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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.

When you buy an eBook from Amazon, are you buying it or borrowing it? Really. You bought it, you should do what you want with it. If you want to strip the DRM for your own personal use, which is very easy btw, the local authorities are certainly not going to come knocking on your door.
 
I do a vast amount of reading. So much that I buy a purpose built e-reader, and upgrade them as needed. Kindles have always been the best, since day one.

Now I will remind you I am talking about _Reading Only_.

E-books is all I'm referring to here.

Yes iPad is a nice device, and the new iPad 4 I have is a bit better than my iPad 3, yet nothing is as good as my Kindle Paperwhite.

If you want the very best device for reading you want a Kindle Paperwhite.

http://www.businessinsider.com/kindle-paperwhite-review-2012-10
 
:D at lizkat. I hear ya. Thank you. I didn't know iTunes had books so thank you for that info.

Do they also have a free section like amazon? On books.
 
:D at lizkat. I hear ya. Thank you. I didn't know iTunes had books so thank you for that info.

Do they also have a free section like amazon? On books.


Yes, scroll down on the homepage of the iTunes section for books, somewhere on the left there's an oblong thing says "Free Books"
 
I started with a BN Nook and moved from there (after reading a bit on various smart phones) to the original iPad. Went from there to the iPad 3 and noticed the retina improvement.
Just sold my iPad 3 for the Mini and could not be happier. My wife has the original Kindle Fire and to me this looks better.
Can you see the difference in the sharpness of the type vs a retina device - sure. But at normal reading distances for me it is a non-factor at all.
BTW - I like the Sepia setting (always felt the black type on white background was just too glaring). Never used the white type/black background until we recently lost our power due to Hurricane Sandy and I was reading a lot in very dim to dark rooms. That is when I felt the white on black was pretty useful.
 
I read as a part of my job - about 120-140 books a year.

120 books per year for your job? What kind of job is that?

Reading books on the mini is pretty good like I thought it would be. That's why I waited for the mini to come instead of buying the iPad 2 or 3. However, the tiny problem I have with the mini is that the sides of it are too thin. So I still best way I like holding the mini is propped up on my stomach when I'm lying down, which is basically the same way I hold the original iPad.
 
I started with a BN Nook and moved from there (after reading a bit on various smart phones) to the original iPad. Went from there to the iPad 3 and noticed the retina improvement.
Just sold my iPad 3 for the Mini and could not be happier. My wife has the original Kindle Fire and to me this looks better.
Can you see the difference in the sharpness of the type vs a retina device - sure. But at normal reading distances for me it is a non-factor at all.
BTW - I like the Sepia setting (always felt the black type on white background was just too glaring). Never used the white type/black background until we recently lost our power due to Hurricane Sandy and I was reading a lot in very dim to dark rooms. That is when I felt the white on black was pretty useful.

Glad to see someone else sold an iPad for another a mini. When I first sold my original people thought me nuts. Lol. I do understand. Glad to hear/read it was charged up for times such as sandy. And that you are fine now

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What. What?

You didn't know iTunes had books?

No because I thought iTunes was just movies, podcast and apps. And music of course

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120 books per year for your job? What kind of job is that?

Reading books on the mini is pretty good like I thought it would be. That's why I waited for the mini to come instead of buying the iPad 2 or 3. However, the tiny problem I have with the mini is that the sides of it are too thin. So I still best way I like holding the mini is propped up on my stomach when I'm lying down, which is basically the same way I hold the original iPad.

If you putti in an outer box it won't be too thin any more. :)
 
One thing about using the Kindle app in the mini is the pages accidentally get turned several times because the sides of device are so thin.
 
One thing about using the Kindle app in the mini is the pages accidentally get turned several times because the sides of device are so thin.

i will never ever complain about thinness. I love it. The thinner the better.
If you're hands or fingers are touching, I'd say get a thicker case or read in landscape. I've not had a problem. maybe I also have smaller fingers.
 
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.

I have not tried reading on either Mini or Kindle Fire HD but one would have to assume that given higher screen PPI the text will look better on Kindle screen. Then why exactly have you decided to stick with Mini in your situation?
 
I find reading on the mini using the Kindle app really enjoyable. I have the brightness right down and love it.
 
I returned my Kindle Paperwhite after I bought the Mini. It feels just as light as the Paperwhite and the Kindle app is great.
 
i will never ever complain about thinness. I love it. The thinner the better.
If you're hands or fingers are touching, I'd say get a thicker case or read in landscape. I've not had a problem. maybe I also have smaller fingers.

Yeah, I have thought about getting thicker case but I like the smart cover technology as well. But you make a good point about getting a better grip With the thicker case on the sides. But I deftly don't want to hold the iPad mini in landscape mode. That sucks.
 
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.

I have read up to a 108 page, 140MB PDF on the Mini, works and reads perfectly.


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?

Other than iBooks and Kindle, I also have books on my Mini via the Google Play Books app, they seemed cheaper when I browsed their store, though I didn't actually pay for any of them. (I bought them with the free Nexus 7 credit), they have free books as well.

