As the tablet bubble gets larger and larger, I often get asked if I'm going to purchase a sleek new Galaxy Tab or iPad. I thought about it for some time and considered the possibilities and realities of these new fangled tablet devices.
So, did I abandon my trusty Dell XPS desktop in favor of something less powerful but more cool? Did I throw away my wife's laptop for something without a physical keyboard?
No, but I did get an e-reader. A Nook, to be precise.
And it was not the Nook Color, but rather that other model with the black-and-white e-ink screen — the Nook Wi-Fi. Gasp!
That's right, I don't need all the fancy crap that makes ordinary people drool over the iPads, the Motorola Xooms, and the Galaxy Tabs. I just want to read books. Mostly library books, since hardly ever does my cheap self go out and purchase books. That is why I chose the Nook Wi-Fi.
So why not the Kindle?
All current Kindle models do not support checking out library books, which is accomplished easily through the OverDrive eBook system. Many e-readers support this small yet powerful feature, including those made by Barnes & Noble (the Nook), Sony, and Kobo. Sony's offerings were pretty tempting, but — Sony being Sony — all are way too expensive for my tastes.
But why not a color, LCD screen? Why not the Nook Color?
For me, staring at my monitor all day at work strains my eyes. Combine that with staring at a smaller LCD at home to read some fine publications by Douglas Adams will eventually lead to a headache. The e-ink screen found on the Nook Wi-Fi, Kindle, and Sony eReader is rather remarkable in that it's just like a piece of paper; it doesn't look like a display at all and produces no backlight. You almost have to get used to the fact that it can change like a regular screen, albeit slower. And when I say "slower", it's not really that slow — about the same amount of time it takes to gingerly turn the page of a normal book. Therefore, getting eye strain from my Nook is almost nonexistent, unless I try to read all six original Dune books in one sitting under candlelight. Plus, e-ink displays last for days and days and days and days without a charge.
But you can't check email, look at ESPN, watch Youtube, or do anything cool on it!
I don't need it to. I have a smartphone that can do all of that.
Everyone has different needs, and for me, I don't need a tablet device that is in between my phone and a regular computer/laptop. Basic mobile functions like checking and responding to email, browsing the web, mapping things, and listening to music on the go is accomplished smoothly on my Nexus One (just got 2.3.3, btw). If I really need to do some heavy lifting, like writing up reports, editing video/photos, or playing real games like Civilization V, I go to a real computer.
These new tablets are damn cool, but I don't need them. If I had money to blow, it would be cool to fiddle around with the new iPad 2, but I don't see an everyday use for them. But that's just me.
One Possible Use
The only way I could see myself using one nearly everyday would be if I got a new car and needed something to replace the stock navigation device. My Accord navi system is great, but it lacks real time traffic updates and the audio system does not have auxiliary inputs for a separate audio player. My next car would benefit more from a tablet that is more versatile and less costly than a stock navigation system. But thanks to Japan's commitment to manufacturing superior automobiles, this will not happen for a very long time.
So How is your Nook?
E-readers are still in their infancy and thus have a long way to go. For the most part, however, the Nook Wi-Fi is a solid device. As mentioned above, battery life is superb, the display is fantastic, and the ability to borrow library books in addition to purchasing them through Barnes & Noble is sublime. The downside is that you must side-load books (connect the Nook to a computer and transfer via USB) instead of using the Wi-Fi connection. I suspect this functionality could be developed later, which would make things easier and smoother.
The only other downside is the Nook software on the computer is almost useless; the free program Calibre is much better. Still though, you cannot sync categories created in Calibre to the "shelves" system of organization on the Nook itself. One would have to create a "shelf" or category on the Nook and add books to it, regardless of whatever categories one made on the computer with Calibre.
The Nook isn't perfect, especially when it comes to the software/syncing side of it, yet I totally recommend it to those looking for a simple device to read books.
