iPad as *Sole* eReader?

xomphos said:

Hi,

I currently own a 1st gen 16Gb iPad and have had it since last October. I love it and it is probably my favorite gadget I have ever owned. However, I am looking more into the subject of eBooks on it. I currently have and use the Amazon Kindle app, but have also looked at some samples in iBooks. I read an entire book, inside, on the Kindle app and thought it was a good experience. I loved the highlighting feature. I have yet to buy a book from iBooks because of the possiblity of getting a Kindle. However, I recently purchased an iPhone 4 and can now sync iBooks on that.

Essentially, I'm trying to find a single eBook reading setup. I don't read much...currently. I expect that to increase, but lets be honest, we all make goals like that. What my question is, based on my experience and your experiences, should I continue to purchase books on the Kindle platform (and get a Kindle 3 *in addition to my iPad* or switch exclusivley to the native iBooks platform? Due to my classes I am in, I will be using my iPad more than my MacBook Pro; however, with reading, I am wondering if having a Kindle *in addition* to a iPad is a commonality? I "know" they are different devices, but they both do the same thing...reading....just differently.

Thanks for your advice!

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I used to use my ip4 (abd 3G before) as my sole ereader (2 years)
Well recently I was surprised with a nook classic on my bday and all I can say is wow. The difference in the two is astonishing.
The difference between eink and the iPad is big, IMO. My friend let's me use her iPad and in this one area I prefer my nook over the iPad.

If I was you I would go to best buy and play around with their kindles/nooks/Sony ereader.
I think it's a perfectly reasonable purchase if you like reading.
The ereaders are small and slip inside a bag easy...I have never had eye strain issue with the Eink screen.

I say go for the ereader

Use my iPad as my only ereader. I see no reason to have a Kindle unless you plan on spending a considerable amount of time reading in direct sunlight. If iBooks and the Kindle app work just fine, why on earth would you spend the additional money unless you simply like the feeling of a lighter pocketbook and the receipt paper?

As far as the stores are concerned, I think iBooks is today simply not competitive with Amazon. The selection is smaller, prices are usually higher, and you are locked in to Apple's hardware platform. Even if you exclusively read on the iPad, I really see no reason why one should favor iBooks over the Kindle app.

Regarding the hardware, I have tried reading a book on the iPad. It's OK for shorter periods of time, but the eye strain is definitely there for me. It is also a bit cumbersome to read in bed because of the weight. As much as I love my iPad for other things, for books I prefer the Kindle.

Prices are not "normally higher" on iBooks. Most are exactly the same. I've found titles cheaper on iBooks, but I've also found titles cheaper on the Kindle app.

Please don't spread misinformation.

No e-reading. Just buy a damn book and use the iPad for other things.

I have read multiple books on my iPad and the experience has been great. I like the iBooks app better and reading indoors is great. The glossy screen does make reading outside when it is sunny difficult, but I don't do much of that anyways so it doesn't bother me. If I were you I would just keep the iPad and use it as your ereader, unless you are planning on reading a lot outside, the iPad will serve your needs well and it gives you the versatility of using it for video and apps, which the kindle cannot do.

iPad, because it's easy to put pdfs (in full color) with out having to format it in any way. I don't read in sunlight, I rather play soccer or jump

Alaerian said:

Prices are not "normally higher" on iBooks. Most are exactly the same.

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Newer bestsellers are the same price since about a year, since the publishers pressured Amazon to stop discounting new titles (they used to cost 9.99, today most are 12-15). Older titles are *usually* less expensive on Amazon in *my* experience.

Please don't spread misinformation.

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Please refrain from making rude accusations.

That was hardly rude. Try some thicker skin.

Price is a determining factor for some people. I simply don't want to see people turned away because they believe everything is more expensive on iBooks than on other sources.

I have both iPad and Kindle 3. I like reading magazines on the iPad and have no problem with the books. I ended up getting a Kindle later because I like the non-emitting surface for certain kinds of reading and certain kinds of day. It's also a little easier to read. If a future iPad has retina then I might change my mind but will probably always do both.

Do any of the non-iPad devices (or non iBook apps) allow loading of already owned books, like in epub (or whatever) format?

Given that the Kindle app is available on all 3 devices, and that you are open to the idea of getting a Kindle, it would be logical to depend on Amazon's app rather than Apple's.

