What I Love About My Device – from the OverDrive staff

With the holiday's right around the corner, you may still be out shopping for a new device and looking for some recommendations. We thought you might be interested to hear what some of the OverDrive elves use for their device and why they chose their device for their personal use. Moto X – Andrew Bucher The Moto X has been getting a lot of press time in the recent weeks and it is definitely warranted. The Moto X is one of the first phones that Motorola has released under the Google umbrella and consumers are benefiting from this. On paper, the Moto X specs do not beat any of the “flagship” devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One. However, the Moto X does everything well, without all the frills that the other phones offer. The Moto X comes with fairly close to stock Android, which is a plus for those that enjoy the Android operating system without any of the bloatware that device manufacturers like to add to the operating system. The Moto X has added some nice features to the Android operating system; however, these additions only add to the overall Android experience. The battery life on the Moto X is what you would expect from a new device these days. From my use I have found that you can get about a day of usage depending on what you are using it for. If you are using the phone to read and listen to audiobooks using the OverDrive Media Console, you will be able to get around 14-18 hours of usage. The 14-18 hours of usage is taking into account that you will still have around 25% battery before bedtime, which to me is very good battery life. In using my Moto X, I absolutely love the size and feel of the phone. I normally use a case on phones for the added protection, but I have yet to bring myself to add a case to this phone because it feels so nice in my hand. The phone does a nice job of giving you the 4.7-inch screen in a device casing that does not make the device too big to fit in your pocket. There are times when I do not even realize the phone is in my pocket because it is such a slim device. While holding the device, it has a nice soft touch to it and a dimple in the back to keep the device from rocking if you set it on a table. All these features make the phone a pleasure to use while reading an eBook, listening to an audiobook, or watching OverDrive's new streaming videos.   NOOK HD/HD+  – Kelli Woods When it comes to reading on the go, the NOOK HD and HD+ are great options. The NOOK HD comes with a 7-inch screen while the HD+ has a 9-inch screen along with many other great specs. If you enjoy watching OverDrive streaming videos, you will have no problem viewing them on either device's HD screen. The picture quality surpasses that of previous NOOK Tablet models. The speakers are clear and volume controls are easily accessible on the side of the device. You can also download or transfer audiobooks and music to the devices for on-the-go listening with OverDrive Media Console. If needed, users can add additional memory with a micro SD card. This is good if you plan on adding a lot of eBooks, audiobooks and music. On both, you can get up to 10 hours of reading and nine continuous hours of video playing with a single battery charge. One drawback I have found is that you cannot charge the device using a computer's USB connection and the charger is proprietary to NOOK. If this device is for someone that is a dropper, I would recommend a case as the plastic housing can crack easily. Overall, the NOOK HD and HD+ are good devices for the chronic reader who also likes to dabble online and download occasional apps.   iPhone 5/5s/5c – Daver Jennings Around here and everywhere for that matter, Apple products are very popular. The iPhone 5 is great for reading eBooks using the OverDrive Media Console app for iOS. The 4-inch (diagonal) retina display of the iPhone 5 provides a crystal clear high definition screen perfect for reading eBooks and watching OverDrive's new streaming videos. The screen also has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front keeping the pages of your eBooks clear and visible along with many other great features. The iPhone 5 is also great for listening to audiobooks with the OverDrive Media Console app. My iPhone 5's battery can handle audio playback up to 40 hours allowing plenty of time for me to listen to titles without having to plug in to a charger. The iPhone 5 is light weight (only 3.95 ounces (112 grams) making portability easy. The iPhone 5 also has Bluetooth capability allowing you to listen to audiobooks through Bluetooth compatible speakers in your house or car without having to mess around with pesky wires. The iPhone 5 and its new companions the 5s and 5c are great devices for using the OverDrive Media Console app while on the go for enjoying eBooks and audiobooks borrowed from your digital library. If you haven't checked out the latest iPhones, I highly recommend them to you.   iPad Air – Josh Walker The iPad Air is Apple's 5th Generation full-sized iPad with much improved hardware and software over last year's iPad with Retina Display (4th Generation). The design of the new iPad Air is extremely light and thin for a device with at 9.7 inch display. The device is a joy to hold, but even more of a joy to use. I noticed one of the most noticeable enhancements is the graphics performance. iOS has always been a very user-friendly mobile operating system. The new iPad Air takes full advantage of its new A7 64-bit chip, M7 motion coprocessor, and iOS 7 allowing apps to open with no lag and the new streaming video titles load with ease. The battery performance on every iPad has been excellent. The iPad Air doesn't disappoint in this category with a 32.4 – watt/hour lithium polymer battery. This will allow up to 10 hours of usage on the device (web browsing, watching video, listening to music) and an amazing 30 days of standby! More than enough to keep me happy and well entertained. The iPad Air has 2 cameras (front and rear) that take still photos as well as record video. Both cameras offer face detection and a tap to focus feature that is very helpful. One item I have found is that sadly there is no flash along with the camera so pictures in low light aren't as crisp and clear. The iPad Air continues the iPad legacy as a great device. It can be an entertainment device, learning tool, or a productivity machine. The hardware is top of the line and the software integration is absolutely seamless with user-friendliness of the new iOS 7. Overall iPad Air is a solid device that works well and can be enjoyed by users of all ages.   