iPad as a reader

leebase · 04-03-2010, 02:19 PM

Ok, my first impressions of the iPad as a reader.

Stanza and kindle for iphone both loaded on the iPad. So we have our answer as to whether Apple would block other readers. The iPhone apps worked fine, but when you "screen doubled" to fill the screen, the text was fuzzy. To bad, so sad for Stanza. Lexcycle said that no Stanza for the iPad was currently being developed.

However, Kindle for the iPad and the Apple iBook app are available and I downloaded both.

My first reaction was "this hurts my eyes like reading on a computer". I love reading on my iphone and did not get my iPad primarily as a reader. So I was bummed but not dismayed. However, I turned down the brightness and enlarged the font, and found the reading to be much more like reading a book as far as my eyes were concerned. There is glare on the screen that may be a problem depending on the light in the room. I haven't read for hours yet, so I'll get back on that subject.

The iPad has some heft to it. No worse than a hard back book. You'll probably want to find a reading position that doesn't have you holding the device solely in your hands. I read laying down a lot, and just rest the iPad on my belly.

The color in the Winnie the Pooh illustrations was nice. I'm not often reading books with illustrations at all, but certainly the iPad's support of color is a good thing.

I tried the free USA Today, NY Times and Wall Street Journal apps. I loved them all. Very nice for reading. The free Yahoo Entertainment app (kind of like E! Magazine) was nice too. It has a comics section with several of my favorite: Dilbert, Foxtrot, B.C. Since I stopped our subscription to the newspaper some time ago, I've missed my comics. The Yahoo app doesn't let you zoom in on the comics and doesn't fill the screen with them, so that's a bit of a bummer. There's a free Marvel Comics reader but I haven't tried it yet. I'm not much of a comic book reader.

The internet is fast and responsive as well. No flash support, of course, but that's not a big part of my use of the internet. Your mileage may very. For "couch surfing" and "bed surfing" -- the iPad is a huge improvement over the iphone. I would have typed this post from my iPad, but it's not nearly as nice as having a keyboard for writing long posts. Short posts are fine.

I like the Apple app better than the kindle app. It's not THAT much better. I'll probably read my kindle books via the kindle app. Having that whispersync is a great feature for reading the same book on both the iphone and the ipad -- and always being able to pick up where I left off no matter which device I use.

I'm fairly sure that I'll prefer the iPad to physical books -- indoors anyway. I'm not so sure that I'll end up preferring it over my iphone for books of text.

Lee

pilotbob · 04-03-2010, 02:21 PM

moved this thread to Apple devices.

leebase · 04-03-2010, 02:25 PM

So is "General" for anything BUT apple? You think that the first impressions of the iPad for reading is not a topic of general interest?

Lee

SCION · 04-03-2010, 02:43 PM

Thanks for sharing!

pilotbob · 04-03-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leebase

So is "General" for anything BUT apple? You think that the first impressions of the iPad for reading is not a topic of general interest?

Lee

FWI: The description of the forum is:

"General discussions about ebook reading not specific to a device, software or format."

It's not a major issue... but most people will be looking in the Apple Devices section for threads about the iPad. I'm not being pedantic or scolding.

BOb

ColdSun · 04-03-2010, 03:02 PM

Bob is just trying to make sure folks find what they are looking for.

Thanks for the early information! I think I'm still on the fence with the device. It doesn't seem small enough to lug around outside the house as a portable and my netbook does more than the iPad and it was less expensive and is around the same size (with a keyboard). I think a lot of people will like it, but I don't think I need one.

leebase · 04-03-2010, 03:49 PM

It certainly won't fit in a pocket. If you can carry a hard back book with you, you can carry an iPad. My first reaction to seeing it was "this is small". It does have some heft.

I played with my niece's Dell netbook last weekend, and would MUCH rather have the iPad. The iPad is fast and responsive in everything it does. It's easily as portable as the netbook.

Now, the netbook does a lot more (usb ports, hard drive, camera, windows, keyboard and flash support). But using the netbook to ME was like using an underpowered laptop.

Horses for courses and all that. Just describing what I see as differences.

