Question: What eReader Features Do You Use The Most?

Posted April 23, 2015 by Carmel in Question / 43 Comments

RRQuestion


I alternate between two eReaders: my Kobo Aura HD, and my Kindle Fire HD 8.9. The majority of my book consumption is done on the former because of its smaller size, extremely long battery life, and crisp E Ink screen. But, other than the cool stats that track how much of my virtual library I’ve completed, total eBooks finished, hours spent reading, average minutes per session & pages per minute, I don’t do much else with it except read. When I want doodads, I switch to my Fire.

My favourite feature would probably be the social sharing. As a blogger, one of the first things I want to do when I find a cool quote is highlight and tweet it, and the Kindle does this like a boss. It has Facebook compatibility too, but you can only post to your personal account, not your page which doesn’t work for me. I also really like the Text-to-Speech option because it’s well-known that I am an audiobook addict, so this component allows me to go hands-free when I’m mobile. The robotic voice won’t be replacing my top narrators any time soon, but it’s a good alternative for when A) there’s no audio version of a novel available, or B) there is, however it’s too pricey, and the eBook is on sale. You can usually upgrade to Whispersync at a later date for cheap as well. The only downside is that it doesn’t work on ARCs unless you pull out your trusty iPhone, activate the VoiceOver accessibility feature, and let Siri take the lead.

My #3 would be the apps. There are tons available should you need to open a different eBook format than MOBI or PRC, and you can easily borrow titles from your local library via OverDrive, so I make full use of the store. Apparently I can do this on my Kobo as well, but after a crash filled weekend, I gave up on it. Unfortunately, Canada is still lagging behind on the Amazon front; we just got unlimited this past February, therefore I’m sure that many of you are more well-versed on all things Kindle than I am, and can teach me a thing or two. Now’s your chance!

Kindle Fire HD 8.9 vs Kobo Aura HD.

A photo posted by Carmel (@rabidreads) on




What eReader Features Do You Use The Most?



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Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!

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43 responses to “Question: What eReader Features Do You Use The Most?”

  2. E.J. Stevens  

    I agree with Pili. I read almost exclusively on my Kindle Paperwhite. I’m likely to become distracted by social media if I read on my Kindle Fire. I also use the Kindle app to read on my Android phone, but only when I’m away from home and my Kindle Paperwhite.

    As for features, I occasionally highlight and I like the built in dictionary, but anything else would be a distraction. I like to focus on the book that I’m reading.
    E.J. Stevens recently posted…Q+A with Carole Cummings + Wolf’s-Own Giveaway

  3. Dolly  

    I have 2 Kindles, one of the originals with e-ink and the first Kindle Fire. I very rarely use either. Yeah, I know. I don’t read outside. If I’m outside, I’m listening to a book while doing different things. If I’m inside, I’m on my iPad Kindle app reading. The option I use the most is the highlighting. I color code it for characters, who/what they are and just about anything to make me remember when I’m writing a review or just to jiggle my memory when I’m not writing a review.

  7. Jennifer from The Book Nympho  

    I have two ereaders, NookColor and Kindle Paperwhite. I only use the highlighting function on both. It’s great for going back and pulling a quote for a review. I don’t need all the bells and whistles on my eREADER. I just want to read on it. I have a laptop/iPad for the other stuff.
    Jennifer recently posted…Taken by Helen Kay Dimon

  8. Nimue

    For me the Kindle Fire doesn’t even qualify as a eReader as it doesn’t have an e-ink screen. I’m using my Kindle Voyage exclusively for reading, nothing else. As I would do with a physical book 🙂

  9. Braine  

    The highlight, note & hare options for me too. My kindled ire is first generation though so it doesn’t have the audio thingy feature. I’m thinking of getting a new one just for that feature alone

  10. Kelsey  

    I don’t really use any features with my eReaders. I have a Kobo Touch and a Kindle paperwhite. They replaced my Kobo and it did the same crashing thing so half the time I can’t even read on it, but I like how my Kindle works more. But anyway yeah I only use them for reading. Maybe when the goodreads to kindle thing works better I’ll be able to use that.
    Kelsey recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday: Ten Thousand Skies Above You

  12. Erin Burns  

    I have a nook simple touch that I predominantly use. I picked it for the fact it was the cheapest, and the easiest to side load with calibre at the time. The only feature I really use is the ability to make the font larger. I have tried to use the highlight feature, but I can never figure out how to go back and find what I have highlighted. I have a read a few things on my iPad and Surface Kindle app, and did like the ability to tweet things, which seems to update my status on Goodreads too, but I dislike how many of the characters are used up for the intro. Why wouldn’t #KindleReads, or something like that, be enough?

