Help me decide whether to buy an Ipad or a kindle

Aditya Kashyap

Junior Member
Aug 28, 2011
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I am a engg grad student and I am currently looking for a good pdf reader. The only viable options for me are the new Ipad or the Kindle DX (the kindle 6" is too small). While the Kindle does sound good , the problem is that some of my pdf books are over 100mb and full of mechanical drawings. Will the Kindle be able to handle that, especially if i want to frequently jump pages or refer to multiple books side by side? I have never seen a Kindle in person so anyone who has used it, please comment.

Reading ebooks on my laptop is a pain. I often read through the night and that is not possible for me to do on a laptop. The vertical height is too small and I often end up turning the laptop 90 degree to read. Not to mention, carrying around a laptop in your hand is impossible for long durations. Plus the zoom options on Adobe reader are just weird. In short, I am really uncomfortable reading on a laptop. I have tried both a 14" 1366*768 screen as well as 17" 1920*1080 screen

On the other hand, ipad gives me the advantage of iOS. I will also be able to see OCW videos on the ipad as well as watch my college slides (ppt). Ipad owners please comment-- can i play .avi or real media player file on it directly or through an app? I can also use the educational apps like Khan academy plus it can serve as a note taking device. The disadvantage of the ipad is that reading on it through the night will probably leave me blind in a year or so. I have myopia and my power is -8D. That is one BIG disadvantage, or so I have read. I have never used an ipad so perhaps someone who uses it can share their experience of reading on it for hours at a stretch.

I am really confused about this so I hope the collective intelligence of this site will help me make an informed decision. And I would really like to see a page in the reviews of tablets that talk about the reading and note talking abilities and the educational purposes they can serve.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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Seeing as this is in the Apple forums I might get flamed for suggesting this but I'm going to take the risk.

I do a lot of pdf reading as well and am in roughly the same position as you. I've tried a Kindle Touch and rooted Nook Color running Android 2.3.7 and I found the tablet to be the better option although the Nook itself is not perfect due to it's screen resolution and size. I think a >7" tablet is the best approach to reading but the tablet needs to be fairly lightweight. After trying those two I briefly tested an iPad 2 and the extra weight made it much less comfortable to hold while I read for extended periods of time. The new iPad 3 is even heaver than the 2 so it will be even worse in that regard.

Based on that I've finally settled on the Motorola Xyboard 8.2" as the best option. It has a 8.2" 1280x800 IPS screen which is a good compromise between size and portability and the dpi is high enough that text is pleasant to read although not quite as good as the iPad 3. The best thing about the Xyboard 8.2 is it only weighs 386g which is considerably lighter than the 652g iPad 3 and is even lighter than many 7" tablets. The Xyboard also has a OMAP 4 SoC so it won't suffer from the poor performance that plagued the first round of Android tablets. It's also $100 cheaper than the base iPad 3 and comes with some nice accessories.

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/U.../Tablets/MOTOROLA-XYBOARD-8-2-with-WIFI-US-EN

If note taking is more of a priority than portability the Xyboard 10.1 has an active digitizer for more precise pen input than the capacitive pens the iPad and other tablets require.

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/U...ablets/MOTOROLA-XYBOARD-10-1-with-WI-FI-US-EN

Edit; If you are not in the United Sates the Xyboard 8.2 will called the Xoom 2 Media Edition.
 
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MrX8503

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Oct 23, 2005
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I can't answer all of your questions, but I can contribute.

For reading comfort, the best you'll get is with a Kindle because of the e-ink. E-ink is easier on the eyes than an LCD screen burning your retina. However, it won't be very good at viewing images, note taking, or viewing video obviously.

So before you decide e-reader vs tablet, you have to get those priorities straightened out first. Are you strictly reading or are you going to do more?

If you've read on a laptop already for hours, then you can expect a little less eye strain when reading on an iPad3 because of its retina display. Text is stunning on this device and the eye discomfort I had with previous tablets was mostly gone. iBooks and other apps out there can handle PDFs, but I haven't used it myself to know the extent of its compatibility. I can't comment on the avi files either, sorry.

If you're taking notes, I suggest getting a keyboard case or keyboard with stand. There are iOS apps that allow note taking by keyboard and drawings by pen/finger. I wouldn't use a tablet to try and write out text by pen/finger, actual drawings/sketches would be better suited for that.

Standing while reading is not going to be comfortable with the iPad3 or maybe even with any tablet. If this is important to you a lighter Kindle or a very light tablet would be better.
 

runawayprisoner

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Apr 2, 2008
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I think what you will need more is a lighter laptop rather than a big (and expensive) tablet.

