eReading - Kindle vs Nexus 7

[Thompy]

What up bitches.

I've decided that I really need to read more after a huge lack of motivation to do so in recent years. So advice on said devices please.

My thinking is that a Kindle will provide the better reading experience but by how much? Is prolonged reading on a LCD display straining on the eyes? But then you get a lot more for your money with a Nexus. I'm ingrained in the Google ecosystem so it makes sense, but then I have a Nexus 4 so other than a bigger screen for media consumption that's two devices overlapping considerably.

I'm currently swaying towards a Nexus but if the consensus if a Kindle is much better on the reading front I may have to go for that.

[Dog Pants]

I can't say about the Nexus, but I like my Kindle. The screen is very matte and high contrast, and the battery lasts for ages. That's a normal basic one anyway. Oh, and the case is lovely, it has a built in light which connects to the Kindle battery.

[Dr. kitteny berk]

They don't really compare, a kindle is pretty fucking great for reading, the battery only gets used when you use it (assuming wifi is off) so you really can treat it a lot like a book, and they work everywhere, even in bright sunlight (darkness is a limitation though)

Tablets are pretty fucking awesome in general, but battery life is limited and I find them a bit harder on the eye for reading.

[FatherJack]

I find it hard to justify a tablet, when like you they're essentially big versions of my phone - as they are roughly the same resolution I can mostly achieve the same effect simply by holding the phone closer to my face. Of course that isn't the most comfortable reading position and a bigger screen allows you to do things like doodling more comfortably and having more than one person look at something at the same time - and in that case I'd go for a 10" tablet.

I'd go with a Kindle for reading, one of the standard E Ink ones not the colour one, as it's a purpose-built device, has massive battery life and works in the same range of illumination levels as a regular book. The main thing that's held me back is that while I have hundreds of actual, physical books - most of them bought through Amazon - even with Amazon's MatchBook* innovation which is supposed to allow you to obtain cheap or free versions of books you've already bought, the number of qualifying books in my library is precisely: none.

When I buy a BluRay, I often get the DVD version, plus a digital copy as well. Books are way behind the curve in this regard - it might cost publishers to have old books converted to a computer-text format, but it's surely negligible cost wise to include a credit for an already-Epublished copy of a modern release.

I still like to read real books, but space is becoming a problem in my library. Being able to free up some shelf space, while also having the ability to quickly peruse any of my titles from anywhere is quite appealing, but not so appealing that I would re-buy thousands of pounds worth of books. I'm pretty sure it's the publishers, rather than Amazon which are the problem - and it took the film/TV industry an awfully long time to see the benefits of multi-platform releases so I don't expect a resolution very soon.

*There appear to be around 80,000 qualifying books in the MatchBook program, which might sound a lot until you note that there were about double that number of books released just this last month.

[ProfHawking]

I held out for some time from buying a kindle as the ebooks were more expensive than 2nd hand paperbacks. (they still are).
But I gave in and bought a kindle paperwhite for the convince.

I have to say it's one of my fav gadgets now. I read a lot more and at night the soft glow of the page is so much easier to read than a light, and its easier to hold too.

Highly recommended.

[FatherJack]

I didn't think the pages glowed, maybe that's only certain models? In any case I've always found the comparison to actual books more pertinent as you can't read them in pitch black either, but you sure as shit can read them in the sun without screen glare.

[Dog Pants]

The normal Kindle has no light, the Paperwhite has a built in light.

[deject]

The normal Kindle has no light, the Paperwhite has a built in light.

I just bought a 2nd gen Paperwhite and holyshititissogood.

While the Nexus 7 would be more useful in general, if the main purpose is reading, get the e-ink screen EVERY TIME.

The screen on the Paperwhite is the absolute closest you will ever see to real paper on an electronic device. Plus, the screen is front lit instead of back lit, so you don't get the feeling that you're staring into a lamp like you do with an LCD screen.

Bottom line: If you are looking for a reading device, get a kindle. If you just want a tablet that you can also read on, the Nexus 7 is a better all-around choice.

[Thompy]

Thanks guys, Kindle it is! And I just thought of another pro of the Kindle - not being the most focused when it comes to reading, not having all the tablet functions there as a distraction will help.

Now they just have to release colour E Ink versions.

[Pnut]

This is probably not going to help at all but I use a Kindle for reading books and my Nexus for reading comics and PDFs.

[Wiggy]

I tend to read the books I already have, or if there's something particular I want to read, I'll get it on iBooks. Sometimes I will see a book in town that's a few quid and think "ooh, I fancy that" and just have it, but I won't often spend over £5 on one.

[fabyak]

If you get the Nexus, bear in mind you can also get things like the Nook app and the other ereaders so you're able to shop around. Got to admit the e-ink is awesome though but I've been reading on our Nexus and it's fine (excellent in fact)