Typically when I’d start a traditional book I’d carry it with me in my backpack.  If  anything else at all caught my attention then the book would be ignored for days or weeks.  As time passed it would work its way lower and lower into my pack eventually becoming a wrinkled and torn mess that would be just to embarrassing or unappealing to be read in public.

Though I don’t always carry the Kindle around with me, when I do it’s always in great shape.  I opted for the overpriced leatherette cover that keeps the screen from being damaged and with it’s week long battery charge, it’s pretty much always ready.

Just as advertised, the Kindle makes for a good read.  The digital ink display really is easy to read and the weight it comparable to a typical paperback.  It can comfortably be read with either hand (one handed) or holding it in both in pretty much any position you’d read a traditional book.

Now for the 3G that allured me..  slow.  Yea you can do twitter and Facebook updates and if a particular site is optimized for mobile viewing it’s not horrible, but in reality dictionary and Wikipedia lookups are its main used.. well other than delivering Amazon.com purchases to your device which is what subsidizes the free airtime.

The iPad.  Sweet, sexy and magical.  It’s so easy to be drawn in by the Apple brand.  If you can swallow the price tag I certainly recommend this device be added to your collection…. but not as a reader.  The reflective display, though bright, brilliant and colorful is all but useless in direct sunlight and indoors with bright overhead lighting it can also be annoying.  However in a room lit in a way where you’d typically watch television, it’s nice.  Especially for video.  Not so much for reading text.

The native Apple bookstore app tries very hard to simulate the reading experience with touch controlled page flipping animation.  It looks beautiful and you’ll probably be amused for minutes slowly flipping the pages.  Some titles (especially children books) have special audio and visual features added to the page to enticing them into reading more, probably comparable to a pop-up book and in this case just might be the ticket to creating a new reader.

Holding the iPad with both hands and flipping the pages with one seems to be the way to use it.  Because of the weight, you’ll probably find yourself  laying it on a table or holding it with your knees in short order.  Don’t get too comfortable though, if you use your iPad for anything other than reading your bound to start receiving notifications.  New emails, social media invites, appointment reminders, etc.  There is no easy way to simply turn off all notifications on the iPad.

Strictly speaking from a technical point of view, the iPad is superior.  Of course starting at about 4x the price of the Kindle reader, it should be.  As a book reader is where the Kindle shines.  It just feels right in your hand and is readable under any condition that makes a traditional paperback book readable.  If however you find yourself reading less print media and more electronic… ie: blogs, e-zines, websites.  Then maybe the iPad is right for you.  Rich streaming media and beautifully rendered graphics are something you will not find on the Kindle.

The Kindle wins hands down in battery life at several weeks, but depending on your particular usage you will easily get a solid day from your iPad as well so this shouldn’t be a big factor unless you will be in a remote area away from electricity.

3G access on the Kindle is utilitarian at best.  In a pinch you can do some quick web research but this functionality is truly designed to facilitate purchases through the Kindle store and allow you to add media without the use of a computer.  By the way, on the iPad you can add media from many sources without a computer as well but you will need a PC or Mac to initially set up your device.

The bottom line…   If you want the best computer to use as a reader, go with the iPad.  If you simply want the best electronic reader, the Kindle is your device.

RSVP on Facebook

Always a good time, always a great bunch of people.

This has always been one of my favorite TweetUp groups to hang out with.  A very well balanced mixed of  business people and social media enthusiast in a very casual atmosphere.

Hope to see you all there!

Facebook Event Page

Today as I revamp my village of website they are all being designed for mobile friendliness.  The need for a custom site dedicated to mobile content delivery no longer exists with today’s technology.

So that leave me with this site. Honestly, I haven’t fully formulated exactly where this site will fit into my master plan but it will evolve and continue grow and deliver useful content once  again.