Kindle v. Ipad as an e-reader

[brookmey]

My birthday is coming up and my kids want to get me a Kindle. I'm an avid reader, so for them it makes sense. We have an iPad and even though I haven't used it yet, I know it can also be used as an e-reader with the iBooks app.

My dilemma is whether or not I really need a Kindle when I can read from the iPad. Is there someone who can offer me some advice, direction, opinions on what to do?

 

[jeepgirl30]

I have a nook. We also have 2 iPad2s in the family. I loved my nook but once i started reading on the iPad it is hard to go back.

If you are traveling the iPad just has more in one. I can also share books with the iPods/iPads we have through itunes since we share the account. I got DH and kids another nook to share but if i buy books through barnes and noble it will only download to the one unit and not both.

 

[Princess Dolly]

I prefer reading ebooks on the e-ink Kindle. You can also dload the Kindle app on your iPad and access your books through there if you ever just with your iPad.

 

[sbell111]

My dilemma is whether or not I really need a Kindle when I can read from the iPad. Is there someone who can offer me some advice, direction, opinions on what to do?

If you have an iPad, you don't need a Kindle. Long arguments can go back and forth as to whether you need an iPad if you already have a Kindle, but I think that everyone will pretty much agree that the iPad can do everything a Kindle can, usually better.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

We have a nook and an iPad. The e-ink of the nook and regular kindle is easier on the eyes than the iPad. They are smaller and easier to hold. That said, I do most of my e-reading on the iPad. I like just having the one device. DH and my oldest DD use the nook now. I also like that the iPad is backlit so I don't need an external light. That's the tradeoff for losing the e-ink clarity.

I have both the nook and kindle apps on the iPad, I don't really use the iBooks app. I do most of my reading with free kindle/nook books and e-books from my local library.

 

[DCLSecondChance]

As an e-reader, Kindle all the way and not the Fire!

I like that mine is the size and weight of a paperback book. The way I hold it just feels much more comfortable than trying to READ on an iPAD. I have a case with a light that takes power from the Kindle and I love it. I can read in bed and not disturb my partner.

If you want to read outside with an iPAD, forget it! Take me down to GLARE city. I know my Kindle is a reader and is not an iPAD, but as a reader it is Kindle all the way!

 

[rascalmom]

I have both & find the well-lit iPad easier on my eyes. I take the Kindle when I travel though -can't beat the light weight and the long battery life. I use the Kindle app on my iPad so everything syncs across all my devices seamlessly.

 

[roxysmum123]

I prefer reading ebooks on the e-ink Kindle. You can also dload the Kindle app on your iPad and access your books through there if you ever just with your iPad.

I have both and I agree with this poster. I still use my e-ink Kindle for reading for long periods of time. I find it easier on the eyes.

 

[Starclassic]

If you're someone who anticipates doing a lot of e-reading, I say get the Kindle (NOT Fire). The screen of an iPad is not intended for heavy reading. You can read on it, yes, but it'll put more strain on your eyes. The Kindle, on the other hand, is an e-ink display, which is made for prolonged reading.

 

[DVCLiz]

If you have an iPad, you don't need a Kindle. Long arguments can go back and forth as to whether you need an iPad if you already have a Kindle, but I think that everyone will pretty much agree that the iPad can do everything a Kindle can, usually better.

Sorry, I don't agree at all.

An iPad can't display with eink.

The Kindle app on the iPad can't sort books into Collections the way a Kindle can.

The battery life on an iPad is far shorter than an eink Kindle.

Those are three reasons why I think an iPad can't do everything a Kindle can and better.

They are both wonderful devices, but one is a dedicated ereader and one is a tablet computer.

I use my iPad for almost everything (and actually I am finding that I use my new Kindle Fire, which is also a tablet, more frequently than my iPad now) but for the times I want to read for pleasure I usually use my eink Kindle.

If I want to read on my iPad I change the background color to sepia and dim the brightness level a little, so I can read comfortably. Otherwise the LCD screen isn't my preference for pleasure reading.

 

[Goofyluver]

I prefer reading ebooks on the e-ink Kindle. You can also dload the Kindle app on your iPad and access your books through there if you ever just with your iPad.

I have both and I agree with this poster. I still use my e-ink Kindle for reading for long periods of time. I find it easier on the eyes.

Sorry, I don't agree at all.

An iPad can't display with eink.

The Kindle app on the iPad can't sort books into Collections the way a Kindle can.

The battery life on an iPad is far shorter than an eink Kindle.

Those are three reasons why I think an iPad can't do everything a Kindle can and better.

They are both wonderful devices, but one is a dedicated ereader and one is a tablet computer.

I use my iPad for almost everything (and actually I am finding that I use my new Kindle Fire, which is also a tablet, more frequently than my iPad now) but for the times I want to read for pleasure I usually use my eink Kindle.

If I want to read on my iPad I change the background color to sepia and dim the brightness level a little, so I can read comfortably. Otherwise the LCD screen isn't my preference for pleasure reading.

