Yes yes, it’s time for my obligatory iPad review! Sure, you’ve read a million of them ever since the wireless-only iPads came along last month as I waited for the 3G version, but you haven’t read a review WHERE THE IPAD IS HELD FOR RANSOM BY DERANGED MUTANTS.
Actually that didn’t happen. This really is just another review.
First of all, the all-important question: is this a game-changer for the world of books???
Yes. Kind of. I think so. I don’t know.
In my opinion the iPad is a pretty radically awesome e-reader and I love reading on it almost but not quite as much as life itself. It is awesome to read on. During the day. At night. On the couch. On the bus. I zoomed through Fellowship of the Ring like I was being chased by ringwraiths, downloaded The Two Towers faster than you can say “mellon,” and yes, I started acting like Gollum when my wife wanted her turn with it. PRECIOUSSSSSSSSSS.
However, the iPad is also a pretty radically expensive e-reader and holy cow is it kind of distracting to be able to access so many shiny things with a few clicks while you’re reading. (It is the best interface for reading e-mail ever).
Let’s break this down with e-book reading in mind:
OVERALL PROS AND CONS
Pros: The screen is incredibly crisp and clear, and no matter which e-reading app you’re using the page turns are smooth. Even better, you can adjust the brightness of the screen in all the apps, and some reading apps have a night function where the background is black and the text is white so it’s much easier on the eyes to read in the dark.
Cons: It’s not the really-looks-like-paper e-ink you find with the Sony Reader, Kindle, and Nook, which I realize bothers some people, so you should decide which type of screen you like. I personally vastly prefer the iPad/iPhone screens because there’s no flicker when you turn pages, there’s color, and I like not having to worry about a nightlight. But the iPad isn’t as good as e-ink in the sun, and it’s also heavier than the Kindle, so it’s tricky to read with one hand (which is a consideration for bus/subway riders).
THE BOOK APPS
Meanwhile, as has been well-documented on this blog, there is also a book app war afoot on the iPad – publishers have moved over to an agency model for selling e-books, in part, in order to open up the marketplace to other e-book vendors.
But wouldn’t you know: in my opinion Amazon has a substantial early lead in the iPad book App wars, even if iBooks and Kobo also have nice apps and they all will likely improve greatly in the coming months/years.
The best thing about Apple’s iBooks is that it has the most beautiful display – WINNIE THE POOH comes free, and the colors of the illustrations pop. Apple has knocked the page-turning animation out of the park, and the pages curl beautifully when you turn the pages. You can also choose between several different attractive fonts, if that’s your thing. And for all those people frustrated that Kindle doesn’t have page numbers: iBooks does.
However, iBooks lacks some key options that are really important to the e-book reading experience. There’s no night reading option (though you can dim the brightness), there’s no note-taking ability, and while I gather this functionality is coming, ironically enough, you can’t yet download iBooks onto your iPhone. So if, like me, you like to read on your phone in a pinch and have your books sync automatically when you pick up the iPad later, the Kindle and Kobo apps are so far better than iBooks.
I also wasn’t a fan of the iBooks formatting. When you turn the iPad sideways it automatically transitions to a two-page layout that looks like a real book, but while it looks good I just don’t find it as easy to read as a full page in landscape mode, my preferred reading method.
Meanwhile, the Kindle app has nearly everything I want out of an e-reader. While you can’t customize fonts and unfortunately some images (like Tolkien’s maps) aren’t very high resolution, the display is very functional and crisp. You can take notes and highlight, change into night mode when you’re reading in the dark, and best of all, you can sync between your devices.
I downloaded all the books I had previously bought for my Kindle and iPhone straight to my iPad, and now I have quite the attractive library of books with color covers, something I always missed with the Kindle.
BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
So. Will people flock to the iPad in large numbers for e-book reading?
I honestly don’t know.
For me the iPad is what I have been waiting for as an e-reader. I love that I can read and edit anywhere, I can access both books and manuscripts instantaneously, and it’s the hyper-portable and multi-functional device I’ve been waiting for. I don’t think I’ll be able to live without it.
But if I didn’t have the job I have and if reading/editing weren’t such a central part of my life I would see the iPad more along the lines of a luxury. And as a writing device it has a long ways to go. It can’t beat a laptop for ease of use if you’re going to type something longer than a quick e-mail.
Basically: it’s nice to have if you can spare the dough, but something short of a necessity.
At least until the App for killing deranged mutants is released.
I have to say I love my iPad, but not as an ebook reader.
(Then again, I love my light, compact, no-distractions eInk device, and have learned to click 'turn' a fraction of a second before I actually need the page to turn).
