Ebook Reader Comparison - Kindle vs Nook vs Sony vs Apple iPad

With all the new ereaders on the market competing with each other, it may help you to review their features through an ebook reader comparison. When Amazon came out with their Kindle wireless reading device, there really were no comparable digital readers on the market, but other manufacturers are now competing for the wireless crowd of readers.

Let us first tackle the five ebook reader modles offered by Amazon. They now offer the Kindle 4, Kindle Keyborad (aka Kindle 3), Kindle DX, Kindle Touch and the color Kindle Fire Tablet. Say you decided you want a Kindle, but now which one? Well first of all you can eliminate one or four based on your preference for color or E-ink. If you want a color ereader, then your only choice is the Kindle Fire. It also have more media functions for playing movies, TV show, apps, etc. than the other Kindle models. If you want an ebook reader primarily for reading ebooks, then you will want the superior E-Ink Pearl screen which is easiest on the eyes. So now you still have to decide between four E-Ink ereader models. Let us go into further detail.

A fairly new competitor is the Barnes and Noble Nook ereader. It has a lot of the same features as the Kindle Global version with a few added features. The Nook has Wi-Fi capability, whereas neither of Amazon's Kindle's do not. In addition, the Nook has memory expansion as an option and the ability to share media with friends through their Nook reader or through an iPhone, or iPod Touch, select BlackBerry and Motorola smartphones, as well as Windows or Mac PCs.

Newly released is the Sony Reader Daily edition. Their previous Touch ereader did not have wireless capability so was not really a contender in the ebook reader race. But the Daily now can compete with the best of them offering both 3G and Wi-Fi wireless connection and downloads. It does not have sharing capability like the Barnes and Noble Nook, but does offer an expansion slot and touch screen which Kindle lacks. The only drawback is the current price which is $100 more than both the Kindle Global and Nook.

Running behind in the race is the Irex Digital Reader, model DR800SG. I am not sure if Irex can really compare to any of the other ebook readers. It does have a larger screen size at eight inches and access to over 750,000 book titles, but no Wi-Fi. The 3G network is through Verizon with a Gobi chipset for worldwide use.

One important note to mention is content availability. The Amazon Kindle has a closed proprietary format which will always limit your media collection to a Kindle unit. The Nook, Sony Reader and Irex support the ePub open format which will always give your more flexibility for your library collection.

Based on the current choices and what each has to offer, there is no clear winner. It all depends upon what each individual user is looking for in an ebook reader. Do you want a larger size ereader for easier reading or ability to download books when on vacation in France? Think about how often you like to read, where you like to read and how many books you have purchased over the past year. Hopefully this ebook reader comparison will help make your decision a little easier.