One Week with an iPad as eReader

[Klaatu]

So I've had my iPad for about a week now, and since we get a lot of discussion about whether this device would make a good eReader I decided to give it a good whirl. I downloaded iBooks and the Nook for iPad app and tried to find the same eBook to read; I settled on Dracula (since it is free) but could not find exactly the same edition for both apps. So first the good news.

The iPad screen is actually quite nice to read on. In both apps I set the text to Times New Roman, set the background to Sepia and turned the brightness down to about halfway (the iPad screen is *really* bright at full brightness) and went to town. I read a chapter each in each app. The good news is that the actual reading experience in each app is quite pleasant and easy on the eyes once you get everything adjusted to your liking. Unfortunately things started to diverge from there.

The first point of divergence is that there is no way at all to either side-load content or organize it in the Nook for iPad app. None. There is no support for metadata, nor is there any way to create any sort of "shelves" or any other organization in the Nook for iPad app. It's either list by Recent, Title, Author, or my rating. Nothing else. So forget keeping a series in order; it just isn't going to happen. The iBooks app isn't much better, though. Although you can side-load content (I'll get into how much of a pain that is momentarily) and can create "shelves" for some minimal organization it's usefulness is very limited since iBooks also doesn't really support metadata the way the Sony Reader OS does.

So how do you side-load content to iBooks on an iPad, I hear you asking? Why, which iTunes, silly, how else. And let me say right now that as outstanding as iTunes is at organizing music, how very good it is as organizing videos, it is completely unsuited to cataloging and organizing eBooks. Just don't use it. Apple needs to do some serious feature re-writes and adding of features if they really want iTunes to be the one-stop-shop for all your digital media. So to get my eBooks into iBooks I had to use Calibre to, first, sync my eBooks with iTunes, then sync iTunes with my iPad. And, just like the Nook for iPad app, there is very little support for metadata so forget keeping a series in order, although you can at least make "shelves" in iBooks so you can put a series in its own little area. But neither iTunes nor iBooks really respects any metadata.

So what is the long and short here? For me, an iPad is no where near to replacing my Sony Daily Reader (PRS 950) until Apple makes some serious improvements to both iTunes and iBooks. As nice as it is to read on the iPad the Sony or a Nook or Kindle, are simply going to be better devices for serious readers.

Regards,
Michael

[Meemo]

My husband has used iTunes to put books on his iPad. I just attach the book file to an e-mail to myself, then use iBooks (or Bluefire Reader for library books) to open the attachment - easier for me. I don't put a bunch of books on at a time, have really only read parts of one book in iBooks (at bedtime in night mode). I like it in landscape mode with the two-page look - thought two pages would be distracting, but a full page is just too much text all at once for me. I never thought I'd like reading on the iPad at all, but once I gave it a chance, the actually reading wasn't bad at all.

Unfortunately you can't just put iBooks into night setting, you have to put the entire iPad into night mode, which makes everything else look a bit...odd. Many of the other reading apps (including Nook, Kindle, Stanza and others) have a night setting.

I agree though - I'd never want to try to dump a bunch of books onto the iPad like I sometimes do with my other readers. And I'd never want it to be my primary reader.

[mscott998t]

I just attach the book file to an e-mail to myself, then use iBooks

*slaps forehead* Now why didn't *I* think of that!!

I love my iPad for so many things, but now that the sun is actually shining here in Michigan, I'm finding it terribly hard to read on. So, for Mother's Day, I've asked for a real e-reader. I think it will be much eye-easier.

The one thing I just love about iBooks is the dictionary. From what I've seen on other e-readers, the iBooks dictionary is way better.

[Klaatu]

One thing I just realized I forgot to include: there is no pinch-n-zoom feature in the Nook for iPad app but this feature works brilliantly in iBooks. Just double-tap the image you want to explore and it becomes a standalone image which you can pinch-n-zoom to your hearts content. Makes viewing maps and such in novels like A Game of Thrones a breeze.

Regards,
Michael

[Meemo]

*slaps forehead* Now why didn't *I* think of that!!

I love my iPad for so many things, but now that the sun is actually shining here in Michigan, I'm finding it terribly hard to read on. So, for Mother's Day, I've asked for a real e-reader. I think it will be much eye-easier.

The one thing I just love about iBooks is the dictionary. From what I've seen on other e-readers, the iBooks dictionary is way better.

Hmm, I haven't used the dictionary in iBooks yet, will have to try that to see the difference.

Just realized that when I go to open an ePub on my iPad that's attached to an e-mail, I get several options of installed apps for opening it - iBooks, Stanza, Bluefire Reader, Borders, Kobo, even Dropbox - but not Nook. I'd thought that might be an option for sideloading to the Nook app, but I guess not.

[mscott998t]

Just realized that when I go to open an ePub on my iPad that's attached to an e-mail,

Someone else had talked about e-mailing themselves an e-book in order to get it onto the iPad. Clever! I never had thought of it, but its the perfect way to transfer those files.

[thekarens]

I love my iPad, but it's way too heavy to use as a reader for any length of time. I still find Nook classic to be easier on the eyes too.

[Christine Kersey]

Thanks for the review of the iPad regarding eBooks. Before I bought my nook color, I considered getting an iPad, but decided since my primary purpose for a device like that was to read, the nook color was a better fit for me. It sounds like I made the right choice (although I'm sure an iPad would be fun to have for other reasons as well).

[Klaatu]

You're welcome.

Bear in mind that just because I don't find the iPad an appropriate eReader doesn't mean someone else might. Each person needs to evaluate it on their own.

Regards,
Michael

[MarionSipe]

Thanks for this! I've been thinking of getting an iPad (I'd read books on it, but for other things as well) and it's good to see a discussion of how all of these stack up to one another.