Lee

voodooblues · 04-03-2010, 04:55 PM

I like it as a reader because i will be able to purchase books form Amazon, B&N and the iBookstore

WonderWhy · 04-03-2010, 08:57 PM

Got my iPad today.

Started years ago with a Softbook > REB 1100 > REB 1200 (and several of their later incarnations) > Kindle (until Big Brother fiasco) > Sony 505. Add in here other devices that I tried and hated (Franklin eBookman and many, many ARM and Symbian based tablets, though the Intermec wasn't too bad).

Lets just say I'm an avid ebook reader. I only kill a tree if I absolutely have to.

The iPad, by far, is head and shoulders above the rest.

Only downsides so far...

- Going to have to recharge a lot more often
- EPUB only support in their iBooks Library

kennyc · 04-03-2010, 09:04 PM

Thanks for that!

leebase · 04-03-2010, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WonderWhy

- Going to have to recharge a lot more often
- EPUB only support in their iBooks Library

It's pretty much an "all day" battery, but it certainly isn't a "couple weeks" battery.

I miss all the features I had in the stanza app on the iPhone.

Nonny

leebase · 04-03-2010, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Thanks for that!

You are welcome. It is such a fast and responsive device, a real dream machine for couch surfing.

Nonny

BlueYamoto · 04-04-2010, 12:10 PM

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if after a couple of hours of reading, does the screen cause eyestrain?

jswinden · 04-04-2010, 12:36 PM

From what I'm reading so far is that this expensive iPad only has two truly decent reading apps; iBooks and Kindle. It sounds like Stanza is a bad experience when sized up and won't be updated for the iPad. It sounds like B&N is also a bad experience when sized up. I haven't heard anything about any other reader apps, so I doubt many will be forthcoming unless Apple can get a cut from their profits.

As far as netbooks being slow, that is not true. Mine isn't. I think that is pure Applespeak and propoganda from those who don't really know what they are talking about. I'll stick with my Sony and netbook tablet which combined cost less than the iPad and allow me to read a lot more books the way I WANT to read, not the crippled way Apple will allow me to read.

LDBoblo · 04-04-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueYamoto

Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if after a couple of hours of reading, does the screen cause eyestrain?

It shouldn't...it's just an LCD. Proper use shouldn't cause any more eyestrain than paper.

04-03-2010, 02:19 PM	#1
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,933 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	iPad as a reader Ok, my first impressions of the iPad as a reader. Stanza and kindle for iphone both loaded on the iPad. So we have our answer as to whether Apple would block other readers. The iPhone apps worked fine, but when you "screen doubled" to fill the screen, the text was fuzzy. To bad, so sad for Stanza. Lexcycle said that no Stanza for the iPad was currently being developed. However, Kindle for the iPad and the Apple iBook app are available and I downloaded both. My first reaction was "this hurts my eyes like reading on a computer". I love reading on my iphone and did not get my iPad primarily as a reader. So I was bummed but not dismayed. However, I turned down the brightness and enlarged the font, and found the reading to be much more like reading a book as far as my eyes were concerned. There is glare on the screen that may be a problem depending on the light in the room. I haven't read for hours yet, so I'll get back on that subject. The iPad has some heft to it. No worse than a hard back book. You'll probably want to find a reading position that doesn't have you holding the device solely in your hands. I read laying down a lot, and just rest the iPad on my belly. The color in the Winnie the Pooh illustrations was nice. I'm not often reading books with illustrations at all, but certainly the iPad's support of color is a good thing. I tried the free USA Today, NY Times and Wall Street Journal apps. I loved them all. Very nice for reading. The free Yahoo Entertainment app (kind of like E! Magazine) was nice too. It has a comics section with several of my favorite: Dilbert, Foxtrot, B.C. Since I stopped our subscription to the newspaper some time ago, I've missed my comics. The Yahoo app doesn't let you zoom in on the comics and doesn't fill the screen with them, so that's a bit of a bummer. There's a free Marvel Comics reader but I haven't tried it yet. I'm not much of a comic book reader. The internet is fast and responsive as well. No flash support, of course, but that's not a big part of my use of the internet. Your mileage may very. For "couch surfing" and "bed surfing" -- the iPad is a huge improvement over the iphone. I would have typed this post from my iPad, but it's not nearly as nice as having a keyboard for writing long posts. Short posts are fine. I like the Apple app better than the kindle app. It's not THAT much better. I'll probably read my kindle books via the kindle app. Having that whispersync is a great feature for reading the same book on both the iphone and the ipad -- and always being able to pick up where I left off no matter which device I use. I'm fairly sure that I'll prefer the iPad to physical books -- indoors anyway. I'm not so sure that I'll end up preferring it over my iphone for books of text. Lee

