I apologize for the slow posting. I’ve had to train my butt off for 3 rides in 3 weekends. The first two aren’t too bad (MS Ride in Middleburg and Diabetes ride next weekend) but the third is my annual 25 mile skyline drive ride. The thing is a killer. Climb and climb and climb. Last year I did it and I burned over 3,000 calories.
Anyway, on to the iPad….one of the hot areas in technology (especially last Christmas) was the e-book reader. Amazon had their kindle, Barnes and Noble had their “nook” and Sony had, well, whatever they had (as a child of the walkman, it is surprising to me how far behind Sony has fallen in consumer electronics). My daughter, who is a book-reading maniac, wanted a kindle for Christmas. I advised her that the wiser course of action was to wait for Steve to deliver the iPad and get that but she would have none of it. I dutifully fulfiled my fatherly duties and bought the stupid kindle for Christmas.
I admit – here in writing – that the Kindle is not a bad device. The battery life is sick and it’s easy to read on. The integrated e-commerce functions (through Amazon of course) are nice and clean.
However, that’s all it does. That’s the good news and the bad news. The iPad, on the other hand, does all of that and everything else.
How well you might ask?
Well, not bad. The interface (always an Apple specialty) is great. The iPad itself I’d rate as a b+ and here’s why: If you are a real book reader you are familiar with the “bed quandry”: should I read on my side (and close one eye) or lay on my back and hold the book up in front of my face? The answer really depends on how big the book is. If it’s a paperback or a shorty then the back is ok. If it’s a longer hardback, you’re doomed to read on your side.
If you’re an iPad owner, the answer is that it doesn’t matter so much: the iPad doesn’t weigh much (see number 2 below) so either way is ok. However, Steve has not produced completly perfect device. Here are my complaints:
1. Ouch! The metal edges are a shade too sharp for long-term reading. They don’t seem so bad at first but after a while they wear.
2. Fat! As above, the initial impression is favorable but after about an hour, the thing weighs quite a bit.
3. The page count seems endless…as you switch between landscape and portrait, the number of pages left varies wildly. I’m a voracious reader and wondered if I would ever finish the book.
4. Battery life. The battery in the kindle lasts forever. The iPad, not so much.
OVERALL:
I would give the “e-book reader” title to the iPad for one reason: I’m all about convergence and I just can’t stand to have specialized devices for every little thing. The iPad gives me CNBC alerts, facebook, email, stocks, my wine cellar, calendar, WSJ and the list goes on and on.
The trade-off is worth it. Give me the iPad or give me death.
June 17, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Not a problem as long as you don’t mind Apple’s “walled garden”.
June 17, 2010 at 8:45 pm
tsk tsk….if a customer wanted a single device for a specific function, would thou be selling them the moon versus the single rock they wanted? LOL!
Yeah, the iPad is slick – however, for those who like to remain focused, the Kindle is a great device. For those with vision issues, it is proving to be a wonderful item as in the case of my Mother at 87 and macular degeneration. And hardheaded to resist anything that is a computer….and to her, the Kindle is not a “computer” with other integration.
I am suprised though, with the sharp edges, some entrepreneur has not figured out a padded thing to go around it. Sorta like the folks who sell skins to put on laptops to make them personal. How’s that for an idea???
June 18, 2010 at 9:08 am
I love my Kindle. No desire to get an iPad.
June 18, 2010 at 9:09 am
Score one for your analysis of the Ipad, Andy!
Saw a news report on NBC yesterday how the Childrens’ Hospital in St. Louis, MO is using it not only as therapy tool (playing games and other things), but also for patient education – especially with kids facing transplants.
June 18, 2010 at 12:00 pm
There are skins and cases and folios and whatevers in all shapes nd sizes and colors Raymond. I guess it all depends on how un-sleek you want to make the thing.
Me, I love the Kindle app running on my sleek and smooth BlackBerry Storm.
June 18, 2010 at 2:33 pm
I got one of the soft-ish rubber cases for it when I bought it but took it off almost immediately. I liked the feel of the thing but couldn’t stand the lint and dirt that it picked up. I’ll put up with the sharp edges.
As to being inside the walled garden, I’m a proud member of the apple ecosystem. My personal needs and expectations of technology are reasonably demanding but limited in scope and the apple stuff fits it real well – on the personal side. I’m not sure it would work on the business half quite that well….