Don't mean to hijack the OP's thread, but you all seem to know about these devices and I have paid no attention to them at all so far....

Here's my question: I may be starting a job that would require me to commute a hour or more on Metro or VRE. I was thinking that a device that allowed me to do my personal email/surfing would help me make use of the time. Would an ipad (or some other device) be capable of this kind of use? Can a person surf the internet on the metro? Do you buy some sort of plan through your provider (Verizon)? Is it costly?

Thanks.

Have you checked out the new Nook Tablet? I have a regular Nook and love it, I did not want my ereader to be backlit, are they all that way now?

Thanks, everyone. I managed to get DH to the store this week and casually mentioned that I was thinking of getting a Kindle for "my mom" (I'm so transparent) but he was partial to the ipad because it also does other multimedia things. We also got to try an ipad out this Thanksgiving b/c a cousin brought one to dinner and we both loved it. I think we should really go for something with more functions.

PP here--just wanted to add that if you get a Nook or Kindle now and a tablet later, don't forget you can always add the free apps for these devices to your tablet so you'll be able to sync all of your reading devices.

I understand the urge to lump these gadgets together, but a dedicated eReader and a tablet really can't be compared. If you're husband reads a lot of books, the eReader will definitely get used.

As far as which one is best, I've handled both the Nook and Kindle and they're both great products. I had a personal preference for the Kindle so I purchased that last year. I have the Kindle3 keyboard version--I prefer that to the touch screen (keeps the screen clean).

One advantage of the Nook is that it supports the ePub format--so you can purchase your eBooks from pretty much any online vendor. With the Kindle you're almost exclusively tied to purchasing your eBooks from Amazon. Of course, they've got content covered so this doesn't bother a lot of people, but if you don't want to be tied to a particular retailer that's something to keep in mind.

You can check out eBooks from your public library with both the Nook and Kindle--although its a slightly more streamlined process with the Kindle (can do it wirelessly).

Hope that helps.

iPad hands down. I have an iPad 2 and a kindle and love the iPad for everything, including reading.

We had an old Kindle and have an iPad (original) and a new Samsung Galaxy Tab. The iPad display did not work well for me as an e-reader, but it was better than the original Kindle. I thought about getting a new Kindle but the Kindle app combined with the Samsung Galaxy Tab display is beautiful, so I'm using the Tab as my e-reader and tablet. The iPad has been passed down to the kids.

We have a kindle and iPad and both are nice. The Kindle is far better for reading with the screen but the iPad is good for everything else.

I'd like to buy DH an e-reader for Christmas but I don't know what to buy. We talked about an i-pad because we fight over who uses the laptop a lot and it would be nice to have something that could do double duty as an e-reader on the Metro and an internet device at home. But, an i-pad would be a bit of a stretch financially and if we could put it off until next year, that would be better. Thinking about the Kindle Fire, but early reviews are mixed and some people seem to think it'll be better to wait for 2.0. So, even at the better price point of the Fire, maybe I should just get him an e-reader "only" and then we can do a tablet next year??? WWYD?