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

iPad compliments the Kindle?

I ran across an article today about the iPad and Kindle. While you may know about the Kindle app for the iPod, iPhone and iPad (among other devices) have you thought about owning both and if you will use the Kindle with an iPad? No? Well, time to start thinking about it. :) The article in Computerworld raises that question and makes a good case for both in parallel.

I use my iPod touch with my Kindle now, to look up references and notes while reading, especially on technical or theological reading. I don't yet have the iPad, but if I did, I can imagine continuing that pattern in a deeper way. Among the other points that are raised, the readability of the Kindle vs any other device is still king. I love the Kindle's ability to vanish in your hands while using it - it becomes like a paper book, only lighter and easier, and avoids the problems typical of electronics such as heat, battery life and glare. I do like the iPod for short stints reading and to bridge the times I don't have my Kindle, but for long reading sessions, the Kindle is the best.

Read the article yourself and see what you think, and if you already have both, let me know how close the author is.

Kindle for the Blackberry

It's here! Those of you (few) who have read my posts for a long time will remember my reference to this while I was waiting at the Y for my wife to finish getting ready, and looking for something to read with only my blackberry in my pocket. I have the Kindle and the iPod touch app for Kindle reading, but I am almost never without my Blackberry since it's my connection to the corporate borg... (pitiful, right?)
Now I can use my BB in a pinch to read books, picking up where I left off on one of the other apps. Well done and nicely executed. Now - to get my hands on the 3G / WiFi iPad or something in that family. ;)

kindle for blackberry?

I'm sitting at the gym, waiting for Jess to come out of her locker room and wishing I brought my kindle or at least my ipod with the kindle app on it. Looking around online it appears that a kindle app for the blackberry is coming soon! Sign me up. Once you move to the ebook format, the bar is moved up significantly and ubiquitous access is expected, synched to the last page read regardless of location or platform. When this happened I new amazon had really gotten to the killer app.