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Help! Kindle or IPad??
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ProVista
26-02-2011
I can't decide between a Kindle or an IPad.

I know the Kindle is a better option for reading, being smaller it will fit in my handbag and its cheaper. On balance, its the way to go.

BUT.... I hanker for an IPad. I don't normally "do" gadgets, but I saw an IPad and fell in love with its screen and its lines and its Appleness,

Should I go Kindle?

Should I go IPad?

Should I ::big intake of breath:: push the bank balance and get both? But why would I want both?

I really only want a book reader, so really its a Kindle, I know that. But I do hanker for an IPad.

Whats a girly to do??
DotNetWill
26-02-2011
They are completely different, like on different planets different.

I don't see it as one or the other but both.
alanwarwic
26-02-2011
See what the ZET Light 2 is like when it arrives for sale in maybe even a few weeks..

It sounds very much like it might hit that middle ground.
Shadow27
26-02-2011
Agree with the second post, they are different.

If you are just going to read then kindle is better on the budget . I have got an iPad but I use it for my OU study so internet, ibooks and Kindle is very useful plus it's cool (!) and I've been an Apple nut for 20 years now. I'd wait and see what the iPad 2 annoucement is this week as you might find the iPad mark 1 on ebay etc.
psionic
26-02-2011
Originally Posted by ProVista:
“I can't decide between a Kindle or an IPad.

I know the Kindle is a better option for reading, being smaller it will fit in my handbag and its cheaper. On balance, its the way to go.

BUT.... I hanker for an IPad. I don't normally "do" gadgets, but I saw an IPad and fell in love with its screen and its lines and its Appleness,

Should I go Kindle?

Should I go IPad?

Should I ::big intake of breath:: push the bank balance and get both? But why would I want both?

I really only want a book reader, so really its a Kindle, I know that. But I do hanker for an IPad.

Whats a girly to do??”

I think you've answered your own question. If all you really want is a book reader - the Kindle is the logical choice.

The Kindle is also smaller and lighter then the iPad and lasts for ages between charges.
TheBigM
26-02-2011
iPad is a gadget - does lots of things, not the best at anything though.

Kindle does one thing only but it's the best at what it does.

I think the way to answer your question is: will your gadget lust die down? Or will you be still hankering for an iPad after your Kindle purchase (which is the sensible option).
Vallhund
26-02-2011
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“iPad is a gadget - does lots of things, not the best at anything though.

Kindle does one thing only but it's the best at what it does.

I think the way to answer your question is: will your gadget lust die down? Or will you be still hankering for an iPad after your Kindle purchase (which is the sensible option).”

I am an Apple guy (mostly), but I decided to get a Kindle instead of the current iPad. I like the Kindle a lot.
Soundburst
26-02-2011
This is a very random thing. Isn't the Kindle basically just a book reader for like £100 or so quid

If you want to read books then get Kindle.

If you want to do other stuff then get iPad



I mean. . .does Kindle even have a colour screen? *that's* how different they are.
ProVista
26-02-2011
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“iPad is a gadget - does lots of things, not the best at anything though.

Kindle does one thing only but it's the best at what it does.

I think the way to answer your question is: will your gadget lust die down? Or will you be still hankering for an iPad after your Kindle purchase (which is the sensible option).”

I am not sure whether my gadget lust will die down because I have never experienced gadget lust before!

I would like a Kindle because I can read books on it. It is a practical and sensible option. Practicalities are usually how I make my choices.

I want an IPad because its... its.... its.... I don't know. What would I do with it? I've been wooed by it and I don't really even know what it is.
JulesandSand
26-02-2011
As a book reader not only is the Kindle hinder on the wallet it's kinder on the eyes.
max99
27-02-2011
How much reading will you do?

If it's just 15 minutes here and there, an iPad will suffice.

But if you like to 'get lost in a good book', a Kindle can't be beaten (even compared to actual books).

Best option for you: buy the Kindle now, and if you still want an iPad, buy one in the future. Buying the two things separately will be cheaper than buying them both at the same time (not really, but it's easier to fool yourself that way).

And if it turns out you find the iPad is suitable for your reading needs, sell the Kindle. Or sell the iPad if you find out you don't actually need it. Or just admit that you're turning into a geek and keep them both.
mocha-latte
27-02-2011
I've had my Kindle just over three months, and I love it.
best item I have ever bought.and I have bought a few

But you have to decide for yourself

Go for the Kindle
IslandNiles
27-02-2011
If you really do want an e-reader, the Kindle is going to suit your needs much better than the iPad. The e-ink screen on the Kindle is amazing - has to be seen to be believed really. It isn't backlit so you won't end up with eye strain (iStrain?) and looks remarkably like a printed page. The battery lasts for weeks without charge and you can really get lost in a book.

That said, it's a device that pretty much serves a single purpose. I like that. It's for reading books. It does that job brilliantly. It's small, no heavier than a paperback, and works well. But it's obviously not a multi-purpose device.

