Portable Ebook Reader

Due to popular request, we’ve put together this comparison of four (4) of the most popular portable ebook readers on the market today.

Interead Cool-er

Price - $250

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen
• Lightweight
• Storage - 1 GB internal, 4 GB SD expansion slot
• File formats - JPEG, PDF, EPUB, TXT, and MP3

Pros

• Lightweight
• Removable / replaceable battery
• Good battery life
• 8 color choices

Cons

• Buttons are hard to press
• Navigation isn’t very intuitive
• Interface leaves something to be desired
• Screen refresh is a tad on the slow side

Conclusion

The Cool-er is a good deal for the money, but it does lack in certain hardware and software features and functionality, like the interface and navigation. We’re hoping that the next version is much improved, as this was Interead‘s first shot at an electronic reading device.

Read the full Interead Cool-er review here…

Amazon Kindle 2

Price - $359

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen
• Medium weight
• Storage - 2 GB internal, no expansion slot
• File formats - Kindle (AZW), TXT, AAX, MP3, unprotected MOBI, PRC, HTML, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP

Pros

• Built-in free wireless with Amazon’s “Whispernet”
• Built in keyboard for navigation and notes
• Text-to-Speech feature
• Adjustable font size

Cons

• No native support for PDF files
• No expansion slot for additional memory
• Battery is not removable
• Ebooks must be purchased from Amazon

Conclusion

The Kindle 2 was a big improvement over the original Kindle, and it even has some benefits over the newer Kindle DX. Unfortunately it’s not much of a value at the current price, but Amazon does a great job marketing so perhaps they don’t care. Maybe the coming stream of new budget ereaders will change that

Read the full Amazon Kindle 2 review here…

Amazon Kindle DX

Price - $489

Quick Specs

• 9.7″ screen
• Heavy weight (compared to smaller devices)
• Storage - 4 GB internal, no expansion slot
• File formats - Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ), PRC/MOBI, TXT, PDF, Audible (format 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), MP3

Pros

• Huge screen!
• Native PDF support (finally, Amazon)
• Built-in free wireless with Amazon’s “Whispernet”
• Adjustable font size
• Built in keyboard
• Can switch between portrait and landscape by simply turning it

Cons

• Weight
• No expansion slot
• Battery is not removable
• Expensive!

Conclusion

The Kindle DX definitely broke some ground with its large size. Now people can read newspapers and magazines with ease and much less page turning. Unfortunately it

Read the full Amazon Kindle DX review here…

Read the Kindle DX vs Kindle 2 comparison here…

Sony Reader PRS-700

Price - $350

Quick Specs

• 6″ screen size
• Medium weight
• Storage - 512 MB internal, 36 GB SD expansion slot
• File formats - BBeB (LRF/LRX), PDF, EPUB, TXT, RTF, JPG, BMP, GIF, PNG, MP3, AAC

Pros

• Touch screen!
• Sleeker than the Kindle 2
• Can display and zoom both PDF and Word files
• Built-in LED for reading in the dark

Cons

• Touch screen is more prone to glare and has worse contrast
• No software for Mac users
• No built-in wireless
• No support for Audible audio books

Conclusion

The Sony Reader PRS-700 was the first portable ebook reader with a touch screen. And for taking that initiative, we commend them…as it makes the device more intuitive and easier-to-use. Unfortunately the touch screen blessing is also a curse. It creates more glare and the screen has a worse contrast than without the technology. We also think it’s priced too high considering all the recent entries into the ereader market.

Read the full Sony Reader PRS-700 review here…

Many people have been asking lately -“Which is a better choice for me, the tried-and-true Amazon Kindle 2 or the brand new Kindle DX?”.

Well…today we plan on helping you answer that question!

The Kindle 2 is Amazon’s 2nd generation Kindle device and was released on February 23, 2009. It had many improvements over the original Kindle, but due to its smallish size, it was still not ideal for reading larger print media like newspapers or magazines.

Amazon’s solution to this problem came shortly after, with the May 6, 2024 announcement of the Kindle DX. It has a much larger screen (2.5x the size of the Kindle 2), can natively display PDF files, and is the first Kindle device to come with an accelerometer so pages can be viewed in either landscape or portrait by simply rotating the unit. (If you’re familiar with the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch, these also come with an accelerometer.)

Note: The Kindle DX won’t be shipped until sometime in the summer of 2009, so if you need a portable ebook reader ASAP you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Below is a detailed comparison of many of the features of these two popular devices. We want to give you as much information as possible so you can make an educated decision about your purchase.

* Red text denotes the “winner” for each feature

As you can see, it’s neck-and-neck between these two Amazon electronic reading devices. Each one has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. The best way to decide which one is best for you, is to ask yourself these questions:

• Is price important? (Kindle 2)
• Is screen size important - ie. will I be reading a lot of magazines and newspapers, rather than novels? (Kindle DX)
• Is portability important? (Kindle 2)
• Do I plan on reading a lot of PDFs? (Kindle DX)

Hopefully that was helpful and you now know which Kindle is right for you! If not, please let us know how else we might be able to help you decide.