eBook Reader Reviews For The 2011 Shopping Season

So you been saving up money, so you can finally afford a top tier eBook reader; or maybe you are still undecided on which eBook reading device is the right choice for you. Maybe you have visited my website and after reading all the eBook reader reviews I have there, you are still undecided. To make things more complicated, you finally narrowed down the selections for you, however; you seen an ad for this year's CES(consumer electronics show) and with all the new ereaders coming to the market this holiday season, you feel like you don't want to be left behind so in your mind you are back to square one. Well in this article I will highlight some of the best eBook reader reviews of the new ereaders presented at this year's CES. I will also try and give you information that will help you decide on rather to go with a new to market eBook reading device or with an already established one. Surely we can assume that all the major players that are already established in the market place, will be either introducing new variations of their devices that are currently on the market, rolling out brand new devices such as the Kindle 4, or simply adding new features to their respective devices VIA software updates; like the Nook color did earlier this year, which successfully converted its full featured ereader into a hybrid, tablet type device.

If you read my eBook reader reviews, you know that even though it's a tad bit expensive, I still love and recommend the Nook Color. It is the perfect, affordable alternative to the Ipad and its ideal for serious readers like me who still would like to have fun with a tablet. This year's CES was a very unimpressive show as for as the ereader market goes, so there aren't many eBook reader reviews to compare. Only one brand new ereader stood out and that device is called the IRiver Story HD. The 6-inch ereading device touts a bodacious 1024x768 resolution, which contributes to an even better contrast ratio than any other reading device, currently on the market. Software optimizations make it, the fastest-refreshing device of its kind. The IRiver Story HD has a claimed three week battery life, built in wi-fi, and supports Adobe, ePub, and PDF formats with digital rights management. It also features 2 GB of onboard storage and a SDHC card-reading slot. Sun rays are absolutely no problem and I have to admit that on first sight, I thought the device had a sticker affixed to its front. It really is that impressive at reproducing printed materials. Physically, it seems as if they used the blueprint of the third generation Kindle to construct their device. Even though I'm not fond of copy cats, in this case it was a smart, safe, move on their part. When you read with this device in public, it definitely will spark conversations and make your friends jealous because of its unbelievable contrast ratio.

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In my opinion, the IRiver Story HD is nothing more that a slightly upgraded, third generation Kindle. I wanted to write more eBook reader reviews as a result of this year's CES, however; the other ereaders were very unimpressive. So for the 2011 shopping season it seems that all the more popular eBook reader reviews you read in 2010 will be relevant for 2011 also. I expect the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes and Noble, Nook ereader to dominate the competition this year; especially since consumers usually flock to the more established brands during contentious economic times.

eBook Reader Reviews For The 2011 Shopping Season

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The Amazon Kindle 3G Vs the Barnes & Noble Nook - Who Will Win the Holiday Shopping War?

If you have been considering an e-book reader for yourself or as a gift, the choice between the Amazon Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi and the Barnes & Noble Nook will be a tough one. The reviews show that both products are terrific e-Readers but it is the differences and your personal preferences that will make your decision. Priced at 9 for the Kindle 3G and 9 for the Nook your decision will be based on your choice of features.

Both units have 6 inch diagonal E-Ink electronic displays, with 600 x 800 pixel resolution. The weights are comparable, the Kindle at 10.2 ounces and the Nook at 12.1 ounce. And the actual unit sizes are 8″ x 5.3 for the Kindle and 7.7″ x 4.9 for the Nook. Both have an internal memory of 2GB but the Nook has an expandable micro SD slot which would only be necessary if you think you need to store more than the 1,500 books that the 2GB will hold.

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Battery life is also similar, 10 days or 7,500 page turns, with the wireless off. And both completely recharge between 3.5 and 4 hours. Both units can be used as an MP3 player, the Kindle with built in stereo speakers and the Nook with built-in mono speakers. Both also have headphone jacks.

Here is where your preferences will make the difference. The Amazon Kindle has a keyboard at the bottom, it does not display in color but has a 16-level gray-scale that does a great job with images. The Barnes & Noble Nook has a color touch screen at the bottom. So do you prefer typing on a keyboard or touch screen?

And here is the big one - the Kindle 3G with Wi-Fi uses Amazon's Whispernet through Sprint's 3G high-speed data network for U.S. wireless coverage. No charge involved. And there is expanded coverage available if you are traveling internationally. The Nook has free wireless via AT&T, and free Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores. If you intend on down loading books while traveling service from these providers would have to be available.

The Kindle has an additional feature, Text-to-Speech. You can switch from reading a book to listening to it with the audio book reader. You can enlarge the print with both units. The Kindle's screen is less reflective than the other e-book readers which eliminates the problems that reading off a screen in the sunshine can create. The Nook's screen is ranked better than most of the competitors but not better than the Kindle. Where will you be reading?

So here we are. What are your preferences? What type of keyboard, and whose wireless carrier do you prefer. Both the Kindle 3G and the Nook e-Book readers have great reviews and thousands of books available. Good luck with your choices and happy shopping.

The Amazon Kindle 3G Vs the Barnes & Noble Nook - Who Will Win the Holiday Shopping War?

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