I’m designing an interactive book for an author friend of mine, and although I have a lot of years of software design experience, I’ve never had an iPad or a Kindle, etc. Are there any simple features you enjoy (like digital bookmarks) that electronic reading devices offer that normal books don’t.
I absolutely love the dictionary feature of my Sony digital book (PRS-350). I’ve always loved learning new words and the ability to tap any word in text to get a dictionary definition is awesome. It automatically bookmarks, which is handy. Whenever I return to a book I’m reading, it knows the page. The other big benefit for me is the ability to carry multiple books in a single, portable unit. Instead of a plane trip where I carry 3 books to and fro (the book I’m reading, a back up and a back up back up in case the back up sucks), I just have one small, easy to read device.
Consumer Reports rated the Kindle the best.
They said the iPad wasn’t that great as a e-book reader (too heavy and expensive), but of course, it had many other functions.
I had the Sony PRS-505 and switched to the iPad. No regrets at all.
The Sony and Kindle are better in bright sun, but the iPad is better in low light conditions. I rarely sit in the sun to read, but I often read in bed, so no contest there. I find that if I adjust the brightness, there’s no more eyestrain than with the Sony or Kimdle.
I’ve read a few books using the Kindle app on my iPod Touch. It has the dictionary feature, variable font sizes, remembers your place (in multiple books, not just the one you read last), automatically orients itself to how you’re holding the device, and it fits in my shirt pocket. I love it. The only drawback is that the screen is so tiny you have to turn the page every few sentences.
Maybe I’m a wussy girly-girl, but I find the iPad to be really heavy. If I’m lying in bed, holding it like a book, my wrist gets tired. Plus - battery life. If I’m going on a trip, I want my reader - battery lasts 2 weeks+.
Same here. I love my iPad, but for the reasons you state, the kindle wins for reading every time.
Yes, you both touch on what Consumer Reports mention.
I have an iPad (which I use for a variety of things). I have the Kindle app for it, and will sometimes use it for reading. Agreed on the weight thing, but it’s not my primary use for the machine.
I have an iPad, love the things Glory and Biffy love, and like the fact that my book is a light source. (turn the page white font on black for less eyestrain). I also like that I can look at pictures in color. I read hardcover books, so the weight does not impress me. I love the ease of turning pages when it is on a treadmill bookrack.
I like having the ability to adjust the size of the text, so that’s something you need to bear in mind if you’re designing an interactive book.
I read mainly non-fiction so I often skim through a book looking for concepts and passages that are most relevant to me, and I spend more time on those passages. With an e-book, I like being able to go quickly from the Table of Contents to the relevant chapter or section. And, when I find something, I like to highlight and bookmark key passages so that I can refer to them easily. But, I don’t bookmark everything that I think is important. With a paper book, if I’m looking for a particular passage that I read, I leaf through the book, trying to visualize where I read it. Was it near the bottom of the left side? What did that page look like? Was it near the beginning of the book, or closer to the end? With an e-book, I can easily find a passage by searching for words and phrases.
Also, with a Kindle book (on the Amazon device or on the iPad), it’s kind of cool that I can view popular passages that have been highlighted by other users.
And, I can find my books much more easily – they are always in the same place and always organized.
I just finished my first E-Book (via the iPad) and I like Kindle’s app. I like the ability to switch pages by brushing my finger over the page - as opposed to pushing the ‘next’ icon on the screen.
You don’t even really have to move your finger across the page. A tap will do. Other than not being able to read outdoors, I am surprisingly pleased with reading in the iPad. With the case that props it up, I can read in a cafe without having to hold it open. I sit with my knees up when I read in bed so it rests on my thighs anyway so its weight is not really a problem. Eyestrain is not what I was led to expect either.
If you get a chance, take a look at the Alice in Wonderland app (not an iBook) on the iPad. Very clever and engaging. I think I saw it on demo iPads in the Apple Store.
I think that the interactive features will depend on your reading audience, Alice is great for kids. The features listed above, dictionary, font sizing, Google or Wikipedia searches and so on are more for adults. These are really provided by the reader software in the tablet/reader OS, not the actually book.