The iPad definitely is multi-purpose. For web browsing, it's hard to beat (unless you want Flash). But compared to the Kindle, it's big, heavy, backlit and has poor battery life. A good e-reader it does not make. That isn't supposed to be its primary purpose, so it isn't really a criticism of the iPad. But for most people, reading a book on a backlit screen is not a very comfortable or fulfilling experience.

The Kindle is a brilliant gadget. So is the iPad. They serve two entirely different purposes. If you want an e-reader, the Kindle at £111 is amazing value.
sacavsworld
27-02-2011
I have the iPad plus I downloaded the kindle app so that I have best of both worlds when I am out and about. I would also recommend this way.
Bungee
27-02-2011
I have both - they are both great

If you primary use is going to be reading books, get the Kindle. Reading books on the ipad isn't ideal as its backlit, so may well give you eye strain.
If however, you just want a general gadget, and will only be ready the odd chapter of a book, get the ipad - I use it far more than by PC now.
Let me know if you have any specific questions on either

btw, if you decide to go with the ipad, wait until Wednesday, when Apple are going to be announcing the Ipad2 - it won't be released for another month or two though.
Toby53
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by TheBigM:
“iPad is a gadget - does lots of things, not the best at anything though.

Kindle does one thing only but it's the best at what it does.

I think the way to answer your question is: will your gadget lust die down? Or will you be still hankering for an iPad after your Kindle purchase (which is the sensible option).”

Debatable about the Kindle being the 'best' !!
stud u like
27-02-2011
Kindle App on Ipad is better than Kindle you can read it in the dark but you can't on Kindle unless you buy a light.
IslandNiles
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by stud u like:
“Kindle App on Ipad is better than Kindle you can read it in the dark but you can't on Kindle unless you buy a light.”

Or have a light switched on, as you would when reading a book.

The iPad is bigger, heavier, backlit and doesn't look like a printed page. Reading a book on a computer screen is not a very pleasant experience for a lot of people.
TheBigM
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by Toby53:
“Debatable about the Kindle being the 'best' !!”

For lengthy amounts of reading - i.e. reading a long book over a few days - what electronic device would you recommend otherwise?

The main point being about the screen technology Kindle uses rather than an LCD on the iPad. It's very comfortable to use in terms of (lack of) eyestrain, I've seen it in person.
mocha-latte
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by stud u like:
“Kindle App on Ipad is better than Kindle you can read it in the dark but you can't on Kindle unless you buy a light.”

The Kindle is natural reading, like a book, in the DARK and in the SUN

I now have Amazons leather lighted case, its lovely, with its suede lining, mines in Girly Pink
before that I had a clip on light, which was good, just that I like the way Amazons slides away when not in use, and no batteries as it stays charged from the Kindle... Perfection
even has its own email addres, etc etc

I love my Kindle one Fantastic bit of kit.
IvanIV
27-02-2011
ipad is full of distractions if you want to use it as a reader and the screen is far from optimal for reading during long periods of time. But it's shiny, the screen is colour. Kindle is optimised for reading. If you read a lot, the Kindle 3 is among the best and you won't get better for that price. So up to you,an excellent ereader or a luxury item, good at many things, not quite excellent at anything else than at looking pretty
IvanIV
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by stud u like:
“Kindle App on Ipad is better than Kindle you can read it in the dark but you can't on Kindle unless you buy a light.”

Missing the point entirely. Eink display behaves like a sheet of paper, it does not put any strain on eyes, unlike the usual lcd displays that have to be backlit to work. Kindle needs an external light, just like a paper book. Backlighting an eink screen would cancel its advantages and make it just a b&w lcd screen.
ironjade
27-02-2011
If you can read books in the dark, you don't need Kindle or an iPad, you need an agent.
stud u like
27-02-2011
Originally Posted by IvanIV:
“Missing the point entirely. Eink display behaves like a sheet of paper, it does not put any strain on eyes, unlike the usual lcd displays that have to be backlit to work. Kindle needs an external light, just like a paper book. Backlighting an eink screen would cancel its advantages and make it just a b&w lcd screen.”

I find the app on my ipod easier to read than the Kindle. It is glossier and I don't need to turn on a light on. It is also a smaller screen and I can just shove it along when I have read the page.
ProVista
28-02-2011
Thank you for your reasoned comments.

I do intend to use a reader as I would normally use a book - which would involve reading more than just a chapter at a time. So I take the point about the screen not being back-lit on the Kindle, that it is just like reading a sheet of paper. A Kindle will also fit into my handbag fairly easily whereas an Ipad will probably need a bag of its own so I'll probably end up popping a paperback into my bag rather than lug the Ipad around.

I think I have answered my own questions - so I should just stop dithering any buy a Kindle.

I also think I need to spend a bit more time considering exactly what I would use an Ipad for and whether I can justify £500 for it. Also, (mean mummy) I made my 6 year old save up for half the cost of a DS before I put the rest to it, so part of me is saying how can I try to instill good values into my child about saving up and not buying things on the spur of the moment, not being led astray by marketing etc., if I then arrive home clutching an Ipad I blatently don't need.

I am talking myself out of an Ipad now!
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