ipad vs kindle: CAGE MATCH!
Sep. 21st, 2010 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rmdOKAY YOU OVERLY OPINIONATED INTERNET PEOPLE! CONVINCE ME! OR SOMETHING.
I need to choose a $SIGNIFICANT_MILESTONE gift for someone. iPad? or Kindle?
iPad has the advantage of doing much more - apps! widgets! other stuff!
Kindle has the advantage of not requiring a separate pay-by-the-month data plan for cell access. Plus more battery life.
thoughts?
I figure either an ipad and a small itunes store gift card (and possibly a small amazon gift card for ebooks), or a kindle and a larger amazon gift card.
I need to choose a $SIGNIFICANT_MILESTONE gift for someone. iPad? or Kindle?
iPad has the advantage of doing much more - apps! widgets! other stuff!
Kindle has the advantage of not requiring a separate pay-by-the-month data plan for cell access. Plus more battery life.
thoughts?
I figure either an ipad and a small itunes store gift card (and possibly a small amazon gift card for ebooks), or a kindle and a larger amazon gift card.
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no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:01 am (UTC)<--is partial to the e-reader because ew ew ew touchscreen iPad ew....
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:11 am (UTC)If on the other hand they'd be more interested in a general-purpose device and/or are interested in reading books from non-Amazon sources, go for the iPad. (The advantage of the iPad I grant is that there's also a Kindle app anyway so all of the Kindle books are available to read on the iPad.)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:20 am (UTC)2) One of the things I love about the Kindle is that I can
easily hold it in one hand and eat with the other. In fact,
when I hold it in one hand, my thumb hovers quite naturally
over the "next page" button, so it's easy to turn pages
without having to put down my fork.
3) I played with an iPad for a brief time. It's beautiful,
but I hated the fact that it really required two hands, both
because of its weight and because of the locations of the
navigation buttons. If you like to read while you eat, I
don't think you'll be very happy with the iPad.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:22 am (UTC)You also get quality PDF reading, which may or may not matter depending on your areas of interest. I like it a lot, but I read a lot of roleplaying games.
Reading outside on the iPad is suboptimal, and it's heavier than the Kindle. I read my iPad in bed a lot anyhow. I miss the Kindle a bit, but not a ton, and it's mostly the weight issue. The battery life hasn't ever been a problem for me -- I charge it every night, and it lasts all day.
Oh, and the iPad doesn't have the little palpable delay and flash as you turn pages.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:37 am (UTC)I remain confused by the popularity of the iPad. It seems like a very expensive netbook. I don't really see its point. But I haven't tried hard, or used one, so I may not know what I'm talking about.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 03:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 03:11 am (UTC)iPad. If you're giving a gift especially. Has the "wow" factor. Giving a Kindle would be like giving socks. Yeah they're useful, yes they can be pretty, but at the end of the day they're still socks.
Look at how many places are using iPads as prizes or premiums. iPads are aspirational.
I personally wouldn't buy either one though. Hate the iPad walled garden. Hate the Kindle DRM.
[ETA have a friend who is an avid ebook consumer, who has a Kindle and an iPad. Prefers the iPad]
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 03:29 am (UTC)If you're only planning on using it as an e-book reader, the Kindle wins. It's lightweight, easy to hold, and has an insanely long battery life. I've gotten through 20-hour travel days on one charge.
If you want something that can also handle e-mail/web-surfing/games/etc., the iPad is a better investment. I love mine. But I don't necessarily love it for e-books--it's heavy, and runs out of battery charge very fast. And, as you noted, it's more expensive, both on the initial purchase price and the cell access.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 03:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 04:44 am (UTC)I have one on long-term loan from work, and they're terribly handy for all sorts of things.
A Kindle is a neat idea, but, frankly, if I'm carrying an expensive device, I'd rather not have a one trick pony stuck with me.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 05:56 am (UTC)Sorry , nothing useful to say here, except, gee, golly, I know I've been working really hard, and I'm proud of myself for what all I've accomplished, but don't go out of your way... plus I don't want either, an iPad nor a Kindle; .... nor do I want a puppy, really. ;-) ;-)
Also- should this, in fact, be unlocked post? Does the lucky mile-stoner not read LJ?
