By: Aseem Gaurav, April 22, 2011 (New Delhi)
So you are on the lookout to buy an e-book reader but can’t decide between Apple’s Jesus tablet, the iPad 2, and Amazon’s Kindle. While both the devices incorporate cool technology, they have their own set of pros and cons for being used as a reading device. But surely the timing of your purchase seems appropriate as the market is flooded with all sorts of free content and hardware prices are on the decline too.
Choosing the right product is simple once you know they meet the key parameters you are looking for. So before the purchase, ask yourself these key questions:
1. What is your content consumption pattern?
First define what you really want in terms of consumption of the content. The iPad is really designed with near limitless content consumption in mind as it can serve as a whole computer. You can do pretty much anything, like you can surf the web, check email, watch movies, play games, take photos, listen to music and audio books, read, write, and edit movies. Through iPad you can access all sorts of ebook apps which are available for download by all major online retailers.
Apple’s marvelous e-reader app, the iBooks store, helps you create your own bookshelf. Apple’s enhanced illustrated book support lets you enjoy eye-catching art books, coffee table titles and children’s books in a way that might actually be better suited to photo-rich works than paper. Moreover, you can listen to an author read a favorite passage, watch supplementary video, or flick through a library of photos or unpublished excerpts. On the reading comfort part, you can hold an iPad like a book and flip the pages like a book. You can read one page at a time in portrait mode and turn iPad on its side to view two pages at once. With most books in iBooks, you can change the text size and the font and jump to any chapter right from the table of contents. To check out a word in the built-in dictionary or Wikipedia is also quite easy. iPad’s iBooks works with VoiceOver, the screen reader in iPad, so it can read you the contents of any page. And you can listen to your music while you’re reading. The device helps you relax with the technology.
On the other hand, if you are a reader who just wants to read, Kindle may seem to be a good option for you. Kindle is a lightweight and portable device and doesn’t seem too bulky while you’re on the move. Since it is a dedicated e-reader, so you can’t expect yourself to be watching movies or playing latest games. Just a reminder that just like iPad is Apple controlled, the Kindle is Amazon controlled.
2. The price you’re willing to pay for the gadget
This is an important criterion to choose between the two. Amazon has recently announced a cheaper ad-supported version of its Kindle e-reader. The new 'Kindle with Special Offers,' which will go on sale starting May 3, 2011, will cost $25 less than the standard $139 Kindle. At $139, the Kindle has come a long way from its original, first generation price of $399. For those who want a reader with a built-in mobile data service, which could download books on the go, they could pay extra $50 to update to 3G verb of Kindle or Nook, with the price going up to $189 and $199. While on the other hand, the six versions of the iPad 2 in the US cost $499, $599, $699 (Wi-Fi Only) and $629, $729, $829 (3G version).
3. A gadget that is easy on the eyes
Kindle comes with latest generation E Ink technology, referred to as "Pearl,” which is extremely easy on the eyes. Pearl results in good reading experience with 50 per cent better contrast and the sharpest text. Kindle's electronic ink display is ideal for reading because it does not create the same eyestrain as reading on traditional backlit LCD tablets or laptops. Electronic ink uses actual ink to create crisp, print-like text, which is quite similar to what you see in a physical book. Kindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper, eliminating the glare created by backlit LCD displays on tablets or smart phones. Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. E Ink's contrast is uniform, so you can read comfortably at any angle. While taking an iPad to read in the outdoor may not be a good ideas since backlit LCDs are difficult to read in sunlight.
The above three simple questions are good enough for you to give you a good idea which device is a better option in buying an e-book reader. Well, much also depends on what kind of environment do you want to use your e-book reader, whether it is indoors or outdoors. If you want a gadget just for the purpose of reading, then go for a kindle, but if you’re a student/teacher/ business executive, who’s always on the move, you might want to go for an iPad, as it provides you complete multimedia experience. An iPad is great for reading but not for extended periods of time. So what’s your choice, iPadfanzz would like to hear it from you!
