Apple iPad claims eReader advantage - Page 2

dmaul1114 · 02-28-2010, 03:01 PM

Yeah, the sole/main intention was definitely not to be an e-reader device. The e-book features were buried pretty far into the announcement press conference.

It's just one of many features on what's designed as an all purpose multi-media device. They spent more time on movies, games and apps than books from what I saw.

charleski · 02-28-2010, 03:24 PM

The one thing I want to see is how good Apple's reader application is:
Hyphenation?
Full justification with tracking adjustment?
Leading compensation for widow/orphan control?
Glyph substitution for ligatures, ellipses etc?
And, naturally, user-customisable fonts and formatting.
Apple is generally pretty slick with typography, and I'll be disappointed if they don't come up with something substantially better than Adobe's current ePub reader. The iPad is powerful enough to handle all this.

guyanonymous · 02-28-2010, 03:34 PM

Great point about typography!

It may or may not make a great e-reader. My only concerns with it, really, are the DRM and locking out of other vendors (e.g., their appz being able to purchase directly). These two factors may/may not (depending on how things pan out) affect the ebook business/world as a whole.

dmaul1114 · 02-28-2010, 03:41 PM

Well, as pointed out above, not being able to buy directly in app is not a big deal, since there's an easy work around already on the iPhone, with having the built in feature in the apps to jump the browser, buy something then jump to it in the app. As long as that stays in place, it's a non-issue really.

Johannes · 02-28-2010, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsvick

All things considered the only advantages the iPad has over other readers, and not even all of them is a larger screen size and the color screen. I agree with the article, it is essentially a bit iPod touch and holds zero appeal to me as a reader.

Other readers? The iPad is not just a reader. It's a giant iPod Touch (with about an 8-fold increase in screen area -- yes, size matters!). Compared to dedicated readers, the screen not only offers size and colors but also a refresh rate that makes it an effective multi-media device.

dmaul1114 · 02-28-2010, 05:30 PM

Refresh rate is also an advantage for reading for some as well.

I couldn't deal with e-inks slow page turns for my work reading where I'm always flipping through research articles trying to find a table, look for a passage I highlighted etc.

rmm200 · 02-28-2010, 10:35 PM

I think the hardware looks great! It is definitely the Newton for this new decade!

Robert

DawnFalcon · 02-28-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charleski

Apple is generally pretty slick with typography, and I'll be disappointed if they don't come up with something substantially better than Adobe's current ePub reader. The iPad is powerful enough to handle all this.

Well, they produce things that look good from a distance, but afaik the readability leaves a lot to be desired, so their typography goes rather to waste.

Most font rendering systems work on the best visual image (systems such as Microsoft's Clear Type). Apple do things differently, preserving the font over readability concerns (For an example of this, load up Safari - even in Windows, it uses this type of font rendering).

I tend to come down very strongly on Microsoft's side on this one for screen display (for 600+ dpi printing, Apple's approach is indeed better), and it's an issue magnified on smaller screens.

guyanonymous · 02-28-2010, 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmm200

I think the hardware looks great! It is definitely the Newton for this new decade!
Robert

Wait...wasn't the Newton considered to be a failure?

Oh...I see what you did there.

amjbrown · 03-01-2010, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyanonymous

Wait...wasn't the Newton considered to be a failure?

Oh...I see what you did there.

Commercially - yes.

I think the people who did purchase it thought it was amazing. There are still people writing software for it today.

amjb

Sweetpea · 03-01-2010, 06:33 AM

What makes a device a success or a failure? Is it only sales numbers?

For me, a success is when the average review is positive and a failure if the average review is negative.

I don't think the Ipad will be a failure, no matter what they do with ebook reader software.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kris777

So there's no way to tell whether the iPad will soar like the iPod or sink like the Macbook Air. We'll just have to wait until March to see.

