Which ereaders are compatible with libraries

Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Staff, Courtesy of Amazon. What to Consider Sure, you could download e-books to your phone or tablet, but e-readers feature anti-glare E Ink screens that are much easier on your eyes than those bright LCDs. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Highly Rated. Several color options Waterproof Bluetooth for audiobook connectivity. Costs more for non-ad version.

Great Value. Affordable price for features Adjustable blue light Most compatible with library e-books. Sensitive touchscreen. Most Premium. Buy a tablet All e-readers use electronic ink e-ink and a non-reflective display screen that simulates the appearance of a paper book.

E-readers don't require a backlight, unlike other electronic viewing devices, like laptops and tablets. This means less strain on the eyes after prolonged viewing and good readability even in direct sunlight. The e-ink display can keep an image or page of text on screen without using any power, until the screen is refreshed by turning to the next page.

This is especially useful for slow readers. The downside of an e-ink display is that like a paperback, you need an external light source like a bedside lamp or a book light in low-light conditions. However, most models now have front-lit screens that can be dimmed when not required. Most e-readers that don't have Kindle in the name use the ePub electronic publication file type. This is a standard format developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum and is one of the most commonly available file types.

Ebooks can be copyright-protected and in this case will often include a DRM digital rights management code that controls how digital media files can be used and shared. DRM protection is designed to control the unauthorised duplication and illegal distribution of copyrighted digital media.

This makes DRM-protected ebooks difficult to share on another ebook reader. An AC adapter can be used with a standard power point which is handy but most of us have a USB charger for our mobile which should be suitable for your e-reader. Whether you decide on a model that uses a touchscreen or buttons, or a combination of both, you need to be able to work your way through the story in an intuitive manner so there are no distractions to your reading enjoyment.

Hold the reader as if you were reading a book and see if the buttons are in the right place for you. You don't want to be fumbling for the control to turn to the next page and s pend some time going through the menus to see how easy it is to access the reader's advanced features.

There are several brands of ereaders on the market today, but availability is spotty. Neither are available in Australia. Two companies, though, have risen to own the ereader market globally — Amazon with its range of Kindle ereaders and Kobo.

We've divided this page into two sections to highlight the best both companies have to offer, then go on to compare the two to help you make your buying decision. If money is no object and you want the most luxurious reading experience a digital ebook reader can give you, then it doesn't get any better than the version of Amazon's Kindle Oasis.

While the older model can be found on Amazon, the new model is lighter than its predecessor, and its IPX8 waterproofing means it can easily handle an accidental dunk in the bath or the pool. The backlight can be adjusted from white to warmer yellow hues to reduce eye strain, and it can even be scheduled to become warmer at bedtime say, pm for example.

There's also the usual Kindle Oasis features we saw in the previous generation — a high-quality and large 7-inch display with E Ink technology that makes words on the page crisp and clear, and a 'ridge' on one side of the sleek-looking aluminum chassis that has been designed for easy and comfortable single-hand use. The buttons to turn pages are within easy reach of the thumb even if you have small mitts, and the device can be turned upside down for use with either hand, with the pages swapping automatically to suit.

WhisperSync support means you can stop reading on your Oasis and pick up reading where you left on the Kindle app, or another Kindle device, although this will require your devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network.

There's also plenty of storage space onboard, with 8GB being the starting point, but you can get a 32GB version of the Oasis if you've got or planning on having a large digital library.

The base model comes with Wi-Fi enabled, but there is an LTE option as well, which allows you to download ebooks from the Kindle Store no matter where you are. It's the ereader that comes with all the bells and whistles, if you can stomach the premium price. Read the full review: Amazon Kindle Oasis.

There was a time when Amazon had a Kindle called Voyage, but that has been discontinued. Instead, some of the features from the Voyage have been added to the Kindle Paperwhite, making it one of the best, affordable Kindles till date. The latest edition of the Paperwhite is thinner and lighter than the previous generation, and offers 8GB of storage on its base model — twice that on the predecessor.

Like the Oasis, though, you can opt for a 32GB flavor as well, in case you'd like to store a staggering number of ebooks on the device. And, like the Oasis, there are Wi-Fi and cellular models available too. The 6-inch screen is a gorgeous HD display with ppi pixel density that makes the words on the page appear sharp and clear, even in bright sunlight.

The built-in light can be adjusted from white to warmer hues to reduce eye strain, although you can't schedule the light to change for nighttime reading as you can with the Oasis. Compared to the Oasis' sleek, premium design, the Paperwhite's chassis is rather boring and feels plasticky in the hand, but it's remarkably functional, as long as you don't need to use it with a single hand. Thanks to its IPX8 waterproofing, you can safely relax in the bath or lounge by the pool with your favorite titles and not worry about it falling into the water.

