Don't Buy An eBook Reader, Buy A SmartPad

SmartPads come in different brands and features, just as eBook readers do. The two most common that I've seen are the iPad (from Apple) and the Galaxy Tab (from Samsung and Android). They each have their strengths and weaknesses, and I'm not here to review them; that's not what this article is for, especially since I don't own either.

This article is to voice my opinion on why you should buy a "SmartPad" instead of an eBook reader.

eBook readers are everywhere these days. Amazon has the Kindle, Barnes and Noble has the grayscale nook and the color nook, Borders right now is highlighting the Kobo, and there are more out there besides those. Each eBook reader also has its strengths and weaknesses, and the last thing you should have to do is choose between them.

So don't.

I own an Android Droid 2 (most of my regular readers know this already). I don't own a SmartPad or an eBook reader. However, I do know that the most expensive part of eBooks is not the device itself, but gaining access to book through it that you already own a hard copy of. Why should you have to pay for the book twice?

I don't like this dilemma, so I've decided not to pay for books, electronic or otherwise, unless I have to. I bought the Kindle edition of a textbook last month for an online class, and am finding it very useful and handy. I'm always on the look out for free books, but every eBook reader service has it's own collection of free books. How do you choose?

You don't have to choose. Go buy a smartphone or a smartpad, and install the free applications that allow you to run the eBook readers. That way, you can have all the eBooks you want, at lower cost (a smartpad costs less than buying all of the eBook readers, and is easier to carry around--otherwise, you might as well just bring a hard copy).

Care to know what I'm running currently? Aldiko, Amazon Kindle, Google Books, Kobo, and the Nook (in color)..

How much did I spend? Two hundred dollars for the phone ($300 minus $100 rebate) and a little over a hundred a month for service (interent, texting, phone).