Middle East/North African Lit discussion

Here we can help each other out with e-reader questions...

In another thread a few members (including me) in the U.S. were discussing the pros and cons of nook versus kindle. I have an iPad (i got it in part because it is currently the only device that displays arabic correctly) but recently decided an e-reader would be better for carrying around. I thought I was going to get a kindle, but then I found out about the nook touch. I did not want nook color because I have an iPad. Anyway, I couldn't be happier with my nook touch.

Others prefer the kindle...

I have kindle for two months now and I love it , I read Arabic on it as well , its screen is like a book page with no light and easy turner and to take notes .

I have had a Sony ereader now for about 2 years, everything I read here is on it - epub, pdf all are readable ( and if you want mps can be played but I never use it for that) . I love the ability to change the font size, and find I can read it by torch light as well through the many power cuts we get here, and it recharges, via the pc, and via my power monkey/power gorilla. Wouldn't be without it!

Sheila wrote: "I have had a Sony ereader now for about 2 years, everything I read here is on it - epub, pdf all are readable ( and if you want mps can be played but I never use it for that) . I love the ability t..."

i don't know much about the Sony e-reader...are you able to share books with friends?

Nile daughter wrote: "I have kindle for two months now and I love it , I read Arabic on it as well , its screen is like a book page with no light and easy turner and to take notes ."

have you had it for long? i need to look into the Arabic on the kindle again, i guess...two years ago Kindle was not able to display Arabic (nor could any other device except the iPad). because i have an iPad, i have e-books on my kindle app, too, which was part of my problem with deciding between nook and kindle once i realized it actually did make sense for me to have a smaller e-reader for carrying around.

I already have Arabic pdf on kindle and I have no problem handling them and that made me happy .

I adore my Kindle. Mine is the earlier version, but it turns pages much faster than Nook, and its buttons are more to my liking than Nook's touch screen.

the new nook touch turns pages quickly but i'm not sure how it compares to the kindle since i've barely played with one.

The new Nook turns pages faster than previous versions. My daughter just got one, and I looked at it. I still dislike the touch screen, though. This is a matter of personal preference, not efficiency of function.

Marahm wrote: "The new Nook turns pages faster than previous versions. My daughter just got one, and I looked at it. I still dislike the touch screen, though. This is a matter of personal preference, not efficien..."

Yes...and I know it's a major factor for some people. I've had an iPhone and an iPad for quite some time so I'm used to the touch screen. The funny thing is, I like nook's better than apple's!

Well, I broke my wrist last week. I was just walking across 3rd Avenue (here in NYC where I live) and I have so much on my mind. I wasn't paying attention so I tripped and landed HARD on my left hand. It's a bad break, so I will probably be in a cast for over 10 weeks. SOOOOOO, NOW I NEED AN E-READER!!! SOON!!! Tf I try to read a book over 300 pages I can't hold it with just my right hand.

So I need some help on picking an e-reader! Soon! Unfortunately, money is an issue, so I will probably not be able to get the color Nook or Kindle, but based on the notes in this thread it seems that Marieke loves her black & whits Nook and Nile Daughter loves her Kindle (which I think is black & white as well.)

Nile Daughter mentions that it's easy to take notes on her Kindle. I like to take notes when reading, but I'm leaning more toward the Nook (because there are so many Barnes & Noble stores in Manhattan, so I could always just stop into one whenever I have a question.)

But, there are many features I would like, so I'd love to get some feedback on whether the Nook or Kindle or both (or neither) have these features.....

A few questions on both the Nook and Kindle --

1) Can you take notes on both?

2) Do they both have a good backlight?

3) Those of you who have a Nook or Kindle that you love, can you please let me know the model name or number (because both Nook and Kindle now have a few black & white versions, so I want to make sure I get the right one.

4) Do both the Nook and Kindle have the dictionary feature, where you can just highlight the word and you get the definition of the word and the pronunciation?

5) Can you get a dictionary feature where you can hear an audio pronunciation of the word?

6) Do either of these also have dictionaries in other languages? For example, I'm reading a book now that's written in English, but many French words and phrases are scattered about because part of the book takes place in France, so could I look up both English and French words while reading the same book?

7) Do they both have good highlighting features (where you can highlight a phrase or paragraph or quote and save it (because it has some meaning for you and you want to remember it even after reading the book.) And, in this case, is there a section in the Nook or Kindle where you can save the quotes you've highlighted?

8) I like to highlight each new name that comes up (mostly in the beginning of the book) so that if this person doesn't appear until later on I can go back to the page they were first mentioned, just to remind myself who he/she is. Is this feature available?

