IPAD AS A EBOOK READER

A rough guide to using a iPad as a ebook reader

Written by Vialas.
Creative Commons protected - Distribute in Original Form
 The iPad as a eBook Reader
The iPad has now been around for a few months, and while there are many reviews out
there that provide some spectacular opinions on the device, I wish to provide an in-depth
review on the usage of the iPad as an ebook reader. Before I get started with the good
stuff, I wish to add a small caveat: I have never used any other ebook reader (with the
exception of testing some out in a shop) and thus this review is written largely as a first
time eBook reader.

Furthermore, it is important to remember that the iPad is not simply an ebook reader; it is
an obscure mixture of devices that provides a range of uses that extends beyond simply
reading books. As stated earlier, there are a plethora of reviews and I encourage you to
read a few to get a greater appreciation of the device and its uses (which are beyond the
scope of this document). The iPad itself, on first impression, is quite slim and perhaps a
little smaller than you might first envision and is also surprisingly heavier than you would
expect. This weight translates (perhaps incorrectly) that the device is quite sturdy. Unlike
some of the other ebook readers I have tinkered with, the iPad is an extremely sleek
device, which comes as no surprise considering Appleʼs previous product range.

Before delving into the specifics of the ebook experience, I wish to spend some time
discussing the device itself, as this is what you will be reading your books on.

Design
Despite the fact that the aesthetics of a product
are ultimately a personal opinion, you would be
hard pressed to find too many critics that find
Apple designed products 'ugly'. Apple in the
past has always made products that are not
only contemporary but also visually appealing.
Apple has not let us down with the design of its
newest addition to the family: the iPad. The
face of the iPad has few distractions except for
the home button which allows the user to jump
back to the home screen or double click to
perform a user defined action (limited to search,
home screen or open the ipod application).

The Screen.
Apple has gone for an LED backlit display; this screen provides an amazing display. The
screen looks more like a window than a screen, with the original wallpaper of the device
looking incredibly crisp. Appleʼs choice of an LED screen allows for a lot of flexibility. LED
backlit displays are optimal for consumption of media such as movies and video.
Unfortunately, this is where the usage of the iPad as an ebook reader faces its first
drawback.
While the screen provides a great experience indoors for a range of activities it, does not
live up to the mark when used outdoors. The reflective screen of the iPad becomes a large
mirror, and using the device, be it for reading or otherwise, becomes a task.

This generally has me putting the screen brightness on the highest it can and trying to find
a shady spot so I can use it without too many problems. While this is a big limitation, I do
find myself using the device indoors the majority of the time and it has not been too much
of an issue. However, if you wish to do a lot of outdoor reading, you may find that the iPad
screen does not live up to the task.

The LED screen does have significant benefits for ebook usage, too. E-Ink technology,
while allowing for amazing text display, has its limitations in color (vital for some diagrams)
in addition to the slow page turning which can be quite off-putting. The iPad page turning,
for the most part, is instantaneous and very smooth, allowing for a more natural reading
experience.

On the topic of screens, I wish to address a concern that has been raised a number of
times: that the LED screen may create eye strain and headaches. However, from my
personal experience, this has not been an issue. I have had no problems reading for an
extended period of time. Overall, I think the compromise Apple has made for ebook
reading is an acceptable one, especially considering the device can and is used for other
purposes that would be seriously restricted if e-Ink was used (in its current form). Having
said this, I think once e-Ink technology develops further we may see an LED/e-Ink hybrid
that will be employed by Apple.

Ipad as a eBook Reader

Reviewing the iPad as a ebook reader is a difficult task, largely due to the fact that the
experience changes depending on the application being used to read the book. This
review will limit itself to considering three ebook readers only: iBook , Kindle and Stanza.

Importantly, the iPad reader supports a few popular ebook formats, most notably the
following: pain text, pdf, ePub, mobipocket, eReader, Kindle , Tome Raider and Open
eBook. Although some of these require additional applications (eg Kindleʼs format is only
usable on the Kindle reader), I have indicated by a (*) applications that support user added
ebooks, as this is a feature that many users require (be it for already purchased ebooks,
lecture notes, or your own pdfs).
iBook *
Appleʼs attempt at an ebook
reader sees the birth of the
iBook application. This is a solid
first attempt by Apple at an
ebook application, although one
can hardly expect any different
from the company. The first
appearance of iBook reveals a
bookshelf, which will be the
home of your new digital library,
should you chose to favor this
application. The sorting of
ebooks under iBook falls under
two modes. The first is the
Bookshelf mode: books in this
mode can be moved around and
will stay in the order that you List Mode Bookshelf Mode
place them. The second is the (rearranging order)
list mode: in this mode you can
arrange the books by bookshelf
(same order as the icon bookshelf), titles, authors and finally by category. The ability to
store your books this way will prove to be useful as your library grows. Having said this, I
think the easiest way to find your books will be through the “search,” which at this time is
only available in the list mode.

Reading Experience
The reading experience provided by iBooks is quite a pleasurable one. The page turning
can either be instant or page flip, with the page flip animation being decidedly the best of
its competitors. However, page flipping really is a gimmick.

Double clicking on a word allows for instant options to be

displayed, these include copy (providing the ebook doesn't
have protection), dictionary, highlight (5 colors), notes and
search. Although it is self explanatory, the notes option
allows for annotation of the text. Upon selecting this, a
little post-it note appears on the screen overlaid on the
book, and you are able to add your note and then press
the background to close the note. Once the note has been
added, a small post-it note will be added to the right
margin of the book with the date. Clicking on the post-it
note opens the note up again and allows for the note to be
read.

The final addition I wish to speak about is the dictionary.

