While there are certainly a lot of e-reader devices out there, none hold a candle to the iPad. However, before settling down in a comfy chair with your iPad to do some reading, it’s important to choose the right e-book app. Here are some of the best ones out there:
iBooks (Free) — The appearance of iBooks is what sets it apart, with illusions of an actual bookcase holding your books and the look of actual book pages. While some other apps have similar aesthetic attributes, iBooks, to me, is the best in that regard. In terms of features iBooks offers, it includes: an iBookstore that enables you to purchase books and read free samples before buying, adjustable screen brightness and font for the easiest reading experience, automatic syncing feature between all devices you own so that everything is on the same page, the ability to highlight and add notes to the text, a page navigator, a function that speaks the words, and the ability to open, read, and store PDFs from email. In the App Store, iBooks is rated 3.5 stars, and while it is an overall good app, users have been frustrated with the amount of bugs in downloading books and some kinks when downloading and opening PDFs.
Borders eBooks (Free) — Borders eBooks is similar to iBooks except it has a few different features. In addition to the bookstore and free samples and customizable appearance of the pages, the Borders app includes ePubs, an “I’m Reading” list (visible as a shelf or as a list)for quick access, the ability to organize your library however you want and save bookmarks, and a table of contents. Two of the coolest features offered are “night reading,” which presents optimal settings for reading in the dark, and a “discover” option to see bestsellers, popular genres, and books that you might like. However, Borders does not have the syncing ability or highlight and note-taking features that other apps do. In the App Store, Borders eBooks has received 3 stars, and users said that there are a lot of bugs, the book search has some issues, but its bookstore provides a better selection of books than iBooks.
BN eReader (Free) — BN eReader brings the Barnes & Noble bookstore to your device. In addition to bookstore (with free samples), highlighting and note taking, adjustable appearance options and themes, bookcase versus list view, and search capabilities, the coolest features of this app are the ability to share ebooks with other friends who use BN ereader and the built-in dictionary with Google and Wikipedia lookup so that your reading experience is as transparent and informative as possible. In the App Store, users have rated BN eReader at 2.5 stars, citing issues like the inability to import books from places other than Barnes & Noble or purchase books within the app, but also praising the great, cheap books selection and awesome personalization options.
Kindle (Free) — Perhaps the most popular e-reader app out there, Amazon’s Kindle allows you to access a large selection of books that you can read on any device you own (i.e. computers, blackberries, etc.), and automatically syncs bookmarks and settings across all devices. Aside from the traditional features like bookmarking, highlighting, search capabilities, customizable reading preferences, free book samples, and a home library, Kindle has some interesting features. For example, since it links to Amazon, it also provides you with reviews, feedback, and recommendations from the website, and also allows you to see what sections are most commonly highlighted in the books you’re reading so that you can gauge what others thing are the best and most interesting passages. Furthermore, the Kindle has a page-turning animation which replicates turning the pages of a book. In the App Store, the Kindle has received 3 stars, and users say that some things, like side-by-side view, are lacking, and there are some bugs and interface issues.
Good Reader ($0.99) — Good Reader isn’t an e-reader app in the same sense as the previous apps, as it specializes in PDF and TXT files. The app allows you to transfer such files directly from your computer and read them on your device. This includes any books that you download, as long as they are in the proper format and on your computer. The app easily integreates with servers like MobileMe and includes a hyperlink feature so you can quickly jump around in each document as well as a text search option. Good Reader is rated 4 stars on the App Store, and users say they wish there was a way to annotate and mark documents, but the app is otherwise great.
This article was published by iphoneapplicationlist.com
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written by Duy Phong
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