iPad or the new Kindle?

Neil · 07-30-2010, 03:57 PM

I just posted an article over on http://www.joyofipad.com comparing all of Amazon's called-out features for the new Kindle to the iPad. Some surprising conclusions. The whole article is probably too long to post here entirely. But what I finally came up with is my feeling that one major aspect of all this seems to be that books and magazines are becoming more media intensive. If, in two years, you want to be reading the media of tomorrow on what you have purchased today then you really need to have the color screen, fast processor and responsive display drivers. But it will be interesting to see if that new Kindle does impact iPad sales at all!

latexsalesman · 07-30-2010, 05:14 PM

I have been reading on an iPad since it's release. I used to read on Sony readers, the 505 and 600 for the previous 2 years. I absolutely love my iPad but I am seriously considering picking up the wifi version of the kindle for my long reading sessions. I also find myself missing the intimacy of the 6" reader, along with the higher contrast of the text. Why am I such a gadget junkie???

I Want to be Your LatexSalesman!!!!

BookishMom · 07-30-2010, 06:06 PM

I have both, and enjoy both, but my choice for best ebook reader out of the two would definitely be the Kindle. It's much easier on my eyes (I read for long periods), and the battery life has me spoiled, I admit.

Latex, I don't think you'd regret your purchase of K3 for longer reading sessions.

carld · 07-30-2010, 06:16 PM

I'm waffling. I intended to get an iPad this fall, but the new Kindle looks really nice and the new browser with 3G is enticing. I'll probably wait until people get their hands on the new Kindle before I decide.

I saw a K2 for the first time today and the screen was a definite improvement over my K1, which makes me wonder just now nice the K3's screen will be in person.

Bremen Cole · 07-30-2010, 06:23 PM

I see them as having a slight impact on each others sales. But a wash in the end. They are two different things, and in general for two different markets. I think there is plenty of room for both in the marketplace.

Donnageddon · 07-30-2010, 06:32 PM

I think the iPad is a great ereader (among many other things), but for portability a 6" reader is hard to beat, and with Amazon's new price point and name recognition it will likely dominate the 6" reader market.

How will that effect iPad sales? Like Bremen stated above, not too much. I don't really think most people are buying the iPad strictly due to it's reader capability.

SirBC · 07-30-2010, 08:42 PM

I own both the ipad and the Kindle DX. I've tried but I just cannot read books on the ipad without quickly getting eye fatigue. The type is nowhere near as crisp and easy to read as on the kindle. For me, reading on my kindle is like reading a book and reading on my ipad is like reading on a fuzzy and low-rez computer monitor.

kathyfitz · 07-30-2010, 09:03 PM

I have both a Kindle and an iPad. I actually prefer reading on the iPad and haven't experienced any noticeable eye strain. I'm not going to give up on an eink device though, you can't read the iPad in the sun and you can't beat the battery life either. There are times when my iPad just isn't going to cut it.

My answer - both!

rblover · 07-30-2010, 09:41 PM

As I understand it, you can only download books for the iPad from the iTunes store. Is that wrong? If it is true, that seems too limiting for me. I'm not sure, though, as I am still researching such things.

kathyfitz · 07-30-2010, 09:54 PM

No, the iBook app will read any nonDRM epub. You just load it into iTunes as you would music and when you sync the device, you tell it to add all or some of the books. You can also get the Kindle app for the iPad as well as several other reader apps. It is actually quite versatile that way.

rblover · 07-30-2010, 10:50 PM

kathy - Thanks.

kathyfitz · 07-30-2010, 11:07 PM

You're welcome!

HarryT · 07-30-2010, 11:50 PM

With the iPad, you have access to all the books that the Kindle does via the iPad Kindle app, plus all the other things that the iPad can do. Of course, the K3 is sufficiently cheap that I'm sure many people will end up with both.

The Old Man · 07-31-2010, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

With the iPad, you have access to all the books that the Kindle does via the iPad Kindle app, plus all the other things that the iPad can do. Of course, the K3 is sufficiently cheap that I'm sure many people will end up with both.

Exactly! I just ordered the K3 wifi. What sold me was the size, the weight, battery life, price, and now both wife and I have readers.

Neil · 07-31-2010, 01:02 PM

I think I agree with those who say both are good to have. I have had a Kindle 2 since they came out and I still use it in situations where the iPad does not work well (mostly in outdoor, sunny settings). I think that the new price-point for Kindle entry will enable more people to have both. However, I do find myself disagreeing with some that the iPad is more subject to eyestrain? I know that the reflective e-ink is supposed to be easier to read than a screen. But on the iPad I find that I can adjust the brightness and the font size to a degree that, for me anyway, it actually becomes more readable than my Kindle. Certainly a subjective judgement though.

