Top E-Book is iPad?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

That's precisely what I'd like to do. Having to close a word processing app, open a browser app, surf the web, close that app, re-open open the word-processing app, then re-open my document and locate the place where I left off seems a tad cumbersome; but in all fairness, I speak as someone who has no actual experience with the iPad outside of a few minutes playing around with one in an Apple store. How's it working for you? I'm only speaking from what I imagine the experience to be like.

It is up to the app to support it, but ideally they should resume just where you were. (I think part of the OS 4 changes is to offload more of this work to the OS rather than the app).
I was playing a text adventure in Frotz, and creating a map in another app.
Hit the home button, fire up the map app, it opens just where I was, draw another room on, hit home, open frotz, it opens back where I was, etc...
It works ok, but is a bit clunky, you get splash screen each time and so on.
It would be slicker if holding down home gave you a task bar from which you could just select apps.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

It is up to the app to support it, but ideally they should resume just where you were. (I think part of the OS 4 changes is to offload more of this work to the OS rather than the app).
I was playing a text adventure in Frotz, and creating a map in another app.
Hit the home button, fire up the map app, it opens just where I was, draw another room on, hit home, open frotz, it opens back where I was, etc...
It works ok, but is a bit clunky, you get splash screen each time and so on.
It would be slicker if holding down home gave you a task bar from which you could just select apps.

Sounds much better than the way I envisioned it. Does the Apple word-processing app (a <$10 price tag, I believe) work that way as well?

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Sounds much better than the way I envisioned it. Does the Apple word-processing app (a <$10 price tag, I believe) work that way as well?

Don't have it, I'm afraid. Maybe someone else can check?

[Tamara]

Originally Posted by John F

This doesn't sound so great, to me. I think I want true multitasking. For example, I was having some problems with email on the iPad, so I wanted to do some data entry, switch to safari, do some entry, switch to safari. I ended up using my laptop and the iPad. It doesn't sound like "Saving and restoring state" would be a workable solution.

It is going to have regular multitasking not "fake" multitasking.

[John F]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Actually it does to me.
Nothing there actually requires multiple processes to be running at the same time. If you had a taskbar and could switch back and forth between processes, and they would each be exactly as they were when you last switched away, how would you know the difference?

If it works, great. An extreme example: imagine some app where your down several dialogs deep, entered a lot of "data", gone thru some specific path to get there; Saving the state, exiting the process, reloading the process, reloading the state, is going to get you back to where you were with all the "data" you entered. If it does great.

Originally Posted by Tamara

It is going to have regular multitasking not "fake" multitasking.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by John F

If it works, great. An extreme example: imagine some app where your down several dialogs deep, entered a lot of "data", gone thru some specific path to get there; Saving the state, exiting the process, reloading the process, reloading the state, is going to get you back to where you were with all the "data" you entered. If it does great.

Thanks!

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

That's precisely what I'd like to do. Having to close a word processing app, open a browser app, surf the web, close that app, re-open open the word-processing app, then re-open my document and locate the place where I left off seems a tad cumbersome; but in all fairness, I speak as someone who has no actual experience with the iPad outside of a few minutes playing around with one in an Apple store. How's it working for you? I'm only speaking from what I imagine the experience to be like.

In truth; for what it is, it seems quite a remarkable device. I was extremely impressed with the rapid touch response of the virtual keyboard. It blows my e-ink keyboards, both physical (Kindle) and virtual (Sony PRS-600 and Nook) out of the water.

I don't do work on my iPad. It's strictly recreational. About the only thing that bothers me right now is that I can't download mp3 files into iTunes from my browser. One would think that there would be an "open in iTunes" option.

Also, Mobileread is not optimized for iPad. Typing comments is klutzy if they are more than a few lines long, even with my Bluetooth keyboard.

Most glitches with apps - and there aren't many - can be resolved by a reboot. A couple required me to attach to my desktop & sync to resolve. Right now iTunes is crashing when it try to open it but I'm on the road so just have to live with it.

It's replaced my laptop, but only because I also have a desktop for more intensive work. The iPad is about 80 percent of a full scale computer. I tend to think of it as a mobile screen for my desktop. In fact, I believe that there are apps which would allow me to control my desktop from the iPad. My sense o the matter is that I own one computer system which can be accessed from multiple locations with my iPhone, iPad and desktop.

