The iPad vs. the Sony Reader - which is better for reading in the dark?

Unlike a laptop, which sits on a table or in your lap while in use, you'll be actively holding these readers or tablets aloft. During long reading sessions -- say, more than 45 minutes or so -- many users will find their fingers and arms becoming strained. Finally, remember that if you add a case or a screen cover to your reader or tablet of choice, it's going to add some weight as well.

What are your screen preferences: E-ink or color LCD? Dedicated e-book readers, such as the Nook, Kindle, Kobo, and Sony Reader, use an e-ink screen. However, e-ink screens have some drawbacks: they're black and white, and the pages don't refresh as quickly as those on an LCD do.

However, they do an excellent job of reproducing the look of printed paper. Also, you can read e-ink readers in direct sunlight, which is something you can't do on an LCD screen (a fact Amazon is keen to point out in its advertising). Previously, the biggest drawback for e-ink screens was that they were not self-illuminating (unlike LCDs, which are backlit by definition).

But that's now changed with the release of the Simple Touch with GlowLight, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kobo Glo, all of which use side-lighting technology to illuminate the e-ink screen for reading in dark environments. They cost more than their nonlighted counterparts, but the added value for reading in dark environments (such as the bedroom) is often well worth it. It's also worth noting that nearly all of these screens are supplied by a single company: E Ink.

While some of the newer models have slightly higher resolution, the screens largely offer the same performance across multiple vendors. Many users of e-ink readers dislike the refresh flashing that occurs between page turns. While those flashes still exist, user settings now give the option to have them happen once every five to six page turns, rather than every time a page is refreshed.

Also, page turns on the latest e-ink screens are notably faster than on previous years' models. The other big advantage of e-ink readers is battery life, which is measured in weeks, not hours. Instead of using a reading app on a phone or tablet that will cut into the battery life you might need for other tasks, you can read as long as you'd like on an e-ink reader, and keep the phone ready for phone calls, email, or web browsing instead.

LCD: Bright, backlit -- and potentially tiring Color LCD screens found on all tablets are bright, colorful, beautiful displays. But those advantages have trade-offs. The reflective screens on LCD tablets make it hard to read in bright light, and many people find that the backlight tires their eyes over long reading sessions.

High-res tablets such as the iPad's 2,048x1,536-pixel Retina Display and the 2,560x1,600-pixel display of the Nexus 10 are the best-looking LCD screens out there, and arguably provide the best experience for reading text on a backlit screen. But as great as it looks, it's still LCD -- and still suffers from the issues mentioned above. Touch screen: All but the entry-level Kindle All tablets (iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Nook HD, and so on) have touch screens, as do all current models of major brand e-ink readers -- except the entry-level $69 Kindle.

Most users will find the touch screen to be the most natural way to interact with a device. That said, if you're only interested in reading -- without taking notes, tweeting, or other text input -- that supercheap, superlight Kindle may well be all you need. How to choose So, which screen is better for reading: e-ink or LCD?

We can't answer that question for you. (See "LCD vs. e-ink: The eyestrain debate.") If you don't have a problem staring at your laptop or LCD monitor screen for hours on end -- or if you enjoy reading in low light without an external light source -- you'll probably like an LCD screen. Likewise, if you enjoy reading Web sites, magazines, and newspapers, and if you want support for interactive children's books, you'll want to go with color.

However, if you prefer the look of newsprint or if you enjoy reading outside, an e-ink display is your friend. And if you like reading in bed, the self-illumination Kindle Paperwhite or Nook GlowLight may well be your ideal solution. Whether you're checking your preference for e-ink versus LCD or a touch screen versus keyboard controls, we'd strongly recommend that you try a few devices before you buy one.

You'll find most major e-book readers (Kindles, Nooks, Sony Readers, Apple iPads, Android tablets) under one roof at your local Best Buy; iPads can be found at Apple stores, of course; and all flavors of Nooks are on display at your local Barnes & Noble store. Nexus 7 tablets are a bit harder to find, but should be at your local GameStop and Staples stores. Do you need always-on wireless data?

When buying many tablets and some e-book readers, you'll need to make a choice between two versions: the Wi-Fi model and the 3G/4G version. In other words, do you want the more affordable Wi-Fi model (which requires you to be near a Wi-Fi hot spot to download books or access the Internet), or do you prefer to pay a premium -- via a higher up-front price and/or a monthly bill -- to add 3G access on a cellular wireless network? If you're primarily interested in reading books, you're probably going to be fine opting for a Wi-Fi-only model.

You only need Wi-Fi access when you're buying new books. E-book files are stored on the device; once a book is downloaded, Internet access isn't necessary. So, if you're a voracious reader, you can (for instance) buy a bunch of books, toggle off your Wi-Fi, and work your way through them at your leisure.

In fact, many users keep the wireless on their readers switched off most of the time since that significantly boosts battery life. If you're using your hardware to access anything besides e-books -- magazine or newspaper subscriptions, e-mail, the Web, apps, and so forth -- ubiquitous wireless access becomes more important. Still, if you're using the reader/tablet primarily at home, Wi-Fi will probably remain sufficient.

Is broadband wireless a must-have? That's a question you'll need to answer. Just remember that, with more phones offering Wi-Fi hot-spot functionality and establishments such as Starbucks offering free Wi-Fi, there are plenty of ways to get online coverage on your reading device without it having broadband network support built in.

Still, if you're a power user or frequent traveler, opting for a 3G or 4G product is worth considering. All current Nook models -- e-readers and tablets -- are available as Wi-Fi only. The Kindle Paperwhite is offered with 3G wireless (using AT&T's cellular network) for $60 more than the Wi-Fi-only model.

The wireless is free -- no monthly fee-- but it's limited to shopping for new books and downloading new issues of magazines and newspapers -- don't expect to be surfing the Web and watching video, even if that were pleasant on those e-ink screens (it's not).