    What I really want is an android eink tablet made by some company other than Onyx Boox. Then I would probably do Scribd and would get more out of Kindle, but there are issues with Onyx.
    Erin Burns recently posted…Review – Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick

  13. kindlemom1  

    It’s funny I have a Fire but I never read on it. I got it with the intention that I would but it just didn’t pan out. I do however, have a second generation Paperwhite and love it! I love the Goodreads feature on it, the dictionary, highlighting but the thing I use the most is the light. I love it! So easy on my eyes and it means I can literally read anywhere at any time.
    kindlemom1 recently posted…Review: The Replaced by Kimberly Derting

  14. Stormi  

    I don’t switch between ereaders or anything cause I don’t have a tablet thought that would be awesome..lol. I have a kindle and an nook and the nook is just a recent purchase because I had a lot of B&N ebook purchases never getting read..so now I have two different ereaders with different books on them..lol. 🙂
    Stormi recently posted…It’s time for #dustoffyourbookshelf

  16. Brianna (The Book Vixen)  

    I have a Kobo Aura HD and a Kindle Paperwhite, and I prefer the latter. The Kobo device doesn’t sync well with the iOS app, where the Kindle syncing works like a charm.

    I can’t live without highlighting, notes, and the search functionalities.

    Another advantage Kindle has over other ereaders is the ability to email PDFs to your device and have them convert to a Kindle-friendly format by putting “convert” in the subject line.
    Brianna (The Book Vixen) recently posted…Perfect Imperfections by Cardeno C. {Cover Reveal & Giveaway}

  17. BookaholicCat  

    I have a Sony eReader and a iPad mini. I like that I can have different apps on my iPad to read different books (library, kindle, iBooks…), but I don’t like the glare. I’ve been wanting to change my Sony for quiet awhile because it doesn’t have a built-in light, but haven’t found a worthy contender. I like the Kindle Paperwhite and the Voyage, BUT I haven’t changed the Sony for one of them because the Sony is GREAT for PDFs and I receive many ARCs in PDF.
    I bought my mom and my nephew paperwhites, and they love them. I compared reading the same PDF with their readers and my Sony and there was no comparison, the Sony was 100 times better. I’m waiting for a better Kindle to change my Sony, until then I’ll continue using the Sony. It also has all the functions I use: highlight, search, dictionary and bookmarks, it’s just missing the built-in light to be perfect.
    BookaholicCat recently posted…CATS-ilicious Thursdays

    • Sarah M  

      Yay! Someone else with a Sony! It doesn’t seem to be a popular ereader, even less now that they’re discontinued. I love my Sony since it works so well with Calibre, but does suffer occasion issues not wanting to work. Probably more a result of it being 5 years old, and not the brand.

      I don’t do anything other than straight read. I use highlighting occasionally, but not often.
      Sarah M recently posted…Week in review Apr 26

  18. Lorna  

    I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t the vaguest idea how to find something I bookmark-so I quit doing it. Or highlights for that matter. I just bought my fourth Kindle this week. I use two of my three now, I read so much that my batteries are always needing to be charged. When the fourth one arrives, I will be using 3 of the 4. I have the original one, the Kindle Fire, the Kindle Fire H.D.8.9, and the new one is the Kindle Fire HD-the smaller one. I mainly use them to read, but do occasionally use it for looking around on the web.

  19. Bookworm Brandee  

    Wait. I can tweet quotes from my kindle?!? *ha* Obviously, I’m slightly tech-challenged. But that is a feature I’m going to check out. When I read the question, my first thought was “I use the heck out of the highlighting feature!” But I don’t know if that’s what you were really asking. I have a kindle (paperwhite) and 2 (yes, 2) nook simple touches. No tablets though. And I listen to audio via audible on my phone. I’m guessing there are many features and functionality I don’t use because I’m not aware of it. But you can teach an old dog new tricks, right? So I’ll have to see what I can learn. 😉
    Bookworm Brandee recently posted…Release Day Blitz & Review ~ Everything ~ Melissa Pearl

  20. Candace  

    I always read on my kindle paperwhite and don’t use any extras. However I did buy a new kindle fire at Christmas and I keep thinking I’m going to use it more. My kids love their kindle fire and I love that there are so many things you can do. I think when I travel it’ll make it easier because I can keep track of things on one device. But we’ll see. I love my paperwhite an awful lot.
    Candace recently posted…Happy Spring! Let’s Have a Book Giveaway!

