iPad better than Kindle

I finally broke down and purchased an iPad.  I know, I know.  How did I possibly hold out for an entire month before I purchased one.  Well, it was very difficult.  I love gadgets.  I have 4 laptops, 2 desktops, 1 netbook, a Kindle, an iPad, and an iPhone in the house right now.  To be fair, 2 of the laptops are for my wife and kids to share.  I really don’t like sharing any of the other toys.

I ran out and purchased the iPad based upon the AT&T Wireless plan changes that were eliminating the unlimited data plan.  The only thing that makes the iPad a Kindle killer is the unlimited data plan.  If I need to use wifi, then a combination of my laptop, my netbook, my phone, and my Kindle are sufficient.

For a strict text reading device, the Kindle is better.  It’s lighter.  It’s easier to hold.  It’s easier on the eyes for extended reading.  It will handle open book formats, Amazon proprietary books, and PDF files natively.  Deep concentration reading is really about turning the page.  Read.  Turn the page.  Read.  Turn the page.  The Kindle does that extremely well.  I read a lot, and for text only books, docs, and papers – my Kindle is my go to device – or at least it was.

The iPad surpasses the Kindle for reading books with images.  I’m a photographer.  I’m a reader.  I read a lot about photography.  All photography books include images, and every one of these books are better on the iPad.  I can see the images in color and not grayscale pixel art.  I can read all of the same books, PDF files, docs, and papers that I could before on the Kindle.  I can also read my email, my RSS feeds, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the 20,000 other scattered information sources that I consume on a daily basis.  Very convenient.

Possibly most convenient?  This blog post was written and posted using the WordPress iPad app.  Very convenient indeed.  I’ve not had the iPad very long so far, but I’m logging about 2 hours per day on it right now.  Two very convenient and easy hours…

By John Stover

John Stover Bio.

2 comments

  1. I read a lot before bed and I’m not sure if it’s just me but I find that reading on the IPAD at night usually makes the next day a blurry one, literally. I do like both devices and I don’t really see either as a direct competition to the other.

  2. I’ve even read about some researchers that think the backlit devices (iPad/Laptop/etc) are giving triggering signals to your body similar to sunlight which could interfere with sleep patterns. After reading with the Kindle for the last year and a half and switching to the iPad recently, I’ve not experienced this. After all, you still need an artificial light to see the Kindle. Also, with a bedside lamp or a booklight, I’ve never had much love for the Kindle – the screen is too reflective. I’ve always found the best experience with more ambient light in the room – which is what I still do with the iPad.

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