Announced this week, Borders new $199 Kobo eReader is one of several alternatives to Amazon's Kindle eBook readers. Here are four choices if you're looking for your first eBook reader
Choosing an eBook reader is not a simple task as prices and features vary a lot between different manufacturers, however one key differentiating factor is whether you plan to read eBooks often, or just now and then.
Borders new $199 Kobo eReader isn't the only challenger to Amazon's Kindle eBook readers. Let's look at four alternative choices to the market-leading Kindle and Kindle DX.
Screen Technology
Regular readers who read many books every year should consider an eBook reader which uses eInk screen technology like the $199 Borders Kobo, $US259 Kindle or $US489 Kindle DX.
eInk technology is best suited for heavy readers such as frequent international travellers or public transport commuters because it has ultra-low power usage, since the battery only gets used when changing pages or using the eBook reader's buttons.
Many Australians enjoy reading outdoors and eInk is the best screen technology for this purpose because it's easy to read even in bright sunlight. We confirmed this by reading a book with the $US489 Kindle DX in the middle of Sydney's Hyde Park at noon on a bright sunny day.
Note that an eInk screen isn't backlit, so it needs external lighting for you to be able to read it in the dark, just like a paperback book does.
The Apple iPad
Apple's new iPad has a rich LCD colour screen and is priced for early adopters at $629 to $1049 but those who can afford it will have a great visual and tactile experience with the ability to read eBooks by flicking between pages using your finger, surfing websites and watching videos.
The tradeoffs for the iPad's big glossy screen and immersive user experience is it's more difficult to view the screen in bright sunlight, and roughly 10 hours of active use. This is much less battery life than an eInk eBook reader which typically lasts a week or two on 1 charge.
Pioneer DreamBook W95
There are several other brands offering eBook readers, including Pioneer's DreamBook W95, which at $149 for a colour screen with support for a wide variety of eBook formats, could be popular with casual readers or as an eBook reader for children.
Note that the DreamBook's 5in screen is 1in less than devices like the $199 Borders Kobo or $US259 Kindle, and smaller screens display fewer words so you have to press the button more often to move to the next page.
Connectivity Options
The big difference between the Kobo and Amazon eReaders is that both Kindle models have an inbuilt 3G mobile data transfer capability. In theory, this means you could be sitting in a park while having lunch, feel the urge to read "Down Under" by Bill Bryson, press "Buy" and start reading 60 seconds later.
The Borders Kobo
The cheaper Kobo relies on side-loading books via a PC or laptop with a USB cable or a smartphone via Bluetooth, but has the edge over the Kindle by allowing you to load any of the freely available two-million-plus ePub format older books at no cost.
As an example "The Sea Wolf" by Jack London is an out of copyright book which costs $2 to buy via a Kindle's 3G connection to the Amazon store, but comes free pre-loaded on the Kobo along with 99 other classic books.
Summary: which path to take
The Bebook Neo has an interesting feature allowing you to draw or write on screen with a stylus, but at $569 with a 6in screen it is poor value for money.
The 6in Kobo is the netbook of eBook readers, with a limited number of key features, but is relatively cheaper at $199.
If you plan on reading a lot, and want the convenience of instant book purchases without messing about with USB cables or Bluetooth smartphone pairing, you have a clear choice between the $US259 6in Kindle, and the $US489 9.7in Kindle DX, which offers a premium large screen for consuming large amounts of text quickly.
The Apple iPad will let you do many things besides read eBooks if you can afford it and understand its strengths and weaknesses.
| Model | Apple iPad |
Bebook Neo |
Amazon Kindle DX |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Price |
$629-$1049 | $569 |
$US489 |
| Screen Technology |
LED Backlit IPS LCD | eInk grey scale. WACOM touchpanel for drawing/notes |
eInk 16 level grey scale |
| Screen size (diagonal) |
9.7in | 6in |
9.7in |
| Claimed battery life (eBook reading) |
10 hours (varies depending on backlight level) | 7,000 page turns |
1 week (with 3G on) |
| eBook transfer |
USB/WiFi/3G (model dependent) | USB 2/SD Card/WiFi |
3G |
| Weight |
680-730g (model dependent) |
298g |
540g |
| eBook formats |
ePub/ePub DRM/PDF/Kindle/ TXT/HTML/Apple FairPlay DRM |
ePub/ePub DRM/PDF/TXT/HTML/ Adobe Digital Editions DRM |
Amazon Kindle DRM/PDF/TXT/ DOC/HTML |
| Colour/s |
Black front, White back |
White |
White |
| Model | Amazon Kindle |
Borders Kobo |
Pioneer DreamBook W95 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Price |
$US259+shipping |
$199 |
$149 |
| Screen Technology |
eInk 16 level grey scale |
eInk 8 level grey scale |
TFT Color LCD |
| Screen size (diagonal) |
6in |
6in |
5in |
| Claimed battery life (eBook reading) |
1 week (with 3G on) |
2 weeks/8,000 page turns |
Up to 8 hours |
| eBook transfer |
3G |
USB 2/SD Card/Bluetooth (selected devices) |
USB 2/SD Card slot |
| Weight |
290g |
221g | |
| eBook formats |
Amazon Kindle DRM/PDF/TXT/ DOC/HTML |
ePub/ePub DRM/PDF/ Adobe Digital Editions DRM |
ePub/ePub DRM/PDF/ HTML/Adobe Digital Editions DRM |
| Colour/s |
White |
Black or White |
Black or White |
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