What are e-book readers anyway? They're portable devices, typically with 5-to-10-inch screens, primarily designed to display the digitized versions of printed books. They're typically quite light--mostly 10 ounces or so--and are about as thin as many smart phones. Prices typically range from $140 to $500, though you might see a model or two for $100.
Most use technologies such as E Ink that rely on reflected ambient light to illuminate their screens, and so use much less energy than the LCD screens of laptops and many phones. That gives them a relatively long battery life--thousands of page turns, or upward of a week or so in standby mode, typically. But reader screens typically aren't backlit, so they can be as difficult to read as printed books in dim light.
E-book readers offer other capabilities, such as built-in music players, but they're designed primarily for reading. You select content and turn pages using buttons, bars, or (on touch-screen models) an onscreen swipe.
Can I read e-books on other devices? You can. The same e-book applications found on readers are also available for many smart phones, PCs, and Mac computers. Some tablet models such as Apple's iPad have their own e-book apps, too. But multipurpose devices are generally less suited to e-book reading than dedicated readers. Their LCD screens typically display type less crisply than reader screens, they run for hours on a charge rather than days, and they're more prone to wash out in bright light.
How do I get e-books onto my reader? They're typically downloaded directly from an e-book store maintained by the reader's manufacturer. Many readers come bundled with unlimited access to a 3G cellular network that allows wireless downloads from those stores wherever you have network coverage--a significant plus. A book typically requires a minute or less to download.
Some readers, and some multipurpose e-book devices such as some iPad models, connect wirelessly only over a Wi-Fi connection to a home network or hotspot. Other units, including some of the Sony Reader models, require you to connect the device to a computer to download content.
Downloads using a USB cord and a computer are an option with all units, even wireless ones. What do e-books cost? E-books can be less expensive than printed books. Prices typically range from free to $30 and up. New best-selling titles often cost less as e-books than as hardcovers. Many classic titles that are in the public domain cost only a few dollars or are available free from the Google Books database of more than 500,000 public domain titles. E-book retailers frequently offer free sample chapters.
The selection of e-books on all the major devices is large and rapidly expanding. That said, not every printed book is available in e-book form and the e-book release is sometimes delayed somewhat, to maximize sales of hardcover editions.
Is other content available? Yes, most readers also allow you to buy magazines and newspapers, either as single issues (typically for prices comparable to buying their printed counterpart) or as subscriptions, which can cost less than subscribing to the printed versions.
Is an e-book reader right for you? E-book readers are much thinner and lighter than a single hardcover book, and can hold thousands of titles. Buying an e-book reader makes the most sense if you're a voracious reader or someone who often lugs books among several favorite reading locations.
A reader can also be a fine choice for the visually impaired. Type size can be enlarged, sometimes to sizes that exceed those of large-print books and periodicals, and a few models also allow fonts to be changed. Amazon Kindle models will even read text to you, albeit in a somewhat mechanical voice.
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Nov 22, 2010