Three Best Alternative EReaders to Amazon's Kindle Lineup

Cover via Amazon

There’s no doubt about it. Amazon’s Kindle is by far the most popular e-book reader ever to be made. But that doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with no alternatives apart from the Kindle and all its versions. In fact, the new breed of e-readers does more than just enable reading. They have music, apps, videos and a host of other things. Here are our top three choices for your consideration.

Kobo Glo

If you need international options, it doesn’t get better than the Kobo Glo. A touch-screen interface, front light, high resolution e-ink display and Wi-Fi- these are just some of the features that the Glo boasts of. It hardly weighs a thing, which means you can carry it around with no problems at all. The device supports Adobe DRM and EPUB files and you can fill it with more and more, because it comes with additional memory. It goes up to 32 GB.

If there is a drawback, it lies in the limited choice of books at the Kobo store, in comparison to what you’d get with the Kindle and the Nook. But you can use your PC to connect to lending libraries and third- party e-book purchases, so this is an issue that isn’t a major concern. There’s no headphone jack, so audio books or music and videos are out of the question.

The entire experience can be personalized, changing fonts, justification and margins. The built-in dictionary comes with 13 language choices- in keeping with the international feel. A good interface, screen refresh options, powerful built-in light, high-res display and solid hardware makes the Kobo Glo a good choice.

Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight

The Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, from Barnes & Noble, is self-illuminated e-reader and has a lovely glowing light that is uniform and is shown off beautifully across the high-contrast Pearl touch screen with e-ink. For all you insomniacs, here’s a perfect thing to keep you company at night. Good battery life, no annoying advertisements, expansion slot for additional memory, built in Wi-Fi access to the store, social networking features and –book lending and EPUB loan support makes this device a good option.

It does not come with audio and you won’t find a web browser or 3G. Also, while the rubberized back of the device makes it easier to hold on to and handle, it does tend to get smudged and dirty that much quicker. Suffice it to say, this is a great device for nighttime reading.

Sony Reader

The PRS-T2 to be precise has the best of both the devices we saw previously. There’s an e-ink Pearl touchscreen in all its six-inch glory, it’s thin and light and it has great battery life. But where it distinguishes itself from the pack is in its note taking capabilities. Thanks to the Evernote integration, this reader lets you sync bookmarks, notes and documents on your computer and phone. This is something truly unique in the world of the e-book readers.

So as you can see, the Kindle is no longer the only way to go. There’s a lot out there. So do explore.
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