Article: Kindle versus iPad

In the matchup between the iPad and the Kindle, some say it’s game over for Amazon’s e-Reader. But according to industry watchers, it’s still only the first quarter.
 
the iTampon is a tablet, the kindle is made to emulate reading a book, note the eInk screen, the iTampon can't top that
 
I tend to agree with Tpex on this one.

While the iPad is pretty cool.. its a different device for a TOTALLY different market.
 
They both suck in ONE major regard. They are consumption devices purposefully customised to work best with the media formats their corporations are selling. The iPad was made to sell more songs, videos and applications from iTunes. The Kindle is there to sell more ebooks from Amazon. To get other formats onto them, you have to jump though hoops and sometimes you can't, no matter what you do. That's why purchasing hardware from a non-content producer is ideal, they have no vested interest in crippling the device purposefully. Apple, Amazon, Sony etc - are ones to avoid in this regard, if you want some openness and convenience of using a variety of sources of free and purchasable media.
 
You have to jump through hoops to get content onto the Kindle?

So you mean the dragging and dropping of files that I've been doing onto my Kindle and then reading actually hasn't been working and I've been imagining it all?
 
ToxicBunny said:
You have to jump through hoops to get content onto the Kindle?

So you mean the dragging and dropping of files that I've been doing onto my Kindle and then reading actually hasn't been working and I've been imagining it all?
Click to expand...

So you have native support for complex HTML and complex PDF files?
 
PeterCH said:
So you have native support for complex HTML and complex PDF files?
Click to expand...

Complex PDF absolutely yes. (Lots of images slows it down though). Take into account that PDFs on the 6" is not very usable due to the small screen, but most of my documents on the DX are PDF of varying degrees of complexity.

I'll make you a screen shot right of something shortly. Table with background and images:

attachment.php


HTML currently only through conversion, but I guess it's not to par away. However, using Calibre management software you can convert virtually all formats to Kindle friendly formats.
 
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BloemGuy said:
Complex PDF absolutely yes. (Lots of images slows it down though). Take into account that PDFs on the 6" is not very usable due to the small screen, but most of my documents on the DX are PDF of varying degrees of complexity. I'll make you a screen shot right of something shortly. HTML currently only through conversion, but I guess it's not to par away. However, using Calibre management software you can convert virtually all formats to Kindle friendly formats.
Click to expand...

This equates to jumping through loops. It's not as easy as using it with Amazon Ebooks, which simply work. PDFs could also work, but Jeff Bezos has a vested interest in making them not work and require 3rd party conversions and manipulations. Not everyone is as clued up as to find conversion software or be able to edit PDFs and HTMLs. If they simply had those files, they could not view them. Meanwhile other E-Reader companies have readers which read PDF and HTML natively.
 
And how much do those e-readers cost and how readily available are they in SA?
 
I'm not sure how you misunderstand me, but the Kindle SUPPORTS PDF NATIVELY. No hoops, just copy it to your device or e-mail it to your Kindle e-mail address for wireless delivery. PDF does not require any conversion, unless you wish to convert PDF to AWZ (Kindle format).

PDF support is not perfect at the moment ... you cannot zoom in the same way as on a PC, but on the DX is not an issue at all unless your PDF fonts are very very small. Then you have to view it landscape. Or convert it to AWZ in order for the text to reflow and be able to use diffent font sizes.

The device is far from perfect, but is not nearly as bad as you seem to think it is.

Have you actually used one?
 
ToxicBunny said:
And how much do those e-readers cost and how readily available are they in SA?
Click to expand...

The Amazon e-reader is not available in SA either. You have to order it from Amazon. The other readers usually have higher definition, larger screens, more storage and a wider format support. The price difference isn't big.

You should check the Wiki page for e-readers.
 
BloemGuy said:
I'm not sure how you misunderstand me, but the Kindle SUPPORTS PDF NATIVELY. No hoops, just copy it to your device or e-mail it to your Kindle e-mail address for wireless delivery. PDF does not require any conversion, unless you wish to convert PDF to AWZ (Kindle format).
Click to expand...

It's not good for complex PDF.

PDF support is not perfect at the moment ... you cannot zoom in the same way as on a PC, but on the DX is not an issue at all unless your PDF fonts are very very small. Then you have to view it landscape. Or convert it to AWZ in order for the text to reflow and be able to use diffent font sizes.
Click to expand...

Well those are some of the drawbacks.
The device is far from perfect, but is not nearly as bad as you seem to think it is.
Click to expand...

And it's far from good enough.

Have you actually used one?
Click to expand...

No I didn't buy one because it can't handle complex PDF and HTML documents I would need it to handle. I don't need a toy but a device which does what I need it to do. I wouldn't use it for reading ebook novels from Amazon. The competitors have better products. Have you used any of those? I bet no.
 
The Amazon e-reader is available in SA...

You log on to the Amazon website, order it and they ship it....
Takes about 6 days to arrive.

So come on then, provide some prices on competing e-book readers.
 
ToxicBunny said:
And how much do those e-readers cost and how readily available are they in SA?
Click to expand...

Costing too much, at the moment, but prices are bound to fall from now on. Remember when we paid R300 for a DVD a few years ago. But just like your solar geyser it has a payback period which could be anything from a year to 3-4 years depending on your profile. And you save trees. And you have all your books (in my case references, technical texts,dictionaries, etc) in one small thingy instead of having to lug around cases full of books. (Kindle is also more expensive than it could have been because it has free a 3G data plan included for the life of the device - although in South Africa we are currently limited to wikipedia access only in addition to the Kindle online store.)

Availability in SA ... problematic. Most are not on sale in stores yet, as far as I know.

But Amazon ships the Kindle to your door for $25, so it's hardly a problem. One or two other of the other device manufacturers also courier to SA. Or you can use importers like take2, have2have or wantitall. But beware their prices are crazy. If you are interested in the Kindle, order directly from Amazon.
 
ToxicBunny said:
The Amazon e-reader is available in SA...

You log on to the Amazon website, order it and they ship it....
Takes about 6 days to arrive.

So come on then, provide some prices on competing e-book readers.
Click to expand...

I can order other ebook readers the same way. I can't go to a store here and buy the Amazon book reader.
 
PeterCH said:
It's not good for complex PDF.
No I didn't buy one because it can't handle complex PDF and HTML documents I would need it to handle. I don't need a toy but a device which does what I need it to do. I wouldn't use it for reading ebook novels from Amazon. The competitors have better products. Have you used any of those? I bet no.
Click to expand...

You are welcome to mail me one of those very complex PDF documents for a test. And yes, I have used other devices. The only better ones (for my purposes) are not yet available. Que Reader and Skiff. Will be way more expensive when released.
 
BloemGuy.. I personally have a Kindle, after doing alot of research it ended up being the device that had the best product value chain overall...

PeterCH just gets on his soap box when he doesn't like a product, and he'll bash it incessantly even though he's never even touched one.
 
ToxicBunny said:
The Amazon e-reader is available in SA...

You log on to the Amazon website, order it and they ship it....
Takes about 6 days to arrive.

So come on then, provide some prices on competing e-book readers.
Click to expand...

Mine was here in 3 days, doing a trip from Pheonix, Arizona to Cincinatti, on to Leipzig, German, then to Amsterdam and Johannesburg, and at my door in Bloem by 9am the 3rd day.
 
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