iPad and Kindle revisited

I posted about the Kindle vs. iPad discussion some time ago, and am now in a position to revisit that post with experience with both devices. One of the points I made at that time, was the dual use of my iPod touch and Kindle, using the iPod touch as a reference while reading something on the Kindle. This still holds true, but the real question I had was if I had both (iPad), which would I prefer to read on.

From a library management perspective, and from a rich user interface perspective, my iPad blows away my Kindle. When I want to read stories to my little kids from an eBook – no question, it’s the iPad. We have fun with the pictures and even interactive nature of some of the kids books. For graphics rich content, or for illustrated material, again, the iPad is the clear and compelling winner.

The Kindle shines in its core competency. If I want to sit down and read a book, I pick up my Kindle. If I want a bed time read that will allow me to wind down, it is paper or it is the Kindle.

I do have the Kindle app on my iPad so I can read the same library there, but I also have the Google books, Overdrive for the library books, and the Nook app among others. Short summary – both devices excel, though for different purposes. Both can comfortably co-exist and compliment each others functionality. The Kindle is hands down the superior device for reading books, while the iPad is the clear winner for interactive content.

Links:

• Kindle Device
• iPad Device

Kindle repairs...

So who knew - the Kindle 2 cover from Amazon seems to be causing breakage when opened incorrectly or dropped from a low height. The day before Thanksgiving I was out and about and had my Kindle with me when surprise - it fell. Now, it only fell from waist height and onto a wood floor, safely ensconced in the leather cover. No worries, right?

This is where I was surprised to find out that I had lost the top inch or so of the display. Completely surprised and suitably dismayed, I promptly tried the go-to remedy of reboot / restart with no luck. This was followed my a flurry of internet research leading to the discovery of the common problem and the fact that Amazon seemed to be offering repairs but sometimes charging 180$ of rthe service. Sweating the situation a bit, but comforted by the pattern I found of the cover as the culprit + cover sold by Amazon = some Amazon liability, I contacted support. After an email and then follow up phone call, they are shipping me a replacement at no cost, due in the 30th along with a mailing label to ship the broken one back at no charge. Way to go Amazon! additionally, the content will transfer to the new device with no problem and in the meantime, I can read where I left off using my iPod touch and the Kindle application. Sweet integration of technolgy.

Creating eBooks

Having an eBook reader is half the fun - to get the full value, you need to be able to create your own eBooks and convert existing content to the correct format. I have spent a bit of time trolling the net to locate the best / simplest way to accomplish this. My main focus was bringing my travel info with me when on the road as well as presentations and pdf docs to review. I have settled on Mobi Pocket Creator though the Reader is a bit more simple to use.

The software allows easy creation of eBooks in multiple format and will even send the book directly to your reader for you with it's integration feature. Converting moderately complex Power Point seems to be messy though converting to pdf first does help a bit. Basically, the device I use most is the Kindle 2 and it is great for text / book format but not so great for presentations. Minor inconvenience since the screen size is small anyway. The trade off between the large size DX and the smaller Kindle 2 or Sony eBook reader we have is mainly screen size and when traveling, form factor is important. It's easier ti pack and use the smaller size, especially on airplanes or trains.

One unexpected bonus for the Mobi set was the database books you can create. Out of the box it is set up with a wine catalog and restaurant guide which is pretty cool since I do travel and enjoy both. I plan to play around with this feature and possibly make a couple of reference guides for future use.

Net-Net conversion is easy and quick with this setup though Amazon offers both a free and a pay service to convert docs with the main difference being the pay version delivers the docs over the whispernet service (very convenient for others to send docs) and the pay version requires a cable based connection and emailing documents to Amazon for conversion. If I am going that route, the Mobi suite is more convenient and offers greater control.

Love the e-Books

Recently, while traveling, I tried out our Sony eBook reader. It is a nice little device that belongs to my wife, but she shares - thanks love. The device I used was the PRS-300 in pink. Overall, there are tweaks that I would make but for my first time with an eBook reader, I was pleasantly surprised. Now for those of you who know me well, you know I have had my eye on the kindle since it came out, and now that the DX is here, I am almost at the tipping point to buy one.

Not being 100% sure about the eBook thing, my experience with the Sony has sold me. I forgot I was using e-ink and got lost in the books. I also brought along travel documents, some presentations to review and a couple of PDF documents I wanted to read. The positive is that the books read great! I am sold on that concept. The con to the Sony was that it confirmed my concern about the other media, meaning for anything other then the eBooks, it was tough.

Of course, this is why I have been waiting on the DX and it's larger screen size, so that also confirms that position as do the reviews I have been reading. Once the acquisition happens and I get my buyout, I think I may splurge on one finally.

If and when I cave and order it, I will post my impressions here.