Does Nook e-book reader support all book formats?

[techlife4me]

The tablets are not based on their eInk technology and I'd recommend against them if you're planning to use this only to read. Kindle ereaders are best for reading text material (so magazines would not render so well if converted using Calibre - I am not sure how they'll look if you buy them).

The way I use it, I end up reading a lot of free books out there which one can download and then copy on the Kindle.

Isn't Eink tech overhyped? And if spending a bit extra allows you to play video files and games on the tablet then why not?

 

[arj]

Not really. If you read books Eink is great as it can go weeks without recharging. I prefer the iPad only due to magazines, but for books the nook is awesome


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[guls]

Just the battery life of e-readers alone is worth the hype, even if you discount the ease of reading. I have to charge my tablet every day and most of the times when I want to use my tablet, I see that it is low on battery!

 

[kneo]

eInk is meant for prolonged periods of reading without hurting your eyes. Tablets which are backlit will cause eye fatigue over prolonged use and are not recommended. eInk is definitely a game changer technology, it evolved a new breed of device - the eReader.

 

[techlife4me]

eInk is meant for prolonged periods of reading without hurting your eyes. Tablets which are backlit will cause eye fatigue over prolonged use and are not recommended. eInk is definitely a game changer technology, it evolved a new breed of device - the eReader.

I am not so sure of that. I work on laptop most of the day; so a tiny tablet will not be so tiring. And eink based readers do not play video, plus you can always tinker with the light settings of the tablet.:yahoo:

 

[techlife4me]

Just the battery life of e-readers alone is worth the hype, even if you discount the ease of reading. I have to charge my tablet every day and most of the times when I want to use my tablet, I see that it is low on battery!

Which tablet do you use? Does the battery needs replacement by any chance?

 

[techlife4me]

Not really. If you read books Eink is great as it can go weeks without recharging. I prefer the iPad only due to magazines, but for books the nook is awesome


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I agree to an extent with what you said. But everyone cannot buy and Ipad and a tablet; for those with a limited budge they have got to make a choice somewhere. E ink based cannot play video files or music whereas a nook tablet can do the opposite i.e. imitate eink reader result with dimming.

 

[guls]

I use an HP touchpad. It has a battery life of about 8hrs. But that is when you just remove it off the charger and starts using it. More often that not, you would have charged it sometime earlier and when you really want to use it, the battery would be already drained half way through. Unless you have a habit of keeping it plugged in when not in use, you will have to live with this scenario. With e-readers, once you charge it fully, it will last a couple of weeks. But I do use the tablet for reading my digital magazine subscriptions. But again not the best of experiences except for small magazines like Readers Digest.

 

[techlife4me]

I use an HP touchpad. It has a battery life of about 8hrs. But that is when you just remove it off the charger and starts using it. More often that not, you would have charged it sometime earlier and when you really want to use it, the battery would be already drained half way through. Unless you have a habit of keeping it plugged in when not in use, you will have to live with this scenario. With e-readers, once you charge it fully, it will last a couple of weeks. But I do use the tablet for reading my digital magazine subscriptions. But again not the best of experiences except for small magazines like Readers Digest.

You sure the battery is okay? And charging should not be a issue with a tablet; since we also charge our mobiles on every alternative night; don't we?

 

[techlife4me]

One more question. When you play a video file converted from AVI to MPEG 4 what is wrong with the audio, background music plays but not the dialogues! Have other guys experienced the same?

 

[baijuxavior]

Did you convert a 5.1 audio movie file to mpeg4?

 

[Sudeep]

One more thing to keep in mind is of course the ongoing cost of book purchases. Most e-books cost around $12, which is quite a bit more than what you would pay to purchase the print version of the book on flipkart and other sites

 

[shredder]

The relatively high cost of e-books is a point worth considering but it neither makes the case for or against in an eink vs ereader debate.
Based on my personal experience I would say that Kindle (or any eInk device) is far superior to a tablet with an LCD screen if the purpose is exclusively for reading. However the point worth noting is that most people who claim that eInk devices are better are people who have sampled both technologies. Someone who has not had any experience with an eInk screen should not have any problem with reading on a tablet. (For example, Madhuri Dixit was the most beautiful woman until Aishwarya Rai came along....... and then Katrina Kaif turned up.... and you get the general idea). It's only when comparing the experience on BOTH technologies that one can truly appreciate the advantages the Kindle has when it comes to reading.
Of course the Kindle has its limitations. If you want to play Angry Birds or want to watch movies or read fashion magazines then it is a no-brainer. Tablet all the way. But if you really want to immerse yourself in a novel then the Kindle is way better. As has been mentioned before, it has an exceptionally long battery life (the battery is utilised only during page turns). The form factor is perfect- neither too large nor too small. The text literally pops out of the screen in an eInk device. Since the screen does not emit any light there is no eyestrain resulting from staring at a light source. Another thing which I found going for the Kindle is its weight. It is very light as compared to a tablet. When reading for long periods this really makes a difference. And another thing is the heat. Tablets are powered by processors which do get hot over time and some people may feel uncomfortable with holding a tablet over a long period of time. It is not going to get so hot as to burn off your skin but the Kindle does not emit any heat, so that is definitely a point in its favour.

