Which ereader?

[codedivine]

I am looking at buying an e-ink based reader. Looking at three options: Kindle Touch, Sony eReader (T1), Kobo Wifi. I am in Canada so Nook is not available.
Any pros/cons of each? I actually had an old Sony model (5''), which I liked quite a lot, but I accidentally broke it. I had bought some books for it, but I mostly already read them, so that investment is not an issue.

[cynan]

If you plan on purchasing all of your ebooks from scratch, then the Kindle 3 Touch is probably the way to go. If you are OK with borrowing books from other sources (ie libraries), or have a collection of prior open format ebooks the Sony T1 will give you more flexibility in that regard due to its support of epub format.

Maybe the new Nook Simple Touch is a good intermediary. It offers distribution of Barns and Noble and it supports Epub. It is also a bit cheaper than the Kindle at $99 without adds.

Basic functionality and screen quality are fairly similar across these devices; all use same screen resolution and technology. In my opinion, unless you really like Amazon, getting something like the Nook Simple Touch will give you access to being able to purchase many books instantly and allow you to borrow epubs from libraries, Google books, etc.

[AntiSp4wn]

Nook simple touch is really the way to go for most people. The only reason to go Kindle would be if you're already locked into Amazon's ecosystem.

The Nook has a larger selection of eBooks from Barnes and Noble than the Kindle does from Amazon, and add onto that the ability to throw any epub book you can purchase from elsewhere, renting books on it from your local library, etc. It's a great device, fast page turns, crisp text, two MONTHS battery life, and it feels really great in your hand (the soft concave back really helps the ergonomics).

[codedivine]

Thanks for your replies! B&N does not sell the Nook in Canada unfortunately. I can look into getting it imported somehow.

[cynan]

Well, if you are in Canada, you may as well just get the Sony T1, or just cave to Amazon with the Kindle touch. As far as I am aware, while you can buy ebooks from Barnes and Noble in Canada, unless you have a US credit card, your selection will be limited. (This is the same for Amazon.com vs Amazon.ca). It apparently has to do with some restrictive Canadian content government policy to encourage the consumption of Canadian content. I've read on forums that the Canadian government gave Amazon quite a hard time when they first tried to enter the Canadian market. Now something similar is going on with the Apple book store. And it may also have something to do with protecting the price difference between ebooks in the US and Canada... Ergo, you'll probably end up getting most of your Epub format ebooks from some Chapters/Indigo.

If true, these kinds of actions don't make me as a Canadian feel more compelled to "choose" Canadian. Rather it makes me feel frustrated that I can't get the books I want and encourages me to head to other less noble means of acquiring the books I want at a steep discount. /end rant.

I don't have experience with the Kobos offered at Chapters. I've used the Sony T1 and it's seems pretty solid. Some were having issues with it freezing when it was first released, but apparently a recent firmware update has fixed this.

[ludi]

My mom just won a Sony T1 in some employee contest at the library where she works. Can't compare it to the others since I haven't used them, but the T1 does seem to be a good device -- lightweight, rubberized back that isn't going to squirt out of your hand, WiFi-b/g, USB charging, micro-SD expansion slot, etc. A Sony device that gets everything right and supports mainstream standards -- what were the odds?

Didn't spend much time with the software interface myself, but apparently, with a little help from my dad, she already got it connected to their WiFi and tinkered with some of the non-ebook features so that's a good sign.