Color Ereader Comparison

Comparing Colour Ereaders

Below you'll find descriptions of each main element that's critical to understand when you're compairing color ereaders. Click on any link directly below to jump to the right section.

How To Use The Colour Ereader Comparison Chart

Well there you have it. The colourereader.com colour ereader comparison chart in all it's glory. I hope you've found it useful and that it gives you some ammunition to use to compare colour ereaders wisely.

Remember though that using a chart to compare products doesn't always tell the whole story. To find the right ereader for you you'll need to combine the information with some colour ereader reviews which you can get here or by visiting other valuable sites. Reviews have their own drawback in they tend to focus on one specific ereader, and that's where the comparison chart adds extra value.

At the end of the day you'll need to weigh up the different specifications of any models that take your eye, and balance them against the costs. I'm not going to try to recommend the best, though obviously the Kindle colour and the Nook stand high up on any list. Everyone has a different set of requirements, bear in mind that any one specific ereader model may not meet all of yours.

One great way to tackle this is to write down everything that you want in order of importance. Number each one and scan through the colour ereader comparison to get the one that meets the most requirements.

I'm making it sound easy!...and if you're just interested in price - or only in some other feature or specification - then it is easy. Just compare the colour ereaders by the specification you want to cover.

Most likely you're going to want to compare in a bit more detail. Take your time, there are a lot of colour ereaders to choose from. Let's take a look at the different features and specifications that you'll most likely want to consider....

The 8 Critical Color Ereader Qualities You Need To Compare

Here are the eight most important features that are worth considering. These are the features and specs you'll want to compare from one color ereader to the next to find the best one for your needs. In fact many of these are appropriate when comparing black and white ereaders too.

Feel, the nook colour and K3 feel very differnt in your hand (although I would higly reccomend a cover no matter what so take that into consideration. i have a flip cover on mine that opens up over the top so both sides are free and thus the cover does not add to the bulk of the unit when you are holding it) so i would highly reccomend going to some place like a Best Buy that has both units and see which one you want to buy.

1. Weight & Size - How Easy Is It To Carry And Use?

Size, or a combination of weight and dimensions,  is going to affect the use both from a comfort and a 'what you can easily read' perspective.

Weight

Would you normally read using two hands or one, and for how long? Then consider the weight. In fact this might be highly significant. By comparing ereaders you'll see that weight varies anywhere between around 7 ounces up to over 16. You might find that the heavier ereaders are not great to use for long periods.

If you normally hold with one hand, read on to find out how dimensions might affect your comfort. But for two handed readers it's safe to say that weight is less likely to be an important consideration.

Dimensions

The bigger the reader in length, width, and depth, the harder you'll find it to hold in one hand. If the ereader is one of the heavier models this might spell out double trouble.

Remember too that the size of the reader overall might not just be the screen size itself. It's definitely worth considering screen size when comparing colour ereaders because you're likely to not just be reading text, but viewing illustrations too. They'll need more space on screen to be rendered effectively alongside any relevant text, so bigger screen size is likely to make for an improved experience.

It's generally true that the bigger the colour ereader overall, the bigger the actual display size is likely to be.

The reality is that fully-featured ereaders - I'm thinking about the Apple Ipad as an example - are going to be heavier than simple readers designed primarily just for reading text. That may well change with the arrival of the Kindle colour sometime soon, which promises to deliver a range of features equalling the iPad. And Amazon will be going all out to make it much lighter.

2. Battery Life - How Long Will My Colour Ereader Last Between Charges?

For anyone using a colour ereader comparison this question of power and battery life is going to be important, and one to look at carefully.

Clearly battery life between charges is important for any ereader, particularly if you're travelling and may not have access to a charger for long periods. Battery life varies in all models, anywhere from hours to close to a month. When the battery runs down, that's it and you give up reading until you get charged up again. It may pay to check if your chosen ereader comes with a mobile charging method, many do just that.

But in a colour ereader, battery life takes on added importance. Most color screens draw more power, and will give you lower periods between charges. Because of this, you might also want to compare how long different models batteries take to recharge fully.

