The apple of our eye is ripe for reading: iPad review
Technology reviewer, Daniel Kade, turns his eye to the iPad and finds out what all the fuss is about.
Since its launch in April, much has been of the Apple iPad; an interesting 9.7-inch colour touch screen tablet that is pretty much a larger version of the iPhone or iPod touch. The device falls between an e-book reader and a netbook, though in reality it is far from being either as it performs many more functions than an e-book reader, and less than a netbook.
I purchased the iPad as initially I was after an e-book reader. The only e-book reader options available in Australia are the iPad or the Kobo, which is available at Borders bookstore for $200. After inspecting the Kobo in-store and taking my own files to view on it, I found that the screen was too small at 6 inches but more importantly it was super-duper slow which made it pretty much useless to me.
The iPad weighs about 700 grams and comes in six different models. Configurations include 16, 32 and 64 GB of flash storage space and either Wi-Fi or 3G and Wi-Fi. Prices start at $630 with the highest model costing $1050.
Using the iPad as an electronic document reader I found it to be extremely well equipped for this type of function. The screen size is 9.7 inch in size, which makes it large enough to display most electronic documents comfortably. The colour screen is of a very high quality and displays books and comics beautifully – much better than any black and white e-book reader could hope to capture.
A good read
Using the iBooks application, which is Apple’s online store for books, I stayed up in bed late one night reading a book. Despite concerns and criticisms from those who prefer the old-fashion page-turning experience, reading with the iPad is actually very similar to reading with a paper book, as it is designed to look like a printed edition with graphical page turns simulating real pages turning. The weight of the device isn’t much heavier than a standard novel and I didn’t experience any strain on my hands as some reviewers have complained about. There are alternatives to Apple’s online book store, such as Amazon and Borders.
The introduction of electronic books in combination with e-book readers should, in my view, make books more prolific as literature becomes more accessible. The delivery method of books may change with electronic books becoming more popular with a possible reduction in paper books. In particular, books out of copyright can be delivered at no cost to consumers whereas their paper counter parts still attract a cost. Currently, there are thousands of free books such as Alice in Wonderland and works by Oscar Wilde available from online bookstores.
Not all good news …
I take my hat off to the news services that have provided iPad applications to deliver news articles. Applications such as BBC News, Bloomberg and NBR are standout applications that are extremely well presented and functional. NBR, for example, not only includes the written articles but also the audio component as found on the radio and television. The written articles are accessed for free; however, the audio plays a short ad before it begins. It is good to see that the news organisations are experimenting with different business models and recognising changing patterns amongst their readers.
One of the negative aspects of the iPad is that the screen is very reflective and under bright light it is unpleasant to use. I would say that the iPad is suited for dimly lit areas and definitely not for use outdoors. Another problem for me is that the iPad screen attracts fingerprints very easily. I found myself needing a cloth to clean the screen often, though I am not enough of a neat freak to get too annoyed over this.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the iPad device as an electronic document reader; it is comfortable to use and gives me access to much more information than I otherwise would.