Home >> Hobbies >> Reading

How to Choose an eBook Reader

Books used to come in two styles: hardcover and paperback. By nature, they were portable and didn't require anything other than a pair of eyes to read them. With the invention of audio books, a cassette tape or CD player became necessary to enjoy them. Then books went digital. "Reading" them took on a whole new meaning, as ebooks are published in different formats that aren't compatible with all systems.

Things You'll Need

Computer
Internet access
Ebooks

Instructions

- 1
  Think about where you read the most and where you're most comfortable doing it. Some formats will confine you to your desktop, whereas others will work with handheld devices.
- 2
  Consider the hardware you already own. Some ebook readers are offered as downloadable software, others are sold as part of a handheld device.
- 3
  Keep your eye health in mind. Take into consideration the size of the screen you'll be reading on and whether or not its backlit. Reading digitally displayed words puts a different strain on your eyes than reading words on a printed page.
- 4
  Check prices. Some ebook reader software programs, such as Adobe Reader, Microsoft Reader and Mobipocket Reader Desktop (see Resources below), are available as a free download. Handheld reader devices, such as the Sony Portable Reader System, Palm PDAs and Pocket PCs range from the low $100s up to $500 or more.
- 5
  Compare the features. Some ebook readers support multiple formats such as HTML, PDF and DOC, some offer text searching features, bookmarks, a way to add notes and touch screen menus.

Reading