eReader Leader

The Bottom Line
Both the Amazon Kindle 2 and the Apple iPad are great devices -- and great eBook readers. While the Amazon Kindle does have a number of advanced features, including a built-in music music player and web browser, it is intended primarily as an eBook reader -- and is among the best eReaders on the market. On the other hand, the iPad is a computer at heart, offering worlds more functionality than the Kindle (at a higher price tag, of course). In order to boast this advanced functionality, though, the iPad suffers from some potentially serious trade offs that may be a game-changer for buyers primarily looking for a digital reading device.

FEATURED DEALS

New Apple Ipad Wi Fi 16gb Opened But Never Used    US $510.00 20 Bids

Gently Used Amazon Kindle 2 With Belkin Case Buy Now    US $127.50 17 Bids

VIEW ALL FEATURED >

Apple Ipad Wi Fi 3g 32gb    US $690.00 5 Bids

Mint Amazon Kindle 2    US $142.50 10 Bids

Key Differences

• Price: If you're in the market for what is better described as a tablet computer than an eReader, the iPad and its litany of advanced functionalities is your best bet. As you can imagine, though, the iPad's greater functionality is in part reflected in its price tag.
• Battery life: The Apple iPad will get up to 10 hours of battery life. While impressive for a tablet PC, if you primarily intend to use the device as an eBook reader, the iPad pales in comparison to much of the eReader competition. The Kindle can get up to 4 days of battery life with 3G wireless on, and up to two weeks with wireless off. That's a whole lot more reading time in between charges for Kindle users.
• Display: The iPad has a huge and vibrant 9.7-inch touchscreen display. The iPad's display is great for watching movies, browsing the web, viewing pictures -- and any other activity that would be an enjoyable experience on a laptop. Because of the nature of the display, though, extended periods of viewing can cause eye strain. The Amazon Kindle uses e-ink display technology, and text on the screen looks just like it would on paper. Readers will be able to read much longer using the Kindle's display, and will be able to view the screen just as easily in direct sunlight (like a paper book) while the iPad's display will become washed out in the sun.
• Wireless: The Amazon Kindle 2 provides free 3G wireless either using Sprint or AT&T's network. This means Kindle users can browse the web and download (some) content for free from anywhere with wireless coverage. Every iPad model has WiFi, meaning that anywhere within the range of a wireless network users can browse the web, download content, and more. iPads equipped with a 3G radio cost an additional $130, and require a monthly fee if users opt to use AT&T's 3G network. There's no monthly fee associated with the Kindle.
• Web browser: The Amazon Kindle 2 has a limited but functional web browser. The browsing experience on the Kindle is reminiscent to that on some mobile phones, of course with a black and white e-ink display. Of course, the iPad offers a far superior desktop computer-like browsing experience (lacking Adobe Flash support, though).
• Advanced features: The many advanced features the iPad is equipped with go well beyond the scope of this eReader-focused comparison. Suffice to say that while the Kindle offers a nice number of advancements for an eBook reader including text-to-speech capabilities and an audio player, the iPad boasts all the functionality of an iPhone or iPod Touch.
• Storage space: Depending on the iPad model, users have either 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage space. This is plenty for millennia of reading material, and days of music listening, movie watching, photo viewing and beyond. In comparison, the Kindle 2 has only 1.4GB of storage space available to the reader. Again, this is enough to keep you reading for a very, very long time, but a limited space for music (of course, the Kindle 2 does not play video). Both devices do not have support for expandable memory such as a microSD card.

Comparison Chart: Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Apple iPad

	Amazon Kindle 2	Apple iPad
Resources
Review	Not yet available	Review, Video, Images
Device
Dimensions	8" x 5.3" x .36"	9.56" x 7.47" x .5"
Weight	10.2 oz.	24 oz. (1.5lbs); w/ 3G: 25.6 oz. (1.6lbs)
Screen(s)	6" e-ink display; 16 shades of gray; 600 x 800 pixels	9.7" LED-backlit color display; 1024 x 768 pixels
Battery life	Up to 4 days (wireless on); up to 2 weeks (wireless off)	Up to 10 hours
Input	Physical keyboard, buttons, joystick	Touchscreen, virtual QWERTY, physical buttons
Memory	2GB (1.4GB available)	16GB, 32GB, or 64GB (depending on model)
Expandable memory	No	No
Books & Content
Available sources	Amazon Kindle Store (400,000+ books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs available)	Apple iTunes iBook Store
Connectivity
3G	Yes (Latest edition AT&T 3G w/ international roaming; previous edition Sprint 3G); Free	AT&T 3G Available (depending on model); Monthly fee required
WiFi	No	Yes
USB	Yes	Yes
Features
Built-in dictionary	Yes	Yes
Web browser	Yes	Yes
Audio player	Yes	Yes
Other highlights	Text-to-speech capabilities; built-in speaker	Wealth of advanced functionalities including support for 140,000 apps
Supported Formats
ePub open format	No	Yes
Adobe PDF	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)	Yes
Microsoft DOC	Yes (conversion to Kindle format required)	Yes
Other	Proprietary Kindle format (AZW)	jpg, .tiff, .gif, .html, .key (Keynote), .numbers (Numbers), .pages (Pages), .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint), .txt (text), .rtf (rich text format), .vcf (contact information), .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)

Related posts:

1. Apple iPad vs. Nook
2. Apple iPad vs. Sony Reader Daily
3. Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Kindle 1
4. Borders Kobo vs. Amazon Kindle 2
5. Amazon Kindle 2 vs. Kindle DX

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.