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Thinking about adding a Kindle.....

3lionsbecks

3lionsbecks

Suspended
Original poster
Jul 19, 2010
607
119
Ontario, Canada
I have an iPad but I bought it for my wife.....since we bought it I have started using the Kindle app quite a bit and have downloaded about 15 books already.

Since the iPad is primarily for my wife (I already have an iMac and MBP all to myself and an iPod Touch) I find that often when I feel like reading she is already using the iPad for herself. I'm not a big fan of reading on the Touch because of the screen size and the laptop is a laptop.....

My question is for people who have experience with both the iPad and the Kindle....

Do you think that adding a new Kindle (3) to our household would be a good idea?

Pros and Cons would be great.

Thanks.
 
You might as well get the cheap 16GB wifi ipad used for around $400 so that you can do more than reading..
 
We have a Kindle, Nook and an iPad. I actually prefer the Kindle to the Nook. Obviously, the iPad has many other uses than just as an eReader. But if ALL you are wanting is access to your ebooks, here's my take:

Pros of Kindle vs iPad:

FAR superior eReading experience to iPad.
Can read a Kindle outside, comfortably, or anywhere you've got adequate reading light.
Lighter and easier to hold, even one handed.

Cons:
Need SOME light or use a kludgy book light.
 
stark4 said:
You might as well get the cheap 16GB wifi ipad used for around $400 so that you can do more than reading..
Click to expand...

As much as I love the iPad, if he really doesn't need to do anything more than reading, the $139 price tag on the Kindle is incredibly good.

On the other hand I know I really love using my iPad and could never see myself with a Kindle. But I am not in the same situation.
 
It is obviously a personal preference, but my wife has not picked up her Kindle DX since she got her iPad.

If we decide to sell her Kindle, we will be taking a HUGE loss as per the current resale value of them. :(
 
I don't buy this whole e-ink thing. I'm not sure how the Kindle 3 is, but the contrast on the Kindle 2 was far worse than a printed page and I was constantly adjusting the device just to get good light on the screen. It's also completely useless at night or in low light situations without a backlight.

Have had no problems whatsoever reading on the iPad. Never really tried reading it outside in broad daylight, but reading indoors even near large windows is just fine for me.

My Kindle is now up for auction ...
 
The new Kindle certainly looks the goods, especially in black where the new high contrast screen will appear even contrast-ier ;) but it still doesn't natively support ePub - a very odd move. Giant selection of books though and there's a Kindle app for just about every device under the sun right now.
 
Gee, if you already have one e-reader in the house, what's wrong with a good old normal book?!

That aside, for the reasons already mentioned if it it is just standard paperback fiction you're after the kindle is the way to go:

Great battery life, better (text) resolution, more flexible for reading in various light conditions.

For me as a lot of the reading I do is of specialist texts with diagrams and colour photos etc, the kindle is not suitable, but the iPad works great.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. Good info.

I wouldn't consider a second iPad right now due to cost. The Cheapest iPad in Canada right now is $549 + Tax = $620. The Kindle is only $140 + Shipping = less than $150.

I'd love the extra iPad but its not really what we need for the budget.

As for paperbacks....do they still make those? Ha ha...Just kidding. But I don't want to buy the book twice so which I would have to do if I went that route.

I wasn't trying to compare the iPad to the Kindle. I know that the Kindle is book specific while the iPad is magical in so many ways. ;)

I was hoping for some ideas on how people who read on the iPad have also read on a kindle.

Thanks to those who mentioned some of the limitations of the Kindle (no back light) I'll have to keep in mind that I would need to buy a clip on light for it too.....and probably a case.....

Anyone think that Kindles and other eReaders won't be around at all in a years time?
 
I just played with a Kindle for the first time recently. I guess I just don't care for e-ink yet. I understand its benefits, but I have a hard time with the flickering during the page refresh and the amount of time for things to refresh.


If you like e-ink, go for it. Yes, I think that kindles will be around for a long time.
 
3lionsbecks said:
Thanks for the replies so far. Good info.

I wouldn't consider a second iPad right now due to cost. The Cheapest iPad in Canada right now is $549 + Tax = $620. The Kindle is only $140 + Shipping = less than $150.

I'd love the extra iPad but its not really what we need for the budget.

As for paperbacks....do they still make those? Ha ha...Just kidding. But I don't want to buy the book twice so which I would have to do if I went that route.

I wasn't trying to compare the iPad to the Kindle. I know that the Kindle is book specific while the iPad is magical in so many ways. ;)

I was hoping for some ideas on how people who read on the iPad have also read on a kindle.

Thanks to those who mentioned some of the limitations of the Kindle (no back light) I'll have to keep in mind that I would need to buy a clip on light for it too.....and probably a case.....

Anyone think that Kindles and other eReaders won't be around at all in a years time?
Click to expand...

Barring the collapse of civilization and loss of electrical power ereaders or their progeny will become the primary tool for reading except in third world countries like Arizona where finger-painting will dominate.
 
