This article originally poster at http://HippiesBeautyAndBooksOhMy.Blogspot.com

First, there was the Kindle. And then Barnes and Noble threw down their gloves and introduced the Nook. The fight got vicious. So vicious, in fact that Apple said, “Hey, don’t forget me,” and marketed the crap out of the iPad as the best ebook reader. Then the market exploded. Android tablets were released with access to various ebook reader applications, Amazon, and B&N bookstores. The Kobo was released as a partner deal with Borders. And many off-shot readers came to life. Now the market is flooded with ebook readers. But ultimately, how do you choose the best ebook reader for you?



Look and Feel

Walking into brick and mortar stores, or clicking through your favorite vendor while searching for the best ebook reader, the first thing that anyone notices is the look and feel of the device. We can’t help it. And don’t even try and pretend that you’re not a tiny bit vane in the least. Looks attract people. Think about it. Heads turn as that sexy red car slowly drives down the street. Eyes open to that beautiful woman in that gorgeous dress. And that eye popping screen will draw you closer like a moth to a lamp.

So, the look and feel of your particular best ebook reader is an important thing to consider. There is no sense in buying a Kindle if you can’t stand to look at it. So when shopping for a device, examine how it looks. If you can hold it, how does it feel in your hand? Does your hand cramp while holding it because it’s too thin? Is it too big to fit in your purse or backpack? Is the screen large enough? Does the plastic or metal feel comfortable and durable? Is that touch screen okay and responsive enough? Are the buttons to mushy and feel weird and wiggly?

This advice may seem like common sense. But often impulse buys can shadow over how we might truly feel about a product. You don’t want to make a couple hundred dollar mistake while searching for the best ebook reader.

Marketplace and Supported Files

The best ebook reader is awfully worthless if you can’t find any good content to put on it. So this is very important. The easiest way to purchase ebooks and put them on your device is through the associated market of that device. Example - B&N with the Nook and Amazon.com with the Kindle.

Amazon’s market place for books is the largest available. There is no arguing that. They have just about every book you can imagine. Independent authors also publish a lot there just because of how easy it is. But the most obscure and largest market doesn’t exactly make the Kindle the best ebook reader. I’ll explain in a second.

Then there is B&N’s book store that drives the Nook. B&N comes in a close second to Amazon. The market is huge and independent authors still publish there too. But the Nook has an advantage the Kindle doesn’t. And again, I’ll explain in a second.

Then there is every other market. The Kobo ebook reader has its own market that drives it as well. But that market is also open to every other ebook reader. And then there are hundreds of other little markets available throughout the Internet.

And this is the reason I say the Nook has an advantage over the Kindle. The Nook can read Epub formats. Epub is the international file standard for ebooks. The Kindle has to have epubs converted to read the file. The Nook comes supplied with the B&N book store and is capable of reading every other epub file from other markets. The Kindle can be a bit of a pain with having to convert files. But again, this doesn’t mean the Nook is the best ebook reader for you.

What files a device supports is important also. Say you want an ebook reader for technical documents and journals for your profession. An ebook reader is much lighter and easier to carry around then a wagon full of books. So the best ebook reader for you might be one that reads epub and the full line of PDF files. The supported files types can be important.

The Price Point

Can you afford it? I don’t know. But the price point may make or break the best ebook reader for you. Recently, my coworker’s husband bought her an off-brand Android powered ebook reader for $120 from a local store. That ebook reader has access to B&N’s app, Amazon’s app, and can read standard Epub and PDF files. The device was fast enough to page flip a full color screen while reading with no problem. Internet browsing was a bit slow. It had a full color screen and no E-ink display. And it felt kind of cheap. But for the speed and capabilities this $120 off-brand device would easily make the best ebook reader for my needs and use. So compare features vs. price while searching for the best ebook reader for you.

Screen

In the world of ebook readers, there are only two types of displays: A full color LCD and an E-ink display. The E-ink display was designed to imitate a piece of paper perfectly. And it does the job pretty well. We are all used to full color LCD displays.

But here’s is what to consider. How long do you read? How good is your vision? The E-ink display is much easier on the eyes. But its refresh rate to turn a page can be slow. And it offers no back-lighting for night time reading. A full color LCD screen can vary in brightness and color sharpness and saturation. But LCD screens can be harsher on the eyes after some use. They often can refresh pages much faster than E-ink displays.

You know your eyes best and how they react. While searching for the best ebook reader for you just stare at the screen for a while. Do you get headaches? Do your eyes get tired? Can you see the display clearly?

Battery Life

This seems rather obvious but it must be mentioned. The best ebook reader in the world would last for days and days of use. This sadly isn’t the case though. Some will only last four hours. Some will last a day and a half. Giving up battery life often means better features though and vice versa. So it all depends on what you want to do with your device. A full color LCD screen and built in MP3 player may mean a shorter battery life.

Conclusion

I can’t tell you what the best ebook reader is going to be for you. The market is flooded with them now. And some of you may want the most expensive and feature rich device while others are more than happy to have a cheaper one with less power and capabilities. But I’ve armed you with the best tips to consider when searching for the best ebook reader for you