1. There are two main types of Kobo readers, the standard wifi reader and the touch screen option. Touch screen readers are a nice option to have for quick navigation and intuitive reading, while the standard button option is more affordable. Your budget and the style that you personally prefer can help you choose which option is right for you.
2. The controls on the standard Kobo are very neat, with only one small push pad near the right hand corner of the device. The simple design is a nice alternative to ereaders with a full QWERTY keyboard, but can seem a little more difficult if you use your left hand for most tasks.
3. The back of the Kobo ereader has been quilted to help you grasp the reader firmly and to prevent slipping on any surface. In fact, this quilted effect is one of the best features that you will find on the Kobo ereader. Review the images online for a better idea of the design.
4. The Kobo offers a unique I’m Reading feature that automatically tracks your page turns in a book, allowing you to easily come back to the page you left off at. This feature can track several books at once, so if you are reading digital textbooks along with entertainment books you don’t have to pick and choose which one to keep track of.
5. The Kobo ereader is a standard reader that is focused on making digital reading simple and streamlined. You may not have access to some of the more advanced technology available today, but with features that emphasize working with digital texts you can easily find and download new books quickly and have access to features such as bookmarks.
6. Kobo is the ereader for Borders bookstore, which offers thousands of digital books for people of all ages. When checking through a Kobo ereader review, it is often best to simply visit the Borders online bookstore and check out the digital selection of books for yourself. If you find that there are many options that are suitable for your interests, then this affordable ereader can be the right choice for you.
7. The Kobo has a battery that lasts for about eight thousand page turns. If you spend a lot of time on the go, a device that doesn’t need to be charged on a daily basis can be the ideal choice. You can charge once every two weeks or as needed.

Note, these are some basic choosing an ereader guides. We recommend really reading a few Kobo reader reviews before you actually make a buying decision. We’ll have a review posted shortly, but in the mean time, check out the link which links to a pretty good Kobo reader review.

Finding the best ebook reader for your personal needs may take a little research. Some things that you may want to consider are your budget, what you want to use the reader for and the costs per download on the device. Some readers are more affordable than others, while still offering the multi-functional use you want.

Cost and Features

Choosing the best ebook reader may begin with choosing a device that is affordable to purchase and use. Most e-readers only charge when you purchase a new book, rather than charging per download. You can often find free ebooks, for example, that you don’t have to pay to download. The exception is that some readers will charge for downloading emailed .pdf files unless you have an account for free emailed files with your e-reader.

The features of the best ebook reader can vary based on your personal needs. If you want a simple device that is easy to use, then a basic e-reader can be very affordable. One feature that most electronic readers offer is the ability to take notes using a stylus. Some readers also offer advanced display options that allow you to change the size of the text and that automatically format files to fit the reader. There are also some features that you want to look for before making your purchase.

What to Look For

When choosing the best ebook reader, there are some features that are more important to look for than others. For example, a larger memory size will allow you to store significantly more books than a smaller size. Some readers offer external memory options, as well. External memory is invaluable when you want to keep a lot of books on your reader over the years. Along with memory size, you will also want to choose a device that doesn’t need charged often.

The best ebook reader can last for two weeks to ninety days before recharging the device is necessary. With longer battery times, you will find it is more convenient to take the e-reader along with you on trips, whether for the day or longer periods of time. You will also want to check the optional accessories and the type of connection needed for the device. Most new readers have the ability to download through cell phone networks, allowing you to download new reading materials anywhere there is cell phone reception.

Buying Your Reader

The best ebook readers, of course, will be the ones that are within your budget. Luckily, there are a wide range of readers that are right at $100, with more advanced readers being more costly. A simple e-reader will be sufficient to download books, take notes on your reading, and even listen to audio books. If you are looking for a device that is top of the line, you can expect to pay up to $350 for advanced features and ample storage for your books. Some ebook readers can hold up to 50,000 books, however, making them worth the price.

• Reading ability is the most obvious feature to look for when choosing a handheld ebook reader. You want a device that is very clear and that offers high contrast between the words and the background. E-Ink technology is the number one digital reader technology used to ensure easy readability. Other features, such as variable text size, anti-glare screen and audio capabilities also make reading a more enjoyable part of your day.
• The price of your handheld ebook reader is also important to consider. You don’t have to pay over $200 to have an excellent digital reader that offers all the feature you want. In fact, you can easily find a reader that is just around $100 and packed with features.
• The memory space available on your handheld ebook reader will vary based on the brand that you choose. The smaller sizes can hold about one thousand books and magazines, while the largest memory sizes can hold fifty thousand books. If you are sharing an e-reader, then larger sizes may be needed but most people can easily stay stocked up on new reading material with a smaller memory size, as well.
• The connection type available on your handheld ebook reader is also important to consider. You don’t want to buy your reader only to find that it works with wireless internet when you don’t have access to wifi. Most people will want a multi-connection device that can work through wifi, 3G, or a traditional usb cord.
• Text to audio is a nice feature to have when you want to listen to books rather than read them on your handheld ebook reader. You can simply plug headphones in and listen on your way to work on the subway, or in the comfort of home. This feature is especially nice if you have poor eyesight or can’t read while riding in a car.
• You will definitely want to choose from the optional accessories available for your handheld ebook reader. One accessory that you will find extremely helpful is the AC adaptor that allows you to charge the device on a traditional wall outlet rather than the computer. With an AC adaptor, you can easily charge your device anywhere without needing to plug into a laptop or desktop computer.
• You will also need to decide which size handheld ebook reader is right for you. The most common size is six inches by four inches, but larger sizes are also available. The portable size of your device will allow you to easily take the reader along with you on your travels.

