Latest Update: New ebook readers arrived! Our pick is the Kindle Fire, and here you can find a good Kindle Fire review. For the sole purpose of reading, choose either the best price all-new Kindle (the simplest eReader), or the Kindle Touch (for easy control with touch screen).

Before talking about choosing between the Kindle and the Nook, let’s talk about two other popuplar reading devices in the market. First of all, if you are looking for wide and cheap option of books, do not buy the Sony Reader, it does not have such a good choice of books and the books that are available are also costlier than the other ebook readers.

For the iPad, it does not offer a comfortable readability option as it is more like reading on a computer screen.

You can have a look at the below which is the comparison of the Nook with the Kindle from the official B&N page:

B&N Nook features

From the above page you can get to know the advantages of Nook over the Kindle, but the below are the benefits of the Kindle 3 over the Nook which is not mentioned in the Nook page:

• Though both the Kindle and the Nook has both a Wifi + 3G and a Wifi only version and both contains a basic internet browser, the internet browser of the Nook comes with a limitation. You can only use the Wifi and not the 3G wireless to browse the internet in Nook, whereas you can use either the Wifi or the 3G to browse internet in the Kindle.
• You can use the wireless in the Nook only for the purpose of buying books and that too only inside the U.S. In the case of Amazon Kindle, it provides free international 3G wireless which can be used in about 100 countries which means you can browse and download the books without any charge even from countries outside the United States.
• The Kindle now has a faster, and an improved browser which is more easy to control and also incorporates a new ‘article mode’ which shows only the main text of web pages.
• The Amazon Kindle is available in almost 176 countries outside the U.S while the Nook is on sale only inside the United States. And in case you are able to buy a Nook outside the U.S, you would still find problems in buying books for the Nook as they are sold only inside the U.S.
• The ‘text-to-speech’ is a special function that is not available in the Nook but is present in the Amazon Kindle. This function helps treat an ebook like an audio book.
• The Nook offers a battery life of 10 days while the Amazon Kindle can last for more than a month with the wireless switched off.
• The Nook is equipped with the microSD memory expansion slot, while the Kindle has a 4GB built-in memory that is almost double that of the Nook. The expansion slot of the Nook is good for flexibility, though with the 4GB memory the Amazon Kindle can hold on to about 3500 books which should be enough for an average user.
• You get a wider option of copyrighted ebooks in Kindle as compared to the options available in the Nook, maybe because of the effort Amazon has put in its development for the last 2 years. The Nook also talks about millions of books that are available for reading, but many of those are actually non-copyrighted books available in public domains which are free on other websites also. You can refer the below link to check millions of free books that work on the Amazon Kindle.

  Full list for millions of free books available for the Kindle

• The ‘LendMe’ function in the Nook is one good feature provided by it, but there are limitations to it that only 30% of the books can be lent while in other books this functionality is blocked by the provider. There is a further constraint that these books can be lent only once and for just a maximum of 14 days. The Kindle also has a similar feature where you can share all your purchased books to about 5-6 Kindle devices which are registered on a single Amazon account. The most important aspect of the feature is that you have the flexibility of registering and deregistering your Kindle to many different accounts as many times you require.
• The Nook supports epub format while the Kindle supports mobi format. Refer the link below to know more about the calibre software which helps convert from one format to another.

  Calibre – EBook Conversion Tools

  Formats that Calibre supports conversion to/from

• The feature of one hour free reading of books in the Barnes and Noble store is one another selling point of the Nook. But this might not be a platinum feature as to the fact that even paperbacks are available for free reading when you are in the Barnes & Noble store.
• The Nook has options on different colors of back cover, while the Kindle also has a good number of color choices on covers. Check out here for options available for the Kindle.

  Different colors of Kindle covers

• When you take a look at the Nook, it is but natural to assume that the Nook ebooks can be read through a color touch screen. The truth is that the color touch is a small screen that is below the greyscale eInk screen which can only browse the ebook cover in Nook. Books can only be read with the greyscale eInk screen on the Nook.

To sum it up, I would say that the Kindle 3 is superior to the Barnes & Noble Nook though I would have agreed for a draw if it would have been the Kindle 2 and the Nook. In case you are a frequent traveller and you enjoy the reading experience during travel, then you should try out the Kindle 3.

