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Has anyone looked into this new product yet? I'm a sucker for Mac but I've avoided e-readers so far. With the release of this though, I'm intrigued.

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Look very closely at the iPad before you jump, Fiona.  It's a backlit LCD screen rather than e-ink as the majority of e-readers are.  That means more eye fatigue (think reading text on your laptop vs reading a book) and significantly greater power consumption (think a day or two vs a week or more).  It's got more computing power than most of the e-readers, but significantly less than a netbook.  Also, check your connection capability and cost...it's not free.  It will function as an e-reader, but if that's your primary purpose for your iPad usage, dedicated e-readers from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony and others may be more suitable.

In short, most industry insiders are waiting to see which way this jumps with most feeling that the iPad has filled a non-existent niche between a smart phone (think iPhone) and a netbook at twice the price of either.

Phil

 

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Sage advice. Thanks, Phil. I'm all Mac in everything I do, so I figured it would make sense to keep everything compatible. As I say, I'm not a fan of e-reading but I am doing a lot of travel these days and the books I lug around are incredibly heavy. And I'm not one of those people who can toss a book away, especially if I've loved it. I give away so many. Anyway, I'm not rushing into an e-reader and I will definitely take a long hard look before I leap. I appreciate your advice. F

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I agree Phil, it's early days regarding this technology. I'm happy with my eReader. I have found the non-back lit reading experience quite natural & I have the added bonus of storing music & photo's. The built-in dictionary is also really handy & quick to use. I like the idea of saving paper too - and the fact that I can carry so many books around with me so easily. The only gripe I have is that they are still quite expensive & they don't come with the accessories you really want (a decent cover with reading light just cost me around £50), just good marketing practice I guess.