There's a lot of room between those two. It might not be the high seller as they (Apple) might have thought it would be, but I doubt it will sink. It might just be a good selling device, instead of a perfect selling device...

Crowl · 03-01-2010, 11:26 AM

Some people will try and label the ipad a failure if it doesn't sell like the iphone when realistically that isn't going to happen because the smartphone market is many times bigger than the markets for things like netbooks or large-screen ereaders etc.

pilotbob · 03-01-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crowl

Some people will try and label the ipad a failure if it doesn't sell like the iphone when realistically that isn't going to happen because the smartphone market is many times bigger than the markets for things like netbooks or large-screen ereaders etc.

Many consider the Apple TV a failure... but it is a nice little device... and you can put Boxee or ATV flash on it to make it all the better.

So, to each his or her own.

BOb

Sweetpea · 03-02-2010, 03:50 AM

Yes, it might not be the success they originally planned on, but a failure it won't be...

dmaul1114 · 03-02-2010, 12:14 PM

I agree with that Sweet Pea.

I have no loyalty to any companies in any industry, so I don't care if devices are successes from living up to sales expectations etc.

With tech gadgets I only care that:

1. It does a great job of handling the tasks I bought it to do.
2. It sales well enough to be supported and stay around.

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02-28-2010, 03:01 PM	#16
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Yeah, the sole/main intention was definitely not to be an e-reader device. The e-book features were buried pretty far into the announcement press conference. It's just one of many features on what's designed as an all purpose multi-media device. They spent more time on movies, games and apps than books from what I saw.

02-28-2010, 03:24 PM	#17
charleski Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 1281258 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: PRS-505	The one thing I want to see is how good Apple's reader application is: Hyphenation? Full justification with tracking adjustment? Leading compensation for widow/orphan control? Glyph substitution for ligatures, ellipses etc? And, naturally, user-customisable fonts and formatting. Apple is generally pretty slick with typography, and I'll be disappointed if they don't come up with something substantially better than Adobe's current ePub reader. The iPad is powerful enough to handle all this.

02-28-2010, 03:34 PM	#18
guyanonymous Guru Posts: 692 Karma: 27532 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Ebookwise 1150 / 1200	Great point about typography! It may or may not make a great e-reader. My only concerns with it, really, are the DRM and locking out of other vendors (e.g., their appz being able to purchase directly). These two factors may/may not (depending on how things pan out) affect the ebook business/world as a whole.

02-28-2010, 03:41 PM	#19
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Well, as pointed out above, not being able to buy directly in app is not a big deal, since there's an easy work around already on the iPhone, with having the built in feature in the apps to jump the browser, buy something then jump to it in the app. As long as that stays in place, it's a non-issue really.

02-28-2010, 05:30 PM	#21
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	Refresh rate is also an advantage for reading for some as well. I couldn't deal with e-inks slow page turns for my work reading where I'm always flipping through research articles trying to find a table, look for a passage I highlighted etc.

02-28-2010, 10:35 PM	#22
rmm200 Groupie Posts: 195 Karma: 414 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bend, OR Device: Sony PRS-600	I think the hardware looks great! It is definitely the Newton for this new decade! Robert

03-01-2010, 11:26 AM	#27
Crowl Wizard Posts: 1,340 Karma: 1160346 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Southport, GB Device: Kindle Voyage, PW Signature edition	Some people will try and label the ipad a failure if it doesn't sell like the iphone when realistically that isn't going to happen because the smartphone market is many times bigger than the markets for things like netbooks or large-screen ereaders etc.

03-02-2010, 03:50 AM	#29
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	Yes, it might not be the success they originally planned on, but a failure it won't be...

03-02-2010, 12:14 PM	#30
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 1121709 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	I agree with that Sweet Pea. I have no loyalty to any companies in any industry, so I don't care if devices are successes from living up to sales expectations etc. With tech gadgets I only care that: 1. It does a great job of handling the tasks I bought it to do. 2. It sales well enough to be supported and stay around.