With ultra-affordable e-ink readers, midprice color tablets
like the Nexus 7, iPad Mini, and Kindle Fire HD, and even the more expensive
iPads all vying for your e-book dollar, what's the best choice for you? It
depends.
Shopping for an e-book reader or a small tablet? At first glance, the task
seems daunting -- there are more choices than ever before. The good news is
that the list of worthwhile choices is actually fairly short. The
even better news? Prices and features are better than ever.
When we say "e-book readers," we're now really
referring to four classes of products: black-and-white e-ink readers; 7-inch
color LCD media tablets; midsize color LCD tablets ranging from 7.9 to 9 inches
and full-size color tablets like theiPad.
The market for those products has consolidated around a
handful of major players: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Google are the
leaders, with companies like Kobo, Samsung, and Sony -- and a host of other Android tablet manufacturers
-- bringing up the rear.
Choosing among those those categories of tablets and readers
is the dilemma facing any shopper today, with key variables such as size,
weight, screen type, and app "ecosystem" leading the shopping
considerations. But don't worry; CNET's here to help.
Best overall e-ink readers: Kindle Paperwhite. In
addition to its built-in light and touch-screen, the 2012 Kindle Paperwhite
offers access to Amazon's best-in-class e-book store, helping it win the e-ink
race by a nose. The best e-ink alternative is the Nook
Simple Touch with GlowLight, another excellent self-illuminated e-reader --
just note that Barnes & Noble's selection of e-books isn't quite as vast
(nor often as cheap) -- as Amazon's. That said, the Nook is ad-free, a
privilege that will cost you $20 extra for the Paperwhite. International
readers should also consider the Kobo
Glo, another worthwhile self-illuminated e-reader, though it's somewhat
hampered by Kobo's content selection, which pales in comparison to Amazon and
B&N. However, both the Nook and Kobo readers work with third-party EPUB
e-book purchases, while the Kindle does not.
Best bargain e-ink readers: While you lose the built-in
light found on the models above, the Barnes
& Noble Nook Simple Touch and Amazon Kindle are the two best
e-readers you can get. The Nook has a touch-screen and is ad-free. The Kindle
has Amazon's superior e-book selection, but lacks the touch screen found on the
Nook (and step-up Kindle Paperwhite).
Best midsize tablets: Want to go bigger, but still stay
at $330 or under? The 8.9-inch
Kindle Fire HD ($299) and 9-inch Nook
HD+ (just $269) offer supersized versions of their 7-inch siblings at
still-reasonable prices.
Best full-size reading tablet: Apple iPad (fourth-gen) (refurbished
starts at $299). If you want a full-size, full-featured tablet that can double
as an e-book reader, the iPad platform remains the best, no-compromise choice.
It offers free Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Google Play reading apps, with full
access to the content in those e-book stores. (Additionally, the iPad offers
Apple's own iBooks application, though those e-books can't be accessed on any non-iOS
device.) And the iPad's Good Reader app remains the best way to read, edit, and
annotate PDF files that we've seen to date. To be fair, Android tablets also
double as good e-book readers, with those same three major e-book apps
available -- and, as we mentioned above, the smaller Android tablets (including
Amazon and B&N) are better deals at lower price points. But if you're
spending $299 and want a large (9.7-inch) screen, we'd still rather have an
iPad.
The iPad 2 remains a great tablet that beats much of
the Android competition.
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