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The Kindle Vs. the iPad e-Reader

While paper books are still king according to the Association of American publishers, more and more reading enthusiasts are making the switch to e-readers. E-readers offer the benefit of a lightweight, compact solution to traditional books. Three devices reign supreme among e-readers: the Nook, the Kindle and the iPad. When comparing the Kindle and the iPad, various factors should be taken into consideration. Depending on your reading habits and your budget, one may be a better choice than the other.

  1. Function and Features

    • It's important to understand the Kindle is an e-reader alone and can only function as such, while the iPad is a tablet computer and offers a variety of features and applications, much in the way a laptop would. The Kindle allows you to download books directly onto the device and also has a Wi-Fi connection, while the iPad uses a Wi-Fi connection to download books or uses iTunes to sync your iBooks purchases.

    Screen and Battery Life

    • The iPad offers an LCD touch screen with a backlit display. While this gives you full colors and more realistic page-turning, it may be difficult to view in bright light. The Kindle has a high-contrast e-ink screen that reduces glare so it's easy to read in bright light. If you want to read your Kindle at night, you'll need an additional light source, because the Kindle has no backlight whatsoever. The Kindle also lacks a touch screen, relying on buttons at the bottom of the device for navigation instead. Still, the battery life on the Kindle is much longer than on the iPad, since it requires little power to operate.

    Price

    • At the time of publication, the iPad costs between $500 and $600, and the Kindle costs around $190. The price difference is clearly related to the features and functionality difference between the two devices. Still, because both the iPad and the Kindle can operate on free Wi-Fi, you don't necessarily need to pay for a network connection for functionality. The books that you purchase will be your only other cost, and e-books are comparable to purchasing books in paper form.

    Library

    • The Kindle uses the Amazon.com library to stock its bookstore, offering a huge range of titles. The iPad first and foremost operates with iBook, the Apple e-bookstore. While the library is extensive, you may find the store missing a few of your favorites, including some Dan Brown and John Grisham books. Luckily, you can download other e-reader applications, such as Audible and Kobo, to gain greater access to more books on your iPad -- something the Kindle cannot offer.

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