Well Apple has been promising (threatening) to introduce a tablet computer and some have been speculating that it will be the "Kindle Killer".
The prospect of an e-reader that would be able to do all the things that the Kindle can do plus more (animated content? Annotations? Full colour magazines!) had me getting fairly excited. Maybe the era of the e-reader as a real replacement for the printed book has actually arrived.
Well, the day came today and Apple's iPad is... not so much.
For one thing, the sucker is huge! Look at it in Steve Jobs' hands.
Well, the day came today and Apple's iPad is... not so much.
For one thing, the sucker is huge! Look at it in Steve Jobs' hands.
Unless he is freakishly small this thing is not going to replace a discrete paperback anytime soon.
Here's what the Globe and Mail had to say:
Partnering with a number of big-name publishers, iBooks represents Apple's attempt to position the iPad as a superior product to the traditional e-reader -- of which Amazon's Kindle is perhaps the most popular. Indeed, the iPad is about the same size as Amazon's larger, more expensive model, the Kindle DX. However even if Apple's estimate of 10 hours battery life is correct, e-readers still beat the device on battery life.
But ultimately, what separates the iPad from its iPredecessors is its more powerful computing ability, something that plays out in the realm of high-definition content. Mr. Jobs was quick to showcase the tablet's ability to play high-definition video from sites such as YouTube. The iPad is configured to run all the existing iPhone applications. But product demonstrations focused on applications that use more processing power, such as graphics-intensive games.
So an e-reader it is among other things. A "Kindle Killer" it is not.
And certainly no replacement to the paper bound book. Books are still the most perfect technology for the delivery of the written word.
Thank you Herr Gutenberg.
And certainly no replacement to the paper bound book. Books are still the most perfect technology for the delivery of the written word.
Thank you Herr Gutenberg.
I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio
1 comment:
One of the biggest limitations of electronic book readers has been they are no good for reading graphically oriented publications like graphic novels, art books etc.
By being large and in full color the Ipad solves this. It also provides the additional advantages of storing a library of music, movies, and games. For a lot of us that concept is pretty cool.
Is it a Kindle Killer? Not until it is selling in the same price range as a Kindle. $600 buys a lot of traditional books and many people won't make the leap until the cost comes way down. I know that's what I'm waiting for.
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