I was planning to buy one for my sister for Christmas. I'll admit i'm not

really that knowledgeable about them. I understand the Kindle is the hottest

one on the market and it has Wi Fi. I saw a cheaper brand without Wi Fi.

I was wondering the e readers without Wi Fi how would you download

books. Do you connect to the internet with the USB cord and go to an

e book store's website and download? Any help would be appreciated in

helping me understand how you download the e books without Wi Fi.

phunkdaddy said:

I was planning to buy one for my sister for Christmas. I'll admit i'm not

really that knowledgeable about them. I understand the Kindle is the hottest

one on the market and it has Wi Fi. I saw a cheaper brand without Wi Fi.

I was wondering the e readers without Wi Fi how would you download

books. Do you connect to the internet with the USB cord and go to an

e book store's website and download? Any help would be appreciated in

helping me understand how you download the e books without Wi Fi.

I'm pretty sure they all have WiFi because, as you say - how would you download books without it?

What they don't all have is 3G.

You really have to ask yourself how your sister wants to use this. First, what is she going to read? If she just wants to read books, a e-paper reader (Nook 1st edition or Touch, or Kindle) will do fine. If she wants to get magazines, too, something backlit that enables color (Nook Color, Kindle Fire) might be better.

Next, where is she going to read? If she wants to be able to read indoors and out, an e-paper reader is the better choice. (Backlit screens don't work very well outdoors.) But...unless she has a dedicated reading area with a lamp, she may need a clip-on reader light. (The e-paper readers are just like a book - the screens are not backlit.) If she will be reading only indoors and doesn't want to worry about lighting, a backlit, tablet-style model might be a better bet.

And then, of course, there's the whole question of what other stuff she might want to do - surf the web, get her email, etc. If a reader/tablet hybrid is what you're after, something like the Kindle Fire or Nook Color or Nook Tablet is the thing.

I spent a good three months earlier this year deciding which to get. I ultimately went with the Nook 1st edition, because I just wanted to read books - I didn't want a tablet.

It may be tough to surprise someone with an e-reader gift because there are so many questions to answer. Maybe a gift certificate toward the purchase?

[Edited 11/28/11 8:31am]

Yes, I think they all have wi-fi

So even if you don't have wi-fi at home, you can always go to Starbucks or the library and download a book.

Also, yes, if you have internet on the computer that is not wi-fi, you can download to your computer and connect the Kindle with a cord.

Thanks guys. I actually researched a few on Youtube too to see how they

work.

I love my Kindle Fire. I think there are anti-glare accessories you can get for color e-readers. I don't know how well they work as I've never tried them but it's something to think about.

JuliePurplehead said:

I love my Kindle Fire. I think there are anti-glare accessories you can get for color e-readers. I don't know how well they work as I've never tried them but it's something to think about.

Anti-glare doesn't help if you want to use it outdoors. And if your sunglasses are polarized? Forget about it.

Genesia said:

JuliePurplehead said:

I love my Kindle Fire. I think there are anti-glare accessories you can get for color e-readers. I don't know how well they work as I've never tried them but it's something to think about.

Anti-glare doesn't help if you want to use it outdoors. And if your sunglasses are polarized? Forget about it.

Good to know

Genesia said:

JuliePurplehead said:

I love my Kindle Fire. I think there are anti-glare accessories you can get for color e-readers. I don't know how well they work as I've never tried them but it's something to think about.

Anti-glare doesn't help if you want to use it outdoors. And if your sunglasses are polarized? Forget about it.

yeah the polarized thing is weird, if I put on my glasses and look at the computer it's totally black, but tilt my head slightly and I can see it fine.

The computer companies should figure out some way to angle the light so it isn't affected by polarized lenses.

NDRU said:

Genesia said:

Anti-glare doesn't help if you want to use it outdoors. And if your sunglasses are polarized? Forget about it.

yeah the polarized thing is weird, if I put on my glasses and look at the computer it's totally black, but tilt my head slightly and I can see it fine.

The computer companies should figure out some way to angle the light so it isn't affected by polarized lenses.

That is the #1 reason I went with a non-backlit reader. I wanted to be able to read by the pool on vacation. And I can't read outdoors without sunglasses - my eyes are just too photosensitive.

Genesia said:

NDRU said:

yeah the polarized thing is weird, if I put on my glasses and look at the computer it's totally black, but tilt my head slightly and I can see it fine.

The computer companies should figure out some way to angle the light so it isn't affected by polarized lenses.

That is the #1 reason I went with a non-backlit reader. I wanted to be able to read by the pool on vacation. And I can't read outdoors without sunglasses - my eyes are just too photosensitive.

You are the Ereader specialist of the org.

As soon as I get rich and get one for myself, I'll orgnote you for advice.

dJJ said:

Genesia said:

That is the #1 reason I went with a non-backlit reader. I wanted to be able to read by the pool on vacation. And I can't read outdoors without sunglasses - my eyes are just too photosensitive.

You are the Ereader specialist of the org.

As soon as I get rich and get one for myself, I'll orgnote you for advice.

They're really not that expensive. (Another reason I went with a non-backlit model.) I bought a 1st Edition Nook on eBay (brand new from Barnes & Noble) for $89 with free shipping.