Rather than reviewing just plain old device reviews, I thought it would be worth looking at solving a particular problem. So let’s look at the latest gadget trend: reading.
The primary types of traditional content I tend to want to consume are:
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Comic books
- Research material (say textbooks)
- Books
So how, in mid-2010, should we read this stuff (assuming we are trying to eschew paper, of course)? Let’s look at each, and keep in mind that this can change monthly, so it will likely require a revisit. Also, let’s put aside the arguments about how these media should change for the digital age and just see how this stuff could just be ported over as-is. And don’t even get me started on cost and business models.
Newspapers
There are few devices that really get this right. The two that appeal to me the most are the Amazon Kindles and the iPad. What little experience I have had with the Kindle has shown me that the standard Kindle is a bit too small for newspaper layouts, but the eInk screen is satisfying. The Kindle DX or even the Sony Reader Daily Edition are a bit better size-wise, but they are a bit too pricey just for a newspaper (and a tad unwieldy). The iPad is a more reasonable option, and the LED screen is not too bothersome. Newspapers on the iPad need to be released as apps, so they can be hit-or-miss depending on the developer. The New York Times, for example, is absolutely wonderful and a pleasure to read. It feels intuitive and the iPad screen is perfect for it.
- Recommendation: iPad (though not a slam dunk as apps can be hit-or-miss in their design)
Magazines
I can honestly say that the iPad is the easy and clear winner. It’s the right form factor and has a wonderful screen that is somehow much less painful to use than reading magazines on a desktop or laptop. Brilliant apps such as Wired are really great to read on the iPad. Zinio provides a cool magazine stand that also feels right. Even PDFs of magazines are cool in iBooks.
- Recommendation: iPad
Comic Books
Really, this is so not a post on Apple products. But, in this case, the iPad has the right screen size (despite its bulk), and the colours are brilliant. It really brings out comics. Aside from apps from DC, Marvel, and even Archie, Comic Zeal is my go to app for comics in other shapes and sizes (cbr, cbz, etc.). It’s re-ignited (no, re-kindled) my interest in reading comics. Really great fun.
- Recommendation: iPad
Research Material (e.g., Textbooks)
The winner here is nobody. You can get by with the Kindle DX (they have tried to market it as a device serving this function) or the iPad, but nothing really gets it right. When I was doing research and studying in school, I had multiple books open and was collating my notes, highlighting, and flipping back and forth between pages. This is just too visceral an experience that has yet to be electronically duplicated. For now, I’d say Evernote, OneNote, or Word are best, along with paper.
- Recommendation: Paper + OneNote, Evernote, Word, etc.
Books
This is the part you’ve (well, I’ve) been waiting for… I have a Sony PRS-505 and an iPad. And have read books on both. I can honestly say that the iPad iBooks reading and purchasing experience is excellent. But the iPad is too heavy to hold when reading a novel. And long reads just don’t feel right on a backlit screen. And you can’t take it into the sun no matter what anyone says. And you feel guilty if you drop it. The Sony is small and sleek and the screen very readable. However, as usual for Sony (a hardware, not software company), the app to put books on it sucks. Though it supports the ePub ebook standard (supported by the Sony Reader Store, Kobo, and iBooks), and there are new ones coming out in a matter of days, to my mind, Amazon’s Kindle 3 is the winner here. (To be sure I have only played with the Kindle 2, but from what I’ve read, it is more or less the same but better).
The Kindle 3 is very inexpensive, has a great sunlight-friendly screen, and when you buy a book there, you can read it anywhere (iPad, PC, etc.). Amazon has optimized the device for novels and – despite the way eInk refreshes the screen – it shows. It really takes a lot of guts to keep features out of a product and optimize it for one particular purpose.
- Recommendation: Kindle 3
What Do You Do?
Where do you do your reading? Am I missing a category? Am I missing a gadget? Do you totally disagree?
Great article.
I love how the iPad has “re-kindled” your interest in comics. har har.
I think the remarkable thing about this article is how few puns I’ve managed to put in. Thanks for the feedback!