ipad too heavy for ebook reading - imho - Page 3

Crowl · 07-21-2010, 07:07 PM

Personally, the thing that surprised me with the ipad was the weight compared with the size of it and given that the battery will need to be big, it does tend to imply the back of it might not have been the smartest option.

I don't find the weight to be an issue when using it in general and if I am reading a book or a comic lying down then it is obviously zero issue then, but when I am out and about I still find the more compact size and lower weight of my sony to be far more convenient.

Interestingly for me, I think the biggest threat to my sony would now be a kindle, I tend to use Stanza on the ipad (dropbox for adding new books) and read something else on the sony, but having the same book synching across my phone, ipad and ereader would be quite tempting for future purchases and given the general idiocy that has happened to the previously ideal epub situation.

tompe · 07-21-2010, 07:07 PM

Since an opened books will spread the weight more than an iPad I think it is easier to hold a book with the same weight. I tested with a hardcover book and holding it without opening it and it was rather inconvenient and felt much heavier than when holding it opened.

joblack · 07-21-2010, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowl

Comparing it with the actual books, mags, etc. is also a completely valid comparison and probably one that is less easy to obtain since companies tend to list the weight of gadgets a lot more than they do books.

It's always easy to find paperback books which are heavier than the ipad. An atlas will be heavier than an iPad but you don't hold an atlas for a long time.

You don't compare trucks with cars but one type of car with another one.

Why should you compare the iPad with a paperback book? Compare it with a device which (at least partially) match the provided functions.

Crowl · 07-21-2010, 07:15 PM

It seemed to me that the point of that article wasn't to specifically find ones that were heavier or lighter, merely to show where an ipad fits in comparison.

Anyway, given the ipad can be used for those various functions and has been compared with them to give an alternative and more interesting perspective than yet another comparison of ereaders that has been done many times before, although including at least one ereader would have seemed like a sensible addition to the comparisons.

scottjl · 07-21-2010, 07:21 PM

why are people complaining? the iPad is a lot lighter than a stone tablet!

Crowl · 07-21-2010, 07:31 PM

Those have much better battery life though.

VictoriaP · 07-21-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Since an opened books will spread the weight more than an iPad I think it is easier to hold a book with the same weight. I tested with a hardcover book and holding it without opening it and it was rather inconvenient and felt much heavier than when holding it opened.

I'm the reverse. I hate holding hardcovers now. I can't read an HC one handed, and it's a lot thicker than an e-reader of any kind. So I have to prop it on something...my lap, a pillow, the arm of the couch. Well, if I'm going to to that anyway, why not just use the iPad?

Mercury · 07-22-2010, 02:35 AM

I always hated reading hardbacks and could never understand how people could be willing to pay more for them, it has got to the point that I refuse to buy hardbacks at all, even if they are 10p in the charity shop.

Because of my unwillingness to hold something heavy while reading, which Includes larger paperbacks now that I have been using my 505 for the past few years, I though the pad would not get much use on the bus and tube, instead being reserved for lying on the sofa or in bed.

It hasn't happened that way at all. I think when you try holding it in the shop there are so many security tags attached that not only does it feel heavy it also feels unbalanced and unwieldy. When you get it home and realize how stable it is, it's a much more pleasurable reading experience. You just need to remember to put the screen lock on, when reading on the bus - when the driver takes a corner a little too fast the screen always spins to landscape mode.

Mike_73 · 07-22-2010, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercury

...I though the pad would not get much use on the bus and tube, instead being reserved for lying on the sofa or in bed...

..You just need to remember to put the screen lock on, when reading on the bus - when the driver takes a corner a little too fast the screen always spins to landscape mode.

Mine is lying on the bed pillow, sofa or my lap. For that it works great. Just holding it seems a little uncomfortable for me, but for short periods it's ok.

Hmmm. Screen rotating while the bus takes a turn. Never thought of that

On the other side, I haven't been on a bus for years. And I guess reading while driving a car is not really an option

nursedude · 07-22-2010, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_73

...And I guess reading while driving a car is not really an option

I don't know about that...while driving to work one day I saw a man driving to work with a laptop balanced on his steering wheel (might have been duct taped). Smart? NO! Legal? NO! Ergonomic? NO! Intriguing? Sort of...

Someone has probably already figured out a way to do that with an iPad.

Mike_73 · 07-22-2010, 09:06 AM

Yep, I think I saw some mounting rigs for cars somewhere.
Reading in the car, ok. Reading while driving, I think for me it's a no go. But maybe an audio book. Ok, I could also use my mp3 player for that

sunnysmiles · 07-22-2010, 02:27 PM

I would be frightened of reading my ipad on the bus or the tube . I usually use my Sony or Iriver for that . Im planning to take mine with me to Egypt in September . Im hoping to be able to find a 3G card in Egypt .

leebase · 07-22-2010, 06:07 PM

The iPad is too heavy to hold -- which is why I don't hold it up in the air when I'm reading. It rests on my lap or belly with one finger holding it up. It took me about a weak to get comfortable with my iPad.

I've read about 20 books on it so far...it's replaced my iphone as my preferred reader.