Also depends on your exact usage scenario. For me, I prefer good old paperback for fiction, but for programming reference books I go electronic. These tend to have diagrams, varying sizes of fonts and other nicely formatted stuff in a PDF that an iPad can handle, but a Kindle might not. My iPad never leaves the house and is never in direct sunlight, ergo I don't need a Kindle.

You have your own requirements, now and in the future. Even if you don't get a Kindle now, if you ever take up commuting on a bus/train, you might be glad of the Kindle's smaller form and its battery life for reading on the journey, and you may decide to go on a beach holiday where that pesky iPad just won't cut it.

Ideally, everything would be DRM-free PDFs, but in the meantime, go with the choice that leaves you the most options, unless you really prefer the iBooks app over the Kindle one.

iPad

I used to sell eReaders part-time and currently own an iPad 1.

I actually bought my iPad as a media-consumption device because this is where it excels at particularly well, reading eBooks certainly included. The iPad is my exclusive eReader for several reasons. I prefer the bigger screen and choice of stores to choose from (iBooks, Kindle, Nook). If one store doesn't have a book or price you want, check a different one. The iPad is a one stop shop. You can sit there and switch between reading, checking your email, taking some notes, using an app without so much as getting up or switching devices. To me, this convenience and flexibility is invaluable. The Kindle is a good reader, but it is a one trick pony. The Kindle is better for outside reading while the iPad's bright screen is better indoors and in the dark. I read inside the vast majority of the time, so iPad wins there too. Also, you already have an iPad - there's little reason to drop another $100+ for something you don't really need.

I use both Kindle and iBooks apps but I prefer iBooks (by a smidge) for a few, very Apple, reasons:

(1) Aesthetics. I just prefer the bookshelf layout of the library and enjoy organized books into different "shelves."

(2) Ease of use. The iBooks store is generally more straight-forward and more fun to shop around in. Hit the "Store" button and you shop in-app for more books in a fun and intuitive way. Shopping for books in the Amazon app launches Safari and is a little clunky in comparison. I found myself buying books on Amazon.com on my Macbook Pro and avoiding the iPad altogether for shopping for Kindle eBooks. In iBooks: Want to try a book? Download a sample, read it. If you like it, it will prompt you at the end to buy it. When you finish reading it, you can rate it within the book or write a review. Everything is just seamlessly included within the app which makes my mouth water.

(3) iTunes cards. Start using iBooks and suddenly iTunes cards become that much more valuable. You get one, you can get ANYTHING (music, shows, movies, apps, books).

The Kindle app used to have the advantage with highlighting, but now you can highlight in iBooks as well.

My advice, in sum: stick with the iPad, try out iBooks, but any of the reading apps would be fine. Preference prevails.

Personally, I'd buy from iBooks or B&N, and if I ever felt the need to get an eInk reader, I'd get a Nook Simple Touch, strip the FairPlay DRM, and load the iBooks epubs onto it. But that's because I don't like Amazon and want all my books in epub. And in a perfect world, they wouldn't have DRM, either. *sigh*

I love my iBooks but I find that reading an LCD screen for more than four hours straight makes my eyes a bit sore and if I persist I develop a headache.

So for reading books with text only I use Kindle but for books with pictures, diagrams, maps etc., iBooks is essential.

One of the reasons I bought my iPad 1 was absolutely to use it as my only e-Reader. The Kindle looks nice, and I have to admit, the text has awesome contrast and is extremely easy to read, but I have 2 issues with it:

1. It's too small - I get the same feeling reading something on a Kindle as I do trying to read in iBooks on my iPhone. That's not "reading a book", that's "reading a paragraph or two at a time".

2. The formatting is terrible - as I just mentioned, it feels more like I'm reading text off a computer screen than actually reading a book. It may seem like a little thing, but when I have the iPad in landscape mode, able to see 2 facing pages at a time, book title at the top, page numbers at the bottom...and being able to "flip" the pages makes it absolutely feel like I'm reading a book.

I've tried the Kindle app on the iPad, and to me it suffers the same problems - books appear to be randomly formatted paragraphs of text, and it just doesn't feel like I'm reading a book - sad really, because they have more of a selection than iBooks, but that's where I'll stay until they decide to really enhance the formatting.

Edit: I have no trouble with reading text on the iPad - I just read The Hobbit cover to cover in one sitting the other day...Took a few hours I think.