== 10
Date: 2010-09-22 06:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 11:39 am (UTC)When I want to spent hours reading without distraction I love the Kindle. It sucks at anything else.
When I want to surf web sites, play poker, check twitter, pay bills or play Chinese Poker I use the iPad.
I have a nice collection of DRM free ebooks from baen.com and ora.com. Work great on both devices.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 12:05 pm (UTC)There's a Kindle reader for iPad, so they could read Kindle books on the iPad.
I'll try to remember to bring my Kindle with me Monday so you can toss it around.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:01 pm (UTC)That said, you've got a huge set of options for book reading on the iPad. Amazon, B&N and Borders all have ebook readers for it that talk to their respective stores, along with Apple's iBooks (which I have to say has a sadly small selection and somewhat distressing UI). And Apple's ebook reader happily works with non-DRM'd epub and PDF files. There are also quite a few comic book readers available, including the big companies.
Kindle may not have pay-by-the-month cell access but it also can barely do anything with its cell access and in order to get some documents to it over cellular data you have to pay a premium.
Cellular data on the iPad is contract-free and can be turned on and off as desired (at monthly increments). You can also start with the cheaper plan and it will warn you when you're going over the limit and give you the option to pay the difference to go to the bigger plan, which is very nice.
Note that I don't have a 3G iPad because it pisses me off to pay AT&T for data twice (my iPhone and iPad) and only use it once.
Two very interesting upcoming iPad features: it's getting wireless printing in a November software update. It's also getting the ability to push audio and video to Airport Expresses (audio only), Apple TVs (the new cheap ones), and upcoming 3rd-party devices that will support "AirPlay" (supposedly Denon is doing a firmware update for my amp that will support it). This seems to work with any video or audio played back using iOS' UI for doing so - videos, YouTube, Photos, Netflix, Pandora, whatever... these are both coming to the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 as well.
The iPad is great for light-weight gaming and media, has a first rate email client and web browser and can do almost anything people write software for it to do.You can do photo manipulation, edit Office documents, do presentations.
The Kindle is very good at being an ebook reader for Amazon's ebooks, and not particularly good at anything else.
So the question is, would this person want a general purpose device that's an okay ebook reader (but can read a great many ebooks from multiple sources), or do they want a great ebook reader that doesn't do anything else particularly well?
Then again, the cheapest iPad (WiFi only) is $499 (you can get them refurbished for $449 now), or $629 with 3G support. The cheapest Kindle (WiFi only) is $139, or $189 for 3G support.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 04:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:23 pm (UTC)As a book reader, she vastly prefers the Kindle. Vastly.
For anything else, though, the iPad is obviously better.
But yeah, for reasons similar to what Charles stated, I haven't been sold on either one. (OK, I agree on the Kindle. I think the iPad is pretty cool, but I'm cheap.)
Also, the iPad only requires a monthly fee if you spring for the 3G version.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:38 pm (UTC)There are people, myself and Charlie Stross included, who do much better reading books on an iPad than on a Kindle. For folks like us, the *only* thing the Kindle has going for it is battery life (and arguably weight).
But for other people, the iPad causes eye strain that the Kindle does not. The Kindle is also certainly more readable in full direct sunlight (though I've read my iPad that way).
Remember that every book a Kindle can read, the iPad can also read, due to the Kindle app. I think the only thing the Kindle can do that the iPad can't is something to do with Kindle-centric newspaper subscriptions.
It may sound like I'm saying "get the iPad", but I'm not -- if the person in question gets eye strain from an iPad, or reads out in the sun a lot, get the Kindle. However, if they mostly read in bed, the iPad is way better IMHO, since you don't need an external light source at all.
(I've been reading etexts on portable devices of some form or another for over a decade now. I've read 'em on Newton, Magic Cap, PalmOS, WinCE (clamshell and PocketPC flavors), tablets (eg. Vadem Clio), e-ink devices (Sony Pocket Reader), and iOS devices (iPhone, iTouch, and iPad). Everyone's eyes are different and you have to take your target person's eyes into account.)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:41 pm (UTC)See, the 3G plan for the iPad 3G doesn't require a contract at all. You activate it and then for a certain amount of time or data, it works. You can cancel without penalty.
