Anyone have Kindle for iPhone and for Android for comparison?

I'm considering rooting, but I don't know if it is really worth all the effort and headaches just for a few useful apps that were really designed for use on tiny smartphone screens. I don't play games, don't do the social networking (I prefer face to face meeting), and would only care for apps that actually worked on a tablet and gave me (1) reading options beyond the NC's native app and (2) office suite apps that are not toy-like.

One reason I might consider rooting would be to have the Kindle app as I have a lot of Kindle books. However, it occurs to me that it is probably easier to strip their DRM and convert them to ePub than to root. However, being open minded I was wondering just how good the Kindle for Android app really is. I read a few reviews that seemed overly inflated, including one wherein the guy stated the app was as good as a Kindle. I assume the guy doesn't own a Kindle and was full of you know what. I have owned a Kindle 3 (gifted it to my sister for Xmas) and I do have the Kindle for iPhone app. But I don't have a way to use the Kindle for Android app unless I root my NC.

So do any of you have both the latest Kindle for iPhone and Kindle for Android apps, and can you give a comparison of the features?

Based on the Kindle for iPhone app, I suspect it is rather lackluster. Here is a short look at what you get with it:

The Kindle for iPhone app only has the following two formatting options:

• 5 font sizes
• 3 Text/Background Color themes

Kindle for iPhone does NOT have any of the following formatting options:

• Font choice options
• Margins options
• Line spacing options

I think you can see why I'm very skeptical that the Kindle for Android app will in any way compare to the NC standard app or the actual Kindle as far as functionality and formatting options go. After all, the Nook apps (for Windows and iPhone) are rather lackluster. I hope I'm wrong, but I cannot imaging that Amazon would turn out a lackluster iPhone app and make the Android app many times better.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I'm considering rooting...

[SCION]

Kindle for Android is underwhelming. Change font size, choose White, Sepia, or Black background, in app brightness setting. That's it.

B&N's apps are full-featured. Line spacing, Margin adjustment, notes, highlights. Yes, the Kindle app has notes and highlights, and dictionary/Wikipedia.

Originally Posted by SCION

Kindle for Android is underwhelming. Change font size, choose White, Sepia, or Black background, in app brightness setting. That's it.

B&N's apps are full-featured. Line spacing, Margin adjustment, notes, highlights. Yes, the Kindle app has notes and highlights, and dictionary/Wikipedia.

Thanks SCION! I was afraid of that. It sounds like the Android and iPhone Kindle apps are functionally similar as far as formatting options, or lack thereof.

I still might root if I ever get the nerve up to mess with it. I definitely have the tech sense, just not the patience! Plus, with the other two Android tablets I had (though briefly) I was greatly underwhelmed by the apps designed more for small screened phones than for tablets. I'm equally underwhelmed by iphone apps, BTW. Android and iPhone apps just seem so toy-like. I think they are probably fine for those who like gaming and multimedia, but I'm more utilitarian and want apps that will help me get my work done or aid in my hobbies.

[SCION]

Originally Posted by jswinden

...I'm more utilitarian and want apps that will help me get my work done or aid in my hobbies.

That's a reasonable expectation. I know you're waiting on a Windows 7 tablet. I'm pining for an OS X one. When the iPad was "unveiled", it was a let down for me.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I'm considering rooting, but I don't know if it is really worth all the effort and headaches just for a few useful apps that were really designed for use on tiny smartphone screens. I don't play games, don't do the social networking (I prefer face to face meeting), and would only care for apps that actually worked on a tablet and gave me (1) reading options beyond the NC's native app and (2) office suite apps that are not toy-like.

One reason I might consider rooting would be to have the Kindle app as I have a lot of Kindle books. However, it occurs to me that it is probably easier to strip their DRM and convert them to ePub than to root. However, being open minded I was wondering just how good the Kindle for Android app really is. I read a few reviews that seemed overly inflated, including one wherein the guy stated the app was as good as a Kindle. I assume the guy doesn't own a Kindle and was full of you know what. I have owned a Kindle 3 (gifted it to my sister for Xmas) and I do have the Kindle for iPhone app. But I don't have a way to use the Kindle for Android app unless I root my NC.

So do any of you have both the latest Kindle for iPhone and Kindle for Android apps, and can you give a comparison of the features?

Based on the Kindle for iPhone app, I suspect it is rather lackluster. Here is a short look at what you get with it:

The Kindle for iPhone app only has the following two formatting options:

• 5 font sizes
• 3 Text/Background Color themes

Kindle for iPhone does NOT have any of the following formatting options:

• Font choice options
• Margins options
• Line spacing options

I think you can see why I'm very skeptical that the Kindle for Android app will in any way compare to the NC standard app or the actual Kindle as far as functionality and formatting options go. After all, the Nook apps (for Windows and iPhone) are rather lackluster. I hope I'm wrong, but I cannot imaging that Amazon would turn out a lackluster iPhone app and make the Android app many times better.