I think the iPad will change what content creators do with 'books'. If you look at the Pixar Toy Story 'book', with its games and video clips, I think that's where the iPad will change things.
Watch out for those mutants, though.
I read today that Apple has sold one million ipads in the first month – double the iphone sales when it first came out. (Yea for me! I was smart enough to buy Apple stock years ago. Grin)
I have been against this whole e-reader thing, throwing a fit every time you or someone else blogs about it. And yet I can't live in denial about it anymore. Even my eighty-year-old father bought a kindle recently. AND HE LOVES IT.
I give up. The e-age is upon us. Long live the e-book. I guess. Whatever.
Thanks for the review, Nathan. Very informative.
My husband and I are getting one and I'm pretty excited. I too miss color book covers (Kindle).
Just FYI I reviewed the Secret Year today over at my blog.
I don’t need and iPad, but want it – badly.
I love the Kindle App on my iPhone and I thought I’d love the Kindle – wrong! It arrived this weekend and it’s going back. It needs to be a little more PDF friendly , a little easier to organise and how about some colour. Since I’ll never be able to justify an iPad maybe I’ll get a Sony Reader instead.
We bought one for work. It feels very fragile to me. It's slippery and all that glass…man, I'd hate to see that thing hit the deck. Unlike with my iPhone, which is very easy to hold, the iPad seems like it wants to jump out of my hands. Maybe it's better with a case of some sort.
One more score for the iPad is an app for magazines, I believe it's Zinio (I'd have to check to make sure). It's amazing and the color makes all the difference in the world.
mark-
Yeah, I got Apple's case along with it and feel much more comfortable about the prospect of dropping it. It is pretty clever and folds over so you can prop it up in a couple of different angles, but the drawback is that the edges are kind of sharp so it's not totally comfortable to hold in your hands.
Thanks for the magazine tip, I can't wait until the New Yorker app comes out.
My new iPad just sold me on ebooks. I love reading on it, and now can't imagine *not* having it on hand. The iBooks app will mature and become more and more useful, as will the Kindle app. It's a win-win for both Apple and Amazon, from what I can tell, as I've already purchased more books from Amazon than Apple.
I write, so I love dead-tree books and always will. But having caught ebook fever now, I'm certain probably 75% of my book purchases will now be ebooks. The new world is here, for better or worse.
yeah, IMO the Winnie the Pooh was the best book on there. Admittedly, I'm not a fan (of any electronic readers) but the picture book actually worked.
Text wise – and I looked at it in an Apple store, so it wasn't the longer, more immersive experience you describe – it was, eh. Maybe it's a matter of acclimation, but the expandable nature of the text (thus, pages) didn't work for me. There's something about a logical process of turning the page. Yes, I know, just get used to bigger / smaller type faces.
The apps weren't really too compelling either. I don't play device games, as is, and checking the weather is of limited interest. Actually, I wish these devices were a bit larger. The MacBook screen is perfect. For me, there's something to having space outside the window, if that makes any sense.
I'm curious what you think about the Atlantic Monthly's paper / virtual dance (there's a piece on the Millions about it, & how they've progressively anticipated and shead – shed?)
I read so much on-line these days, and have started noticing typos galore. Plus, content, because there's such a demand for it to drive page views & so forth, is starting to blend together. "More" seems to be trending towards poorer quality.
Which makes me think, as compelling as these devices are, if the gestation period built into print is eventually rendered obsolete – and it seems to be heading that way – ugh. This gives me a headache.
But I liked your review!
anon-
Interesting thoughts, and I don't disagree with it. I think the Atlantic is probably a vision of the future – a free-ranging daily experience of bloggers and yes, typos and the occasional ill-thought out argument combined with a slick and polished magazine (hopefully soon available nicely electronically) full of brilliant in-depth articles.
I don't think a shift to e-publishing has to be met with a decline in quality, but we'll see what happens.
Anonymous, a columnist from the Atlantic recently used a picture from my blog. He referenced it, but didn't ask permission to use it. I wonder if the in-print version would have done that. Lots of people visited my blog from his online column.
On the subject of lesser quality, the e-readers are really opening up the self-publishing doors. Not only are unpublished writers publishing ebooks right and left, but published authors are also giving it a go. There's an interesting NPR piece which highlights this phenomenon and how the ipad may open the door wider, it can be found here:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125503109
T-u-r-t-l-e POWER!
Okay, yes, I took that mutant thing too far. But electrothingamajiggies make my head hurt. 🙂
Nathan:
Thanks for the review. I've been wanting to hear more from pub professionals on it.
