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I'm wondering if any of you have either a Nook or Kindle that you take backpacking/traveling. I'm contemplating getting one or the other and would be interested in knowing other peoples thoughts.

Thanks in advance!

As a bookseller, I have to comment on this. I would recommend the Sony e-reader above the Nook or the Kindle for a few reasons. Well, really, my reasons are more for why not to go for the Kindle or the Nook (although, if you pick between the two I would go for the Nook).

The Amazon Kindle only handles their format which they've been huge bullies about with the publishing industry. In order to sell more Kindles and wipe out the competition before they got strong, they started pricing all their Kindle books at 9.95 and under before they worked out their contracts with the publishers. They assumed they could bully publishers and create their own pricing like they've done with everything else but there's no way publishers can create a quality product for that amount right of the bat (some may argue but anyone in the book industry that understands how it works will agree with me). Why would anyone create quality books if they can't make money off them or be able to afford the PR and marketing to promote them? So many publishers have refused to be pressured into these contracts and Amazon has created a smear campaign against them. They've tried to make the public think that publishers are greedy beasts which is pretty funny since Amazon has been trying for years to become an internet shopping monopoly. Then there's also the thought of how many of your own local businesses Amazon has destroyed. Not only have they wiped out local businesses across the country which takes money away from your community, but they also create a huge loss of state taxes. Amazon doesn't actually pay taxes themselves to any state and you don't pay any state sales tax when you shop with them. So when you look at that deal you got on Amazon you should think about roads getting worse, classroom sizes getting larger, schools closing, libraries cutting hours, state parks closing, and public transit getting more expensive. If you can't tell yet, I think that Amazon is a pretty awful place. Its like Walmart but you don't have to see the other people shopping there.

I have a lot of similar feelings about the Nook mostly because of the big box stores strategically putting the little guys out of business. That's the same old story, though, and you can feel whatever way you want about that. Though, from my research, the Nook is a superior product to the Kindle.

The Sony e-reader is my recommendation mostly because it handles a wide number of formats. You can shop for ebooks with whoever you want. You can download them from the publishers or from your own local indie booksellers website. You might not get the cheap Amazon pricing for new releases but backlist is pretty cheap and you're supporting your community.

I don't know if this is a common problem, but a HAZ member (red dog) recently reported elsewhere that a Kindle book he was reading was riddled with typographical errors to an irritating degree. I've read that book and didn't recall noticing an unusual number, so I wonder how accurate their transcription process is.

go for the iPad......

I have the Kindle and really like it... I have had no problems with the books that I have read on them and is nice size and light weight... It also lasts 2 weeks or more on a charge if you turn off the wireless connection.... You really only need that for when you get the new books.... I also have the RCA ebook and have over 200 or so books on it.... but they went out of business and was just ahead of their time.... Barnes and Noble are always more expensive on just their normal books so didn't consider it and Sony was like reading on your laptop... Kindle is like reading a regular book not harsh on eyes.....

Oh hell, I thought it was some kind of hiking stick.