Are 9.7 iPads good e readers? how's your experience?

[Wise Potato]

I'm thinking of buying an iPad, obviously the Mini is optimal for it's size but it's becoming obsolete and I really don't want to deal with half baked iOS updates in the future, I'd love an iPad that lasts long.

Plus, the much larger screen and long battery life are tempting, my main goal is e reading, yes, but the bigger screen will be a lot better for other tasks like multi tasking, netflix and gaming.

Are 9.7 inch iPads too heavy for e reading? Should I just go with the iPad Mini 4 with it's older specs?

 

[ninaco]

I love my iPads and currently have the Air 2. (10.5" Pro on order.) I use it for just about everything but ebooks. A backlit screen just isn't the best for reading for hours at a time. And, as time goes on, the full size iPad feels increasingly heavy.

I use the Kindle for ebooks. the only books I read on the iPad are ones with a lot of photos. Even then, I usually just look at the pics on the iPad & read the book on the Kindle.

Of course, the Kindle can do no other tasks. Heck, it's not even audio or Bluetooth capable. But it's superb for ebooks. And, it has a MUCH longer battery life than the iPad - talking days or weeks rather than hours.

 

[canesalato]

I'm thinking of buying an iPad, obviously the Mini is optimal for it's size but it's becoming obsolete and I really don't want to deal with half baked iOS updates in the future, I'd love an iPad that lasts long.

Plus, the much larger screen and long battery life are tempting, my main goal is e reading, yes, but the bigger screen will be a lot better for other tasks like multi tasking, netflix and gaming.

Are 9.7 inch iPads too heavy for e reading? Should I just go with the iPad Mini 4 with it's older specs?

If you have the money, want longevity and a better screen, along with more multitasking capabilities, consider the 10.5 version.

But, for your use cases, the cheap 9.7 screen iPad seems perfect, if you are on budget

 

[RobinInOR]

I found the mid sizes to be too awkward for reading. I use the mini and i can hold it on the bottom edge, in portrait mode, and it's stable. The 9.7 always felt like it was tilting back and it put more strain on my thumbs
Ive got a kindle as well and dont use it anymore. I use the Kindle app in dark mode and dont have any trouble reading it. I dont read outside so i dont miss that part of the paperwhite.

 

[Fattytail]

I think they work fine. The current iterations are light enough with terrific screens.

 

[sparksd]

My Air 2 has completely replaced my Kindle PaperWhite and my Nexus 7 as my ebook reader. Kindle is by far the most used app on my Air 2 (300+ books on it).

 

[Alrescha]

A backlit screen just isn't the best for reading for hours at a time.

Speak for yourself. I have been reading ebooks on iOS since the first iPod Touch, and there is nothing cooler than sitting in the dark with your self-illuminated ebook reader on a warm summer night with the crickets singing outside.

I have full-sized iPads for work and play, but currently I find the mini format best for reading ebooks. I do not think that specs matter very much for that purpose.

A.

 

[Wise Potato]

I love my iPads and currently have the Air 2. (10.5" Pro on order.) I use it for just about everything but ebooks. A backlit screen just isn't the best for reading for hours at a time. And, as time goes on, the full size iPad feels increasingly heavy.

I use the Kindle for ebooks. the only books I read on the iPad are ones with a lot of photos. Even then, I usually just look at the pics on the iPad & read the book on the Kindle.

Of course, the Kindle can do no other tasks. Heck, it's not even audio or Bluetooth capable. But it's superb for ebooks. And, it has a MUCH longer battery life than the iPad - talking days or weeks rather than hours.

Haha nah I'm not interested in Kindles, I want a tablet.
[doublepost=1497062116][/doublepost]

Speak for yourself. I have been reading ebooks on iOS since the first iPod Touch, and there is nothing cooler than sitting in the dark with your self-illuminated ebook reader on a warm summer night with the crickets singing outside.

I have full-sized iPads for work and play, but currently I find the mini format best for reading ebooks. I do not think that specs matter very much for that purpose.

A.

Yeah, specs don't matter for e reading, but it's gonna suck if I get a half baked iOS 12 because my Mini lags behind in power.
[doublepost=1497062247][/doublepost]

My Air 2 has completely replaced my Kindle PaperWhite and my Nexus 7 as my ebook reader. Kindle is by far the most used app on my Air 2 (300+ books on it).

