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iPad mini Reading Books on the Mini

S

schulzmc

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 13, 2006
140
0
I read as a part of my job - about 120-140 books a year. I've owned 4 e-ink Kindles, and most recently a Kindle Fire HD. While I have an iPad 3, it has typically been an email/web browsing device for me. It wouldn't work as my main reading device.

I read about 4 hours yesterday on my iPad mini and about 2 more today. The Kindle Fire is going in eBay. I'll keep an e-ink Kindle around for those times I need to read in outdoor situations, but the Mini is going to be my primary reading device.

I can also see it becoming my email/web device as well. I know some are saying the Mini is not great for reading. That may be true for some. But coming from someone who has done a lot of reading on a lot of devices, I could not be happier with reading on the iPad Mini.
 
Thanks for this - it's a nice counterbalance to all the people implying that they might suffer severe eye trauma from attempting to look at the non-Retina display for more than a second or two.
 
What settings do you have yours set to? I've always found it hard to read on my iPad 1

Do you use the sepia/black themes? Brightness setting?




schulzmc said:
I read as a part of my job - about 120-140 books a year. I've owned 4 e-ink Kindles, and most recently a Kindle Fire HD. While I have an iPad 3, it has typically been an email/web browsing device for me. It wouldn't work as my main reading device.

I read about 4 hours yesterday on my iPad mini and about 2 more today. The Kindle Fire is going in eBay. I'll keep an e-ink Kindle around for those times I need to read in outdoor situations, but the Mini is going to be my primary reading device.

I can also see it becoming my email/web device as well. I know some are saying the Mini is not great for reading. That may be true for some. But coming from someone who has done a lot of reading on a lot of devices, I could not be happier with reading on the iPad Mini.
Click to expand...
 
Nice. I'm going to purchase either an iPad 4 or a mini primarily for reading too. Still deciding which would be better but from dedicated readers who own a Mini, the screen doesn't appear to be much of an issue in and of itself.
 
jsw said:
Thanks for this - it's a nice counterbalance to all the people implying that they might suffer severe eye trauma from attempting to look at the non-Retina display for more than a second or two.
Click to expand...

LOL. Exactly.

I certainly see the difference between my Mini and my 3. But reading on the Mini is not bad at all, and much better than on my older iPad 2. I had acutally purchased a 2 wifi-only a while back for primarily reading since it feels much lighter than the 3. But I sold the 2 the second I picked up a Mini. GREAT for reading IMO - both screen and kindle-lightness.
 
cloud25 said:
Nice. I'm going to purchase either an iPad 4 or a mini primarily for reading too. Still deciding which would be better but from dedicated readers who own a Mini, the screen doesn't appear to be much of an issue in and of itself.
Click to expand...
I've bitched about the screen compared to cheaper tablets, but the fact remains that 1024x768 is a higher resolution than either the Kindle Fire (non-HD) or any previous-gen Kindle, and people have read on them without issue, so to claim that the iPad Mini isn't usable for reading seems ridiculous.

Would a Retina-caliber display be better? Of course. But it's not essential to being able to read books - just ask any of Amazon's gazillion happy Kindle owners.
 
schulzmc said:
I read as a part of my job - about 120-140 books a year. I've owned 4 e-ink Kindles, and most recently a Kindle Fire HD. While I have an iPad 3, it has typically been an email/web browsing device for me. It wouldn't work as my main reading device.

I read about 4 hours yesterday on my iPad mini and about 2 more today. The Kindle Fire is going in eBay. I'll keep an e-ink Kindle around for those times I need to read in outdoor situations, but the Mini is going to be my primary reading device.

I can also see it becoming my email/web device as well. I know some are saying the Mini is not great for reading. That may be true for some. But coming from someone who has done a lot of reading on a lot of devices, I could not be happier with reading on the iPad Mini.
Click to expand...
Thats what i mostly use the mini for any way. Plus typing on this thing is a blast. I love this fn thing. I hope mini gets that retina display. Mini does highlight the fact that us developers need to increasingly embrace responsive design practices and stop catering to the lowest common denominator. Cater to the people who can afford it and will pay for it first. Then cater to everyone else.
 
McPaul said:
What settings do you have yours set to? I've always found it hard to read on my iPad 1

Do you use the sepia/black themes? Brightness setting?
Click to expand...

I turn the brightness down some - but have never liked the sepia or white text on black options.

----------
jsw said:
I've bitched about the screen compared to cheaper tablets, but the fact remains that 1024x768 is a higher resolution than either the Kindle Fire (non-HD) or any previous-gen Kindle, and people have read on them without issue, so to claim that the iPad Mini isn't usable for reading seems ridiculous.

Would a Retina-caliber display be better? Of course. But it's not essential to being able to read books - just ask any of Amazon's gazillion happy Kindle owners.
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. I'll get a retina version if they are ever able to figure out how to keep it this light and not kill the battery. Until then this one will due very nicely!
 
