iPad or Kindle or Netbook?

[AngelicaRJackson]

My husband's birthday is coming up. Any opinion on Kindle vs. iPad vs. netbooks? He had mentioned he wanted a Kindle last year, but then they came out with the iPad and the color features make some of the magazines and newspapers so much better. He would be using it primarily for ebooks, periodicals, etc. It would also be nice to have web access when we travel and/or watch movies.

I've looked at a lot of reviews, but the info out there is overwhelming! It does look like the Kindle is great for strictly reading but doesn't offer web browsing or a color display.

Hope I don't start off a firestorm with this, but all opinions welcome, especially if you have experience with these devices. Thanks

[Medievalist]

If he's interested in movies and consuming media, for the most part, rather than doing lots of creating, I'd say go with the iPad.

I love mine. Books are wonderful, I'm delighted that the eReader from ereader.com has been released for the iPad since I've been buying books there since 2000--and they all work beautifully on the iPad. So do Barnes and Noble's ebooks, kindle ebooks, iBooks, and even Stanza.

And movies are gorgeous. I very much like streaming NetFlix on the iPad.

I'd get the largest WiFi iPad you can. And think about the AppleCare but buy it at best buy or Amazon; same product, lower price.

[AngelicaRJackson]

Thanks Medeivalist. I guess email might be considered creating, but that's probably as ambitious as he'd get on this device. He has a laptop for work, but he's not allowed to use that for personal travel.

And I tend to write longhand or find a library if I need to do some writing while we're traveling.

[Medievalist]

Thanks Medeivalist. I guess email might be considered creating, but that's probably as ambitious as he'd get on this device. He has a laptop for work, but he's not allowed to use that for personal travel.

And I tend to write longhand or find a library if I need to do some writing while we're traveling.

It's pretty sweet for email, actually.

[FOTSGreg]

iPad definitely. You get the best bang for your buck hands down.

1) It will function perfectly well as a computer, web platform, ebook reader, and/or a host of other things given the right ap (I have aps that include a plumb-bob for God's sake).
2) It's lighter weight, by about half, than a netbook (I own an Acer netbook which weighs in at 2.2 lbs - the iPad weighs in at around 1.1 lbs). Nevertheless, carrying a dinner plate under your arm all day or propping one up in your arm to read or surf will cause muscle fatigue after awhile.
3) While it's difficult, in some cases, to get documents from my computer to my iPad my iPad synchs up perfectly to my computer and to AOL and even here at AW so you can email a document to yourself and download it to the iPad in theory I'm going to try this tonight).

Drawbacks:
1) The iPad is a dinner plate. It gets very heavy carrying it around all day.
2) The iPad is a thief-magnet. You simply cannot afford to let it out of your sight or outside of your personal space for very long in a busy environment. It will grow legs of its own and disappear.
3) It has limited storage capability - 16, 32, or 64 GB. You'll need to store those movies and pictures on your computer and download only those you want.
4) The WiFi versions need about another $150 in devices (or roughly the cost to upgrade to a 3G version) to hook up to a data network so you have access at places where wifi access is unavailable (like most Walmart stores)
5) You cannot run wmv, mpg, or Flash video on the iPad. You may find that this limits your choices of video clips while surfing.

With all that said, I've typed messages here on this forum using the iPad's touchscreen, downloaded 1960s era video and watched it in crystal clarity, written and sent emails, jotted notes and diagrams for co-workers, read books under full sunlight, and played with fish in a pond (and fished for said fish).

My netbook won't do half od those things for anything less than 5 times the money most aps cost.

Go for the iPad. The 16GB wifi model costs around $495, the 32GB model is $595, and the 64GB model is $695. A 3G model will add between $20-150 to the base cost.

Yeah, I love the stupid things and wish I could sell them at my store.

[kuwisdelu]

3) While it's difficult, in some cases, to get documents from my computer to my iPad my iPad synchs up perfectly to my computer and to AOL and even here at AW so you can email a document to yourself and download it to the iPad in theory I'm going to try this tonight).

Emailing a document to yourself and opening it on the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch is one of the easiest and more common ways of getting a document on it.

I want one, but I do hope iOS 5 brings some version of Finder or something.

[Medievalist]

For transfer, (and conversion) check out the free DropBox app, Documents to Go for 9.99, and GoodReads.

iWork.com has potential, but it's still very much beta.

And feel free to buy a copy of The iPad Projects Book in September; there's a chunk in there about file transfer and management and syncing.