Does it feel heavy compared to the Nexus 7?

 

[sparksd]

Haha nah I'm not interested in Kindles, I want a tablet.
[doublepost=1497062116][/doublepost]

Yeah, specs don't matter for e reading, but it's gonna suck if I get a half baked iOS 12 because my Mini lags behind in power.
[doublepost=1497062247][/doublepost]

Does it feel heavy compared to the Nexus 7?

Heavy? Not at all when using a smart case. If it weren't comfortable, I wouldn't be using it as much. And screen clarity/resolution is much better than the Nexus 7.

 

[Alrescha]

Yeah, specs don't matter for e reading, but it's gonna suck if I get a half baked iOS 12 because my Mini lags behind in power.

If your goal is ebook reading, then 9.7, or mini, or whatever, there will be nothing "half-baked" about iOS 12 - even if your 'old' device does not support every single feature of the new OS.

A.

 

[Wise Potato]

If your goal is ebook reading, then 9.7, or mini, or whatever, there will be nothing "half-baked" about iOS 12 - even if your 'old' device does not support every single feature of the new OS.

A.

Yeah, it's not "half baked" per se, but big features like split screen don't work on Minis older than Mini 4 for example, won't be long before Mini 4 lags behind.

 

[Alrescha]

Yeah, it's not "half baked" per se, but big features like split screen don't work on Minis older than Mini 4 for example, won't be long before Mini 4 lags behind.

Sure, there may be features that you do not get, but "half-baked" is not far from "half-assed" in my book and future versions of iOS will be nothing like that.

I have an original iPad mini, and a mini 4. The original mini is almost identical in UI performance to the mini 4 - until you ask it to do something intensive (fire up News and it melts).

The point is that if you have a task in mind like ebook reading, whatever device you buy today is not likely to be negatively impacted by future iOS updates. Heck, the mini 1 is as good as the mini 4 for reading if you ignore the retina display...

A.

 

[Wise Potato]

Sure, there may be features that you do not get, but "half-baked" is not far from "half-assed" in my book and future versions of iOS will be nothing like that.

I have an original iPad mini, and a mini 4. The original mini is almost identical in UI performance to the mini 4 - until you ask it to do something intensive (fire up News and it melts).

The point is that if you have a task in mind like ebook reading, whatever device you buy today is not likely to be negatively impacted by future iOS updates. Heck, the mini 1 is as good as the mini 4 for reading if you ignore the retina display...

A.

I see, so you think the compromise in specs is worth it for lightness while e reading, I mean judging from your first reply?

 

[Alrescha]

I see, so you think the compromise in specs is worth it for lightness while e reading, I mean judging from your first reply?

I doubt there will ever be any change to iOS that effects your ebook reading experience in a negative way. No worries. If all I had was my original mini for ebooks, I would be a happy camper.

A.

 

[Wise Potato]

I doubt there will ever be any change to iOS that effects your ebook reading experience in a negative way. No worries. If all I had was my original mini for ebooks, I would be a happy camper.

A.

Maybe I worded my thread wrong, but I don't want it ONLY for e reading, otherwise I would've got a Kindle.

I'm thinking e reading with a bit of browsing, lightweight gaming and netflix.

Thanks for all the replies, appreciated!

 

[kognos]

Maybe I worded my thread wrong, but I don't want it ONLY for e reading, otherwise I would've got a Kindle.

I'm thinking e reading with a bit of browsing, lightweight gaming and netflix.

Thanks for all the replies, appreciated!

Mini is great for ebooks.

I switched to full size ipad for books as well and it's ok as long as you don't mind two hands in landscape. It's also even better for textbooks.

Generally speaking reading in bed/airplanes is fine that way (for me).

And yeah, you have no compromises with a full-size ipad vs the mini.

 

[ShufromChina]

If you want to spend long time reading e-books (and not going to annotate heavily--pure ebooks, not pdf's), get a kindle. Because eventually any iPad's screen will be bad for eyes for long-time reading.

But if you want to do annotation on PDF's as you read along, that's a different story. My current tool set is iPad pro 9.7 and apple pencil. I need heavy editing. The screen size is just about right.

