Tablet as an E-Reader question

[waylandcool]

I've been researching E-Readers for a while and I'm now kicking around getting a Tablet PC instead since that's more flexible and it's not much more than a high end E-Reader. I know that B&N and Amazon have their E-Reader apps for Android devices and was wondering if having both apps on there is possible or if the apps have issues with being on the same device.

Also, is a 10 inch tablet harder to handle than a 7 inch tablet?

[DavidGP]

Hi

As to your question of harder to handle then apart from the size difference, No they are not harder to handle.

As to multiple apps doing a similar job on a tablet or portable device then no they will work fine, just they will offer you a different option on viewing your media.

What e-readers are you looking at? personally I'm likely to go with this year a Windows 8 based tablet, had a look at iPads and Kindle Fire and they are lacking in some areas for me.

[waylandcool]

I've been kicking around getting a Kindle Touch but the Nook Glow seems interesting. I'm just wary about locking myself into one system or another and spending more for a device that can use both ecosystems. I'm not getting an IPad, too expensive and not worth the money compared to a new Android tablet. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 looks very interesting and two of my coworkers have it and they like it alot. I'm not sure about the new 10" model as this tablet will be doing a lot of traveling in the car and on trips so being portable is key for me.

[DavidGP]

Hi

I agree with you on the ecosystems being tied into such proprietary apps can be a pita, for me Apple updates mess up more than they should, I've got an iPhone and iPod Touch and I dread updates, whereas my Windows Phone 7 via Zune is a dream.


The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 is a great device and one well worth consideration, personally I think it is better than the iPad, but downside is the less regulated Android Store as you can get really bad apps and malware infected apps.

I'm still awaiting Windows 8 Tablets as I have seen how Windows 8 works and on a touch tablet it will be superb and it also has a Kindle apps for books!!

But if you are wanting a tablet now then the Galaxy is the way to go IMHO.

[waylandcool]

I'm looking at getting one for my vacation coming up in July. I think the Galaxy is the one I'm leaning towards as it seems to be the best bang for the buck but I think I'm going to check out Best Buy or the Tiger Direct store near my job and see if I can actually see the 7" model and the 10" model and see which size I like better.

I wonder if Microsoft will have a Kindle app for Windows 8 considering they just sank 300 million into the Nook last week in that Barnes and Noble deal.

[brownizs]

I have a Nook Color with the N2A (Nook 2 Android) card in it, so that it is now a true android tablet. You can get the card in 8gb, 16gb, 32gb flavors from http://www.n2acards.com, or if you have a Fry's, you can get them there. Plus side is, you can use either the B&N ebook app, the Kindle app, or if your local library allows e-material downloads, you can also run the Overdrive app. http://overdrive.com/

[Rose110]

Tablets PC like the new Ultrabook may become more popular than smart phones. However, carrying a 7 or 10 inch communication device may not be practical. I foresee a huge growth of tablet usage among students.

[pl91]

a very interesting topic and discussion going on here.

I have an Kindle Fire and one of my friend has a Samsung Galaxy Note. I have used both of them and I am very comfortable and happy with my kindle fire. Serves me right.

well Kindle Fire is leading the Market right now, which shows its popularity. Hope to have a next generation version soon enough though.

[DavidGP]

Originally Posted by waylandcool

I wonder if Microsoft will have a Kindle app for Windows 8 considering they just sank 300 million into the Nook last week in that Barnes and Noble deal.

Hi

Well you will be glad to know that indeed there is a Kindle app for Windows 8 and see below, I just added the app now to take a screenshot for you, and on how the app looks, although I have no books

[katkat]

Another e-reader option is the free download FBReader for Windows, Android, or other operating systems. http://www.fbreader.org/
I use it on my Maemo Nokia N800 Internet Tablet.
There are plenty of free book download sites on the Internet also. http://www.fbreader.org/ebooklinks.php
Just something you might check out.

[trisha]

So I recently purchased an Ematic eglide Steal tablet. Not what I expected. I guess I didn't know enough about tablets when I made my purchase. I am in the market for one that will meet the following minimum standards:

Android OS
Read at the beach or poolside.
Download books from the public library
Play Scrabble
Get apps from Google.Play
Price range of under $200

The Kobo Vox pretty much has all of the above according to their website and Scrabble is "coming soon". Some of the reviews I read online indicate that it is slow in the browsing and only has 512 mb of RAM.

The eglide steal cannot access apps from Google.Play and the company does not plan on adding that access. The CS guy basically told me I have a *low end* tablet and maybe I should consider getting a Sony if I want to access Google.Play. Hmmm. Anyway, any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Adrynalyne]

Water is bad for all electronics and these mass produced devices are rarely water resistant.

Also, one of the most dangerous things to a glass screen is sand. It will scratch any glass screen mercilessly.