[nikkie]

I've got a question...

IF the iPad had been announced to be shipping with a PixelQi screen, would you have been all over it?

Based on the typical complaints I've heard on this forum about ereader devices, the iPad seems to do pretty well:

* Many usable ebook stores/apps (Kobo, B&N, Kindle, etc)
* Multi-touch interface (pogo pen as stylus if wanted)
* Bluetooth (for keyboard, etc)
* Price compared to devices with similarly sized screens (*cough* Que)
* Software polish in comparison to other device firmware (based upon existing firmware quality on iPhone, of which the iPad firmware is just a newer version)
* Rendering time for page flipping (nominally nil)
* Fully functional SDK with fantastic UI toolkit
* Processor speed
* OS capabilities

If so, doesn't that mean that your only objection to this device is the LED screen? Since many of us prefer or have little objection to a lit screen (we read in dim light or the dark, in bed), how does that make the iPad not a very nifty device?

It seems pretty safe to say that the capabilities of this device (other than the screen being LED and not PixelQi) will trounce the other large format readers on the market. We can't compare this device to other eInk devices on the market fairly, they COULDN'T have firmware or an OS of this quality due to hardware screen refresh restrictions. And let's face it - the firmware quality of a device is hugely important in determining your reading experience on that device.

If your complaint is about battery life, for a device this size and with a color screen, 10 hours is phenomenal.

So, while the iPad may not be for you, as I imagine you don't like this device because of the idea of reading on an LED screen, please respect the other forumites who have decided that a backlit screen isn't a problem to them.

Thanks!!