With so many ebook devices from both new and established companies hitting the market this year, I keep waiting for Amazon’s Kindle to slip from the top spot. According to Consumer Reports, however, it’s still the best bang for your buck.
In its July 2010 issue, the magazine looked at the following devices:
- Kindle 2 ($260)
- Kindle DX ($490)
- Barnes & Noble Nook ($260)
- Sony Daily Edition PRS900BC ($400)
- Sony Touch Edition PRS600SC ($280)
- Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro ($170)
- BeBook Neo ($300)
- iRex DR 800SG ($400)
Although you can’t access all of their findings unless you subscribe online or get the newsstand issue, the gist of it is that the Kindle had the most readable display, and it was one of the fastest as well. In general, the magazine found that the Kindle 2 had a good mix of the features people want: it’s lightweight, less expensive than many alternatives, and features wireless connectivity. In most of the other cases, at least one of those features was missing.
The magazine considered the iPad ($500-830), but didn’t include it in the final rankings because it’s not a dedicated ereader. But even against the iPad the Kindle comes out more or less even, with Consumer Reports saying the iPad’s added weight–something I noticed, too–and high cost make it viable only if you’re “willing to compromise to get a multifunction device.”
“Amazon’s Kindle Tops CR E-Book Reader Ratings” [Consumer Reports]
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