Before any ebook reader comparison begins, there are a few caveats. If you do not have wireless networking in your house, you need a 3G ebook reader to download books, and Barnes and Noble is phasing out 3G. In that case, the only Touch ebook reader is the Kindle Touch 3G for $149 with Special Offers or $189 without advertisements. Also, if you live near a Barnes and Noble store, it makes sense to get a Nook Touch because you can read books for free in the store and take advantage of in store and cafe offers. If you have Amazon Prime, the Kindle Touch has better offers for you, and you can borrow books for free, which is similar to walking into Barnes and Noble and reading for a few hours.
Overview of Touch eBook Readers
Although the Kindle Touch and the Nook Simple Touch are popular ebook readers, they aren't the only digital book readers with a digital screen. The Kobo eReader Touch is an excellent competitor to the Nook, and Canadians should certainly consider the Kobo Touch before other ereaders because the Kobo bookstore is in Canada, it can handle library books, and it is a fun little ePUB ereader.
Touch ereaders work like an iPhone or iPad. Instead of buttons, you tap the screen in certain areas to reveal menus and swipe the screen to turn the page. Fingerprints are not the problem you'd imagine. Today's Touch ereaders are small; without buttons or keyboards, they are almost just the size of the standar 6 inch screen, which usually has Pearl E-Ink.
Kindle vs. Nook Touch eReaders
The current line of Touch ereaders are simple ereaders. I was disappointed to discover I couldn't get email on the Nook Touch, because I use my Kindle and my Nook 1 as basic web browsers. I've even used my Kindle 1 for GPS navigation, so I use the web connection more than most people. The Kindle Touch has a web browser, so for people who use web browsers, the Kindle is a better choice.
The Nook and Kindle both have library book capabilities, and they are easy to use. The Kindle will send library books directly from your browser to your Kindle if you are using wifi, but the Nook seems to have more books available. Nook came to the library game earlier. Nook can also handle more formats, including Google Books, so the Nook is attractive if you are primarily reading free ebooks from the public domain.
Finally, the Kindle is better with audio books, in part because Amazon owns Audible.com and the Audible books will work on Kindles, and the text to speech does a decent job if you want to listen to books in the car while you drive.
Both of the ebook readers are similar, but the Kindle Touch seemed to have advantages. At $99 each, it is more about the individual preferences (web browser and audio books for Kindle, Nook in store support and EPUB files) from the special features that each store offers.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
