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I have both. I've had iPads for about a month, and a Kindle for about 2 weeks. I assume you are asking why it is better specifically for reading since comparing

I have both. I've had iPads for about a month, and a Kindle for about 2 weeks. I assume you are asking why it is better specifically for reading since comparing the two generally is like comparing a notebook and an MP3 player. They're just not analogous in general, but for reading purposes the Kindle is vastly superior to the iPad. I actually read the same book on both this past weekend flipping back and forth. The iPad has a slick UI for books, though the page flipping can be a bit finicky,but it's still a back-lit LCD (albeit a nice one) which is just uncomfortable for long reading. It's the same uncomfortable feeling you get from staring at a monitor for a long time. The Kindle is also much lighter, which is nicer than you'd think when you're holding it for a couple hours at a clip. The iPad is surprisingly heavy, which is such a common complaint that I imagine Apple will address it in the next generation. The Kindle's battery is good enough that I suspect you could read a few books on one charge if you kept the wireless antenna off. You could go on a weekend trip without taking a charger, which is nice. The iPad's battery is actually pretty good for what it is, and is probably why the thing is so damn heavy, but you'll still be charging it every night. The iPad's screen is AMAZINGLY smudgy. I can't describe how bad it is in that regard. The smudges add a slight blurring effect to text which gets annoying. We have 5 of them in the office and everyone has complained about it. I got an Invisible Shield screen protector for them, which helps a lot (and I could also take a key to it without scratching) but adds its own annoyances. E-ink is really unbeatable for reading. You would love a Kindle I think. How many books do you read a year?

ugh 16y ago
“It's the same uncomfortable feeling you get from staring at a monitor for a long time.” — I don’t get that, your mileage may vary. (The Kindle is probably still what you should get if you read a lot.)
- rdoherty 16y ago
  I think that some people don't get eyestrain using a monitor because their eyes jump around and off of it continually throughout the day. The eye motions and strain of reading is fairly different when you read word after word, line after line for 1/2 hour or more. An analogy would be saying your arms don't get sore picking up a book but actually you're picking up a book 100 or more times in a row. Your arm will get tired.
mrkurt 16y ago
Ugh, yes, the smudges drive me nuts.
Herring 16y ago
>smudges Just use a shirt to wipe it down. Works for me.
- joshfinnie 16y ago
  Over 300 words and you pick on the smudging part. I think the main point of the Kindle versus iPad argument is twofold: 1) the e-ink is remarkably better to read and 2) the battery life allows for more reading than the iPad allows. I have the nook and I cannot see myself without it. eBooks are great for people who want a device to read books on.
  - Herring 16y ago
    Well he didn't say anything I disagreed with. If you want my opinion, take a look at this article http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/26/ipad.university.ars/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/26/ipad.universit... >Students at Reed College complained of the slow refresh rate of e-Ink displays, problematic input, inability to load PDFs over the network, and inability to view more than one text at a time as major sticking points. Reed faculty found converting documents to work well on the Kindle to be particularly difficult in most cases. >Students participating in the test at Darden School of Business, while loving the Kindle for personal reading, overwhelmingly felt the Kindle didn't pass muster in its current state for academic use -- about 4 out of 5 would not recommend a Kindle DX to incoming MBA students. I came to that exact conclusion after using a kindle DX for a few months. Additionally, battery life & weight don't really bother me. It's lighter than most textbooks, & I don't mind putting it to charge right before I go to sleep. I spend a lot of time looking at LCDs anyway, so that isn't a problem.

ugh 16y ago

“It's the same uncomfortable feeling you get from staring at a monitor for a long time.” — I don’t get that, your mileage may vary. (The Kindle is probably still what you should get if you read a lot.)

rdoherty 16y ago
I think that some people don't get eyestrain using a monitor because their eyes jump around and off of it continually throughout the day. The eye motions and strain of reading is fairly different when you read word after word, line after line for 1/2 hour or more. An analogy would be saying your arms don't get sore picking up a book but actually you're picking up a book 100 or more times in a row. Your arm will get tired.

mrkurt 16y ago

Ugh, yes, the smudges drive me nuts.

Herring 16y ago

>smudges Just use a shirt to wipe it down. Works for me.

joshfinnie 16y ago
Over 300 words and you pick on the smudging part. I think the main point of the Kindle versus iPad argument is twofold: 1) the e-ink is remarkably better to read and 2) the battery life allows for more reading than the iPad allows. I have the nook and I cannot see myself without it. eBooks are great for people who want a device to read books on.
- Herring 16y ago
  Well he didn't say anything I disagreed with. If you want my opinion, take a look at this article http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/26/ipad.university.ars/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/07/26/ipad.universit... >Students at Reed College complained of the slow refresh rate of e-Ink displays, problematic input, inability to load PDFs over the network, and inability to view more than one text at a time as major sticking points. Reed faculty found converting documents to work well on the Kindle to be particularly difficult in most cases. >Students participating in the test at Darden School of Business, while loving the Kindle for personal reading, overwhelmingly felt the Kindle didn't pass muster in its current state for academic use -- about 4 out of 5 would not recommend a Kindle DX to incoming MBA students. I came to that exact conclusion after using a kindle DX for a few months. Additionally, battery life & weight don't really bother me. It's lighter than most textbooks, & I don't mind putting it to charge right before I go to sleep. I spend a lot of time looking at LCDs anyway, so that isn't a problem.