Have you ever used those credit card signing 'things' in a store, your signature never looks like it does on paper - always looks like chicken scratches - at least mine does. Using an electronic pen to write on a tablet seems like it would be difficult and not work properly, plus will it look exactly like you write it with the pen or will the character recognition be some superior software? Lastly, the video demos are not normal customer use situations and really only show the same few uses over and over just in different ways. At least Apple showed real people using a real device and not some undeveloped pie-in-the-sky wannabe exploratory video. As already stated it takes MS years to develop anything functional, by time this launches if it does we'll be on iPad 2.0.
One persons experince: my friends wife who is an avid reader, but doesn't own a kindle - my friend showed her the iPad demo video and she fell in love with it. Now he's saving up to buy her a 3G one for Mothers Day. She doesn't want a Kindle.
I would imagine there are a lot of people out there who don't own a Kindle (and some who do) who after seeing the iPad want one. And why wouldn't they? For basically the same price as the b/w Kindle DX you can get a full color e-reader, mp3, video, podcast player, and Internet, gaming, email, word processor and so much more.
This is something my friends wife can share with their young son for him to read books, play educational games and more. It's not just an e-reader it's a family multipurpose entertainment media device (and more).
I can tell you that at home I use my iPhone almost as much as my laptop for quick simple things. Why?
1) Instant on.
2) Uses less power
3) Better at checking simple tasks (weather, movie times, restaurant searches..etc)
4) I don't have to pick up a 4lb thing and open the lid. (sounds ridiculous, but for godsake we even have caller ID on the TV, so we don't have to turn and look at the phone to see who's calling)
5) I need a phone number, address, or email who can call it up faster?
6) Laptops suck for reading. (see my post above)
7) I don't know about you but the iPad Calendar, Address book, and Email clients look better then the OS-X equivalents and launch MUCH faster.
I think some of you are missing the point. The iPad brings the screen MUCH closer, giving you a better viewing position then the MBP that I'm using right now. It's a much more intimate and immersive experience and one of the reasons I don't mind using my iPhone for quick tasks.
As for interactive media, I think many of you are thinking WAAAY too literally. In the beginning I suspect we'll see simple 'upgrades' like inline pictures and video in books/magazines. The future will probably have a much different, possibly better experience. While I don't think traditional books are going away anytime soon, there may be a new paradigm for books and magazines that we haven't seen yet.
We aren't comparing a notebook to a mobile device, we are comparing a notebook or for that matter a netbook to something this the exact same screen size as a netbook. Netbooks and notbooks by the way can be instant on its called sleep mode.
We aren't comparing a notebook to a mobile device, we are comparing a notebook or for that matter a netbook to something this the exact same screen size as a netbook. Netbooks and notbooks by the way can be instant on its called sleep mode.
you're comparing a notebook or netbook to a notebook or netbook of the similar size????
anyway my updated list.
"same size screen Netbook" vs iPad
1) Instant on. OS-X sleep doesn't even come close to waking up as fast as an iPhone. Yeah it may only be a matter of 1-2 seconds, but it's still a delay.
2) iPad uses less power
3) iPad is better at checking simple tasks (weather, movie times, restaurant searches..etc)
4) I don't have to pick up a 3 lb netbook and open the lid. (If you don't have young kids, don't even talk about leaving the lid open)
5) I need a phone number, address, or email who can call it up faster?
6) Netbooks suck for reading. (see my post above)
7) It's all about the apps. Call me when netbooks have as high quality applications as the iPad already has, that launch almost instantaneously
8) Netbook/Laptop screen sits 2-3ft away from you eyes. iPad screen 0.5 to 1.5 ft from your eyes.
As Amazon's e-book business continues to evolve in the wake of the Apple iPad announcement, a new rumor suggests the company is exploring the possibility of giving a Kindle reader to its best customers.
Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reported Friday that Amazon is considering a promotion that would give a free Kindle to subscribers of its Amazon Prime service. At a cost of $79 per year, Prime offers free two-day shipping on selected items, and one-day shipping for just $3.99.
Time to interject some actual 'objectivity' into this thread as no one here seems to actually own a Kindle minus one or two of you, the rest seem to come up with biases for a device they've never tried (the Kindle) versus a device that isn't even out yet (the iPad). I purchased my Kindle directly from Amazon (refurbished) for $219. That's little less than 40% the cost of the basic iPad. The Kindle does book reading at the best possible level you can accomplish without being an actual book. Kind of like how the iPod came out and did one thing and did one thing at a perfect level.