9)I think I've heard that only the Nook has actual page numbers that match (or come close to matching) the page numbers in the actual book, but the Kindle does not have page numbers -- instead it just tells you the percentage of the book you've read (for example, if you're on page 200 of a 400 page book, instead of seeing "pg. 200" you will see "you've read 50% of this book" or "you have 50% to go" -- something like that.) Is this true?

OK -- I know I have a lot of questions, but since there seems to be a mix of Nook and Kindle users here, I hope to get some answers here in the group!! I'd like to get either a Nook or Kindle before the weekend, because I have a 2 hour train ride (each way) so it's important that I make a decisiom soon!!!

THANKS!!!!
Barbara

omg barbara! so sorry about your wrist! my husband broke his collar bone three weeks ago, hence my relative absenteeism around goodreads.

but an e-reader is a must for you! yes, i do love my Nook Simple Touch, which just came down in price with the announcement of the new Nook Tablet. but i also recently purchased a basic Kindle when it came down in price. I like both very much for different reasons, but i am a bit of a nimrod when it comes to technology, so i am sure i'm not making the most of either of them yet. in fact, i have yet to figure out how to highlight and make notes in my kindle, but i will figure it out shortly.

okay, so to be clear, this is my kindle (i got the one without special offers) and this is my nook. the kindle is not a touchscreen, that is the key difference between the two.

okay; now i'll try to answer your questions....

1)you can definitely take notes on the nook touch and i'm 99.99999% sure you can on the kindle (that i have)

2)neither are backlit because they are e-ink technology. the great thing about taht is that you can read them in bright light, unlike something that is backlit, like a computer or iPad. however, you can't read on them in the dark. BUT, you can get little reading lights for them; some covers come with a lamp built in.

3)i linked to mine above. :D

4)nook definitely has this; all you have to do is hold your finger on the word. it has a pretty big dictionary and i've only had problems with the most obscure words. i don't know about foreign-language capability. my kindle came with several foreign-language dictionaries (european languages). i don't know if that means i can look up foreign words directly in a text or if i have to leave the text, go to the dictionary, look up the word, etc. i will try to play around with it this evening. i need to learn how to use my kindle better.

5)some of the kindles have audio; mine does not. for those that have audio, i don't know if it allows you to listen to words or if it's just for audio books/read-to-me feature. my nook does not do audio.

6)oops, i answered this in number 4. :S

7)nook automatically saves your highlights and comments. you can easily retrieve them through the menu. as i mentioned above, i am a nimrod and i am not adept at returning easily to the text when i visit a note or highlight so i make sure i bookmark the page whenever i leave it. it's also easy to retrieve your bookmarks. i have not played with this feature on my kindle at all yet....will try to do so tonight. or hopefully someone else will have some thoughts/advice/news.

8)on my nook, i would just highlight it and then easily visit my highlights.

9)nook does have page numbers and except for one instance so far, they have tracked accurately with the tree version of the book. kindle uses percentages, but it doesn't bug me.

10) you didn't ask ten questions, but i thought i would throw a couple things out there.

a)i *hate* the cover i got for my nook. i liked it okay for about a week and then i liked it less and less. then i got my kindle and selected what i hoped would be a better case and i was right so now i'm trying to find a new case for my nook. covers are kinda important. the nook selection is rather lousy IMHO.

b)i think the nook is easier to wake up with one hand. my kindle is a little awkward but my temporarily one-armed husband has managed it okay. OTOH, i think the kindle is a little (teeny tiny bit) easier to page forward with one hand.

c)i know the nook allows you to lend to friends and borrow from the public library (i have a problem doing that because i have a mac and i can't get Overdrive software to work with the mac. grrr). i don't think you can lend kindle books to friends (i might be wrong) and i can't remember the status of borrowing through the public library. HOWEVER, they just opened their own lending library for Amazon Prime members and with that you can borrow one book at a time indefinitely. they have a pretty good selection. i also think, but i need to revisit the situation, that kindle has a better newstand if you think you want to subscribe to any newspapers or periodicals.

d) i thought you said something about customer service. of course it's great to be able to walk into a store for help, but i have heard from friends that amazon customer service over the phone is a lot better than B&N. i don't know if this is true. i have had little to no experience with either.

e)i think you can get a nook before the weekend by purchasing it in the store. i doubt amazon will be able to ship you a kindle in time. i waited over a week before mine shipped. of course once it did, it came almost immediately. yay Amazon Prime! lol.

i hope i've been helpful...any follow-up questions? anyone else disagree or have things to add or clarify??

i think there are pluses and minuses for each device, but i don't think you'll be disappointed with either. :D

Wow -- THANK YOU Marieke!!!! You have no idea how helpful all your answere are!!!

