As I have both and both were purchased here in Thailand I thought I might share my thoughts on these two very different pieces of technology.
Being a keen reader and often frustrated by the lack of English books available in Thailand I've been toying with getting an electronic reader for some time. I was somewhat put of by the lack of color screens on most models on sale, the unavailability in Thailand and a niggling doubt that I would enjoy reading a book on a gadget. I am usually and early adopter of technology and hence have been burned many times. Older and wiser these days I waited till now to dip my toe into the e-reader phenomenon.
It was brought to a head by my 16 year old son who had expressed a fervent desire to get an iPad for his birthday. Impossible of course because they were not yet on sale in Thailand, or so I thought. As luck would have it I needed something from Tuk Com in Pattaya a couple of days before his birthday and happened to spot some grey import iPads for sale for 30,000 baht. Expensive, yes, but he's been a good lad this year and anyway my early adopter roots came back to haunt me and I found myself leaving the store with a brand new iPad tucked under my arm.
It's an impressive toy. The color is great, the screen very readable, movies look cool and of course the apps store provided ready access to lots of interesting programs. I had to open a US Apps store account to get access to any iPad features but I believe the Thai store will have some iPad software soon.
For me though the real test was to try using it as a e-reader. Access to books was simple and I soon was ready to settle down and try reading a book. There is an immediate problem which takes about 30 seconds to pick up on. This thing is way, way, way to heavy. At 680 grams (1.5 pounds) its about 4 times heavier than a normal paper back. It's physical dimensions are also somewhat larger than is comfortable for reading but its the weight that is the real killer.
When you read the specs, 680 grams sounds pretty light but hold it in your hands, book reading style for two minutes and you realise its just not a book replacement. It's a gimmicky gadget that looks pretty but is totally unsuitable for reading a book. I didn't get past page 2 before I gave up.
What it did do for me was whet my appetite for e-reading. I had already acquired a few e-books that I wanted to read and so my mind turned to the Kindle. First job was to check out the weight of this thing. The Kindle2 at 294 grams its almost one third the weight of the iPad although still a bit heavier than a paperback. I ruled out the Kindle DX which is about the same size as an iPad meaning too big and too heavy.
Conclusion:
The ipad is a nice, flashy gadget with limited use in the real world. The Kindle is a book reader which does that one application superbly. If you have been waiting to take the plunge into e-books I encourage you to get a Kindle now. You won't regret it.
Author Resource:
click here for more information on kindle ebook downloads , or here for information on ebooks for kindle 3 .
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