A sudden growth of interest in eBook readers has also inspired an interest in Android tablets. The difference between the two however seems to have been blurred by some manufacturers who are hoping their Android tablets can be regarded as color eBook readers. Touting a tablet as a color ebook reader will presumably increase sales and also some manufacturers misleading consumers into believing their readers are tablets.

The fundamental difference between a tablet and an eBook reader is quite simple. A tablet is a mobile computing device whereas an eBook reader is not.

There have been a number of tablets and e-book readers introduced into the market in the past. The Apple Ipad and Samsung Galaxy however, are the ones that made tablets a household name. Of the e-book readers, the Nook and the Kindle were backed by enormous advertising campaigns that made consumers feel the need to run to electronic retailers to get an eBook reader.

Then came the explosion of Android and the line between eBook reader and tablet began to blur. Android is a small linux based operating system optimized for mobile devices. Android is released as open source software (free). Devices using open source software are able to keep resale cost down because no royalties are paid to the software company.

Barnes and Noble took android, added some restrictions and integrated it into their Nook readers. The Nook Color could now connect to the internet, read e-mails, view color, view photos, download, etc. Hackers found out that the Nook color was android based and “rooted” the device to have a fully functional tablet at a fraction of the cost of a Galaxy Tablet.

Many manufacturers now use Android operating system to make affordable tablets (Coby, Pandigital, Etc.).

Bottom Line is if you buy an eBook reader you have an eBook reader. If you buy a tablet, you can download an eBook app and read books. You can also surf the web, check e-mail, write, watch youtube, play games, connect to wifi, possibly take photos and video, skype, etc.

When it comes to tablets, Android tablets are significantly less expensive than iPads or even Galaxy Tablets