Looking for Kindle vs. iBook opinions

In general the iPad's display is fabulous, nothing I have ever seen comes close.

But you can't really hold it in one hand like the smaller Kindle, and for me the latter is much more readable in very bright sunlight.

I just ordered my 64GB iPad and I, as well, would love it if someone who owns both the Kindle and iPad would be so nice to share comparisons between them as ereaders. Eyestrain from the backlit screen on the iPad is what worries me most when thinking about using it as my everyday reader.

I just finished reading a book on iBooks and had no problem at all with eyestrain. The ability to adjust the brightness is a big plus. It is great at night in any lighting situation. I live near Portland, OR and cannot talk to the bright sunlight situation since that is so rare here in the spring!

I have found that I prefer ibooks in landscape mode because I find the facing pages display easier to read than the Kindle App wide page format.

However I have quite a few books in the Kindle format and I would really prefer keeping all my books in one format. But you cannot have it both ways.

But the iBook app is so flexible that I suspect I will migrate in that direction over time.

One thing that would be nice is an iBooks for Mac app like the Kindle for Mac app, just for the added flexibility.

It is more awkward to hold the iPad while avoiding the fingers touching on the screen. This and the slightly heavier weight make it less comfort for long reading.

William,
You can have it both ways.
There is a nice Kindle app for iPad. It can read your purchased books from Amazon just like Kindle for PC and Mac.

I have both. If what you want is only a book reader, the Kindle is better from the standpoint of readability and comfort for holding for a while. While I haven't used either for long-term reading yet, I would think the Kindle might be a bit easier on the eyes. If again you are interested only in an electronic reader (you have no interest in the other functionality of the iPad) and you are comfortable with being restricted to what you can buy from Amazon or books in public domain, one of the Kindles might be a good choice for you.

The iPad is no slouch as a reader, though, and offers a lot more capability.

So it really comes down to what you're looking for, a dedicated reader (in which case you'll also want to look at the Nook, Sony's reader, and the upcoming Que from Plastic Logic before you decide) or a general-purpose device that's also capable as an e-book device.

Regards.

I agree. I own a Kindle 2 and after spending a couple of hours with the iPad I've come to the conclusion that, __if all you want is an e-reader, then the Kindle is the way to go.__

The e-ink display is so much better than the backlit display of the iPad. The display is easier on the eyes and it's easier to read if your in direct sunlight (whether your outside or sitting next to window on a sunny day). The Kindle is also more comfortable to hold for longer periods of time.

Of course, the iPad does so much more than display books. But, for those looking strictly for an e-reader, go with the Kindle.

Message was edited by: Mulderscully

The eyestrain thing seems to be an individual quirk. Some percentage of the population seems to have a problem with backlit screens while the rest do not. I have read a half dozen or so books on my Ipad since Saturday and have had no problem with eyestrain. Even reading a couple of books back to back in the same day.

I noticed something amusing yesterday while playing with it in the sunlight. The Ibooks app in direct sunlight appeared to have sharp crisp black text against a grey background. Looking for all the world like an eInk screen.

As for weight it is about the same weight as a large hardback book. Given that I regularly read those in a single sitting I didn't find the IPad uncomfortable to hold at all.

i have akindle and an ipad. i just installd ibook, and am very dissapointed by the number of titles available, plus no newspapers or magazines. the bookcase looks really slick though. so, i got the kindle app for ipad. one click buys from amazon. kindle on ipad doesn't have a bookcase per se, but as far as I am concerned. problem solved.

as for a "book reader": if that's all you do, kindle is the way to go. if you do lots of stuff, then ipad is an upgraded book reader(with a light!) plus all the other stuff. on kindle though i really liked emailing myself docs to my kindle address. ipad needs at least 2 steps to do that

The iPad for Web browsing and the Kindle for long-form reading (novels). Your eyes move all over the page when Web browsing, but when reading a novel your eyes repeatedly scan one tiny slice of the page at a time. I can read Web sites all day on an iPad (or any LCD) without eye strain but can't go long at all when reading a novel, especially in bed with the room darkened. It's like staring at a light bulb.

My Kindle, otoh, is very comfortable for long-form reading.

am very dissapointed by the number of titles available, plus no newspapers or magazines.

Give it time. Amazon took quite a while to build up their offerings for the Kindle. If nothing else, it takes a while for the publishers to format the books for a new device. I have little doubt that the number of books available will increase. Plus you have the option of putting your Kindle books on your iPad.

As to magazines and newspapers, from what I'm seeing those publishers are all opting for their own apps rather than going through the iBookstore. This is probably because having their own app makes it easier for them to provide the format and features they want and to provide subscriptions, something that the iBookstore doesn't appear to be set up for, at least at this time.

Zinio for iPad is wonderful for magazines.

My Kindle 2 arrived the first day they were available and I quite like it. I didn't expect the iPad and Kindle App to match the Kindle 2 experience but with 2 reservations I'm sold and my Kindle has been passed on to my wife. Reservation 1: I took my iPad out onto the deck Sunday and until I sat in the shade it wasn't a comfortable read. The iPad beats the iPhone or touch in the sun but the Kindle is far superior in direct sunlight. (My second Kindle 2 didn't fade under the sun, my first one did.) Reservation 2: no dictionary which could be a problem for some.

But as I said, I passed my Kindle off to my wife.

I have had a Kindle for 6 months or so and find reading on it difficult. It does not have enough contrast for me. I got an iPad mainly to read and write.

I have been disappointed with iBooks so far, since I have not been able to get any of the ebooks I have to transfer to the iPad after converting to epub format (not DRM books).

I also think the Apple iTunes bookstore a joke compared to Amazon;s Kindle store. it seems impossible to find anything in Apple's bookstore or browse genres, like Science Fiction. The store's GUI is the worst Apple has ever created. Amazon's Kindle store blows Apple's away.

I've been a Mac addict since 1986 and so far the iPad has been the only bad experience I have had. To save face, I am calling myself an iPad beta tester. 🙂

To be fair, this is a new paradigm for me. I have only used iTunes for music, which is great. I have only a 1st generation iPod and have never used an iPhone or iPod Touch. But still, her I am reading Kindle bought books on my MacBook Pro and the iPad sits in its box until I have time to play with it again.

Bill

PS: I would like to be able to change the background in ibook from white to another color. Is that possible?

I have both, and still prefer the Kindle as the ultimate eBook reading experience. The beauty of iPad is that it handles the eReader task, and so much more. I have loaded the Kindle app on the iPad, and will likely not travel with the Kindle much, plus it gives the wife and I a cool way to share books across the two devices.

While the iPad is not bad for eye strain, it is worse than the kindle. Turning down the brightness helps quite a bit.

I have a Kindle DX, iPod Touch, and now an iPad. iBooks is a little disappointing at this point. eReader Pro (ebook reader from www.ereader.com for their ebooks) on my iPod Touch is the best e-reader. I can change the background color and the text color to suit my eyes. Then with the backlight turned down low, I can comfortably read for hours like on the Kindle DX. Thus, future versions of iBook will hopefully include changing background and font colors. Then it will be a very e-book reader. Kindle for iPhone (and iPad) allows changing the background to black with white text and Serpia (light tan background with dark brown text). Serpia with a low backlight works reasonably well, but not great. I would like more background color with text color options to really be happy with iBooks. In the meantime, I will buy Kindle books and read them with Kindle for iPhone (iPad) on my iPad.