Considering a iPad

[FlyforSAP]

Hello,

I was just about ready to buy the eReader Nook from Barnes & Noble and then I started to talk to people about the iPad.

I travel for work about 48 weeks a year. I have lots of downtime in hotel rooms and airports. I am due to replace my phone but am having trouble making up my mind. My current phone is the Verizon Voyager from LG.

I have a couple of questions: I understand that my MiFi device will provide internet connectivity, so I wouldn't need the 3G version. If I go with the Wifi version, which model should I go for? I sat next to a guy on the plane from STL to MCO Thursday night and he was watching a movie the whole time. The screen resolution looked very good.

Is the iBook app as robust as the Nook's or the Kindle's? I think I read that the Kindle app will run on the iPad.

Thanks is advance for any help on these questions.

FlyforSAP

 

[iPadCharlie]

Welcome aboard, Captain!

As far as the size, videos take up A LOT of space, 1-1.5gb each so let that be your guide. But be aware that you don't have to put every video you own on your iPad. You actually keep your videos on your home PC and then you can "cherry pick" from among your library which ones you want to put on your iPad at any given time. Also be aware that if you "rip" DVD's that you currently own, they will have to be put in .MP4 format and depending on the speed of your computer, this can take hours!

And if you don't want to mess with any of that, you can buy or rent videos from the iTunes store or view them on-demand using the Netflix app.

As far as the reading apps, while there is a tremendous difference in the actual stand-alone eReading devices, they all pretty much work exactly the same as apps on the iPad. The biggest difference is where you buy your books. 95% of my books are from Amazon (in the Kindle format), but I have bought a couple from Barnes & Noble and iBooks just to see for myself. If you are into "classics", there is a free eReader called Stanza that is tied into Project Gutenberg which has something like 33,000 titles in the public domain (meaning they are free) as well as access to a couple of other free book sources and a couple of eBook stores.

Cleared for take off!

 

[DarkLordEnron]

I have the 64gb model. Glad I do! It's more than enough space and you don't want to run out of room. I have 4 movies, thousands of songs, countless books and around 20 apps. Still have about 41gb left! It's a great little tablet and my girlfriend who has the nook is way jealous. It's worth it strictly for the web browsing capability, not to mention all the productive things you can accomplish with it. Go ahead and do it, you won't be sorry you did.

 

[Purpleorchid]

One thing to mention is the Kindle/Nook is MUCH easier to read in bright sunlight. The iPad screen gets washed out, but the Kindle/Nook still reads like a paper page in bright sunlight.

Otherwise, the iPad is a much more versatile device. You'll love it!

 

[DarkLordEnron]

The nook also doesn't hurt my eyes so much when reading, but the added functionality of the iPad had me sold before I even considered other devices.

 

[lilrabbit129]

The main difference between the normal ereaders (kindle,nook, etc) and the iPad is the screen. I would suggest taking a look at the nook yourself and see if the eInk is really all everything says it is. Personally i don't read near enough books to have a dedicated eInk device. The iPad works well enough for what I need, but there is quite a bit of glare depending on where you are, and what protective film (if any) you choose to use.

 

[CMFox]

We travel all summer long and were debating an iPhone vs an iPad.

We decided iPad. First smart phones do lots of great things, but as a phone they have issues. It wouldn't driven me crazy to have a phone that didn't phone. I don't want a long term relationship with AT&T. I like the larger screen.

We stuck with a basic verizon phone and purchased a 3G iPad. I wouldn't even consider having just a wi-fi version if you are traveling lots. The 3-G makes the gps work & this is a joy to have as you tool around strange cities or small towns.

Inaddition to the book readers there are so many other functions the iPad brings to the table that are useful while you travel, weather reports, urban spoon for finding restaurants. I used my time stuck on the runway in Dallas to put together a powerpoint presentation. Hardly knew I was sitting for 2 freakin! hours in one place.

I vote ditch the dedicated readers, go with an iPad.

hth
CM

 

[sharahanse]

ipad is very good for reading , speacially its big screen . turning a page is so easy on ipad due to its multi touch support .