Need help from you techno/geeky types

[ray1970]

With Christmas just around the corner I am in need of some advice. The wife would like an ebook reader and I have no idea which one is best or what features to look for or avoid. Pretty sure I want one that works with Amazon books. Also, have been thinking about a cheaper "tablet computer" for the daughter. She kills all of her laptops in about three to six months so thought I would try something different. Web browsing (Facebook mostly I would imagine) and email would probably be her main use for it. Do the "Android" tablets let you download apps from the Android store?

Please help me. My time is spent around firearms and motorcycles and turbines so electronics aren't really my thing.

Feel free to reply here or PM me if you are ashamed of your geekiness.

[DOC]

Get one with a capacitive screen. They are better then the other kind I can't think of right now.
Don't buy a cheapy one from ebay. They are crap and will die in no time.
Android will let you download apps from their store if its a brand name one.
Kendal readers are good for reading text only.
Good luck it takes some research and a lot of questions. So go to a place that sells them and ask away.

[Ridge]

The B&N nook is a pretty decent ebook reader.

[enthusiast]

Pretty sure I want one that works with Amazon books. Also, have been thinking about a cheaper "tablet computer" for the daughter. She kills all of her laptops in about three to six months so thought I would try something different. Web browsing (Facebook mostly I would imagine) and email would probably be her main use for it. Do the "Android" tablets let you download apps from the Android store?

Please help me. My time is spent around firearms and motorcycles and turbines so electronics aren't really my thing.

Feel free to reply here or PM me if you are ashamed of your geekiness.

The kindle will work with Amazon books. You can get applications on the Android platform that will read kindle formatted ebooks. I just read that more libraries are finally adopting the kindle to work so that you can check out books onto your kindle. I originally bought my wife a nook as my local library only supported it. My wife is the furthest from a technophile and she is on her second nook (smaller, better battery life).

If you get ebooks that are formatted for the nook or PDF you can convert them to your reader using Calibre. I really like this program. It is free.

If you get a cheap tablet just make sure it has Gingerbread on it or can support it (version >2.3). You can download all kinds of application from the Android market to your tablet.

[mevshooter]

Look into the Kindle Fire.

It's going brand new for $199 and you can do tons of stuff on it. Supposedly it is also CRAZY strong. Hardened plastic and all.

If you have Amazon prime they are offering free books to "check out" as well.

[PanamaDave]

Just ordered the Kindle Fire today.... Seems to offer a lot of features at a good price point. ($199)

I already own iPad2 and iPhone so decided on a cheaper alternative to avoid the kids fighting over my "angry birds" capable devices...

[jerrymrc]

I am still stuck on the killing of a laptop every 3-6 months. They are almost (or may be) a requirement for collage these days. What the heck is she doing to kill it? We have 2 desktops and 3 laptops. One of the laptops is 6 years old.

I will say that the only laptop that ever died around here was because of one of the kids. Why is it when they read something they don't like they hit the computer?

As Mevshooter said the new fire is a great piece. The wife has the regular one and likes it.

[jscwerve]

I have a Nook myself. I did not buy it to surf the internet, play games, chat online or any of that stuff, I would use a tablet for all of that. I read a lot of books, that's why I got the Nook. I didn't want the Nook color because of battery life and after reading for hours staring at an LCD screen bothers my eyes. I LOVE the e-ink that the non color versions have, it's just like reading a book. I also like the fact that in full sunlight I can read which happens (to me) more often than you think.

If you are looking for just a reader, I can't talk enough about the Nook. I also chose it over the Kindle because of the readily available books in .epub format that the kindle won't read. Also, there are many libraries that do not support Kindle, only the .epub format.

[gnihcraes]

just get the ereaders that support 3g or anything other than "wi fi" nothing more frustrating to be in a wireless free zone and the wife wants to download a new book and can't.

Wife loves her Kindle with the 3g, can always download what she wants whenever from amazon.

[Holger Danske]

Apple iPad2 16GB WIFI only $499. Kindle app = free. It makes it a reader and so much more. Plus you can use the iPAD to view CO-AR15.