Kindle Vixen’s E-reader Comparison Chart
I happen to know a few people out there are considering purchasing themselves an e-book reader. With so many choices, and new ones popping up as quickly as my cravings for chocolate cupcakes, it can be a jungle out there! Truth is, there isn’t one perfect e-reader and we are all looking for different features. I happened to pick the Kindle because it was the only one with wireless(whispernet) at the time and Amazon has by far the widest selection of books (oh and I had a discount code from Oprah!). Now there are a few more options to consider.
Being the math nerd that I am I thought I would spend my Saturday night making a chart. Why yes, I do lead a highly exciting life, its ok to be jealous! Without further babbling from me, I give you my popular e-reader comparison chart. Below it is a comparison chart for some of the larger sized (and soon to be released) e-book readers.
My small disclaimer (hah! not done babbling!) – these charts do NOT cover all the e-readers available out there. There are many many more and you can see an even bigger sampling of them here. This is just my attempt to make it a bit less confusing based on the ones I *think* you are considering.
Popular E-Reader Comparison Chart
| Name | Amazon Kindle | Sony Pocket | Sony Touch | Barnes & Noble Nook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $139 wifi only, $189 3G+Wifi | $179 | $229 | $149 wifi only, $199 3G+Wifi |
| Image |  |  |  |  |
| E-Ink Technology | Yes - E ink Pearl | Yes | Yes - E ink Pearl | Yes - E ink® Vizplex™ |
| Size | 8.7 ounces 7.5" x 4.8" x 0.335 inches | 7.76 ounces 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 x 13/32 inches | 7.58 ounces 6 5/8 x 4 3/4 x 13/32 inches | 11.6 - 12.1 ounces 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.50 inches |
| Screen Size | 6" | 5" | 6" | 6" |
| Touch Screen | No | No | Yes | Partial |
| Adjustable Text | 6 sizes, 3 choice of fonts | 3 sizes | 6 sizes | 5 sizes |
| Wireless Connection | AT&T/Sprint | No | No | AT&T |
| Wireless Coverage | Global | No | No | US Only |
| Wifi Only Available? | Yes, $139 | No | No | Yes, $149 |
| Included Web Browser | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Storage | 4GB (approx. 3500 books) | 2GB MB | 2GB | 2GB (approx. 1500 books) |
| Memory Expansion | No | No | Yes, up to 16GB | Yes, micro SD |
| Load books via Computer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shop Wirelessly | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Bookstore | Amazon.com | Sony E-bookstore | Sony E-bookstore | Barnes & Noble |
| Content Availability (Book totals reflect content available through device brand bookstore, more content may be available at other ebook stores) | Over 775,000 books + 1.8 million out of copyright books newspaper, magazine, blog subscriptions Over 1.8 million Free out of copyright print books - details here. Google Free Books (may need conversion) | 100,000+ books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free Books | 100,000+ books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free Books | Claim over 1 million books Some controversy about actual book availability addressed here books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free books |
| Sample Books? | Yes, amazon delivers sample chapters for most books through whispernet instantly. | No | No | Yes, browse books through wifi while you are visiting a Barnes & Noble store. |
| Book Pricing (at device brand bookstore) | Bestsellers $9.99 Kindle Store seems to be cheaper for 25% to 40% of ebooks outside of the bestseller lists (compared to Nook) When the Kindle Books are cheaper it’s a 10 to 20% price difference | Sony prices higher across the board | Sony prices higher across the board | Bestsellers $9.99 Kindle Store seems to be cheaper for 25% to 40% of ebooks outside of the bestseller lists (compared to Nook) |
| Purchase from ebook stores other than device brand (may have DRM limitations) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Book Formats Accepted without conversion | Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ), PRC/MOBI (non DRM), PDF (non DRM), TXT | BBeB (LRF/LRX), PDF, EPUB, TXT, RTF | ePub, BBeB Book, PDF, TXT, RTF, Micrsoft® Word, (Conversion to the Reader requires Word installed on your PC) | PDF, EPUB, eReader, PDB |
| DRM Formats Accepted | Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ) | Marlin DRM (BBeB), Adobe (EPUB/PDF) | ePub (Adobe DRM protected), PDF (Adobe DRM protected), BBeB Book (PRS DRM protected), Text, RTF | eReader (EPUB/eReader), Adobe ADEPT (EPUB/PDF) |
