Many book lovers enjoy the ‘feel’ and texture of reading a physical book. But they may not have room at home to store a lot of books and carrying books around with you everywhere or on your travels can be very inconvenient. That’s when you can consider investing in an e-reader! It’s compact, light and easy to carry around. And after all, the true joy of reading is the reading itself. With an e-reader you can enjoy reading from your entire library anywhere at any time. And for many older readers the text enlarging feature can often make an e-reader a better choice than an actual book. So why not check out the functions of the following e-readers and the things you need to consider before you buy one. Here is an overview and some recommendations.

e-Reader Types

1. LCD e-Reader

• Principle: The screen comes with its own light source.
• Features: These have a wide colour gamut and a fast page refresh for more vivid colours and smoother, animated page turning, your eyes can get tired easily if used for long periods of time; as it has its own light source, it consumes a lot of power during use.

2. E-Ink e-Reader

• Principle: This is composed of many electronic ink capsules that display white or black colours through positive and negative voltage.
• Features: The electronic screen relies on reflected light and offers a more natural reading experience – more like an actual book does not harm the eyes; only consumes power when the pages are turned so it is very energy efficient.

e-Reader Shopping Tips

1. Size

The smaller the size of the e-reader, the easier it is to carry around. The larger the size of the reader, the better the reading experience. But most readers allow you to enlarge the text. So choose an e-reader that is the right size for you.

2. Format

When buying an e-reader, it is important to pay attention to its format as it may only support books in a specific format.

3. Memory Storage

Some e-readers have limited internal memory storage that is only sufficient for storing multiple text-only e-books. Some models have memory card slots to expand storage capacity, allowing users to store more data. Most e-readers are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity so users can make use of cloud storage, making it easier for them to access many e-books without memory storage limitations.

4. Resources

Before buying an e-reader, check its resources. Many e-readers have their own bookstore and also manufacturers produce different types of books. For example, Amazon has more English e-books while Rakuten Kobo has more traditional Chinese e-books.

5. Read-aloud Function

Some e-readers are equipped with text-to-speech function but the reading is mechanical. However, there are many children's books with audio versions interpreted by real people with more friendly, realistic and emotional voices.

6. Resolution

To view image-based e-books such as comics, photo books, photography books etc., select an e-reader with a higher resolution so you can see the details more clearly.

7. Built-in Backlight

If you like to read e-books at night, it is best to choose an e-reader with a built-in backlight. The room is darker at night than during the day so without a built-in backlight, you may find it difficult to read the text.

8. Waterproof

Some people like to use e-readers in the toilet or in a bath. To prevent damage caused by moisture or splashes, there are many e-readers with strong waterproof features so there’s no need to worry about it not working or malfunctioning even when soaking in the bathtub.

e-Reader Comparison

1. Amazon

2. Rakuten Kobo

3. BOOX

4. Readmoo