I have both a Kindle 2 and an iPad. Yes, the iPad is a superior device. But, for pure reading, the Kindle is far superior, especially outside. As for night or low-light conditions, get a MightyBright light. This light is the best for the Kindle ( make sure you either use a cloth under the clamp or attach the clamp to a case- it can scratch your Kindle).
 
3lionsbecks said:
Anyone think that Kindles and other eReaders won't be around at all in a years time?
Click to expand...

e-Ink screens and dedicated ebook readers will be around a while. A lot of people (not me, but a lot of people, judging from the MobileRead forums) prefer the .e-Ink screens, the extremely long battery life, and the size and weight of the Kindle and similar readers.
 
If it's only ebook reading you want then you are probably better off getting the kindle as it's easier on the eyes for long periods of reading and cheaper to boot.
 
rhinosrcool said:
I have both a Kindle 2 and an iPad. Yes, the iPad is a superior device. But, for pure reading, the Kindle is far superior, especially outside. As for night or low-light conditions, get a MightyBright light. This light is the best for the Kindle ( make sure you either use a cloth under the clamp or attach the clamp to a case- it can scratch your Kindle).
Click to expand...

I concur. I recently joined my family at the beach. My Mom, who also owns an iPad, tried both her Kindle and iPad while sitting underneath the umbrella. The iPad was pumped up to the highest brightness and still did not permit natural reading. The iPad backlight really requires the need to be the dominant source. In contrast, the kindle required an external light source to make the most of eInk. Add a Kindle to your quill and have fun in all conditions.
 
The way I use our Kindle and iPad is simple. If I'm indoors and/or it's the evening, I'm using the iPad if it's not in use. I use the Kindle reader on that for most reading as I prefer true white text on black background for reading on the iPads screen (the inverse video trick looks horrid IMHO).

If I'm going out to the deck to sip coffee and read, the iPad is all but useless in bright light. Almost totally unreadable, even in some shade. So the Kindle gets grabbed instead.

Good news is that with the Kindle, I can easily keep my page between both devices. Even with a second iPad, I'm not sure you can do that as I think iBooks is profile-specific?
 
3lionsbecks said:
snip

Anyone think that Kindles and other eReaders won't be around at all in a years time?
Click to expand...

We own kindle dx, ipad and iphones. I believe the Kindle App actually helps with the longevity issue since it opens Amazon's ebooks to a much wider audience. I also like the fact that my kindle account can be shared among many devices w/o sharing my itunes account which would be required if I used ibooks.

For what you're doing the new wifi only kindle is a great solution. I'm thinking of getting one for my mum. That way I'd get access to her library too. :)

Cheers,
 
I own both and still far prefer the Kindle for pure reading. I am at the beach now and spent all day reading in sun. Barely dented battery life and it was quite easy on the eyes. I definitely think adding a Kindle to the mix, especially given the current price point, is the way to go.
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
Good news is that with the Kindle, I can easily keep my page between both devices. Even with a second iPad, I'm not sure you can do that as I think iBooks is profile-specific?
Click to expand...

iBooks will keep your page between devices if the devices are synced with the same iTunes account. I can start reading a book on my iPad, pick up where I left off on my iPod touch, then switch back to my iPad and it'll pick up from where I got to on the Touch.
 
ReallyBigFeet said:
We have a Kindle, Nook and an iPad. I actually prefer the Kindle to the Nook. Obviously, the iPad has many other uses than just as an eReader. But if ALL you are wanting is access to your ebooks, here's my take:

Pros of Kindle vs iPad:

FAR superior eReading experience to iPad.
Can read a Kindle outside, comfortably, or anywhere you've got adequate reading light.
Lighter and easier to hold, even one handed.

Cons:
Need SOME light or use a kludgy book light.
Click to expand...

Except for the part about having a Nook, this reflects my experience too. I wouldn't want to give up either the iPad or the Kindle, but when I want to read, I reach for the Kindle for all of the above reasons. Others will disagree, of course.
 
Kindle ftw

I think the kindle or nook is a nice addition to any electronic collection. Plus you can pick up a kindle 2 on craigslist for about 100 bucks these days (that's why I got mine). :)
 
If you only use the iPad for reading it would be a good idea, but I really find the iPad so useful that I would buy another one :p
 
I'm one of the few who find the iPad almost completely useless - which is why I returned mine to Apple. I've blogged about it, but in the executive overview, it couldn't replace a notebook, video playback (with OPlayer HD) sucks on it due to performance issues, the operating system is crippled because of all the artificial restrictions and although the page flipping animations in iBooks are beautifully done and although Amazon's Kindle for iPad is a gorgeous application, that doesn't change the fact that the device is too heavy for reading and that you are still staring on a computer screen that's buried under smudges.

So, in short: The iPad is a nice toy for a couple of hours, but then you discover that it doesn't do anything really well. But let's wait a couple more revisions before we pass our final judgment.

I'm now also thinking about buying a Kindle to replace my bookshelves with. The Kindle has the advantage that it was designed for exactly one purpose: Be an eBook reader, and be good at it. The very low price of 139 USD for the WiFi-only Kindle 3 makes it hard not to give it a try.

So, yes, I think having a Kindle 3 in the house makes a lot of sense.
 
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