I am not a techie, but I am Mac guy, so I was mesmerized, like many of my techie friends, with Apple’s new iPad. This week when Steve Jobs introduced it, I felt an instant urge to hold one. Did anyone else get that urge? (Please don’t give me an idolatry lecture…I know my priorities…I’m not obsessing, but I am fascinated.) Being one that is always looking for ways to improve my productivity, I can see how I would make use of such a product.
The most frequent question for me this week, however, has been what would I do with my Kindle if I got an iPad. If you don’t know, my boys got me a Kindle for Father’s Day and I love it. I wrote about it HERE. Granted I haven’t held an iPad in my hands, but I have pondered my “dilemma” this week, and I have come to the following conclusion:
I can think of 7 reasons I will keep my Kindle. Here’s why:
- The Kindle feels more like a book than I think the iPad will. Putting the Kindle in a leather binder gives me the look and feel of holding the “real thing”.
- The screen on the Kindle seems more like a book. If the screen on the iPad is like my MacBook Pro, I wouldn’t want to read long passages on it.
- The Kindle is limited to being a reader. This has been seem as a plus for the iPad, but when I’m considering it as a reader it’s a criticism for me. When I’m doing serious reading, I don’t want to be distracted with other things I can do with the device.
- Amazon is so easy to work with. I’m confident that Apple will pull off a great database of books, but Amazon certainly knows what they are doing. (I wonder if the two great companies will find a way to partner.)
- The battery life on the Kindle is amazing. I don’t get that kind of result from my iPhone or MacBook. (As a matter of fact, my Mac power is running low now…)
- My boys gave me my Kindle. ‘Nuff said…
- Sometimes simplicity is a good thing….Complex is often overrated.
There are my top 7 reasons for keeping my Kindle and not being disappointed if I don’t immediately get an iPad when they are released. Still, if my boys are tired of socks and underwear again this year…
What about you? Do you want an iPad? Will you get one? Do you own a Kindle? Will the iPad cause you to put aside your Kindle?
Start the discussion here.
"I am not a techie, but I am Mac guy…"
I knew there was a good reason I liked you even though I've never met you 🙂
Thanks man!
I'm with you Ron. I love my Kindle and wouldn't exchange it for an iPad. I already have so many things I have put on my Kindle it will take me a year to read the stuff there, so I would be a poor steward to throw it away for an iPad.
Blessings,
Dave
That's another good point Dave. I've got a lot invested in my Kindle already. Of course, as one comment stated, there is the app that will sync Kindle with iPad, but I still like the simplicity of the Kindle…at this point
Great feedback Arlan. Thanks for stickin with me on #6! I didn't think about the Kindle App though. I actually use it some on my iPhone.
I love my Kindle, too – even got one for my wife. The ease and convenience as an eReader is unmatched anywhere. I think th iPad missed an opportunity – I mean why is it not a netbook? No OS? Just a large iPod? I assume that Amazon will release a color touch-screen eventually but who reads books in color anyway? (Might be best for the DX with magazines and text books.) I wrote my reasons for choosing the Kindle several weeks ago in a post of a similar name: 7 Reasons To Choose A Kindle which you can read here: http://secondchair.wordpress.com/2009/12/07/7-rea… Thanks for the great post – and enjoy your Kindle!
Thanks for sharing your post. I checked it out. Good stuff. I'll be keeping my Kindle too.
I think 1, 4, & 5 are easily to overcome as the iPad has a large battery life, has a leatherbound case if you want it, & the iPhone Kindle App still works on it (doubt I’ll be using the iBook Store.)
As for 2, 3, & 7 they are valid personal issues and is also why the iPad isn’t nor should it be considered as a Kindle killer. The iPad goes after the Netbook market and throws in the e-reader option as a challenge. No doubt Amazon will release a more enhanced, in-living color version soon.
But as for 6, it steals the debate. I would never disappoint my kids with the newest widget that negates a gift they gave me just a short time ago. If anything, I’d buy the iPad but never use it to read books. Ha!
Agree with you on this although I don't have a Kindle and obviously haven't seen an iPad yet. Personally I would like to have an iPad, but for reasons that have nothing to do with reading books. I've not been able to determine if the iPad has VPN connectivity as a feature, but the iPhone (and I think iPod Touch) does so I would assume that the iPad would as well. So, as a computer guy, I look at it more as a troubleshooting tool to gain access to my network. I had to use my iPhone for that the other day, and, although it works just fine, the screen size is limiting. As I was sitting there working on the iPhone, I thought to myself that the iPad would be such a much better way to accomplish what I was trying to do.
Jon, I haven't given up on the thought that I may enjoy one…
Already you can use the Kindle app on the ipad. So short of Apple disabling the app, there isn't anything to block you from reading your kindle books on an ipad.
That's a great thought Adam but what about the glare from the screen and the distractions part? I'm sticking with my Kindle….(for now). Part of it could be a financial issue though….I'm tight!
Curious though, what you do in chicago. My son is a student at Moody. I'm in Chicago as often as I can be.
Intense Debate totally ate my comment. grr.
I am a huge fan of kindle, you will not get mine out of my hands. I think the ipad will not be a good reader. A few people might get one if they want to do a little reading. If you read a lot you want a kindle. No question. I just wanted to make clear that right now you can read kindle books on ipad.
I used to live in Chicago. I still do some consulting there and fly up there about once a month. (I live outside of Atlanta now.) My main Chicago client is an after school program near Moody (By The Hand Club for Kids) that a lot of Moody students volunteer at.
Thanks Adam. Sorry you had problems with Intense Debate. I will ask my son Nate ( /* Loading IntenseDebate Comments..."; idc_ns.parentNode.insertBefore(idc_ld, idc_ns); setTimeout( IDC_revert, 10000 ); /* ]]> */