I never used to take my laptop on the road because it was a nuisance. The iPad is no trouble at all. At home, I use it in my easy chair or on the patio. Much easier than the laptop.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Harmon

I don't do work on my iPad. It's strictly recreational. About the only thing that bothers me right now is that I can't download mp3 files into iTunes from my browser. One would think that there would be an "open in iTunes" option.

Also, Mobileread is not optimized for iPad. Typing comments is klutzy if they are more than a few lines long, even with my Bluetooth keyboard.

Most glitches with apps - and there aren't many - can be resolved by a reboot. A couple required me to attach to my desktop & sync to resolve. Right now iTunes is crashing when it try to open it but I'm on the road so just have to live with it.

It's replaced my laptop, but only because I also have a desktop for more intensive work. The iPad is about 80 percent of a full scale computer. I tend to think of it as a mobile screen for my desktop. In fact, I believe that there are apps which would allow me to control my desktop from the iPad. My sense o the matter is that I own one computer system which can be accessed from multiple locations with my iPhone, iPad and desktop.

I never used to take my laptop on the road because it was a nuisance. The iPad is no trouble at all. At home, I use it in my easy chair or on the patio. Much easier than the laptop.

You make it sound mighty tempting!

Have you tried Pages, the $9.99 word-processing app from iPad App Store? I'm curious to know how that well it works.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

You make it sound mighty tempting!

Have you tried Pages, the $9.99 word-processing app from iPad App Store? I'm curious to know how that well it works.

My girlfriend has it--but no keyboard to hook up so I haven't played around with it much.

Seemed fine for reading Word docs. From the menu options it seems like a pretty light word processor suite, but would get the job done for most typing work I'd guess. Not sure about how robust it its for making tables, charts etc. compared to a full word processor.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

My girlfriend has it--but no keyboard to hook up so I haven't played around with it much.

Seemed fine for reading Word docs. From the menu options it seems like a pretty light word processor suite, but would get the job done for most typing work I'd guess. Not sure about how robust it its for making tables, charts etc. compared to a full word processor.

If I bought an iPad, it would be with the intention of using the virtual keyboard exclusively. I don't do much in the way of making tables and charts, but if Pages worked well as a basic word processor with the virtual keyboard, that would be sweet.

Would you mind asking your ladyfriend how she likes it?

Thanks!

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

If I bought an iPad, it would be with the intention of using the virtual keyboard exclusively. I don't do much in the way of making tables and charts, but if Pages worked well as a basic word processor with the virtual keyboard, that would be sweet.

Would you mind asking your ladyfriend how she likes it?

Thanks!

She's only used it for reading word docs.

She's also a professor like me, so bought it mainly to check e-mail and internet when on short trips, and read some word docs and pdfs. With real work done on her desktops or laptop.

I will say it should be perfectly fine for typing stuff up software wise. If you don't need anything fancy it seemed to have all the other features you need for just typing up text.

Typing on the virtual keyboard isn't very good though--fine for a short e-mail or something, but I'd never want to write a long document or anything. The keys are too close together (screen width isn't as wide as a standard keyboard or even netbook keyboard) to type on it in the proper fashion--so you pretty much have to go to the two finger peck mode.

So I'd say a blue tooth keyboard or the keyboard doc is a must to do in real writing work on it. Otherwise you'd be slowed down to much by the virtual keyboard.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by dmaul1114

She's only used it for reading word docs.

She's also a professor like me, so bought it mainly to check e-mail and internet when on short trips, and read some word docs and pdfs. With real work done on her desktops or laptop.

I will say it should be perfectly fine for typing stuff up software wise. If you don't need anything fancy it seemed to have all the other features you need for just typing up text.

Typing on the virtual keyboard isn't very good though--fine for a short e-mail or something, but I'd never want to write a long document or anything. The keys are too close together (screen width isn't as wide as a standard keyboard or even netbook keyboard) to type on it in the proper fashion--so you pretty much have to go to the two finger peck mode.

So I'd say a blue tooth keyboard or the keyboard doc is a must to do in real writing work on it. Otherwise you'd be slowed down to much by the virtual keyboard.

