ipad too heavy for ebook reading - imho

[harakiri]

ultimate weight comparison:

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2010/04/...ight-matters-1

[richman]

The problem I would have with IPAD or any ereader is as I'm getting tired, as sometimes happens when I read, and if I start to dose off in bookstore or home, I drop the device.
So, with my sony 505 I attach a little camera-type hand cord around my finger/or hand so if it starts to fall, it stays in my hand.
With a book , if it falls , no problem, but I wouldn't want an IPAD falling as I nod off.
Books can get heavy too, but they are not made of glass!

[DixieGal]

I use a plate stand on my end table also, and it looks nice when I leave the photo slideshow running. Fortunately, for reading and everything else, I have grown a nice plump pillow to prop it against while holding it. FINALLY a reason not to do crunches!

[m-reader]

Originally Posted by harakiri

ultimate weight comparison:

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2010/04/...ight-matters-1

Very nice! Picture's worth a thousand words - that's for sure.

[mellina 52]

I'm with you DixieGal. I have that same nice plump pillow.

[dwharrison]

The thing about the weight is that if it weighed less, we'd all be complaining about the battery life being too short. For an LCD device with a 10 hour battery life, the weight is more than reasonable.

Having said that, it's still too heavy to hold up for any length of time. Whether this is a problem for you will depend on how you like to sit when you read. For me, I'm usually sitting or reclining, and I either have it on my lap or I'm holding it by the top with the bottom resting on a surface. For reading at the table, I use the stand feature of my Apple case.

Beyond that, it's all about tradeoffs. A Kindle will be a LOT lighter, but it's a very different kind of device. Personally, I found that when I was using my Kindle, I was also carrying around my iPhone for the other things I do on it. Now, I just use my iPad so I only have one device being moved around.

Of course, that only works until one of my preschoolers insists on playing a game... :-)

[joblack]

Originally Posted by harakiri

ultimate weight comparison:

http://www.hardmac.com/news/2010/04/...ight-matters-1

Would be more fair to compare it to the same device class -> real e-book (eink) readers like the Sony Reader (and others).

[Maggie Leung]

If a device is too heavy for someone, it just is, I figure. You can prop it, which eliminates the holding problem. Comparing its weight won't help. If I can't hold a hardback, it will not help me to know that even heavier objects exist, lol.

[scottjl]

think of the workout you're getting holding it.

[greencat]

I found it a tad on the heavy side to start with but I've got used to it. And like others I found there's usually some way to prop it up for late a night reading sessions.

[tyche]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The iPad is actually a very nice bookreader; these days, I find myself using it in preference to my eInk devices. It's especially nice for marking text when proofreading - much faster to do on the iPad than on eInk readers.

Not to mention it supports a lot of the other competitors book stores. I think except for Sony although maybe you can use Txtr for their drm books. It's like a universal remote for ebooks.

[VictoriaP]

Originally Posted by tyche

Not to mention it supports a lot of the other competitors book stores. I think except for Sony although maybe you can use Txtr for their drm books. It's like a universal remote for ebooks.

And this is where it blows the competition away. It no longer matters what store I buy from, I have ONE device to read them all.

My poor Kindle. I think I've read on it for perhaps three hours since the iPad arrived. Now that I have the iPhone 4, the Kindle doesn't even get to leave the house. The retina screen is plenty clear enough to read comfortably on.

[Rique]

Originally Posted by VictoriaP

And this is where it blows the competition away. It no longer matters what store I buy from, I have ONE device to read them all.

My poor Kindle. I think I've read on it for perhaps three hours since the iPad arrived. Now that I have the iPhone 4, the Kindle doesn't even get to leave the house. The retina screen is plenty clear enough to read comfortably on.

When I first lifted an iPad (display model in a Best Buy), my immediate impression was to think ... "whoa, that is heavy!". That was when I decided not to get one - I did buy one for my wife, who fell in love with hers overnight.

As I got the chance to use hers (and not enough!) - I changed my mind about a lot of things (including the weight) and got my own. (My wife shares many things with me - as it turned out with the iPad... not so much).

And now my Sony rests all alone, forlorn and abandoned on a shelf in my den. The more I read with my iPad, the more I like to read with my iPad. I blew through my last book in a weekend.

Weight problem? What weight problem?

(seriously, I have found many many creative ways to prop it)

[kjk]

Originally Posted by Rique

When I first lifted an iPad (display model in a Best Buy), my immediate impression was to think ... "whoa, that is heavy!".

lol, I did the same at the Apple Store...it was both smaller than I imagined, and heavier than I imagined.

But I got used to the weight very quickly...just doesn't bother my usage at all. Certainly not as portable as my Sony 505 was, of course (which is...somewhere around here...)

[Crowl]

Originally Posted by joblack

Would be more fair to compare it to the same device class -> real e-book (eink) readers like the Sony Reader (and others).

Comparing it with the actual books, mags, etc. is also a completely valid comparison and probably one that is less easy to obtain since companies tend to list the weight of gadgets a lot more than they do books.