You can find out the latest price of the ebook readers in their corresponding homepage, where changes to prices are reflected immediately.

Kindle WiFi at latest price

Kindle 3G + WiFi at latest price

Barnes & Noble Nook 3G + WiFi

Latest Update: New ebook readers arrived! Our best pick is the Kindle Fire, and here you can find a good Kindle Fire review. For the sole purpose of reading, choose either the best price all-new Kindle (the simplest eReader), or the Kindle Touch (for easy control with touch screen).

After looking at the features in the available ebook readers, I would say that the Kindle 3 is a class apart than all its competitors like B&N Nook or Sony Reader. It has a plethora of new improved features which includes the new eInk screen which is better than the previous ones and possess a 50% increased contrast, a three times increased battery life, twice increased memory capacity, light weight and sleek look and faster page turn. It also possess a better PDF support which now includes features like notes, highlight, dictionary, zoom and also contains access to password protected PDFs. These features make the Kindle stand out compared to the Nook, the Kindle’s main competitor. The Kindle 3 now can also support Wifi unlike the previous version, the Kindle 2.

There are many more worthy features in the Kindle 3 which needs mentioning like the accessibility for low vision or blind readers. This kind of accessibility is enabled in this version of Kindle by means of text-to-speech function in menus and homepages. The Kindle 3 also includes the CJK font which helps display Chinese, Japanese, Russian and Korean characters in your display. This is one special feature that is not found in any other ebook reader.

I own the Kindle 2 and I preferred it over the Nook or the Sony Reader due to its unique text-to-speech functionality which would help my hands and eyes focus on other things when I can still read my book. This helps me read my books when I am travelling in a pubic transport or when I am involved in household chores.

The web browsing option provided by the Kindle 3G version is another standalone feature as only in the Kindle 3G version, you have the flexibility to access the internet through wireless and WiFi network. In the Nook, you can access the internet only through WiFi while in Sony Reader you do not have the facility of web browsing. Not just this, the free internet offered by the Kindle, helps me gather information from the web anytime be it inside the U.S or outside, it is just incredible for bringing it to trip.

The availability of books is huge in the Kindle. In case of Barnes & Noble, the free one million books from Google is one of their selling point, but you can access those books from the Kindle also. The number of books available for Sony is much less and finding them has also been a difficult job for many users.

For people interested in checking out free and other books available for Kindle, check out the below pages:

Full list for millions of free books available for the Kindle

Full list of Kindle books, sorted in latest bestselling order

This below is one good review that helped me decide on my Kindle at the time I was looking for an ebook reader:

Review for Amazon Kindle

Amazon has launched the new Kindle DX Graphite which is also one good option for consideration. Check out the below article to learn and decide between the new Kindle and the new Kindle DX:

Review for deciding between the Kindle and Kindle DX

And here you can find different models of the Kindle:

Kindle DX at latest price

Kindle WiFi at latest price

Kindle 3G + WiFi at latest price

So how does the Amazon Kindle DX compare to the Sony Reader PRS-505? Keep reading to find out.

Differences between these two devices can quickly be reduced to five major areas:

• The size of the display: 9.7 inch for the Kindle DX, 6 inch for the PRS-505
• Connectivity: Free wireless for the Kindle DX, connection through a computer for the PRS-505
• Storage space: 4GB internal for the Kindle DX, 128MB internal for the PRS-505, accepts external flash cards for additional storage
• Keyboard: The Kindle DX has a full text keyboard, the PRS-505 doesn’t
• Read To Me: The Kindle DX can read books aloud, the PRS-505 can’t

The Kindle DX is much better suited for reading newspapers and magazines without having to scroll around the display. In addition, PDF documents are much easier to read on the Kindle DX – on the PRS-505 they are reduced to fit the 6″ screen, and even when zoomed to maximum magnification the print is too small to read comfortably.

As for connectivity, the Kindle DX comes with free wireless connectivity for downloading books as well as for browsing the Internet. The only way to get content into the PRS-505 is via a connection to a personal computer (running Windows, the software doesn’t work on Macs). In addition, there are more books available for the Kindle DX and their cost is usually lower. Amazon also provide over 5,000 free books that you can download for free from Amazon and over 25,000 books that you can get at the price of under $1 for the Kindle device.