So, did I abandon my trusty Dell XPS desktop in favor of something less powerful but more cool? Did I throw away my wife's laptop for something without a physical keyboard?
No, but I did get an e-reader. A Nook, to be precise.
And it was not the Nook Color, but rather that other model with the black-and-white e-ink screen — the Nook Wi-Fi. Gasp!
That's right, I don't need all the fancy crap that makes ordinary people drool over the iPads, the Motorola Xooms, and the Galaxy Tabs. I just want to read books. Mostly library books, since hardly ever does my cheap self go out and purchase books. That is why I chose the Nook Wi-Fi.
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| Nook Wi-Fi (BN.com) |
So why not the Kindle?
All current Kindle models do not support checking out library books, which is accomplished easily through the OverDrive eBook system. Many e-readers support this small yet powerful feature, including those made by Barnes & Noble (the Nook), Sony, and Kobo. Sony's offerings were pretty tempting, but — Sony being Sony — all are way too expensive for my tastes.
But why not a color, LCD screen? Why not the Nook Color?
For me, staring at my monitor all day at work strains my eyes. Combine that with staring at a smaller LCD at home to read some fine publications by Douglas Adams will eventually lead to a headache. The e-ink screen found on the Nook Wi-Fi, Kindle, and Sony eReader is rather remarkable in that it's just like a piece of paper; it doesn't look like a display at all and produces no backlight. You almost have to get used to the fact that it can change like a regular screen, albeit slower. And when I say "slower", it's not really that slow — about the same amount of time it takes to gingerly turn the page of a normal book. Therefore, getting eye strain from my Nook is almost nonexistent, unless I try to read all six original Dune books in one sitting under candlelight. Plus, e-ink displays last for days and days and days and days without a charge.
But you can't check email, look at ESPN, watch Youtube, or do anything cool on it!
I don't need it to. I have a smartphone that can do all of that.
Everyone has different needs, and for me, I don't need a tablet device that is in between my phone and a regular computer/laptop. Basic mobile functions like checking and responding to email, browsing the web, mapping things, and listening to music on the go is accomplished smoothly on my Nexus One (just got 2.3.3, btw). If I really need to do some heavy lifting, like writing up reports, editing video/photos, or playing real games like Civilization V, I go to a real computer.
These new tablets are damn cool, but I don't need them. If I had money to blow, it would be cool to fiddle around with the new iPad 2, but I don't see an everyday use for them. But that's just me.
One Possible Use
The only way I could see myself using one nearly everyday would be if I got a new car and needed something to replace the stock navigation device. My Accord navi system is great, but it lacks real time traffic updates and the audio system does not have auxiliary inputs for a separate audio player. My next car would benefit more from a tablet that is more versatile and less costly than a stock navigation system. But thanks to Japan's commitment to manufacturing superior automobiles, this will not happen for a very long time.
So How is your Nook?
E-readers are still in their infancy and thus have a long way to go. For the most part, however, the Nook Wi-Fi is a solid device. As mentioned above, battery life is superb, the display is fantastic, and the ability to borrow library books in addition to purchasing them through Barnes & Noble is sublime. The downside is that you must side-load books (connect the Nook to a computer and transfer via USB) instead of using the Wi-Fi connection. I suspect this functionality could be developed later, which would make things easier and smoother.
The only other downside is the Nook software on the computer is almost useless; the free program Calibre is much better. Still though, you cannot sync categories created in Calibre to the "shelves" system of organization on the Nook itself. One would have to create a "shelf" or category on the Nook and add books to it, regardless of whatever categories one made on the computer with Calibre.
The Nook isn't perfect, especially when it comes to the software/syncing side of it, yet I totally recommend it to those looking for a simple device to read books.
There's this one device I've heard of that's really great when it comes to reading books. It's called a Book. Books are pretty cheap and come in a variety of easy-to-use formats (hard cover, soft cover, large, small). You can also borrow Books for free from friends or your local library. I have several Books of my own. If you'd like to give any of them a try, just let me know.
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