Large PDF files don't play nice with any of the tablet on the market, especially PDFs that contain a lot of technical drawings that are rendered in vectors. The new iPad is the bottom line in that case, but it's still not going to play with the PDF as nice as a current thin and light laptop would.

And for playing back arbitrary video formats, you'll want a full OS. iOS or Android are not bad, but it's more elegant on a laptop.

Last but not least, forget about note-taking on a tablet. There is nothing on the market, save for the Samsung Galaxy Note, that has a pen accurate and fast enough for note-taking. Even the Galaxy Note is barely passable (as in 2/10) in that regard. You're much better off sticking to paper and pen if you want to jot things down.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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I think what you will need more is a lighter laptop rather than a big (and expensive) tablet.

Large PDF files don't play nice with any of the tablet on the market, especially PDFs that contain a lot of technical drawings that are rendered in vectors. The new iPad is the bottom line in that case, but it's still not going to play with the PDF as nice as a current thin and light laptop would.

And for playing back arbitrary video formats, you'll want a full OS. iOS or Android are not bad, but it's more elegant on a laptop.

Last but not least, forget about note-taking on a tablet. There is nothing on the market, save for the Samsung Galaxy Note, that has a pen accurate and fast enough for note-taking. Even the Galaxy Note is barely passable (as in 2/10) in that regard. You're much better off sticking to paper and pen if you want to jot things down.

I can see why he could want to avoid a laptop for reading. I have a very good ultraportable (Thinkpad x220) but I still prefer reading on a tablet since it's more comfortable to use on a couch or laying back in a chair.

Android is actually pretty good at handling arbitrary video formats provided you have a good SoC (OMAP 4,Tegra 3, Exynos)
 

MrX8503

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Oct 23, 2005
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I think an ultrabook would be good for all of the tasks except reading and weight. There's also battery life to consider, but the OP didn't mention that. Lastly, an Ultrabook is double the price of a tablet.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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I think an ultrabook would be good for all of the tasks except reading and weight. There's also battery life to consider, but the OP didn't mention that. Lastly, an Ultrabook is double the price of a tablet.

Yeah, and the orientation is wrong... An ultrabook for portable PDF reading is a very weird suggestion in a world of tablets and e-readers. I think the nook tablet/color would work fine, but the added functionality and robust ecosystem of the iPAd's wonderful. I'd recommend the kindle fire (now $136 refurb) based on price and ecosystem but I just hate the UI.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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Yeah, and the orientation is wrong... An ultrabook for portable PDF reading is a very weird suggestion in a world of tablets and e-readers. I think the nook tablet/color would work fine, but the added functionality and robust ecosystem of the iPAd's wonderful. I'd recommend the kindle fire (now $136 refurb) based on price and ecosystem but I just hate the UI.

The screen on the Fire and Nook is a little on the small side for comfortably reading pdf's in my option. That's what led me to the Xyboard 8.2 (Yes, I agree the name is awful). It delivers most of the portability of a 7" tablet but with a bigger, higher resolution screen and a full Android 3.2 vs the locked down version of Android present on the fire and Nook.
 
Mar 15, 2003
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The screen on the Fire and Nook is a little on the small side for comfortably reading pdf's in my option. That's what led me to the Xyboard 8.2 (Yes, I agree the name is awful). It delivers most of the portability of a 7" tablet but with a bigger, higher resolution screen and a full Android 3.2 vs the locked down version of Android present on the fire and Nook.

Being more expensive than the iPad 2 with less functionality makes me just think "man up and deal with the extra 8 ounces" :) Is a wifi only version of the xyboard even available? Though 7" being too small for pdfs is a bit debatable. I have no problem reading pdfs on my nook color. Website on 7" require more zooming in and out than I'd like though.
 

runawayprisoner

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Apr 2, 2008
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I can see why he could want to avoid a laptop for reading. I have a very good ultraportable (Thinkpad x220) but I still prefer reading on a tablet since it's more comfortable to use on a couch or laying back in a chair.

Android is actually pretty good at handling arbitrary video formats provided you have a good SoC (OMAP 4,Tegra 3, Exynos)

While I agree reading is generally better on a tablet or e-reader, reading large technical PDF documents is generally a task better suited to much faster CPU coupled with ample RAM. A high resolution screen is also quite the requirement, so in that regard, I'd say the iPad 3 is the most suited out of the bunch at least for that task, but I'd still not recommend it because the iPad 3 is not powerful enough still for very large documents.

