iPad What will iPad do for e-books?

[Fringecup]

"I suspect the iPad has some potential to transform the periodical industry. Newspapers are pretty hopeless on the Kindle, but look as though they will be considerably better on the iPad."

I agree with this comment and, while I think that this first version of the Ipad is a bit too bulky for many folks, I'm hoping that it will, as someone else commented, make it easy for occasional readers to begin to get the feel of an ereader. Someone else mentioned the need for a flexible version that would be easier to carry around, and when that happens (with color), things should break open for those who want to read periodicals on these devices.

Hopefully, having Apple in the market will push other manufacturers to improve their devices and to lower their prices. I paid $580.Cn in December for my Sony 600, and, while I love it, it was a stretch for me to get it It sure would have been nice to at least get color for that price! Mind you, part of that cost was the $75. for the cover (!), which I needed as I read in bed a lot with my dog beside me, and he has big claws which would make short work of that screen if he stepped on it! The hard cover protects it wonderfully!

[tomsem]

It is clearly a good portable reading device for magazines and newspapers 0 - though smallish for that purpose (smaller than Kindle DX for example). At least it's easy to pan/zoom with the touchscreen.

[Daithi]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

If it glows, it blows.

That is a great line.

I don't want a backlit screen, but given a choice between a $489 Kindle DX and a $499 iPad, I think most people will choose the iPad. I still think eInk is better as an eReader, but I also think most people, especially those that haven't used an eInk device, will figure that the iPad is good enough as an eReader, and it offers features not available on a Kindle. Plus, it's shiny, cool, and from Apple. Hopefully the Kindle Mirasol will be out by the end of the year.

One thing I did like was the fact that the iPad will use ePub, and I hope this puts some pressure on Amazon to start supporting ePub (is a dropcap too much to ask for?).

However, I'm also afraid that the introduction of the iPad will cause ebook prices to rise. Amazon is selling books at $9.99 but Apple is going to sell them at typically $12.99 and $14.99. My fear is that the publishers will withhold their ebooks from Amazon unless Amazon agrees to Apple's pricing structure.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by Daithi

That is a great line.

I don't want a backlit screen, but given a choice between a $489 Kindle DX and a $499 iPad, I think most people will choose the iPad. I still think eInk is better as an eReader, but I also think most people, especially those that haven't used an eInk device, will figure that the iPad is good enough as an eReader, and it offers features not available on a Kindle.

The fact of the matter is that it will be good enough as an e-reader for most people.

Most people aren't avid readers like most of the regular posters on here who read for hours on end regularly.

For someone that seldom reads for more than 30-60 minutes at a time (if even that much a day), the eyestrain reduction benefit of e-ink (or real paper) becomes pretty much moot.

And the ability to surf the the net ,watch movies, play games, listen to music and all the other stuff that the average Joe and Jane does more than offset the potential eye strain while reading issue.

And in that LED screens are easier on they eyes the LCD (though still a huge gap from e-ink of course) and it's less of an issue. My new laptop and monitor in the office are LED, and they're definitely less tiring on the eyes than the LCD screens I had before on my old devices.

Personally, I'll keep my Kindle for novel reading where I do occasionally read for a few hours. But I'd love a stylus device for reading and marking up pdfs, reading magazines and news papers etc. which I do in shorter bursts. And of course for all the nifty multi media stuff as I'm much more into movies, music, video games, net goofing etc. than I am reading hobby wise.

[DawnFalcon]

Originally Posted by tomsem

I doubt very much Apple will disallow iTab applications that offer access to other bookstores. iBooks app doesn't even come with the device AFAICT.

If they take the same line as the iPhone? Yep, banned.

[DawnFalcon]

Never mind

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

And in that LED screens are easier on they eyes the LCD (though still a huge gap from e-ink of course) and it's less of an issue. My new laptop and monitor in the office are LED, and they're definitely less tiring on the eyes than the LCD screens I had before on my old devices.

Perhaps I have misunderstood the LED/LCD thing, since it has only come to my attention regarding HDTV sets, but my understanding is that the LED is only the back-light source, not the pixels.

If the LEDs are actually the pixels, then it would appear "back-lighting" is built in.

[Moejoe]

I rescind all my earlier predictions. This thing will do absolutely nothing for ebooks, not a single damned thing. I doubt it'll do anything for tablets either, or Apple. Too much sizzle and not enough steak

[DawnFalcon]

Two different technologies, eGeezer:

*LED, which means "backlit by LED's rather than CCFL"
*AMOLED, which is actually a (active-controlled) matrix of OLED pixels.

Confusing, yea.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by Moejoe

I rescind all my earlier predictions. This thing will do absolutely nothing for ebooks, not a single damned thing. I doubt it'll do anything for tablets either, or Apple. Too much sizzle and not enough steak

Bingo!

[LDBoblo]

Originally Posted by charleski

At 132dpi?????
That was never going to happen.

Worrying about the niceties of typographic colour seems irrelevant when you only have 14.6 pixels to display 8pt text.

The linear resolution is a problem, but at least at usable sizes, proper screen treatment for type can be used.

It will still not compare well to paper, but it will most certainly be better than anything on even 200ppi EPD.

Besides, it is not simply typographic nuance that I'm considering, but very basic typesetting which is so far ignored.

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by The Old Man

I agree with some of the posts.

It will popularize e-book reading.
It will spell the end of e-ink unless they can come up with color.

Maybe in the US. iBooks is only available in US of A ... Fail for me.
It will not spell the end of e-ink screens (IMO) so long as it's backlit and it has battery life <10 hrs.

Among other features that iPad doesn't have:

1. iBooks is initially US-only
2. No built-in camera
3. No USB ports
4. No memory card read
5. Keyboard dock sold separately
6. No multi-tasking
7. No Adobe Flash support
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music
10. Lacks HDMI port
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

12. No full GPS support

[EowynCarter]

It will spell the end of e-ink unless they can come up with color.

Nope.
Will do for "small" readers, but, peaple reading a lot will still have a need for e-paper. So epaper isn't about to die.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by m-reader

...
1. iBooks is initially US-only
2. No built-in camera
3. No USB ports
4. No memory card read
5. Keyboard dock sold separately
6. No multi-tasking
7. No Adobe Flash support
8. Can only run Apple-sanctioned apps
9. Can only access iTunes videos and music
10. Lacks HDMI port
11. Screen is 4:3 aspect ratio, not 16:9 widescreen

12. No full GPS support

LOL, and it's not a phone!

Did you have the same list for the Kindle, when it first came out?

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by Sonist

LOL, and it's not a phone!

Did you have the same list for the Kindle, when it first came out?

There are lots of things i don't expect an e-reader to do, and i expect a tablet to.
USB post, Full OS (I mean there Windows , linux, or MacOS), run music and video from dlna, run ANY video without re-encoding, copy-past my dvd on tablet, so i can left the dvd home.
HDMI, not a "must have", but a definitive selling point.