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iBooks vs kindle

Italianblend

Italianblend

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Mar 21, 2011
1,794
247
Fatima
I've been trying to compare these apps before I purchase a book. I'm torn. I enjoy the different fonts of iBooks. However the text size increase increments are too big. And silly I know but I enjoy the page turning animation of kindle better. It's more fun to play around with that while your reading.

Which do you Like better? How is the google version?
 
Is your question about different apps on the iPad (software question) or is it a hardware question of buying an iPad or Kindle for reading?

If it is a hardware question then:

I'm not a huge reader but do read some. My wife has a Kindle and we have an iPad 2. I've read on both and, indoors, find them equally easy to read with.

Outdoors the basic Kindle is the killer as the screen of an iPad is hard to read in the sun or bright outdoor light while the Kindle is easy. Beyond that I don't think there is a huge difference in readability - at least not for me.

If it is a software question, then personally I don't see much of a difference.
 
I have found more of the books I want at the Kindle store, and some of the books have been cheaper there too. So I have gone with the Kindle app.

Visually I prefer the iBooks app, though.
 
Italianblend said:
I've been trying to compare these apps before I purchase a book. I'm torn. I enjoy the different fonts of iBooks. However the text size increase increments are too big. And silly I know but I enjoy the page turning animation of kindle better. It's more fun to play around with that while your reading.

Which do you Like better? How is the google version?
Click to expand...

If you have a Kindle eReader, then I'd use the Kindle app on the iPad for books. Makes more sense, because you can have the books on both devices, plus you can start reading on one device and carry on from the other. It all syncs with each other. Same goes for if you're planning on purchasing a Kindle.

However, if you don't have a Kindle, then iBooks is great.
 
Italianblend said:
I've been trying to compare these apps before I purchase a book. I'm torn. I enjoy the different fonts of iBooks. However the text size increase increments are too big. And silly I know but I enjoy the page turning animation of kindle better. It's more fun to play around with that while your reading.

Which do you Like better? How is the google version?
Click to expand...

You know you can use more than one? I have purchased books on both depending on what's available and pricing. No reason not to shop for value on media content.
 
I purchase all my books through Amazon so I can read on both an iPad and a Kindle in either app I choose. If I want to use iBooks, I run the book through calibre. (But I actually prefer the Kindle app on the iPad to iBooks in terms of functionality.)
 
I buy all my books on the Kindle platform because you can read them on just about any device. I then strip the DRM on my PC and read them in iBooks though.

The Kindle App doesn't have any font choices, only size, you are forced to read justified text rather than left-aligned (I find this can slow down my reading considerably) and in the latest 3.1 update, they completely ruined the margins for reading books.

iBooks on the other hand, has the option for left-aligned text, good font choices (I recommend Iowan or Charter) and is just a much nicer reading experience in general.


I would only use the Kindle App if you needed to sync between multiple devices. (though if you are only reading on iOS devices, iBooks can do that too)
 
Kate. said:
I purchase all my books through Amazon so I can read on both an iPad and a Kindle in either app I choose. If I want to use iBooks, I run the book through calibre. (But I actually prefer the Kindle app on the iPad to iBooks in terms of functionality.)
Click to expand...

I thought Amazon Kindle books were DRM locked? I have a Sony eReader, and I get my books from Kobo since they're ePub. Means I don't have to run a conversion through Calibre. Plus the fact Calibre can't convert DRM locked books. if Kindle books are DRM free, then I'll start using that and converting them to ePub instead.
 
Like others, I prefer the Kindle app because it syncs with my Kindle Touch, as well as my android phone. I also use the Kobo app.
 
marty1990 said:
I thought Amazon Kindle books were DRM locked? I have a Sony eReader, and I get my books from Kobo since they're ePub. Means I don't have to run a conversion through Calibre. Plus the fact Calibre can't convert DRM locked books. if Kindle books are DRM free, then I'll start using that and converting them to ePub instead.
Click to expand...

Yes, Kindle books are DRM locked but calibre can unlock them with a special plugin.

There's a guide here:
https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com...mats-drm-and-you-—-a-guide-for-the-perplexed/
 
i have always preferred iBooks to the Kindle app mainly because of the font selections. i just prefer the functions of iBooks overall compared to the kindle app.
 
