Reading on iPad
I have a confession. I’ve been reading on my iPad. Darnit. I have some paper books I need to make some progress on, but I’m enjoying reading on the iPad.
What has tempted me to the backlit side? Kindle features free current Kindle editions, and some of them have looked good. I’m not sure how this impacts author royalties, but in almost all cases, I wouldn’t have purchased the paper copies of the books I downloaded — they are authors who are new to me in all cases but one.
From what I can tell, this serves two purposes which may ultimately benefit authors in general. First, it lures me into reading on the iPad (or whatever device a reader uses to read Kindle books). That’s something anyone who has read here recently knows I was reluctant to do.
Second, I have the opportunity to familiarize myself with authors I don’t know. Most of the books seem to be from a romance genre, but at least one appears to be in the inspirational thriller realm.
Coupling these two methodologies together, I could at some point be lured into (gasp!) purchasing e-books. Because, yes, they are convenient. There are times when a paper book is more convenient, but, increasingly, I’m seeing advantages to either format.
Before I got the iPad, there was virtually no advantage to an eBook for me. Now, I see some possibilities.
I don’t read my e-book that much, but it’s fan-freaking-tastic for vacations. I get distracted reading in airports so having the option to switch from non-fiction to fluff when my concentration goes kaput is great. I’ve done what you’ve done, too. When I got my e-book I went to the sale/free section and downloaded stuff I wouldn’t normally buy. I’ve discovered that I like Jane Austen now, and Daniel DeFoe is readable for short amounts of time.
That’s what I like about the iPad. I bought it to do other things with it, and the eBook capability is a bonus. I feared a dedicated reader would be under-utilized.
I generally like the physical book for around the house, but when traveling, the compactness of the iPad wins hands’ down. I haven’t unpacked my books in progress from the trip from San Antonio yet, that’s why I’ve been wandering around the ereader. I do think being able to read without the bedside lamp on is a plus when hubby is around. He leaves my light on for me because he goes to bed before I do (also gets up before I do — we’re about 2 hours off from each other). Then, when I come up to bed and he’s asleep, I usually read for several minutes before turning out the light. I could turn it out sooner if I were reading on the iPad. Using Kindle’s black screen, it reduces ambient lighting even more.