| Automatic Format Conversion Available | E-mail conversion of DOC, HTML, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and PDF available from Amazon.com | No | No | No |
| Screen Rotate | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Built in Dictionary/Search | Yes/Yes | No | Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes |
| Multi-Device Sharing | Yes, iPhone™, iPod Touch®, PC, Mac OS®, and BlackBerry® Sync Books across devices | No | No | iPhone™, iPod touch®, BlackBerry®, PC, Mac OS® Sync Books across devices |
| Share books? | Only w/ Devices registered w/ Amazon May lend book a total of 1 time per book w/ limited titles. | No | No | May lend book a total of 1 time per book w/ limited titles. |
| Text-to-Speech | Yes | No | No | No |
| Audio Capabilities? | Yes, MP3, Audible (format 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), | No | Yes, MP3, AAC | Yes, MP3 |
| Notetaking/Highlighting | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Archive? | All purchases archived on Amazon.com and can be re-downloaded to your Kindle or your computer at any time. | All purchases archived on B&N and can be re-downloaded to your Nook or your computer at any time. | ||
| Other Features | Social Networking - built in Facebook & Twitter integration Kindle Games/Apps in development | Play Chess & Sudoku & other games | ||
| Battery Life | up to 1 month w/ Wireless off | up to 14 days | up to 14 days w/ Wireless off | up to 10 days w/ Wireless off |
| System Requirements | None, books can be bought and transferred wirelessly | Mac/PC More Detail: click here | Mac/PC More Detail: click here | Not specified |
Large Sized E-Reader Comparison Chart
| Name | Amazon Kindle DX | Sony Daily Edition | Plastic Logic Que | IREX DR800SG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $489 | $399 | $649 | $399 |
| Image |  |  |  |  |
| E-Ink Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes, on flexible plastic | Yes |
| Screen Size | 9.7" | 7.1" | 10.5" | 8.5" |
| Touch Screen | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Adjustable Text | 6 sizes | 6 sizes | 5 sizes | 16 sizes |
| Wireless Connection | AT&T/Sprint | AT&T | AT&T | Verizon |
| Wireless Coverage | Global | US Only | US Only | Global |
| Included Web Browser | Yes | No | No | No |
| Storage | 4GB (approx. 3000 books) | 2GB (approx. 1500 books) | 4GB (approx. 3000 books) | None onboard, comes with 2GB SD Card |
| Memory Expansion | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Shop Wirelessly | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bookstore | Amazon.com | Sony Ebookstore | Barnes & Noble | Barnes & Noble |
| Content Availability: | 350,000+ books newspaper, magazine, blog subscriptions Google Free Books(may require conversion) | 100,000+ books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free Books | 50,000+ books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free Books | 50,000+ books Participating local library rentals(not available wirelessly) Google Free Books |
| Purchase from ebook stores other than device brand (may have DRM limitations) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Book Formats Accepted | Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ), PRC/MOBI (non DRM), TXT, PDF (non DRM) | BBeB (LRF/LRX), PDF, EPUB, TXT, RTF | PDF, ePub, eReader, TXT | eReader, ePub, PDF, TXT |
| DRM Formats Accepted | Kindle (AZW and TOPAZ) | Adobe ADEPT (EPUB/PDF) | eReader, Adobe ADEPT (EPUB/PDF) | eReader, Adobe ADEPT (EPUB/PDF) |
| Format Conversion Available | E-mail conversion of DOC, HTML, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and PDF available | No | No | No |
| Screen Rotate | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Built in Dictionary/Search | Yes/Yes | Yes/Yes | No/Yes | Yes/Yes |
| Multi-Device Sharing | Yes, iPhone™, iPod Touch®, PC, (Mac OS®, and BlackBerry® coming soon) | No | No | No |
| Share books? | Only w/ Devices registered w/ Amazon | No | No | No |
| Text-to-Speech | Yes | No | No | No |
| Audio Capabilities? | Yes, MP3, Audible (format 4, Audible Enhanced (AAX)), | Yes, MP3, AAC | No | No |
| Notetaking/Highlighting | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery Life | up to 14 days w/ Wireless off | up to 14 days w/ Wireless off | "measured in days not hours" | 6000 pages or several days |
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43 Responses to “Kindle Vixen’s E-reader Comparison Chart”
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Very nice! I have been considering getting an ebook reader, I can read off my iphone, but damn, that is small LOL Thanks for spending your Saturday night doing this!
