Kindle vs other e-readers

I have to admit that although I’m the author of an ebook, up until fairly recently I never really read ebooks. It wasn’t so much that I was against ebooks, or e-readers, I just tended to read on paper. I owned a Nook, originally given to my partner, but when scouring for the next novel to devour I nearly always sought out the paperback. Possibly this was because we always have a growing stack of paperbacks in our living room, waiting to be read. Or, possibly this is because I grew up without the internet. The idea of searching a device, as I would search the internet, somehow seemed contrary to the experience I was after.

But, recently, I’ve been doing at least half of my reading on the Nook. Why?

Since becoming more involved in the world of social media I’ve discovered a number of amazing authors whose books are only available as ebooks (or for a significantly lower price than the paperback). Also, with an ebook, I can begin reading right away and don’t have to wait for the book to be delivered (a major bonus in my opinion). The Nook is  light and easy to handle, making it ideal for carrying about in my bag. Also, the touchscreen is not over-sensitive and it has a handy glow light for when I’m in a dark place and can’t turn the light on to read. All features that make me love my Nook.

However, many of the ebooks I long to read are only available as Kindle files. This means I have had to use a special software to convert the files from Mobi (what Kindle uses) to Epub (what Nook uses). It means that it is not an instant process (for most books, anyway) and after converting a mere ten ebook files they are asking me to pay for the use of their software. Even though the Nook is already paid for!

This brings me to the real point of this post: which of the e-readers is the best, in your opinion? From what I’ve read, it seems that Kindle is the most widely used e-reader. But I know that some people use Kobo, or Nexus. What are the pros and cons of these other readers? And what about Kindle? Do you use a Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire or…? I know some of these readers double up as computers, allowing you to go on the internet or save Word files. I can see how that might be handy, but I would prefer something which is mainly for reading on (I tend to use my laptop for the internet and relish the ability to escape into a book).

I’m trying to decide if I should pay for the conversion software (or try a new free trial of another one) or just treat myself to a new e-reader once I have the funds available. I have heard so many good things about Kindle that I have to admit to being tempted.

I look forward to reading your comments and suggestions. 🙂

Until next time!