A Guide to the Best E-Readers for Students
These days, technology has deeply integrated into all spheres of our lives, including education. Modern students are always looking for new tools that would help them study smarter and achieve greater results. And apart from standard gadgets like a laptop, they are also considering more portable devices like e-readers.
E-readers can have multiple applications in the learning process. While there are models meant exclusively for interacting with books, there are also models that provide you with broader functionality. In this article, we will guide you through this matter and tell you how to choose the right gadget for you.
What Is an E-Reader?
In a nutshell, an e-reader or e-book device is a portable electronic gadget designed for reading e-books. Such devices offer mobility, readability, and extended battery life to let you utilize them for longer.
Apart from specialized gadgets, there are also other alternatives. In fact, any mobile device that can display text on a screen can act as your e-reader, for example, a tablet. The benefit of such options is functionality. It will let you not only use books but also perform other tasks. For example, you can browse the Internet, use different services where you can pay for papers on PaperWriter to streamline your studies and get high grades, and pretty much do anything else that you could do with a computer or smartphone. However, such devices might lack battery life.
How to Choose a Suitable E-Reader
Now that you know what options are there, let’s look at the key factors to consider when picking the best gadgets for you:
Functionality
Before shopping for a new gadget, you have to understand what needs it should fulfill. If you are only getting it for reading purposes, you can stick with plain ebook devices. But if you’d like to have other features, apps, and tools, you might want a tablet instead.
Size and Resolution
This factor is individual for every student. The resolution you pick will affect the sharpness, contrast, and overall quality of the image, as well as the cost of a device. And screen size will mostly depend on your personal preferences and affect portability.
Memory
Such devices come with different memory capacities. Basically, the more books and other files you need to store on your gadget, the larger the memory size you should be opting for.
Audiobook Capability
This feature isn’t included in every model by default. However, since there are people who enjoy listening to books and process information better this way will likely want to have this feature too.
Battery Life
Every gadget has its own battery capacity and it should be considered depending on your needs. For example, if you are planning to use your device only at home, you might not need to overpay for extended battery life. However, if you want to use it on a daily basis and bring it with you to school or college, you want to ensure that it will last all day long.
Cost
Finally, different models come at different price tags. The final cost depends on a variety of factors, including whether it’s just an e-book or a tablet, screen size, battery, memory, in-built features, and, of course, brand.
Top 6 E-Readers for Students in 2022
Now that you know what to pay attention to when selecting a suitable device, let’s go over the most popular, reliable, and worthy options available out there.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
This is the most famous and widely-used e-book device ever. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite has been around for years and gained many positive reviews from users. Its benefits include a fairly large screen, flat-front design, water-resistant build, color-changing front light, and others. The price starts from $139.99.
Amazon Kindle
This is another great device from the same manufacturer that doesn’t differ much from Paperwhite in terms of design. The latter one does provide you with nice extras such as water resistance, a sharper screen, higher-end technology, a better front line, more storage, etc. However, it’s cheaper – you can get it for under $100. And the choice depends mostly on where, when, and how you are going to use this device.
Apple iPad
Compared with the two previous options, this one is significantly more expensive. The latest version will cost you $300 or more. However, as you should know, an iPad isn’t just an e-book gadget. It’s a full-fledged tablet that lets you do much more than store books. If you need a device for storing and using books, as well as browsing the web, taking notes, playing games, and doing other stuff, an iPad is a good choice.
Amazon Kindle Oasis
This model is pretty much the same Kindle, but with a premium build. Oasis is waterproof and comes with a neat design, a brighter and sharper screen, and more storage, and it also has an adjustable backlight. The price for it starts from $250 but it’s well worth the money, especially if you are a very active reader who wants to get the most out of your device.
Onyx Boox Note Air 2
This model offers a number of benefits over Amazon’s gadgets. First of all, there is greater OS flexibility and excellent build quality. Most importantly, it lets you not only read but also take notes, which is especially helpful for students. On the other hand, it’s not water-resistant. And the price starts from $480.
Onyx Boox Max Lumi 2
The last pick of the best e-reader is also the most expensive one on this list. It has a huge 13.3-inch E Ink display, runs almost all Android apps, and easily handles large-format documents and sheet music. However, it’s incredibly expensive – starting from $880.
The Bottom Line
An e-reader can be incredibly helpful for students. Not only do such gadgets let you get rid of heavy and bulky books but they can also let you take notes, use different apps, and, thus, study smarter.
Hopefully, this guide will help you choose the best option for yourself and enjoy the best reading experience!
