Tablet Reader - Flame war begins here

[Too Tall]

I got Mrs. Too Tall the ipad gen II last yr. and it's gone baby gone. For giggles I tried and dismissed it for reading books and e-print such as NYT, Washington Post, New Yawker. What I did not like is the screen quality, too much glare.

Who has a strong opinion one way or the other? I'm looking at Kindle HD. Our family has a metric ton of books on amazon to share and mom's first generation Kindle reader is awesome. That has a wonderfully soothing display for reading books.

Talk to me.

[jitahs]

Pure reader or combo?

E- ink for the former, wife has stolen my Kindle.

Want a full-on Google experience, fast browser, fast search, access to all your Amazon books through app, not carry a laptop or big tablet everywhere, sick of using your crappy resolution phone, not be bound to iStuff, have (theoretically) an extensible OS in perpetuity with amazing screen resolution, Google Now, no contract dirt cheap 7" form factor?

Apps for screen dimming take the brightness down enough for night time reading but not in the same category e-ink.

Nexus 7.

Mini iPad really nice, much more screen real estate and deeper colors, lighter vs. nexus. Weight makes a difference over a few hours.

[jscott]

I'm posting this from my iPad mini, and after I'm done I'm going back to reading a Kindle book on it. I received this as a gift, and it changed my opinion about 7" tablets. It's much more portable than the full-size model and I don't miss the extra screen real estate. Much easier to type on, too. It's a winner.

[gggross]

IPad is my vehicle of choice. No issues other than no Adobe.

[cody.wms]

I like the new small kindles for just reading. I was able to get one of the "offer" ones with ads for $50 through Amazon deals. Just checked, they are only $69 now anyways. Can't beat that. (FYI, most of our local libraries have e-collections now).

Full on tablet I'd go Nexus 7. I like the new Android stuff (I have a Note II, so no tablet for me anymore) and would go for one of them over a mini, Apple fan that I am.

[zetroc]

If you aren't stuck on the kindle format or e-ink, jitahs is absolutely correct about the Nexus 7. I bought one when it came out and it's great. 7" is the perfect size for web surfing, the thing isn't heavy like a 10" iPad, there are a ton of apps available, and the software is so good it really isn't even funny.

I have no experience with the kindle, except for using an older one to read one magazine article. They do seem easy on the eyes.

[jitahs]

Pure reader or combo?

E- ink for the former, wife has stolen my Kindle.

Want a full-on Google experience, fast browser, fast search, access to all your Amazon books through app, not carry a laptop or big tablet everywhere, sick of using your crappy resolution phone, not be bound to iStuff, have (theoretically) an extensible OS in perpetuity with amazing screen resolution, Google Now, no contract dirt cheap 7" form factor?

Apps for screen dimming take the brightness down enough for night time reading but not in the same category e-ink.

Nexus 7.

Mini iPad really nice, much more screen real estate and deeper colors, lighter vs. nexus. Weight makes a difference over a few hours.

Having said all that, starting from scratch I would get both a Kindle Paperwhite and a dedicated 7 incher, but not a hybrid like the Kindle HD. The Paperwhite is clearly (pun) better than the original e-ink.

You can afford both because a Nexus 7 + Kindle will still come in about the same as a mini iPad. Check that they will be less.

Added: Kindle HD hijacks the native Google browser and focuses all ads and buys and browsing into the Amazon machine. Fine if you don't mind, caveat emptor.

[cody.wms]

You can afford both because a Nexus 7 + Kindle will still come in about the same as a mini iPad.

Actually is $60 cheaper to get the combo:

$200 Nexus 7
$69 Kindle
$269 vs $329 for the mini.

I like reading on the e-ink readers much more than a tablet if you're gonna be reading for a while.

[jitahs]

Actually is $60 cheaper to get the combo:

$200 Nexus 7
$69 Kindle
$269 vs $329 for the mini.

I like reading on the e-ink readers much more than a tablet if you're gonna be reading for a while.

I was editing while you were typing; great cheap minds think alike.

[Jaq]

Go with the Kindle and get an Amazon prime account. The advantage is that, with the Prime, there are a tremendous number of free books available that would otherwise cost money if d/l & read on an iPad or other non-Kindle reader. My wife has the low-end paper-white model & loves it so much she gave me the iPad.

[rec head]

Okay I skipped a bunch of posts because I already know the answer. PAPERWHITE for reading. I got one for Xmas after using an older Kindle for a few years. An accessory light built into a cover costs way too much and doesn't work as well as the back lit screen. Plus back light is less annoying to whoever you are sharing a dark room with.

I'm writing this from a nexus 7 which is nice too but if you're invested in the ios ecosystem then you may want to stay there.

[theflashunc]

The Nexus 7 I have is probably my favorite piece of electronic geekery. Really can't beat it for the money.

I've read for extended periods on it with no issues.