Consider the Nook Simple Touch or Kobo eReader Touch for your ebook gifts

In addition to the Kindle Touch, there are two lower priced alternatives that offer more open support for the EPUB standard and are compelling pieces of hardware.

If you are looking to get someone a device for the best ebook reading experience then nothing beats the latest touch eInk devices. While the Kindle Touch may be what you think of first, keep in mind there are competitors out there that offer the same experience with a bit more openness and support for the EPUB standard. I previously looked at the Kobo eReader Touch and Nook Simple Touch and think you can't go wrong with either of these.

The Nook Simple Touch is now just $99 with no ads, making it the lowest priced touch-enabled eInk reader. I own one and enjoy using the device, especially with the physical buttons on each side of the display. My only gripe with the device is that it is a bit too wide to comfortably fit in one hand for extended use.

I have primarily been using the Kobo eReader Touch for the last couple of months because the form factor is the best I have ever seen in a touchscreen eInk device and Kobo keeps on updating it and making it better. I just connected to WiFi to sync up my bookmarks and found that version 1.9.12 is now available with the following updates:

Make notes within a book while you read
Browse and edit your notes with Annotations list
Customize how you tap on the screen to turn pages, including left-handed
Full German dictionary now included
Faster highlighting within books

You can buy an ad-supported Kobo Touch for $99.99 or one with no special offers for $129.99. For comparison you can buy an ad-supported Kindle Touch for $99 and one with no ads for $139.