How long does an ereader last

Some brands like Kindles and Kobos have been using the same processors for 5 years. Yet there are quite a few people still using the Kindle Keyboard and it dates back to A typical ereader user might buy a new model every years or so. Some visitors on this blog probably upgrade more frequently, being avid readers and ereader enthusiasts, but I bet the average users waits several years between upgrades.

How long does the typical ebook reader upgrade cycle last? I purchased a Nook Simple Touch for my mother-in-law and niece several years ago. I only this Christmas upgraded to a Kobo Aura One. Even then I was going back and forth between it and the new Nook GlowLight 3.

The only thing that tipped the scales for the Kobo are the additional formats that are supported on it versus the Nook. Regardless of which device I would have gone with I intent to stick with it until it gives up the ghost.

I see little to no reason to be on an upgrade treadmill with an eReader. Adding Audible support to a reader? No thanks. Manufactures need to stop adding features and look to just making things damn simple and easy to use. I use all my electronics, including e-readers, until they physically break, or until the software has been unsupported and lacking updates in so long that the device becomes non-functional. Has anyone tried the Audible Romance Package?

I love it. Will the next Kindle have speakers? Kobo, and in general all ebook manufacturers, gives me very little reason to upgrade. So why should I? I have been looking for an e-ink based tablet to use as my primary device — for reading, email and browsing. Just give me a good spec-ed device, preferably Android based, that I can do reading on including zoom and scroll without 10 second lag on pdfs , do email, browse internet, read news and articles.

I have come to believe that ebook manufacturers, except Amazon, are not interested to have repeat customers. The look and feel? I generally start looking seriously when the page-turn buttons on the old reader are showing obvious degradation due to wear and tear, and it probably gets to years before I actually buy a new one.

Sony PRS T1. Gets a little buggy but I know them bugs and work around them. Bought for the wifi but that seems to have gone away. I use a cord now. Everyone in my family my father, my wife, my three kids and myself have a Kindle Paperwhite. Two of my kids have a Kindle Fire. It is much more convenient and actually more realistic to flip the button with my thumb to turn page.

I agree with you Daniel. And I found a Youtube video that showed how to replace the battery in a Touch or Kindle Keyboard model. I can read my Touch for hours with no strain. My Kobo Glo is 5 years old and I have no plans to replace it at the moment. It does everything I need.

And I still use a Nokia cellphone…. One issue with the slow upgrades of the ereaader industry is that ereaders are still a niche market. Tablets are easy to find. I just use mine until they break.

The only changes over that time that I feel have been of significance are: — usable backlighting — waterproof — direct OverDrive eBook loans. My daughter bought me my first Kindle Fire in , and my brother, a Nook Color at the same time. Since then I have bought 3 more Fires. Even our intro devices have front-lights and touch screens — table stakes, we think. And devices sold at cut rates often end up being purchased as gifts for reluctant eBook reader.

One of the driving factors to upgrade an e-reader inevitably comes to the internal battery. The typical estimated life of a Lithium-Ion battery is about two to three years or to charge cycles, whichever occurs first.

One charge cycle is a period of use from fully charged, to fully discharged, and fully recharged again. E-Readers tend to only need a full charge cycle every few weeks if you are a serious reader and once a month for casuals. Although, batteries in e-readers tend to degrade over time, which is why it is not wise to buy an older Sony e-reader from EBAY.

The Oasis is Amazon's most expensive device. When you use the oasis, however, you can see that it is packed with both unique features as well as tremendous build quality. The Kindle Oasis is definitely a premium e-reader and unlike the Voyage, you can tell why.

While most of the features that set the Oasis apart are not really essential to the everyday reader, it will still appeal to a decently sized premium seeking audience. Kobo, owned by Rakuten , is a line of e-ink e-readers that competes with Amazon for comfortable reading experience and battery life. Similar to Amazon, they have their own store and cloud reading experience that syncs your ebooks across devices. Kobo has one feature that Kindle doesn't have and that's the ability to natively read epub files, which is the common open source book file.

