Looking for an ebook reader? Here’s all you need to know!

April 10, 2014

Hola readers! If you too are one of those who is reading your book in your 8 A.M class, on an overnight train journey or before finally crashing into bed, then this post is definitely for you. As our love for books has grown, so has the technology in this sector. Today I want to talk about e-book readers which have now been an integral part of my reading. Want to get your book immediately, without waiting days or even weeks for delivery? Want to carry all of your books with you when you travel? Looking for the perfect reading experience before going to sleep? This is where an e-book reader comes into the picture.

I will be discussing the different readers available in India and their features compiled with a detailed comparison based on some major points. Take a look!

1. Kindle Paperwhite 3G by Amazon

Photo credit : pickmykindle.com

Photo credit : pickmykindle.com

Major specifications

  • 6 Inch screen with 2GB memory (can store 1000+ e-books).
  • Free cloud storage for all Amazon content.
  • Wifi+3G with free Vodafone 3G charges for lifetime.
  • Formats supported : Kindle Format 8 (AZW3),Kindle (AZW), TXT,PDF,HTML,DOC,DOCX,JPEG,GIF,PNG,BMP through conversion.
  • Battery life of 8 weeks with light setting of 8 if used for 30 minutes every day.

Availability of e-books

  • As Amazon is a leader in the books domain, you can expect a pretty good collection. With over 1.5 million titles, there are numerous books for you if you are using a kindle.

Price

Photo credit: goodreader.com

Photo credit : goodreader.com

What if you want to read non-Amazon books?

If you have purchased eBooks from a legitimate seller, you can do the following:

  • Email it yourself to your Kindle account. These books will be stored as documents.
  • Transfer files by USB : If you are trying to put in a PDF file, put it in the docs folder and not the books folder

Value for money: 9.37/10

 

2. Nook Glow Light

Photo credit : http://regmedia.co.uk

Photo credit : http://regmedia.co.uk

Major specifications

  • 6 inches screen with 4 GB storage (2000+ books).
  • Lighter than Kindle Paperwhite (6.2 ounces vs. 7.3 ounces).
  • Not a very professional design.
  • Extra wide to fit in your backpocket.
  • Wi-Fi enabled no 3G.
  • Battery life of 1 month if used for 30 minutes a day (with light on)
  • Supported formats:  ePub, PDF, JPG, GIF, PNG and BMP
Photo credit : blogcdn.com

Photo credit : blogcdn.com

 

Availability of eBooks

  • Over 3 million titles as compared to Amazon’s 1.5million times.
  • You can borrow books in ePub format if not available in Nook.

Price

  • Priced around 120 USD
  • In India, it’s available at eBay for 9790

Value for money: 9.2/10

 

3. Kobo Glo

Photo credit : malapros.com

Photo credit : malapros.com

Major specifications

  • 6 inch screen with 2GB storage (expandable up to 32GB)
  • Battery life of 1 month with 30 minutes of usage every day.
  • Over 4 million eBooks but more expensive than other eBook stores.
  • Wi-Fi but no 3G.
  • No option to share eBooks from your library with friends like Amazon or Nook.

Availability of eBooks

  • Over 3 million titles out of which 1 million are free
  • As ePub format works with this reader, you can buy books from different eBook stores and read on your Kobo.

Price

  • At the moment it is available at cromaretail for Rs 10,999

Value for money:  8.87/10

 

4. The Indian e-Book reader- Pi by Infibeam.com

Photo credit : 2bp.blogspot.com

Photo credit : 2bp.blogspot.com

In this post we are going to discuss the latest version of this reader, the Pi-2.

Major specifications

  • 7.5 inch screen with internal memory of 2GB (expandable up to 32 GB)
  • Formats supported: DOC, PDF, TXT and ePub.
  • Music player and Sudoku feature in the reader.
  • Wi-Fi enabled but no Backlight and no dictionary

Availability of eBooks

  • The Infibeam store has about half a million books and is in a growing stage.

 Price

Value for money:  7.3/10

So which one should you buy?

chart

All your thoughts are welcome in the comments area. I’d be happy to answer all your queries and read all suggestions regarding this post.

This post was written by Shivankit Arora, content head at DealsAndReads.com, a blog that helps shoppers find the right e-store for all types of products. You can get in touch with him at dealsandreads@gmail.com

43 Comments

  • Sarath Hariharan April 12, 2014 at 10:35 AM

    Hello, could you tell me if any of these are compatible with CBR files and support color Jpeg, GIF? Also does an IPad compare better with these gadgets?

    • Shivankit Arora April 15, 2014 at 4:17 PM

      Hi Sarath. You can do that in Kindle but you will have to change the format for that to a more compatible mode. Here are the step for that http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/install-cbr-files-kindle-37508.html. Coming to the other part of your question, an iPad is a multipurpose gadget. However,an Ebook reader comes up with E Ink technology which makes reading a pleasure. If you are looking for multiple benefits from your gadget, iPad is your thing. But if you want a “Wow” reading experience, I would recommend a Kindle to you 🙂

  • Pratikshya Mishra April 12, 2014 at 7:17 PM

    i’m going to buy a kindle paperwhite…

    • Shivankit Arora April 15, 2014 at 4:07 PM

      Hi Pratikshya. That is the right choice indeed 🙂 . Let me know for any further assistance

  • Raghav Jindal May 26, 2014 at 12:38 PM

    Amazon kindle is good for only e book reading not for other things. But I like it.