Since 95% of my Kindle usage is for reading client material and submissions, I was really hoping the iPad could revolutionize the way I work. If there were a "track changes" function in Pages, I would be sold. I'm frequently frustrated with having to skim through my clients' manuscripts to insert changes after I've already read it on my Kindle.
I'm also still frustrated with the lack of page numbers. Do Word document page numbers and formatting correspond to Pages when you convert files to read them?
Do you like using the iPad for work purposes?
kim-
I'm frustrated by the lack of track changes on Pages as well, though this weekend I downloaded a manuscript into Pages and it worked really well. It's a little awkward to scroll through the document (the scrolling isn't completely smooth and I wanted to turn off the keyboard), but it got the job done.
I'm counting on Pages getting better or a better word processing coming along, but in the meantime it's been working fine. It's definitely more convenient than trying to take notes on the Kindle, and it's really nice to have both e-mail and Word processing in one place in a portable device.
kim-
Oh – and yes, the page numbers corresponded and so it was easy to keep up with where you are in the manuscript.
Thanks for the insight.
Hmmmm….. The page number correspondence is big for me. Still, I'll probably wait until they improve on Pages…or at least until my Kindle dies. 🙂
Nathan, does the iPad have the cursor-directed on-board Dictionary that I love so much on my Kindle?
Hmmm…so far, of the straight eReaders I've seen, I liked the Nook the best. But I'm a huge Apple fan. I'm wondering how good a road-warrior the iPad will be (I have a really old iBook for travel that is both dying and a brick). Maybe with a docking keyboard?
eBook-wise, I feel like I'm still waiting for the device that has the functionality I want. But I may make do with an iPhone in the meantime.
I played with an iPad at the Mac store recently and really liked it, but don't neeeeeed it. My husband, of course, wants the $899 version, while I just want to read a book. I don't know that I will get one, although my 68 year old mother wants one, just because you can make the font size really large and the screen is lit and she doesn't see well. I may have to laugh if she gets one first!
Thanks for a great review!
ed-
No, the Kindle App doesn't have a dictionary, nor does Kobo (or at least if they do I haven't figured out how to activate them). iBooks does though.
I'll be watching the progression of the iPad with great curiousity.
One of my favorite features of my Kindle is the ability to email my manuscript and have it show up looking (and reading) like a real book. I catch so many more errors or awkwardness when I'm really reading it, and not just going through it in Word.
A tech whiz friend of mine who has to have everything concurred with some reviews I have read: it's great for content delivery, but content creation is another story.
While I would love the color for newspaper and magazine subscriptions, a couple things keep me on the Kindle.
1. the iPad's 3G subscription ain't cheap (from what I hear)
2. when I doze off in bed with my Kindle propped on my chest it hits my chin and wakes me up, but I think the iPad would chip a tooth.
Still, as someone who said he'd never read e-books, I definitely have come to love their convenience. Full speed ahead!
i'm not interested in the ipad, i also don't have an iphone or even and ipod. and i get along fine without them. it seems ridiculously expensive and for no good reason- i don't really need to be able to play games or look at maps while i'm reading so i'm not going to pay extra for the privilege
Nathan,
This is the best review of the iPad I've seen. Thank you!
interesting post about it though! forgot to mention that bit 🙂
I'm liking the iPad for a cat toy. Go iCat! Not my personal iPad (I've got a nook), mind you, but someone else's. 🙂
My PRECCIOOOOUSSS…
Did you actually get onto Book Three,
THE RETURN OF THE KING
before that magical iPad was whisked out of your hands….or did your spouse slip on the RING and do a Gollum-like runner with that shiny new object…before you managed to slip into Mordor…?
Just asking!
I can't quite figure out the appeal of an iPad over a netbook, especially for writers. I can't read books on my netbook, but I can write, it's light and portable, it's connected to the internet, and it cost less than $300. Maybe I'm missing something?
We have an iPad and I rarely use it. I would much rather use a keyboard for writing and read a real paper book. The back lit screen is hard on my eyes and I love writing notes in my books. It'll take a lot to convert this diehard paper book fan to an eReader.
mjr-
I think it's a matter of preference – I find the iPad much more pleasant to curl up with than a Netbook and so it really disappears into your hands a lot more while reading/watching movies/surfing the Internet. The display is also better than most Netbooks I've seen. I just think it depends on your priorities.
It's all about price-point with something like this unfortunately. $899 for the top model? How many books do you have to buy, saving $5-10 each, before it pays for itself? By then, it'll be obsolete and you'll need a new one.
I'm holding out from buying an e-reader purely because I think they're still overpriced. As they become more widespread, the prices will drop and you'll be able to get a kindle or equivalent for $100 or less. Call me a late adapter, but that's when I'll make my move.
