nook, kindle, IPAD

[luvcruz"n]

Don't know about the Nook, but the Kindle with 3G can be used (for FREE) anywhere there's a cellphone signal it can roam to. Your email provider needs to have a webpage that looks good on low-bandwidth devices like cellphones for best results. I use Yahoo mail; I think others have been successful with GMail on the Kindle.

 

Hi there- how do you retrieve gmail using the Kindle? I have the 3G, Wifi one. Will it be an option in the "menu" section?:)

[Happy ks]

The internet access on the Kindle is great, but I will say that reading this particular bulletin board on the Kindle 2 is an exercise in frustration. Too many graphics in people's signatures (mine included) makes the pages slow to load and causes too few posts per Kindle screen.

 

Maybe the K3 browser is better but I suspect this is a general problem.

 

Go to your user CP, select edit options and then scroll down to (I think) thread options. Youc an de-select "show signatures" "show avatars" and "show images" and that will cut down on the length of the pages a whole lot. I deselected "show images" a long time ago, it still shows up as a link if you want to see the pic people put up.

[Happy ks]

Mrs. Pete, great comparison. I had a hard time trying to decide which to get, but when Kindle came down in price it was a no brainer for me.

 

I really wanted the e-reader feature more than anything else.

 

I'd love to have an Ipad in the future, but it would be more for entertainment than anything else. Right now I'll stick with my Kindle and my Ipod touch, loaded with a few movies and music.

 

What would be awesome would be for the Ipad to have an option where you could switch to e-ink for easier reading. And of course a screen with no glare.

[silentbob007]

Hi there- how do you retrieve gmail using the Kindle? I have the 3G, Wifi one. Will it be an option in the "menu" section?:)

 

You can't just pull it down ... you have to navigate to the gmail webpage. I believe web browsing is still under the "experimental" settings.

[Underwatr]

The mobile version of a webpage is frequently identified by using m.... rather than www.... So the mobile version of gmail can be reached (I just verified this) by navigating to http://m.gmail.com.

[countrycruzr]

Kindle or Nook work great in the bright sun.

 

Before I bought my Kindle, I used a kindle app on my iPod Touch, and it is hard to read outside, and impossible to read in the sun. I suspect the iPad is the same.

 

My eldest son has a Nook, and it is pretty much the same as a Kindle.

 

I also take a small netbook (Acer Aspire One) with me for internet access. A netbook is a lot easier to carry around than a full sized laptop. And they are a lot cheaper, and if lost, stolen, or broken, it's not that expensive.

 

One criticism about netbooks is that they are slow, and they are. But I dual boot mine, Ubuntu and Windows XP. Under Ubuntu, the netbook is as fast as my laptop under Windows. I use Gimp on the netbook and it is fast and powerful enough that I can edit photos if I want to.

 

Ah, fellow Linux user! I also dual boot my netbook and my Dell with Windows, which I only use for a couple of programs that aren't easy to get work on Ubuntu. It is so much faster, easier and secure.

 

I have a Kindle which was fine, but wanted the color features, so I gave that to DH and now have a color nook. It's great at night. You don't need a light as it has a backlight. It is hard to read in the sun, but you can get anti glare film for that. It's an acceptable trade off for me.

[hubofhockey]

I had thought of pros and cons of getting a kindle and decided against it. The iPad is just more functional and I don't want to pay for the two things that can be used as readers. The next generation of iPads are going to weigh much less. So, I'm waiting for it to come out this Spring. iPads will also work with a slingbox and outlook. I guess that I would never bring anything that expensive to a beach in any case.

[Treven]

I have an iPad and yes, it's pretty useless in the sun - so I don't try to sit in the sun & read a book. If I'm in the sun I sit & listen to music on my iPad, or I'll sit under the overhang from the deck above.

With blond hair & skin tone to go with that I really don't have a good reason to sit for long spells in the sun. Last summer I had to have a skin cancer cut off one of my eyelids; and of course the surgeon was haranging (sp) me for being out in the sun - in my 20s-40s I pretty much was out in the sun playing tennis every day.

[djmasterj]

After reading all the posts... This sounds like an ad for the kindle. If all you want is an e reader for cruising or at the beach then the kindle is the way to go. However, if you travel a lot, find yourself communicating with loved ones, doing a little work or if you have kids including your significant other. There is no other choice than the iPad, tons of apps, lightweight, accessories and more. IPad 2 will be announced on March 2nd. It will be lighter, brighter screen and cameras for FaceTime chat. That's my humble opinion from a techno geek IT professional.

[kingoftheicedragons]

Love my Kindle. The only reason I did not consider the Nook was the possible instability of B&N. They have been closing tons of stores lately. The e-books have been very hard on book stores.

 

Off topic I know, but the only way BN goes completely out of business is if everybody stops reading. That includes Borders and Amazon. Even if BN closes all of their physical stores, their website still does amazing business for them, and they can operate it with a very reduced staff and almost no overhead. Look at Borders closing a third of their stores--even they are saying their online store is doing well and isn't going anywhere.

[kingoftheicedragons]

Can Kindle or Nook be used with the internet to check email?

 

You definitely can with the nook--you can go to any website that has a mobile site just like you could with a cell phone.

 

You never used to be able to with the kindle, but I think they are or soon will add that feature.

[Jobeth66]

You definitely can with the nook--you can go to any website that has a mobile site just like you could with a cell phone.

 

You never used to be able to with the kindle, but I think they are or soon will add that feature.

 

You've been able to access the Internet on the Kindle since day one of the very first version. It's considered 'experimental', but it works just fine, and always has.

[MediaManNJ]

I've got a Kindle (gen 2) and an iPad. I bring both with me when my wife and I cruise. Each have their places.

