There is a lot of hype surrounding the new Apple iPad due for release later this year, but is it really worth the money? Are there better options available? For example, the Amazon Kindle. With the iPad, Apple hopes to beat its rival Amazon and offer a better alternative to the Kindle, but have they managed it? Is the iPad really better than its rival? Let’s see how the two compare.
Display:
Amazon Kindle
Offering a 6 inch display diagonally, the Amazon kindle looks promising, and this would probably be perfectly fine for reading any eBook, but why make-do with a 6 inch display when you could have a 9.7 inch one? This is where the iPad comes in. The iPad clearly betters its rival in this department with close to double the screen size of the Kindle, so no more squinting trying to read your eBooks as on the iPad’s 9.7 inch screen everything will look crisp and clear and offer a much easier reading experience than on the Kindle. Also, the iPad has a touch sensitive screen which supports Multi touch (as seen with the iPhone). This will surely give the iPad the edge by offering much easier navigation than its rival and functionalities including the ability to zoom and navigate with a simple touch of the finger. We mustn’t forget that Amazon does also offer the Kindle DX which has the same size display as the iPad (9.7 inch), but once again this is not a touch sensitive screen so will not offer the ease of use the Apple iPad should offer.
Apple iPad Tablet
Hardware:
The hardware is where the kindle really comes into its own. Weighing just 10.2 ounces the Kindle is clearly beating its rival Apple weighing less than half the weight of the iPad. At 24 ounces the fear is that the iPad will just feel too bulky and heavy in the user’s hands. The iPad is also slightly thicker than its competitor being 0.5 inches thick whereas the Kindle is a mere 0.36 inches.
Features:
The Amazon kindle has very limited features compared with the Apple iPad. Sure, you have the ability to subscribe to magazines and newspapers, and even a Web Browser and PDF reader should you need it, but the iPad offers so much more. It is more than just an eBook reader, you will have access to the full iTunes store, giving you access to everything iTunes has to offer, including all the Apps available for the iPhone, MP3 downloads, Movie rental’s and more, all available straight from your iPad. Apple also plans to release a whole new variety of apps that will be made specifically for the iPad, giving even more possibilities for the device in the near future. As with the iPhone it also has the Safari Web Browser, Email, iPod, YouTube and much more already factory installed.
Connectivity:
The Kindle offers only 3G connectivity, which is available with US network AT&T, but once again the apple iPad appears to offer more. As well as the 3G connectivity (also available in the US with AT&T) that the Amazon Kindle offers, the iPad also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, increasing its usability and making it a clear winner over the Kindle once again.
Battery Life:
The battery life with the Amazon Kindle is impressive with Amazon claiming to offer one week of life with wireless and two weeks without wireless. The iPad doesn’t even come close to comparing to this offering a shocking battery life of just 10 hours use, although Apple do claim it will last a whole month on standby, but what use is it on standby?
Price:
Compared with the iPad the price of the Kindle is much lower, costing just $259 for the Kindle and $489 for the Kindle DX. With the iPad it’s a whole different story, there isn’t just the one fixed price, there is a variety of models available each with a completely different price tag ranging from $499 to $829! We’ll try and simplify the details for you, here it goes: iPads with Wi-Fi only are $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB. iPads with WiFi and 3G are $629 for 16GB, $729 for 32GB, and $829 for 64GB. 3G data costs $15 a month for 250MB and $30 a month for unlimited.
So, which should you buy? This is what we set out to answer and ultimately the part that is down to you, although we believe if you are just looking for a simple eBook reader and not much else, then the Amazon Kindle is probably the best product for you. However, if you want all the features we’ve seen earlier from Apple with their iPhone, such as Email, Web Browsing, Wi-Fi and of course the cool factor then the iPad is definitely the product for you.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
thanks for the comparison…
i think ipad’s real competitor will be HP Slate….
I would buy a Notion Ink Adam
The iPad and Kindle are two different devices all together. Book readers will pick the Kindle while those who prefer to be online will go with the ipad.