I don't hate paper books so much (or at all) that I'm willing to pay more overall for electronic reading.
On the deranged mutants front, I would strongly recommend against buying Plants vs Zombies unless you're willing to give up other aspects of your life.
Hmm, personally I don't think the iPad is worth the money, plus I've heard some cons such as the screen is so shiny that your own reflection often distracts you from what you're reading/watching on the ipad. xD But then again, I'm not a big fan of e-books and e-reading in general, and I'm sure that the iPad has other nice functions besides being an e-book reader. 🙂
~TRA
https://xtheredangelx.blogspot.com
I think I would have drooled over the iPad if my hubby had not gotten me a netbook. I use it as an ereader, as a writing tool, and it fits in my purse, *trust me, that's cool*.
I read with my iphone all the time but I can't say I want to go out and buy an ereader just for books.
Of course, if I happen to try one in person, the drooling might start!
I can see you crouched in the corner, gently stroking your iPad.
"So bright. So beautiful. Our preciousss."
iPads look very good, but I agree that they're a nice-to-have.
Within a few months, we'll know how iPad withstands the test of consumer use. By that time, I might reconsider.
As for the mutants — they aren't all bad, nor are they all deranged. Kind of a sneaky hook. . .
Waiting for it to become available in the UK and with note taking capability, by which time it will no doubt be lighter too – aka the iPod progress. Question is, will it be on the market in time for this year's stocking and if so, how good do I have to be for Santa to say yes?
I love a blog post with multiple LOTR references! Glad you're having fun with the iPad.
I love a blog post with multiple LOTR references! Glad you're having fun with the iPad.
I have to admit, I felt inclined to stop by the Nook display at B&N today.
This is not the first time I've considered these types of devices, but every time I get close to purchasing one I imagine myself lying in bed flipping the darn machine over and over just to satisfy my urge to physcially turn the page.
I don't know if I'm ready for the eBook world.
Gypsyroz-
What's funny is that after reading ebooks for a while your temptation is to tap the edge of a paper book rather than turning it.
At first I didn't think I wanted one. But the more I hear, the more I'm thinking about it.
I have a bunch of apps on my 'pad, but use it almost exclusively for reading, with a little solitaire thrown in. The main lack I see is physically copying files off the device. Yes, you can get them off wirelessly, but sometimes you're not near your other computers. You'd hate to edit somebody's ms and then break or lose the iPad with the edited file on it, I bet. I'm getting something called an Air Stash that's a wireless drive, but it ain't cheap — approx $100.
Nathan, I think you need an app designed to make the jobs of agents and editors easier. I bet one or more will come. iRep!
I'll be interested to hear what you think after having spent some more time with it.
I've had mine for a few weeks now, and my experience and opinion have really changed since I first got my hands on it (all for the better).
Some of the coolness and utility of the device definitely isn't apparent at first blush. I've been surprised how good it is for note taking, or more free form thinking, especially now that dedicated apps are starting to appear.
I still wouldn't try to write a novel on it, but it's definitely had a bigger impact than I initially expected it to.
You forgot one very important difference between a Kindle and an iPad. Battery life. The gorgeous backlit screen comes at a cost. It eats electrons!
I would love to hear what the real world experience is with battery life for both. My guess is that ten days of hard use is possible on one charge with a Kindle and you would be lucky to get more than one day out of an iPad. That can be a serious bummer if you are on a weekend trip or a long flight to Asia with no power cord.
Henry-
That's true. I get about 9-10 hours out of the iPad, which is enough for most days but peobably not enough for a very long plane ride without a plug.
Andrew – interesting to hear your reactions. From what I saw, definitely some substance there. Especially as writing apps are developed.
Hmmmm…I'm a longtime e-book adversary but an Apple supporter. I played with an iPad in the Apple store a few weeks ago and a very nice young man (geez-I sound like I'm eighty) answered a ton of questions for me. He even showed me how to read on it (I read a few pages of The Help). It was really fun – really, really fun. Hmmm….
The iBooks app is coming to the iPhone with the next…OS thing. I think it's OS 4.0, but I might be off by a decimal point or two.
When my husband first got the iPad, I wasn't convinced. I was holding out for a Sony or Nook, but once he started buying books…
Now it's almost a custody battle, who gets possession which day, who has more down time and theoretically more time to enjoy the iPad.
I still run into people who use the argument there's nothing like the feel of a real book. But when you commonly read 3-4 books a day, an ereader is so much easier to fit into a bag or backpack!
I just shudder at the future of e-textbook prices.