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clare_dragonflyI got a Kindle for Christmas. (I LOVE IT so much.) My mom got a Nook for Christmas. Since she's surprisingly tech-illiterate for someone who spends half her time on Facebook, I got to set it up and play with it for her. Of course, they're the same basic idea, but I've noticed a lot of small differences--most of them adding up to me being glad I have the Kindle.
Thus, a review, in list form.
(For clarity, I have the latest Kindle 2 that everyone calls the Kindle 3; she has a regular Nook, not a NookColor.)
Why the Kindle is better
- Easy setup. The quick start guide clearly explains how to register the Kindle. The Nook's doesn't; if you do that first thing when you turn it on, it's presumably easier, but my mom didn't have a BN account yet, so I skipped it. Then I had to poke around a lot to figure out how to register it.
- Still on the topic of registration, you can create an Amazon account right on your Kindle if necessary. Can't do that on the Nook.
- The screen refresh is different; I think it's quicker on the Kindle, and at the least it flashes fewer times.
- The Kindle is a little bit smaller around than the Nook, but it's significantly thinner and lighter.
- The Nook's touch screen.
- It's bright, making the eInk screen very dim by comparison. I found it uncomfortable to read on the screen.
- It's very small compared to the screen, so navigation is harder than on the Kindle.
- Three words: touch screen keyboard. (The Kindle has a real, if tiny, keyboard.)
- My mom keeps hitting the wrong button playing Sudoku. I have almost never hit the wrong button playing Minesweeper or Every Word (yes there are games on Nook and Kindle!) and that was because I forgot, not because I missed.
- I like the Kindle's author portraits and other pictures (screensavers) much better than the Nook's author portraits. YMMV, of course, but I'm not a fan of BN's author portrait style.
- I find the page forward/back buttons easier to press on the Kindle.
Why the Nook is better
- It came bundled with games; on the Kindle I had to download them.
- The Kindle's on switch thingy takes some getting used to; the Nook just has a button to press.
Weird things
- There is no Kindle skin that says "DON'T PANIC" in large friendly letters. This seems like a glaring omission to me.
- Formatting seems to be inconsistent on the Kindle; I think this is the device itself, not the books, because all three things I've read (one free book, one paid book, and the user's guide) have had issues with paragraph indenting and pagination.
- I got an Amazon gift certificate and couldn't add it through my Kindle. I had to go to the website to do it.
And now I want help coming up with a name for my Kindle! Here are some names I have in mind:
- Spencer (after Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds)
- Digory (after Professor Digory Kirke from the Chronicles of Narnia)
- Teacher (after Teacher from An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom
Thus, a review, in list form.
(For clarity, I have the latest Kindle 2 that everyone calls the Kindle 3; she has a regular Nook, not a NookColor.)
Why the Kindle is better
- Easy setup. The quick start guide clearly explains how to register the Kindle. The Nook's doesn't; if you do that first thing when you turn it on, it's presumably easier, but my mom didn't have a BN account yet, so I skipped it. Then I had to poke around a lot to figure out how to register it.
- Still on the topic of registration, you can create an Amazon account right on your Kindle if necessary. Can't do that on the Nook.
- The screen refresh is different; I think it's quicker on the Kindle, and at the least it flashes fewer times.
- The Kindle is a little bit smaller around than the Nook, but it's significantly thinner and lighter.
- The Nook's touch screen.
- It's bright, making the eInk screen very dim by comparison. I found it uncomfortable to read on the screen.
- It's very small compared to the screen, so navigation is harder than on the Kindle.
- Three words: touch screen keyboard. (The Kindle has a real, if tiny, keyboard.)
- My mom keeps hitting the wrong button playing Sudoku. I have almost never hit the wrong button playing Minesweeper or Every Word (yes there are games on Nook and Kindle!) and that was because I forgot, not because I missed.
- I like the Kindle's author portraits and other pictures (screensavers) much better than the Nook's author portraits. YMMV, of course, but I'm not a fan of BN's author portrait style.
- I find the page forward/back buttons easier to press on the Kindle.
Why the Nook is better
- It came bundled with games; on the Kindle I had to download them.
- The Kindle's on switch thingy takes some getting used to; the Nook just has a button to press.
Weird things
- There is no Kindle skin that says "DON'T PANIC" in large friendly letters. This seems like a glaring omission to me.
- Formatting seems to be inconsistent on the Kindle; I think this is the device itself, not the books, because all three things I've read (one free book, one paid book, and the user's guide) have had issues with paragraph indenting and pagination.
- I got an Amazon gift certificate and couldn't add it through my Kindle. I had to go to the website to do it.
And now I want help coming up with a name for my Kindle! Here are some names I have in mind:
- Spencer (after Dr. Spencer Reid from Criminal Minds)
- Digory (after Professor Digory Kirke from the Chronicles of Narnia)
- Teacher (after Teacher from An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom
no subject
Date: 2010-12-27 02:40 am (UTC)It is awesome. I am so excited about it! I hate some of the pictures that come up for the screensaver though. I like the science-y ones like the birds, and the shells, but the people ones are not my faves.
I need to get a case for it. I really like the Kate Spade 'Hello' one on Amazon, but I will eat my hat if I pay that much for it! We'll see.
KINDLE FRIENDS :D
What was the first book you put on it?
no subject
Date: 2010-12-27 02:48 am (UTC)I don't think I've seen the birds or shells yet! I love how there are so many different screensavers. I've been using it a lot and putting it to sleep very often, and I haven't repeated a screensaver yet.
Those designer ones are kind of evil, aren't they? I really want the black-and-white Diane von Furstenburg one but it is way too expensive. I've found some things I like on Etsy though.
Conveniently enough, the first book I put on it is already linked in the entry! It's MeiLin Miranda's Lovers and Beloveds, the first book in An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom.
What was the first book you put on yours? And have you named yours? (I bet it's a LotR name, huh? XD)
no subject
Date: 2010-12-27 03:22 am (UTC)AHH yay! I will have to check that out! The first thing I put on it was The Secret Garden (FREEE!!) and then a Keats book with some of the letters since I figured I might as well do some thesis reading. I then promptly purchased Brideshead Revisited, Never Let Me Go, and St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. Really bummed that there are no HP e-books. Durr.
I DON'T KNOW :( All my computers have been named after LotR characters, except for Gavroche who was Les Mis, but I can't decide on this one. I was thinking Remus, but as there are no HP books, that seems silly. For now it is just 'Bookfriend'.