Kindle, Kobo or Nook?

[BrilliantineMortality]

Please can you help me decide which e-reader to get?

I need an e-reader that supports .doc and .pdf formats as I read very lengthy documents for work. I understand that Kindle supports these formats, but that the files would need to be converted to be read on a Nook or Kobo.

I'm a bit reluctant to be tied into Amazon for all purchases and the idea of being able to borrow from the library appeals, but don't want to go for a Kobo or Nook in case the .doc and .pdf conversion for my work documents is rubbish.

[ShadowSpiral]

I have a kindle fire. No experience of Nooks or Kobos. I can view Word files (.doc) and pdf files fine.

I haven't tried getting ebooks from the library, but I've just had a quick look at the faq and getting started info about getting ebooks from my local libraries. They have sections on getting started for Kindle, Nook and Kobo, so it looks like you can get ebooks from the library with all 3 e-readers.

[MollyMaDurga]

Kindle is crap for pdf's. They are image files and often only legible if you hold the kindle in landscape mode. Added to that it doesn't do page breaks at the right part so you can get overlaps. If you do manage to convert it often leaves header and footer, or page numbers. I think other ereaders are probably the same in this. I use my tablet for pdf's. I've got a samsung note 10.1 2014, you can write on the screen, annotate, highlight, do all kinds of stuff. I use if for academic books and articles and love it.

[ShadowSpiral]

Pdfs work fine on my kindle fire. I've just had a look at a pdf file I've got on my kindle fire and it's perfectly legible and good quality. The office suite app lets you highlight the pdfs and annotate them too.

But then the kindle fire is a lot more like a tablet than some of the earlier kindles were.

[saintlyjimjams]

We have a kindle fire & various nooks. The nook tablet is an absolute bargain - I presume it can read pdf's as it acts like a regular tablet & you have access to the play store.

It usually retails for £100, is currently £80 I think & we got ours for £45 on Black Friday.

[YoullLikeItNotaLot]

I can view pdfs & other docs on my nook. I don't think I have to convert them. It's been great - cheap but sturdy & does the job.
Son had a kobo which seemed fine but then the charging port broke which is apparently quite common.

Are you getting a pure ebook reader or a tablet? I prefer the ebook readers for gentleness on my eyes, but if you get a tablet you can install the kindle app anyway.

I didn't like the idea of bring tied to Amazon either.

[Pipbin]

We have two original Kindles and DH has just bought a Kobo.
It's much easier to get the books onto a Kindle however you can only put books that are from Amazon on it. The Kobo is a much more open platform.
The Kobo he has is waterproof!

[YoullLikeItNotaLot]

Oh and my nook can read books from anywhere but ones purchased from anywhere but the nook store have to be added manually whereas the nook store is inbuilt & very easy (too easy!) to use.

[BrilliantineMortality]

Thank you everyone.

After doing some more research I decided to go for the basic £59 Kindle as it was the only one I could see in the specifications that supports .doc and .docx formats; files can be emailed directly to the Kindle.

I need a pure e-reader as I read unpublished early drafts of novels, so read for long periods of time. DH and I got a tablet for Christmas and I tried reading via the Kindle app on that, but the screen gives me fatigue after a while.

[MyIronLung]

I have a kindle paperwhite and a nook glowlight. I absolutely love both of them. The nook reads PDFs no problem.
I've also been looking at getting a kobo at some point. I like being able to get the books I want at the best price

I think I have a problem!