Is this a problem even when viewing the screen in landscape mode?

[ColdSun]

These threads are always down to a matter of opinion. Some folks are going to enjoy an LCD and some folks e-Ink. Some people will use both! Like someone said previously, they both have their (dis)advantages. Now that I have gotten that out of the way...

My preference is LCD. I do a lot of reading in low light situations or in bed at night and e-Ink just doesn't cut it for me. Rarely do I sit in full light situations. I don't mind charging any reading device every day. Sometimes I use my portable device to surf the internet. Last but not least, I listen to music while I read. e-Ink just won't do any of that (except the music part). I have an e-Ink device by the way, and have used many of them, and just don't like them.

At the same time, I sincerely believe the statement that LCD causes more eye train than e-Ink is purely a marketing strategy. There has been no evidence that this is the truth! You are going to get eye strain no matter which device you use. Some folks might find LCD causes more, and others might find e-Ink causes more. Seriously, how many of you have been using a CRT monitor most of your life even before LCD came out? I'm a programmer and I've been using computers since I was about 11 years old. I'm 43 now. I see 20/20. If LCDs were going to cause me eye strain I think I would have noticed it. Let me just ask the question - If it were true, wouldn't Amazon or B&N mention it in their online product descriptions or specs? Both the Kindle and Nook mention no glare - so it can be read in direct sunlight. Nothing about eye strain in any of their marketing materials... Hrm...

So, I buy the extended battery life - as that is a proven fact of e-Ink. I buy the reading in full daylight with no problem. Another proven fact (although I won't do that - its too hot here in Arizona to read outside, sheesh). Don't even bother posting some phoney baloney link or claim that my LCD hurts my eyes more than your e-Ink though.

Finally, there is a much bigger market for a multi-function device than there is for a single-function e-book device. Sales of these devices have helped ebooks enormously. The iPad just helps to speed it along. There are many people using their Android phones, iPhones and other devices to read on. They are also using them to surf the web, listen to music, and watch movies. Why pay nearly the same amount of money for a device that has only a single function? More power to you folks that want to do that for the advantages of e-Ink, but its not the best bang for my dollar - and I do a LOT of reading.

After all of the above is said, I am not buying an iPad. I think it has many great features, a very attractive screen being one of them. On the other hand, I can buy a netbook that has more functionality and about the same portability with more power behind it for less money. I also don't like that the iPad won't support Flash (although that is not as important to me as others). I think it is too expensive still (for what it delivers). EDIT: I'm also taking into account the form factor. My ideal reading device is 5 to 7 inches for the screen. I don't use it for PDF reading (my netbook will do that fine), and I only use it for recreational reading. I need a portable device that doesn't weigh too much as I use it during flights and travel quite a bit.

No, I'm looking at the Dell Streak. Or something like this: http://www.pandigital.net/pandigitalnovel. I hear it will be selling for $199 and that is a VERY attractive device for what I will use it for. If anything, I'm very happy the iPad is doing so well. It has really brought into focus the exact market I'm shopping in: multi-function tablet devices. Tons of companies are going to enter the fray at better prices than Apple with more open operating systems. This is a good thing for me. The more people that buy iBook books are also going to help get more books for me on the market to read in ebook format. The Amazon president himself said just the other day that color e-Ink is a LONG way from happening. You have to wonder - will the Kindle have a LCD multifunction version in the future? I'm betting YES.

[Maggie Leung]

I find eye strain claims overblown as well. Not to dismiss those with eye problems, but plenty of us don't have such problems, luckily.

I've edited for about 20 years. Plenty of colleagues have had hand and wrist problems, carpal tunnel syndrome and such. We work on computers all day, and most of us read online recreationally as well. If eye strain were a big problem, it would be widespread among such users. That's not the case.

Most people's eyes deteriorate over the years, of course. I'm glad that e-ink exists and helps anyone read. I might end up needing it myself. But I think it's illogical for e-ink fans to assume that everyone shares their eye problems.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by ColdSun

...Or something like this: http://www.pandigital.net/pandigitalnovel. I hear it will be selling for $199 and that is a VERY attractive device for what I will use it for. ...

There was an article about that on the Huffington Post site yesterday. I can't wait to read the reviews on the Novel.