I am a teenage girl and I have an iPhone 4S and a kindle 2 (one w/ keyboard) and it's getting old and I want something new. I love to read, but I also go online and I love watching movies and YouTube videos on my iPhone, which gets small. And I don't know if this is a big deal, but taking pictures is a hobby. Is the camera good on the iPad? I can't decide if it's worth it to pay the extra 200 dollars so I can use the iPad mini as a computer/tv/camera and use the kindle app or get the paperwhite that's cheaper and I can read it a lot during the day. Also I'm planning on getting one of them by December so a new iPad mini with retina display might come out by then.
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iPad mini iPad mini vs Kindle paperwhite
- Thread starter kyrank
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I would go for the iPad Mini. It has a 5 megapixel camera, which is the same as the iPhone 4, so it takes okayish pictures. I'm not real familiar with the different types of kindles, but I'd say that the extra 200 dollars is worth it since you know the apple software, and will appreciate it more on a larger screen. But then again if your going to be using it mostly for reading, $200 might be just a bit too much.
The paperwhite is a top notch reading device. There is nothing better for ebooks as of now. Nonetheless that is pretty much everything it can do.
In the other hand the iPad mini is not as great as the paperwhite for reading, but gets the job done. For watching videos and surfing the net I find it quite enjoyable. I'm not into it for watching movies, but I do use it a lot to watch youtube videos. Truth being said I've never used the iPad camera, I have an iPhone 5, so I don't feel like using it for that purpose.
My advice is to keep the Kindle for reading your occasional book and get an iPad mini for everything else. You'll see how in the very first day you'll ditch your iPhone for everything but to make calls.
In the other hand the iPad mini is not as great as the paperwhite for reading, but gets the job done. For watching videos and surfing the net I find it quite enjoyable. I'm not into it for watching movies, but I do use it a lot to watch youtube videos. Truth being said I've never used the iPad camera, I have an iPhone 5, so I don't feel like using it for that purpose.
My advice is to keep the Kindle for reading your occasional book and get an iPad mini for everything else. You'll see how in the very first day you'll ditch your iPhone for everything but to make calls.
Get the mini, you will love it. If the new mini has retina, then sell your old one and buy the new one then, unless you want to wait maybe three months maybe six months maybe more... Who knows?
I love my mini and read all the time on it. You'll love it too, and you can do lots more with it and it really feels nice and of good quality.
I love my mini and read all the time on it. You'll love it too, and you can do lots more with it and it really feels nice and of good quality.
I have both devices and they are both great. I'd also agree with what others have said. It sounds as though you want a good all round device, not just for reading, but for watching videos, web browsing, taking pictures etc so I think the mini is the best option. I do read occasionally on my mini and the experience is not bad at all.
I agree with others that the iPad mini is a better all purpose device for the things you want to do. If you love to read however and have been using a Kindle and iPhone you may be disappointed in the text on the mini. It is like reading on a computer and just not as clear. Ideally you would wait for the mini with a retina screen but that might be a long wait. If you go with the current mini I would plan to hang onto your Kindle for reading.
I have both, and generally use the mini. The weight is about the same, and most of the time I have no need for the kindle extended battery life.
I also read a few pdf ebooks, which load better on the mini. For long trips I'll take the kindle just for the battery life (long flights where I can't charge it).
Both are great devices
I also read a few pdf ebooks, which load better on the mini. For long trips I'll take the kindle just for the battery life (long flights where I can't charge it).
Both are great devices
For pure reading, nothing beats the Paperwhite. Fantastic device. Plus, you don't have to baby it like an iPad. The thing is built pretty tough.
But since you mention all those other uses, it sounds like you'd get more mileage out of an iPad than a Paperwhite. You already have a Kindle anyway.
But since you mention all those other uses, it sounds like you'd get more mileage out of an iPad than a Paperwhite. You already have a Kindle anyway.
iPad Mini is unusable for reading outside of the house, in a cafe or on a plane will be fine, just not when sat on a bench outside, that'll be tough.
I would either get the iPad Mini while keeping the Kindle 2, or accept you won't be able to use the Mini outside and get that. It's hard to argue for a Paperwhite over the iPad Mini as the iPad is definitely capable of a lot more, it really depends on how much you read as the iPad or any other tablet simply is no match for e-ink.
