With enough storage for a small library, you won’t need to worry about how many books you can pack to take with you on holiday.
If you’re going on holiday this summer and are struggling to decide which books to pack in the limited space you’ve got, why not look at an e-book reader? Most e-readers are smaller than a typical novel and hold hundreds if not thousands of books – you’ll never be short of a good book to read! We’ve picked five of the best e-book readers that are worth adding to your shortlist.
1. Amazon Kindle 3G + WiFi – Amazon’s Kindle is now in its third generation and is considered by many to be the de facto e-book reader. Available in two versions – Wi-Fi and 3G + WiFi – the Kindle starts at just £111 for the Wi-Fi only version, but the more expensive Kindle 3G + WiFi is the one to get. It includes 3G data coverage, enabling you to download and purchase new e-books from the Kindle Store no matter where you are in the world – as long as you’ve got a mobile data signal. Is there a better place to buy a book than on the beach?
2. Sony Reader PRS-350 Pocket Edition – Sony’s Reader PRS-350 Pocket Edition is the latest version of Sony’s popular e-book reader. It’s smaller than most e-book readers and features a 5in screen with good text sharpness and contrast. The size makes it much easier to pocket, but thanks to its aluminium shell it feels as reassuringly tough as bigger e-readers. The touch-screen interface is also very slick – its only problem is that it’s more expensive than the Kindle and doesn’t have built-in 3G data connectivity.
3. iRiver Story WiFi Edition – iRiver has teamed up with WH Smith’s online bookstore, enabling owners of the Story WiFi to download books directly to the device instead of having to put up with the rigmarole of purchasing e-books on your PC and transferring them to your device. It has a similar format to the Kindle, with a 6in E Ink screen, a spacious QWERTY keyboard directly below it and large back and forward keys on each side of the case. However, with the Kindle’s flexibility and range of e-books on offer, you’d have to really want to use WH Smith’s online bookstore to opt for the Story WiFi Edition over the Kindle.
4. Bookeen Cybook Opus – Like the Sony Reader PRS-350, Bookeen’s Cybook Opus is similar in size to a standard paperback. It measures a svelte 108 x 10 x 151mm and weighs a feather-like 150g, making it quite a bit lighter than the Sony but it too is equipped with a 5in screen. What’s more, the Opus has a built-in accelerometer that automatically rotates the page whenever you change the orientation of the reader. Sadly, it’s not integrated with any of the major online bookstores, which means more effort is required to get e-books onto the device.
5. Apple iPad 2 16GB WiFi – Although the iPad 2 isn’t strictly an e-book reader, Apple’s excellent iBooks store does give the iPad an extra dimension and, despite having a backlit screen, it’s actually a very good e-reader. The display does mean it’s less suited to being used outdoors in direct sunlight – an area where all e-book readers excel – and with a 9.7in diagonal, it’s also much bigger than most e-readers.
The iPad’s versatility means that it’s not only good for reading novels, but also picture heavy text books, photo books, comics and graphic novels – something that other e-readers can’t boast. With that said, it’s much heavier, its battery won’t last anywhere near as long as an e-reader’s and it’s much more expensive – but it can also be used for much more than just reading e-books.