While it isn't as clear as the ipad 3 retina display it is acceptable to me. The screen resolution is a big deal for my old eyes. I find that the mini ipad screen and the Kindle Fire HD screen are real real close to being the same. I do adjust the background and brightness on it and can read okay with it. Still prefer the retina over anything else out there.
 
Reading iBooks is fine.

Only issue with the non-retina screen is when reading websites with small fonts and PDF files.

iBooks on the iPad Mini look pretty good because you can adjust font size and change fonts easily.
 
hyteckit said:
Reading iBooks is fine.

Only issue with the non-retina screen is when reading websites with small fonts and PDF files.

iBooks on the iPad Mini look pretty good because you can adjust font size and change fonts easily.
Click to expand...

Why is there an issue with PDF's? I ask because I am student, and am considering purchasing an iPad Mini and have wondered whether the iPad mini would be the sort of device that one can read a hell of a lot of PDFs on.
 
Aeterna said:
Why is there an issue with PDF's? I ask because I am student, and am considering purchasing an iPad Mini and have wondered whether the iPad mini would be the sort of device that one can read a hell of a lot of PDFs on.
Click to expand...

Because PDF is pre-formatted. Some PDF use very small font size.

I have to tap and zoom. Might get annoying after a well having to pan and scroll.
 
hyteckit said:
Because PDF is pre-formatted. Some PDF use very small font size.

I have to tap and zoom. Might get annoying after a well having to pan and scroll.
Click to expand...

Would the iPad Mini have trouble with large PDF files (10-40 pages) , especially older scans of older books given it has only 512mb RAM? from what i gathered when I played around with one recently, the pdf files seemed to be fine but i was conscious that they were stock display ones. I'd really like to try a pdf file like the ones i have to read for my course, but I don't think i'd be able to with the display iPad Minis in the apple store.
 
Aeterna said:
Would the iPad Mini have trouble with large PDF files (10-40 pages) , especially older scans of older books given it has only 512mb RAM? from what i gathered when I played around with one recently, the pdf files seemed to be fine but i was conscious that they were stock display ones. I'd really like to try a pdf file like the ones i have to read for my course, but I don't think i'd be able to with the display iPad Minis in the apple store.
Click to expand...

No. 40 pages is nothing. Unless your PDF is a large 100MB PDF file with lots of images.

My iPad 1 has 256MB, and that was an issue with 400 page PDFs with lots of images. It actually takes like 1 to 2 seconds to render the page. You would even see checker-boarding.

I don't even see it rendering on the iPad Mini.
 
For reading books it's great. Not so good for magazines though as the text is a tad small.
 
When reading your books where do you get them from? Do you go through the kindle ap or or there another way? I've never used iBook. Is that like the kindle store for iPads?
 
tytbody said:
When reading your books where do you get them from? Do you go through the kindle ap or or there another way? I've never used iBook. Is that like the kindle store for iPads?
Click to expand...

There's a kindle app and other ebook apps if you want to buy books from the kindle store.
 
instapaper.jpg



Not sure I will be able to live with the non-RD on the iPad mini. Might be sending it back. Need more time with it.
 
tytbody said:
I know how to purchase books I---t. I asked if they got them from some place other then amazon. Dahhhh
Click to expand...

If you want to call me an 'I---t', you should use "other than" correctly.

Since Amazon owns Kindle, it's most likely you can only purchase Kindle books from Amazon.

What's your problem with buying Kindle books from Amazon?

You mean you want it for free?
 
No I don't want them for free. I enjoy reading them. Just didn't know if other people have other sources for reading ebooks. I used to have a nook and bought the Barnes and Noble stuff I had a kindle I bought amazon. So getting the iPad made me ask if you can get books from another ereader site.

Hope that explains my query.
 
Last edited:
Touchy touchy. I think the question was not where to buy books for a Kindle (of course, it would be through Amazon). It's where do you buy books for ibook/iPad and the answer is Apple's iBooks store. iBook can read typical .epub books, but not the Kindle/Amazon .mobi format books.

Of course, if you want to read Kindle .mobi format books on an iPad, you can just get the Kindle for iPad app.
 
tytbody said:
When reading your books where do you get them from? Do you go through the kindle ap or or there another way? I've never used iBook. Is that like the kindle store for iPads?
Click to expand...

I get books from the books section of the iTunes store, from Amazon (use the Kindle app to read them) and from Barnes and Noble (use the Nook app to read them). I have a couple Nooks but usually I read stuff on Apple gear and just launch the Nook app, even though I do like the Nook color tablet that I got. I didn't like their e-ink thing because it needs assisted light unless you're outdoors. So far I have resisted the Kindle hardware.

Amazon should not cry, I have dropped plenty bucks on their books. B&N should not cry either, I bought two pieces of their hardware and buy a book now and then but not as often as from Amazon. I think I like the kindle reading app better than nook or something, not sure why my purchasing has gone that way.

I'd rather be able to read any of these e-books on any of the apps using any of the hardware, but so far you can't do that without stripping the DRM. People have suggested doing that with the Amazon ones, BUT everyone who offers that idea quickly also says ".. which may not be legal..." so I don't do it. I do get ticked off trying to remember which book I was reading in which app though.
 
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