Click through to this link and check out the glare on that sucker: Using the iPad as an eBook Reader. It seems a lot more like a computer screen than any of the dedicated eBook readers, which I don’t think I would like. When I read on my Kindle I don’t get that feeling that I get when I’ve been looking at a computer screen all day. In addition, I use my finger to trace under lines of text, so I don’t think I completely sold on having a touch screen on an eBook reader, though I guess there might be some way to disable that and tap the side of the screen like on the iPhone Kindle app.
Okay. Do I sound like I’m trying to talk myself out of an iPad? Actually, I’d probably like to have an iPad, just not for its capacity for reading eBooks.
17 responses to “Why I don't think I'd like eBooks on an iPad …”
Ok…I had the same thoughts as you about the eReader functions on the iPad, why would I want to stare at a backlit screen to read a book when I stare at one all day at work (even had to get glasses with anti-glare because it was making my eyes so tired)? I just got done playing with an iPad and iBooks and I can say that Apple has done an excellent job with the formatting of the books, they are definitely trying to make you forget all your worries with eye candy (probably Apple’s greatest strength with hardware/software), they pull it off kind of with how nice it looks on your screen. I’m still not sold as this being a game changer for ebooks, but I do think this will put a lot of pressure on Amazon, B&N and Sony to add a little more style, functionality, and intuitiveness to their hardware/software.
They give you a free Winnie the Pooh book on your book shelf, obviously to show off how nice the color pictures look. There are different settings for page turns, and its nice to be able to tap links to footnotes, etc. Like you said, there are tons of other things that make this device cool, the eReader function isn’t probably in the top 10 (but I still want one).
Adam,
Thanks, but I didn’t need that. I was feeling pretty good about not having one a second ago 😉
But you’ll sound like a hip techie if you just tell people, “Yeah, I’m waiting for the second generation”
Yeah I can throw in something about not liking the specs on this one.
Jeremy,
My iPhone has both the Kindle and the Barnes & Noble (i.e., Nook equivalent) apps on it. I’ve read entire books on each. Like different features of both. If the apps function on the iPad as well as they do on the little iPhone, then wow!
That’s amazing, I can’t read for more than 5 minutes at a time on my iPhone. The Kindle app is pretty good, but I like the iBooks app a little better on the iPad, solely for design reasons – it has many nice navigation features also that the Kindle app does not have.
and the lord did say, on the day of judgment all those who possessed, or rather were possessed by, any apple computer product will be cast into the outer darkness. there they will endure eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth.
why lord? exclaimed the disciples.
because, said he, they were puffy headed prats and insufferably dull and boring and always going on and on and on about their apple gadgets.
then the righteous will rejoice at the destruction of the worshipers of the apple, and heaven will clap its hands and the angels will give thanks to the almighty.
3 solicitations 4:9-11.
Wow, Jim, that sounds ominous, but I think a similar fate may befall those who “heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:”
Does either the I-Pad or Kindle allow me to write notes in the margin and underline and then collect all that stuff in a text?
I write all over my books — I need this functionality.
I’d love your insight if you know.
PS — have you enabled us to unsubscribe to comments on this site? (Please do !)
Sabio,
Kindle doesn’t allow notes in the margin, rather you write them in as footnotes that then become hyperlinked. You simply go to the place in the text you want to mark and start typing. You can also highlight text, but I’m not crazy about the functionality on that. You can bookmark pages with a simple keystroke of alt+B.
I’ve tried to add unsubscribe to comment notifier. I guess we’ll now see if it works.
@ Jeremy
Thanx. Can I then export my notes from Kindle (for free).
Wonder if anyone knows about I-Pad.
PS – Jeremy, now that you are spicing up the site — how about creating an avatar for yourself — You can do better than this simple photos of your nemesises – Jim and Joel
what? it’s a sensible picture. not some weird non image of self featuring some tool of the devil.
LOL Jim. The forbidden fruit really must have been the Apple. (And some of eat from all of the trees of the garden – but look where that gets us).
@Jim
You are wise to recognize the menacing power of the tool of evil. But we are not fooled into thinking your half-smiling countenance is anything but demonic. Perhaps my abstraction is less painful than your incarnate version of the dark side of human nature !
😉
its really more a smirk than a half smile.
FYI: Apparently this is the code for a smirkey smile, if you ever need the shorthand:
:-7
You know this post about the iPad has really sparked some good random conversation. Sabio, I’ve tried with the Avatars, but I’m using WP as a plugin through RapidWeaver. And unfortunately, very few WP plugins work for me. In addition, my blog has always been spiced up. It’s just that I took a little hiatus. 😉