So how could the Kindle be better? I guess the Kindle could be color but most novels I read do not have photos...And I could careless about what a publisher deems as "interactive content". I would think authors, the originator of the actual creative content behind an e-book, would not want their works clogged up by hyperlinks to interactive content throughout their book. But I'm not an author.
When I pick up my Kindle, my intention is to read. Not be distracted and tempted to "just check my e-mail really quick", or "see what Johnny just posted on my Facebook wall". At the end of the day, the early iPad adopters will just be upset when, in 6-8 months, Apple adds a camera. Then, all these iPads will flood the used market and people will exclaim "Non-camera iPad will only be like $50 in 6 months, who would want that?" and the cycle will continue.
But I'll still be very content reading my eBooks on my reading device because it just works, and it works well. As will hundreds of thousands of others. I think I charge the thing every 2-3 weeks in fact. And it has built in 3G for free so I can quickly "check the weather, news". If I wanted anything more, I'd use my Macbook Pro that I've invested much more money in.
I suppose the point is that the market has changed with the announcement of the iPad's imminent arrival. Pre Jan 27th the e-book market was serviced by a number of single-use readers, but now (even though it is not yet on sale, anecdotally in these various forums and elsewhere planned Kindle purchases have been shelved pending iPad's arrival) this new multi-use device will inevitably shrink the demand for a single-use reader. As I understand it Amazon's business model here is the mirror opposite of the ITS i.e. the hardware is sold at cost (or even at a loss possibly) to facilitate the sales of content, which is where Amazon make their money.
Assuming that Apple does not do the dirty and block the Kindle app on the iPad (and I'd be very surprised if they did) Amazon will be forced to re-evaluate their policy. R&D on a hardware device is expensive, particularly for a non-hardware company, and if Amazon can sell content for use on the iPad and the similar competing devices that will undoubtedly follow, is there any commercial point to continue expending on R&D which brings them little or no extra business? I suspect the Kindle will be allowed to wither and die, as Amazon concentrate on the profitable part of their business - selling content for use on other manufacturer's devices.
Time to interject some actual 'objectivity' into this thread as no one here seems to actually own a Kindle minus one or two of you, the rest seem to come up with biases for a device they've never tried (the Kindle) versus a device that isn't even out yet (the iPad). I purchased my Kindle directly from Amazon (refurbished) for $219. That's little less than 40% the cost of the basic iPad. The Kindle does book reading at the best possible level you can accomplish without being an actual book. Kind of like how the iPod came out and did one thing and did one thing at a perfect level.
So how could the Kindle be better? I guess the Kindle could be color but most novels I read do not have photos...And I could careless about what a publisher deems as "interactive content". I would think authors, the originator of the actual creative content behind an e-book, would not want their works clogged up by hyperlinks to interactive content throughout their book. But I'm not an author.
When I pick up my Kindle, my intention is to read. Not be distracted and tempted to "just check my e-mail really quick", or "see what Johnny just posted on my Facebook wall". At the end of the day, the early iPad adopters will just be upset when, in 6-8 months, Apple adds a camera. Then, all these iPads will flood the used market and people will exclaim "Non-camera iPad will only be like $50 in 6 months, who would want that?" and the cycle will continue.
But I'll still be very content reading my eBooks on my reading device because it just works, and it works well. As will hundreds of thousands of others. I think I charge the thing every 2-3 weeks in fact. And it has built in 3G for free so I can quickly "check the weather, news". If I wanted anything more, I'd use my Macbook Pro that I've invested much more money in.
Love my Kindle DX (which is the real iPad comparison not the standard Kindle) but there were a number of issues I thought could be improved from day one.
1) Page turning would be much nicer if it were faster. There are a number of times when I wanted to go back a few pages to re-read a passage and it's numbingly slow.
1a) Screen redrawing and overall slow speed make purchasing a less than ideal experience. Same with web-browsing. If I know which book I want, it's easy to do on the Kindle. If I'm browsing for a book, I almost always use the iPhone or laptop.
2) Page turning with the buttons is also a clunky way to do it
3) Bookmark function is an afterthought. There's no way to organize your bookmarks, it's just a long list from every book you've put a bookmark in.
The other day I needed to have my email handy while I was reading. What did I use? My Kindle and my iPhone. While I understand the idea of one appliance for one function, I still think you could read on the iPad and not be distracted. However if you need to do more then one thing the iPad trumps the Kindle.
