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The iPad was released one week ago today, and you might be asking yourself how everyone likes it. Ok, you don't have to ask that because most likely 99% of people who bought an iPad love it. These are primarily hardcore, early adopters who are fanatic about Apple products, you can expect their reviews to be biased in some way. But what about the reading experience with iPad? Apple is seriously pushing the eBook model with this product.
Reading on the iPad is a fun experience. I think the iPad has the ability to change the way we read and interact with books. However, people who enjoy curling up in bed and picking up their current novel might not be so amused with Apple's latest creation.
The number one complaint from readers is the screen. While it is big and beautiful it takes a toll on your eyes after a few hours, which was expected. The iPad contains a regular IPS LCD screen which is similar to your computer monitor albeit with a much better viewing angle. The typical eye strain due to focusing on a back-lit screen is still a concern with the iPad vs. Kindle or Nook.
Other issues that readers have come noticed is the weight of iPad, it is twice as heavy as Kindle. This weight increase is very noticeable to owners of Kindle or Nook devices. People new to the electronic reading revolution might not care about the weight issue because it will be their first experience with an electronic book reader. Anyone coming from a dedicated reading device, you have been warned...iPad is heavy for an eReader.
Battery life is important to note here as well, iPad lasts 10 hours on a single charge while the other eBook readers last one or two weeks (depending on wireless usage). This is a major point for book aficionados, picking up your eBook and having no battery within a matter of days is not desirable.
If you are one of the following we recommend Kindle:
- Likes to read books for hours
- Wants an experience similar to a paper book
- Ability to download books anywhere without a monthly charge (Free 3G).
- Ability to read outside in sunlight
If you are one of the following we recommend iPad:
- You like to read during those "in between moments", such as waiting or during the commute.
- Someone who likes a multi-purpose device, capable of many things.
- University students
The iPad will bring eBook reading to the mainstream, more than Amazon has been able to do even though the iPad is not the ideal device for reading. We love both devices but would recommend a dedicated reading device such as Kindle, Nook or Sony readers for people who wish to replace (or try to) reading most paper titles. Dedicated reading devices do an excellent job at replicating the reading experience on a digital screen. iPad is an amazing device and if it fits into your life, buy it. We just can't recommend it to people who read books on a regular basis, light casual reading is great on it, just not hours upon hours.
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