See, this is what I don't get. Why would kindle not have a font choice? This is 2012. We've been choosing fonts since the 80s.
 
Italianblend said:
Also the book I want is $6 less on kindle than on iBooks. Is this typical?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't say it's typical -- more often than not books have the same price or the difference is only a dollar or two. But a big difference like that does show up every so often.
 
Italianblend said:
See, this is what I don't get. Why would kindle not have a font choice? This is 2012. We've been choosing fonts since the 80s.
Click to expand...

I prefer the font on kindle device. Also, not all kindle books have page numbers. I also like pages to end of chapter feature. But, kindle is snappier and wiki is built-in unlike iBook which takes you to safari.
 
I know I shouldn't be, but I was shocked the other day to find that I could not read my ibook purchase on my (apple) laptop. Ricockulous. That was the first and last ibook I buy - sticking with Kindle which I can read on any device including OS X/Windoze.
 
pesos said:
I know I shouldn't be, but I was shocked the other day to find that I could not read my ibook purchase on my (apple) laptop. Ricockulous. That was the first and last ibook I buy - sticking with Kindle which I can read on any device including OS X/Windoze.
Click to expand...

+1

The main reason I buy Kindle books (even though I rarely read a book on my Macbook); I am amazed there is no iBook reader for Mac....
 
I made the mistake of investing into iBooks. While I prefer iBooks visually, I'm hitting some severe roadblocks with them since they offer no versatility.

iBooks can be read on an iPhone or iPad and THATS IT. But Kindle books can be read on iPhone, iPad, Notebooks, Desktops, Windows, Mac, Android etc. It didn't seem like a big deal for me to lay my loyalty on Apple with books but now that we're seeing such strong competition from everyone else then my next ebook reader may NOT be an iPad.
 
pesos said:
I know I shouldn't be, but I was shocked the other day to find that I could not read my ibook purchase on my (apple) laptop. Ricockulous. That was the first and last ibook I buy - sticking with Kindle which I can read on any device including OS X/Windoze.
Click to expand...

I think Calibre will read ibooks on your laptop just fine. It has worked for me.
 
pesos said:
I know I shouldn't be, but I was shocked the other day to find that I could not read my ibook purchase on my (apple) laptop. Ricockulous. That was the first and last ibook I buy - sticking with Kindle which I can read on any device including OS X/Windoze.
Click to expand...
Here's the problem with Apple only allowing iBooks on iPad/iPhone. STUDENTS! IF Apple really believes themselves to be doing the world a favor by moving the EDU market towards digital textbooks then why the heck should it ONLY be offered on THEIR selected hardware? (The answer is obviou$$$)

An education shouldn't be limited to Apple users so IF Apple really cares about students then why not offer the standard iBooks fully amazing version and a dumbed down iBooks for Windows or OS X or even Android?
 
urkel said:
An education shouldn't be limited to Apple users so IF Apple really cares about students then why not offer the standard iBooks fully amazing version and a dumbed down iBooks for Windows or OS X or even Android?
Click to expand...

Silly argument, there's nothing "limiting" an education to Apple users, it's merely an alternative, just like when notebooks were first becoming widespread and some students could afford them while many others could not.
 
urkel said:
Here's the problem with Apple only allowing iBooks on iPad/iPhone. STUDENTS! IF Apple really believes themselves to be doing the world a favor by moving the EDU market towards digital textbooks then why the heck should it ONLY be offered on THEIR selected hardware? (The answer is obviou$$$)

An education shouldn't be limited to Apple users so IF Apple really cares about students then why not offer iBooks on Windows or OS X or even Android? Yes, I know that there are certain things that allow an Apple textbook to look amazing due to the tight pairing of hardware and software but if it means that books have to become "dumber" in order to reach a wider audience then I dont think any parent or educator will fault anyone for having the "cheaper" version of a book.
Click to expand...

Apple doesn't care about students in general, understand that. They're in it for the money and for maybe a government tax break for that "good doing". You also have to understand that Apple's greatest product has always been the iPod, followed by the iPhone, and now the iPad. They don't sell enough computers to students who would benefit from iBooks, especially in K-12. College/University is different, and iTunes U is better suited for that higher education.

iTunes U videos work fine on my Android devices BTW.
 
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