What's The Best E-Book Reader Available?

If you are thinking of buying an ebook reader, then it makes sense to compare the 3 big boys on the market, the Barnes and Noble Nook, Amazon Kindle 2 and the new Sony Reader Touch Edition. Here's a detailed comparison of all three to help you choose.

Firstly, let's examine the similarities in all 3 ebook readers.

Display Screen- The Nook, Kindle 2, and Reader all take advantage of the cutting edge display technology called "E-Ink". This isn't your run-of-the-mill computer screen with pixels. This screen displays the text and pictures (gray-scale) right up against the bottom of the display glass. This allows you to see the crystal clear text even at extreme angles and lighting situations.

Text can be changed to different sizes for all 3 models as well.

Audio Support- All 3 devices allow you to download and listen to mp3 songs while reading.

Pricing- Pricing is comparable between the 3 devices.

Differences between the 3 devices.

Wireless and 3G- The Nook and Kindle 2 allows you to access the web to download new titles and publications. The Sony Touch does not, instead you need to hook up the reader to the computer via USB and download the books. It should be mentioned the Sony Reader Daily Edition will have Wireless and 3G when it is released. This model will be more expensive than the Nook and Kindle 2 by quite a lot, so that is why this model was not included in this comparison!

Color Navigation Screen- The color navigation below the display screen on the Nook sets it apart from the other ebook readers. You can peruse color pictures of book covers. This has been reported by many to be slightly slow, definitely slower than, say, the iPhone in responsiveness.

Sony Touch Screen- The Sony has a touch screen (hence the name!). Page turning is done by swiping the finger across the screen, whereas page turning is by the push of a button for the Nook and Kindle 2. The Nook's color screen doubles as a touch screen, but again, only on the navigation screen, not the display screen.

Memory For the Devices- The Nook and Kindle 2 both have a default memory of 2 GB of memory. This allows up to 1,500 books to be added to the device. The Sony has 512 MB of memory that allows up to 350 books.

International Capabilities- The Kindle 2 is the only device that provides International service with 3G and wireless downloads of books and publications. Amazon says the Kindle 2 will work in over 100 countries.

Lending Feature for the Nook- The Nook allows you to lend out books for 14 days to others that have the Nook, or Nook compatible device.

The Bottom Line- There are numerous differences in these 3 most popular ebook reader devices. We are in a stage right now where each device is trying to differentiate itself with different features. They will definitely start stepping more in-line with each other as time goes on.

For instance, as the EPUB file becomes more popular with public libraries across the nation and world, each ebook reader will support the use of these no doubt.

And the Winner Is?

Popular consensus among critics and customers alike is that the Amazon Kindle 2 is the winner for now. Other flashy features can't out weigh the standard features that come with the Kindle 2 and the International Compatibility.