Lee

ChristopherTD · 07-23-2010, 02:26 AM

I have used mine on train and tube in London and observed a number of others doing the same as well. Most seem to be reading rather than using other more "active" apps. If the tube is too crowded though there is no room to read on iPad.

montsnmags · 07-23-2010, 05:45 AM

Just for interest's sake, I remember posting this a little over a year ago:

Quote:

Originally Posted by montsnmags

I don't know if this helps at all, but I just took three pbooks - a normal paperback, a trade paperback, and a hardback - each of about 400 pages, and weighed them upstairs on the kitchen scales. They came out as follows:

Paperback - 225g
Trade Paperback - 515g
Hardback - 680g

Sorry if it's no help. I just got curious, and thought I better share.

Cheers,
Marc

Intersting coincidence that the Hardback weighs exactly the same as the wifi iPad. Not that it counts for any difference for most probably. I personally don't find the iPad heavy, and its shape feels to me more comfortable, less awkward, than your average hardback, or the average pbook for that matter. I thought I'd read in landscape, but turns out I prefer portrait.

Mind you, saying this, particularly about the weight, I come from an Irex Iliad, with big leather folder, and so my only point of ereader comparison is fairly similar in weight and less (for me) comfortable. Your mileage, as they say, may vary, and, it appears, does.

Cheers,
Marc

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07-21-2010, 07:07 PM	#31
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	Personally, the thing that surprised me with the ipad was the weight compared with the size of it and given that the battery will need to be big, it does tend to imply the back of it might not have been the smartest option. I don't find the weight to be an issue when using it in general and if I am reading a book or a comic lying down then it is obviously zero issue then, but when I am out and about I still find the more compact size and lower weight of my sony to be far more convenient. Interestingly for me, I think the biggest threat to my sony would now be a kindle, I tend to use Stanza on the ipad (dropbox for adding new books) and read something else on the sony, but having the same book synching across my phone, ipad and ereader would be quite tempting for future purchases and given the general idiocy that has happened to the previously ideal epub situation.

07-21-2010, 07:07 PM	#32
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	Since an opened books will spread the weight more than an iPad I think it is easier to hold a book with the same weight. I tested with a hardcover book and holding it without opening it and it was rather inconvenient and felt much heavier than when holding it opened.

07-21-2010, 07:15 PM	#34
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	It seemed to me that the point of that article wasn't to specifically find ones that were heavier or lighter, merely to show where an ipad fits in comparison. Anyway, given the ipad can be used for those various functions and has been compared with them to give an alternative and more interesting perspective than yet another comparison of ereaders that has been done many times before, although including at least one ereader would have seemed like a sensible addition to the comparisons.

07-21-2010, 07:21 PM	#35
scottjl Reader of Books Posts: 1,632 Karma: 2697 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: none	why are people complaining? the iPad is a lot lighter than a stone tablet!

07-21-2010, 07:31 PM	#36
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	Those have much better battery life though.

07-22-2010, 02:35 AM	#38
Mercury Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 164 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: London, UK Device: Sony 505, iPad	I always hated reading hardbacks and could never understand how people could be willing to pay more for them, it has got to the point that I refuse to buy hardbacks at all, even if they are 10p in the charity shop. Because of my unwillingness to hold something heavy while reading, which Includes larger paperbacks now that I have been using my 505 for the past few years, I though the pad would not get much use on the bus and tube, instead being reserved for lying on the sofa or in bed. It hasn't happened that way at all. I think when you try holding it in the shop there are so many security tags attached that not only does it feel heavy it also feels unbalanced and unwieldy. When you get it home and realize how stable it is, it's a much more pleasurable reading experience. You just need to remember to put the screen lock on, when reading on the bus - when the driver takes a corner a little too fast the screen always spins to landscape mode.

07-22-2010, 09:06 AM	#41
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	Yep, I think I saw some mounting rigs for cars somewhere. Reading in the car, ok. Reading while driving, I think for me it's a no go. But maybe an audio book. Ok, I could also use my mp3 player for that

07-22-2010, 02:27 PM	#42
sunnysmiles Addict Posts: 279 Karma: 1188010 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Device: I pad air, kindle pw2 and kindle touch , kindle had fire Nook pad nook	I would be frightened of reading my ipad on the bus or the tube . I usually use my Sony or Iriver for that . Im planning to take mine with me to Egypt in September . Im hoping to be able to find a 3G card in Egypt .

07-22-2010, 06:07 PM	#43
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,934 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	The iPad is too heavy to hold -- which is why I don't hold it up in the air when I'm reading. It rests on my lap or belly with one finger holding it up. It took me about a weak to get comfortable with my iPad. I've read about 20 books on it so far...it's replaced my iphone as my preferred reader. Lee

07-23-2010, 02:26 AM	#44
ChristopherTD Addict Posts: 343 Karma: 1010002 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: London. UK Device: Marvin Reader on iPad Air (via Calibre)	I have used mine on train and tube in London and observed a number of others doing the same as well. Most seem to be reading rather than using other more "active" apps. If the tube is too crowded though there is no room to read on iPad.

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