EE vs. Ipad- Anyone done a direct comparison?

I have been eying the iPad for some time now.

Here is a question; any EE user here owns both EE and iPad? If so, I would love some comparative analysis..

Yes, I own both an eDGe and an iPad. I will try to compare, but in some ways it is like comparing "apples and oranges".

The iPad is a superb device for consuming media. There is plenty of content available like movies, TV shows, music videos as well as magazines, newspapers, all Kindle offerings as well as PDF files. Reading a magazine on an iPad is just like reading a print magazine only better. The color is fabulous. (for comparison, reading magazines on a Kindle is awful, the kindle is great for novels and reading a book straight thru but thats it). The iPad is slightly heavy (at about 1.5lbs) for curling up in bed with (the Kindle is perfect for that because it's light). The apps available for the iPad are legendary and terrific. Doing email and browsing is fantastic.

The eDGE is a somewhat different device. I see the eDGe best for creating material. I use the Journal alot to hand-write pages which I then incorporate (on my PC) into PDF files, copy back to the eDGe and study from. Having 2 screens is very flexible and works quite well. The eDGe is a good reader, but some PDFs are clearer (exact same file) on the iPad than the eDGe. The eDGe is way too heavy to curl up in bed with as a book reader. The eDGe is most useful sitting at a desk in my opinion. Looking at textbooks on the eDGe is easier for me, because the table of contents allows me to jump around to find what I need. Textbooks on the Kindle or iPad are very difficult to use for finding material because you basically have to go sequentially through the book. This is one of the major issues confronting publishing today in order to make electronic readers useful in the education market as opposed to reading a novel straight through.

One significant issue for me is the ability to read annotated PDFs. I make alot of annotations, create web links etc. The iPad software today cannot (and does not, at least to my knowledge) read these annotations, while the eDGe does. The eDGe can follow the embedded web links in a PDF without hesitation.

For some people, reading on the iPad is much harder than the eInk screen. This is a very individual matter but must be considered. For me, I have no problem reading a novel on my iPad.

I am not all that into "consuming" media and I dont use my iPad very much. I use the eDGe every day in my studying, and it's great for creating hand-written PDF files, and then reading the annotated PDFs.

Which one suits you will depend, in my opinion, on what you plan to do with it. If you want to use the rich available apps, read stuff especially magazines, watch movies, etc and an occasional PDF file, then the iPad is far superior. But using an iPad does require you to "buy into" the iTunes ecosystem at least to a small degree. Some people find this abhorrent, some don't care.

If you want to create and/or you read alot and much prefer an eInk screen, then get an eDGe.

I hope this is helpful.

Originally Posted by alefor

Yes, I own both an eDGe and an iPad. I will try to compare, but in some ways it is like comparing "apples and oranges".

The iPad is a superb device for consuming media. There is plenty of content available like movies, TV shows, music videos as well as magazines, newspapers, all Kindle offerings as well as PDF files. Reading a magazine on an iPad is just like reading a print magazine only better. The color is fabulous. (for comparison, reading magazines on a Kindle is awful, the kindle is great for novels and reading a book straight thru but thats it). The iPad is slightly heavy (at about 1.5lbs) for curling up in bed with (the Kindle is perfect for that because it's light). The apps available for the iPad are legendary and terrific. Doing email and browsing is fantastic.

The eDGE is a somewhat different device. I see the eDGe best for creating material. I use the Journal alot to hand-write pages which I then incorporate (on my PC) into PDF files, copy back to the eDGe and study from. Having 2 screens is very flexible and works quite well. The eDGe is a good reader, but some PDFs are clearer (exact same file) on the iPad than the eDGe. The eDGe is way too heavy to curl up in bed with as a book reader. The eDGe is most useful sitting at a desk in my opinion. Looking at textbooks on the eDGe is easier for me, because the table of contents allows me to jump around to find what I need. Textbooks on the Kindle or iPad are very difficult to use for finding material because you basically have to go sequentially through the book. This is one of the major issues confronting publishing today in order to make electronic readers useful in the education market as opposed to reading a novel straight through.

One significant issue for me is the ability to read annotated PDFs. I make alot of annotations, create web links etc. The iPad software today cannot (and does not, at least to my knowledge) read these annotations, while the eDGe does. The eDGe can follow the embedded web links in a PDF without hesitation.

For some people, reading on the iPad is much harder than the eInk screen. This is a very individual matter but must be considered. For me, I have no problem reading a novel on my iPad.

