How To Use Your e-Reader - E-Reader Feeder

Coming soon: We are going to introduce a "How to Guide" section covering the use and functions of most of the popular e-Readers.

This will be a BIG section so it will take us weeks to put it together but our how to guide pages should be published by the end of February 2010 & will have lots of tips and tricks how to run your e-Readers. We welcome your feedback and assistance in compiling this information so please contact us if you have any suggestions.

How to choose your next eReader

Picking out the right e-Reader is downright confusing! There will be at least twenty models out before Christmas 2009 and another half dozen high profile devices on their way next year so how do you choose? We will not recommend any make or model over another but can give some tips to get started.

Function over Form: First of all, picture how you plan to use your e-Reader. The way you live your life should guide you as to which e- Reader you are going to buy.

Are you going to read novels or newspapers? Look at intricate designs or read in large print? For example, if you are only interested in novels, you might want a smaller 5" screen (six models to choose from) If you like newspapers on a big screen, than consider a model with 9" screen or more.

Are you going to carry it around in your bag or knapsack or leave it at home? If you carry your device everywhere, consider a lighter model like Bookeen's Cybooks or the BeBook (7.5 oz approx each)

Do you wish to listen to music while you read, listen to audio books or prefer silence? Avoid e-Readers that lack MP3 capability like the Sony 300SC if music playability is a must.

A Comfortable Screen: Most e-Readers use e-Ink which makes it easier to read the screen for long periods of time but make no mistake, some screens are better than others. All the e-Readers can be read in various lighting and at different angles so eyestrain should not be a factor.

Weight: Most of the 5" and 6" screen e-Readers are very light and can fit in a purse or bag and will rest comfortably on your lap. Other devices like the Plastic Logic model, iRex Digital Reader and the Kindle DX are less portable and may be less ideal to travel or walk around with.

Memory - The smallest e-Reader has 112MB of internal memory and the largest one has 4 GB. If you enjoy having a huge library on your device you should purchase a device with a big memory and an expansion slot but if you plan to keep a handful of titles on your Reader and delete old e-books when you finished them then maybe you should buy an entry model.

Number of e-Book Titles - It's astonishing how many e-books are available in English alone. Google has indexed a million titles and there are many places to get free titles. However, fans of the latest bestsellers should stick with e-readers that are associated with big bookstores (online or mall stores) - Kindle users have 350,000 titles at Amazon, Nook, iRex & Plastic Logic users have 700,000 titles at Barnes & Noble, Sony fans have their own stores & Cool-er fans can buy 1 million books from Coolerbooks.com. A couple of e-Readers do not have a good source of quality titles.

Formats - Amazon has it's own encrypted format which means if you buy e-books from them, you can only read on a Kindle, PC or Mac & not on any other device. The best choices will have ePub & most of the common formats as well as be able to download from the major online stores. If you buy a e-Reader, you should be able to transfer your files to another brand or model without any complications.

Screen Function - Students or anyone who like to take notes & highlights should go for a touchscreen device of which Sony Touch 600SC, the Nook, the iLiad, the iRex Digital are the only ones as of Nov 2009. Many e-Readers can rotate their screens horizontally & vertically but a few cannot. All e-Readers should have at least five font sizes & eight shades of grey for sharpness, quality of the display & ease of use.

Wireless Capabilities - It might be worth getting a device with wi-fi like the Kindle & Nook if you don't like running software or synching time to get your e-Books. The convenience of receiving newspapers or books directly to your e-Reader may be worth paying extra & might pay off if you want content while traveling.

Eight Reasons to love the new eReader technology

No. 1) Kindles and Nooks allow you to download books via the 3G or Wi-Fi mobile phone air networks without the need to use a computer. This makes these devices more user friendly and more accessible to those who read but do not use computers on a regular basis. Now, in theory, downloading a e-book can be as easy as ordering over the phone.

No. 2) You can transfer e-books from "the Nook" to other devices or from computers to most e-readers which makes it easy to share a good book with friends and family. You can actually read the same book at the same time as your significant other or read part of a book on one device and finish the next chapter on another e-reader.

No. 3) Barnes and Noble will let Nook owners browse and read e-books for free while in their store. With the wi-fi feature, you can sit and read any e-book title sold before choosing to buy just like "real" paper books. Watch other bookstores/media stores offer this feature in the future.

No. 4) These devices are sleek, stylish and sexy. Thin, light and well designed, e-readers are as nice to touch and look at as they are to use. Carrying around books might become cool again and might be as hot as carrying around the latest iPhone or mobile phone
.

No. 5) Some devices have additional applications like black and white games, contact lists, memo pads, schedulers and more. Most new e-readers have MP3 sound as well so when you finish reading and writing you can listen to your favorite music afterwards.

No. 6) Many e-readers have either touch screens, keyboards or split screens (with a keyboard) so you can search from thousands of e-books in your unit or to find specific pages where you left off. Or you can look at colour pictures of current e-books for sale and then purchase them or select your current book from your own library.

No. 7) E-readers have very very long battery life because they only use power when you turn pages or download new titles. A battery charge can last 8,000 page flips or ten to 14 days. Slow drainage of power means that e-readers don't get overheated or hot and you can use your Kindle or Nook for up to two weeks without being near electricity or internet access. Try that with a computer or mobile phone!

No. 8) Seniors and those with poor eyesight will love the font sizing feature. Millions of people have difficulty reading newspapers and paperbacks because the print is too small. The book industry has addressed this by selling large print books but now most e-books can be read in very large font print size giving seniors access to hundreds of thousands of books they would not be able to normally read.

Stay tuned for more benefits and reasons why we should all use e-readers.