Battery life doesn't seem to be as good as it was in the older version, but you'll still get days of use out of a single charge with the current model of the Paperwhite. Read the full review: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. These are unprecedented times and everyone is budget conscious at the moment. So if you'd like an ereader that won't burn a hole in your pocket, then Amazon's latest basic Kindle is for you.

It's an entry-level, no-frills device that comes with a backlight that has no blue light filter. The 6-inch display is glare-free but it's not the sharpest screen an entry-level Kobo called Nia has beaten Amazon on that regard — see below for more details.

That said, the screen is adequate for reading indoors, the battery will see you through a couple of weeks of reading and you'll get up to 8GB of storage.

The Kindle isn't waterproof, so you'll need to be careful if you're a poolside, beach or in-the-bath reader. Despite being a basic ereader, the latest iteration of the Kindle comes with Bluetooth support, so you can connect a set of wireless headphones and link your Audible account if you're keen on listening to audiobooks when you're unable to read. The user interface is basic but intuitive and makes reading digital books and magazines a breeze.

It's also slim and light, making it a highly portable library for all the titles you own. Read the full review: Amazon Kindle. While traditional tablet-like ereaders like the Kindle Paperwhite mentioned above and the Kobo Nia and Clara HD below are the most affordable ebook readers you can get, they're uncomfortable to use single-handed. And so the asymmetric design that the Kindle Oasis pioneered is becoming more popular, with Kobo introducing the Libra H2O in late as a more affordable option to both the Amazon counterpart as well as the bigger Kobo Forma.

But it's not just the Libra's relatively affordable price tag that makes it a compelling ereader alternative — it's also more durable than the expensive bigger brother listed below, and it boasts an improved user interface that offers a better reading experience than what you'd get on a Kindle. With a 7-inch screen compared to the Forma's 8 inches , it's smaller than its bigger brother, but that makes it more portable and it's a much faster device besides.

With the latest E Ink technology, the Libra H2O matches the Oasis in speed and responsiveness — whether you're just turning a page, selecting words for dictionary look-up or entering a Wi-FI password to set up the ereader. The Libra H2O debuted improvements to the user interface, like a new ebook navigator accessed by either swiping upward from the bottom or tapping in the centre of the screen.

You can even use the Libra to read in landscape mode if you prefer. We were already partial to Kobo's user interface and these changes have made it more streamlined than the cluttered UX of the Kindles.

Thanks to its hard plastic body, the Libra has a more premium and rugged look than the Forma. The page-turn buttons feel a lot more sturdy with good feedback, while the power button on the rear is easy to locate as it sits in a recess that's quite deep.

That said, the buttons on the Oasis are, by far, the best of the three. And while the Oasis' metal body gives it a very premium look and feel — and carries a price tag to match its status — the Libra's affordability and usability make it easy to recommend — especially in countries where OverDrive support means you can borrow ebooks from you local public library.

Read the full review: Kobo Libra H2O. Kobo's Clara HD ereader is more than capable of giving its direct competition — Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite — a run for its money. Priced cheaper than its Kindle counterpart, the Clara HD manages to outperform Amazon's most popular ereader in almost every area that matters.

Key among those is the screen. The Clara HD's 6-inch front-lit display matches the Kindle for sharpness both are ppi but integrates a blue-light filter which uses your timezone to automatically change screen brightness at night to reduce your exposure to sleep-disrupting blue light.

It fits that display into a compact body that's lighter than the Paperwhite, making it easier to slip into just about any bag. Cover art and text are rendered at a higher DPI dots per inch on the Clara HD than other older Kobo ereaders, making them appear significantly sharper in comparison.

The Clara HD also introduced a 'rapid page turn' engine that allows you to quickly move forward in an ebook by holding down the bottom left corner of the screen. The responsiveness of the E Ink screen is also much faster and more precise than we're used to seeing on either Kindle or Kobo ereaders, which makes things like text selection for dictionary look-up or highlighting and note-taking much less hit-and-miss than before.

It also has wireless OverDrive functionality, so you can browse and borrow from your local library's ebook collection directly on the device.

With battery life that lasts a few weeks, the Clara HD is a feature-packed device with a display that's the best-in-class for an ereader at this price point. Read the full review: Kobo Clara HD. Announced in July , the Nia is the latest ereader to join the Kobo ranks, and also the company's cheapest device. It's a no-frills ereader that offers direct competition to the basic Amazon Kindle.