The storage issue is probably one of personal preference, but with the PRS-505 you have to buy and keep track of all those tiny flash memory cards. The Kindle DX has enough built-in storage to last for years – plus Amazon gives you free backup on Amazon.com of any book you purchase – you can download it for free at anytime.

As for the keyboard issue, this means that you can makes notes and annotations on your Kindle documents, but you can’t on the PRS-505. The only other major differences between the two devices are the price and that, due to its smaller size, the Sony Reader PRS-505 is a little easier to carry around than the Kindle DX. If either of these is a problem for you then you should consider the Kindle 2 (read our Kindle 2 vs Kindle DX) – it costs around the same as the PRS-505 but it has many of the extra features of the Kindle DX.

The following table compares all the difference between the Kindle DX and the Sony Reader PRS-505:

	Amazon Kindle DX	Sony PRS 505
Outlook
Size	10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38"	6.9" x 4.8" x 0.3"
Thickness	0.38"	0.3"
Weight	18.9 oz	9 oz
Display	9.7" E-Ink 1200 x 824 resolution 150 pixels/inch 16 level gray scale	6" E-Ink 600 x 800 resolution 167 pixels/inch 8 level gray scale
Screen	Auto-Rotating, as you turn the device	Not Auto-Rotating
Storage	4GB (3.3GB for user content, about 3,500 books)	256MB (210MB for user content, with expansion slot)
Product Link	Kindle DX Best Price	Sony PRS-505 Best Price
Customer Feedback	Feedback on Kindle DX	Feedback on Sony PRS-505

By now you’ve probably heard about the new Kindle DX from Amazon; it has a larger screen (9.7″ on the Kindle DX versus 6″ on the Kindle 2) and more storage (4GB on the DX compared to 2GB on the Kindle 2). Like the Kindle 2, it uses the latest E-Ink technology, which allows it to display 16 levels of grey as opposed to only 8 that were available on the Kindle 1.

So what do these differences mean? The Kindle DX allows you to read magazines, newspapers and textbooks without a lot of scrolling around. In addition, you can read PDF documents at full-size. So if you’re a commuter or frequent traveler, a professional who carries around a lot of documents or a college student, the new Kindle DX is ideal for you. The Kindle DX especially makes sense for college students, as about 60% of textbooks will soon be available for wireless download – and at a cost considerably lower than their print counterparts.

On the other hand, it’s possible that the smaller size (and/or price) of the Kindle 2 appeals to you. If you like to carry your reader around in a purse or a jacket pocket, then you probably should opt for the Kindle 2. The storage difference between the two devices is probably not an issue for most people, since the Kindle 2 has enough storage for more than 1,500 books to begin with. On the other hand, if you’re a researcher or someone else who needs instant access to a lot of material, the extra storage in the Kindle DX could come in handy. Read this review and you should be able to decide which one to get: Kindle 2 vs Kindle DX

And remember for both the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX, there are over 5,000 free books that you can download for free from Amazon, and over 25,000 books that you can get at the price of under $1.

The following table compares all the difference between the Kindle DX and the Kindle 2:

	Amazon Kindle DX	Amazon Kindle 2
Outlook
Release Date	10 Jun, 2009	24 Feb, 2009
Size	10.4" x 7.2" x 0.38"	8" x 5.3" x 0.36"
Thickness	0.38"	0.36"
Weight	18.9 oz	10.2 oz
Display	9.7" E-Ink 1200 x 824 resolution 150 pixels/inch 16 level gray scale	6" E-Ink 600 x 800 resolution 167 pixels/inch 16 level gray scale
Screen	Auto-Rotating, as you turn the device	Not Auto-Rotating
Storage	4GB (3.3GB for user content, about 3,500 books)	2GB (1.4GB for user content, about 1,500 books)
Battery Life	Wireless ON: Up to 4 Days Wireless OFF: Up to 2 Weeks	Wireless ON: 1 Day Wireless OFF: 1 week
PDF Support	Native PDF Reader	Native PDF Reader (latest update)
Product Link	Kindle DX Best Price	Kindle 2 Best Price
Customer Feedback	Feedback on Kindle DX	Feedback on Kindle 2

Below is a size comparison between the Kindle DX and the Kindle 2: