Nook has a new reader out...it's wider.

Here is a link that might be useful: nook reader

A Kindle will read a PDF document, and you can even change your view from portrait to landscape. I have several knitting patterns in PDF on my Kindle. You can either e-mail the PDFs to your Kindle, or you can transfer them from your PC to your Kindle using the USB cord that came with it (the same cord you use to charge the Kindle, only without the removable electrical plug at the end with the regular USB connector that goes into the PC). I wouldn't think you could put a PDF into the "Kindle for PC" application because you should be able to read/view PDFs on your PC already.

Lindsey, we don't have a kindle yet. I have the app on my Iphone, and was hoping that I could put them on the kindle for pc and sinc that to my phone. Of course, that won't work for DH with his music, because he'd never be able to read it that small, which is why I was asking. Is it really easy? I was sort of thinking for Father's Day. Maybe for Christmas if not now. (I want one, too! But he already told me no cause I can use the phone :(, but that was a few months ago!)

Yes, it is very easy to transfer PDFs to a Kindle from your computer.

The price of a Kindle with 3G and WiFi is $189. The price with just WiFi is $139. You can now buy either version for $25 less if you get one "with special offers." What this means is that when you are looking at the Home screen, there will be a bar across the bottom that may contain an advertisement, or it may contain a special offer. Also, when the screensaver comes on (I think it's after 15 minutes of inactivity), sometimes you'd get a regular Kindle screensaver page and sometimes you'd get a screensaver page that would be an ad or a special offer.

And, really, you don't spend much time at all on the Home page, and I rarely see a screensaver page because if I'm not going to be actively reading I turn my Kindle off, so if I were to buy one now I would give consideration to getting on of the "special offer" Kindles. But I'd still want the 3G model.

My husband bought my Kindle for me as a surprise gift, when the price was $259. Six weeks later Amazon dropped the price to $189! Oh, well... (Amazon will refund the difference if they drop the price within a month of purchase.)

Thanks. I think I have a coupon for Borders that I can use. He's working this weekend, so maybe I'll go looking.

You can only sync Kindle purchases between your Kindle eReader, Kindle for the PC, or Kindle for your phone. You can 'drag and drop' or email your .pdf documents to your Kindle eReader. I have yet to figure out how to do that with my Kindle for PC. But then again, if I have a .pdf document on my laptop, my Adobe reader opens it up.

can someone tell me what the difference is between the $139 and the $189 kindle? tia!!

One has Wifi, the other wifi + 3G. I don't see the point of 3G. Just download your books before you leave home. I never have the internet turned on my Kindle unless I'm downloading a book and it only takes less than a minute. It saves the battery life. (which lasts about a month between charges) If you're traveling out of the country, you can find a wifi hotspot to download books, or you can add to your collection before you leave the house.

Here's a link to the Kindle page and everything you can do with it. Also a chart at the bottom that gives details on the different Kindles available:

Here is a link that might be useful: Amazon Kindle

you do know that you do not have to go with just kindle most all ereaders will handle pdf format, some are better than others and have more options for reading pdf format. My PDN(pandigital novel) and my lookbook both will do pdf and are both very easy to put the files on, either put the files on an sd card and then put it into the reader or plug the cable into the reader and the pc and transfer it that way. I do not know off hand of any of the readers that do not handle pdf files. Many also have the rotation options too, my PDN does which may be helpful with some pdf files depending on how they are formatted.

thanks, for the info, ravencajun. the reason i asked is do you have to have the expensive one to buy and download books from amazon, or will the cheaper one allow you to do that? he will only be using it to read books. thanks, for your help!! :)

RC that's good to know! Where can you get the PDN? And how big is it? That's another thing I am wondering about. DH had lasik surgery in about 2000. Now he needs to go back to glasses and is having a very hard time getting a prescription that will work as the shape of his eyes keep changing. He goes again this week, and they will decide on a script that will work for both distance and close, but won't be perfect, as that will not be possible. And, no, the difference in scripts at each visit is not because he is diabetic, he isn't. I've been making him check his when I check mine, and he eats whatever in whatever amts he wants with no problem there! Which is a good thing. I don't know if the kindle will have a big enough screen for him.

On a Kindle (and as far as I know on the other e-readers, too), you can change the font size. On a Kindle, as you are selecting the various sizes, you can still see the reading screen and immediately see the difference in the font size -- so, when you get to the size you want, you just push the button to select it.

As far as the difference between WiFi and the 3G+WiFi --- with the WiFi only ($139 or $114 "with options") you must be in a WiFi hot spot in order to download books. It's easy for folks to forget that not everyone has WiFi in their homes; and although there are lots and lots of WiFi hot spots around, you're not always in one. With the 3G+WiFi model ($189 or $164 "with options") you can download virtually anywhere, including when you're in other countries.

IMO, if you're travelling outside the country with your Kindle, and you know you may not find a wifi hotspot (most if not all hotels have them), and you have a general idea of how many books you can read while on vacation, you can download them before you leave home. But that's just me. I just don't see the point of spending an extra $50 for something you may never use. Again... just me. :-)

I downloaded the Kobo (bought at Chapters here) to check out the difference in prices between our books and books from Amazon. I wanted L. A. Noire. It was not available to Canadians via Amazon. But I got it for free for the Kobo, but have to read it on my phone. (not sure if they have a pc app, never looked....).