As for market for the iPad. I fully expect that within 6-12 months the initial models will be replaced with something better. I think you're kidding yourself if you think they'll sell for $50. The 1st generation iPhone is still selling on ebay for over $200.
Love my Kindle DX (which is the real iPad comparison not the standard Kindle) but there were a number of issues I thought could be improved from day one.
1) Page turning would be much nicer if it were faster. There are a number of times when I wanted to go back a few pages to re-read a passage and it's numbingly slow.
1a) Screen redrawing and overall slow speed make purchasing a less than ideal experience. Same with web-browsing. If I know which book I want, it's easy to do on the Kindle. If I'm browsing for a book, I almost always use the iPhone or laptop.
2) Page turning with the buttons is also a clunky way to do it
3) Bookmark function is an afterthought. There's no way to organize your bookmarks, it's just a long list from every book you've put a bookmark in.
.
Thank you for listing 3 reasons why the Kindle is such a sub-standard product. These are gross misteps that you'd never find in an Apple designed product. Why? Apple actually considers what "turning a page" looks and feels like, because they know it matters.
What does every other company including Amazon do: "How can do this, cheap?"
Thank you for listing 3 reasons why the Kindle is such a sub-standard product. These are gross misteps that you'd never find in an Apple designed product. Why? Apple actually considers what "turning a page" looks and feels like, because they know it matters.
What does every other company including Amazon do: "How can do this, cheap?"
My God, people like you really exist? I can't understant so much hate, ignorance and fanatism?
Thank God people like a lot of this forum hasn't been born in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Time to interject some actual 'objectivity' into this thread as no one here seems to actually own a Kindle minus one or two of you, the rest seem to come up with biases for a device they've never tried (the Kindle) versus a device that isn't even out yet (the iPad). I purchased my Kindle directly from Amazon (refurbished) for $219. That's little less than 40% the cost of the basic iPad.
The Kindle does book reading at the best possible level you can accomplish without being an actual book.
I *do* own the Sony reader. And I think you are wrong. Particularly "best possible level" remark.
The e-ink reading experience is simply so slow it is painful. Any change to the screen content takes an age. A simple page turn might take a entire second or sometimes two.
When reading a novel from front to back, this is not so big a deal.
But when I use a real book, I flick through the pages to find a section I want. I flip back a few pages to re-cap. With text books I want to flick to the index, then hop around the sections I need.
Speed of navigation is essential in a real book. And e-ink kills that dead. Kindle-like e-books are simply un-usable for text-books and reference books because the navigation is so painful.
I must have been dreaming, but I seem to remember full-featured tablets being sold for the last 10 years.
C.
It's funny, it seems the same people saying that the iPad will fail because all tablets have failed for the last decade are also saying that Apple should used a desktop OS in them, which I think is the crux of the tablet problem all these years.
I'd wager that the iPad will be the most successful tablet out of the gate and that many others will follow using Android OS. Perhaps even WinPh7* and WebOS will follow suit at some point.
* WinPh7 is Courier, but since it's just vapourware mockup at this point it doesn't yet count as an actual product coming to fruition.
And now about the topic, iPad and e-ink readers are very different things and with very different targets. If I want mostly read I will buy an e-ink ereader, if I need something more I will buy an iPad.
I won't trade a e-ink reader for a tablet if I want an experience as close as posible to an actual book
P.S. A think that amazes me, is how easy almost everyone in this thread bashes anything that is not Apple.
I'm a die hard Mac user- mini server, Macbooks, iPhone, iPod Touch, et al, but E-ink on the readers cannot be replaced by tablets or netbooks, or PCs. The E-ink works well in ambient light and the battery drain is nil. They are also lighter and more portable for screen size than any netbook or tablet. I have a Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition and, while the screen contrast is said to by somewhat lacking, it works fine for me in good light. It has a quick responsive touch screen and is light and easy to use.- first rate in my book. No tablet will replace it for me- I'm a reader, and all I need to see is text. For night time, I have an Asus EEE Netbook with XP, because Steve Jobs wouldn't give me a cheap netbook with OS-X. The Asus works well as a night time reader; Windows stinks and always will. Eventually I'll get a lighter Macbook with a 10 or 11" screen if they ever make one, and I'll go with that. I might even get an iPad now with Wi-Fi. (I'll tether an iPhone later.) But the iPad can't ever replace the Sony Reader, which is far more practical, because of it's portability and E-ink.