I am not all that into "consuming" media and I dont use my iPad very much. I use the eDGe every day in my studying, and it's great for creating hand-written PDF files, and then reading the annotated PDFs.

Which one suits you will depend, in my opinion, on what you plan to do with it. If you want to use the rich available apps, read stuff especially magazines, watch movies, etc and an occasional PDF file, then the iPad is far superior. But using an iPad does require you to "buy into" the iTunes ecosystem at least to a small degree. Some people find this abhorrent, some don't care.

If you want to create and/or you read alot and much prefer an eInk screen, then get an eDGe.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks. This is very helpful

I am already a (very) happy owner of Edge. I am not much into consuming the media either. I am mainly interested in reading. Edge is great for work-related reading. Incidentally, I do own a kindle as well. I do most of my recreational reading on it.

I think I will keep my $$ and stay away from the ipad.

Glad my thoughts were helpful. I'm kind of a minimalist, so I gave my Kindle away, and am likely to soon give awsy the iPad.

Originally Posted by alefor

The eDGe is way too heavy to curl up in bed with as a book reader

I actually find the eDGe perfect for reading in bed. I rest it on my stomach, often with the LCD screen folded back part way as a prop. The lightest touch holds the eDGe steady, or even no hands at all, and the only effort required is pressing the Next button to turn pages (in a perfect world, the eDGe would recognize voice commands to turn pages!). I find this tremendously easier than a paperback book which you have to hold open all the time with one hand, which becomes a strain quickly, and I'm sure a Kindle and iPad also needs to be held steadly to prop it up.

I am glad you find it OK for reading in bed. But for me, it is way too heavy for that. As I said the iPad is also slightly too heavy for reading in bed, in my opinion. Only the Kindle works well for that as far as I am concerned. The kindle is somewhere less than a pound, The iPad is about 1.5lbs. The as-yet-to-be-delivered Pocket eDGe, stated to be 1 pound, may be suitable for bedtime reading in my opinion.

I also find the edge very easy to support itself when I'm in a variety of positions. If I'm just using the LCD tablet, I often tent the machine on my stomach so the LCD is facing me. I have no problems using this thing in all kinds of loungy conditions, whereas I'd need to hold the iPad (or get a case that allows it to be in multiple positions).

Hubby has an iPad and I've actually never felt compelled to use it. Sitting waiting at a gate at the airport, the edge is very easy to cradle in one arm and use, and sometimes I'll rest the bottom edge or corner on my lap while doing so. Hubby has to hold the iPad. We did just pick up a multi-position case for him, and that's allowed him to have it rest tilted on a desk or on his lap allowing him to touch type. (One thing in the iPad's favour, many can use the virtual keyboard well enough to touch type. I don't find the edge's to be quite up to that quality yet.) So, basic form alone makes me prefer the edge because even the weight of an iPad will become annoying to hold.

Hubby is quite happy with email and twitter apps, but he primarily bought it for the drawing apps so he could make animated slide shows for his conference presentations. With a stylus, you can write on it and the emphasis on being sleek and cool means there are apps that allow him to draw flow charts and diagrams, then integrate nicely with Mac video editing software to play back his creation at the desired speed. So, he's actually using it for content creation, but more graphical stuff. That's the only reason he bought it. But he does find it small enough to pull it out to check email instead of the laptop, and it does do those functions well.

But as someone who doesn't need any specialized apps like that, I really have no use for an iPad. I'd much rather have a Journal program, clamshell form and 2 separate screens. I have a lot more use for a virtual notebook that's separate from my other screen than an app that would allow me to do handwriting.

Way back in the spring I did the following comparison of EE with kindle, iPad and tablet netbook:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4916135/Ento...comparison.pdf

Originally Posted by borisb

I actually find the eDGe perfect for reading in bed. I rest it on my stomach, often with the LCD screen folded back part way as a prop. The lightest touch holds the eDGe steady, or even no hands at all, and the only effort required is pressing the Next button to turn pages (in a perfect world, the eDGe would recognize voice commands to turn pages!). I find this tremendously easier than a paperback book which you have to hold open all the time with one hand, which becomes a strain quickly, and I'm sure a Kindle and iPad also needs to be held steadly to prop it up.

The "Bookgem" is your friend! 8-) www.bookgem.com

Nice comparison....esp considering it was in March, before the iPad even came out. I agree with most of what you wrote. Nice job!

Originally Posted by devseev

Way back in the spring I did the following comparison of EE with kindle, iPad and tablet netbook:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4916135/Ento...comparison.pdf

Thanks. That is very comprehensive.