Getting Started

To begin reading ebooks, you will need to choose the Amazon Kindle that is right for you. The newest Kindle 3 is one of the most advanced options available, with both text and audio books available for download. You can choose among the audio books and play them back on the Kindle 3, which is the only model that offers text to speech capabilities among the models released by Amazon. The voice guide can assist you in getting started and understanding the menu options available if you are new to downloading books, as well.

To download an ebook through the Amazon website, you will need to have an active account with Amazon and a credit card saved into the account. Once your account is established, you can easily download any ebook or audio book on the website by simply signing into your account on a wifi or 3G network. The use of 3G technology is one feature that makes the Amazon Kindle very functional, since you can easily download books anywhere in the world that offers mobile reception.

Saving Money

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend to stock your Amazon Kindle with ebooks, then you will love the wide selection of discounted and free ebooks available through Amazon. All books written before 1923 are copyright free, which means that you can download them without paying for the book. There are literally thousands of free ebooks available to choose from, including all the great classics that you will want to read sometime. Having a wide selection of books available also allows you to have a fresh supply of reading material anytime.

If you are looking for something more modern than the classics, then you will definitely want to check out the low cost books available for your Amazon Kindle. There are many books available for less than five dollars, so you don’t have to spend a lot to have new books on your e-reader. Some books are priced as low as ninety nine cents, as well, so if you have a dollar you can buy a new book to read using your Amazon account and credit card.

Downloading

Amazon Kindle is one of the simplest e-readers to download books to. The download is complete within just sixty seconds and allows you to use many different file types. For example, you can download html, txt and ePub books that are automatically formatted to display properly on your device. The kindle can also handle .pdf files nicely, which is difficult for some e-reading machines. Taking the time to find books that interest you will ensure you have an interesting read on hand at any time.

Saving Money

Today, you have the advantage of using ebook readers for textbooks as well as novels. The benefit of using a digital textbook on your reader is that you have an interactive text that costs just a fraction of the price of a traditional textbook. Since the price is very low on most digital books, you can easily enjoy new books more often than if you were reading a traditional paperback. If you are a student, then you know every dollar counts. There are also some features that make digital more beneficial than traditional texts, as well.

Choosing a digital book reader that has a lot of features is really ideal when using the device for work or school. You will find that some features actually make learning easier. For example, students who learn more efficiently by listening to a lecture can use a text to speech feature that allows the device to read their text book aloud, which will enhance the learning process. You can easily take notes while listening to the text or you can highlight as you read along using the highlight feature offered.

Keep in mind that you’ll also want to make sure you are only using the best ebook reader. Why waste money on an ereader you are not happy with? So do your research to ensure you pick out the best one. To make things easier, you can use one of the ereader comparison websites out there there.

Basic Use

For those who aren’t using the ebook readers for school, there are still some features that you will want o know about to help make your device more multi-functional. First, you will want to consider backing up the information on your reader on a regular basis. There are many online services that provide free or low cost backup of everything on your reader, so if you lose the reader, or lose the memory cards that your books are stored on, you have a backup ready to download. The backup should be hosted somewhere other than your home computer to ensure nothing is lost if your computer is affected.

You will also want to try the sample downloads when buying new books, especially if the book is more than a few dollars. The sample feature allows you to read the first couple of chapters, or an excerpt, from the book before making the purchase. Don’t forget that there are also thousands of free ebooks that you can download onto your reader. Having a wide selection of books is particularly helpful when you are sharing your device with other people at home, since it allows everyone to have access to something that they want to read anytime.

Don’t forget that your local library or university library may have some digital copies that you can check out for free, as well. With the wide range of samples and free ebooks available, your ebook readers can be fully stocked without spending a lot of money.

So let’s start our mini

First of all, the Sony PRS 650 is one of the first ebook readers that actually offers a true touch screen. The nook features a touch screen, but only a small finger sized one near the bottom of the screen. The PRS 650 has the entire screen as a touch screen. This makes moving around the screen to perform every day functions easy and completely natural. So we certainly don’t have any sort of complaints when it comes to the usability of this device.

Next off, let’s discuss the actual build quality of the Sony Ereader. The sony ereader 650 has a very high quality build. In fact, we are really impressed with the actually quality of the build because there is NO other device that features the same quality that we’ve found. The reason is that the Sony device actually is constructed from metal unlike the other reading devices like the Kindle and Nook which only feature plastic. So this is a big win for the sony ereader here.

Now the big downside to this device: you can’t put books on this device without using the computer to connect to it. The Sony PRS ereader models don’t have wi-fi support (yet) like the Nook Color and the Amazon Kindle 3 Wi-Fi.

Things changed in a big way with the introduction of digital e-ink to the market, which spurred a host of big corporations to product electronic book reading devices using this technology.

This e-ink revolutionary technology changed the way font was displayed on electronic devices. In short, e-ink displays, unlike traditional displays, essentially prints the text directly on the screen. No power is required to keep the text on the screen after the initial text is printed. This means there is less eye strain involved when you read (no flashing display, unlike all other screen technology) and there is far less power used too. This means e-ink devices can be used for weeks without a recharge, are readable in direct sunlight, and cause far less eyestrain then traditional screen technology.

Now there are a number of electronic book readers to choose from out there. There is  the Amazon Kindle (arguably the first device that made ebook readers “mainstream” along with PC’s, cellphones, and netbooks), the Sony ereader, and the Nook. There are also dozens of smaller manufactures who produce electronic book readers too.

In the next post, we’ll provide a comprehensive breakdown of the current electronic book readers on the market.