kindle for reading or ipad???

Latte Other Software & Development
21

Kindle is a pretty good solution for taking notes as you read. It keeps a running log of all your annotations, highlights, and bookmarks, as well as text clippings, and saves them as a plain-text file that you can retrieve by plugging the Kindle into your computer and downloading this file. I like to do that after I read a book, and wipe the log file so it doesn’t get so messy. Kindle also provides a way to get your notes via a web page. Since it syncs all of your notes to their servers and makes them available to all devices that can read the books, the web access is a side benefit of that. It’s possible to extract notes from there as well—but in general the log file will be easier.

Unfortunately the iPad does not save a log file so if you use the iPad as your reader, notes will have to be retrieved using the web site.

22

thanks amber!

do you think the Kindle2 is adequate for what i’m talking about, or would i be better with the dx?

23

For most books, I’d say the regular Kindle 2 is good enough. The DX is a lot more expensive, harder to carry around, and you really don’t get a whole lot of extra bang for that, either. I’d say, in the case of the DX vs. the iPad, as a reader, I’d put the iPad much more on an even keel than I would against a standard Kindle. I’ve also heard that it is more difficult to type on the DX because it is larger and heavier. I can add notes to the standard Kindle while reading in bed and just using my thumbs. I would imagine that would be difficult with the DX.

Some books with layout do benefit from it, and PDFs are probably better on it as well. Books that do not rely on layout though, will read just as well on either device. So except in isolated cases, I would really say that the Kindle2 is not only adequate, but superior to the DX.

If you want to get a taste for what reading on a device like this will be like, you could try checking out a local Barnes & Noble or Borders and playing around with the Nook or Sony Reader respectively. Obviously there will be interface and button placement differences, but in terms of what it feels like to flip pages and read on an e-ink surface, these devices will give you a good preview. For me, there is little difference between reading on a Kindle and reading a paperback.

One other thing to note, and this is going to be true with any e-book platform, is that page numbers are going to be a bit of an obsolete concept. If you are accustomed to referencing your notes by page number, you’ll find there is no good way to do that. Since text size can be scaled, as with Scrivener, the concept of a “page” is wholly artificial and meaningless. Amazon’s response to this problem is to break the book down into “locations” which seem to be roughly every ten words or so. All of your citations and notes will be identified with the location it was attached to. It’s easy to get back to any location in the book via the menu (not that you ordinarily need to since you can browse my comment and jump right to it). As far as I know, iBooks has no mechanism for external citations at all, and I’m not sure how the Nook and Sony Reader handle this. So that will take a little getting used to, but when you consider that page numbers are not set in stone with paper publishing either, it’s less of an issue than it might feel like, at first—though it does still feel weird to me to write down “loc. 10,872” next to a paper note, instead of “pg. 490”. :slight_smile:

24

i ended up buying the new kindle dx. i nearly drove myself dippy, trying to decide between the kindle 2 and the dx. the deciding factor for the dx is that i have to read a lot of docs on the computer for my job and reading on a computer for long hours gives me headaches, which, after i thought it through, pretty well nixed the ipad. i got the kindle a couple of days ago and it’s great. moving the docs from my computer to the kindle is easy and i can read with it for hours without either eyestrain or a headache. the only problem is that it’s too easy to buy books with the thing. i may go broke.

you were right, amber. it’s too big to use your thumbs to type notes. that’s just a trade-off i had to make.

thanks for all the advice. it helped me a lot.

25

Ha, yes. The secret is to make it well known to everyone that routinely buys you gifts for your birthday and whatever other holidays, that you want Amazon gift cards. :slight_smile:

How does the new DX look? I’ve just seen pictures of it on their website. Is the black a matte finish or is it glossy?

26

it’s matte finish, a dark charcoal. they call it “graphite” and that’s accurate. it’s about the color of hematite, without the sheen of hematite. i think it looks good. it’s easy to lose myself in a book and forget all about the kindle while reading with it.

27

Contrary to the overall consensus here, I went with the iPad for reading. I spend lots of time in the evenings putting kids to bed, and in that situation iPad is irreplaceable for reading or (quiet) writing.

I use iBooks and Kindle app to read my books, preferring iBooks.

Before this, I used to read books on iPhone (as lengthy as the complete Captain Blood and all of Neil Gaiman) with no problem whatsoever. So the iPad is a major upgrade for me.