Comments
[CENTER]Consumers are often waiting for the 'Next Big Thing', and at this moment that's the Apple iPad, and very soon this will take the spotlight...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/05/m...s-and-de/?s=t5[/CENTER]
Have you ever used those credit card signing 'things' in a store, your signature never looks like it does on paper - always looks like chicken scratches - at least mine does. Using an electronic pen to write on a tablet seems like it would be difficult and not work properly, plus will it look exactly like you write it with the pen or will the character recognition be some superior software? Lastly, the video demos are not normal customer use situations and really only show the same few uses over and over just in different ways. At least Apple showed real people using a real device and not some undeveloped pie-in-the-sky wannabe exploratory video. As already stated it takes MS years to develop anything functional, by time this launches if it does we'll be on iPad 2.0.
I would imagine there are a lot of people out there who don't own a Kindle (and some who do) who after seeing the iPad want one. And why wouldn't they? For basically the same price as the b/w Kindle DX you can get a full color e-reader, mp3, video, podcast player, and Internet, gaming, email, word processor and so much more.
This is something my friends wife can share with their young son for him to read books, play educational games and more. It's not just an e-reader it's a family multipurpose entertainment media device (and more).
I can tell you that at home I use my iPhone almost as much as my laptop for quick simple things. Why?
1) Instant on.
2) Uses less power
3) Better at checking simple tasks (weather, movie times, restaurant searches..etc)
4) I don't have to pick up a 4lb thing and open the lid. (sounds ridiculous, but for godsake we even have caller ID on the TV, so we don't have to turn and look at the phone to see who's calling)
5) I need a phone number, address, or email who can call it up faster?
6) Laptops suck for reading. (see my post above)
7) I don't know about you but the iPad Calendar, Address book, and Email clients look better then the OS-X equivalents and launch MUCH faster.
I think some of you are missing the point. The iPad brings the screen MUCH closer, giving you a better viewing position then the MBP that I'm using right now. It's a much more intimate and immersive experience and one of the reasons I don't mind using my iPhone for quick tasks.
As for interactive media, I think many of you are thinking WAAAY too literally. In the beginning I suspect we'll see simple 'upgrades' like inline pictures and video in books/magazines. The future will probably have a much different, possibly better experience. While I don't think traditional books are going away anytime soon, there may be a new paradigm for books and magazines that we haven't seen yet.
We aren't comparing a notebook to a mobile device, we are comparing a notebook or for that matter a netbook to something this the exact same screen size as a netbook. Netbooks and notbooks by the way can be instant on its called sleep mode.
We aren't comparing a notebook to a mobile device, we are comparing a notebook or for that matter a netbook to something this the exact same screen size as a netbook. Netbooks and notbooks by the way can be instant on its called sleep mode.
you're comparing a notebook or netbook to a notebook or netbook of the similar size????
anyway my updated list.
"same size screen Netbook" vs iPad
1) Instant on. OS-X sleep doesn't even come close to waking up as fast as an iPhone. Yeah it may only be a matter of 1-2 seconds, but it's still a delay.
2) iPad uses less power
3) iPad is better at checking simple tasks (weather, movie times, restaurant searches..etc)
4) I don't have to pick up a 3 lb netbook and open the lid. (If you don't have young kids, don't even talk about leaving the lid open)
5) I need a phone number, address, or email who can call it up faster?
6) Netbooks suck for reading. (see my post above)
7) It's all about the apps. Call me when netbooks have as high quality applications as the iPad already has, that launch almost instantaneously
8) Netbook/Laptop screen sits 2-3ft away from you eyes. iPad screen 0.5 to 1.5 ft from your eyes.
Bullsh*t
I second that! Current Kindle's will be available between $20-50... not more.
Most Kindle's will be in the dumpster, because Amazon will be giving them away free with a $20,-/Month subscription, which includes 1 book.
Amazon may compete with Apple iPad by giving away free Kindles
As Amazon's e-book business continues to evolve in the wake of the Apple iPad announcement, a new rumor suggests the company is exploring the possibility of giving a Kindle reader to its best customers.
Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reported Friday that Amazon is considering a promotion that would give a free Kindle to subscribers of its Amazon Prime service. At a cost of $79 per year, Prime offers free two-day shipping on selected items, and one-day shipping for just $3.99.
I'm sure demand for the Kindle will drop when the iPad drops, but for now it seems to be selling well.
So how could the Kindle be better? I guess the Kindle could be color but most novels I read do not have photos...And I could careless about what a publisher deems as "interactive content". I would think authors, the originator of the actual creative content behind an e-book, would not want their works clogged up by hyperlinks to interactive content throughout their book. But I'm not an author.
