Classic Anybody waiting for Apple?

[madmak]

I canceled my Feb 12 Nook order. Not that the ipad blew me over, it didnt. But it did raise enough doubts that I thought prudent to wait a few months and let the market pan itself out.

To present my rationale, a little bit about my reading habits. I do all my reading on my computer and been doing that for the last 10 years now. I have a very short attention span and usually i love reading books on my laptop so that I can get in and out quickly (check email, chat, do some work, etc). I know this is contrary to the way most folks here like to read books but that's the way I am.

I considered a ebook reader primary for the form factor more so than the e-INK screen. i wanted something lighter and easier to handle than my 6.5 pound laptop. I was impressed by Nook hardware and it seemed so big in the pictures that I was disappointed when I saw it in store - the 6" screen seemed too small compared to my laptop screen (remember I am coming from reading on a laptop, not a paperback book).

the ipad, though technically not an ereader, has lot to offer to people like me who are not dedicated book readers or have short attention spans (sadly I am no longer in the minority with the next generation rivaling if not surpassing me). The price point is also very appealing.

That said, I exchanged a lot of my airline miles for $250 of BN gift cards. So it is likely I will have to buy a Nook at some point. I am hoping that the ipad will shake the market enough that most ebook readers will reduce price point and spurn innovation.

[dharh]

Here's my 2 cents as well.

The nook seems like a really interesting device. A cool color touch screen at the bottom to seems like it could be used for alot of cool stuff. I look forward to possibly taking notes with the nook using a keyboard on the color pad, viewing and navigating book/album covers. The e-ink screen of course will be ideal for viewing in the daylight.

I also have some reservations about the Nook. I've heard a couple stories of buggy Nooks (formatting issues, touch screen swipe issues, etc) and having to jump through hoops to get it working at all sometimes (having to wipe the nook, unregister the device, etc). I've also heard that sometimes e-books you buy are still in the pdb format. The primary reason I was going with the Nook over Kindle (aside from being a longtime B&N buyer) is that it uses e-pub.

Like madmak I do alot of reading in front of my computer. In fact when i'm not binge reading traditional books I spend every waking moment in front of my computer for weeks at a time (i'm a programmer). So the screen of the iPad will not bother me at all in terms of the reading. I've always wanted to read in the dark in bed, which makes the iPad screen ideal. The size of the screen of course beats any e-reader i've seen hands down. And of course it will be able to do lots of other stuff some useful for me some not so much.

The biggest drawback of course is the closed nature of Apple. I would buy day one if it were a completely open platform. Can you imagine being able to use it in place of a mouse? Or using it as a second screen for any PC/Mac you have admin access to? Instead, as many have put it, its essentially a large iPod Touch (which could be seen as a plus).

Bottom line, I will buy both an iPad and a Nook. I will probably wait until the second version of the iPad (which will hopefully get a camera and maybe at least one built in usb port). I doubt they will lower the price below $499 since Apple usually instead adds more features to keep their products worth the price (of course they don't always do that aka iPhone/iTouch). I will order the Nook Feb 1st and hopefully as the B&N site sais it will ship Feb 12. As much as i'm ok with reading on my computer, I would rather read in bed before I go to sleep, and I refuse to use my netbook for that.

[AZMerf]

Originally Posted by madmak

The ipad, though technically not an ereader, has lot to offer to people like me who are not dedicated book readers or have short attention spans (sadly I am no longer in the minority with the next generation rivaling if not surpassing me). The price point is also very appealing.

The iPad sounds like a much better device for you. Funny, I have the same rationale but I came to the opposite conclusion which is why I am going with the nook. When I use my computer to read, I find my mind wandering and wanting to check email, the web, etc. I am hoping this will be a much more focused experience. Although, coming from the computer, I think I am going to find the nook much more cumbersome and frustrating when reading because of the klugy way the dictionary works, etc. The iPad will work way more intuitively.

However, I didn't like the fact that it didn't come with the camera and I remember the second generation iPhone was way better than the first. I will probably also buy an iPad at some point but this is a cheaper way to get into the market and see what shakes out.