Battery life can be reduced if you spend time watching videos and listening to streamed music too, so remember to give those some thought.

To summarise, battery life is definitely an issue worth paying considerable attention to. However don't be misled. The battery life on any models may vary wildly depending on the conditions you use them in and what exactly you're doing with them.

3. What Type Of Display Does It Have?

Display type is probably the most important factor to consider when you're comparing colour ereaders. It's going to determine what content is going to be presented to best effect, how easily you can read text and view illustrations in color, and under which lighting conditions you're going to be able to view that text and illustrative content.

The main types of display are currently LCD or E-Ink. New and improved display technologies are under development. The Mirasol display is a good example.

To determine which one is best for you you'll need to be thinking about whether you just want text, or a combination of text and images. And you'll need to think about whether you want a touchscreen or not.

E-Ink

E-Ink displays deliver a more classic type of reading experience giving a similar feeling to reading on paper from a book or newspaper. Think dark text on a white background, nice and simple. They can be read easily in direct light conditions - for example in direct sunlight - though in dark conditions you'll need another light source.

E-Ink readers can:

Be read in bright conditions outdoors, but need a light source for reading in the dark
Have a low battery or power consumption giving longer life between charges
Be muted in colour tone (anything outside of black and white can have a washed out appearance)
Be slow to render pages

LCD Ereaders

Many ebook readers complain that reading on an LCD display ereader - certainly for long periods - can be uncomfortable. This clashes with our experience on normal LCD displays such as you'll find on computer, laptop, and tablet displays, though it's fair to say we don't normally read for long periods without a break on those types of devices. The benefit of LCD displays is that they're backlit, meaning you can read without extra light sources, though in direct sunlight they're more difficult to read on.


LCD Ereaders can:

Be susceptible to glare in bright sunlight, though work well in artificially lit or very dark conditions with no extra light required.
Give vibrant colour performance
Give reduced battery/power performance, sometimes holding only up to 8 hours of charge.
Are best for watching video or surfing the web
Offer multiple ways to download Ebooks - either via USB, WiFi, or 3G

Touchscreen Ereaders

An ereader with a touchscreen display means you can operate and activate all of the functions by touching icons on the display itself, as opposed to separate buttons on a built in keypad. Clearly the absence of a keypad either makes it possible for the ereader to be smaller in size overall, or for the visible display to be bigger.

One of the drawbacks with touchscreens is that they can become dirty and hence don't respond to touch immediately. Easily solved by carrying some form of cleaning cloth around (or using the edge of your shirt like me). As examples both the Nook Color and iPad have touchscreen displays.

You'll see from any color ereader comparison exercise that touchscreen ereaders tend to be more expensive.

4. Can I Get Online? - Does My Colour Ereader Have Internet Access?

Getting internet access may not be so an important choice for anyone looking to buy a colour ereader, especially as many people have smartphones which can do this. Still, it's a consideration which any comparison of color ereaders should cover.

If you do decide that internet access is required, you'll need to compare ereaders on the basis of whether they provide WiFi only access or WiFi + 3G. If you get a 3G reader you'll be able to access the web from pretty much any location. WiFi only means you'll need to either be at home and close to your wireless broadband or near some other wireless point such as a library or cafe.

It'll be clear from our ereader comparison chart that many models do provide internet access, though a quick comparison of  prices will easily show that 3G adds around $50 to the cost.

Apart from the convenience of getting online (assuming your ereader has a fully functioning web browser - this is another feature to check on), internet connectivity does mean you can download books on the fly rather than needing to transfer from laptops or PCs.

5. What Extra Features Do I Get? - Comparing Colour Ereader Enhanced Features

The big question to ask your self here is whether you want to read books only, or do a whole bunch of other clever stuff too.

One of the big benefits of a color ereader is that it gives you options to use other forms of content which look great in colour. You want to get the biggest benefit from your coloured screen. It's going too pay off to compare the extra features of any colour ereader that takes your interest.

The most obvious of these extra functions are audio/music and video playback. Now we're getting into multimedia device territory. Audio extras might include the  capability to plug in a headset and listen to music, or maybe even to listen to the ereader reading aloud to you.