Coming back to the point about ebooks costing more than paper books. That may be true, but if you do NOT want to pay for ebooks then you can still read on tablets/Kindles by the simple expedient of using the internet and Calibre and suffering the ignominy of being termed a pirate. (But please note, you will still be a noble pirate in the Robin Hood vein, because your piratical shenanigans will have resulted in less demand for paper and hence less trees being cut. Imagine how noble that is: heaping perdition on your soul so that a single tree can be saved: a much more effectual gesture than hugging trees that are about to be cut). And then there are sites like gutenberg which offer FREE (yes FREE!!!) legal e-books. Of course these will be mostly classics like Dickens, Cervantes, Conrad, etc. but compare it to printed books...... the only printed book you will ever get for free is a Gideon's Bible.
Whether tablet or eInk reader, I have come to prefer reading on a screen as opposed to reading a printed book. Environmental concerns aside, it is so much more convenient. My Kindle contains the entire Wilbur Smith collection. I can imagine the size of the suitcase I would have to lug around if I insisted on carrying this collection in printed form. And then there is the ability to change the font size which you cannot do in a printed book.

 

[palka]

A few points regarding the Nook vs kindle debate.

* If used in India, the better support by Amazon is useless
* From India, you can buy books online from Amazon store and have it automatically delivered to your Kindle. To buy books from B&N store you need a credit card with a billing address in US.
* If your main purpose is to read PDFs, get a tablet.
I use a Nook Simple Touch (NST) for the past few months, and using Calibre to manage my ebooks and my NST. I chose Nook as it supports epub format. Of course, you can use Calibre to convert between common formats. However, conversion of PDF to a proper ebook format is usually unsatisfactory.

 

[kneo]

I am using a Kindle in India and have already experienced the support by Amazon. My Kindle had some screen refresh issues. They replaced my device and even arranged a pre-paid courier for my defective piece! All this just after telling their customer support the issues I was facing.

 

[techlife4me]

Thank you people for all the wonderful responses.
@baijuxavior. It was a AVI file. I will have the check audio format.
@Sudeep. Most ebooks are cheaper; as no paper cost is involved. Ask or read any info about paper publishing and you'll find that 70% to 80% cost in the production of a book is of paper. Also many sites offer free ebooks (perhaps not the latest titles) which you can download for free.
@shredder. You make all valid points. But if you cannot afford both a e book reader and a tablet; better go for a tablet since it can double up as a ebook reader.
@palka. You can still buy free ebooks, inculding free books each friday.
@kneo good to read that the support you got from Kindle.
But friends, Nook - though not as famous or bestselling like Kindle still has better hardware as per all tech sites like CNET and extra memory via sd card is a big plus.

 

[apk]

But friends, Nook - though not as famous or bestselling like Kindle still has better hardware as per all tech sites like CNET and extra memory via sd card is a big plus.

Hi,
As a Kindle user for the past year or so, and having checked out the Nook before buying the Kindle, I would definitely vote for the Kindle if your primary reason for buying an e-book reader is to read books. The memory feature (SD card) on the Nook adds no value, and is just a psycological advantage. With the Kindle's built in memory, you should be able to store more than 2000 books on the Kindle. Even if you manage to exhaust this list (which is very unlikely), you can always back up half your books on a PC (through the USB cable) and free up space on the kindle. So the SD card holds no real advantage. Yes, if you want to watch movie files etc, then we are talking about using the e-book reader for a different purpose altogether and the SD card adds value.

APK

 

[techlife4me]

Hi,
As a Kindle user for the past year or so, and having checked out the Nook before buying the Kindle, I would definitely vote for the Kindle if your primary reason for buying an e-book reader is to read books. The memory feature (SD card) on the Nook adds no value, and is just a psycological advantage. With the Kindle's built in memory, you should be able to store more than 2000 books on the Kindle. Even if you manage to exhaust this list (which is very unlikely), you can always back up half your books on a PC (through the USB cable) and free up space on the kindle. So the SD card holds no real advantage. Yes, if you want to watch movie files etc, then we are talking about using the e-book reader for a different purpose altogether and the SD card adds value.

APK

Did you read the online reviews or actually checked the Nook. And how many want to double purchase - as in a separate ebook reader and a separate tablet when a nook tablet can double up as both? Again I fell that eink is over-hyped vis a vis a back-lit tablet. And with constant additional of books, newspaper and videos memory card is a useful feature.

 

[apk]

Did you read the online reviews or actually checked the Nook. And how many want to double purchase - as in a separate ebook reader and a separate tablet when a nook tablet can double up as both? Again I fell that eink is over-hyped vis a vis a back-lit tablet. And with constant additional of books, newspaper and videos memory card is a useful feature.

I had checked both out before I bought the kindle. I had picked up the Kindle from the US during a business trip there about a year ago. I have also purchased a second Kindle in India about a month ago for my mother from the Croma store.
I do agree that memory cards have their purpose. My take was that if you are going to be using a kindle/nook only for reading books (which is what I bought it for), then the additional memory feature hardly is an advantage.

I guess if you are looking for a multi-purpose device, the kindle may not be the way to go.

Best,
APK

 

[techlife4me]

I had checked both out before I bought the kindle. I had picked up the Kindle from the US during a business trip there about a year ago. I have also purchased a second Kindle in India about a month ago for my mother from the Croma store.
I do agree that memory cards have their purpose. My take was that if you are going to be using a kindle/nook only for reading books (which is what I bought it for), then the additional memory feature hardly is an advantage.

I guess if you are looking for a multi-purpose device, the kindle may not be the way to go.

Best,
APK

I totally agree with you on that; we have to make the purchase as per our need and priorities. As I had written earlier, if reading alone was your interest than you could consider Kindle. But if you are looking for a tablet that nook is a good option, I think. Another great feature with Nook is that every Friday you can download a book for free. Sometimes its a average title but once in a while a bestseller comes along.

And on that topic has anyone tried reading hindi or regional language books on their e-reader. How refreshing it looks?

Anyone can share urls for sites that offer free hindi e books for download?