[BEARCAT]

I am thinking of getting hubby an e-reader for his birthday. This will be solely for reading as he already has an iPhone, laptop, etc.
I have a Kindle Fire that I really like, and do like the backlit screen, however, it is very difficult to read outside in the sun.
If I get something that is not backlit, do I have to also order a light for night reading?
Which do you prefer?

[Murphy's Mom]

I've got an old Sony eReader (plain old b&W) that I always had to use a "booklight" with to read indoors. It was a PITA. Then I got a Nook Color. Love it! Of course, I read 90% of the time indoors.

[equi-librium]

i love my kindle fire.. lol. that'd get my vote.

[BEARCAT]

I am seeing that the Nook Simple touch is getting much better reviews that a regular Kindle (Fire would be overkill so I'm not looking at those.) It is also a bit cheaper. I might go that route...

[Simkie]

For ONLY reading books? Then a real, actual eReader, NOT a tablet. An eReader has much better battery life and better resolution on the screen. You can get the Nook Glowlight or the Kindle Paperwhite if he's going to be reading in the dark. They're not backlit and can easily be read in full sun--you just get the added bonus of being able to read in the dark, too.

[equi-librium]

i love my kindle fire.. lol. that'd get my vote.

[Event4Life]

Another KF vote. I could go on and on about mine - LOVE it. I actually regularly read outside in bright sunshine when we were on vacation last week. As long as you adjust the brightness appropriately its fine.

If I was getting a regular ereader I'd get the kindle paperwhite. I also have a kindle touch which I like and find a lot more user friendly than the nook. Even my grandmother owns a kindle and uses it without assistance.

[alabama]

I have a Kindle Fire HD and a Kindle II, which is closest to the Kindle Keyboard now, I guess. I like both. My Kindle II isn't back lit so no reading in the dark but it's great if you don't mind that. Plus, you can buy one of those little lights for them if you do want to read in the dark.

[Natalie]

Go for the new Kindle paperwhite. I have a touch and would upgrade if I didn't have a sneaking suspicion that Amazon will simply come out with another "new" model in under a year. It's pretty cheap, lightweight, easy to use, and the battery life is spectacular--I charge mine about once a month with near-daily use, and I believe the paperwhite is even better in that regard.

[LexInVA]

I'm 99.92543234237% certain that Amazon is going to introduce a new Kindle model in a week or so.

[BEARCAT]

Already have a kindle fire. I am now looking for something just for books

[Canaqua]

For reading ONLY, I prefer something that is not backlit. I have two "things", an older, not backlit, Kindle and an iPad. I read on the Kindle and watch movies, surf the web, fool around with apps... on the iPad. Yeah, I need a booklight with the old Kindle to read in the dark, but I can read much longer on it without my eyes getting tired, the battery lasts much longer than the iPad's and I can read it in bright sunlight without trouble, NOT so with the backlit iPad. Plus, that simple "next page" button on the old Kindle is much easier for reading pages and pages at a time than messing with the touch screen on the iPad.

[Event4Life]

Already have a kindle fire. I am now looking for something just for books

haha clearly I need to read for comprehension, sorry.

In that case, I'd probably still go for the kindle paperwhite if I were you. I really wish the 2nd gen Nook had worked in the UK because otherwise I would've stuck with Nook. Unfortunately I had to go to Amazon for something that worked in the UK/Europe/Africa. I keep debating about going back to the Nook, but now all my content is on Amazon. Maybe you're more organized than I am, but I'd find it irritating having devices from 2 different stores and not being able to sync between the 2.

I say unfortunately because I'd really like to support barnes and noble. With borders gone its the only major bookstore in the US left, and that scares me because I love bookstores. I do buy all my print books from barnes and noble, which makes me feel better.

[IveGotRhythm]

A huge amount of my reading is done while sitting through baseball or soccer practice/games or at the pool. No way would I choose a backlit screen. My Kindle Touch is perfect for me.

[Couture TB]

Almost all of the readers/tablets have a spot where you can adjust the backlight. I put mine onto as dim as it goes when reading outside. I must say I love my Nook Color, but the new Google Nexus that DH got me is great in that it does Kindle and Nook books.

[RiddleMeThis]

Easily the Paperwhite. Amazon by far has the best customer service, and the best device IMO.

[gothedistance]

I've had my Nook tablet (now rooted as an Android tablet) for over a year. LOVE IT. Had the Nook Color which I gave to DS who rooted it to create a full Android tablet which he has synced to just about everything. Hubby has the Gen 1 Kindle (which he loves)...plus I gave him my Gen 1 iPad 3G for web surfing and email (which the Kindle doesn't do, but my Nook does beautifully).

Having the capability to use/read my Nook in the dark without additional lighting is fabulous. The screen resolution is perfect for long hours of reading, and the contrast/lighting controls are wonderful for adjusting to all types of environments.

I rooted my Nook because I wanted extended control over my personal library - via Calibre - plus I wanted the Kindle app on it to read DH library - and also to use different reader software with different options. However, the Nook as it stands is a fabulous ereader, and B&N (being a brick and mortar entity) has weekly free classes to all Nook owners...PLUS...you can go instore for all your Nook questions and needs.

[carp]

I prefer no backlight in e-readers. I'm a night owl by nature. I find that looking at a brightly lit screen at night tends make it even harder for me to wind down and go to sleep. Then I'm useless the next morning.