For people who are forced to be more sedentary due to physical limitations, reading can serve as a distraction from chronic pain and take your mind off of the daily grind of coping with arthritis -- except for one thing. It can be hard to hold the book if your arthritis affects certain joints - primarily your hands, fingers, elbows, shoulders, and neck.
For those people, e-readers are a godsend. Imagine a single device that is lightweight, designed with portability and manageability in mind, holds several thousand books, and makes page-turning effortless.
1. Amazon Kindle 3rd Generation Wi-Fi E-Reader
Ready to use right out of the box. Built-in free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, but there are no monthly fees or long-term commitments. Amazon pays for the 3G wireless connectivity. The 3G allows you to download books whenever and wherever. Kindle has a 6-inch, e-ink Pearl display and weighs 8.7 ounces.
2. Barnes and Noble Nook Wi-Fi E-Reader
Color LCD, 7-inch display with touchscreen. Built-in Wi-Fi. The 8 hours of battery life is shy of the battery life on e-ink (electrophoretic ink) readers though. There is a 3G version of the Nook. The difference? With 3G, you have anytime, anywhere access and no monthly fees.
3. Apple iPad
Various versions of Apple iPad are available -- Wi-Fi or 3G. Has a 9.7 inch LED-backlit, IPS (In-Plane Switching) display to correct poor viewing angles. This is not just an e-reader -- the iPad is for web browsing, watching movies, playing games and more. Battery life is an impressive 10 hours. Weight is 1.6 lbs.4. Sony E-Reader Touch Edition
There are a few versions of this particular e-reader. The most expensive has a 6-inch touchscreen, e-ink, and 336-hour battery life. And, it's only 7.58 ounces.
5. Pandigital R90L200 E-Reader
Has a 9-inch Active Matrix TFT (thin film transistor) color LCD touchscreen. With TFT, each pixel is controlled by one to four transistors. Has multimedia capability also.
6. Kobo E-Reader
Has a hard quilted back that brings back the feel of a traditional book. This is a no-frills Wi-Fi e-reader. You have to download books to your computer and then to the Kobo. Has a 6-inch display and the Kobo is just below 8 ounces. Some reviewers think this e-reader offers real value - but remember, no frills.
