Buying an Ereader

Kindle 4 / Photo: Amazon.com

Are you interested in buying an ereader? There is more to it than just comparing screen resolution or memory space.
You probably know about Kindle, Nook or Kobo ereaders. There are many great reviews around. Their common disadvantage is that they don’t give information, the one not about ereaders themselves, which will affect they way you’ll use them.
Ask yourself questions below, and you’ll be better prepared to choose the right ereading device.

Am I aware of differences in format and DRM?

Ebooks are wonderful, but they are still not easy. The ebook you’ll buy at Kindle Store can’t be read on every device. For example, you won’t be able to open it on Nook or Kobo.
Reason: different ebookstores use different file formats and DRM systems.
Format
There are two major formats of electronic book files: epub and mobi. Epub is sold by most ebookstores in the world. Mobi means Kindle. There is also pdf format which can be read by most ereaders, but the smaller the screen, the worse it is to read it (so, think twice before you buy a 6-inch device to read all pdf books collected on your computer).
DRM
DRM (Digital Rights Management) is supposed to prevent from unauthorized distribution of digital content.
In practice, when an ebook is DRM-ed it can be read only on a device authorized with the store where you bought it. Kindle ebooks have different DRM than ebooks from Barnes & Noble or Kobo. You can’t easily move the book from your Kindle account to your Nook ereader. And vice versa.
DRM brings to reading the limitations which don’t exist in a world of a print book. Once you buy a print book, you can gift it or lend it to anyone. DRM means you can’t do it easily with an ebook.
Full piece at ebookfriendly.com