It’s on….
digital books just got way more interesting.
Here’s the big differences between the devices and services:
Kindle
Basics: Low powered device that can run for days without a recharge. Black and white epaper / eink screen. 3g connectivity. Ability to add storage via SD card.
Pros: Closest thing to a real book out of all the devices and digital book ideas. Amazon ebookstore is huge.
Cons: single purpose device. read books. and make sure the books don’t have pictures, diagrams or anything other than text.
Nook
Basics: Similar to Kindle. It’s a slightly more functional kindle. Has a nice color screen for media browsing. Books through Barnes and Noble.
Pros: Nice feel to the device. Color is nice.
Cons: Single purpose device. BN ebookstore is not as robust or easy as Kindle bookstore.
iBooks/iPad
Basics: Apple’s fully featured tablet. Basically a decent computer with eBooks reader software.
Pros: Multi purpose device. Can actually compute. Beautiful screen. Possible to have nice reading+interactivity.
Cons: Battery life is more like a phone, less like a book! Glossy screen. Not quite as “rugged” as kindle.
Pricing:
Kindle and Nook are around $250. Entry level iPad is $499.
Pricing on all of these are within $150or so. Amazing that iPad is that low. Almost impossible to pick a single use device that costs as much.
Conclusions
For me, what wins is the best book/publication selection. Amazon is really hard to beat in that area.
Prediction – Kindle app on iPad pretty quickly! I think Amazon will have to give up on the Kindle if it doesn’t come out with something the publishers want to push hard. You can’t beat Apple at hardware on a grand scale. not yet.
[UPDATE 4/25/2010: I've been using my iPad for several weeks now. I haven't turned on my Kindle since I got my iPad with the Kindle software. There's simply no need. I'm amazed by the iPad battery life. I also didn't anticipate how useful it is that you don't need light to read on the iPad. Like duh! iBooks isn't quite good enough to compete with the Kindle store based on inventory but I suspect that will change quickly.]
It’s just yet another instance of convergence. Prior to the e-reader it was mobile navigation. Tom-Tom got the picture really quick and put their software up on the iPhone store and it was hugely successful. Other navigation providers soon followed.
There is Kindle app currently available for the iPhone. I am wondering if Apple will allow an iPad version of that app. Will they consider it in direct competition to the work they are doing with their reader? Does Apple think they can compete with the library of the Kindle? Do they care?
Will Jeff Bezos give up so easily and let the Kindle fade and understand that the long term money is from the books, and not the devices. I don’t know if his ego will allow that. I’ll be he keeps pumping out Kindles for a few more years to the market that doesn’t want a multipurpose device (iPad). He is going to have to drop the price on his device though. Especially his 10″ reader. It is right around the same as the entry level iPad.
I think Apple and Amazon will make a deal of some sort AND Amazon will keep developing the Kindle.
Yer right about it being about selling the media, not the measly $400 on the device.
I finally got my Nook. I love the grayscale very easy on the eyes. Does what it’s needs to do, allow me access to E-Info. I wonder if B&N will still provide content. I have all mac products,but I don’t think I’ll be getting an IPad YET.
I agree on grayscale being very good to read.
I have both the Kindle dx and the nook. Both are great devices. And both have their pros and cons. The main attraction to these e-readers for me is the paper/ink technology. I have been following apple’s e-reader and was terribly disappointed to learn that their screen was LCD. I also have both B&N’s app and kindles app on my iphone. I can only read on the iphone for a short time due to the back light. It is very hard on the eyes. The dx and the nook are as close to the pages in a book as it gets.
Another thing to consider is the ipad’s weight of 1.5 lbs. The nook is .75 lbs and the dx is 1.2 lbs. The i pad is a HEAVY unit you will possibly be holding in one hand for hours. I would imagine that some sort of cover or protector would be necessary on this $499+ unit thus adding more weight and bulk. Just a thought.
I find it interesting that Apple has not mentioned the nook once as a competitor. I would think the nook would be a greater threat to the ipad than the Kindle dx. Last Wed, at the unveiling of the ipad the first image that came up was the old school, simple looking Kindle dx. It was quite the contrast to the slick looking ipad. It’s all good marketing. And everyone said “wow!!!”
But the nook was nowhere on the radar.
The nook is sleek looking, accessories are by far the most attractive, the colored book cover selection bar is fantastic not to mention the do-it-yourself expandability package. To put the ipad against the nook during that same presentation would have consumers saying “hmmm…”
As a techno junkie who doesn’t mind pioneering the new release of gadgets… I’m not sure I would be so quick to purchase the i-pad as my next e-reader. Would I buy it as a web browser? – no. I have my computer and my iphone. Music? nope, it’s all on my iphone, besides, the ipad wouldn’t fit in my drink holder in the car. Email? no – I have it on my computer as well as my iphone. Games? nope. E-reader? Why? Kindle and nook are great e-readers for half the price.
I can see if someone did not have an iphone, and don’t mind a back lit light in their face for hours of reading, doesn’t mind paying a monthly fee and has strong arms and a large bag to lug around (oh and be sure it has a side pocket for a camera), the i pad would be a good choice.
But for $199.. you can get an iphone and for $259 get the nook or kindle and still pay less than the entry level ipad. And the purchase of a large bag to lug it all would not be necessary.
Hard to disagree with your arguments. I’m much inclined to the kindle. it’s the closest thing to a book i’ve used. i’m also a fan of the Zune over itunes/ipod/iphone…. i’m not sure one device handles all my needs optimally.
ok so i relize that the backlight and such is sooo important but would about the prices of the books. my sister bought a kindle and was spending thousands in months on books vs the nook which hooks with the libraries or does it? the nooks price of books are the same as the prices of the books in b&n also there is this really neat feature that lets you share your books so if someone else has a nook then you can share books that you buy with them and they can share books that they buy. the bad thing about the nook is that the ebook store is really difficult to understand vs the kindle estore is easier to undrstand. The i pad has way more functions but is it worth it? if your at home then why would you use a ipad to search stuff when you have a computer. Dont say that you would use it out in public or in the car beacause you can’t you have to have wifi and if i am in the car in the middle of no were there is no wifi or in an mcdonalds there is wifi but of course you need a password. if you ask me the nook is the best out of your choices. I took back my kindle for the nook also beacause of the weight when you try to read the kindle your hads start to cramp up beacause of the weight and same with the kindle but the nook is just light enough to read! hope this helped!