So you are on the lookout to buy an e-book reader but can’t decide between Apple’s Jesus tablet, the iPad 2, and Amazon’s Kindle. While both the devices incorporate cool technology, they have their own set of pros and cons for being used as a reading device. But surely the timing of your purchase seems appropriate as the market is flooded with all sorts of free content and hardware prices are on the decline too.
Choosing the right product is simple once you know they meet the key parameters you are looking for. So before the purchase, ask yourself these key questions:
1. What is your content consumption pattern?
First define what you really want in terms of consumption of the content. The iPad is really designed with near limitless content consumption in mind as it can serve as a whole computer. You can do pretty much anything, like you can surf the web, check email, watch movies, play games, take photos, listen to music and audio books, read, write, and edit movies. Through iPad you can access all sorts of ebook apps which are available for download by all major online retailers.
Apple’s marvelous e-reader app, the iBooks store, helps you create your own bookshelf. Apple’s enhanced illustrated book support lets you enjoy eye-catching art books, coffee table titles and children’s books in a way that might actually be better suited to photo-rich works than paper. Moreover, you can listen to an author read a favorite passage, watch supplementary video, or flick through a library of photos or unpublished excerpts. On the reading comfort part, you can hold an iPad like a book and flip the pages like a book. You can read one page at a time in portrait mode and turn iPad on its side to view two pages at once. With most books in iBooks, you can change the text size and the font and jump to any chapter right from the table of contents. To check out a word in the built-in dictionary or Wikipedia is also quite easy. iPad’s iBooks works with VoiceOver, the screen reader in iPad, so it can read you the contents of any page. And you can listen to your music while you’re reading. The device helps you relax with the technology.
On the other hand, if you are a reader who just wants to read, Kindle may seem to be a good option for you. Kindle is a lightweight and portable device and doesn’t seem too bulky while you’re on the move. Since it is a dedicated e-reader, so you can’t expect yourself to be watching movies or playing latest games. Just a reminder that just like iPad is Apple controlled, the Kindle is Amazon controlled.
2. The price you’re willing to pay for the gadget
This is an important criterion to choose between the two. Amazon has recently announced a cheaper ad-supported version of its Kindle e-reader. The new 'Kindle with Special Offers,' which will go on sale starting May 3, 2011, will cost $25 less than the standard $139 Kindle. At $139, the Kindle has come a long way from its original, first generation price of $399. For those who want a reader with a built-in mobile data service, which could download books on the go, they could pay extra $50 to update to 3G verb of Kindle or Nook, with the price going up to $189 and $199. While on the other hand, the six versions of the iPad 2 in the US cost $499, $599, $699 (Wi-Fi Only) and $629, $729, $829 (3G version).
3. A gadget that is easy on the eyes
Kindle comes with latest generation E Ink technology, referred to as "Pearl,” which is extremely easy on the eyes. Pearl results in good reading experience with 50 per cent better contrast and the sharpest text. Kindle's electronic ink display is ideal for reading because it does not create the same eyestrain as reading on traditional backlit LCD tablets or laptops. Electronic ink uses actual ink to create crisp, print-like text, which is quite similar to what you see in a physical book. Kindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper, eliminating the glare created by backlit LCD displays on tablets or smart phones. Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. E Ink's contrast is uniform, so you can read comfortably at any angle. While taking an iPad to read in the outdoor may not be a good ideas since backlit LCDs are difficult to read in sunlight.
The above three simple questions are good enough for you to give you a good idea which device is a better option in buying an e-book reader. Well, much also depends on what kind of environment do you want to use your e-book reader, whether it is indoors or outdoors. If you want a gadget just for the purpose of reading, then go for a kindle, but if you’re a student/teacher/ business executive, who’s always on the move, you might want to go for an iPad, as it provides you complete multimedia experience. An iPad is great for reading but not for extended periods of time. So what’s your choice, iPadfanzz would like to hear it from you!
