Why you need to buy Kindle when you have an Android or an iPhone?

Jul 12, 2010 by Anurag Bansal    9 Comments    Posted under: Android, Apple, Apps & Software, Reviews, Web & Social

e-book trend started with Windows Mobile, but at that time there were very few who used to read them on mobile.  Then came iPhones and Android phones, which changed the entire culture.  Now almost all books you can get in e-book format and people love to read them on these phones.

Along the same time Amazon Kindle, Sony e-Reader Nook and other similar devices originated.  The purpose of Kindle and Nook is limited to books.  You can’t do anything else except reading books.  Though they cost $259 or so. Couple of years later came the Apple iPad which shook the Kindle market further.  Benefit of iPad – Not only you can read books using iBook app but you can also do almost everything you can do on a laptop.  Still there are so many reasons, you don’t even need to buy iPad and most of the Knowliz readers agree to it.  (Attached are the result of a poll which ran for over a month on this blog.):

Therefore, I came to a conclusion that -

If you own an Android phone or an iPhone, you don’t need to waste you money buying an iPad, Kindle or any other e-book reader unless you are a gadget freak who needs to own each and every gadget that comes to market.

Well, I think you understand what I am trying to say.  If not, then the following apps for Android (and iPhone) will make it pretty clear for you.

1. Amazon Kindle: Download this free Amazon Kindle app from Android Market that lets you read over 620,000 e-books right on your Android phone.  The app automatically synchronizes the last page you read on any device with Amazon using Amazon Whispersync technology.  You can also buy books online on Amazon.com and they will be synced to your Android phone next time you launch the app.  Why do you need Kindle now?
   
2. Borders (or Kobo): Borders has recently lauched an eBook store as well as eBook apps powered by Kobo.  Similar to Kindle app, you can buy books online using Borders.com and your books will be synced to your device so that you can read them on your Android or iPhone app.  Though there was already a Kobo ereader app in Android Marketplace.  Both Border and Kobo app are exactly the same, so it is more of a personal choice to use either one of them.
   
3. Aldiko: Before Kindle and Borders app came into Androit marketplace, Aldiko has been the most popular ebook app.  Aldiko provides you access to huge catalog of books (mostly free) or you can import your own ePub files.  If you just want to import some of your old ebooks to your Android phone, then Aldiko is the best option.
4. Nook (B&N) App for Android: Barnes & Nobles has finally jumped on to the Android Bandwagon.  They have just released Nook for Android which you can download and install from Android Market.  Download size for the app is 5+ MB but after installation, it consumes a whopping 17+ MB on your phone memory.  But the interface is really good and it provides more customization options than any other ebook app available so far.
   If you are not running tight on your phone memory with all the cool apps we have discussed so far on Knowliz, give Nook a try too. I have un-installed it for now because of the memory problem, but I will surely install it again, once they allow it to be installed on SD card.
   

And hey if you are an iPhone user, then we have previously covered along with 100 other apps for iPhone.  Check it out.

I am sure, you won’t have any shortage of books to read while waiting outside a physician office or while waiting for boarding on a flight. You have plenty of books to chose from. Surprisingly there is no B&N (Barnes & Nobles) app available yet in Android Marketplace, but I am confident that day is not far away too.  And I was right, Nook for Android from Barnes & Nobles is here.

If you like this post, then please consider subscribing to Knowliz and help me spread word about it by sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter, Digg etc.  Don’t forget to tell us your experience with these apps and which is your favorite app. Make sure to tell us if you are an iPhone or an Android user.

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