There are epub readers for android, Windows, Linux, and the OS-X. If reading books on an LCD screen was a threat it would have already happened. There are millions of people who have a notebook or netbook with them every day. How many do you suppose read books on them? It won't hurt to have a cool looking ePub reader on the iPad, but if it's as hard to hold onto as my Archos 9 is the Kindle has nothing to worry about. For what it's worth, the Kindle is lighter and thinner than the ipad. Easier to hold on to.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Kindle still has an advantage over the iPad
- Thread starter maflynn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The Kindle also has a smaller screen than an iPad. I can't speak for every person who has a notebook/netbook who doesn't use it to read books, but personally, I don't use my netbook to read because the keyboard gets in the way. And I haven't gotten a Kindle because I'm not a big fan of the eink screen. I find it very annoying to have to wait while the page refreshes when "turning," and the lack of contrast gives me a headache. I've managed to read some novels on the iPod Touch using Stanza and Kindle ereaders, and found the experience quite satisfying, other than the smallish screen. I'm sure the iPad will be the perfect ereader for me, even if it is a bit heftier than the kindle.
Considering iPad isn't a dedicated ebook reader and has a 9.7" screen, it's not a valid comparison.
What you should've said was... it's hard to beat a 499$ iPad compared to a 489$ Kindle DX.
Kindle 2 will be around for years, a 100$ Kindle will become very popular and people might carry it around with their iPad as well.
You wouldn't know if it was a threat considering nobody goes around saying I read books on my computer. People read news, blogs and so on all the time on their computer, if they have an issue with that, they would already complain. The difference is the length of reading time. I mean for christ sake, Twitter is frigging popular and it only does 140 chars. I wouldn't be surprised if something does half that and still get real popular. I honestly only know three people in my life who'd read more than a few hours and FAR MORE THAN 20 books In a YEAR even with a physical book and those are me, my sister and my mom. Everybody else just skim or just don't read in general (except for those who only read popular books like the harry potter stuff). The numbers of book readers are very very small compared to any other activity.
So the question you have to ask yourself, how popular can dedicated ebook readers can get if the numbers of people who read more than 20 books in a year are tiny compared to regular people who browse the web and use applications of all type and might want to read some book? iPad's advantage in the latter will push it to sell far more than Kindles in its lifetime in one year.
This may be, but I believe that most potential e-reader customers want an uncompromised e-reader. Extra functionality will not prevent them from buying an iPad if its e-reader function is not compromised.
Why do people continue to make ignorant comparisons between a netbook/notebook and an iPad.
They are not the least bit comparable when it comes to being a good device to read a book or magazine on.
Netbooks have not been good ebook readers because they are a clumsy and awkward device for doing such things. An iPad is not.
LOL - really? You get annoyed having to wait maybe a second for the new page to refresh? That's unfortunate for you that you lack ANY patience whatsoever.
As for others who don't like e-Ink. That's fine. There are plenty of us that enjoy the experience far greater than reading off a monitor.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion - and that's exactly what these comments are. Opinions. Which doesn't make anyone's any more or less valid. You don't care for reading on a Kindle. Fine. I love it. Neither one is right or wrong. The area you get into trouble is by generalizing how others feel just because that's how you feel.
Yes. Especially if the page breaks in the middle of a sentence, or worse, in the middle of a word. It's not so much a lack of patience as a lack of memory -- a second is just enough to disrupt the short-term memory so I lose track of what I was reading. And if I try to flip back to retrace the end of the last page, I have to wait yet another second... These seconds add up, so I no longer have a smooth continuous reading experience.
I don't find (personally) the one second delay any more/less than flipping the page. Then again - I don't read/flip the next page as if it's on fire
Really? It takes you one second to flip a page? Hmmm. Try this thought experiment. You hold a Kindle, your friend holds a book. You keep pressing the "next page" while your friend keeps flipping pages in the book. Who gets faster to page 100?
I have little to no need for that experiment or what ultimate purpose it would prove. I read a book from cover to cover. If I want to flip back I go to the table of contents and/or I use search.