Other examples of enhanced features include:


• The ability to transfer or lend ebooks between one ereader to another.

• Built in bookmarking, dictionary, and encyclopedia capabilities.

• Games

• Change font types and sizes


And it's not just the features built in to the device that count. With some ereaders you can download extra games and applications. The big name readers - the Kindle, iPad, and Nook - all give you this sort of functionality.

6. How Many Books Can I Store?

The memory size of any device tells you how much capacity it has to store information or data, so you'll need to compare the memory of any ereaders you're interested in to know how many books, images, games, music, or video files it can hold.

Memory size can be compared in two ways - what built in memory capacity the device has, and whether you can store memory on an external piece of equipment. Expansion can often take you to around a 32GB capacity, which is enough for over 50,000 books.

As a rule

2 MB of memory gives up to 1,500 books storage capacity and 4 GB takes you up to around 3,500 books. It's rare to find any colour ereader with less that 2GB onboard memory. Remember though that storage of other media types might reduce your available memory. If you store video and music it'll leave less room for books.

7. What File Formats Does My Colour Ereader Support?

This is where a colour ereader comparison investigation starts getting more complicated. Not only that, it's one of the most important aspects to compare between color ereader models.

Think about the types of files you can and can't open on your home PC or laptop. Does it drive you nuts when you can't open something because the programme to open it isn't loaded?

It's a similar situation with ereaders.

The types of files that are supported vary on different makes, although many are the same also. The well known PDF format is a good example. You need to make sure that you have content in the correct file format for the ereader you're using, otherwise it can't 'understand' and display that content for you.

And if you get content that works with one type of ereader it may not work with another. There are some file types that only work with specific manufacturers models. Some of the files you'll find on Amazon's Kindle are a good example.

PDF and ePub are two file formats that are regularly used by libraries and other institutions that provide books for free. Clearly they're going to be two that you need to search out if cutting costs on buying books is important to you.

8. How Much Is All this Going To Cost Me?

You can see when you start to compare colour ereaders that there are a whole number of different features and functions to think about. And in most cases, the more features you seek that give you high capability in each function, then the more your ereader is going to cost.

So regarding cost, it's a balancing exercise. You may need to trade off some features against others to get the best price for your budget. Quality need not be sacrificed though. Both the most popular Ereaders - the Kindle and the Nook from Barnes & Noble - are available at affordable prices even though quite far apart on some models. You're looking at $249 for the Nook Color and the Kindle 3 is at $139.

The Kindle Colour, when it's available, is also likely to be priced competitively.

Comparing Colour Ereaders - Additional Valuable Information & Links

I hope you've found the info on this page helpful and useful. In case I haven't answered all the questions you might have, then feel free to contact me at email address info@colourereader.com (my name's Steve). Alternatively here are some links to external websites which all give useful info too.

Comparing the Nook Colour and the Kindle 3 - a super article by PCWorld Australia which provides an in depth study.

Here you can find a great comparison of many different ereaders. Provided by website The-Ebook-Reader.com.

Not so many different ereaders compared on this website by Wireless-Reading-Device.net, but the comparison chart is a good one and easy to read.

The colour ereader comparison at this site by HowToDecide.com is presented in an easy to follow format which breaks down each aspect into straightforward sections.

Finally the electronic paper article at the unbeatable Wikipedia website covers ereader technology in depth, while their comparison of ereaders page has a wealth of information although not particularly easy to read.

Summary

It's not easy to find the "absolutely perfect" eReader at the price you're prepared to pay. To help choose one, you'll want to decide what features matter most to you and make your choice based on the right balance.  For example, you might decide that display size is most important, followed by a color display, then weight and so on.

One thing I haven't mentioned is the Customer service perspective. If you might be calling in for support this is worth considering. As an example, you can always expect superior Customer support when calling in to Amazon, so the Kindle would be a good choice. On top of that there's a huge database of Kindle info on the Amazon site. Other manufacturers may not be so great. Service issus may extend past the device itself, for example Amazon allows 7 days to return an e-book for a full refund, no questions asked. B&N has NO refunds, even if you accidentally buy the wrong book.