Now I want a Kobo too, it has the touch screen. sigh....

I just bought the Kindle 3G+WiFi last week. I love being able to browse and download books without having to find a hot spot.

"With options" it was $139, same as the WiFi no option price.

DH has the 2nd generation Kindle. I find the ads on mine are actually more interesting than the author pics on his. The ads are very artsy. Unless you were aware you might not even notice they are ads. I've responded to a couple of ads already since most have been Amazon related and I've always been a big user of Amazon anyway.

We bought DH one for his birthday because he loved to read but it was becoming more difficult and tiring for him so he gave up reading for pleasure. Since he got his Kindle he has been reading up a storm again. He had 20/15 vision all his life so his aging eyes came as more of a shock to him. I on the other hand got to watch my nearsightedness improve with aging.

My DH bought me a Kindle for Christmas - I didn't especially want one, but now that I have it I'm really enjoying it. The fact that we can head to our vacation home and I'm not lugging 4 or 5 books with me is great.

However there are lots more on the market and I certainly can't tell you which is the best for your son.

So here's my question - I have the large Kindle DX with a 9.7" display - would the larger display be more helpful for what your son want to do? It's also way more expensive.

Mu daughter got a Kindle for Christmas. Not their latest and greatest, but she loves it. I am BUMMED after much debate about which one to get her, I see libraries are now offering free shared books, but the one reader that cannot accommodate this is the Kindle. It doesn't have a "pub port", or at least hers does not.:(

I'm curious about the 3G version of ebook readers. As I understand it, the 3G service is included at no extra charge, is that right? Well, what about now that ereaders and tablets are merging? Is 3G still included at no extra charge?

I use my iPhone as an e-reader. I download books from my library. :)

Apparently Amazon is planning on accommodating library books in the future. I'm not sure when it will available.

I posted this link on a separate thread but maybe I should have added it here too. This site reviews new products and updates to existing readers. It also has a handy chart which compares models.

Here is a link that might be useful: eBook reader reviews

In April Amazon announced that they will offer library books on Overdrive later this year.

When that is I don't know. This link was an update that was released in June.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overdrive

Chloecat, I do the same with my iPhone. I have all the apps, and am always on the prowl for free books. I've been reading on my cell phones for many years.

The only reason I'd buy a dedicated ereader is if it was a reasonable tablet PC as well. I desperately want an iPad, but can't justify the cost when it doesn't do anything that my iPhone and laptop don't do, other than give me larger type and a more portable format.

I read on my phone sometimes (at doctor's office, for example), but I prefer the Kindle or a book. It's nice to be able to read on the phone because it's so small and I have it with me anyway instead of dragging along the Kindle which I could drop or lose. The nice thing is that I can transfer whatever Kindle book I'm reading to my phone, and they sync.

My son wanted to gift me with an ipad, but I insisted that he not do it because for the exact reason you said, Joann--it doesn't do anything I cannot do now between the computer, iphone, and Kindle.

wow sorry I had never seen that I was asked a question and never answered it.
I bought my pandigital novel at bed bath and beyond they can be bought at many locations which are listed on their website including Radio Shack and Kohl's. Mine ran me right at $100 with their 20% off coupon and a rebate.
The one I have is the 7" white tablet. It is a full android tablet now with their latest update so you can access apps from the android market, you can surf, email, play your music, watch videos, youtube etc, pretty much everything you can do on a laptop. If you are familiar with any of the android phones it is very similar.

I thought if I was going to pay over a hundred dollars for something I wanted it to do as much as possible not just be an ereader which is why I went with this PDN. The ereader part is excellent also and since you can now use android apps you can use the kindle app to read kindle books and the nook app, lots of ereader apps are available so you can choose the one you like best gives you lots of flexibility.
It of course does have wifi connectivity which works great.

We have had several very long threads about the PDN and ereaders over on the computer help forum, you can search the topic there and find much more. There are a lot of people on GW that got Pandigitals too.

the lookbook reader I got at CVS pharmacy when they had them on for $49 it only does ereader functions and does color and have wifi and is linked with the kobo bookstore.
http://www.pandigital.net/

DH and I are enjoying our Kobo Lookbook e-readers. With Ravencajun's help, I figured out how to get them running. I've read two library books on mine already.

We were happy to pay $50 each for these to see how easy/difficult it was to program and use an e-reader. They are color, and may be passed on to grandkids when the 'next best thing' comes along.

Like others, I'm waiting for a less expensive tablet that can do *everything* I want -- perhaps with a keyboard attachment. There's been some speculation that the Chicago Tribune is considering the offer of a free tablet with an e-subscription. Bring It On! (Home delivery of a paper is such an outdated, expensive and non-green way to get print media. Same for magazines that are mailed.)

Wow! $50 each for the Kobo! Where did you find it for that price? I paid $99 for DH's and then he went and bought the 2 year warrenty thru Borders. Now that they are going out of business, who knows what that warrenty is worth.

He's not much of a reader, so he's not reading on it. He finally has most of his lyrics and chorditure converted to PDF and on the Kobo, and he says it does work, but it changes the way it looks, and is hard for him to read while playing.

Thanks RC, for replying.

the $50 lookbook that is linked to the kobo bookstore has been on sale for that price a few times now at CVS pharmacy.
I picked up 2 one for me one for hubby, this is his first one and he is now using it every day and loves it.
I use mine a lot too. Very good basic ereader for the price.