And SoCs are more of a choice on phones than on tablets for Android. Most Android tablets in the lower price range has only Tegra 2, which I don't think is that good at handling arbitrary video formats.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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Being more expensive than the iPad 2 with less functionality makes me just think "man up and deal with the extra 8 ounces" :) Is a wifi only version of the xyboard even available? Though 7" being too small for pdfs is a bit debatable. I have no problem reading pdfs on my nook color. Website on 7" require more zooming in and out than I'd like though.

I linked to the Wifi version of the Xyboard 8.2 which is $400 and comes with a nice portfolio case and docking station. If it was priced like the Verizon models I would agree with you but $400 for the wifi version is pretty fair compared to the alternatives.

While I agree reading is generally better on a tablet or e-reader, reading large technical PDF documents is generally a task better suited to much faster CPU coupled with ample RAM. A high resolution screen is also quite the requirement, so in that regard, I'd say the iPad 3 is the most suited out of the bunch at least for that task, but I'd still not recommend it because the iPad 3 is not powerful enough still for very large documents.

And SoCs are more of a choice on phones than on tablets for Android. Most Android tablets in the lower price range has only Tegra 2, which I don't think is that good at handling arbitrary video formats.

1280x800 @ 8.2' is pretty good IMO and the size makes for a much better reader. If Apple can get the weight down on the iPad it would be a good option but we will have to wait for a generation or two to see that happen.

The tablets I mentioned are all OMAP 4 powered.
 
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Aditya Kashyap

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Aug 28, 2011
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Note taking is not that important to me. And i am ready to deal with extra weight.

I would prefer the ipad to the xoom 2 because there is no support for xoom 2 here, as well as the lack of good educational apps on android, plus the retina display *should* make reading more comfortable on the ipad.

Subjectively, how strainful is it to read novels or textbooks on the ipad for a few hours at a stretch? More stressful than a laptop screen or more comfortable?
Is it eye watering, painful red eye, sore and itchy bad or just a little discomfort bad?


I just learnt that I wont be able to scroll through pages easily on the kindle especially if I frequently jump pages. And also that if I have about 500 pdfs stored on it, scrolling to the right one can be a real pain..
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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Depending on were you are located the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is one other option to consider. I didn't think to mention it initially because it's horribly overpriced in the U.S. but the pricing is more reasonable elsewhere.

It's on the small side of what I would consider acceptable for reading but it does have a 1280x800 Super AMOLED Plus display which is very competitive with the Retina display in the iPad for quality. it's also incredibly thin and light and has the best battery life you can get in a tablet.

Scrolling is a big issue on the Kindles, it's actually better than I expected but it can still be annoying compared to a conventional tablet.
 

runawayprisoner

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Apr 2, 2008
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Depending on the backlight, but it'll be bad if you have to read on it for more than an hour. In fact, be it SAMOLED or IPS, I think it's just bad that you have to stare at something that emits light for more than an hour. I don't think it's any better than your laptop in that regards.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Depending on the backlight, but it'll be bad if you have to read on it for more than an hour. In fact, be it SAMOLED or IPS, I think it's just bad that you have to stare at something that emits light for more than an hour. I don't think it's any better than your laptop in that regards.

SAMOLED does let you avoid the problem to some extent by using black backgrounds and white text since black pixels on it are actually shut off and emit zero light unlike LCD. That might not be much help for the type of content he is reading though.
 

cheez

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Nov 19, 2010
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OP, I think what you need is a Macbook Air. Laptops are superior, more power, most importantly, you can do almost anything with it.

The problem with iPad 3 is the lack of software support.

And I told ya the iPad weighs a lot. It's too heavy for its size...
 
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Mar 15, 2003
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OP, I think what you need is a Macbook Air. Laptops are superior, more power, most importantly, you can do almost anything with it.

The problem with iPad 3 is the lack of software support.

And I told ya the iPad weighs a lot. It's too heavy for its size...

The iPad 3 is lighter than the macbook air. I think you're overcomplicating things - go to a b&m and hold the iPad 2/3. Then hold a kindle/nook. Play, then decide.
 

Puddle Jumper

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Nov 4, 2009
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The iPad 3 is lighter than the macbook air. I think you're overcomplicating things - go to a b&m and hold the iPad 2/3. Then hold a kindle/nook. Play, then decide.

That's a good idea. At this point all of the options are a compromise in some way or another so it's largely going to come down to personal preference.
 

Aditya Kashyap

Junior Member
Aug 28, 2011
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Well I already have two laptops so I will not be buying the MacBook Air.

I don't have the option of trying out either of the two devices in question.