Using our colour ereader comparison chart will definitely help in these choices. Taking time to compare colour ereaders will pay off in the long run. Even though the cost is much lower than for bigger items such as laptops - and you'd definitely be researching that sort of purchase heavily - you're going to be subjecting your ereader to heavy use. Take your time and make sure you get the model that suits you best.

Colour Ereader Comparison

There are an increasing number of different ereader models available, and while choice is a great thing that's making it more difficult to select which one is just right for you. One of the best ways to narrow down choices for any product is to compare the features and benefits, and the best way to compare colour ereaders is to use a colour ereader comparison chart.

On this page I'm aiming to help you through the process of choosing the best colour ereader model. That means choosing the one that best suits your needs from all perspectives, including display type, size, weight, features, and pricing. The colour ereader comparison chart below covers each of those elements, with links to explain why each element is important and provide extra helpful info.

When you're working through the chart to compare colour ereaders you'll also find links to stores and other sites where you can read colour ereader reviews from real buyers and testers. It's easy to just jump to well known readers such as the Kindle Fire, but the chart contains information on around 20 different models. That's fairly exhaustive. I don't think I've missed many, but if a model you're interested in is not listed then please let me know and I'll get the info for you.

	COST Prices are approximate and for new models	DISPLAY SIZE	DISPLAY TYPE	SIZE & WEIGHT	BATTERY LIFE	STORAGE/ MEMORY	WEB ACCESS	SUPPORTED FILES	OPERATING SYSTEM	EXTRA FEATURES & PERFORMANCE SUMMARY
APPLE iPAD	$499-$829 depending upon storage (16-64GB) & Wi-Fi vs Wi-Fi + 3G	9 inches	LCD 1024 x 768 Resolution Touchscreen	9.5" x 7.31" x 0.34"	Up to 10 hours with wireless on	16GB - 64GB No expansion	Yes	ePub, pdf, mp3, jpeg, gif, tiff, doc, docx, htm, html, key, numbers, pages, ppt, pptx, txt, rtf, vcf, xls, xlsx
ALURATEK LIBRE COLOR	$180	7 inches	LCD 800x480 Resolution No touchscreen	7.2 oz	Up to 24 hours reading time	2GB of internal memory and additional 16GB of possible SD card storage	No	EPUB, PDF, TXT, FB2 format	Apple MacOS X 10.4.9 or later , Microsoft Windows Vista or later , Microsoft Windows XP SP2	The Aluratek Libre plays video, has an integrated MP3 player, and can display pictures too. Each of these can be handled in a number of different formats... Aluratek Libre Full Specifications & Reviews Aluratek Manufacturer Product Description
ARCHOS 70C	$130	7 inches	LCD 800x480 Resolution Resistive touchscreen	7.5 inchesx5.1x 0.4 13oz	Varies by use, pure reading time unknown Recharge time around 3 hours	4GB internal storage More via SD (secure Digital) card accepting up to 16GB	Yes	PDF, ePub, FB2, TXT, HTML, PDB, RTF - JPEG, BMP - MP3, FLAC, OGG, WAV	Android 2.1 Eclair	The Archos is a full color touchscreen eReader with WiFi capability. Runs on Android 2.1 Eclair, meaning that you can download any of the thousands of eBooks, comics and entertainment applications available on AppsLib..... Archos 70c Full Specifications & Reviews Archos 70c Maufacturer Product Description
AUGEN EBA701	Around $130	7 inches	LCD 800x480 Resolution Resistive touchscreen	8.89 x 5.1 x 0.51-inches		2 GB internal memory - store up to 1,500 eBooks. More via SD card slot up to 32GB	WiFi with web browsing	TXT, PDF, HTML, CHM, RTF, FB2 , EPUB, WORD, TCR, OAML, DOC., OPEN E-BOOK, OPEN READER, MOBI, etc.	Linux 2.6.24	Video The EBA701 includes 150 preloaded popular ebooks such as A Tale of Two Cities, "Black Beauty, Encyclopedia Britannica. Listen to MP3s, watch MP4 videos or view digital photos. Built in Text-to-Speech feature with  built-in speaker....Augen EBA701 Full Specifications & Reviews