So it seems to me that the b&W Kindle and the b&w Nook are very similar in terms of the features I'm looking for.

Now that you've assured me that the Nook has all the highlighting and dictionary features that the Kindle has, I'm stuck with two issues (which I left off my list of questions.)

1) I think the Kindle has an actual keyboard, while the Nook is a touch screen. I have ZERO experience with touch screen, so if all things were completely equal I would go with the kindle (IF it's true that it has an actual keyboard.)

2) The Nook has page numbers and the Kindle has percentages. In this case the Nook wins (for me) because I like page numbers. Page numbers are good for many reasons, one which is for book groups. If I'm at a certain point in a book and I want to share my thoughts without spoiling the story for others, I think it's helpful to have the page numbers. (There are lots of other reasons I like page numbers.)

And yes, I do like the idea of reading newspapers and magazines on an e-reader, but I've heard that you don't get to see the entire magazine (photos, illustrations, and ads) on the b&w e-readers -- that on the b&w readers you just get the text of the stories, which is fine for newspapers. But I work in the magazine business (specifically music magazines) so sometime within the next few months I'll have to invest in a color e-reader because the mag I work for will be on Kindle and/or Nook, and it will be great for me to read my magazine on an e-reader, but I need to see the whole magazine -- photos, and definitely ads. The same with all of my competitive magazines -- I need to see all ads, photos, etc.

Actually, there's a part of me that's saying "just spend the extra $100 and get the color version now!!!" For the Nook, the b&w is now $100 and the color is $200. I may regret not just getting the color, but I do have to watch my money (BUT, if it helps my business.....)

SO, any further advice and input would be MUCH appreciated.

Marieke -- I hope your husband is recovering nicely!!!!

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm...touch keyboard....I'll say I like the one on the nook very much. I never had a blackberry, I went straight from a regular cell phone to an iPhone, so touch keypads don't bother me. In fact, I like the one on my nook better than my iPad. I got an iPad long before I got an e-reader. I thought with an iPad I wouldn't need an e-reader, but I changed my mind. I love my iPad, especially for reading on the Internet and reading magazines. The b&w e-readers do actually display some images. I subscribe to NYRB on my nook and although it's not in color, it still has pictures. Also my nook displays book covers in my library. On my kindle, I just have a title list. On my kindle I subscribe to die Zeit, a German newspaper, and I'm in the middle of a free trial of the financial times. Unfortunately the financial times is not peach-colored, but I do get nice b&w photos at the start of some stories. So both have the capability to display some images, but certainly not at the level of a tablet computer. I'm not sure how kindle fire or the new nook tablet will compare to the iPad, but they are more pared down than the iPad. The iPad is great, but nearly impossible to hold with one hand which is one of the big advantages of a dedicated e-reader. Also, the e-readers are tiny. Seriously you can put it in your purse. I could even use my kindle as a purse because the cover I got has a pocket for money and credit cards and the like. I think you should definitely go into B&N and try it out. See if you like how the touch screen and touch keyboard work; you may hate it. In which case, you'll want a kindle. Also you can see if you hate how magazines and newspapers are displayed. :)

Thanks for this further discussion. I keep getting more information. I think I'm going to get a Kindle in the new year. I believe I want a keyboard which is one of my determining factors. But all the information above is really helpful.

I'm currently reading Kindle books on my netbook and enjoying them.

Hi Sue! I agree -- Marieke has been so incredibly helpful and the information she has shared is fantastic. I'm definitely leaning toward The Nook now, thanks to the information from Marieke.

Marieke, believe it or not, I still have a few more questions!!! (One would think I'm buying a house, based on the amount of questions I've been asking!!!!)

OK, even though I said in a previous email that I wanted to get an e-reader as quickly as possible (which is still the case) I just have not had time to get over to Barnes & Noble yet (oh, and by the way, they do sell Kindles at Best Buy, and we have around 4 Best Buy stores here in manhattan, so I can also actually try out a kindle as well!)

Marieke, you mentioned that you did not like the cover (or the case) you got with your Nook. This will show you how clueless I am about all of this stuff, but I thought the cover/case is just to keep the Nook/Kindle protected when you're not using it. When you're actually reading, I just assumed the case is placed off to the side. So I'm wondering why the case matters so much.

But, since it does seem to matter, which kind do you suggest I get for the Nook???

THANKS SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!
~Barbara

Barbra , I am so so sorry about your wrist!I am glad dear Marieke answered you in so much details ! (wooow....sorry I got to the thread this late !!) , good luck with the Nook .