This means that with Kobo devices you can load your own books and aren't tethered to an online bookstore. While Kobo produces a wide selection of e-readers, they are all incredibly similar so we narrowed it down to what we think of as the three best readers. With no advertisements, higher ppi and backlighting, there are a few reasons that someone might spring for an Aura over a Kindle.

The Aura has few flaws for the price and is definitely a great mid-range device, with similar features to the Voyage at a lower price, this is something to look at if the Voyage was something that you were considering. The Clara HD is Kobo's more premium mid-range device.

With a few improvements on the Aura, it packs a punch. The Aura H2o, as its name suggests, is Kobo's mid-range, water-resistant e-reader. It's a little pricier than the Clara but the IPX8 water resistance puts it up against the Oasis in terms of functionalityT.

If you need water resistance and there's nothing that pushes you over the edge with the Oasis, this is pretty much the best e-reader that money can buy. If you don't need water resistance, you can save quite a bit with the Clara, as other than water resistance, they're basically the same device.

Amazon and Kobo, however, pump out some quality devices and offer a range of devices for readers of all kinds. If you aren't tethered to the Kindle store or require a dedicated device for audiobooks, we highly recommend Kobo's Clara HD. It has the same ppi found in most Kindle devices. It's 8GB of storage, coupled with its support for most ebook formats, as well as image formats, makes it the most versatile e-reader in the lineup.

For less than the cost of the Voyage, you get a better device with more storage and that's valuable. If you are tethered to the Kindle store we recommend the Paperwhite. It's inexpensive and has most of the same features that its high alternatives have. It's also great as an inexpensive gift as it is well supported and anyone can use it easily.

While the Clara is our favorite, almost all of these devices perform very well in day to day use. What do you think? Are you a fan of Kindle or do you own a Kobo device? Which do you prefer? Did you know that there were water resistant e-readers? If you have any answers to these questions we'd love to hear from you in the comments. E-Readers Smart Home.

August 24, Quick Navigation Amazon E-Readers. Aura Edition 2. Amazon E-Readers. Pros: Audible : In today's busy society, more and more people are switching to audiobooks, or at least including them in their rotation.

Thankfully Amazon's cheapest tablet includes Kindle support via Bluetooth. This feature is a mixed bag. While on the one hand, support for audiobooks is nice to have, on the other hand, you have to own a Bluetooth headset. This is kind of a bummer because you not only have to keep track of a Bluetooth headset, but you also have to keep it charged. This almost entirely defeats the weeks of battery offered by the Kindle.

Bluetooth: Bluetooth itself is a pro. For those who already own a Bluetooth headset and include it in their daily carry, it's a great feature. You will be able to take advantage of audible books without sacrificing the battery life of your smartphone. Battery: Kindle offers up to 6 weeks of battery! For those who frequently pull out their smartphone to read a book, this offers an alternative. You can conserve your smartphone battery for other tasks and you will have a much easier time reading on a bigger screen with a display that is designed to come close to the experience of reading an actual book.

Small form factor: If you are adding an extra device to your bag, it's nice if it's relatively small. At just over 6", you won't notice too much added weight and it won't take up much space. The device is also pretty easy to hold in one hand without making your arm tired. This is especially handy if you read in the morning while you eat or hold coffee or another drink.

Durable: The Kindle's al plastic design makes it a pretty durable device. If you plan to let children use it the durability means that you can leave it with them without much worry that it will break. Its inexpensive price tag means that it's accessible to pretty much everyone. This isn't great in every case though because with a low cost comes some cut corners.

While it's all around a solid device, there are some cons. Cons: Plastic screen: One of the things that Amazon did to keep costs low on the Kindle was include a plastic display. This display accomplishes most of the same functions that any other Kindle device can but at the cost of sharpness, which if you have bad eyesight like I do, forces you to look at the more expensive Kindle devices for sharper text and a better overall reading experience.

No Backlight: Many people read at night, or in less than optimal lighting conditions. This makes a backlight an almost essential feature. Unfortunately, the Kindle omitted it with their entry e-reader.

The lack of backlight means that if you plan on reading at night, you will need an alternate source of light, like a lamp or a reading light attachment. In my opinion, the fewer accessories that you have to carry around, the better. So this is a definite con.