BINATONE	$150 £100	7 inches	LCD 800x400 No touchscreen	Size H22, W13, D1.4cm Weight 230g	Around 8-9 hours	Stores between 1000 and 10000 ebooks on 2GB of internal memory, with SD expansion up to 32GB	WiFi with web browsing	TXT, PDF, HTML, CHM, RTF, FB2, EPUB, WORD, TCR, PAML DOC, OPEN E-BOOK, OPEN READER and MOBI	Android 2	Binatone are recognised for delivering value priced products and this color ereader is no different. It's kind of a cross between a tablet annd an ereader.... Binatone Full Specifications & Reviews Binatone Manufacturer Product Description
	COST	DISPLAY SIZE DIAGONAL	DISPLAY TYPE	SIZE & WEIGHT	BATTERY LIFE	STORAGE/ MEMORY	WEB ACCESS	SUPPORTED FILES		FEATURES
ECTACO JETBOOK COLOR	$350	9.68" PVI EP	E-Ink Triton 1600x1200 Resolution	To be confirmed	Up to 26 hours	32 GB	WiFi and 3G	Adobe DRM 9.1, ePub, Mobi, PRC, PDB, RTF, TXT, HTML, PDF, FB2	To be confirmed	The jetBook Color ereader is the only eReader in the world currently using a full Color e-Ink screen... Ectaco Jetbook Color Full Specifications & Reviews Ectaco Jetbook Manufacturer Product Description
ELONEX 500EB	$90 £55	5 inches	LCD No touchscreen 800x480 resolution	154 x 88 x 16mm 190g	6 hours	4GB expandable with SD card	No	EPub, PDF and multiple others	Android	Elonex Color Ereader Full Specifications & Reviews Elonex Manufacturer Product Description
ELONEX 705EB	$150 £100	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen 800x480 resolution	189 x 119 x 9.5mm 260g	8 hours	4GB expandable to 16GB via SD card	WiFi	Supports multiple file types	Android	Elonex Color Ereader Full Specifications & Reviews Elonex 705EB Manufacturer Product Description
FUJITSU FLEPia	Available in Japan only at roughly the equivalent of $1000	8 inches	Color Epaper Display Touchscreen 768x1014 resolution displaying up to 260k colours	158mm (Width) × 240mm (Height) × 12.5mm (Depth 385g	40 hours	Up to 4GB via SD card	WiFi	To be confirmed	Windows CE	Fujitsu Full Specifications & Reviews Fujitsu Manufacturer Product Description
HANVON	Only on sale in Asia at roughly the equivalent of $499	9.7 inches	E-Ink Triton 1200x600 resolution	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	WiFi + 3G	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	Hanvon Color Full Specifications & Reviews Hanvon Manufacturer Product Description
KINDLE COLOR	$199 £128	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen 1024x600 resolution	7.5" x 4.7" x 0.45" 14.6 oz	8 hours	4GB built in + unlimited free storage via Amazon's cloud based storage facility	WiFi via Amazon's ultra fast web service	Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, non-DRM AAC,	Android	Kindle Color Full Specifications & Reviews
LITERATI	$185	7 inches	LCD No touchscreen 800x400 resolution	9 3/8" length x 4 7/8" wide x 1/2" inch thick Weight around 12oz	4-6 hours	512MB internal storage, additional SD slot for up to 8MB	WiFi but no web browser	EPUB, PDF  TXT	Custom Linux	A basic ebook reader designed just for reading books Literati Full Specifications & Reviews
NOOK COLOR	$249	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen 1024x600 resolution	7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5 in (196 x 125 x 13 mm) 12.1 oz (343 g) (3G + Wi-Fi) 11.6 oz (329 g) (Wi-Fi only)	6-10 hours	8 GB, micro SD card slot	WIFi	EPUB, PDF, XLS, DOC, Microsoft Office files, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, MP3, AAC, MP4	Android 2.2	Nook Color Full Specifications & Reviews Nook Colour Manufacturer Product Description Dictionary, Speaker, audio jack, Pandora, Read to Me Crisp text and vivid illustrations. Fast web connectivity. One of the leading ereaders. 2 million books, newspapers, magazines & interactive kids' books Best-in-class technology displays more than 16 million colors and an extra wide viewing angle for personal or shared reading.
