Well, the showdown occurred here on our bucolic little farm, and I feel obligated to let you all know about it. I've written here glowingly about my ongoing love affair with my large-screen Kindle reader. I cannot even begin to tell you how much reading I've been able to do between meetings, on airplanes, cooling my heels in waiting rooms, etc. The NYT and WSJ download into it every day, and I have a number of books just electronically sitting there waiting for me.
The Kitten recently purchased an iPad. Some background is required here. I have not warmed up to the iPhone, though I am cognizant of its many charms. The plain truth is, i type a LOT of emails everyday on the run, and the iPhone touchscreen keyboard demands a dexterity that is simply beyond me. My Blackberry with actual keys suits my needs far better.
But since an iPad is simply a big iPhone (with even less utility), the whole keyboard thing is overcome. And I've been presented with a dilemma.
You see, I've crowed about my allegiance to the Kindle, largely from the perspective of "knowing myself"--that is, my Adult ADD, short attention span life. Because one can ONLY read on the Kindle, I am not tempted to check my email on it, get stock quotes on it, watch TV shows on it, or do anything else but READ. I have a laptop, I have a Blackberry--i have what I need to do those other functions--but the Kindle provides a superb reading experience--and nothing else.
Then the Kitten got the iPad. I gotta say, the thing is wicked cool. The reader function is great (page turning interface is awesome). It's reading screen is quite nice--in low light, it is superior to the Kindle's (which is not backlit), though I prefer the Kindle's in sufficient light). And yes--all those things I thought I would not like about the iPad and its impact on my reading--apply, but to a degree I only dreamed of before. It really is a fascinating little portal to the wonders of the world.
But--I don't think I'll get an iPad anytime soon. My Kindle is just fine, and what good conservative would throw over a perfectly fine thing doing exactly what it was designed to do? But when it comes time to replace it for whatever reason......I'll probably go with an iPad or some follow-on.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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7 comments:
You must be sick dropping five bills on the that one trick pony when the iPad does so much more.
I'm buying one for "the bitch from hell" for her birthday in July. Sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea (she's Irish Goddamnit!) watching Desperate Housewives pecking away on her laptop is her idea of heaven.
Think about this CW, you're sitting in an airport reading the WSJ on your Kindle. People walk by and ask themselves what's that thing. Now, Kitten is sitting in an airport reading Perez Hilton and people walk by thinking I gotta get one of those.
The point is you ain't cool, you ain't even close. You're your old man's Buick. You're oldthink, washed up, used to be, yesterday's news. You're disgusting.
"The point is you ain't cool, you ain't even close. You're your old man's Buick. You're oldthink, washed up, used to be, yesterday's news."
Music to my ears, tears in my eyes.
I am in complete agreement on the utility of a reader-only reader as a means of maintaining focus. For those who don't have ADD or short attention spans or the "novelty" gene, you can't imagine the amount of potential distraction the web poses. Like most undiagnosed and unmedicated adult ADD types, I marvel at how other people (including my version of the Kitten) can sit down and effortlessly work on something for hours on end. I have to come up with little cheats when I need to concentrate. A read-only Kindle would be a good cheat.
I've also heard (from a guy who had both) that for extended reading, Kindle's screen is MUCH easier on the eyes. iPad is a gorgeous screen, but a strain. You can gaze at Kindle all day.
Make Kitten happy: Best accessory I've heard from multiple owners is a gel skin. iPad is large and slippery and doesn't lend itself to being propped up.
http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Black-Thick-Silicone-Apple/dp/B003CU6GJO
Apple Fanboy Wannabe!
My father NEVER drove a Buick, Mr. Hammer. He was a Cadillac man in his prime. Although, now that I am an owner of an IPhone(Thank You Jesus), Apple has my vote on everything.
I am writing this entry from my iPad. When I am done, I will finish my web browsing on another computer since many pages do not render on iPad due to the lack of flash support. You can get 10 hours of battery life from the device and potentially more because YOU DONT USE IT. The deficiencies in the OS on the iPhone were acceptable because it was a small device. However, when you scale up to the larger and potentially more capable iPad, those deficiencies become unacceptable. Reading on the iPad is just too fatiguing. It lacks access controls for separate users and the iTunes tie in has just become too draconian. I prefer my kindle to read. Overall, coming from a gadget guy this is difficult for m to say but the iPad sucks.
Hate the iPad? Great! I give you 350 for it sight unseen. Then just bop over to www.amazon.com and your Kindle awaits (of course you're gonna have to add a couple hundred).
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