I also used to read on a Sony Reader, which I gave to my mom along with the complete ebook collection of Agatha Christie. I couldn’t continue with it as it was impossible to read in the dark, and that’s my main reading time.

I also found it’s easier for me to edit my text on the iPad. It looks more real and final there than on the MB Air, and the mistakes glare stronger.

28

Seriously, STOP THE MADNESS.

There is zero comparison here. None. Get the iPad and do NOT for a second think about it again. I have half of my office of 50 on ipads now and most of them come from Kindles or Sony Readers (myself included – Sony Reader). The iPad is clearer, adjustable, more user friendly, has color, and that’s not to mention anything else it does. I don’t know anyone that has eye strain from the iPad and reading. You can adjust the background color, text, and brightness to suite your needs with ease. The Kindle app is fantastic and blows the Kindle itself out of the water. Don’t like that? There’s a host of other great reading options… Good Reader, iBooks, Barnes and Nobles software, etc, etc.

The only slight negative is it’s heavier than an e-reader but you can adjust easily. The display is far superior to an ereader and of course it’s backlist, so read in the dark or less light (or you can screw around with booklight attachments for an ereader).

The day I knew the iPad had it’s place was when i visited my parents and showed it my 70 year old mother (I’m 32 amazingly), and she was loving it. I came back 3 hours later and she was browsing the web, checking out facebook, and doing things that she’d be hesitant to do with her computer that’s collecting dust. A day later I showed her iBooks and my girlfriend went out that night. She read a 300 pages that night and loved every minute of it.

Ok, I’m getting down off my ipad pedastal. I’ve had readers, a few of them, and I just couldn’t even imagine going back to them. I can tell you this, if the ipad was JUST a reader, i’d pay the extra money for it anyway over any other competitor without a doubt.

Ok, carry on…

29

Vent much? Everyone has to decide for themselves. Threads Iike this are to help people decide which is the best option for them. Some get eyestrain, some do not. Some don’t mind a surface that is a giant hyper-sensitive button, others do. Lots of pros and cons, and no reason to get all up and huffy about which is “best”.

30

For me (and that’s just for me) I will never, ever consider a gadget for reading, writing, browsing, image editing or anything else, with a gloss screen.

End of story. For me, that is… :wink:

/Joachim

31

i am in awe. i could just as easily jump the grand canyon flat-footed as read a big book on my iphone. my eyes blur, and stay blurred, after more than a few minutes’ reading on it.

do you have any idea how fortunate you are???

“Before this, I used to read books on iPhone (as lengthy as the complete Captain Blood and all of Neil Gaiman) with no problem whatsoever. So the iPad is a major upgrade for me.”

32

For those leaning toward an iPad or an iPod touch, keep in mind that Mac rumor sites are reporting that Apple has two smaller iPads coming, perhaps before Christmas. One’s supposed to be shirt-pocket sized, the other is the size of a mass-market paperback and should fit easily into a purse or coat pocket.

I read, take notes and do a hundred other things on my iPod touch, but I’ve often lamented that the screen was so small. Just a bit larger, I’ve been thinking, and both reading and note-taking would be much better. That’s why I find the smaller of the rumored iPads interesting. It would still fit in my pocket, so it can go with me everywhere. When I have to carry a reader inside a bag, as with a Kindle or the current iPad, I worry that I might forget that bag. I don’t forget my pockets. And what’s easier to carry is more likely to be with me and to be used. That’s why I’ve been leaning against getting an iPad. If I carry something in a bag, I might as well carry my MacBook. The added weight is good exercise.

The screen may be the deciding factor for me. Rumors say it will be OLED, which would be a first for Apple and something they might not get right. My first choice would be a screen like the iPhone 4, but that could get pricey. My second would be one like the iPad.

Much will also hinge on what else Apple puts into these new iPads and whether they will continue their ‘cripple everything but the iPhone’ game. I grumble often that my iPod touch doesn’t have a camera, much less a decent one. That’d be a major reason to upgrade. Having bought turn-by location software on sale, I’m also unhappy that Apple doesn’t sell GPS without adding cellular data (iPod) or voice (iPhone). Three years ago, that may have made sense. But mobile devices now have enough storage that my iPod touch can easily hold road data, cafes, ATMs and all that, for the entire US. GPS navigation no longer requires an active Internet connection. If Apple charged another $50 for a built-in GPS, I’d be getting the equivalent of an $250 GPS for that price.

