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I bought an iPad on the first day of sale, and since then I've read more than 40 novels on it. I think that gives me more experience reading on an iPad than just about anyone else in the world. So when I say it's comfortable in my hand, and when I say it's comfortable to read on its screen, trust me that I'm talking from direct experience.

I tried a Kindle as well, and to me it's only useful outdoors. Indoors it's too dim for my taste, I hate the black-and-white only screen, and I despise the e-Ink limitations. I didn't enjoy reading on a Kindle, and I cannot read enough on my iPad. Clearly each person reacts differently, and thus you must try the devices for yourself instead of just listening to other opinions.

In my book, the Kindle's advantages are far outweighed by the iPad's. I read outdoors occasionally, but I read in bed at night every single night. Which device has the advantage then? I laugh when I see the Kindle ad set on the beach. Yes, absolutely, the Kindle works better at the beach. And just how many days a year do I read on the beach? I read at home 365 days. Advantage, iPad.

That said, if you try a Kindle and find that it works for you, get one. They're cheap now, so it can be an excellent adjunct to your household gadget list. I don't like that I can't use my standard ePub books on it, but if you don't mind that, go for it.

But don't tell me that iPad is not good for reading books. I'm proving you wrong every single day. In fact, I'm selling my paperback collection because I never, ever want to read a physical book again. It's ebooks all the way for me now.
 
Thanks for the great replies.....

Sounds like a lot of you are happy with your Kindle experience and that make me all the more sure that adding one will be a great idea.

I'm also curious to try one because I thought at these new low prices it could make a great gift to my retired parents as they travel a lot and love to read.

The $140 price tag is great. I had originally thought they were very expensive ($350+) and never would have considered one with the ipad being so close in price.
 
But don't tell me that iPad is not good for reading books. I'm proving you wrong every single day. In fact, I'm selling my paperback collection because I never, ever want to read a physical book again. It's ebooks all the way for me now.

wups....not sure if this is directed at me. I also enjoy reading on the iPad and have no major concerns >>> I just don't want to buy another one because of the cost.

Believe me, I think the iPad is great and I never even thought about eReaders until I got one....I was all paper copy before a few months ago.

georgee2face -- +1 wHY HAVE two devices?

well, if you re-read my OP you'll understand why I need two devices. I live in a household and the device was bought as a gift for my wife. I want to be able to read the electronic books and not take her iPad away from her.
 
wups....not sure if this is directed at me. I also enjoy reading on the iPad and have no major concerns >>> I just don't want to buy another one because of the cost.

Believe me, I think the iPad is great and I never even thought about eReaders until I got one....I was all paper copy before a few months ago.

georgee2face -- +1 wHY HAVE two devices?

well, if you re-read my OP you'll understand why I need two devices. I live in a household and the device was bought as a gift for my wife. I want to be able to read the electronic books and not take her iPad away from her.

No, that wasn't directed at you. Some folks like to say that the ebook experience on the iPad is not as good as on the Kindle, but that's simply false from my experience.

Given your circumstances, I think a Kindle is the right choice for you as long as you know what the experience is like and you enjoy that.
 
I ordered a Kindle for my wife. It just shipped the other day. Meanwhile, she is spending more and more time on my iPad. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have just got her an iPad instead. O well. I'm sure she will enjoy reading on it and when she gets tired of it and wants an iPad, I only sunk $139 on it. She can continue reading all her books on an iPad if she decides to upgrade later.
 
If you get the Kindle app for your iPad, you can mix and match your reading tools. I think a Kindle as a second reader is a great idea for a home. If you need to read outdoors, that's your tool. If you want to take it to the beach and you worry about sand affecting your iPad, take the Kindle instead. It's cheap.

I'm sure that's what Amazon is thinking when they greatly cut the price of the Kindle. They are turning it into a no-brainer second device. Get what you want, but also throw in a Kindle. Frankly, I think that makes sense. I just happen to hate the Kindle screen, so for me it's no good.
 
Why do very few people seem to understand that reading on the Kindle will always (well in the near future) be better than reading on the iPad? The iPad is heavier than even the DX model (1.18lbs>1.6lbs), longer battery life (3 weeks>10 hours) and the backlit LCD screen...

E-Ink will always be better than LCD for reading text. It is simply easier on your eyes. Less strain.

Unfortunately, there are many people who say that the iPad can 'do so much more' for 'little more money'. Um, $499+tax is a LOT more than $139+tax. Besides, if people only want to do reading... so why strain your eyes on an LCD?

Sure, e-ink has its flaws, but that quick flash when turning the page is practically unnoticeable after having used e-ink devices for 3 years. It's the digital equivalent of flipping the page :p
 
No, that wasn't directed at you. Some folks like to say that the ebook experience on the iPad is not as good as on the Kindle, but that's simply false from my experience.

Given your circumstances, I think a Kindle is the right choice for you as long as you know what the experience is like and you enjoy that.

