What eBook reader is recommended for renting college textbooks?

I'll be entering college next month and I've been hearing it's more affordable to get your textbooks electronically rather than getting the physical books themselves. From the Nook, iPad, Kindle, or whatever other eBook readers there are, what would you recommend the most?|||Hi, Meg Ryan, neither Nook nor Kindle handles eTextbooks well however Barnes and Noble has something for a regular PC or MAC including a laptop or a desktop. An eTextbook is a digital, downloadable, version of a physical textbook. It can be read on your PC and Mac with B%26amp;N's free NOOKstudy application. An eTextbook will look exactly like the physical version so you will see the same graphs, charts, drawings etc. The best part is that you can read your eTextbook anywhere that you bring your computer without needing the internet! And, you have the option to purchase or rent it depending on your needs.


In terms of Nook vs. Kindle for everything else, current e-Ink Nook is much better than current e-ink Kindle as Nook has the latest generation touch screen display, no page turn lag, it weights less, and its battery lasts twice as long, and it doesn't blink on each page turn. Having that out of the way, you should then decide which screen you want: e-Ink or LCD. It depends on what you're reading. If just black %26amp; white novels then the better one would be e-Ink Nook from Barnes %26amp; Noble. If you read electronic magazines or college text books with a lot of color graphs and charts or children鈥檚' books with a lot of pictures then the better would be Nook Color LCD from Barnes %26amp; Noble. Whichever device you choose, here's the advantages of the Nook鈥檚 (both e-Ink black %26amp; white and Nook Color) over Kindle:


- Any Barnes %26amp; Noble store provides free Wi-Fi to Nook's and when you walk in with the Nook to B%26amp;N store, you鈥檙e allowed to read any available eBook for free while in the store via free provided in the store Wi-Fi. With Nook, while in BN store you get exclusive articles from top authors, and great offers including cafe treats and unique deals.


- Nook allows to lend Nook books for two weeks to friends and family or share with your other devices that run B%26amp;N app (PC, MAC, Android phones, Apple iPhone, iPod and iPad, etc.)


- Nook (unlike Kindle) can be used for library ebooks.


Kindle only supports eBooks in its proprietary AZW format. Nook, on the other hand, supports both DRM-protected and DRM-free ebooks in ePub format thus it supports ebooks from B%26amp;N store, from any other DRM-free source on the web, and from public libraries.|||I would totally go with a Kindle. Amazon just launched their college textbook rental service.


Amazon has the best selection and features in my opinion.. and is growing faster than anyone else in the ebook market.





You can compare the different kindle models and get a good deal on a kindle 3 here:


http://www.syncpedia.com/goto/kindle_sto鈥?/a>





I would totally recommend a 3g kindle. You can get one for just $30 more these days then the basic wifi model, and it allows you to use the web browser free anywhere vs just wifi hotspots.


I use mine to read blogs/news/facebook/email etc.





I purchased the 3g kindle before the special offer version was released but if I was doing it again I would opt for this one:


http://www.syncpedia.com/goto/kindle_3g_鈥?/a>





That model gives you the full 3g kindle for less, since it has minor ads in non critical areas.


From what I understand the ads are easy to ignore though since they are not on any main content.





Anyways good luck!|||PLEASE do NOT go this route. People think they are so smart and cost effective doing this. PROFS WILL NOT allow them during open book tests and many HATE electronics in their classes. I've seen it happen and it WILL happen. I had to get special permission through my major's dept to take notes on my iPod touch. Swallow your pride and fork out the cash for a book. You can rent a book from book stores and sites now.|||Kindle by far!|||A laptop combined with software ereader applications may work out best overall if you'll be wanting to use your new device for writing notes and papers. See "Smartphone vs Ereader vs Tablet vs Laptop"

http://www.howtodecide.com/portable-comp鈥?/a>



If you're set on getting an ereader, it'd be prudent to wait until you know your book requirements as there is no clear consensus regarding which ereaders are better for college right now. Those who force the decision too early often end up with the best ereader for PDF http://www.howtodecide.com/ereader/#~tf.鈥?/a> to be safe, yet PDFs are non-ideal for ereaders. I'd wait to see what books I need if I were you before deciding which ereader to buy.



Some general ereader advice apart from textbook availability...



Kindle 3:

Pros:

+ E Ink display is great for long-run reading -- like reading from a book.

+ E Ink Pearl display provides 50% better contrast than E Ink Vizplex found in regular Nook.

+ 4G internal memory

Cons:

- web browsing, apps, and games are much worse than with a Nook Color.

- no SD expansion



Nook Touch: Same pros and cons as Kindle, plus:

Pros:

+ touch screen

+ EPUB/library support now; Kindles updated later this year

+ SD expansion

Cons:

- no 3G

- 2G internal memory



Kobo Touch: Same pros and cons as Nook Touch, plus:

Pros:

+ international bookstore

Cons:

- only 1G internal memory

- Partnership with out-of-business Borders



Sony Readers: Same pros and cons as Nook Touch, plus:

Pros:

+ better PDF support

Cons:

- expensive

- no wireless except on most expensive model (PRS-950)

- largest screen 7" (compared to 9.7" on Kindle DX)



Nook Color:

Pros:

+ better web browsing, apps, and games

Cons:

- long-run reading experience is poor compared to E Ink readers -- like reading from a computer monitor



iPad:

Pros:

+ best browsing, apps, and games

+ best PDF viewing

Cons:

- expensive

- heavy

- long-run reading experience is poor compared to E Ink readers -- like reading from a computer monitor



Nook First Edition:

Pros: None, unless you catch a great close-out sale or like the gimmicky mini color LCD panel used to show book covers

Cons:

- E Ink Vizplex display is older technology than E Ink Pearl found on Kindle 3s

- Web browsing, apps, and games are worse than Nook Color and Kindle 3

.