The Kindle app came preloaded on my Droid X and I tested out it for comparison reasons against the nook app. It was a slaughter, I agree the kindle app is rather plain jane, it's really nothing special. the nook app is far and away better.
Unless you are a kindle owner and have a bunch of books in your kindle library you don't want to lose, then there really isn't any reason to get the kindle app.
It doesn't stink, but it's really nothing special at all. The nook app is IMHO by FAR the overall better app.

so if stripping is easier I say go that route.

[slayda]

None of the kindle apps are as full featured as the real kindle (and I'm comparing them to the Kindle 1).

Scion. You might want to look at this Android Tablet. I should have mine by lat January or early February. It's being done by a startup company in India but IMO looks very good. Maybe the PR is not as polished as Apple's but I believe that the HW & SW will be superior. Marketing may be their biggest hurdle.

If you want to see all the 'home quality' videos they have on their BLOG, I'm accumulating links to them here. Otherwise they're spread out over several entries on their BLOG.

[gtriever]

What carrier is the 3G going to be tied to?

Edit: Never mind; with a sim card, and 3G HSPA, looks like AT&T or T-Mobile will be the carriers in the US.

[sbtx99]

So far, the main difference I've found between the Kindle for iPhone and Android apps is that the android app supports side-loaded content and recently added in app purchasing.

The Kindle app is pretty much the only reading app I use on my Android phone. But then I only use Android reading apps when I'm away from home, so I've gotten to the point where I don't really care how feature-rich an app is. Syncing across devices and/or having a "go to" page or location feature is more important to me than the number of font choices or background colors. Font choices are nice, but I don't spend a lot of time reading on my phone, so I'd rather have an easy way to find my spot in a book so I don't have to waste time searching for my reading location. In that regard, the Kindle app works best for me.

I wouldn't use the app as a primary reader, but it works fine for on-the-go access to my books and for not having to waste time converting from one format to another. And the Kindle for Android app has been relatively error free. Unlike the Nook for Android app, which I wanted to use for reading side-loaded epubs on my phone, since its page numbering matches the page numbering on my Sony reader. But I gave up on the Nook app due to annoying server connection errors and how poorly it handles side-loaded content.

[sbtx99]

Originally Posted by boswd

I agree the kindle app is rather plain jane, it's really nothing special. the nook app is far and away better.

I'd rather have a plain-jane app that works well over one that starts throwing errors when your credit card expires or when it can't validate your credit card for some reason. I had an expired credit card on my Amazon account for months and never had a problem downloading previously purchased content to the Kindle app on my phone (ETA: or purchasing free content or using a gift card balance to purchase content). And it never gave problems syncing across devices. The nook apps with an expired credit card on my B&N account, not so pretty.

[=X=]

The short answer is yes it's worth it, because it gives you the flexibility to install apps that make the experience much better.

You asked several questions I'll try to address them.

Kindle 4 Android vs nook

Personally I think these clients are on par with each other. They offer the core features needed to be useful. Search, dictionary(nook is better), notes, highlight, bookmarks, Goto page/Goto location, and table of contents.

The nook however has margins, fonts, and line spacing, but they are predefined to three and rather useless for me. Only the font selection is a real feature. The kindle default values are more to my liking(no margins and single line space). But I'd image it would be hell for those who don't like those settings.

Kindle 4 Android (K4A) vs Kindle 2 (K2)

I have the K2 and would say the K4A is a better experience for me(software wise). The only thing the K2 offers over the K4A is TTS and margin control. A side from that they offer the same functionality, but the K4A is designed for a touch screen which makes interacting with the software much easier. Adding notes, highlights and page turning are much easier and have less ware on the device.


K4A vs nook vs Other android apps

Here is where the nook and K4A fall on their face. There are some really nice reading software that exist on the android platform that are far better than the nook and K4A. They offer true magin control, font selection, line width, paragrah indentation, etc... In addition to TTS.

Moon+ Pro is my choice of reader when I'm not using the K4A and is by far the best. My reason for using the K4A is like you I have a lot of books and read on different devices like my smartphone and Kindle. Whispersync really makes sync between devices a breeze. Also I understand Kindle(MOBI) annotation system and it is easy for my to transfer my highlights, notes between devices.

As far as the nook rooting experience.
It is no where near as good as a polished tablet experience, there is missing core software and missing standardize functionality that B&N has removed to give their flavor If your goal is to be productive with the nook you will be greatly disappointed.

However rooting the nook has allowed me to install Moon+, ezPDF, and Kindle. Moon+ and ezPDF are light years ahead of the default apps. This has made the nook color a great reading experience. I've also updated the browser to dolphin and browsing is awesome and installed K9 the best mail client on the Android platform.


=X=