[rwsimon]

As someone who has used a Sony Reader for 3 years, I am in a pretty good position to compare it to the iPad, which I've had for a little over a week.

The short version is that, all things considered, the iPad is a far more sophisticated and capable device (although as a caveat, in terms of features, I only have a PRS-500 to compare and not the latest models). It's nice having a built-in dictionary, the ability to copy text from books into other programs, etc.

With respect to the display, I am not finding any problems with eyestrain or such due to the backlighting. I generally do turn down the brightness under most reading conditions. I am sure that this aspect is quite personal in nature; people will have to see for themselves how the display works for them.

There is definitely a tradeoff with respect to LCD vs. E-ink. The Sony works great in the sun; the iPad is no good in direct sunshine. On the other hand, the Sony is useless in dim light while the iPad is great. So it boils down to where you tend to do your reading.

Although I have read a couple of hundred books on the Reader, I am not someone who worries about fonts and margins and the like, so I have no sensitivity to the discussions here about the capabilities of the current software. Certainly the ePub implemented on the iPad blows away what is available on my Sony. But once again, I'm sure there are people with specific needs that can only be met by one device or the other.

So, while I am not ditching my Sonys quite yet, I am not sure how much use I will be making of them going forward. Since I just got $20 in Sony eBooks credit for having my Readers re-upgraded to fix the battery life problem, I will at least be reading a few new books on the device.

Finally, with regard to the tiresome discussions of Apple that show up on every online forum, they just seem to be unavoidable. Some people love Apple products and some people don't, just as is the case for any product. What is unusual is the need for some people who don't like Apple products to badger people about it. I haven't looked but I doubt that the Kindle forums are full of Sony people attacking Amazon, or the Sony forum full of Nook people attacking Sony, or what have you. This forum is presumably for people who (misguided or not) have chosen an Apple device for their electronic reading. It would be nice if those who make other choices would not take up so much of this forum berating Apple owners. I believe there are forums for "which e-reader should I buy?". Those would be great places to rant and rave about the evils of Apple, if one is predisposed to do so.

Anyway, happy reading!