.-= Stacy W´s most recent blog post ..Triple Shot Review: Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside by Holly Black =-.
I love your organizational skills
.-= Mandi´s most recent blog post ..Review: Afterlife by Naomi Clark =-.
LOL Thanks Mandi!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mandi Schreiner, kindlevixen. kindlevixen said: {New Post}: Kindle Vixen's E-reader Comparison Chart http://bit.ly/5lLcYr [...]
[...] last night after I went to bed! She made a Comparison Chart (god I love her!) so go check it out here if you are like me and easily confused on all things E-Reader. Posted by Wicked Lil Pixie [...]
LMFAO this is what you did after I went to bed? I love you! LMFAO
.-= Natasha (Wicked Lil Pixie)´s most recent blog post ..Blog Slacking =-.
What can I say, I aim to please?!?!
I appreciate it! What a wicked friend I have! LMAO
.-= Natasha (Wicked Lil Pixie)´s most recent blog post ..E-Reader Comparison =-.
This is a great chart! Very awesome.
Just a quick mention: The Sony Touch doesn’t have a wireless connection.
Thanks Lou! I read somewhere it does….. so you can’t buy books wirelessly?
Great post, I wish I would have seen that before. I tried making a similiar chart, but didn’t have that much info. I have a nook and I like it, I guess I don’t miss some of the features it missing.
Nope, the Sony Touch doesn’t have a wireless connection – I wish it did though.
The Sony Daily Edition will have wireless when its released.
Thanks! Have updated it
Thanks so much, now I don’t have to do this! As far as a computer goes, do I need to worry about the fact that I use Linux for my operating system?
Hmmm…. it probably affects different readers more than others. You could use a kindle without it being a problem because you never technically HAVE to plug it into the computer (because of the wireless/email delivery). Some of the others this isn’t the case. I will look around and see if I see any system requirements.
This is so awesome! Great job KV! You rock!!
.-= Larissa´s most recent blog post ..Lala’s Book Corner: Death’s Mistress by Karen Chance =-.
Awesome job with the comparison. (Wish I’d had this a few weeks ago, actually – would have made my decision a little easier, I think). I just bit the bullet yesterday and ordered a Kindle. I can’t wait to get it and see what I can do.
You are so cool! Terrific charts! My only addendum are:
On the other hand, Kindles and Nooks have lots of pretty covers available, whereas Sony’s are pretty limited.
1) It appears to me that annotations may be significantly better on Kindle than Sony or Nook. I haven’t tried Kindle, but you’ve made it sound easy to do and use. Sony was pretty crummy overall. Nook is easy to take the notes, but useless to use them at this point. Coincidentally, as soon as I stopped using Stanza on my iPhone, they put out an update with terrific annotation functions, including copy & paste, email and twitter functions.
2) Sony Touch does come in a pretty red, a very important issue
.-= greytfriend´s most recent blog post ..The Challenge That Started It All =-.
This is a great pair of charts. Thanks for pulling all this info together. Might I suggest that you add info on the weight of each device?