07-30-2010, 03:57 PM	#1
Neil Addict Posts: 240 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, Colorsoft	iPad or the new Kindle? I just posted an article over on http://www.joyofipad.com comparing all of Amazon's called-out features for the new Kindle to the iPad. Some surprising conclusions. The whole article is probably too long to post here entirely. But what I finally came up with is my feeling that one major aspect of all this seems to be that books and magazines are becoming more media intensive. If, in two years, you want to be reading the media of tomorrow on what you have purchased today then you really need to have the color screen, fast processor and responsive display drivers. But it will be interesting to see if that new Kindle does impact iPad sales at all!

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07-30-2010, 05:14 PM	#2
latexsalesman Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 124 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Lockport, NY Device: Pw2 @ Retina Mini	I have been reading on an iPad since it's release. I used to read on Sony readers, the 505 and 600 for the previous 2 years. I absolutely love my iPad but I am seriously considering picking up the wifi version of the kindle for my long reading sessions. I also find myself missing the intimacy of the 6" reader, along with the higher contrast of the text. Why am I such a gadget junkie??? I Want to be Your LatexSalesman!!!!

07-30-2010, 06:06 PM	#3
BookishMom Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 1038 Join Date: May 2009 Device: K1, K2, and iPad. :)	I have both, and enjoy both, but my choice for best ebook reader out of the two would definitely be the Kindle. It's much easier on my eyes (I read for long periods), and the battery life has me spoiled, I admit. Latex, I don't think you'd regret your purchase of K3 for longer reading sessions.

07-30-2010, 06:16 PM	#4
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I'm waffling. I intended to get an iPad this fall, but the new Kindle looks really nice and the new browser with 3G is enticing. I'll probably wait until people get their hands on the new Kindle before I decide. I saw a K2 for the first time today and the screen was a definite improvement over my K1, which makes me wonder just now nice the K3's screen will be in person.

07-30-2010, 06:23 PM	#5
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	I see them as having a slight impact on each others sales. But a wash in the end. They are two different things, and in general for two different markets. I think there is plenty of room for both in the marketplace.

07-30-2010, 06:32 PM	#6
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	I think the iPad is a great ereader (among many other things), but for portability a 6" reader is hard to beat, and with Amazon's new price point and name recognition it will likely dominate the 6" reader market. How will that effect iPad sales? Like Bremen stated above, not too much. I don't really think most people are buying the iPad strictly due to it's reader capability.

07-30-2010, 08:42 PM	#7
SirBC Connoisseur Posts: 56 Karma: 64 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle	I own both the ipad and the Kindle DX. I've tried but I just cannot read books on the ipad without quickly getting eye fatigue. The type is nowhere near as crisp and easy to read as on the kindle. For me, reading on my kindle is like reading a book and reading on my ipad is like reading on a fuzzy and low-rez computer monitor.

07-30-2010, 09:03 PM	#8
kathyfitz Electronics Whore Posts: 115 Karma: 162 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: The Mountains of Southern California Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone5, Kindle3	I have both a Kindle and an iPad. I actually prefer reading on the iPad and haven't experienced any noticeable eye strain. I'm not going to give up on an eink device though, you can't read the iPad in the sun and you can't beat the battery life either. There are times when my iPad just isn't going to cut it. My answer - both!

07-30-2010, 09:41 PM	#9
rblover Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 26 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none as yet	As I understand it, you can only download books for the iPad from the iTunes store. Is that wrong? If it is true, that seems too limiting for me. I'm not sure, though, as I am still researching such things.

07-30-2010, 09:54 PM	#10
kathyfitz Electronics Whore Posts: 115 Karma: 162 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: The Mountains of Southern California Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone5, Kindle3	No, the iBook app will read any nonDRM epub. You just load it into iTunes as you would music and when you sync the device, you tell it to add all or some of the books. You can also get the Kindle app for the iPad as well as several other reader apps. It is actually quite versatile that way.

07-30-2010, 10:50 PM	#11
rblover Connoisseur Posts: 50 Karma: 26 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: none as yet	kathy - Thanks.

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07-30-2010, 11:07 PM	#12
kathyfitz Electronics Whore Posts: 115 Karma: 162 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: The Mountains of Southern California Device: Kindle Paperwhite, iPad, iPad mini, iPhone5, Kindle3	You're welcome!

07-30-2010, 11:50 PM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	With the iPad, you have access to all the books that the Kindle does via the iPad Kindle app, plus all the other things that the iPad can do. Of course, the K3 is sufficiently cheap that I'm sure many people will end up with both.

07-31-2010, 01:02 PM	#15
Neil Addict Posts: 240 Karma: 10932816 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: iPad Mini 6, iPad Air, Kindles HD 8, HD 10, Oasis 3, Scribe, Colorsoft	I think I agree with those who say both are good to have. I have had a Kindle 2 since they came out and I still use it in situations where the iPad does not work well (mostly in outdoor, sunny settings). I think that the new price-point for Kindle entry will enable more people to have both. However, I do find myself disagreeing with some that the iPad is more subject to eyestrain? I know that the reflective e-ink is supposed to be easier to read than a screen. But on the iPad I find that I can adjust the brightness and the font size to a degree that, for me anyway, it actually becomes more readable than my Kindle. Certainly a subjective judgement though.