Consumer Reports has published the report and ratings of e-book readers in its July issue and on www.ConsumerReports.org. The Amazon Kindle e-book reader has topped Consumer Reports first full ratings of these devices. Despite improvement to the rival Barnes & Noble Nook e-book reader and the arrival of Apple's iPad tablet computer, which offers e-reader capability, Kindle is still rated the best choice for most consumers, the report notes.
Consumer Reports testers recently put nine e-book readers through comprehensive lab tests. Kindle and its super-sized sibling, the Kindle DX, had crisper, more readable type than any other model in the ratings, it was found. It was also rated slightly better than the iPad, whose e-reading capabilities were assessed but excluded from the ratings because it is a computer with e-book capabilities, not a dedicated e-book reader. The iPad's iBook app, one of at least three available for the device, was seen to offer fast page turns, with a virtual image one page curling back to reveal another, and the full-color screen was found to be more eye-catching than the monochrome displays on the e-book readers, the report says.
The Kindles were found to be among the fastest at refreshing and turning pages. For most users, the lower-priced Kindle is a better choice than the DX because of its lighter weight and smaller size, unless extra real estate is needed for reading content such as e-textbooks.
Two e-readers from Sony - the Daily Edition PRS900BC and the Touch Edition PRS600SC - were found to be solid performers in Consumer Reports lab tests and noted for their versatility, including their ability to be used as digital notepads for text or drawings. However, the Daily Edition is seen to be expensive and heavy. The Touch Edition is among the rated models that do not feature unlimited, free, 3G wireless data network access which means consumers cannot download books whenever and wherever they want. Consumer Reports recommends buying the iPad for e-books only if consumers are willing to compromise to get a multifunction device.
Consumer Reports found that Barnes & Noble's Nook is among the faster models at turning pages, but its type was not quite as crisp as the Kindle's and it weighs more even though both models have the same 6-inch screen size. Navigating content on the Nook was more complicated and touch controls were non-intuitive, the report noted. Consumer Reports also tested e-readers from three lesser-known brands - the Laureate Libra e-Book Reader Pro, the BeBook Neo and the iRex DR 800SG - and found that all were undistinguished at best.
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