I would either get the iPad Mini while keeping the Kindle 2, or accept you won't be able to use the Mini outside and get that. It's hard to argue for a Paperwhite over the iPad Mini as the iPad is definitely capable of a lot more, it really depends on how much you read as the iPad or any other tablet simply is no match for e-ink.
The Paperwhite is in essence a Kindle, just like yours. If you want more than the Kindle you have, then you will want more than a Paperwhite.
Don't waste your time with buying another Kindle. If it's old, it's old. The only difference with the new Kindles is that they have better screens on them now, otherwise they're all the same. The Paperwhite has the touchscreen, but can be hit and miss in lighting.
Unless your K2 breaks, I would not recommend you get another one. The amount of money people waste on upgrading and buying new e-readers every years is just disgusting. $100+ better spent on new books to read.
The iPad Mini is great. I use mine as a camera with no problem.
Unless your K2 breaks, I would not recommend you get another one. The amount of money people waste on upgrading and buying new e-readers every years is just disgusting. $100+ better spent on new books to read.
The iPad Mini is great. I use mine as a camera with no problem.
I disagree. The Paperwhite has numerous advantages over the Kindle 2. The screen is Pearl e-ink, it is lighter, and it has a built in light. While I agree with you that upgrading every year is silly, the Kindle 2 was discontinued in July 2010 so kyrank's Kindle is at least 3 years old. Nothing wrong with upgrading now.
I tried a Kindle Paperwhite at a bestbuy once, and although it's faster than previous Kindles, the page turn speed is still noticeably slower than on an iPad. Personally, that would drive me crazy.
That's an eInk thing-the refresh rate is slower.
OP, honestly, the Kindle Paperwhite is, as others said, a fantastic reading device. If you absolutely can only have one or the other though, I agree with the suggestions to stick with your old Kindle and grab a mini.
Alternately, by December we'll likely see new Kindles as well, and the current Paperwhite may slide in price. If not, there's always the basic $69 Kindle as well...so if you really love having a dedicated ereader, you can get the base Kindle and an iPad mini without stretching your budget to the extreme.
The major benefits to the Paperwhite, and why I reach for mine over my iPad or phone for reading, are the screen, the size, and the battery life. The screen is very paperlike, and the backlight isn't has harsh in the dark as an LCD, so it doesn't disturb my wife as I read. The size is perfect for one-handed reading, and it's light enough that you really don't notice it in a bag. Plus the battery life is quite good, one charge can easily be stretched out for a month or more.
On the other hand, it's just an ebook reader. That's all it does. So comparing it to a mini is a poor comparison, as the mini will always have more features and benefits, but they fill totally different consumer needs.
I just picked up a Paperwhite last weekend. I love the little guy. It's got me hooked on reading again. Text is flawless and the display in general is great. But, in your case I'd stick with a Mini. A lot more that you can do with it.
I think it depends on just how much reading you want to do. For several hour long stints on a lazy Sunday afternoon, there's nothing I would recommend over a Kindle. I have both an iPad Mini and a Kindle paperwhite and for long bouts of reading, the iPad gives me a bit of a headache.
I returned a Kindle Paperwhilte because of uneven lighting, especially along the bottom of the screen (black "smudges") and asked for a replacement. The replacement display was even worse: same smudges Plus a very bright area in the lower left corner. I returned that one. Many people seem to tolerate the uneven lighting, but I will wait for the next version of the Paperwhite.
The camera on the iPad is not really that good.
If you are an avid reader, then I'd recommend getting an Kindle Paperwhite. It is a terrific ereader and far better for reading than the iPad mini. With the $200 you save you can go out and buy a quality Android tablet to do everything else. Something like a Nexus 7.
But if you truly want a single device AND you are invested in the Amazon ecosystem, I'd recommend the Kindle Fire HD. For only $30 more (depending upon the model) than a Kindle Paperwhite, you pretty much get a similar experience as an iPad mini. (as well as the same drawbacks) The Kindle Fire HD can be easily turned into looking/acting like an Android tablet with the simple addition of a single app without disturbing the custom Kindle interface.
I own a variety of tablets (including an iPad 4, GTab 7 2.0, Kindle Fire HD 7), smartphones, and mp3 players, and I really can't see the current pricing of the iPad mini being a bargain. The base model really should start out at $200. But that's nothing more than my opinion (which is in the minority view).