It really isn't a competition. If you prefer reading a physical book, a Kindle OR and iPad isn't going to be your thing. As fast as the iPad is - you really think you'll be able to do your experiment and come out a winner on the iPad? Don't think so.
I was trying to show you that physically turning a page in a book takes considerably less than a second.
Have you tried reading a book on the iPhone or iPod touch? Yes, I do think the pages turn as fast as a physical book on the iDevices. And no, I don't need to win, but I don't want to be slower than reading on a physical book.
page turning yes - much faster on the iPhone.
Going from page 1 to 100 vs going to page 100 in a physical book? The physical book wins.
Again it comes down to preference. You prefer not to read with a Kindle. That's fine.
Great. Now why did it take us so long to agree on this point?
And if you like reading on the Kindle, all power to you. I was only stating I prefer to read on the iPad (when it becomes available). I haven't said anything about other people's preferences, have I?
no. the iPad still wins. have you seen the demo during the keynote? Search is also going to be way faster in the iPad.
Great. Now why did it take us so long to agree on this point?
And if you like reading on the Kindle, all power to you. I was only stating I prefer to read on the iPad (when it becomes available). I haven't said anything about other people's preferences, have I?
To be fair you are making an assumption that the iPad's pages will turn as fast as the iPhone's. I actually believe that they will too, but we don't know yet.
If you think thumbing through 100 pages a flick at a time is going to be faster than someone opening up a book and going to page 100 then I want whatever you're smoking.
you obviously did not watch the keynote. with the iPad you can jump to specific chapters or a specific page no.
I agree with samcraig - - a physical book will beat the iPad everytime at this particular function. (So, uh... not obvious.)
we didn't say chapters. PS - the kindle can jump to chapters.
We were speaking of pages turns vs. a real book
Whatever
I am sure you'll love the reading experience on your iPad as much as I love reading on my Kindle. Different strokes...
iPad 100%
Around 2003 I had a palm pilot that V that was the same as Kindle. When Plam released the color version in 2004 it was no comparison between the two. No brainier. I think going from Kindle with iPad is the same way.
Around 2003 I had a palm pilot that V that was the same as Kindle. When Plam released the color version in 2004 it was no comparison between the two. No brainier. I think going from Kindle with iPad is the same way.
Incidental eBook Reader
I've been thinking about the ipad vs. Kindle debate. Something I haven't heard is how many people (like me) are getting an ipad for a lot of reasons, and ebook will be just one of them (not near the top of the list). For me, it's a bonus add-on feature that I get with all of the other features that I really want.
But to buy a kindle JUST to read ebooks? Nope. Not gonna happen.
I think kindle will lose ebook market share incidentally when people start fooling around with iBooks.
I've been thinking about the ipad vs. Kindle debate. Something I haven't heard is how many people (like me) are getting an ipad for a lot of reasons, and ebook will be just one of them (not near the top of the list). For me, it's a bonus add-on feature that I get with all of the other features that I really want.
But to buy a kindle JUST to read ebooks? Nope. Not gonna happen.
I think kindle will lose ebook market share incidentally when people start fooling around with iBooks.
I think it's a double evil, as well. People are going to be pissed at Amazon for hiking their prices, and those who have an iPad and use the Bookstore will know nothing more than "Hey, these are the prices of their books. Business as usual."
Not that a lot of people won't see what really happened, but in all honesty I'd have negative stigma towards a company that hiked their prices, even if it wasn't their idea.
That being said, I also think the Kindle will slowly go down hill, I think to get back in the game they need to get rid of the E-Ink and go with a Pixel Q screen, or whatever it's called.
It's not like Amazon isn't already on the defense with Apple, their release of a SDK was clearly to get Apple users attention.
Not that a lot of people won't see what really happened, but in all honesty I'd have negative stigma towards a company that hiked their prices, even if it wasn't their idea.
That being said, I also think the Kindle will slowly go down hill, I think to get back in the game they need to get rid of the E-Ink and go with a Pixel Q screen, or whatever it's called.
It's not like Amazon isn't already on the defense with Apple, their release of a SDK was clearly to get Apple users attention.