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It's no eBook reader
- Thread starter TheSeagull
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It'll be a Kindle DX killer. Amazon will have to nerf the price severely. Kindle 2; not so much. New for $269 (I think that's what it is nowadays for the international version) with free service. A used one you can pick up for about $200, plus the Kindle DRM has already been cracked thus making it very easy to get free eBooks.
My K1 is on eBay right now. It was even before the iPad announcement. But my K2 and DX will soon follow. These devices, while handy for leisurely reading, never quite lived up to their potential. I have happily used my DX to read general books, but was severely disappointed recently when I tried to order a couple of textbooks. The graphs, spreadsheets and other pictorials that you commonly see in professional texts are translated poorly. I try to squint my eyes, but regardless, the annotations are basically illegible. I'm sorry that Amazon didn't try any harder as the concept was/is quite good. It needs further development though and I haven't seen any progress in that direction.
I don't have a Kindle but I do have one of the newer Sony Readers. As a general book reader it's great. Novels and things are so easy to read and superb battery life. But unfortunately it stops there. It reads pdf's but doesn't do a very good job of displaying them. Especially if they have diagrams or pictures. For someone who only want to read novels thats not much of a problem. But my idea was to store a lot of text books. Mainly operating manuals etc. I am expecting the iPad to cover this area very well. Also the speed difference looks like it will be very noticeable. The Sony is very sluggish and slow. What does bother me about the new iPad is that I might not be able to integrate my own library collection of books into the neat library file system it seems to have. If that part of the device only accepts input from the App store then it will kill it for me to a certain degree.
They are different devices, really. A good Kindle will hold its own in the market.
But for textbooks, the iPad (or Canvas, as some think it will eventually be named) will be far superior. Say there's a graph or picture. Want to enlarge it? No problem. Tell me an engineering student is going to prefer a Kindle to an iPad!
But for textbooks, the iPad (or Canvas, as some think it will eventually be named) will be far superior. Say there's a graph or picture. Want to enlarge it? No problem. Tell me an engineering student is going to prefer a Kindle to an iPad!
I have a Kindle 2 and it is great for what it does. The DX was already not that great. Now it is dead.
It won't kill the Kindle. e-Ink is better for reading lengthy novels during long sittings.
But more people read short magazine articles and web pages, which look a lot better on a color LCD, so the iPad will outsell the Kindle.
But more people read short magazine articles and web pages, which look a lot better on a color LCD, so the iPad will outsell the Kindle.
I'm actually surprised. I thought most people on these forums (even though it's centered around Apple) would say that the Kindle's E-Ink display is superior than the iPad's IPS LCD. E-Ink is more resistant towards sunlight glare and since people complained about the MacBook Pro's glassy screen...
Anyway, I think the iPad will beat the Kindle because it offers so much more function. Heck, the iPad can even read your Kindle books, right from Amazon's Kindle app.
Anyway, I think the iPad will beat the Kindle because it offers so much more function. Heck, the iPad can even read your Kindle books, right from Amazon's Kindle app.
Given that iBooks is available only in the USA, it would be crazy for Apple to block the Kindle or Stanza applications.
However the Kindle app for example, newly optomized for iPad with few extra features (bigger screen, page turn etc.) which already allows access to Kindle book store could possibly sabotage Apples release of iBooks in other countries where it would eventually launch.
Therefore it would not surprise me if they did block some Applications or at least 'restrict' them on the ipad. More is the pity.
However the Kindle app for example, newly optomized for iPad with few extra features (bigger screen, page turn etc.) which already allows access to Kindle book store could possibly sabotage Apples release of iBooks in other countries where it would eventually launch.
Therefore it would not surprise me if they did block some Applications or at least 'restrict' them on the ipad. More is the pity.
I would need Cisco Press eBooks to be available before it would be useful to me. However, these currently carry the Adobe DRM which requires Flash, so I don't think I'll be getting an iPad, not least unless Cisco permit me to re-download my purchases in another eBook DRM format (unlikely).
Maybe once I have my hands on an iPad I'll change my mind, but I absolutely love my Kindle, it's so easy to read with the e-Ink display, I personally think reading will be harder on the glossy reflective display. I would agree with what has previously been stated though, I do think Amazon will need to drop the price of the DX, it really is too close to the cost of the iPad and if I was looking for an eBook reader and saw the DX which just reads books (ok it does have web, but very basic) and the iPad, I would find it very hard to justify the Kindle DX.
It will depend on how easy it is to read the iPad. If it doesn't induce eye strain, and let's face it, how many people already read Kindle books on their iPhone and love it, then yes, the Kindle will become ashes next holiday season unless the price is reduced to $99. I also think Amazon will be forced to migrate to epub. (Amazon will update the Kindle firmware to support epub too).
No it won't kill the Kindle overall, the Kindle DX maybe but the Kindle will still be going strong with e-ink.
Actually if anything this will give a boost to Kindle...