It is all a matter of preference. Some people prefer reading on the iPad and some people prefer reading on the Kindle. And then there are other people such as me who in some circumstances prefer reading on the iPad and in other circumstances I would prefer reading on the Kindle.
 
well, if you re-read my OP you'll understand why I need two devices. I live in a household and the device was bought as a gift for my wife. I want to be able to read the electronic books and not take her iPad away from her.
Both the iPad and the Kindle are really meant to be personal devices. We bought one iPad intending to share it. But it took only about 10 minutes to discover that wasn't going to work for us. We have separate browsing interests, separate email account, etc. We now each have an iPad. We do share our Amazon Kindle account, but don't share the physical devices either. I know this is out of budget for many, but if my wife and I were " sharing" one iPad, I wouldn't be using it at all.
 
E-Ink will always be better than LCD for reading text. It is simply easier on your eyes. Less strain.

As nixiemaiden says, it's just a matter of preference. For you E-Ink is better. For me LCD is better and easier on my eyes with less strain.

nixiemaiden gets it. There is no right or wrong on this subject. You have to try the devices for yourself and make your own choice. If I listened to people who say E-Ink is better, I would be stuck with a device that I hated. But because I tried them both, I found the one that was easier on my eyes.

And truly, I've read more on the iPad than just about anyone else. I'm talking from deep, personal experience. That's what everyone should do instead of assuming that what works for them must work for everyone else.

I don't know why the iPad is easier on my eye. I can understand that this sounds illogical. Yet it is.
 
I ordered a Kindle for my wife. It just shipped the other day. Meanwhile, she is spending more and more time on my iPad. I'm beginning to wonder if I should have just got her an iPad instead. O well. I'm sure she will enjoy reading on it and when she gets tired of it and wants an iPad, I only sunk $139 on it. She can continue reading all her books on an iPad if she decides to upgrade later.

When she does upgrade you can sell that Kindle to me. So keep it in good shape. :)

Cheers,
 
Got rid of my Kindle when I got my iPad. I like the reading experience a lot better on the iPad.

Using an iPad resulted in me buying a Kindle.

The iPad is a great portable computer, but it's a lousy e-reader. In one of life's little ironies, while the iPad and iBooks finally convinced me to purchase and read books electronically, it also convinced me that the iPad is not the device on which to do it.

The two devices are incomparable anyway, and there's room in the marketplace (and our rucksacks) for both.
 
My wife was talking of an iPad, but then she was given a Nook for her birthday.
She likes it but her number one complaint is needing an external light source to read it. The screen does not light up, however this makes for longer battery life. I am not ready to leap to electronic book reading. If I were ready, I know I'd want a multi-media device which the Kindle and Nook don't really qualify.

Question: Can books downloaded from itunes only be accessed via an ipod, iphone, or ipad app? In other words could I be reading these books on my MBP?
 
Yes, you can read ePub books on your MBP. The ePub format is the standard format for ebooks, and there are lots of utilities that recognize it and will work on your MBP.

Now some ePub books have DRM attached, and I'm not sure how that might affect the process. But that's true of any DRM on any device.
 
Yes, you can read ePub books on your MBP. The ePub format is the standard format for ebooks, and there are lots of utilities that recognize it and will work on your MBP.

Now some ePub books have DRM attached, and I'm not sure how that might affect the process. But that's true of any DRM on any device.

Thanks for the info! :)
 
Yes, you can read ePub books on your MBP. The ePub format is the standard format for ebooks, and there are lots of utilities that recognize it and will work on your MBP.

Now some ePub books have DRM attached, and I'm not sure how that might affect the process. But that's true of any DRM on any device.

My wife was talking of an iPad, but then she was given a Nook for her birthday.
She likes it but her number one complaint is needing an external light source to read it. The screen does not light up, however this makes for longer battery life. I am not ready to leap to electronic book reading. If I were ready, I know I'd want a multi-media device which the Kindle and Nook don't really qualify.

Question: Can books downloaded from itunes only be accessed via an ipod, iphone, or ipad app? In other words could I be reading these books on my MBP?

I can read the PDFs on my ibooks shelf but the novels do nothing when clicked on the Mac. Not that I'd want to read them on my Mac anyway.

Cheers,
 
Why do very few people seem to understand that reading on the Kindle will always (well in the near future) be better than reading on the iPad?

Maybe because for many people the Kindle screen is NOT better for reading than the iPad. I have both and never read on the Kindle. I do 99% of my reading indoors and the gray-on-black Kindle screen contrast hurts MY eyes. If you want to talk about eyestrain, it's the Kindle that strains my eyes and not the iPad. Maybe my eyes have just acclimated over the years to LCD screens since I sit in front of a computer 12 hours a day, but I find the iPad much easier to read on than a Kindle.

At the end of the day, like many other things, it's all about individual preference and usage patterns. I like the iPad screen better, I don't ever read outdoors in bright sunlight. iPad wins in my book. If I weren't used to LCD screens and I read outside a lot, then the Kindle would be the better fit for me. As it stands, my Kindle sits in a drawer in my office and never gets used. The iPad is always with me.
 