 

[44267547]

If you want to spend long time reading e-books (and not going to annotate heavily--pure ebooks, not pdf's), get a kindle. Because eventually any iPad's screen will be bad for eyes for long-time reading.

Not necessarily. If the OP were to opt for the 9.7 Pro, it has Tru-Tone display. Basically it's whole purpose uses ambient sensors to detect brightness. Which allows the display to correct white point and illumination based on the lighting in your environment, making it an easier transition on your eyes. (The 2017 9.7 iPad does not have this.)

 

[jerryk]

I use my 9.7 iPad Pro all the time with the Kindle app. Works great. The display is clean and crisp.

I also have a Kindle Paperwhite, but find I prefer the iPad because of the larger screen.

 

[ShufromChina]

Not necessarily. If the OP were to opt for the 9.7 Pro, it has Tru-Tone display. Basically it's whole purpose uses ambient sensors to detect brightness. Which allows the display to correct white point and illumination based on the lighting in your environment, making it an easier transition on your eyes. (The 2017 9.7 iPad does not have this.)

I am aware of the Tru-tone display as I currently own one. But it is not panacea, and LCD is always LCD. It will emit more amount of radiation and the brightness and contrast that come from the LCD screen simply cannot match that from an e-ink screen in terms of friendliness to the eye. With proper reading distance, you can compare reading a book and looking at an LCD screen for an extended period of time and see how your eyes handle them. Kindle is pretty darn close to the reading experience of a paper-back book. iPad, at current level, is still a compromise in terms of reading, albeit having improved from the past.

 

[44267547]

I am aware of the Tru-tone display as I currently own one. But it is not panacea, and LCD is always LCD. It will emit more amount of radiation and the brightness and contrast that come from the LCD screen simply cannot match that from an e-ink screen in terms of friendliness to the eye. With proper reading distance, you can compare reading a book and looking at an LCD screen for an extended period of time and see how your eyes handle them. Kindle is pretty darn close to the reading experience of a paper-back book. iPad, at current level, is still a compromise in terms of reading, albeit having improved from the past.

I primarily agree with what you're saying. E-screens are much more user-friendly on the eyes over LCD in general. I was indicating for other readers based on your first post, that Tru-Tone display is something to consider for transitions with reading over a white stark display versus not having it. I have read many threads/posts on here how others have stated Tru-Tone is a major advantage for reading/viewing material based on your lighted environment. I think there is m a reason Apple expanded that to the 12.9 Pro and now it's rumored, any future iPhone models will likely follow suit to incorporate Tru-Tone display.

Again, once someone experiences it, I think it's a distinct advantage for reading/viewing if someone didn't opt for an E-reader and wanted an iPad soley.

 

[rui no onna]

I often use 9.7" iPads for reading usually because it's on hand and it's a pain to load up the Kindle Paperwhite with non-Kindle store ebooks. Can't hold it single-handed for extensive periods but I adapted. I prop it against pillows, etc. so I only need to support it with my fingertips and can operate it one-handed. Granted, I also use a reading app that allows single taps on both left and right side of the screen for page forwarding.

 

[kipwheeler]

I'm a big fan of reading on a 9.7 iPad using the Kindle ap. I own a Kindle as well, but I hardly ever use it anymore since I enjoy the experience on the 9.7 so much. The biggest weakness is that I can't sit outside in sunlight and read on the iPad (too much glare), but indoors, it's perfect.

Note that my wife is the exact opposite. She also owns both a 9.7 and a Kindle, and she greatly prefers reading on an e-ink device like the Kindle, while I greatly prefer the lit screen. YMMV, depending on if you fall into the lit-screen or non-lit screen preference.

 

[caoimhe]

I have a mini 2 that I still read, browse the web, play games and watch videos on. It's fine for all those things and will never see IOS 11 because I'd lose some old favourite games. I also have the 9.7 pro which I use to read newspapers and magazines.

I still hope for a new updated mini, it is my favorite form factor because it fits easily in a handbag!

 

[Royksöpp]

I can't read an entire book on an LCD screen. I use my Kobo Glo HD for books and the iPad for Magazines and News.