And what you buy are new releases) eBook readers are also great if you love classics because most of those are free to you.

As others have said, I also like that it saves a lot of room in my home and I have the portability of numerous books to choose from within the one device that conveniently fits inside my purse!

I will not stop buying printed books just because of the electronic device. I adore the feel and smell of printed books. But it reduces the number of books I will buy for pleasure reading as I will get those in e-format. (Or e-borrow them.) I will continue to buy certain printed books for their beauty, special content and/or photography/artwork.
 
I like my Bebook Neo e-reader. It was a birthday gift earlier this year. Very versatile and exactly what I wanted.
 
Captain_America said:
I like the feel and the art of books. I have no sympathy for electronic doodads.
Click to expand...
And the smell of a new book . . . 👍

But, I am married to an engineer so I’m OK w/ electronics. May ask for an e- reader for my b-day or Christmas.
 
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