As nixiemaiden says, it's just a matter of preference. For you E-Ink is better. For me LCD is better and easier on my eyes with less strain.

nixiemaiden gets it. There is no right or wrong on this subject. You have to try the devices for yourself and make your own choice. If I listened to people who say E-Ink is better, I would be stuck with a device that I hated. But because I tried them both, I found the one that was easier on my eyes.

And truly, I've read more on the iPad than just about anyone else. I'm talking from deep, personal experience. That's what everyone should do instead of assuming that what works for them must work for everyone else.

I don't know why the iPad is easier on my eye. I can understand that this sounds illogical. Yet it is.

Whatever floats your boat ;)

Maybe because for many people the Kindle screen is NOT better for reading than the iPad. I have both and never read on the Kindle. I do 99% of my reading indoors and the gray-on-black Kindle screen contrast hurts MY eyes. If you want to talk about eyestrain, it's the Kindle that strains my eyes and not the iPad. Maybe my eyes have just acclimated over the years to LCD screens since I sit in front of a computer 12 hours a day, but I find the iPad much easier to read on than a Kindle.

At the end of the day, like many other things, it's all about individual preference and usage patterns. I like the iPad screen better, I don't ever read outdoors in bright sunlight. iPad wins in my book. If I weren't used to LCD screens and I read outside a lot, then the Kindle would be the better fit for me. As it stands, my Kindle sits in a drawer in my office and never gets used. The iPad is always with me.

Again, w/e floats your boat.

But 'many people'? I don't know about that...
 
thelookingglass said:
the gray-on-black Kindle screen contrast hurts MY eyes.

Mine, too. I can read much longer, much more comfortably on the iPad. Like NebulaClash, I've read more than 40 novels on it so far. In the six months I had my Kindle 2, I read 10. My eyes need (much) more contrast than the Kindle 2 offered.
 
Like NebulaClash, I've read more than 40 novels on it so far.

Cool! Another mega-reader! Ain't it fun?

I think iPad sales tell the tale: people enjoy this device. As for how many of them read books on it, I've anecdotally heard of many who do, as this thread shows, but it's hard to say without hard numbers.

I do know I bought one for my elderly father. After one night of reading on it, he declared he never wanted to read a paper book again. I didn't prompt him to say that, nor had I told him yet how I felt, but he echoed my view exactly. The iPad provides the best reading experience I've ever had.
 
NebulaClash said:
The iPad provides the best reading experience I've ever had.

Hands down, for my eyes and reading habits. It gets out of the way better than any other medium I've used. I'm looking forward to what next year brings in terms of screen resolution improvements--reading is really set to just get better and better on the iPad.

(All that said, the dedicated readers do have their place--I just bought my mom a Nook for birthday. It's small and light, the battery lasts longer, and it does just one thing. And a lot of people do really enjoy those e-Ink screens.)

(And if they come out with a lightweight dedicated reader with really good contrast that reads epubs and syncs with a reading app on my iPad and does well in the sun, I might get one and have more reading options at my disposal.)
 
I currently have a Kindle 3 and an iPad. Never liked the old Kindles/ereaders due to poor contrast, but not a great fan of reading on the iPad either. The Kindle 3 is something else though, the new screen is really fantastic. Give it a shot, if you don't like it, return it. I still use the iPad for web surfing, but it really just looks big and cumbersome next to the K3. Also, I was never really comfortable bringing it around. Looks really conspicuous when you have it out, especially when you're at the train station in the city.
 
Originally Posted by NebulaClash
As nixiemaiden says, it's just a matter of preference.....
<snip>
There is no right or wrong on this subject. You have to try the devices for yourself and make your own choice....
<snip>
And truly, I've read more on the iPad than just about anyone else. I'm talking from deep, personal experience.

I totally respect those who are saying "this one is better," for whatever reasons. But remember that the OP isn't saying one or the other. They are asking about supplementing their eBook reading by adding a Kindle to the mix.

If I could pick ONLY ONE device, I already have done so....an iPad. It does eBooks, with the only limitation being direct sunlight or outdoor situations where you don't have a very dark background behind you to block the bright sky and reflections from the glossy screen. That's really the only limitation of the device, although some might still find reading on a backlit screen to be hard on their eyes after extended use.

But if you don't HAVE to pick, then why pick? As already stated, you could buy 3-4 Kindles for the price of ONE extra iPad. Its a no brainer to go that route if your intended purpose is to have a reading device that stays in synch with your iPad/iPhone.
 
Kindle 3 as complement to iPad

If most of your reading is done outside or in bright light, definitely get Kindle 3. If you like holding books with one hand, again - Kindle 3. If you simply want casual access to your Kindle library, it's got to be the K3. I resisted the move to Kindle until I felt they had it right and I'm glad I waited.
 
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