Surface Pro 2 – Zach Bischof The Microsoft Surface Pro 2 has only been out for a couple months and has gotten great reviews from many tech news websites and retailers. I have enjoyed using this device because it provides the best of both worlds. Like a recent advertisement states, "A tablet when you want it, and a computer when you need it." The Surface Pro 2 has some updated features that were not included in the first Surface Pro such as a more flexible kickstand, improved type covers (keyboard), longer battery life, and improved design. This device can compete with other top-of-the-line tablets such as the Apple iPad, Google Nexus 10, and Kindle Fire HDX. The Surface Pro 2 ships with Windows 8.1 which offers improvements to the Desktop mode, additional personalization options for the Start Menu, a Start button to the Desktop screen, and the ability to disable the hot corners. The 10.6 inch display of the Surface Pro 2 feels comfortable to hold for long periods of time. The kickstand on the backside of the device comes in handy when sitting at a desk or table, that way both hands are free to type or touch. At a weight of just 2 pounds, the Surface Pro 2 could feel heavy to some; but, I prefer this to the cheaper lighter hardware because the Surface Pro 2 feels sturdy and solid. I like that Windows decided not to use a plastic chassis and went with stronger, more durable material. The size of the device could affect users with smaller hands as I have large hands and sometimes struggle to press the middle start button or press the volume buttons. I enjoy the size and feel of the device and I really like the optional keyboard cover that clips into the device to be used as a screen cover when closed and a keyboard when open. The battery only lasts about six hours if you are a power user, which is about an hour or two better than the original Surface Pro but not as much as an iPad or Nexus 7. If you are a more conservative user you can probably get eight to 10 hours of battery life. A Microsoft-issued firmware update has significantly improved the battery life of the Surface Pro 2. Overall, I love using my Surface Pro 2 because I can do anything I need to do on a laptop and run my favorite applications like a tablet. The Windows Store is constantly growing and I am always on the lookout for my favorite Android Apps to become available on my Surface Pro 2. This device is perfect for users that don't want to carry around a tablet and a laptop because this device can be used perfectly for any task, whether you are just browsing the internet, working on a project, enjoying an eBook, audiobook or streaming video, the Surface Pro 2 can handle any task.   Droid Mini – Tammi Cascone Motorola and Verizon have partnered up to create a line of Droid-branded Android smartphones with the Droid Mini as the smallest of the group. When it came time for me to upgrade my phone, I spent at least six months researching and comparing phones. I compared price, weight, display, and memory. I watched drop test videos and read reviews on cnet, Engadget, and other sites.  I didn't want to give up my old phone, but I really needed an upgrade. My main concern was being able to read my eBooks on my phone comfortably. My old phone was light-weight and had a nice size screen. It also had a lot of memory; but, I never really needed it since I seldom saved music or had more than a couple apps installed at any given time. My other concern was durability. I constantly dropped my old phone…constantly! And, I never broke the display or the casing. So, I never quite found a phone that I was willing to upgrade to for less than $100.00. When Motorola released their latest line of phones, I was excited to find out they had an inexpensive option. After researching this option, I quickly fell in love with the Droid Mini. Well, I really fell in love with the price of $99.99 and I really liked that the display size and weight was the same as my old phone. I also was pleasantly surprised to find out that the casing was made of Kevlar and display was made of Gorilla Glass. Let's just say a gorilla could jump on it and then shoot it and it probably wouldn't make a dent so it should hold up to my constant drops. All this, a great set of specs, and the price really sold this phone to me. I can comfortably hold the phone and read using OverDrive Media Console while lying in bed. I often fall asleep while reading and the phone drops (loudly) to the floor, yet it survives every crash. This phone responds quickly and the display is gorgeous. I use the touch-less controls quite a bit. At first I didn't, but the more I use it, the more I like it. By saying "OK Google now…", I can do almost anything on my phone without touching it. I am extremely happy with my decision and I hope to enjoy the phone for the next two years!   Samsung Galaxy S4 – Matt Wester These reviews wouldn't be complete without a review of arguably one of the most popular smartphones of the year, the Galaxy S4. I've been happily using the Samsung Galaxy S4 for six months now, since just a short time after its release. In my opinion, the biggest draw of any Android phone is Android itself. I admit I vastly prefer Android's openness to Apple's more tightly-controlled experience with iOS. iOS is great for consistency, which many people enjoy; but, I'm a tinkerer and Android really lets me roll up my sleeves and dig in. For instance, the "launcher" on an Android phone – the home screens and application list – is just another application that you can replace with a different one to totally change how your phone looks. With other apps, I can configure my phone to automatically change settings based on where I'm at or what I'm doing – for instance, when I'm at work my phone automatically turns off the ringer volume. OverDrive Media Console and plenty of apps help to pass the time while I'm waiting anywhere. But all of these apps are usable on any new Android phone, so why do I prefer the Galaxy S4?  It has a fast processor and plenty of memory. It's just the right size – big enough to display a bunch of information, with bright and crisp colors, but small enough for a pocket. There are plenty of new phones out there with gorgeous screens and fast processors, so what really sets the Galaxy S4 apart from the others? In my opinion, the biggest differentiators are the removable battery and SD card slot. Too many phones these days are built in one piece, and don't let you open them up. With the Galaxy S4, I added a 64GB SD card which gives plenty of space for eBooks and audiobooks, as well as my own music collection. I carry a spare battery to swap in to keep me listening all day, even if I'm away from a power plug. Just like any modern smartphone, the screen can be a bit of a battery drain; the difference is I can swap in a fresh battery anytime, while users of other devices will be tethered to a wall. The Galaxy S4 still remains a top option for anyone looking for a new smartphone that is considered one of the "flagship" devices of 2013.   Hopefully these reviews provide you with an interesting look into the types of devices that actual OverDrive employees are using and love. Now you can make more of an informed decision when choosing a device for yourself or that holiday gift for the loved one who loves eBooks, audiobooks, music, and now streaming video.

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