Thinking About An E-Reader? Top Factors To Think About

If you’re a bookworm and love nothing more than curling up with the latest novel, you may want to consider investing in an e-reader. Not only are they conveniently portable – easy to stash in your bag for the morning train ride to work – but they also have the capacity to hold literally hundreds, if not thousands, of books. Think of all that reading material!

If you can’t wait to start downloading all of your best-loved books, here are a few things to consider before you purchase your first e-reader.

What Is Your Budget?

When buying any electronic device, the first thing to think about is the price tag. As with phones and tablets, eBook readers can vary widely in price, from less than £50 to over £200 and more.

One helpful fact to bear in mind is that eBooks often cost less than paperbacks so by investing in an eBook reader, you will be saving money on the actual books themselves.

What Capacity Do You Need?

eBook readers have memory, just like other devices, and the larger the memory they have, the more files they can contain. If you want to load up on reading materials, opt for a model with a larger capacity or go for one that is capable of holding an SD card, which can bump up your capacity substantially.

Do You Want Any Special Features?

E-readers are not just capable of storing a wide range of electronic books. Some devices offer a variety of other capabilities, including playing music and videos. You can also find eBook readers with a backlight for easy reading in any light. Some of the best eBook readers on the market even allow you to download apps or surf the web. Of course, these models will usually have a much higher price tag, so if you’re on a budget it’s probably best to forego all of the bells and whistles.

What About Formats?

The format is something to consider when choosing your first e-reader. A device that can handle multiple formats is to be recommended. You should also think about whether or not you want an open e-reader or one with a proprietary format, like Amazon’s AZW. Open e-readers allow you to transfer files to another device more easily.

How Much Battery Life Do You Need?

Battery life is another factor to bear in mind, especially if you’ll be taking your e-reader on long trips. E-readers that offer more special features will typically drain their batteries faster. The more basic e-readers will offer you longer battery life, especially if you use some helpful battery-saving techniques – meaning you can read for hours without having to worry about recharging.

Keen To Get Your Kids Into Reading?

If you have the budget for it, consider buying your kids an e-reader when you pick out your own. A child-friendly e-reader with an easy-to-use interface can encourage reluctant readers to develop a new interest in books.

Happy Reading!

While you may feel a little guilty about swapping your old paperbacks for an e-reader, once you have bought one you will soon see the benefits. Not only are e-readers environmentally friendly and convenient, but they also come with a range of helpful extras – from built-in dictionaries to customization options allowing you to increase the font size if you have poor vision.

Of course, your most precious tomes will always have a special place in your heart – but if you’re a devoted reader, having a library of hundreds of books in one slender device is surely hard to beat.