PANASONIC RABOO UT-PB1	Available in Japan only at roughly the equivalent of $440	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen 1024x600 resolution	To be confirmed	6 hours	4.5GB built in memory available	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	Android 2.2	Panasonic Colour Full Specifications & Reviews
	COST	DISPLAY SIZE DIAGONAL	DISPLAY TYPE	SIZE & WEIGHT	BATTERY LIFE	STORAGE/ MEMORY	WEB ACCESS	SUPPORTED FILES		FEATURES
PANDIGITAL ANDROID 2	$179	9 inches	LCD Touchscrren 480x800 resolution	7.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches ; 2.3 pounds	6-8 hours	2GB internal memory with a 2-in-1 Sd/SDHC Expandable memory slot up to 32GB	Built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi with optional 3G	PDF, EPUB, HTML, MP3, AAC, WAV, MPEG4, more via apps	Android 2	Pandigital Ereader Full Specifications & Reviews Pandigital Manufacturer Product Description Supports eBooks, Video, Photo, Audio Built-in dictionary, word search feature, variable font size, create bookmarks, highlight important text and take notes on virtual keyboard.
PANDIGITAL NOVEL 2	$141	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen	7.2 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches ; 12 ounces	Approximat ely 4 hours reading	2GB Internal Memory with SD/SDHC/M MC Memory Card Slot	WiFi with web browser	PDF, EPUB, HTML, MP3, AAC, WAV, MPEG4, more via apps	Android	Pandigital Ereader Full Specifications & Reviews Pandigital Manufacturer Product Description Supports eBooks, Video, Photo, Audio Built-in dictionary, word search feature, variable font size, create bookmarks, highlight important text and take notes on virtual keyboard.
SHIFT 3 LOOK BOOK	$130 £96	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen	9 inches long x 5 inches wide x 0.5 inch deep	6 hours	512MB internal with SD card giving additional up to 8MB	WiFi no web browser	ePub, PDF, TXT, and multiple others	To be confirmed	Shift 3 Look Book Full Specifications & Reviews
SKYTEX PRIMER	$73	7 Inches	LCD No touchscreen 800x480 resolution	8.1 x 0.5 x 5.2 inches ; 13.6 ounces	10-15 hours when reading,  battery life shortens when listening to music or watching videos	2GB of onboard storage (expandabl e with up to a 16GB micro SD card)	WiFi with web browser	Open standard designs supports most popular eBook formats, including epub, pdf, txt, html, etc..		The Skytex Primer color ereader gets almost universally good reviews. Recommended. Skytex Primer Full Specifications & Reviews Skytex Primer Manufacturer Product Description
SLICK ER700	$85	7 inches	LCD	8-1/8"L x 5-1/4"W x 1/2"D	Approx 4 hours	2GB internal memory Expansion Slots: SD/MMC card slot up to 16GB	No	ePub, PDF	Windows and Mac OS	Slick Colour Full Specifications & Reviews
VELOCITY MICRO CRUZ	$199	7 inches	LCD Touchscreen 800x600 resolution	5.6 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches ; 16oz	6-8 hours	256MB, 4GB SD card included	WiFi and web browser	AZW, EPUB, PDF, TXT, MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, MPEG-4, H.264, more via apps	Android	Velocity Micro Full Specifications & Reviews Velocity Micro Manufacturer Product Description
ZZ BOOK	$110 £99	7 inches	LCD (anti glare) 840x480 720p	203 mm(H) x 133(W) x 12mm(D) Weight 304g		2GB internal memory Micro SD expansion slot up to 16GB		ANSI/TXT/PD F/HTML/FB2/ PDB/EPUB/M OBI		ZZ Book Full Specifications & Reviews

Why does weight and size matter?    How long does the battery last?    What display type - LCD or E-Ink?

How many books can be stored?    What file formats does it support?    Internet access - yes or no?

What extra features does it have?    How much is it going to cost me?