How To Tell If Someone Is Lying About Their iPad Experience
OK, maybe that title is a little harsh.
Perhaps a better title would be “When someone tells you they love their iPad because it functions as an eBook reader, you should be a little suspect of their claims, because they’re starting to sound like a fan-boy, simply parroting the ad-copy dreamed up in Cupertino, and have probably never actually tried to read a book on the device.”
Somehow, that seemed a bit wordy.
I’ve read a lot of iPad reviews that herald the iPad as the greatest thing since the invention of the internet. “OMG, it can play movies, it can check email, it can be a book reader, it even changes the oil in my car and picks my kids up from school! I kid you not!”
The iPad is certainly a fun little toy, but lets be honest here – it’s a device for casual internet surfing and watching movies. For that, it beats the Kindle hands-down. No contest. The iPad may have an “eBook reader” built-in, but so does the computer you’re sitting in front of right now. It’s called “displaying text on the screen,” and it’s nothing new. For actually reading books, the iPad sucks.
Here’s why.
- First, the screen is a backlit LCD, which causes eyestrain in most people. Sure, you can read a few pages of a book no problem, but read more than a dozen pages and you’ll start feeling a little bit queasy. Contrast this with a dedicated eBook reader like the Amazon Kindle or Nook – each of those uses an “e-Ink” display screen that is pretty much just like reading off of paper.
- Glare – The iPad comes with a sleek glass screen that is highly reflective. So unless you like staring at your own reflection more than you enjoy comprehending the content of your book, the iPad isn’t ideal.
- Weight – I like reading in bed, and the iPad is just too heavy.
- Ergonomics – How are people who claim that they read books on their iPad holding this thing? Please tell me, because I can’t figure it out.
- Battery life – Maybe not a big deal if you don’t mind plugging the thing in every 6 hours or so, but if you’re doing any extended reading, the Kindle’s week or two long battery life is nice.
For these reasons, I seriously doubt the veracity of any report that holds the iPad up as an excellent eBook reader. When someone says that the iPad is great because it contains a book reader, it’s like saying that you prefer not to have a home stereo system because your car already has one built-in.
To paraphrase Jeff Bezos, “Reading is important. It deserves a dedicated device.”
I’m not saying that the iPad sucks. On the contrary, I think it’s pretty cool. I can see where it’d be useful for travel, as long as you don’t have to type too much. And I can see how it’d be useful for sitting on the couch and browsing Facebook, or even watching a movie on a plane. But it’s no replacement for a dedicated eBook reader, and anyone who says that it is probably doesn’t read all that much.
October 9th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Interesting—though slightly inaccurate—assessment. Comparing an iPad’s merits based upon ebook reading alone is truly an exercise in trolling for hits as the iPad is not in the same product or price category. In a very narrow view where the user is strictly reading and wishes to do nothing else, some of these comments carry a bit more weight. Here’s my experience with a Wi-Fi-only, 1st gen model iPad:
1. Backlit LCD. I use multiple backlit LCD screens all day at work and don’t have eyestrain simply from that. Does an LCD elicit a less-favorable focus response than paper (or eInk) at the same distance?
2. Glare. Glossy? Yes. Mirrored? No. The backlight is much brighter than the glare-reducing glass emits. Also, since the iPad is a relatively small device, moving it around to avoid glare is easy and doesn’t compare to a desktop or even a laptop computer, which I will never knowingly buy with a glossy screen. Laptop glossy = instant hatred. iPad glossy = not so bad.
3. Weight. Total agreement! Yup, too heavy. Very durable, though.
4. Ergonomics. Good and bad here. The iPad has many more places than a Kindle to grab the device without pushing a button. iPad does have sharp uncomfortable edges and weight is a concern in some situations. A $10 rubber slip-case solves the sharp edges, but the iPad to me is like a large hardback John Grisham novel. Neither is easy to read for long spells in bed or at a table. Each has its own pros and cons.
5. Battery life. I’ve read ebooks, online magazines, watched 2-hour movies streaming via Wi-Fi, and never remember it going below 50% for the day. In fact, it’s been sitting on my desk for over a week now (I’m testing it for longevity) without being charged and it’s only now getting to the half-way battery capacity mark.
I would not recommend getting an iPad if its sole job was to be an eBook reader, but I think buyers realize that and at less than half the cost, the Kindle is probably the best choice in that category. In fact, Engadget’s review of the newest Kindle indicates its biggest strength AND weakness:
“At the end of the day, there are two paths a consumer can go down when buying a new reading device: the standalone reader or the do-it-all unit which also reads books. In the standalone category, the Kindle is probably the one to beat, and its support for the platform with apps for many devices are certainly helping it to flourish. We are still, however, not at all assured that the standalone path is the one most consumers will ultimately traverse.” Engadget – Aug 27th 2010
I run portions of my business, stream Netflix movies, let my kids play games on it, and read them ebooks at night before bed without recharging once during the day and due to this versatility the Kindle isn’t even in contention.
Mw