However, I think I have made my decision. The scrolling problem with Kindle is a deal breaker for me. I need a tablet that can easily navigate through pages as well as multiple books. Kindle, I read, dumps all books in one place. So say if I have 500 books (or even 50), it would be a nightmare!!

Guess that leaves me with the ipad 3.

Is the itunesU only available on laptop or also on ipad?

Also,which keyboard are you using.. I think I will pick the Logitech one.
And any good stylus?
Also, for protection I guess I will go with a Zagg shield and the smart cover. Will that be enough?

Do you guys know whether the ipad has international warranty? If I were to buy it from the US and import it here, would I have warranty?
And how many years of warranty does it have? Is it a replacement warranty, i.e. , if anything is broken they give a new ipad or a normal warranty?
 
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HomerSapien

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Jul 19, 2000
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Is the itunesU only available on laptop or also on ipad?

Also,which keyboard are you using.. I think I will pick the Logitech one.
And any good stylus?
Also, for protection I guess I will go with a Zagg shield and the smart cover. Will that be enough?

Do you guys know whether the ipad has international warranty? If I were to buy it from the US and import it here, would I have warranty?
And how many years of warranty does it have? Is it a replacement warranty, i.e. , if anything is broken they give a new ipad or a normal warranty?


1. iTunes u works on the iPad.
2. I use an iPad 2 for 30-75 mb pdf document at 8.5x11" and it is just fine. These are all of my college notes scanned in. iBooks has a fairly junky organization as well as the kindle app, but I don't keep to many on, so it is not a big deal.
3. I don't use a stylus.
4. I use the icover or Iskinz or something like that. It was $30 on amazon and has been great. No hassle with liquid applications and literally installed in 10 seconds with no bubbles. It only sticks on the frame surrounding the screen. I also use the switcheasy canvas, but have mixed feelings. Great looking case, but not as durable as I hoped.
5. Look into the apple care.
 

MrX8503

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Oct 23, 2005
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-You might be able to access iTunes U content via iTunes on your laptop. Not sure though.

-Unless you're doing sketches, I wouldn't get a stylus. If you do get one, you want one with a good amount of rubber at the tip.

-If you're getting a keyboard case, you won't need a smart cover. You'll have to do some research if some of the keyboard cases will fit the iPad3 as most of them were designed for the iPad2.

-If you go the smartcover route, I wouldn't get a Zagg, it has orange peel. Luckily there's a lot of alternatives.

-Along with a screen protector, you need something to protect the back if you feel like you'll scratch the back up. A skin of some kind would work with the keyboard case probably.

-All iPads come with a 1yr warranty and replaces pretty much anything broken. Including most accidental I believe. I don't know how this applies internationally though.
 

runawayprisoner

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Apr 2, 2008
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The original 1-year warranty doesn't cover accidental. It's only the new 1-year AppleCare $99 plan that does that. If you buy the iPad and you break it without AppleCare, you're done. And neither plan covers water damage, so if they find water inside your iPad, warranty is void in both cases.

Warranty does give a replacement where an actual problem is found, and it's international for sure. But if you don't have an Apple Store in your country, it'll be a lot of hassle shipping the device back and forth.

Here's the Warranty page:
http://images.apple.com/legal/warranty/docs/NA_iPad_Warranty_v20.pdf

The part that concerns international warranty is on the bottom of page 3.
 

slashbinslashbash

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Feb 29, 2004
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Just a note on your myopia. I am almost as bad, -7.5 diopters. A couple of years ago I bought a dedicated pair of glasses for reading and computer use, at -6.5 diopters (+1 from my actual prescription). This means I can't see very far away, but for everyday around the house it is just fine. (Watching TV though, I usually put on my -7.5 glasses.) But for anything within arm's reach I can see perfectly. My laptop screen is in perfect focus. And reading a book is no problem either.

The benefits have been great. Your eye muscles are at their most relaxed when they are at their farthest focus distance. So when you are wearing your full-correction lenses, your eyes are most relaxed when you are looking far off in the distance. If you are wearing +1 lenses, your eyes are most relaxed about 4-5 feet away (the farthest distance that you can focus clearly). So I find I have a lot less eyestrain. I also own a pair of -5.5 glasses for close reading in bed, etc.

You can buy glasses really cheap through websites like ZenniOptical.com. You can order whatever correction you like; they don't care at all. (No need to have a prescription from a doctor) Yes, it is a bit of a pain having 3 pairs of glasses around, but I really find that it helps my eyes not to feel strained. Of course I wear my -7.5 glasses when going out or driving or anything. But since I spend most of the day in front of the computer, I wear my -6.5 glasses most of the time.