[zpeteman]

Go to the Apple store and play with an iPad. Then try to remember why you'd ever want anything else.

[omega12596]

iPad, no doubt. This gizmo is really versatile, books look good on it, and Medievalist is spot on about email. It's fantastic :D

[nkkingston]

I'm very attached to my netbook, but mainly because I need something I can type on on long journeys, and the ipad doesn't cut it for me (I touch type, so non-standard keyboards are a pain). However, for what your husband's looking for, it sounds like an ipad is your thing.

[FOTSGreg]

I emailed a 400-page document, originally written in MS Word to myself last night and it loaded seamlessly up to my iPad in Pages without my having to do a thing other than download the attached document.

Clean, smooth, and seamless. you just can't beat that.

I love my net book too, but it's nowhere near as portable as my iPad - but, I use it to back up everything in addition to my multiple flash drives, MyBook external HD, and pocket drive.

Yeah, I'm paranoid about losing stuff. Sue me...

:)

[Medievalist]

I

Yeah, I'm paranoid about losing stuff. Sue me...

:)

Check out DropBox, if you haven't. It's downright elegant. 2 gigs of space on their server, with sharing and syncing for free. There's an iPad and an iPhone app, linux, Mac and Windows apps, and on the iPad GoodReads, Stanza, and Documents to Go use DropBox almost seamlessly.

Let me know if you want an invitation (I am greedy and get another 250 mb if I send someone !)

[kuwisdelu]

Check out DropBox, if you haven't. It's downright elegant. 2 gigs of space on their server, with sharing and syncing for free.

Seconded. Easiest online backup I've ever used.

[Use Her Name]

B&N's Nook has web browsing. I'm getting the wi-fi edition I was sold on Nook because it has a lot of nice extras. Full internet browsing via the android service, check e-mail, downloads of books, downloads of free books and other papers via side-loading off a computer, they have a 3G version, but I think the wi-fi is enough. touch screen keybord. $145 still. Nook.

[Twizzle]

Seconded. Easiest online backup I've ever used.

Hmm. I have both DropBox and Carbonite, and I love me some Carbonite hands-down. It's not free, but eh. I can't imagine not having online back-up any more, though. Not at all.

The thing is, iPad, netbook, e-reader, each is so very different. (I'm with the others-I covet that iPad, but the cost would kill me. I'm a netbook girl, sadly.)

The main difference for me is e-ink.

I have a Kindle. It has internet and mp3. But I'd be lost without that e-ink. (My eyes. Owwwww.) It's huge for me--I download manuscripts I'm reading for others, my own wips, and of course I'm a rabid novel reader. So I need and prefer my Kindle with whispernet.

Though, gotta say, the new Nook looks sweet.

[Medievalist]

The main difference for me is e-ink.

I've got pretty serious vision issues, and am one of those for whom e-ink just doesn't work well.

It's really important with reading devices to check the screen personally.

[BenPanced]

B&N's Nook has web browsing. I'm getting the wi-fi edition I was sold on Nook because it has a lot of nice extras. Full internet browsing via the android service, check e-mail, downloads of books, downloads of free books and other papers via side-loading off a computer, they have a 3G version, but I think the wi-fi is enough. touch screen keybord. $145 still. Nook.
I've had mine for about two weeks now, and I don't regret the decision in the least. I thought at first it'd be another techtoy I'd play with for a day or two then throw on the pile with the rest of them, but the main advantage I have is the amount of material you can keep on it. I'm running out of space for bookcases at home, so the nook is going to help immensely with that (that, and I've also signed with an e-publisher recently so I thought I'd be prepared). I also like the changeable font sizes, and I haven't had any trouble with the e-ink; in fact, I'm currently reading This Time Together by Carol Burnett :LilLove: and the photos from that book show up beautifully on the nook.

[FOTSGreg]

Medievalist, Regarding DropBox, what are it's policies regarding privacy? I'd be putting manuscripts up there and I wouldn't want them claimed as belonging to DropBox or anyone other than me.

[Medievalist]

Medievalist, Regarding DropBox, what are it's policies regarding privacy? I'd be putting manuscripts up there and I wouldn't want them claimed as belonging to DropBox or anyone other than me.

They're quite reasonable. I'd go read them yourself, but the stuff that isn't in your Public folder can't be googled etc.

You can add a special Pass Code Lock to your DropBox account on iPad, as well.

I would not, however, rely on them as a primary backup method.