L
I have a Sony PRS-505 and since the format conversion to secure epub (and now you can read secure pdf as well) last fall I download books from fictionwise.com, kobobooks.com, and booksonboard.com which all have the epub or pdf format for most of their books. The prices at these sites are usually better than at the sony reader website. Books usually cost at least $1 less from these sites than from the sony reader site, which if you read 2-3 books per week like me makes a difference. Though the sony site has better selection and usually better prices for book bundles. Therefore the book prices are more comparable to the Kindle prices if you’re willing to do a little shopping around. Fictionwise also has a kindle compatible book store but I don’t know if the prices are similar to amazon. I love the my sony reader, it’s worked out really well for me.
Awesome chart, and very eye opening. Thanks for doing this
.-= The Queen B´s most recent blog post ..Review of Entwined by Fate by S.A. Price =-.
My Saturday night was spent in Home Depot, LOL. This is so helpful, honesty. I think I might get my sister an ereader but don’t want to pay for a Kindle…but at the same time those hard to find books are usually only on Amazon.
.-= K.C. Smokin’ Hot Books´s most recent blog post ..Breaking News – Karen Marie Moning Shadowfever Release Date =-.
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by smexybooks: RT @kindlevixen: {New Post}: Kindle Vixen’s E-reader Comparison Chart http://bit.ly/5lLcYr...
[...] everyone out there still debating the whole ereader thing, Kindle Vixen has prepared a most excellent chart comparing the major ereaders – Amazon Kindle, Sony [...]
what better post then this to test my new pretty picture
.-= Natasha (Wicked Lil Pixie)´s most recent blog post ..Everybody (but me) Loves Edward =-.
Wonderful round-up my dear…
I have an Iliad myself and only a few that have not been released as yet as made me look a second time..
I love my Fitzroy – on my second upgrade….
I am bookmarking this page – thanks…
E.H>
.-= Erotic Horizon´s most recent blog post ..January 20th – I think I’m in love with my Google Reader – But.. =-.
You should totally put this up in your menu for people to easily find. It’s an awesome resource.
.-= Jackie (Literary Escapism)´s most recent blog post ..Guest Author: Shelley Munro =-.
Done! Thanks for the suggestion Jackie, I kept meaning to do it and it kept slipping my mind
Wow, fabulous information. Thanks so much for sharing! I haven’t bought an ereader yet so this will be very helpful.
Thanks Nancy! Glad it could be useful
This chart is amazing! It’s definitely between the Kindle 2 and the Nook for me. Leaning more towards the K2.
I can’t believe I got such into the world of eReading….
.-= The Book Vixen´s most recent blog post ..Discussion: eReaders =-.
BV – once you go ebook, you never go back…. wait that doesnt even come close to rhyming LOL.
[...] on his offer to get me an eReader! After doing research between the Nook and the Kindle (thank you Kindle Vixen for the great info!), I decided to get a Kindle. While I really liked some of the features the Nook [...]
I really like the way the Sony Touch looks. It’s fabulous. Why can’t the Kindle look better?
.-= The Book Vixen´s most recent blog post ..On My Wishlist (19) =-.
Have I told you how much this page rocks?!?! I refer everyone who is thinking of buying an e-reader to it! Thanks for being so awesome and sharing!
.-= Missie´s most recent blog post ..Before I Fall cover remake =-.
Tiffany ,thanks so much for all your work on this….It comes down to its pretty much a no brainer to get a kindle. i have been asking around and u are the first that gave me real facts rather than opinions…I am grateful,mu friend…..Thanks Roy (Blouup)
[...] of the new Kindle 3 and the new Sony readers I went ahead and updated the E-reader Comparison chart here. You can check out a review of the new Kindle 3 [...]
Hi Tiffany, Thank you so much for putting this up. I am in the process of shopping around for an ereader and needed to make comparisons. I appreciate the fact that you didn’t see the need for the 3G as you’ve stated that you can upload from your computer. Thanks again for this.
That’s a very detailed and thorough comparison there. I have the Kindle 2.0 – and I love it.
There are so many free books available that you can make your Kindle pay for itself.
I just got back from the store after picking up the sony ereader and I love it so far. It is great to read on, even in direct sunlight. Highly recommend.
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