When I pick up my Kindle, my intention is to read. Not be distracted and tempted to "just check my e-mail really quick", or "see what Johnny just posted on my Facebook wall". At the end of the day, the early iPad adopters will just be upset when, in 6-8 months, Apple adds a camera. Then, all these iPads will flood the used market and people will exclaim "Non-camera iPad will only be like $50 in 6 months, who would want that?" and the cycle will continue.
But I'll still be very content reading my eBooks on my reading device because it just works, and it works well. As will hundreds of thousands of others. I think I charge the thing every 2-3 weeks in fact. And it has built in 3G for free so I can quickly "check the weather, news". If I wanted anything more, I'd use my Macbook Pro that I've invested much more money in.
Assuming that Apple does not do the dirty and block the Kindle app on the iPad (and I'd be very surprised if they did) Amazon will be forced to re-evaluate their policy. R&D on a hardware device is expensive, particularly for a non-hardware company, and if Amazon can sell content for use on the iPad and the similar competing devices that will undoubtedly follow, is there any commercial point to continue expending on R&D which brings them little or no extra business? I suspect the Kindle will be allowed to wither and die, as Amazon concentrate on the profitable part of their business - selling content for use on other manufacturer's devices.
Time to interject some actual 'objectivity' into this thread as no one here seems to actually own a Kindle minus one or two of you, the rest seem to come up with biases for a device they've never tried (the Kindle) versus a device that isn't even out yet (the iPad). I purchased my Kindle directly from Amazon (refurbished) for $219. That's little less than 40% the cost of the basic iPad. The Kindle does book reading at the best possible level you can accomplish without being an actual book. Kind of like how the iPod came out and did one thing and did one thing at a perfect level.
So how could the Kindle be better? I guess the Kindle could be color but most novels I read do not have photos...And I could careless about what a publisher deems as "interactive content". I would think authors, the originator of the actual creative content behind an e-book, would not want their works clogged up by hyperlinks to interactive content throughout their book. But I'm not an author.
When I pick up my Kindle, my intention is to read. Not be distracted and tempted to "just check my e-mail really quick", or "see what Johnny just posted on my Facebook wall". At the end of the day, the early iPad adopters will just be upset when, in 6-8 months, Apple adds a camera. Then, all these iPads will flood the used market and people will exclaim "Non-camera iPad will only be like $50 in 6 months, who would want that?" and the cycle will continue.
But I'll still be very content reading my eBooks on my reading device because it just works, and it works well. As will hundreds of thousands of others. I think I charge the thing every 2-3 weeks in fact. And it has built in 3G for free so I can quickly "check the weather, news". If I wanted anything more, I'd use my Macbook Pro that I've invested much more money in.
Love my Kindle DX (which is the real iPad comparison not the standard Kindle) but there were a number of issues I thought could be improved from day one.
1) Page turning would be much nicer if it were faster. There are a number of times when I wanted to go back a few pages to re-read a passage and it's numbingly slow.
1a) Screen redrawing and overall slow speed make purchasing a less than ideal experience. Same with web-browsing. If I know which book I want, it's easy to do on the Kindle. If I'm browsing for a book, I almost always use the iPhone or laptop.
2) Page turning with the buttons is also a clunky way to do it
3) Bookmark function is an afterthought. There's no way to organize your bookmarks, it's just a long list from every book you've put a bookmark in.
The other day I needed to have my email handy while I was reading. What did I use? My Kindle and my iPhone. While I understand the idea of one appliance for one function, I still think you could read on the iPad and not be distracted. However if you need to do more then one thing the iPad trumps the Kindle.
As for market for the iPad. I fully expect that within 6-12 months the initial models will be replaced with something better. I think you're kidding yourself if you think they'll sell for $50. The 1st generation iPhone is still selling on ebay for over $200.
It really isn't necessary for 40 people to quote DaHarder. It looks terrible with one post, let alone 40
Dying product in a dying store.
Love my Kindle DX (which is the real iPad comparison not the standard Kindle) but there were a number of issues I thought could be improved from day one.
1) Page turning would be much nicer if it were faster. There are a number of times when I wanted to go back a few pages to re-read a passage and it's numbingly slow.
1a) Screen redrawing and overall slow speed make purchasing a less than ideal experience. Same with web-browsing. If I know which book I want, it's easy to do on the Kindle. If I'm browsing for a book, I almost always use the iPhone or laptop.