All of these.

Reading for too long on the backlit tablet screen hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. I love my e-ink Kindle because I can read for long periods of time without going cross-eyed.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

All of these.

Reading for too long on the backlit tablet screen hurts my eyes and gives me a headache. I love my e-ink Kindle because I can read for long periods of time without going cross-eyed.

Agreed although I do not own an iPad. I recently read a book using my father's though. No thanks.

I often read one handed. The iPad was too heavy for my hands and page turning with one hand was cumbersome. The display also was too much for my eyes.

The iPad is great for what it is - but the Kindle is great for what it is as well.

I will have had my Kindle for 2 years in Feb and currently have 605 books in my Archive. It is well used

 

[sookie]

We are a Mac only family. All our computers are MAC, i have an iPad, and our phones are iPhones.

That being said, I have a kindle fire that i PREFER for reading kindle books. it is just better. my husband has a regular kindle, and he too prefers his kindle over the iPad when it comes to reading.

so while the iPad may very well have a kindle reader app - we barely use it.

and on another note (and this is totally a first world problem here)... the iPad is SO HEAVY when you are trying to read. I appreciate and love the lightness and size of my kindle fire!!!

 

[136368]

All I know is that while the iPad is prettier, the basic Kindle is more practical.

 

[not_minnie]

but I think that everyone will pretty much agree that the iPad can do everything a Kindle can, usually better.

No, I don't agree, sorry. I have a regular Kindle, an iPad 2, a netbook, an iPhone and a desktop PC, and each is used for a different purpose. The iPad is great when I visit my mom -- I can surf the web, read and reply to emails, pretty much anything I can do on the computer, although typing is cumbersome. Also works great in the kitchen, to look up recipes and follow them as you cook. Oh, and since the display is so beautiful, it's also great for displaying photos!

For reading, nothing IMO compares to the Kindle -- easy on the eyes, lightweight, can be held in one hand even standing on the Metro -- try that with an iPad!

We just went on a cruise and I took both the Kindle and the iPad. I saw people on deck trying to read on the iPad, turning it this way and that to cut the glare (just like the ad on TV ). Those who had Kindles (including DH and me) could read comfortably even in full sun.

I used the iPad to download my photos every night and to do crosswords in the cabin, but that was it.

So, OP, get both!

 

[redlight]

I love reading on my iPad - get the Kindle app, OP. If I had a lot of money, I'd also get the regular Kindle, but I don't.

 

[brookmey]

Thanks for everyone's input, it's been really helpful!

So, based on most replies, a Kindle is better for reading. I didn't think about the strain on the eyes, but that's really important. I mainly read at night, before bed, so my eyes are tired by the end of the day.

Can you read in the dark with the Kindle? If it's at night and I'm comfortable in bed, I'm not going to want to get up to turn off the light when I'm done.

If I just want an e-reader, nothing more, then the basic Kindle will work, not the Kindle Touch or Fire?

 

[DVCLiz]

Thanks for everyone's input, it's been really helpful!

So, based on most replies, a Kindle is better for reading. I didn't think about the strain on the eyes, but that's really important. I mainly read at night, before bed, so my eyes are tired by the end of the day.

Can you read in the dark with the Kindle? If it's at night and I'm comfortable in bed, I'm not going to want to get up to turn off the light when I'm done.

If I just want an e-reader, nothing more, then the basic Kindle will work, not the Kindle Touch or Fire?

No, you cannot read in the dark with a regular Kindle. The eink is reflective so it needs an outside light source like a regular book would. There are a variety of small unobtrusive clip on lights you can buy, or you can purchase a lighted cover from Amazon for certain Kindle models.

I think the basic Kindle would be fine for your needs.

 

[Lynne M]

So, based on most replies, a Kindle is better for reading. I didn't think about the strain on the eyes, but that's really important. I mainly read at night, before bed, so my eyes are tired by the end of the day.

I don't know if they're selling Kindles in brick and mortar stores these days, but I would absolutely try reading something on the Kindle screen, and also try a book on your iPad, before deciding.

I find that as I get older, I have more and more trouble reading when there's not a lot of contrast between the text and the background. The grey on grey e-ink on the Kindle is unusable for me. There's no contrast setting and no lighting that makes it comfortable for me to read on the thing. My mother has the same problem. I have a headache if I try, and she can't read the text at all.

The backlit screen on the iPad is perfect for both of us.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I have a Kindle2, a Kindle Fire and an iPad. I do not read on the Kindle Fire or iPad unless I have no other choice, the LCD screens are too hard on my eyes, even with the brightness down all the way and in night or sepia mode. They are for movies, games and Internet browsing. I do read magazines on them because of the color but even then I have to stop every 20 minutes or so to rest my eyes.

I don't mind the fact the eink Kindle2 is not backlit; neither were any of the physical books I bought before getting the Kindle, so I just do the same things I did when reading one of them.