I got the 3G model so that I have the option of activating it if I'm ever trapped somewhere without wifi long enough for that to be annoying, like on a trip or something. But you can use the 3G model as if it were the wifi model just fine.
I haven't been tempted to activate the 3G on mine yet. (Maybe the first time will be at the "Rally to Restore Sanity" in late October.)
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 01:47 pm (UTC)Do they like comic books?
If so, you owe it to yourself to check out the various comic-reading apps for the iPad. OMG purty. This display really, really works for comic art, and the comic readers are using this really cool tech that permits you to zoom in while following an "optimum path for the eye to follow" that's encoded into the comic book data files.
I've got a bunch of free comics (there are a lot, and the set keeps changing from week to week for promotional reasons), and bought the first issue of "Sandman" as an in-app purchase. OMG purty.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 02:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 04:52 pm (UTC)Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-22 06:41 pm (UTC)Droid-based tablet computers are announced. Just sayin'.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 04:07 am (UTC)That is, supposing that the companies involved with the tablet actually have the good grace to even allow you to access the Android Marketplace. And supposing that you can find anything there.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 11:23 am (UTC)Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 01:52 pm (UTC)On one hand the stories from some developers about dealing with Apple have been really terrible. On the other hand, it's a very tiny percentage of the actual apps that have had the problems. But they are ridiculous problems and they do get a lot of press. Apple just made some changes to the process - review guidelines are now public and they've loosened up some of the restrictions. Some of the high visibility apps that were having problems are now in the store.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 02:12 pm (UTC)Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 02:22 pm (UTC)Their devices happily play unprotected video and audio and happily read non-DRMed PDFs and epub documents. Their are many competing audio and video players on them and many competing book readers.
As far as apps go, while native apps have some restrictions on them, there are a vast number of truly tremendous native apps that are awesome and extremely useful. And the built-in browser supports HTML5 and CSS3 as much as any browser does today. You can build almost whatever you want as an HTML5 app, save it to the springboard and have most users not know the difference. The situation is getting some pretty unbalanced reporting.
For that matter, Google has already reached inside people's Android phones and remotely killed apps without owners' permission. I believe Apple does have that capability as well but has not yet used it. I do not think there is really as big a difference between Apple and Google as people play up. There is a lot of hysteria about it, though.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 02:34 pm (UTC)I'll accept that the reporting has been somewhat imbalanced. I do know for a fact (having emailed with the developer) that the apps Google yanked from the store were proof-of-concept hack apps with no actual value and once the creators admitted that I didn't think it was unreasonable for Google to yank them.
Likewise, I've talked with Apple app developers who have been frustrated that in order to fix a bug in their app they have to go through the whole approval process again, making the update cycle painfully slow. They're prohibited from putting the app on their own Web sites or any other site so people are forced to continue using a buggy/broken app until Apple gets around to approving the fix.
And to my knowledge Apple still won't allow boobies or even Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Mark Fiore to put his political cartoon app up.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-23 05:51 pm (UTC)Many of the videos on mine, I ripped from DVD myself. Much of the audio on mine, I ripped from CD myself. You can set iTunes up to autoconvert from FLAC to device-supported formats transparently as part of the sync process. DRM-free EPUB files work perfectly well in iBook and at least one competing reader application. And heck, *VLC* is on the device now.
It perhaps ain't as free as the most free Android handsets, the ones that are wide-open and that support sideloading. But it *is* more free than the *least* free (in terms of carrier/manufacturer lockdown) Android handsets.
And as for tablets, we'll have to see how that shakes out once Android tablets really start to show up in consumer hands, which hasn't happened yet.
Re: Just to be contrarian
Date: 2010-09-28 03:38 am (UTC)As I pointed out, anything that can be done as a web app can be saved to the iPhone. If you want a booby app and Apple won't approve it, make it a web app and show people how to save it.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 07:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 01:54 pm (UTC)It looks like Apple's going to refresh the iPad about once a year, similar to phones and iPods. That's about how often Amazon refreshes the Kindle.
no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 03:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-23 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-24 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-25 03:20 am (UTC)(I am not an Apple fan, nor an electronic book device fan, so my opinion may not be useful.)