TECH GADGET SPECIAL...E-READERS

From iPad mini to Nexus 7, which are the best e-readers?

iPad mini, Apple Price: 21,900. Likely launch next week Apple’s compact tablet is powerful, beautifully designed and comes with access to the largest range of tablet-specific apps of any operating system. It is also more expensive than its rivals. As with the other tablets, there are films, television and music available and, like the Nexus 7, a range of bookshops. You can shop at Apple’s iBookstore, or you can install apps from Kindle or Kobo. As with most Apple products, it’s a delight to use but it’s a premium product. Nexus 7, Google Price: Rs19,999. Available now Google’s 7-inch tablet computer offers the range of content you would expect with films, television, music and books all available from the Google Play store. There are even Kindle and Kobo apps, if you want to read books from those stores. The Nexus 7 has the added flexibility of the Android operating system, which means many of the tablet’s features can be customised. Again, the battery life won’t match an e-reader, but this is a versatile gadget. Kindle Fire HD, Amazon Price: Around `13,000 Availability unclear At just `5,000 more than the Paperwhite, the Kindle Fire HD is a tempting buy. It’s a 7inch tablet computer, which means you can do more with it than just read e-books. You can download films, television shows and music, as well as applications and games. It can browse the web, too, and, thanks to its front-facing camera, you can use it to make Skype calls. The downside of a tablet is battery life. The Kindle Fire HD offers 11 hours, which is decent, but e-reader battery life is measured in weeks. This is a good buy if you want flexibility, however. Kobo Mini, Kobo Price: Around `5,000 Availability unclear While Kobo’s full-sized e-reader, the front-lit Glo (£99.99), feels like a budget take on Amazon’s Kindle, with the Mini the company is offering something distinct. The screen doesn’t quite match the quality of a Kindle and it has a strange texture for a touch-screen but it’s the size that’s the selling point here. The Mini has a 5in screen – not that much smaller than the Glo but it feels more compact and sits nicely in the hand. Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon Price: Around `13,000 Not available in India The new top-of-the-range Kindle, the Paperwhite, remains the e-reader to beat. The screen is front-lit so that you can read in low light. When reading in a well-lit room, the light makes the screen appear whiter so it is more like reading on paper. The design is lovely too, with a touch-screen so buttons can be kept to a minimum. It’s perhaps a little heavy and less versatile than a tablet but, if you want an e-reader, this remains the best on the market. Nook Simple Touch, Barnes and Noble Price: Around `7,000 Not available in India The good thing about the Nook is that Barnes and Noble have clearly aimed for a design that is different from the competition. This is an e-reader with heavily rounded corners, a strange indent on the back and relatively large margins round the sides. The result is, unfortunately, horrible. Design is a subjective thing but I didn’t warm to the Nook no matter how much time I spent with it. It doesn’t help that the GlowLight – the Nook’s front-lit screen – is much more obtrusive than Amazon’s version. The Nook has its fans but I’m not among them.  Shane RichmondDaily TelegraphDNA121127