Reading on the road

After months of deliberation I have finally pressed “confirm” on the checkout on Amazon.com for the Kindle 2.0.

What drove this decision you might ask? Well, I have done months of research, and playing with various devices to make my mind up. Here are the deciding factors that really swayed me toward the Kindle. Note: I did not consider any of the touch screen counterparts for the e-ink technology. I was immediately not impressed with the glare for any touch screen e-ink readers.

#1. The Amazon Kindle 2.0

The pitch: The Amazon Kindle uses e-ink technology, and has a free 3G service for downloading new content around the world.

Pros: E-Ink Technology for long time reading; 2 week long battery life (!!!); 3G worldwide service; free wikipedia and wikitravel access; no contracts required; lightweight; Price only $189!

Cons: No color content. Poor for comic book reading; no backlight; The Kindle 2 does not have a removable battery. Proprietary reader format. No more USB stick access for quick loading of books.

#2. Sony Digital Reader Pocket Edition

The pitch: e-ink technology, light weight, open format e-reader

Pros: E-Ink Technology for long time reading; 2 week long battery life (!!!); open format for PDFs, free books, etc. Cheapest e-Reader on the market! $150

Cons: The book store for the sony content is more expensive. The price difference is not negligible. Each book on Sony’s store is at least 2-3 dollars more on average than it’s counterpart on Amazon.com. Also, no 3G access for instant downloads. No wifi access. You need a computer connection to get your books onto the reader.

#3. Barnes and Noble Nook

The Pitch: The nook is a 2 screen ereader with the top being e-ink, and the bottom being color. The top part is where you read, and the bottom part is your library. 3G access to download the book content. In store access to read and preview books. The ability to Lend a book.

Pros: Lending of a book (once) to a friend; 3G access (USA ONLY); Open format content; long battery life; a color screen; Android software; Price is only $200

Cons: Touch screen causes a glare; 3G access doesn’t work internationally!!; sluggish performance;

#4: the Apple iPad

The iPad is pretty.

I didn’t consider the iPad past the thought of : “That would be cool”. With only a 10 hour long battery life, and the backlit text, I was not sold on this toy as a viable option for long travel. The iPad is heavy and would hurt my arms to hold up. The system requires a wifi or 3G paid access. For international travel this is already too much of a burden, especially if I am going to carry around a laptop so that I can do some work. The laptop and an ipad in my bag = TOO HEAVY!

Final thoughts:

I believe that I made the right choice. The Kindle vs. the Nook was a close run, because I am a huge fan of the Android software. That being said, Barnes and Noble does not have an international option. This is very limiting for someone who travels every year overseas. 17 hours in the air to get somewhere, I needed a device with long battery life. I also wanted to be able to load PDFs of my travels so that I can access travel information while on the go. This was possible on all three devices, however the Kindle had the ability to download new content via WikiTravel for free. This was a huge plus for me. Overall, I have read countless reviews on all four options above. The Kindle users are die hard dedicated users who keep purchasing the next generation of their devices. That message goes a long way for me. The Kindle is the right device for a one-bag travel girl

*UPDATE*

iPad’s no fun in the sun : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ytech_gadg/20100728/tc_ytech_gadg/ytech_gadg_tc3264