The introduction of ebooks has made reading much more convenient. However, you must decide what kind of e-reader to purchase. With so many e-readers available on the market, it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to determine which device best suits their personal needs. Not only are there devices solely dedicated to reading eBooks such as the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and the Kobo e-reader, there are also tablets such as Apple’s iPad to keep in mind while deciding which device you should buy. Furthermore, the decision has just become more difficult with the introduction of the Microsoft Surface.

While the sole purpose of an e-reader is reading ebooks, the Microsoft Surface provides more variety as it is a tablet PC. However, does a device not specifically made for reading ebooks possess all the qualifications necessary to be a decent e-reader? What does it take to be a good e-reader?

Having Accessible Content

What good would an e-reader be without a large variety of content? Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo plan to launch their apps for the Microsoft Surface tablet meaning you can search through the Kindle, Nook and Kobo apps on this device, finding a wide variety of eBooks.

A Good Display Screen

The Microsoft Surface surely has a larger display screen because it is a tablet. However, the Microsoft Surface uses an LCD screen like other tablets while the Kindle, Nook and Kobo E-reader use e-ink, an electronic ink screen designed to mimic paper and ink. Both e-ink screens and LCD screens have their own advantages as well as disadvantages. E-ink screens work very well in outdoor lighting because they don’t have backlights. LCD screens work well in low lighting as well as complete darkness because it uses more power to provide backlighting. Speaking of using more power…

Long Battery life

E-readers don’t use backlighting and therefore don’t use a lot of power, making the battery life of these devices longer than that of a tablet PC. Then again, you are getting a wider variety from your tablet PC. Is it worth cost of battery life to have more variety?

It would seem that the Microsoft Surface has all the capabilities of being a decent e-reader. Whether or not you are willing to exchange some of the conveniences of a traditional e-reader for the variety of a tablet PC is up to you.