BTW , this is my kindle

I must say I love the Kindle Keyboard , not sure how I will feel about the touch screen , and I love E Ink display , I feel like holding a book not an electronic device , my cover is not availble any more but it is close to this one but with a zipper (and I love it ), and no ...the case is not just to keep the Kindle protected when I am not using it , I read while the device in it , I keep the USB in one of the pockets and I can fix a light in it to read at night .

BTW , for the page numbers , as far as I understand it depends on the book not the kindle .I have page numbers for my pdf files .

I do not own audio books so never tried dictionry this way , but kindle can read books for me (Text-to-Speech) ,I tested this feature , but I do not use it , I prfer kindle playing music for me during reading .

Nile daughter wrote: "Barbra , I am so so sorry about your wrist!I am glad dear Marieke answered you in so much details ! (wooow....sorry I got to the thread this late !!) , good luck with the Nook .

BTW , this is my..."

I think this is the one I want ND. I'm not sure whether it would be the WiFi or 3G I'd get but that's the model I'm definitely considering and maybe the cover with a light or cover and a separate light--one or the other.

Sue wrote: "I think this is the one I want ND. I'm not sure whether it would be the WiFi or 3G I'd get but that's the model I'm definitely considering and maybe the cover with a light or cover and a separate light--one or the other...."

Glad to help :) Good luck with that !
Mine is only WiFi but I think having (Free WiFi+3G) will be a better option since you live inside USA .

For my cover , it is with separate light , I did not buy it , I was only discussing the cover capabilities .

BTW , if you like larger screens , check Kindle DX

Kindle family comparison

Thanks Again. Boy, I'm going to have to check both out. I like the idea of the bigger one but not sure I really want to go big. Guess I'd have to see them in person and try them.

You are welcome , take your time ;)

Nile daughter wrote: "Barbra , I am so so sorry about your wrist!I am glad dear Marieke answered you in so much details ! (wooow....sorry I got to the thread this late !!) , good luck with the Nook .

BTW , this is my..."

Hi Nile Daughter!!! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the Kindle! Believe me, this was a VERY tough decision to make because based on the information from you and Marieke, both e-readers seem to be great.

But two nights ago I just decided to go over to Barnes & Noble and get the Nook. I'm still getting used to it and there are still many features that I can't figure out, which is one of the main reasons I chose the Nook. I can go into any Barnes & Noble at ant time and get help right there. They do sell the Kindle at Best Buy, but Best Buy sells every type of computer and electronic device you can think of and it's always a mad house there, so I don't think I would get the same follow up support there as I would at B&N. Yes, I have heard that I could get phone support for the Kindle by calling Amazon, but I am SO BAD with ALL electronic products, so in-person support is really better for me.

I got the B&W Nook Touch, which was just recently reduced from $139 or $149 down to $99.00!!! And I got a $30 case, which seems to be very good, but none of the cases fot this Nook came with a light, so I'll have to get a light at some point. (they have the lights that clip onto your case or Nook at B&N for $14.00, so I'll probably go back and get the light.) I didn't get the light yet because I have a reading lamp next to my bed, but I may need it for traveling at some point.

I love the fact that there are no taxes on the books you buy through the e-reader, and most trade paperbacks are $9.99 or less, as opposed to $15-$17.00 PLUS almost 9% tax (in NY) for an actual book!!!

But, I can't say I'm "loving it" yet, because there is still so much to figure out. However, I'm sure I'll figure it all out soon, and I'm thrilled that I finally got an e-reader!!!

Again, Marieke & Nile Daughter, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your help!!!!

:)

congratulations Barbara! i'm still figuring out stuff on my nook, too...but ask away and i'll see if i can help you figure things out. if it gives you any encouragement, i haven't needed to go into the store yet, but i know exactly what you mean about in-person help. :D

one little warning...i did have problems with my nook the second time i charged it and sometimes it still misbehaves, but generally it holds the charge for a really long time like it's supposed to. you may not have this problem at all but the first time i encountered it, i looked around on the internet and others had had difficulty as well; some people were sent another new device. but a GR friend talked to me about it and gave me some pointers (keep the wireless turned off except when downloading, for example) and i've been pretty happy with it.

i need to get a lamp too...

about books and prices...i haven't tried this yet, but supposedly it's possible to download google books (like the free ones) directly to the nook. or you can download them to your computer and transfer them. the nook is more versatile than the kindle in that respect. it accommodates multiple e-book formats.

i'm so glad we were able to help! really, each type of device is really nifty and each has its own strengths and weaknesses so it really comes down to each person deciding which things are most important for their purposes. in some ways i feel silly having both a kindle and a nook, but i love both of them!!!

now i can't wait to hear from sue about which kindle she picks out... :D

Marieke, I forgot that you have both both of them. Do you like certain types of books better on one device than the other? Or is it just luck of the draw which device you buy certain books on?

