For somebody who likes to learn, books make the right reward. However in case you’re trying to splurge in your readers in your life, it may be time to concentrate on how they learn and never what they’re studying. Gifting somebody an e-reader provides them the chance to hold round a whole library in a single system. Many e-readers, like Amazon’s Kindle lineup, are linked to an organization’s storefront the place you may simply purchase and obtain any guide you could possibly need. Many units additionally play nicely with native libraries, permitting customers to obtain their library’s ebooks on to their e-reader. In fact, you can too add your individual recordsdata to your e-reader, as long as they don’t seem to be protected by Digital Rights Administration software program — which sadly seems on nearly each guide you purchase.Â
E book sellers are likely to have their very own proprietary techniques, so you will not have the ability to purchase a guide, say, on the Apple retailer after which load it onto an Amazon Kindle. Usually talking, you will wish to discover out in case your reader is already enmeshed in an e-book ecosystem earlier than making an e-reader buy. Likelihood is, they will need to have the ability to learn the books they already personal on their subsequent e-reader — so it is a good suggestion to get them a suitable system.Â
Probably the most well-known digital guide reader is Amazon’s Kindle line, which makes use of E Ink shows to present a paperlike studying expertise. There are a number of completely different fashions within the Kindle lineup, although all of them supply a front-light touchscreen, which eliminates the necessity for a guide gentle whereas sparing your eyes the tough backlight that comes from most LED pill screens. Past Kindle’s {hardware}, the Kindle app works on smartphones, iPads and different units.
However Amazon is not the one sport on the town. As an example, Rakuten’s Kobo e-book readers work with most third-party distributors utilizing the ePub guide commonplace and are deeply built-in with the native libraries by way of the Overdrive platform. In your Kobo system, you may search your library and straight obtain books, one thing you want a third-party app to do with a Kindle.Â
Then there are units — each E-Ink units in addition to conventional tablets — which might be suitable with apps from each e-reading platform. For instance, each Apple and Android units have entry to free apps on their storefronts from Kindle, Kobo, Overdrive and extra. You’ll learn all of your content material on these apps, however may be lacking out on any {hardware} dependent perks, like tapping on bodily buttons to show the web page.Â
 We have rounded up much more e-book readers right here in case you’re in search of extra inspiration, plus we have examined a number of big-screen multifunction E Ink units which might be extra tabletlike and add stylus assist.Â
My largest total procuring tip is that the majority Kindle units are ceaselessly on sale and typically supply stacking trade-in offers on high of that, so you may typically anticipate to pay lower than the official retail value.
Amazon has launched a baseline Kindle E Ink e-reader for $100 that not appears so entry-level. Whereas its 6-inch display screen makes it a smaller and lighter e-reader than the step-up Kindle Paperwhite ($140), its show has the identical 300-ppi decision because the Paperwhite. Nonetheless, the Paperwhite mannequin provides waterproofing and incorporates a extra subtle entrance lighting scheme, with 17 LEDs in contrast with the fundamental Kindle 2022’s 4 LEDs.
Previously, we have really useful stepping as much as the Paperwhite in case you may afford it, primarily as a result of it had the next decision show than the entry-level Kindle, which allowed textual content to seem extra crisp. However with each fashions now that includes related shows (not less than so far as decision goes), we might need to revise that suggestion.
The Kindle (2022) is accessible in black or denim blue.
Learn our Kindle (2022) overview.
The Paperwhite is Amazon’s middle-of-the-road Kindle, between the bottom mannequin and the Oasis. Final yr, it obtained an enormous improve within the type of a bigger 6.8-inch display screen and higher battery life, which makes it my go-to alternative, because it’s virtually pretty much as good because the fancier Oasis now.Â
Whereas the Paperwhite is waterproof and may regulate its show shade temperature, it lacks the Oasis’ bodily page-turn buttons.Â
There’s additionally
Learn our Kindle Paperwhite (2021) overview.
Sure, Amazon’s top-end Kindle is simply too costly for what it’s, however once I upgraded from a Kindle Paperwhite to the Oasis a number of years in the past, I used to be knocked out by how a lot better the Oasis is by way of guide readability and responsiveness.Â
It is bought a much bigger display screen, and I discover the bodily page-turn buttons are so a lot better than swiping. The newest model can regulate the colour temperature of the (monochromatic) display screen, for higher nighttime studying.Â
Amazon runs frequent offers on this, and also you also needs to be careful for trade-in bonuses on older Kindles to get it for an affordable value.
Learn our Kindle Oasis overview.
The Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C is a ten.3-inch shade E Ink pill with included stylus that is nice for many who like to learn comics and graphic novels. It is the primary system to make use of E Ink’s latest Kaleido 3 shade display screen, which makes use of an RGB filter array over a black-and-white paper movie to create over 4,000 completely different colours. Regardless of the colours, the display screen is designed largely for studying, writing and note-taking in a low-distraction surroundings. Whilst you can technically play video games, surf the net and watch motion pictures on this system, that is not the purpose right here.Â
The Tab Extremely C runs on Android 11 software program with full entry to the Google Play retailer. Meaning you’ll obtain and use the Kindle, Libby, Kobo, Marvel Limitless or some other studying app you may want. The draw back is that the majority third-party apps are unable to reap the benefits of Boox’s pen. For instance, you may entry your whole Kindle content material on the Kindle app — and even take notes with an onscreen keyboard — however you will not have the ability to reap the benefits of your pen to jot down straight in your books.
The colour show, although picturesque, could possibly be brighter and extra vivid (although these could possibly be limitations of the present know-how). However I’ve discovered the Tab Extremely C to be one of the vital helpful E Ink tablets I’ve used.Â
Learn our Onyx Boox Tab Extremely C overview.
The iPad Mini obtained a terrific makeover final yr, with a much bigger, higher display screen (now 8.3 inches), new processor, optionally available 5G and a thinner, lighter design. It is the right measurement for ebooks, and the colour display screen makes it a terrific alternative for studying digital comics (ahem, graphic novels). At $500, it is costlier than the fanciest Kindle reader, however you get a full-fledged iPadOS system that may function a streaming video participant or sport machine as nicely.Â
Learn our iPad Mini (2021) overview.
Amazon has lengthy (till this yr) ignored the necessity for greater e-ink screens, leaving the doorways open for manufacturers like Kobo. This 10.3-inch show has stylus assist for note-taking and consists of 32GB of storage, a decision of 227 dpi and a entrance gentle for nighttime studying.Â
No, it would not formally assist Amazon’s Kindle guide format, however it does learn key codecs like PDF, ePub, MOBI and CBR, and it really works with OverDrive, which is the e-book lending service most libraries use.Â
We have additionally rounded up a number of extra big-screen E Ink readers right here.Â
Amazon’s newest E Ink reader is not on sale but, however it’s preorderable for an anticipated Nov. 30 launch. I am very within the Scribe as a result of it is the primary big-screen Kindle for the reason that discontinued Kindle DX. It additionally provides stylus assist and has a ten.2-inch show at 300 dpi (which is similar dpi as on the opposite Kindles).Â
It is a hefty $329 to start out, or as much as $419 with an upgraded premium stylus and bigger storage choices. That is lots for a product we’ve not examined or reviewed but, however it’s additionally — on paper — the bigger-screen Kindle I have been hoping for for years.Â
And upon getting an e-book reader, why not fill it up with some books written by CNET authors? Here is a number of to get began:
