iPad Can the iPad replace ebook readers?

[ColdSun]

I don't think the question should be will the iPad replace eBook Readers - it should be: Will the iPad force eBook devices to evolve in order to compete? The answer would be yes (proof can be seen in the newer eInk devices with combined screens and also the lower prices)!

iPad changes the whole game. In two days time we added thousands upon thousands of possible new ebook readers to the market (users). The device supports more DRM formats than anything other than a netbook and is a bit more portable. You can read comics, listen to music, surf the web, and watch movies. Now remember the introductory price of the very first Kindle model. People were willing to spend $400 or more for that thing and all it did was offer reading content! Although we had other readers on the market (Sony for example) it revolutionized things because the Kindle Store itself - not because it was the best device. Much like the iPod revolutionized how many of us buy music. The iPad takes portable entertainment a step further, in what many users will say is just about the right size (that is debatable). Kindle made it easy to buy books and read them. iPad makes it easy to buy books, read comics, watch movies, and listen to music.

Is it the perfect device? NO. I would do many things different, and we have talked them all to death on this forum I think. On the other hand, it will be a huge success and all of us will benefit greatly from that. Those of us who want iPads will love them for what it brings to the table. Those of us who don't want one will benefit by the eBook market opening up in a big way and offering more titles and competive pricing on devices from other companies that offer the same or better features.

It is a win-win for all us of and even if we hate Apple and the iPad all we do is benefit from its popularity. This will be a great year for those of us that are MobileRead-ers.

Note: The whole eye strain thing in favor of eInk readers is debatable at best. There are many studies on both sides that claim one thing or another, but the bottom line is that most of us use LCD devices every day, and are likely using one right now. The arguable benefit of eInk is the battery life. That is an undeniable fact. Eye strain? Just a marketing ploy if you ask me. I've been using computers most of my 43 years on this planet and my eyes are as good as the first day I could remember using them.

[eSach]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Note: ..., but the bottom line is that most of us use LCD devices every day, and are likely using one right now. The arguable benefit of eInk is the battery life. That is an undeniable fact. Eye strain? Just a marketing ploy if you ask me. ...

I am using computer with LCD screen 8-12h every day for many years, but can not read on LCD screen for more then 15', so if I have to read long emails or articles ... I always print them out and read on papers. And it is not just me , many of my colleagues have the same eye-strain problem.

I envy some of my friends, who do not have eye-strain problem, reading long novel on LCD screen.

E-ink screen is not a perfect replacement of paper but it offers a compromise between paper and LCD screen.

I did test iPad screen and found it causes the same eye-strain as my office LCD.

Bottom line there are different tastes, different needs; iPad is not one-size fits all e-Reader.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

,Note: The whole eye strain thing in favor of eInk readers is debatable at best. There are many studies on both sides that claim one thing or another, but the bottom line is that most of us use LCD devices every day, and are likely using one right now. The arguable benefit of eInk is the battery life. That is an undeniable fact. Eye strain? Just a marketing ploy if you ask me. I've been using computers most of my 43 years on this planet and my eyes are as good as the first day I could remember using them.

The eye strain thing is real, but it is mainly due to improper adjustment rather than backlight from what I've read. It is simply easier to deal with eInk by adjusting the ambient light than it is to figure out the best backlight setup. People know how to adjust for reflective light, but not projected light.

Incidentally, for those who have remarked on the lack of white on black in the iBook reader, go to System>General>Accessibility & you can set up the Home button to toggle black/white.

[tommyleeh]

I think the iPad (typing from one now sitting on the couch in front of the tv) isn't going to kill eink reader but it will definitely back it into an even smaller niche

I also own a nook and an irex800 (recently went through an ereader buying binge trying to find one at fits my needs) - so I've had a good try with the various technologies.

For anything with pictures (ie magazines, newspapers, technical/scientific PDFs) the iPad rules. Big time. Being able to load up even graphics-rich PDFs and fly around them effortlessly is NICE. The annotation ability that is so coveted by most scientific types is provided in style by iannotate PDF. Its not perfect, but it will let you highlight, scribble, enter notes, etc. All things that other ereaders can only dream of - I know because I own other ereaders and dreamt of it!

Where I still like eink ereaders is for the precise reason they were originally conceived - to read books. I think that eink (when there is lighting) is the easiest display to read. And that for enjoying a novel in bed or on the plane or wherever, eink is the way to go.

