Reading Books on the iPad Versus the Kindle

I recently purchased an iPad, I resisted as long as I could but I eventually gave in. I am such a sucker for gadgets and new technology. It's probably worse since I had only purchased a Kindle less than 3 months ago. However, I did not buy the iPad for reading on, I bought it for the media possibilities...pictures, videos, movies, all look great on the iPad.

That being said. I have been comparing the two devices in terms of how easy and comfortable both are for reading ebooks. Both have different strengths and different weaknesses. Maybe this will help you choose between the two if reading is your main goal.

My first comparison test was reading in bed, the Kindle is definitely superior in this regard. The Kindle is light and it's easy to hold up for long periods of time. There are several sizes of text to choose and the device is easy on the eyes because it is not backlit. It you fall asleep and drop the Kindle on your stomach it will not wake you up.

The iPad on the other hand is not easy to hold up without your arm getting tired very quickly and it is heavy for resting on your stomach. The text is just like computer text and it is backlit. I found my eyes got tired much faster. I also flopped the iPad on my stomach and it hurt. I got tired of the effort of changing pages with the iPad, with the Kindle you just click a button with one finger to change the page.

So, in this first test, the Kindle definitely came out ahead:

Kindle Pros for Reading in Bed

• Light
• Easy on the eyes
• Change pages with a click

My next comparison was graphic capabilities, on this there is no question that the iPad is superior. The colors are bright and they leap off the page. Photographs in books show up as they should.

The Kindle only offers grey-scale graphics. There are quite good for what they are but there is no comparison with the iPad.

I downloaded several Beatrix Potter books to check out the illustrations and I was not disappointed. They look just like the hard-copy books.

iPad Pros for Graphics

• colors are beautiful
• illustrations can add to the enjoyment of a book
• page turning is animated to mimic the real action
  

Both devices make it easy to buy books right from the applications. The iBooks store is hidden behind the bookshelves, click on store and it turns around. For the Kindle you click on the menu button and you have the option of buying books directly from amazon.

Book prices seem to be more expensive from iBooks. The average price I noticed was around $15, the average for Kindle is $9.99.

The Kindle also wins out in ease of reading outside. There is no glare on the screen and you can read in the harshest sunlight. With the iPad I couldn't even see the screen when I was sitting outside on partially sunny day.

Of course, there is no comparison on price. The iPad sells for more than three times the price of a Kindle. But it does offer a lot for that price. The Kindle is an ebook reader with a couple of perks like a browser, however, it will not be used for much more than reading books and maybe listening to an audiobook.

In terms of reading though, I find the Kindle so much easier and kinder on the eyes. I will use the iPad to read illustrated books and books with many diagrams. I will also use the iBooks application on the iPad to read PDF files, which need to be formatted to be read on a Kindle. However, when I want to read in bed or outdoors it will be the Kindle I will favor. On those points there is no comparison.

Do you agree? Let me know in the comments section below.