With Amazon's recent announcement that digital e-books outsold hardcover books for
the first time, and paperbacks destined to a similar fate in the near
future, we can safely say the e-book revolution is upon us.
That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that the devices upon which we read those books -- digital e-readers, tablet computers, smartphones -- are anywhere near their final form. Last December, we took a look at the most popular e-readers on the market, and, while many companies have made only incremental alterations to their lineups since then, a few new additions and serious price-drops among others have vastly changed the landscape.
And, oh yeah, there's that whole iPad thing.
At first blush, the iPad seemed like it would radically alter the e-reader market. In the months that have passed, it has sold like hot cakes, but, then again, so have E-ink e-readers. So in putting together this revisited roundup, we found ourselves in a curious dilemma: whether to include the iPad or not. The iPad, as you've undoubtedly heard, is billed by Apple as a new device category altogether (one that involves magic!). All hype aside, we're inclined to agree. Unlike virtually every e-reader on the market, the iPad is, first and foremost, a multimedia device that happens to have e-reader capabilities. And if one were to be honest in analyzing the iPad strictly on its merits as a dedicated e-reader, it's woefully lacking compared to much of the competition. The brilliant, glossy color screen is difficult to see in bright light, and can strain the eyes over long periods. It's also relatively heavy (about three times the weight of many e-readers), and its battery life is around 10 hours versus a couple weeks or more for most e-readers. And, well, it costs at least twice as much as dedicated e-readers. In short, if you're primarily looking for an e-reader, you'd be better served elsewhere. By the same token, if you're looking for a full-featured multimedia experience, the iPad currently has no real competition, and dedicated e-readers simply don't compare.
In light of that schism, for this piece, we tested what we think represent the cream of the ever-burgeoning dedicated e-reader crop. Below you'll find our experiences and recommendations, so hit up the comments to share your own.
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Source: Switched.com | Jon Chase
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