I bought a Kindle shortly after the second version came out, then upgraded to a DX soon after. The device worked for me and carrying around a few hundred books in a little package beats schlepping a bag full of physical books.
There are some things that the device doesn’t do well, mainly jumping around in a reference works. So the Robert Parker wine guide or the Gang of Four patterns book are next to useless on the Kindle. But if you are reading fiction or nonfiction from front to back, it rocks.
The real killer aspect of the Kindle is the e-ink display. For someone who spends all day staring at a glowing computer screen, the reflective display is literally a sight for sore eyes. It’s even easier on the eyes, I’ve found, than a regular physical book.
I’ve now had a few days to evaluate the iPad’s iBook application as well as the Kindle app. My findings are as follows:
- The iPad is just as useless for reading reference works. Use a PDF reader instead.
- The iPad is hard on the eyes. Reading, in fact, is harder than other types of tasks that involves changing focus frequently. If our school children are going to be reading off of their iPads, I’d recommend investing in the corrective eyewear industry.
- The battery life of the iPad at 10 hours, while ok, is laughably short compared to the 2 weeks of the Kindle.
So, as far as I’m concerned, it isn’t a better ebook reader (though the Kindle is far from perfect). I won’t be cuddling up with a cognac and my iPad on a cold winter evening.
But even though the iPad is an inferior reader, can’t it still be a Kindle killer? I suspect that some people who were potential Kindle customers may make due with an iPad, but I think many more will be exposed to the idea of reading ebooks and end up upgrading to the current and next generation of e-ink devices.
The real battle, however, will be fought over access to iTunes, the app store and the Apple mobile platform. So, make some popcorn and get out your legal dictionary. It’s going to be an interesting two years or so.
