Quote:
Originally Posted by brostholder
Google just announced that they will be offering ebooks to compete with Amazon. I have owned a kindle for about a year now, and I love it. But Google's ebooks will be able to be downloaded on iPads, iPhones, and the Barnes and Nobel Nook, but not on my kindle. I think that if I had to do it all over again, I would just get an iPad. Again, I have been very happy with my kindle but would also like to have access to all the books that google has scanned into their database.
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IIMHO, Google has made serious mistakes getting into the ereader market. The Alex is nearly three times the price of the entry Kindle ereader - Kindle 3. They use the same technology for reading, E ink, though Kindle has a newer and better generation. Alex has the same size-reading screen as Kindle 3 and B&N nook - 6". The critical difference is that Alex and Nook they have the same battery life, 6 hours. Kindle 3 has a battery life of 28 DAYS.
Alex also tried to compete with Apple's iPad. The iPad is nearly the equal of a laptop and easier to carry than any laptop including the Mac Air. Failing to use full capable MS applications is its greatest shortfall. Alex falls so far short of this that it is no contest. Again, Alex has a 6 hour battery life and iPad has a ten hour life (I have verified that for the iPad).
Google tried to find a 'sweet spot' between Kindle and iPad - they discovered by trying to be all things too all people, they failed and the result was an ereader that did nothing particularly well and fell short in all too many areas.
If you want a reader - get Kindle. If you want a multipurpose tablet, get the iPad. Sony, Barnes & Noble, Google, etc. are similar to Commodore and Radio Shack in the early days of personal computers.
As for the libraries, Kindle books can be read on computers, iPads, iPhones and Android phones and readers. Google, for some reason, has chosen not to make its books unavailable to Kindle owners. Making your books unavailable to more than 75% of the market makes no sense to me.
I've used every generation of Kindle as well as recent generations of iPhones and iPads. I take my iPhone and iPad nearly everywhere I go. I take my Kindle 3 when I need something smaller than the iPad and want to travel light. It is lighter, fits into the side pocket of my blazer and never needs a charger during the trip. Just my input to the discussion.