If you do some research on the most popular eReaders out there, these two keep popping up. Kindle versus Nook, or Amazon versus Barnes & Noble has become quite the classic battle, but which one is the better eReader?
Both have a 6 inch eInk screen with a 600x800 resolution, offer dedicated content service and allows you to read books, magazines and blogs. They both offer 3G and WiFi and cost around the $150 mark, but that is where their similarities end.
When comparing two products like this we need to look at what sets them apart, not what they both have in common., because this is what will help us make the decision on what eReader will suit us.
Firstly, the weight difference between the two models are quite significant. Kindle 3 is only 8.7 ounces, whereas the Nook is 12.1 ounces. This is a 30% difference and may not seem like a lot, but you will feel it after holding onto it for a while. The lighter Kindle is also more portable and better designed for reading. Secondly, the speed and ease of navigation varies quite a bit between the two models. The Kindle is significantly faster and user-friendly, both when it comes to page turns and also navigating between menus. The capacity of the two batteries are similar, but you will get an extra week out of the Kindle (4 weeks), compared to the Nook (3 weeks). The Kindle comes with twice as much internal memory (4GB) as the Nook (2GB), however with the Nook you can add up to 16 GB via a SD card slot.
The Nook supports the open-source format ePub, whereas the Kindle does not. This means that when you buy a Kindle you are pretty much locked in to buying eBooks from Amazon. The ePub format lets you share books and also borrow books from digital libraries.
If you decide on the Kindle you will be able to enjoy their Read-To-Me feature which will allow you to convert you eBook to an audio-book. With the push of a button the Kindle will start reading the book out loud to you and you can just close your eyes and listen. This great feature is very valuable for those individuals who are prone to headaches from reading or have any sort of vision impairment. Personally, I prefer to read for a while, but when my eyes get tired I turn on text-to-speech and listen instead. Unfortunately, the Nook does not have this feature.
So, this brings us to the verdict. The Kindle and the Nook are both great eReaders, but in the battle of giants we need a winner. In my opinion, the only feature the Nook has that the Kindle does not, is supporting the ePub format. Everything else it does as well or better than the Nook. I guess it is up to you to decide if this feature is alone is enough to warrant buying it over the Kindle. It should be mentioned that you can use a free and legal program called Calibre to convert between Kindle formats and ePub. This however will not work with copy-write protected books.
If I was to choose one eReader I would go for the Kindle. It offers the features I believe an eReader should have and it does most things better and faster than the competition. To check the prices on Kindles or Nooks use the links provided below.
Alexander Hope is a long term eReader user. For more great Kindle versus Nook reviews, visit http://www.comparisonereaders.com.
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