Question about
Kindle, Nook, or iBooks?
The iBooks library seems lacking and only non-DRM ePub books are compatible with it (I think). What's the Pros and Cons of Kindle/Nook/iBooks? I will primarily be using the related iPhone Apps to buy books/read.
top answers
chrishimself's pick
Buy from iBooks if you can take advantage of color photos or other media, but if it's just text you're better off buying from Kindle since you can use their Kindle app on many different devices, and they have the better selection as well as better or matching prices.
I've bought eBooks via Amazon when I just had the iPhone for this compatibility reason, and it paid off when I got a Kindle later on!
I've bought eBooks via Amazon when I just had the iPhone for this compatibility reason, and it paid off when I got a Kindle later on!
mark as good answer
6 people like this answer
Clicking the mark as good answer button helps us highlight the best answers.
chrishimself's pick
I think that iBooks is probably the most limiting choice at this point, as it only works on Apple devices. As others have noted, both Nook and Kindle work on pretty much every platform. I use a Kindle, Windows Phone, Android phone, Windows PC, MacBook, and a Windows tablet, and my Kindle experience across all of them is flawless. Whispersync is genius, so I never have to remember where I left off across all those devices. I'd bet that Nook has a similar feature, but I've never used it so can't speak to that.
mark as good answer
3 people like this answer
chrishimself's pick
Actually the same is true of the Nook app family - PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Blackberry. I've been using it for a while b/c I initially started with one of the Nook ereaders, though now I mostly read in the Nook app on my iOS devices. App-wise it's a great experience, but I've used the Kindle app too and there's nothing wrong with it. Don't think you're going to find strong objective reasons to go one way or another but rather a lot of personal preference-type stuff. Both are free and both let you pull down samples so you could "test" the reading experience. I only use iBooks for opening random epubs, though I think it has the best highlighting feel.
mark as good answer
3 people like this answer
community pick
I believe that Kindle is the best choice in the Book DRM mega-verse. Why? Simply because there are more Kindle books in circulation, and more choices available when you finally decide to liberate your library (not that I am endorsing that...I am endorsing choice). If I am not mistaken, I believe Amazon will also be adding ePub support, which means it will have the most "compatible" device overall shortly. Kobo or Sony would be my second choice because their books can be read on the Nook, but the Nook books cannot be read on most other ePub supporting devices. iBooks is a non-starter for me.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
At this point I would go with Kindle simply because it works across multiple platforms. You could read on your Android devices, your iPad, your iPhone, your computer, your Kindle, and soon the Kindle tablet. The other services don't offer that kind of coverage.
mark as good answer
2 people like this answer
The iBooks store is the most lacking book store currently on the market. I would suggest the Kindle store because you don't have to make any new accounts for it, and it has MANY books to choose from! You will find that it is the best, and the Nook is a very close second.
mark as good answer
1 person likes this answer
I recently struggled through this same question, and I decided on a Kindle. Here is why:
- I wanted something a bit more portable, so that really left out the iPad as a reader device. It's a bit too big for me.
- I own both an Android phone, and knew that I would not always have a reader with me, but I would always have my phone. Therefore, a good mobile version for Android was important to me, and that definitely left off the iPad.
- I tried reading books on both the Kindle app and the nook app on both my phone and my iPod Touch. There is no question that the Kindle app is superior on both platforms, including, surprisingly, on Android (since the Nook itself is an Android device.) The Android version of the Nook app is both resource-intensive (it took up 17 MB of storage on my phone - easily the biggest app on Android I have tried), it was slow, and the Nook seems to have this page orientation, so occasionally you will come to this weird white space though the sentence you are reading has not ended. (The nook app for iOS is better than the Android version - the text more readable, for example.) The Kindle app on both platforms is far more elegant and easy to use than the Nook app on each platform.
- Also, strangely, the Nook app was terrible about syncing reading progress and bookmarks between the iOS and Android versions. The Kindle app is fantastic with this, as well as with the Kindle itself.
- I tried out the new Nook Simple Touch and found weird text ghosting sometimes. I am sure that this is a problem with reduced number of page turns, but it was more annoying to me than the usual flash at a page turn. (Having bought and used the Kindle for the last week, I now agree that this was the right choice.) That said, I would guess that this issue will be solved with a software updated to the Nook Simple Touch at some point soon.
As for the quality and quantity of the bookstores for each platform, that wasn't quite so much an issue. I have so many great books on my list of books to read that are available on all three bookstores that I think I would have been fine with any of these as far as quality and quantity of titles is concerned. Of course a huge advantage of the iPad is that you have access to the Kindle and Nook bookstores as well.
- I wanted something a bit more portable, so that really left out the iPad as a reader device. It's a bit too big for me.
- I own both an Android phone, and knew that I would not always have a reader with me, but I would always have my phone. Therefore, a good mobile version for Android was important to me, and that definitely left off the iPad.
- I tried reading books on both the Kindle app and the nook app on both my phone and my iPod Touch. There is no question that the Kindle app is superior on both platforms, including, surprisingly, on Android (since the Nook itself is an Android device.) The Android version of the Nook app is both resource-intensive (it took up 17 MB of storage on my phone - easily the biggest app on Android I have tried), it was slow, and the Nook seems to have this page orientation, so occasionally you will come to this weird white space though the sentence you are reading has not ended. (The nook app for iOS is better than the Android version - the text more readable, for example.) The Kindle app on both platforms is far more elegant and easy to use than the Nook app on each platform.
- Also, strangely, the Nook app was terrible about syncing reading progress and bookmarks between the iOS and Android versions. The Kindle app is fantastic with this, as well as with the Kindle itself.
- I tried out the new Nook Simple Touch and found weird text ghosting sometimes. I am sure that this is a problem with reduced number of page turns, but it was more annoying to me than the usual flash at a page turn. (Having bought and used the Kindle for the last week, I now agree that this was the right choice.) That said, I would guess that this issue will be solved with a software updated to the Nook Simple Touch at some point soon.
As for the quality and quantity of the bookstores for each platform, that wasn't quite so much an issue. I have so many great books on my list of books to read that are available on all three bookstores that I think I would have been fine with any of these as far as quality and quantity of titles is concerned. Of course a huge advantage of the iPad is that you have access to the Kindle and Nook bookstores as well.
mark as good answer
0 people like this answer
follow this question
share:
Related questions
9 users following this question:
This question has been viewed 322 times.
Last activity .
Tips for giving the best answers
Sometimes it's just little details that separates a great and not so great answer! Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind:
- 1
- Be complete and thorough. Don't skimp on the details!
- 2
- Try not to answer with a question. Because that's not really an answer, right?
- 3
- A little research goes a long way. Back up your claims and assumptions!
- 4
- Try to be patient, tech questions can be complicated.
- 5
- You are awesome for both reading this and answering questions.