Kindle vs K4Roid

[Kumabjorn]

My K3 is closing in on its first anniversary. I enjoyed it so much that about 8 months ago I installed the Kindle Android app on my HTC Desire. I actually liked that as well so I got myself a ViewSonic WiewPad and installed the Android app on that as well. It might already have been done, and I'm too lazy to search for the specifics, so I just thought I'd write something about my experience.

The obvious drawback on the phone is the small screen. However, reading on the bus, especially during the Dark Ages between Nov and Feb the backlight is a boon for tired eyes in the wee hours of the morning. K4Roid eventually came with an added feature by which you can lock the screen in either landscape or portrait but the padlock icon is small and if unlucky it might require several attempts.

Once in a while you might accidentally flip two pages instead of one, this rarely happens on the K3 and when it does it is much more obvious, on the K4Roid you tend to read a line or two before realizing that you've missed a page. Interestingly, on the WiewSonic (a 7" tablet) it doesn't happen because the reverse is more common, i.e. you flip a page it comes into view but slides back so you haven't turned a page yet. I believe this is due to the protective film (but I do have the same film on the HTC Desire) somewhat reducing the sensitivity of the finger touching the screen.

Syncing is probably the worst hassle. You have to remember to back out of the book you are reading in order for the device to send the information back to Amazon. On the phone it is usually not a problem since it is on the grid all the time, but both the tablet and K3 don't have SIM cards so they will only sync when Wi-Fi is available, provided I remember to back out of the book. At times it has been so frustrating (and this is basically down to my own incompetence) that I've chosen to read different books on the different devices. And I do find that reading short stories or essays is a lot more convenient on the phone, I suppose a shorter story fits better with a smaller screen, not that there is a rational explanation for that.

The WiewPad is excellent in bed, again the backlit screen just makes it so much simpler, however it is significantly heavier the the K3, at the same time it is easier to hold. The only drawback is that if i squeeze it the soft keyboard might appear blocking half the text. I do have the Amazon lighted cover for the K3 but when I use that the weight difference to the ViewPad is insignificant.