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04-03-2010, 02:21 PM	#2
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	moved this thread to Apple devices.

04-03-2010, 02:25 PM	#3
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,933 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	So is "General" for anything BUT apple? You think that the first impressions of the iPad for reading is not a topic of general interest? Lee

04-03-2010, 02:43 PM	#4
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Thanks for sharing!

04-03-2010, 03:02 PM	#6
ColdSun Developer/Device Reviews Posts: 588 Karma: 22183 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Phoenix, AZ Device: Sony Xperia Tablet Z, Kindle Paperwhite 2, Lenovo Yoga 8, IPad 3	Bob is just trying to make sure folks find what they are looking for. Thanks for the early information! I think I'm still on the fence with the device. It doesn't seem small enough to lug around outside the house as a portable and my netbook does more than the iPad and it was less expensive and is around the same size (with a keyboard). I think a lot of people will like it, but I don't think I need one.

04-03-2010, 03:49 PM	#7
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,933 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	It certainly won't fit in a pocket. If you can carry a hard back book with you, you can carry an iPad. My first reaction to seeing it was "this is small". It does have some heft. I played with my niece's Dell netbook last weekend, and would MUCH rather have the iPad. The iPad is fast and responsive in everything it does. It's easily as portable as the netbook. Now, the netbook does a lot more (usb ports, hard drive, camera, windows, keyboard and flash support). But using the netbook to ME was like using an underpowered laptop. Horses for courses and all that. Just describing what I see as differences. Lee

04-03-2010, 04:55 PM	#8
voodooblues Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 6106 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somewhere out there Device: iPad(3 or HD or whatever), iPad Mini, Kindle 7" hdx, Samsung 7 tab 3	I like it as a reader because i will be able to purchase books form Amazon, B&N and the iBookstore

04-03-2010, 08:57 PM	#9
WonderWhy Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: REB, Sony, Kindle, iPad	Got my iPad today. Started years ago with a Softbook > REB 1100 > REB 1200 (and several of their later incarnations) > Kindle (until Big Brother fiasco) > Sony 505. Add in here other devices that I tried and hated (Franklin eBookman and many, many ARM and Symbian based tablets, though the Intermec wasn't too bad). Lets just say I'm an avid ebook reader. I only kill a tree if I absolutely have to. The iPad, by far, is head and shoulders above the rest. Only downsides so far... - Going to have to recharge a lot more often - EPUB only support in their iBooks Library

04-03-2010, 09:04 PM	#10
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Thanks for that!

04-04-2010, 12:10 PM	#13
BlueYamoto Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: none	Thanks for the info. I'm wondering if after a couple of hours of reading, does the screen cause eyestrain?

04-04-2010, 12:36 PM	#14
jswinden Nameless Being	From what I'm reading so far is that this expensive iPad only has two truly decent reading apps; iBooks and Kindle. It sounds like Stanza is a bad experience when sized up and won't be updated for the iPad. It sounds like B&N is also a bad experience when sized up. I haven't heard anything about any other reader apps, so I doubt many will be forthcoming unless Apple can get a cut from their profits. As far as netbooks being slow, that is not true. Mine isn't. I think that is pure Applespeak and propoganda from those who don't really know what they are talking about. I'll stick with my Sony and netbook tablet which combined cost less than the iPad and allow me to read a lot more books the way I WANT to read, not the crippled way Apple will allow me to read.

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