They render well and are easy on the eye during reading.
 
Yeah, I have thought about getting thicker case but I like the smart cover technology as well. But you make a good point about getting a better grip With the thicker case on the sides. But I deftly don't want to hold the iPad mini in landscape mode. That sucks.

When I read on the mini, I find that if I roll the smart cover up into the triangle, it provides a great "handle to hold the mini while reading. My thumb rests on the screen and I swipe easily to turn the page.

I thought about possibly getting a full case for it, but then it really would defeat the purpose of such a portable device.

Also, when I'm surfing in landscape mode, I tend to fold the smart cover all the back (obviously), but the first section, I let hang and it rests between my pinky and ring fingers. Helps it feel more secure and that it isn't going to be slipping out of my hands.
 
I tried reading a book (in the Kindle app) on my mini and loved it. I found the text in both Kindle and iBooks apps pretty good, and no resolution issue.

I still like reading on e-ink better, so I'm not going to get rid of my kindle. Ever :D. But the mini will nicely double as a "I don't have my Kindle with me" especially since the Kindle App remembers where I left off on either device.

Oddly enough, I find reading on a backlit screen distracts me a litlle. I don't get caught up in the book as much as I do with the Kindle. It's not that I have so many other things available to distract me (web, mails...), it's more like some part of my brain is still needed to process the backlight. I don't know.
 
I tried reading a book (in the Kindle app) on my mini and loved it. I found the text in both Kindle and iBooks apps pretty good, and no resolution issue.

I still like reading on e-ink better, so I'm not going to get rid of my kindle. Ever :D. But the mini will nicely double as a "I don't have my Kindle with me" especially since the Kindle App remembers where I left off on either device.

Oddly enough, I find reading on a backlit screen distracts me a litlle. I don't get caught up in the book as much as I do with the Kindle. It's not that I have so many other things available to distract me (web, mails...), it's more like some part of my brain is still needed to process the backlight. I don't know.

Could also be that things are also happening in the background: email, notifications, etc. that all distract. I found reading on a single function device helped me focus on actual reading.
 
Could also be that things are also happening in the background: email, notifications, etc. that all distract. I found reading on a single function device helped me focus on actual reading.

No, as I said, it's not really the "problem". I couldn't say. Maybe because reading on the kindle to me is still very much like reading a paperback book, and the simple fact that the book emits light :)rolleyes:) distracts my brain from years and years (and years) of non-light-emitting books. Dunno.

But that's pretty incidental anyway.
 
i have the mini.
i got it specifically for reading (ebooks with ibooks / kindle, reeder for my rss and tapatalk hd for all my forums)
it is fantastic for all three!!
 
I have not tried reading on either Mini or Kindle Fire HD but one would have to assume that given higher screen PPI the text will look better on Kindle screen. Then why exactly have you decided to stick with Mini in your situation?

The text looked the same to me on the Fire HD and the Mini - and the mini is much lighter and the whole user interface is night and day better.
 
I checked out the Paperwhite and the mini at the mall this morning. I could probably get used to it, but the text was just too blurry to make the purchase. Don't get me wrong, the display is likely excellent, but for everything except reading. But it's still readable nonetheless, I just can't go backwards. I have been reading books on my iPhone for years and love it.

As for the Paperwhite, it's quite a nifty little device. The eInk is beyond par of course. For me, the page turning was kind of clunky, but that might just be a function of the eInk technology at this point. Otherwise, the text was beyond sharp and the device was as light as a feather. It may be counterintuitive, but I wish it had white-on-black text.

I'm going to have to go check out the Nexus 7 soon, although I'm hesitant to stray from the Apple ecosystem, which I'm very familiar with and have invested a lot into. Going to Android may be an unreasonable phobia though.
 
I have always been a fan of holding a real physical book and have never ever considered an electronic device for reading. I never even tried it ... until I received my iPad mini on Friday.

Without any expectation of any kind, I casually downloaded the iBooks app and looked at some of the books that were being sold. I found "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, which was free and appeared to be a good edition, and decided to download it (again, casually without any expectation).

Let me tell you that I was blown away by the quality. I was expecting to just see typical black text on a white screen but no - it really felt like reading a real book. It was very easy on my eyes. The text was very sharp and clear. Maybe I am blind, and, perhaps, I am but people forewarned me about dealing with the pixels which should be everywhere, that they will blind me and cause me such discomfort when using the device - I experienced none of that.

I was so blown away from what I saw that I've purchased and downloaded 2 other books, one by Jack London and the other by Taras Shevchenko, in the Ukrainian language. The text in Ukrainian looked just as sharp and wonderful as the English.

To be honest, I have been so impressed that I have spent the last 2 days reading books on the device! Of course, I will still love my physical hardcover books but, who knows, maybe I might completely switch to e-reading in the future.

iPad mini was the first tablet that I have ever owned and it has impressed me a great deal. I'm looking forward to reading more books on this wonderful little device :)
 
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