Top Ten Reasons To Not Buy An iPad

[Graham]

Originally Posted by allen.gotwald

I bought my Sony PRS-505 more than 3 years ago. ... <snip> ... And, I can stick it in my coat pocket. Try that with Kindle or IPAD!

Why couldn't you stick a Kindle in your coat pocket? It's the same width and depth as the PRS-505, fractionally lighter, and only 15mm longer.

The main danger with both devices is an impact to the screen so you'd probably want both in a case anyway.

Graham

[kennyc]

Yep. I love my 505. It is my most used reader.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by zorah

I'm happy too, but mine in fact is my dedicated e-book reader. I thought of getting a Kindle but my reading style is read; look something up; go back to reading etc. So having a device that does both in one, runs my iPhone apps and all is divine. It's a beautiful device. I just got mine a few weeks ago. Held off all this time, and now enjoying it. Does all I need, and I use it every day as well as just for quick note writing at work too. Standby mode for instant on is so handy and battery life is great for such a colorful multiple use tablet.

Actually, Kindle does a fairly good job at that. I'll often be reading and come upon an unfamiliar concept or name and I'll use the Kindle to check Wikipedia or surf the web for information on the subject, then return to my reading. And, of course, you can use a custom dictionary if you prefer (I use the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus rather than the stock dictionary that comes with the device). Web pages are certainly not as quickly loaded nor as well-formatted as they are on the iPad, but the device is serviceable.

The important thing is that you're happy and your needs are met.

[ficbot]

I really don't understand this whole mentality of the thread here. Just because you don't want a device, it doesn't mean it's a bad device and nobody should want it. The iPad is perfect for some people. I have one and love it---I had previously had a net book and it was inadequate for several reasons, so to say 'why not just get a cheaper net book' would not work for me.

I teach with my device and use more than one classroom. Not all of them are set up with power plugs in convenient places, so a net book that can't go all day was a problem for me. And since I could not leave it plugged in, it would shut off and I had to keep rebooting it. So the kids would be sitting there for ten minutes sometimes waiting, while I found a plug and waited for windows to start!

Plus I already had an iPod touch so I had apps for it already...

I love that the iPad has a big enough screen that the kids can see it so I can display media. I have all my teaching music and books on it too. It really is my ideal device.

[KenJackson]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I really don't understand this whole mentality of the thread here. Just because you don't want a device, it doesn't mean it's a bad device and nobody should want it.

I can answer that in principle: Really popular products take away the market that really good products need to succeed.

The classic example is VHS vs Betamax. Betamax was a superior product that was loved by those that used it. But VHS was cheaper and advertised more successfully, so Betamax lost the marketing battle.

I think this situation has some similarity. If one e-reader becomes popular and wins a huge percentage of the total market share, it will be difficult for others to survive. So people tend to champion the product they like and hope others don't become very popular.

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by RW2112

Hope you have plenty of reading material on your Kindle then!

I want the device to do work on, not as a glorified ereader

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

You mean this?
https://h30406.www3.hp.com/campaigns...PSL/index.php?

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en...0-4332585.html

HP is going after business with it now, but it's basically the same thing Ballmer showed at CES. They're taking orders for it now and I didn't know the damn thing still existed (was waiting on a WebOS-based version).

I dunno. I think there is still a device in the works that will essentially have the microsoft stamp on it. I'll have to check with my tame microsoft peeps, though I'm sure they would have said something as they know I've been waiting

[ApK]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

The classic example is VHS vs Betamax. Betamax was a superior product that was loved by those that used it. But VHS was cheaper and advertised more successfully, so Betamax lost the marketing battle.

No, VHS also had the killer feature being able to hold an entire 2-hour movie in one cassette, and that's what consumers wanted. Betamax lost because it didn't give consumers the features that turned out to matter most to them.
VHS quality, as it turned out, was "good enough." And "cheaper" never hurt. That's a genuine benefit to consumers.

Betamax had superior image and color quality and that's probably why the brand survives to this day in the form of Betacam and other professional production formats.

[kennyc]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...d=rss.business

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...le-2010-12.DTL

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-...on-ceo-2010-12

iPad usage survey:
http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-...mpatibility-12

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by devilsadvocate

You mean this?
https://h30406.www3.hp.com/campaigns...PSL/index.php?

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en...0-4332585.html

HP is going after business with it now, but it's basically the same thing Ballmer showed at CES. They're taking orders for it now and I didn't know the damn thing still existed (was waiting on a WebOS-based version).

apparently we ARE still waiting on a tablet from Microsoft.
from the link;

Tablets

Microsoft, Motorola and Palm will once again have tablets to talk about -- and maybe even to demonstrate. In 2010, Microsoft misfired on the Courier device, killing it before it ever really took shape. This time around, Microsoft is expected to brandish tablets from Samsung and Dell.

The stock

Microsoft's tablet demo should mark the software giant's big step toward ARM-based mobile systems. The company will likely unveil a version of Windows for tablets. This would be a crucial step just like Windows Phone 7 was in smartphones, but, similarly, it could take years to pay off.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...d=rss.business

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...le-2010-12.DTL

http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-...on-ceo-2010-12

iPad usage survey:
http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-...mpatibility-12

Good articles, and they seem all seem to be on-target.

[kennyc]

Tom your ticker is like mastercard - priceless!

[allen.gotwald]

Didn't mean to cause a big hoobob with my comment. I like open systems. For me being able to download ebooks from a variety of sites is critical (like going to the library site (pdf DRM, EPUB) or downloading from mobileread content). Many devices limit source and have proprietary interfaces. That's a killer for me. The device is just a means for display. I don't want the means for display dictating to me where I can get material to display. I could be wrong on this and please correct me if I am, but I don't believe Kindle allows EPUB or PDF DRM which is the format the library posts material in and what most sites sell in.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Tom your ticker is like mastercard - priceless!

I don't believe in setting unrealistic goals!

[Redcard]

Originally Posted by allen.gotwald

Didn't mean to cause a big hoobob with my comment. I like open systems. For me being able to download ebooks from a variety of sites is critical (like going to the library site (pdf DRM, EPUB) or downloading from mobileread content). Many devices limit source and have proprietary interfaces. That's a killer for me. The device is just a means for display. I don't want the means for display dictating to me where I can get material to display. I could be wrong on this and please correct me if I am, but I don't believe Kindle allows EPUB or PDF DRM which is the format the library posts material in and what most sites sell in.

Actually, Amazon is easily the largest seller. Most sites sell in a variety of formats, be they unprotected MOBI, or other.

And all EPUB is not equal. DRM'd EPUB or DRM'd PDF is just as locked to devices or readers as DRM'D Mobi/AZW.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Redcard

DRM'd EPUB or DRM'd PDF is just as locked to devices or readers as DRM'D Mobi/AZW.

Well, while I certainly would not call any DRM scheme "open" or "non-proprietary", it is true that several sources use Adobe's ADEPT system (via Adobe digital editions) which makes them interoperable with several competing readers, unlike Amazon's DRM witch will only work on Kindle devices or Kindle software.

That being said, it must be true that many Kindle users find little reason to shop anywhere else. I don't care how well marketed the device was, if the Amazon store was not keeping people happy, Kindle would not be holding the market share it holds.

That, plus the fact that stripping DRM and using those Adobe ePubs on the kindle is, for the moment, trivially easy for those inclined to do so.