At least Kindle on the iPad.
iBooks is USA only. We do not know how long it will take Apple to garner licensing for other territories. iTunes released with some considerable delays in some territories compared to the USA, and even now content on some iTunes stores is restricted with no video content available etc...
Kindle application for the iPhone already has built in support so that you can go to Kindle Store and purchase a book now. This should work on the iPad as is.
A Kindle application for the iPad which will inevitably be released with more than a little nod to iBooks (page turns and nice GUI for viewing books already in your catalogue) stands a good chance of cannibalizing Apples chances of iBooks in other territories. If I am faced with a 12-18 month wait (the same as iTunes) for iBook's then in that time I will have bought and utilised Kindle application (or others) and would therefore no longer need iBooks.
Whilst Kindle hardware may have a knock on effect, the Kindle software I foresee doing incredibly well.
At least Kindle on the iPad.
iBooks is USA only. We do not know how long it will take Apple to garner licensing for other territories. iTunes released with some considerable delays in some territories compared to the USA, and even now content on some iTunes stores is restricted with no video content available etc...
Kindle application for the iPhone already has built in support so that you can go to Kindle Store and purchase a book now. This should work on the iPad as is.
A Kindle application for the iPad which will inevitably be released with more than a little nod to iBooks (page turns and nice GUI for viewing books already in your catalogue) stands a good chance of cannibalizing Apples chances of iBooks in other territories. If I am faced with a 12-18 month wait (the same as iTunes) for iBook's then in that time I will have bought and utilised Kindle application (or others) and would therefore no longer need iBooks.
Whilst Kindle hardware may have a knock on effect, the Kindle software I foresee doing incredibly well.
e-ink what is it and why is it better then an ips panel
Ok, lots of posts of people bemoaning the fact the ipad makes for a poor book reader because there's no e-ink.
I'm not sure what's so great about e-ink so can people fill me in on why its superior to a color display.
Here's what I do know. Its lower powered and monochromatic.
My uneducated opinion is color is better and the iPad is a multi-tasker (not multtasking), in that it's a book reader, you an play games, you can run iphone apps, you can surf the web (albeit w/o flash), you can email. The kindle and its ilk are limited to reading books and newspapers.
so what's so great about e-ink?
Ok, lots of posts of people bemoaning the fact the ipad makes for a poor book reader because there's no e-ink.
I'm not sure what's so great about e-ink so can people fill me in on why its superior to a color display.
Here's what I do know. Its lower powered and monochromatic.
My uneducated opinion is color is better and the iPad is a multi-tasker (not multtasking), in that it's a book reader, you an play games, you can run iphone apps, you can surf the web (albeit w/o flash), you can email. The kindle and its ilk are limited to reading books and newspapers.
so what's so great about e-ink?
Without wanting to get into a flame-war... in essence:
- It consumes a lot less power than an LCD or OLED, because power is only required to change the display contents, not to make them persist (this is why there's an image on the Kindle screen when it's off, for instance, and why it lasts 2 weeks or more on a charge when the wireless modem is turned off)
- Whereas LCDs get harder to read with brighter lighting, eInk generally gets easier to read, the more light there is.
- At least some people (again, not looking to pick a fight) perceive less eye strain from extended reading on eInk.
So those hang in balance to the major problems (difficult to do color, very slow refresh time, low contrast, low resolution).
If you had read the thread you would know that there's color electronic ink supporting video.
This is my experience as well. I read hours a day on computer screens and have never felt it to be a problem, but I was very surprised when I started using an Astak EZReader Pro and discovered how much easier it is on the eyes over time.
I also have bus and/or subway rides to and from work every day, and I can use my Astak even when it's standing room only.
This is also important for me. If I have to wait for anything, for a bus, in a doctor's waiting room etc etc, it's so easy just to pull out my ebook and read.
When there's a front-facing camera on the iPad, so it can be used for Skype, I'll probably break down and get one. And I might well read some books on it. But I love my Astak, and I really like the eInk technology for reading long texts/novels.
If you're spending ten hours somewhere reading a book, I wouldn't really say you're "on the go."
Surely you won't truly be reading something somewhere where there is no charging outlet for ten solid hours?
That said, I'd like more battery too but whatever, Rev. B will crap all over Rev. A anyway.
eInk is fundamentally different from LED displays and the best thing for reading ebooks, period. I agree 100% that this is not a kindle killer and by proxy is a huge disappointment. I honestly think no eInk is an even bigger letdown than no multitask. That said, I'm not sure what the implementation would be to have the screen be able to power off the LED and use eInk, and obvious eInk is not as well suited to the many other things the tablet does.
Now the dynamic, color electronic ink technology needs to match this:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/21/epson-unveils-ridiculously-high-resolution-e-ink-display/
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/21/epson-unveils-ridiculously-high-resolution-e-ink-display/
That is awesome. This is the kind of revolutionary thing the iPad needed to wow us.
There needs to be some way to work out getting LED and eInk on the same device. I just don't think the former suits the latter's purpose.