2) Page turning with the buttons is also a clunky way to do it
3) Bookmark function is an afterthought. There's no way to organize your bookmarks, it's just a long list from every book you've put a bookmark in.
.
Thank you for listing 3 reasons why the Kindle is such a sub-standard product. These are gross misteps that you'd never find in an Apple designed product. Why? Apple actually considers what "turning a page" looks and feels like, because they know it matters.
What does every other company including Amazon do: "How can do this, cheap?"
Thank you for listing 3 reasons why the Kindle is such a sub-standard product. These are gross misteps that you'd never find in an Apple designed product. Why? Apple actually considers what "turning a page" looks and feels like, because they know it matters.
What does every other company including Amazon do: "How can do this, cheap?"
My God, people like you really exist? I can't understant so much hate, ignorance and fanatism?
Thank God people like a lot of this forum hasn't been born in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
My God, people like you really exist? I can't understant so much hate, ignorance and fanatism?
Thank God people like a lot of this forum hasn't been born in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
It isn't his fault Apple is already way ahead of the pack. He's just stating the truth.
The e-readers are one-trick ponies.
Time to interject some actual 'objectivity' into this thread as no one here seems to actually own a Kindle minus one or two of you, the rest seem to come up with biases for a device they've never tried (the Kindle) versus a device that isn't even out yet (the iPad). I purchased my Kindle directly from Amazon (refurbished) for $219. That's little less than 40% the cost of the basic iPad.
The Kindle does book reading at the best possible level you can accomplish without being an actual book.
I *do* own the Sony reader. And I think you are wrong. Particularly "best possible level" remark.
The e-ink reading experience is simply so slow it is painful. Any change to the screen content takes an age. A simple page turn might take a entire second or sometimes two.
When reading a novel from front to back, this is not so big a deal.
But when I use a real book, I flick through the pages to find a section I want. I flip back a few pages to re-cap. With text books I want to flick to the index, then hop around the sections I need.
Speed of navigation is essential in a real book. And e-ink kills that dead. Kindle-like e-books are simply un-usable for text-books and reference books because the navigation is so painful.
C.
That Kindle interest is waning due to the iPad isn't suprising to me.
The e-readers are one-trick ponies.
I agree. No surprise.
But I also think that the 'Pad is a three-trick pony, and that when full featured Tablets appear, the 'Pad will likewise diminish in desirability.
I agree. No surprise.
But I also think that the 'Pad is a three-trick pony, and that when full featured Tablets appear, the 'Pad will likewise diminish in desirability.
I must have been dreaming, but I seem to remember full-featured tablets being sold for the last 10 years.
C.
I must have been dreaming, but I seem to remember full-featured tablets being sold for the last 10 years.
C.
It's funny, it seems the same people saying that the iPad will fail because all tablets have failed for the last decade are also saying that Apple should used a desktop OS in them, which I think is the crux of the tablet problem all these years.
I'd wager that the iPad will be the most successful tablet out of the gate and that many others will follow using Android OS. Perhaps even WinPh7* and WebOS will follow suit at some point.
* WinPh7 is Courier, but since it's just vapourware mockup at this point it doesn't yet count as an actual product coming to fruition.
So, notifications won't show if you're reading?
And now about the topic, iPad and e-ink readers are very different things and with very different targets. If I want mostly read I will buy an e-ink ereader, if I need something more I will buy an iPad.
I won't trade a e-ink reader for a tablet if I want an experience as close as posible to an actual book
P.S. A think that amazes me, is how easy almost everyone in this thread bashes anything that is not Apple.
I'm a die hard Mac user- mini server, Macbooks, iPhone, iPod Touch, et al, but E-ink on the readers cannot be replaced by tablets or netbooks, or PCs. The E-ink works well in ambient light and the battery drain is nil. They are also lighter and more portable for screen size than any netbook or tablet. I have a Sony PRS-600 Touch Edition and, while the screen contrast is said to by somewhat lacking, it works fine for me in good light. It has a quick responsive touch screen and is light and easy to use.- first rate in my book. No tablet will replace it for me- I'm a reader, and all I need to see is text. For night time, I have an Asus EEE Netbook with XP, because Steve Jobs wouldn't give me a cheap netbook with OS-X. The Asus works well as a night time reader; Windows stinks and always will. Eventually I'll get a lighter Macbook with a 10 or 11" screen if they ever make one, and I'll go with that. I might even get an iPad now with Wi-Fi. (I'll tether an iPhone later.) But the iPad can't ever replace the Sony Reader, which is far more practical, because of it's portability and E-ink.