A Good e-Reader for Teens

Develop the Checklist

• A checklist of expectations for an e-reader might include the amount you are willing to spend, warranty coverage for loss, breakage or theft, the number of services you expect, parental controls, screen type, size, battery life and adaptability. The age of your teen might also be a factor is planning your e-reader purchase. A young teen may only need a simple reader, while an older teen might need more services for optimum usage and enjoyment. Reliability and brand trustworthiness might influence your selection.

Read the Reviews

• Top Ten Reviews, Consumer Research, Consumer Reports, CNET and PC World all offer comparative reviews of various electronic devices, including e-readers. They list current prices, features, and sometimes even reader comments. If you are looking at a dedicated reader for a book seller company, you can read through buyer comments on their home website about the things they enjoyed about their reader and the things they disliked. By comparing the primary features of the various readers with your checklist of needs, you can quickly narrow your selections.

Common e-Reader Features

• Many e-readers have a glass display screen. A common complaint about these screens is that they reflect light, making it difficult to read in full sunlight. However, there are positive points given to touch screens over the readers that use buttons positioned on the frame. The touch screens seem to be more responsive and easier to manage, in general. Some readers are backlit, making them easy to read in low light conditions, others have a paper-like quality to the display which is said to be easier on a reader's eyes. The more expensive and more advanced readers have Internet access capability and the capacity for some game play. Parents of younger teens might wish to add parental controls to such devices. The simpler readers must be attached to a computer to download new materials, which can give better parental control but might lack the convenience of a Wi-Fi-enabled reader.

Readers vs. Tablets

• Some of the more advanced e-readers have features in common with electronic tablets. They are Wi-Fi capable, can access the Internet, and support a variety of programs. Tablets, which have features such as a writing pad for taking notes, can have an e-reader program added to them, including the top two e-readers associated with book sellers. While they do not rival a full-sized laptop or desk computer for capacity, they can prove beneficial to students entering college. For younger readers, however, a dedicated reader cuts off the temptation to browse the Internet or play games instead of focusing on their book.