VALLEY TECH TALK: Start looking at eBook readers for the Holidays

Kindle File Photo

The holidays are approaching, so you might be thinking about what kind of gift to buy for your loved ones.

If you don't already have an eBook reader, you might consider buying one for your family.

The technology is maturing enough to make electronic books an economically viable option.

There are a variety of eBook readers available. The most well-known are the Kindle by Amazon.com and the Nook by Barnes & Noble.

Other brands include the Sony Touch or Sony Pocket, Kobo eReader, and Velocity Micro Cruz Reader, amongst others.

In terms of popularity and awesomeness, the Amazon Kindle is the top choice. Their new model, the Kindle 2, boasts the best reading contrast and a battery that lasts almost an entire month of reading.

According to Amazon, the sale of electronic books has matched their sale of physical books.

Of course, it's not all roses with the Kindle. One shortcoming of the Kindle is that their books are in a proprietary format that only the Kindle can use.

Furthermore, they won't accept ePub format books, which many libraries offer. In addition, Google has over 1 million free books in ePub format which would be out of your reach with the Kindle.

The Nook by Barnes & Noble does allow you read books available in ePub format. In addition, you get some freebies when you visit their stores with your Nook.

The Nook is the second most popular choice for eBook readers.

There are rumors that there will be a Nook 2 available before the holidays, so watch for that.

The other brands of readers don't have as much market share; but they do give you flexibility in what reading material you can load into them, which includes ePub books.

In addition, most readers allow you to load and read PDF documents, which is handy for school and work.

My family settled on the Nook because we visit the BN stores frequently, so it made sense.

However, we did notice that sometimes the electronic version of a book costs more than the printed version. In addition, prices vary for the same eBook across different vendors.

This means that for most new books, the electronic version will save you money. But, for books that have been out for a while, you are better off shopping around as the printed books may actually be cheaper, especially if you can buy used.

Ideally, you would start off with one brand of reader and add another brand some time later. This gives you the option of buying electronic books from the cheapest source.

If you aren't completely sure that an eBook reader is for you, preferring to buy an iPad, you should know that there are Nook and Kindle apps for the iPad.

This allows you to buy books from either one of the vendors, giving you some purchase flexibility.

The fun doesn't stop there. The apps are also available for iPhone or iPod Touch and for Android phones. Wait, there's more.

They also have apps for PC, Mac, and Blackberry phones. This gives you the ability to access your electronic library from a variety of devices almost anywhere.

This is why I think this is the year to go electronic.

The ability to access your books at your computer, on your phone, on your iPad, or an eBook reader makes it easy to become a reader again.

In my short experience with eBooks, I have read more books this year than I have been able to do in previous years.

Mainly, this is because my books come with me on my phone, sparing me from having to lug around a book in addition to the other junk I carry.

I can say that eBook readers are much easier on the eyes for reading than the other electronic options. It does take some getting used to reading on eReader rather than paper; but you'll adjust in a day or two. It becomes natural.

As for other features, don't worry too much about whether to get 3G or WiFi only. I have not yet faced a book buying emergency that required me to order a book while away from home or the office.

More than anything, buying books anywhere leads to more impulse purchases.

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