Consumer Reports went over the top ereaders this summer to see which were best, and came up with some not unexpected winners. Interestingly, they first answered the question, "Why get an ereader when you can just use a tablet or a phone?"
The answer, which shouldn’t be a surprise to any readers here comes down
to this:
1- Screen size – Ereaders are bigger
2- Easy to read – This is partly due to screensize, and even more due to the displays on ereaders being easy to read in sunlight.
3- Weight – Ereaders are lighter and easier to carry.
4- Battery life – You can read on an ereader many times longer than on a tablet or phone.
5- Fewer distractions. You can immerse yourself in the book, much like you would with a real book. Dedicated environments like this are becoming increasingly popular as people become aware of the shortcomings of information overload.
On to the winners:
For the best value, the Barnes & Noble Simple Touch Reader (no glow light). Priced at $100, this model comes with touch navigation, and top speed for page turns and start-up.
The Simple Touch Reader was followed by the Amazon Kindle (with or without special offers), the Kobo Touch and finally the Kindle Touch to make the top five.
Barnes & Noble’s Simple Touch with Glow Light got kudos for being the best night-time reader, but wasn’t rated highly for its daytime viewability.
All were in the $80 to $140 range, so ereaders are without a doubt affordable.
Do note that the Kindle Paper White, shown above, was not covered by this. It looks promising.