  • Nitin Vadher May 26, 2014 at 4:31 PM

    This is the future, it will be very beneficial for the readers were lakhs of books are stored in single device.

  • pinky z dhamani May 26, 2014 at 4:54 PM

    Yes e books and ebook readers is definately the future of reading. More no. Of books can be carried in an ebook reader rather than carrying bulky hard copies. Alsi no more waitung for delivery

  • GRVDON May 26, 2014 at 5:06 PM

    already have KINDLE ebook reader now going to update to with KINDLE PAPERWHITE

  • Chander Shekhar May 26, 2014 at 5:31 PM

    Read the best read whenever, wherever u like 🙂 🙂

  • Neeti Choudhari May 26, 2014 at 5:41 PM

    Great info! Thanks 🙂 But heart is kinda stuck within real books 😉

  • Ruchita May 26, 2014 at 8:34 PM

    E book readers are the new generation books !!! Handy,convenient and a smart way to read during travels 🙂

  • Tapan May 26, 2014 at 10:43 PM

    For the paperless reading…!!!
    Save paper, Save Tree…

  • Geeta Nair May 27, 2014 at 10:19 AM

    Sure e-book readers are handy and convenient especially when you are on the book but they lack the fragrance and warmth of real books.

  • Bisileesh Pulikkathra May 27, 2014 at 11:23 AM

    I use my tab to read ebooks! But its not giving the feeling of real book..!

  • Pratikhya Alexis May 27, 2014 at 11:56 AM

    Kindle is the best ebook reader in my opinion!

  • Abhishek Mukherjee May 27, 2014 at 12:45 PM

    kindle is better than a tab to read e books. it gives the feel of real book to the max.

  • Faiz Sayed May 27, 2014 at 3:49 PM

    kindle is great…!!

  • hilerns May 27, 2014 at 5:42 PM

    kindle is the best

  • Jumsumtak May 27, 2014 at 6:30 PM

    kindle and nook glow light both look amazing!!

  • archonline May 27, 2014 at 10:08 PM

    good review. the bullet points has made it streamlined…

  • Aadya Dua May 28, 2014 at 12:31 PM

    Wow…
    This is so informative…..
    Thank you

  • Wob Admin May 28, 2014 at 1:58 PM

    Kindle is changing the face of reading world.

  • Sumit Nangia June 25, 2014 at 2:14 AM

    Great Article !!!!!

  • Alisha June 25, 2014 at 9:02 AM

    I prefer kindle. 🙂 Great Article!

  • KUHU BANRJEE June 25, 2014 at 9:57 AM

    kindle works for me! 🙂

  • Aakanksha June 25, 2014 at 11:18 AM

    E-books are convenient. However real books have their own charm.

  • Sayantini Bhattacharya June 25, 2014 at 6:34 PM

    Kindle is my all time favourite. Honestly, I didn’t know about the other e-book readers. Thanks for the post 🙂

  • Rohit Dhamija June 26, 2014 at 6:53 PM

    Kindle is my all time favourite. Honestly, I didn’t know about the other e-book readers. Thanks for the post 🙂

  • Shilpa Bindlish June 26, 2014 at 7:12 PM

    e-book reader is really a boon for book lovers 🙂

  • Priyadarshi Das June 26, 2014 at 7:36 PM

    Really A Helpful Information & Useful Fr Every E-book Lover.

  • Shivam Tiwari June 26, 2014 at 7:57 PM

    No matter how hard I try, I could never make myself like reading on an electronic device. I guess i’m the only old fashioned hard book lover around 😉

  • Nithi Nishipadma June 26, 2014 at 10:19 PM

    Heard a lot about this kindle and its definitely a boon for all the readers.. and it is definitely a great article

  • Aparna Singh June 26, 2014 at 10:42 PM

    I read ebooks on the kindle app on my tab. I’m considering getting a Kindle Paperwhite though 😛

  • shivani goyal June 26, 2014 at 11:11 PM

    I love to read books on my Ipad as well! Though, there is no comparison between the two!
    Very informative! 🙂

  • shivangi kataria June 26, 2014 at 11:42 PM

    Havent tried using kindle.. After reading this vl try

  • Subhashis June 26, 2014 at 11:51 PM

    Kindle, the best..

  • Kavya Seetala June 27, 2014 at 1:04 AM

    Useful info.Previously all I know was only kindle.

  • Sanjay Rajak June 27, 2014 at 9:14 AM

    Thanks for the suggestion & providing the besy ways of e-reading..:)

  • amruta June 27, 2014 at 12:54 PM

    Thx for the info

  • Saptarshi Sarkar June 27, 2014 at 3:51 PM

    Thanks for the suggestion. but I think reading from a book is awesome ! :p

    • Saptarshi Sarkar June 27, 2014 at 3:52 PM

      But Kindles are easy to carry many books !! 😀

  • Sonal June 27, 2014 at 5:00 PM

    Amazing and really helpful info.

  • Aman Mittal June 27, 2014 at 10:29 PM

    The market of eReaders in India is becoming competitve. good to see that 🙂

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