Over the past year, ereader prices have dropped considerably. This time last year the Kindle and Nook were both selling for $259. The original Kobo was released in May 2010 for the all-time low price of $149.
Now there are several ebook readers priced under $120, even E Ink devices with paper-like screens. If you’ve been holding off getting an ebook reader, now is the time to get one for cheap.
Here’s a list of 10 ebook readers priced under $120. All of these are dedicated ebook readers with epaper screens, not color LCD screens:
1. $114 Kindle with Special Offers – Amazon’s newest creation, the Kindle with Special Offers is $25 cheaper because the screensavers are ads and special offers. There’s also an ad at the bottom of the homescreen, none while reading. (More info, Hands-on review – non ad version)
2. $119 Sony PRS-350 – Best Buy is selling the Sony Pocket for its lowest price to date. This is a 5″ ereader with a touchscreen and the new Pearl display. (Hands-on review)
3. $99 Kobo WiFi – Borders has the lowest price on the Kobo Wifi, a 6″ ebook reader that connects to Kobo for ebooks and also supports Adobe DRM ebooks and library ebooks. (Hands-on review)
4. $119 Refurbished Nook WiFi – The Nook Wifi sells for $149 new, but B&N always seems to have refurbished units available if you are looking for extra savings. (Hands-on review)
5. $104 Sony PRS-300 with Cover – The PRS-300 is Sony’s older model Pocket Edition. It does not have a touchscreen or the new Pearl display but is still a dependable 5″ ereader and is bundled with a cover. (Hands-on review)
6. $79 Aluratek Libre – The Libre is a different type of ereader in that uses a greyscale LCD screen. Battery life isn’t as good as E Ink ereaders, but the Libre has a loyal following for its low price and feature-set. (User reviews)
7. $119 Refurbished Kindle 2 3G – This is the second generation Kindle that lacks the new Pearl screen but it does have free 3G wireless. (User reviews)
8. $99 JetBook Lite – A monochrome LCD ereader like the Aluratek, the JetBook has a 5″ screen and 4 AA batteries. It supports Barnes and Noble’s DRM for ebooks. (User reviews)
9. $119 Pandigital Novel Personal eReader – This ereader uses a different type of epaper screen technology that isn’t as crisp as E Ink. However it does have a touchscreen, WiFi, a 6″ screen, and works with Barnes and Noble’s ebookstore. (Hands-on review)
10. $99 Astak Mentor – A six-inch ebook reader. An older model that’s been around for a couple of years, based on the Netronix EB600, the most rebranded ereader ever. No wireless. Supports Adobe DRM. (User reviews)
If that 2nd generation 3G kindle had a slot for a SD card like the 1st generation, I would buy it.
Woot is offering the refurbished Nook Eink WiFi + 3G for $99 plus $5 shipping on the 13th of April. Cunning of B&N to use Amazon.
Amazon: “New! Ad-supported Kindle WiFi, only $114!”
Woot: “Hey, guys, check out this Nook with WiFi + 3G without ads for $14 less than the new ad-supported Kindle!
You should read the intro to the deal that Woot wrote, it’s a hoot!
Nice find. That’s a good deal for the 3G Nook. It’s usually $139 for the refurb. Here’s the Woot link if anyone is interested.
Willem beat me to it. I just bought the Nook from Wook. It would be nice that if Barnes And Nobles would make it possible for the 3G network to be accessed internationally someday. Also, considering the current Kindle has a battery life 2-3 times the Nook, hopefully any future version of the Nook will get rid of the LCD control panel.
Wow, they are practically giving away the PRS-350, yet I’ve seen the 650 going for as much as $329, more than the 950.
Yeah, Sony has had an extremely hard time keeping the PRS-650 in stock. And when it does go back in stock on Sony’s website it’s usually only for a day or two before it’s out of stock again. Finally both the red and black were back in stock for the first time in awhile at the start of this week, but the black is already sold out again.