ipad 1 vs ipad 2 or xoom?

[canvas101]

Hi,
I'm thinking about buying a large device to read some pdf/djvu textbooks and academic papers. I have no intention to "take pictures" or play games or anything else other than reading on a tablet. So Android or iOS is not really my concern. So I'd like to ask how much better does ipad 2 or xoom comparing to ipad 1 in term of reading heavy pdf/djvu textbooks? Thank you.

[HarryT]

The iPad 2 will render pages rather faster, and it's a little lighter, but for PDFs there's really very little in it. The iPad with the "Goodreader" app is absolutely superb for reading and annotating PDFs.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The iPad 2 will render pages rather faster, and it's a little lighter, but for PDFs there's really very little in it. The iPad with the "Goodreader" app is absolutely superb for reading and annotating PDFs.

True but with the minimal price difference ($299 for refurb iPad Wi-Fi 16GB vs $349 for refurb iPad 2 Wi-Fi 16GB), it makes more sense to go with the iPad 2. Even if you don't take the faster CPU into consideration, the iPad 2 has twice the memory as the original iPad (512MB vs 256MB). I reckon the extra memory would help when dealing with large PDF's. I only have an iPad 2 but I can tell you that I get a lot more app crashes on my iPod Touch (256MB RAM) than on my iPhone 4 (512MB RAM) due to memory running out. Both the iPod and iPhone have the same CPU.

Not sure how much you can get the Xoom for but for right now, iOS is just a more mature platform for tablets.

[HarryT]

Yes, I completely agree.

[monkeyluis]

iPad 2

[K. Molen]

I know you didn't mention it as an option, but the new iPad has much better resolution than the first two iPads, and would probably give you a nicer reading experience.

For comparison:

http://www.apple.com/ca/ipad/compare/

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

iPad 2

1+

Agree!

I would like to add, the app or software that handles PDFs on iOS, looks more mature and fluid to me. Talking about GoodReader vs similar Android options like RepliGo.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by K. Molen

I know you didn't mention it as an option, but the new iPad has much better resolution than the first two iPads, and would probably give you a nicer reading experience.

For comparison:

http://www.apple.com/ca/ipad/compare/

True, but is heavier than iPad 2 and more expensive than an iPad 2 16Gb wifi model, for instance.

I guess is that to OP to decide if the extra price tag and resolution worth the investment.

The Xoom improved a bit after several months of firmware upgrades but it feels to bulky to me. I also believe iPad colors are more vivid and bright, but that's my personal opinion.

[VaporPunk]

To give you a non-Apple (not that there's anything wrong with them, don't wanna start a flame war) option, take a look at this -
http://www.amazon.com/Pan-TC-970-9-7...m_cr_pr_sims_t

Certainly not Ipad quality but a helluva lot cheaper and more than powerful enough to handle PDF files and the like. Good luck in your search!

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

To give you a non-Apple (not that there's anything wrong with them, don't wanna start a flame war) option, take a look at this -
http://www.amazon.com/Pan-TC-970-9-7...m_cr_pr_sims_t

Certainly not Ipad quality but a helluva lot cheaper and more than powerful enough to handle PDF files and the like. Good luck in your search!

Wouldn't really go lower than Honeycomb on an Android tablet but that's just me.

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Wouldn't really go lower than Honeycomb on an Android tablet but that's just me.

Normally I'd agree with you, but it will only be used to read pdf/djvu files. Even this is overkill, if ya ask me.