  21. Heidi

    I have a Kindle, an ipad and my iphone. I switch off and read on all three. I prefer my Kindle though because it is a small, backlit paperwhite version. The problem with reading on my iphone and ipad as I am too tempted to stop reading and look something up on the internet and then that leads to lots of wasted time. When I read on my Kindle, I can stay focused on reading. I don’t like to read on my ipad as much because of the size, but I use it for PDFS and such that I receive so I can blow them up and read easier. My favorite featuers on my Kindle are the soft light for reading well past my bedtime, the highlighting feature which I can then share on social media if I choose, and finally the dictionary. I can’t tell you how often I stop and look things up.
    Heidi recently posted…The Dead Play On(Cafferty and Quinn #3) by Heather Graham

  22. Jonetta (Ejaygirl)  

    I have a Kindle Touch, Nook HD, iPhone and an iPad Air. I only use the iPad these days for reading but do use my Kindle when I’m traveling and need the longer battery life. I use my iPhone to listen to audiobooks and use the Nook now as a backup to the iPad.

    I’ve not really used any of the features on the Kindle but did access email on the Nook HD. I do everything on the iPad but because I’ve got access to everything, I’m prone to distraction from my reading. But, it works for me.

    Within the reading apps, I do use the highlighting and bookmarking features. I do quite a bit of searching, too.
    Jonetta (Ejaygirl) recently posted…Outstanding! What a Duke Dares by Anna Campbell

  26. Celine

    I have a super old Kindle Keyboard which barely has any features at all – and I love it. Reading is me-time, so I’d rather not share status updates all that often. I do like that the Kindles come with a built-in dictionary. Even though my English is near-native, I sometimes don’t know a word, and just hovering over it to find the explanation is very convenient.
    Celine recently posted…Reading Is Like Falling In Love (And Sometimes You Fall Out of Love Again)

  29. Ramona  

    I have two Kindles, both the Fire and the Paperwhite, and I prefer the Fire. I’m loving the adjustable brightness, the look and feel of it, the size and versatility. I’ve had a hard time adjusting to e-readers, but now I’m mostly contented. I still prefer paper, but I can live with my reader too 🙂 Great topic.
    Ramona recently posted…I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

  30. Merry  

    I don’t own a dedicated e-reader. I used to use my tiny iPhone 3G *gasp*, but have since upgraded to a Samsung clone with a 6.5″ screen. I have the Kindle app on it. I like being able to look up the odd word I don’t know the meaning of in the online dictionary and I occasionally use the highlight feature. I’ve also bought a couple of books from the Kindle store.

    I also have a Samsung Tab S which I’ve installed the Kindle app onto, but haven’t used for that as yet.

    The Kindle Collection feature is great and I’ve begun sorting my many ebooks into genre collections. The only thing I don’t like is that the app only puts a copy of a book into a collection. It would be good if it “moved” it so I’d then know that it was added it to a collection.

    It would be great if the app allowed sharing of the book itself and specific quotes etc.

  36. Dita the Squirrel  

    I have neither. No tablet, no e-reader. Oh, but I’d love one. At one point I was looking into e-readers, but then my boyfriend advised me that a tablet could be better, as it has more option, not only reading. And while it could come with distractions to reading, I see it more as full of various options – I can type up a review already etc. And I’ve read a bit on tablet, when by boyfriend’s tablet was alive and it was ok. So buying a tablet is now one of my plans/goals. 😀
    I do use the Kindle App on my PC – for the occasional free Amazon book I download. And also NetGalley, but since I can’t find my ‘send-to-kindle e-mail’, I also use Adobe Digital Editions, which I used for reading e-books even before my recent dive into blogging and NetGalley.
    A thought about other commenters – why do you have more than one e-reader? I get that you maybe had one and then bought a newer one, but why keep and use both? (Except for maybe that you can’t migrate all your books from one to the other, that I could kinda get, I suppose). Not that I’m saying it’s wrong or anything, just interested in the why.
    Dita the Squirrel recently posted…Feature and Follow Friday #2 (#250)

  40. Red Iza

    I had a basic Kindle e-reader but I’m currently giving it away to one of my friends who wishes to try it.
    I use a Kindle fire every day, I wouldn’t go out without it, I only forgot it once while going to work one morning and I got back home and risked being late rather than leaving it ! But I don’t use features, I mostly read with it when I’m in the train – or waiting for that damn train again – or listen to music while I’m walking in the streets. I sometimes watch tv-shows on it. I never use the wi-fi, it uses battery and I like typing on a “normal” keyboard – I type with both hands and it’s so much faster.
    I guess I’m using modern technology in an old-fashioned way, but it suits me just fine 🙂
    Red Iza recently posted…The Sunday post #45 : Blog break, time out, hiatus, whatever, is beginning now !