 

The Kindle is hands down the winner for reading books. My wife and I each have one. The sun never effects the screen, and it doesn't over heat in the sun. She has a neoprene case she keeps hers in while we're at the pool or on a beach, to keep sand and water splashes off of it. It works great! If somehow my Kindle were to die today, I'd order another one, no questions asked. That said, I know someone who has 6 Kindles on his account, and has had 2 problems with them dieing. Both times Amazon was very helpful and he had a replacement within 2 days.

 

We use the iPad for watching movies and checking email (sadly, I have to for work). I occasionally use it for a book reader for larger, more complex PDFs, and it's really awful reading on it compared to my Kindle. It puts more strain on your eyes, and isn't always as sharp. Not to mention, the shear weight of the thing. You think, "1.6lbs, that's not all that heavy". Wait till you lay in bed or on the couch and try to hold it with one hand for 20-30 minutes. That 1.6lbs feels like 20. The Kindle 2 is really light and easily holdable. My sister has the Kindle 3, which almost defies gravity it's so light.

 

HTH!

--Brian

[Ellee]

ok, so i'm considering buying a nook, kindle or IPAD for reading, anyone use one of these while cruising? and cons to any of these in the sun?

 

I have both a Kindle and iPad. Kindle is wonderful for reading and beats the iPad for reading in sunny places. You can also listen to books, albeit a robotic voice on Kindle. There is an e-mail app underdevelopment but it is slow. Used the Kindle on a transatlantic and loaded it with books, translation dictionary, and suduko. I was rarely without it. Noticed more passengers with Kindle than iPad.

 

iPad is great for number of apps that allow you to more easily play games, catch up on e-mail and news. Reading is brighter than Kindle but difficult on beach or top deck. Great for reading at night in darkened cabin.

 

Kindle is lighter and easier to tuck in a purse or carry on. Hope this helps. Happy cruising.:)

[Zahavi]

My vote is for the Kindle for reading anywhere the is enough light to read a traditional book. Actually the brighter the better. As a bonus if you have an iPad, PC, iPhone, Android there is an App that allows reading your Kindle books and they all stay synced. I often read my Kindle books on My Droid X phone and when I pick up my Kindle DX it is synced with where I left off reading on the Droid.

[3rd&4thT]

If you just want to read books and check email, get the Kindle 3 with WiFi and 3G. As noted above, turn off images and the page will load fast enough. And the 3G will keep you in contact without having to scramble to find a WiFi connection.

 

BTW, we often check Wikipedia while traveling. It serves as fine background reading for the towns we visit. The Kindle is fine for that. Wouldn't want to jam an iPad into our daypack.

[cjsebastian]

My nook Color works fine in the sun - and will be just perfect on the upcoming cruise! I love it for reading books, magazines, playing games, etc. A great new toy for me!

[Chorts]

After reading all these posts, it sounds as if Kindle and Nook are the only ebook readers out there. They are not. I have an Aluratek Libre Pro and love it. I read books on it.....that's it. I can also use it as an mp3 player. I download from my library and purchase books too. If all you need it for is to read books, then there are many other ebook readers on the market. Many have wi-fi capabilities as well. I think these are always discussed because they were the first ones on the market. And yes, I can read my Libre in full sunlight. In fact, the more light, the better. Just wanted to chime in that Kindle and Nook are not the only ebook readers out there.

[drumcorpsmom]

We bought Kindles for Christmas and will be using them for the first time on our 3 week cruise with HAL next week. I haven't read with it yet, but my husband really likes his. Just a word of caution to Canadians.... a lot of ebooks are not available to Canadians. I love James Patterson & can buy his hardcover books here, but Amazon will not sell me their ebooks. This is a real bummer. If I go down to the states & change my address to where I am, then I can order them. This does not make sense, and hopefully they will resolve this in the future.:mad:

[prprincess]

I wanted to also chime in on this subject. I have a Kindle 2nd Gen. and it is great in the sun. I absolutely love it!! You can use it for basic web use and it can be used for audiobooks as well. Since it is so lightweight, I can hold it for long periods of time without feeling like my hand will fall off. It also holds its charge a lot longer if you keep the 3G turned off when not trying to download any new books. :p

[Jim from Bako]

I use my Kindle on all my trips. I use to carry a lot of hardbacks and give them away on the cruises, but now I can carry even more books on my Kindle. I also take my Macbook Pro for internet, and other uses. I'm sure the nook is really good also but hope B&N can stay in business.

[Charlie44]

I use the Kobo - love it! It is easy to use (just an eReader); I can download library books, and it seems to work well in the sun for me. I can't travel without it! Good luck making a choice...

[besberry]

I've downloaded Kindle on to my iPad and read books on it, but I find it too heavy somehow, strange because it's lighter than most books! :confused: I'll be taking my Kindle to read books on and my iPad for everything else! :rolleyes:

[Florida cruisee]

We have Nooks in our family. The access to free books is one huge benefit. The other (which I am not sure is an option with a Kindle) is that I can load all my Window docs in PDF form on my Nook for travel. I carry all my reservations, walking tours, information on my Nook when traveling.

 

You will find more Kindle comments because it has the majority of the ereader market. There are some point by point comparison charts on the net. That will help you make up your mind. And yes, I access my email via my Nook - and anything else on the web for that matter.

[kpatters13]

I have seen many comments about the Color Nook not working in direct sunlight. I have had no problem at all, just turn up brightness. Works great and is 1/3 the price of Ipad. Also unlike the Kindle that requires an add on light to read in bed the ColorNook doesn't. Great value.

I own one something that the poeple making comments may not.

Easy to travel with, highly recommmend