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Given many of the recent developments during the portable ebook reader landscape, I figured now is the best time to update the ‘handy-dandy eReader Buying Guide’. Here’s an index of items to consider when picking a brand new digital ebook reader.

Bear in mind when an eReader display virtually meant E Ink? Well, the arrival of the Ipad as being a viable eReading device has recently since changed that.

When picking an e-reader, ask yourself if you do not mind reading books with an Liquid crystal display screen or like the more paperlike look of something like E Ink. Each one has pros and cons. E Ink is likely to lower eye strain and significantly improve battery life. An LCD screen is capable of showing color and typically incorporates touchscreen capabilities also. Then you’ve got hybrid readers like the Barnes & Noble Nook and Spring Design Alex, which feature both an electronic LCD screen and a paper display all at once.

For electronic paper displays, make sure you compare screens because some have better contrast than others.

Fortunately, there are all sorts of options available with regards to size. Sony’s Reader Pocket, for one, actually fits perfectly my jeans pocket, however its 5-inch screen remains to be large enough for relaxed reading. It’s also pretty light-weight and is easy to take with you on the move. In the midst of the pack, you have got devices such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Spring Design Alex, and Sony Reader Touch and Reader Pocket. Then you’ve got the large devices, for example the Apple Ipad and Kindle Dx, which have screens that are about ten inches in length. Unless you’re a kangaroo, you ain’t fitting those inside your pocket anytime soon. But they’re very good if you value a screen with larger touch display.

Controls for eReading machines are typically depending on either buttons, touchscreens or a mixture of both. Button based controls require less power and are generally more accurate but may be more hard to use. Touchscreens are more intuitive but can be laggy, smudge-prone, and typically draw more juice from your battery.

Button based devices include Amazon’s Kindle 1, 2, 3 and DX models, plus Kobo’s eReader and Son’ys Reader Pocket. The Nook and iPad are nearly exclusively touch-based. The Sony Reader and Spring Design’s reader both use touch and button controls

According to whether you’ve planned to read primarily both at home and while travelling, your battery life is a crucial consideration. Basic eReaders without fancy features typically have longer battery life that’s calculated in “page turns.” Sony’s ereader sports 7500 page turns while the Kobo boasts up to 8000 page turns. Devices with WiFi and Web browsing alternatively, tend to have shorter battery life. Spring Design’s Alex, as an example, lasts pretty long between charges when primarily using it’s E Ink display but runs out of energy faster when watching videos or browsing on its Liquid crystal display screen.

Some devices – for example the Reader Pocket and Kobo Reader – are manufactured purely for reading purposes and skip on extra features, including music playback. The Nook, alternatively, plays tunes, has Web browsing, and even throws in a very nice touchscreen interface. The Alex also offers those traits plus video playback, and the ability to download Android applications. At the high end of the abilities spectrum is the Ipad, which is certainly just like a miniature computer.

This determines exactly how much media/data you could fit into your device at one time. The higher the memory, the greater number of eBooks and files you can fit in. High capacity is especially vital for multimedia eReaders that can also play music, video and apps. In addition to internal memory, some devices also come with a external slot with an SDcard, that enables anyone to typically raise your capacity as much as 32gb.

Depending on the device, an eReader can have immediate access to specific eBook stores, this means extra convenience, a wider selection, as well as the ability to easily find the latest best-sellers. The Kindle, as an example,, has immediate access to Amazon’s online bookstore while the Kobo and Nook get access to Barnes & Noble and Borders respectively. Devices that don’t have direct store access can easily still display compatible eBooks but you will need to download them from a Pc first.

Ultimately, this is often the most important factor when determining to buy an ebook reader. Considering that, your wallet pretty much dictates what you can or cannot afford. While some analysts and industry insiders declare that $99 is the magic price point for wide-range eReader acceptance, the marketplace hasn’t quite reached that period yet overall. But it is a lot better than it was, say, at the begining of 2010, when you had more ebook readers sporting prices past four hundred big ones.

You can pretty much get a good eReader from one hundred fifty to two hundred dollars, that also includes basic readers such as Reader Pocket and Kobo, a tweener exactly like the Kindle, and some more feature-filled devices including the Nook and Reader Touch. On the high end with prices of $300 and higher (sometimes a lot higher) are the Kindle Dx, Spring Design Alex, and Reader Daily.