Now that I've purchased an iPad, i think i will keep an ereader for book reading (I'm leaning towards ditching the irex - anyone want to buy one?).

T.

[ColdSun]

Originally Posted by Harmon

The eye strain thing is real,

Only in the case when saying anything you are looking at is going to cause eye strain, including eInk. I agree with you that a brighter backlight can increase eye strain, but as I mentioned, any decent LCD reader has brightness adjustments and after that there is no more eye strain than using an eInk device. The whole thing is more of a marketing strategy.

Originally Posted by ColdSun

Only in the case when saying anything you are looking at is going to cause eye strain, including eInk. I agree with you that a brighter backlight can increase eye strain, but as I mentioned, any decent LCD reader has brightness adjustments and after that there is no more eye strain than using an eInk device. The whole thing is more of a marketing strategy.

People tend to confuse sensitivity to bright light with eye strain which has to do with the eye muscles. So if they stare at a bright monitor and feel discomfort they think they have eye strain. But, interestingly, if they were to glance at the sun and feel discomfort they wouldn't call it eye strain at all. Marketing ploy is right.

[Fat Abe]

Do certain display types cause eyestrain? The answer is here:

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...se-eye-strain/

Yes and no. It's not just the display quality, which some try to characterize in terms of contrast ratio and dot pitch. It can also be the way that fonts are rendered and pages are flowed. Right now, the epub documents look acceptable on the iPad. The pdf files are a tossup. Safari is the best pdf reader, but it is essentially limited to files you can browse. You cannot, afaik, shove in a url like file:///hamlet.pdf. Apple, in their finite wisdom, created all sorts of barriers between applications. Although it can pull in big external pdf files, Goodreader does not seem to have sophisticated flow control. The game is still early, and maybe someone will goad the Apple developers to improve the pdf readers. For novels in pdf form, I'm sticking to the e-ink eReaders until the iPad gives me something more reasonable.

[EowynCarter]

Not for me.
I read lots in train, and that sometimes means full daylight on the screen, so anything but e-ink will not be readable.
And even if I buy a tablet, i don't see myself carrying it everyday.

[Graham]

Well it looks like a lot of people are going to try it out as an eReader:

From: http://www.fin24.com/articles/defaul...8-1783_2578509

The Cupertino, California-based company also said iPad users downloaded more than one million applications at Apple's App Store during the first day and over 250 000 electronic books from Apple's iBookstore.

It doesn't say whether those are purchased books or if it includes free samples, but that's a lot of reading!

Graham

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by Graham

It doesn't say whether those are purchased books or if it includes free samples, but that's a lot of reading!

It works out as less than one book per ipad though, so not huge numbers.

Personally, I think some people need to calm down with labels, people preferring the portability, battery life and screen style of your typical e-ink reader does not in any way make them an e-ink fanatic, it simply means they are not blindly following any hype and are making their own decisions.

[Over]

Originally Posted by Graham

Well it looks like a lot of people are going to try it out as an eReader:

From: http://www.fin24.com/articles/defaul...8-1783_2578509



It doesn't say whether those are purchased books or if it includes free samples, but that's a lot of reading!

Graham

You assume purchase=reading. I bet most of those downloads were made by new users who are exploring their iPad's features and wanted to try an ebook.

Let's see how many of those will indeed keep buying and reading iBooks.

[searcher]

iPad Can the iPad replace ebook readers?

iPad can't replace anything. it's totally useless device without multitasking, flash support, usb support and glared lcd screen that hurt your eyes.

[stustaff]

Originally Posted by searcher

iPad can't replace anything. it's totally useless device without multitasking, flash support, usb support and glared lcd screen that hurt your eyes.

dude not only are you wrong your getting a bit silly

firstly it WILL replace my 505.

secondly consider that my 505 and most readers dont have USB or flash support nor can they multitask!
so why would that be an issue for replacing an ereader?

your left with a glared screen... well that certainly doesnt bother me or hurt my eyes so the answer is Yes it can replace ereaders...for SOME people.

[scottjl]

Replaced my 600!

Multitasking, being announced Thursday. Flash, bah, don't need it. USB, pick up the reader dongle. Don't like the shiny screen, pick up one of the many available films to cover it.

[searcher]

Originally Posted by stustaff

firstly it WILL replace my 505.

Temporally yes, but after a week 505 will replace ipad again as your favorite ebook reader.