Sue wrote: "Marieke, I forgot that you have both both of them. Do you like certain types of books better on one device than the other? Or is it just luck of the draw which device you buy certain books on?"

Well, one reason I got the nook initially was because I had acquired many more nook books than kindle books (I had read them using those apps), the nook allowed borrowing from the public library but the kindle didn't (it now does), and the nook allowed for books in different formats and I had heard that PDFs were easier to deal with on the nook (I ave not tested this yet). But now that I have both, I enjoy the actual reading experience on either device equally. The main difference is one that doesn't matter, and that is how the library displays. But I have the most basic kindle (since I already had an e-reader, I didn't want anything more expensive/fancy for the time being) so I don't know if it's different with the kindle touch. Anyway, the nook shows my library as book covers and shows me every issue of a periodical (although not everything will always be downloaded). The kindle shows me a list and only the most recent issue of a periodical, unless I ask it to "keep" an issue. I can always download past issues later.
I don't find either system preferable over the other. I like both. I like seeing book covers but I also like the tidiness of the kindle system. Sooo...as for selecting a particular title to purchase, it really depends on the price. Kindle has a lot of deals but generally the books are priced the same, as are periodical subscriptions.

I have Nook on my PC and Kindle on my Netbook. I've been using the Net book more lately and the Kindle. I have my books displayed by tiles/covers not by the list. Is this not an option on the Kindle reader itself? I really like being able to see the covers. I have both options through the app.

I've also selected a sepia-toned page color which is really easy on the eyes. I suppose I wouldn't need that with the ereader which isn't back lit. But basically my Kindle app experience has been good.

congratulations Barbara! glad to help :D

Sue wrote: " I have my books displayed by tiles/covers not by the list. Is this not an option on the Kindle reader itself? I really like being able to see the covers. I have both options through the app...."

I had kindle PC long before buying kindle , they are not the same , on the kindle books only displayed by tiles not covers (not sure if there is an option that I did not use , I will check), but I can see the cover of each book by opening it , also I see covers when browsing on Amazon . there is no vewing option like "sepia-toned page color" that I loved on kindle PC, but as you said I did not feel needing it on my kindle .

BTW , for the files format , kindle supports pdf besides kindle editions formates , I downloaded a software on PC called "Calibre E Book managment "to transform any format to what suit my kindle (I only used it for epub eBooks) , so I am not having problems with my kindle in this area.

I'm going to have to learn about that Calibre E Book management. I've heard about it but obviously had no need for it. I'm glad you mentioned it. When I finally get a reader I'll definitely be back to this thread.

Barbara--I hope your wrist and the reading are coming along well.

Good luck Sue :D

I read books on my Samsung Galaxy S2. For reading E-books, I've used the FB reader software (both on PC and mobile) and it's good. Now I just downloaded Moon+ Reader and it looks fine. Still haven't found a reader for Android that also support PDF, so if anyone has tips on which is the best ebook software for Android, I'm open for it!

I wish I had advice, but I only know my way around nook and kindle. :(

I've got a Kindle Keyboard, which I've had for about a year now and I love it. But now I've fallen for the Kindle Fire and I'm thinking of getting one. Does anyone on here happen to have a Fire, and is it any good?

I have the first generation Fire and I love it. I've never had any other type of tablet or reader. From what I've read, probably the major difference (besides the color, ability to watch film, etc) is shorter times before needing to recharge the battery.

I'm a visual person and love being able to see the book covers--one of the major reasons I wanted to investigate this.

From what I've been reading, the model I have may be the one that will now be the lowest price KF at 159. The new line are all HD and have new features I've been curious about. Actually been wondering if they are worth trading up for.

Feel free to message me if you have specific questions.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has a new Kindle Fire HD.

i don't have any personal experience with the Fire but i know one person with it and he likes it.

Thanks Marieke and Sue! I'd love to have the Fire HD, and from what I've seen on Amazon the colours look absolutely stunning. I won't be getting it anytime soon though, because I need to save up some money first. So for now my trustworthy Kindle keyboard will have to do :)

I understand that the visuals on the Fire HD are really wonderful and the new screen is said to be really nice. The structure itself is also thinner and lighter than the original Fire which is one of the features that interests me because of arthritis in my hands. I've got to check into it some more.