In short, if portability matters more to you than a large screen, you might wait to see if these rumors prove true. The smaller iPad will make a good iPod touch replacement (music and all). The larger should be a good reader (outside bright sunlight) for all but 8.5x11 PDFs and not be as heavy to hold as the current iPad.

And given that it’s an iPad rather than an iPhone, Apple may offer models with cellular data for those who don’t like to always be hunting for WiFi.

–Michael W. Perry, Seattle

33

i expect that i will one day find an irresistible use for the ipad. filemaker gave me thought when they issued their new mobile version of filemaker for ipad and iphone. but i’ve decided that i can use the iphone as well as an ipad for the simple data entry (mainly click on one or two fields) that i need in a mobile device.

aside from that, i don’t see how the ipad applies to me, at least not right now. i carry my macbook around with me like a purse because i work on my computer when i’m out. if i just wanted it to browse and view, then the ipad would be a winner.

i do have a pile of other things that do ipad-like functions – kindle, alphasmart, iphone. the ipad appears to be superior in that it does all of these things in one device. the trouble is, it would probably give me headaches for reading, which means i have a kindle; it’s second-rate for writing, which means i love my alpha, and it’s not nearly as portable as my iphone + i can’t call people on it.

i watch all these ipad discussions with interest. it’s going to be fun to see this device develop over time.

34

one more thought: i’m an infrequent long-distance traveler; usually just a few times a year. when i do travel, i always bring my macbook. if i spent more time in airports, i’d probably spring for a macbook air rather than an ipad. it’s that functionality thing again.

35

I just bought the Kindle 3 thingy. The cheaper Wi-Fi version. Too darn hard reading novels on my iPod :open_mouth: Ooooh, can’t wait to hold my new baby in my eager, trembling hands…

Um…okay. I, uh, plead temporary insanity.

Should I get the hot pink leather cover? :blush:

36

Cadence, did you actually place an order? I was limited to a pre-order, with the actual machine not available until late August. Have promised my partner that she can download all her favorite trash reading, since the e-books are cheaper and we don’t have storage space. Plus, sometimes she likes to read them again.

There ought to be a market for re-purposing an e-book, passing it on to a friend or a school as a donation, and then getting a credit for a new purchase. Maybe when e-reading does catch on, these secondary uses will come about.

Hot pink…hmmm…but will it match your accessories? 8)

37

Yes! I recommend M*Edge covers. They are fantastic; well designed, hold the device firmly, and get out of your way so you can read. I have one that zippers shut and so is water resistant. The top cover folds over easily and the zipper is recessed enough that it doesn’t get in the way when holding it and clicking page buttons. It also has a lot of handy pockets for carrying the charger and cable, and a portable reading light if you want one. I think they have hot pink. :slight_smile:

Druid, I think there will certainly be a market for that. Public libraries, for one, are already starting to get in on the e-book trend. Here in Portland our main library system offers e-book loans. There are definitely ways to allow lending.

As for when it catches on, I think that midget already be happening. Amazon reported recently than in the past few months, it is now selling more Kindle units, than all hardcover book sales combined. That’s units, not Kindle book sales. Of course hardcovers I’d a fraction of the paperback market, but that is quite a milestone, especially considering that they are talking about actual Kindle sales, and not e-book sales.

38

druid, yesterday I placed an order. Currently no shipping date, though. Just checked my shipment details and it still says: “We’ll notify you via e-mail when we have an estimated delivery date. You can cancel at any time.” :confused:
But I shall NOT cancel. I shall wait patiently…
If you scroll down Amazon’s main page, you’ll find the following reassuring sentence: “…and it will ship on August 27”.

My accessories? Will hot pink match? Some, I’m sure. LOL!

AmberV, thanks for the M*Edge covers recommendation. Oh yeah, they do have them in pink! Not to mention, in “pebbled fuchsia”… :slight_smile: The Amazonians gave them plenty of great reviews. Just need to verify they’d fit Kindle 3, which is a little thinner, I think.

39

I owned a Kindle and have used it heavily. Three months ago I’ve bought an iPad which I envisioned that I would use for technical documents, and that I would continue to read fiction on Kindle. But from day one I’ve got my iPad, I have not used my Kindle at all. So now I have sold my Kindle, since I never use it. If you anything like me, buy iPad instead of Kindle.

40

I recently read a whole book on the iPad while on holiday and it was a suprisingly pleasant experience. I read it on the long train journey and at night in bed.