How Many E-Readers Does it Take?

You get what you pay for.

That was the lesson I learned when available at the W.J. Niederkorn Library and choosing the most expensive — the Sony Reader Daily Edition — as my favorite.

But, truth be told, it's never a bad thing to settle for less — especially when it means saving a little extra green in your pocket.

And that is actually something I would consider when it comes to the Nook Simple Touch Reader, which sells for $139 — versus $299 for the Sony.

What are the differences? Well, the Sony lets you browse the internet, check your email, look up words on Google — it's a mini computer.

The Nook Simple Touch doesn't. The Nook Simple Touch functions as just an e-reader. Sure, it has WiFi connections so you can browse and download new books, magazines and newspapers — just like the Sony — but it doesn't have the distraction factor that allows you to browse the Internet adds.

The Nook Simple is also social, allowing owners to link their e-readers to their Facebook, Twitter or G-mail accounts in order to share with other readers about books they like or dislike, offer suggestions on new reads, etc. Nook owners can also add Nook friends, a network of people who can view your "lendable" books and check out your reading activity.

And, what the Nook Simple shares with many other e-readers that the Sony reader doesn't? Little buttons on the side of the reader that allow you to flip the page. The Sony's page flippers are at the bottom of the machine, meaning you have to let go of the reader to move your hand down and click away to the next page.

But, going above and beyond, the Nook Simple's side page buttons blend in with the design of the e-reader, almost not telling you they are there. Trust me, they are.

When Library Director David Nimmer first asked me to try out the selection of e-readers they would have available, I never thought there would be so many different ways to make an e-book. But now I see the decision about which one to purchase can be just as mind boggling as deciding which book title to select from the shelves, so I'm glad I got to spend some time with each one of them.

While I still strongly suggest the Sony Reader Daily Edition to those who have the money, it took just over a week with Nook Simple Touch to make it my new, more affordable favorite.

If you haven't gotten your hands on an e-reader yet, you really might want to think about taking the library's offer — and get lost in a good book while you're at it.