iPad vs. Amazon Kindle
By James • Sep 10th, 2010 • Category: Mobile Computer News
- Photo: goXunuReviews / Flickr
Nintendo versus Sega. Betamax versus VHS. Pixar versus Dreamworks. The technology industry is built on rivalries, but there’s a chance none are nearly as peculiar as the iPad vs. Kindle rivalry that has recently developed. Spoiler: we don’t think it’s much of a rivalry because this goes beyond just eBook reading. We explain why below.
Round 1: The devices, pricing and capabilities
The entry-level iPad is priced at $499 (£325) in the US whereas the cheapest Kindle is priced at $139 (£90). While the iPad is a full-colour, touchscreen device, with access to the web as well as Apple’s 200,000 plus app store, the Kindle is a dedicated eBook reader with a dull E-ink screen.
Winner: iPad. At four times the price for more than four times the device, the Apple tablet PC is the winner here. But not by a landslide – round 2 explains why.
Round 2: eBook reading
Where the Amazon Kindle and the iPad are in direct competition is in eBook reading, an area where the Kindle is currently the hands down winner. The iPad’s heft makes for an uncomfortable, painful reading experience next to the breeze-light Kindle. Furthermore reading on a backlit LCD screen is a less fun.
- Photo: Apple
Winner: Kindle. This is easy street for the Amazon Kindle. If reading a text-based book is what you’re looking to do, the Kindle runs rings around the iPad for comfort in your hands, comfort on the eyes and battery life, too.
We’ve argued that the Apple tablet PC could try harder with magazines and the like, but for pure eBook reading, this is the Kindle’s playground.
Verdict
And herein is the reason we want to stress that this is not actually an, erm, apples versus apples comparison. There’s a large cross section of consumers who, budget permitting, we’d recommend get both the Kindle and the Apple tablet PC. If you’re a book lover on a budget, Amazon Kindle without a doubt. However, if you want a device that could very well define the future of computing, the Apple tablet is a must-do.
Tags for this article: Amazon Kindle, Apple iPad, backlit LCD, ebook reader
Kindle is a professional e-reader~ “It’s cheaper, lighter, and easier to read than the iPad, but if you want to play games ,send email,surf the internet , watch a movie , you need to choose ipad, which will depend on one’s personal preferences ! for me , i am not a e-read hobbyist but a movie enthusiast, so i get a ipad , i can enjoy any videos with my Aneesoft ipad video converter for mac.