The dictionary is an extremely useful feature that allows
in-text lookup of a word. Due to the ease of use, I have realized with this feature I am
looking up words a lot more than I normally would. An advantage of ebooks over that of
their cousins (paper books) is the ability to search within a book. This is great for looking
for quotes, checking up on previous readings, or doing research for an assignment. This
feature will be invaluable for students; however, this could prove useful for the general
reader looking to find just that favorite part in a book.

iBook Shop: Because the iBook shop is only a few months old, it does not contain as
many titles (nor publishers) as that of its rivals barns and noble or Amazonʼs online
bookstores. However, having said this, it is a safe assumption that as the ipad user base
grows publishers will line up to get in on the party. Unfortunately for those living outside
USA the ebook store is further depleted. For the unlucky, (those countries in which apple
has not secured legal agreements with) only Project Gutenberg ebooks are available.

Settings
iBook has few settings available. The options it does allow are
those of the of text size, 6 choices of font and finally a setting for
sepia paper color. I have found the sepia mode provides a softer
screen and thus is easier on the eyes.

User added eBooks

iBook allows for users to add their own ebooks into the program.
This is done fairly simply providing they are of the correct format.
A simple drag and drop of the file into itunes media library will see
the ebook file copied to the itunes folder and added to the itunes
library (this is by default; you can chose to have the file simply
added to itunes without the file being copied over).

The iBook application stores ebooks in two sections: that of ebooks, and the other PDFs—
the two are separated. I can only assume Apple expects PDFs added into the iPad are to
be documents rather than ebooks. However, despite the two being separated on the
bookshelf, the two behave in the same way.

Kindle
The Kindle platform is one that has been around
for quite some years and thus has a major
advantage over Appleʼs ebook store.
Additionally, unlike that of Appleʼs ebooks,
purchased ebooks from the Kindle store are
able to roam. This roaming feature allows you
read the ebook on your pc, Kindle and iPad and
will synchronize to obtain the correct position in
the book irrespective of what device you used
last (dubbed whispersync).

Reading Experience
The Kindle provides a few unique features that build on the ones that are standard (page
flipping, text size and font). One of these is the ability to show Popular Highlights. This
feature allows you to see what other users reading the same book are highlighting. (This is
perhaps a prelude to notes and comments being synced between friends) Additionally, a
nice feature is that your annotations are backed up on Amazonʼs servers, so not only can
you view them on your other devices, but if your book got deleted by accident you could
re-download and obtain your annotations again.

The Kindle separates your book into

thirds: the left side of the book, when
tapped or double tapped, turns the page
back; the middle puts the HUD on, and
the right moves the page one step
forward. Holding on a word brings up the
in-text menu that allows you to add a note
or highlight. Unlike the iBook application,
there is no dictionary available for usage
through the Kindle, nor colored
highlighting. The notes taken in the
Kindle are signified with a little icon next
to the word. Furthermore, when selecting
the note, a little speech bubble pops up
with your annotation contained within.

Book Shop
The Kindle applications book store, as previously mentioned is the already well
established Amazon ebook store. It is arguably the most comprehensive store with many
publishers signed up. With such a well-established shop there is little to be said about this
store, it is comprehensive and has many reviews and users. It is definitely worth a browse.

Settings
The Kindle application has one feature that
builds on those the ibook application lacks.
Further than simply allowing for a sepia setting
it allows for the book to be black background
with off white text. I have found this to be useful
when reading in low light level areas such as at
night. I assume this mode was put in place to
appease those who had concerns about the
device giving eye strain when reading off a LED
screen that is backlit.
User added eBooks
Not possible at this point in time.

Stanza *
Stanza is by far the most customizable of all the ebook applications. The program has an
open source feel to it; however, it is a solid application that deserves some time to
experience its full potential. One additional feature that is not present on the other two
applications already discussed is a progress pie chart on the bookshelf of the program.
The dictionary in Stanza is web based (rather than using the ipadʼs built-in dictionary);
additionally, the click and hold brings up a paragraph window that lets you define a word,
annotate, or share part of that paragraph selected.

Reading Experience
Due to the amount of personalization
available, it is difficult to comment on the
general feel of the application. It is possible
to make this app work exactly how you want
it to run.

Book Shop
The bookshop of Stanza is based on a
number of 'depositories' rather than simply
one shop. These are arranged into two
sections, one being purchased stores and
another for free sources. Interestingly, there
is even a depository for free sheet music.

Settings
The settings in Stanza far surpass those of its counterparts. Some of the changes you can
enact are auto-load books, notifications, export to itunes, themes, text, background and
link colors, extensive font selection and font sizes, alignment and line spacing, paragraph
spacing, and you can even change the way controls work.

User Added eBooks

There are various methods in which you can add books to Stanza. Most are beyond the
purpose of this document. The simplest method is again using itunes and the 'share files'
feature. While this does not provide the itunes book management, it does get the book
onto the iPad.

Limitations
There are, without a doubt, a great many limitations that can be listed when it comes to the
iPad. Listed below are a few limitations I have noticed.
Lack of Reform
While the iPad does allow for the ability to read eBooks, this is (unfortunately) exactly
where it ends. The applications do not really push to take advantage of the platform they
exist on (electronic). Sure, the applications let you search and make digital annotations,
and with the exception of Kindles ʻpopular highlights,ʼ there is a great void in what could be
made possible.

For example, allowing the application to tap into your contacts stream (be it facebook,
gmail or shelfari for example) and match the books you own with those of your friends
would be an excellent addition. When a match is made between a friend of yours and your
book, an extra option of discussion should be made available. In addition, perhaps icons of
where your friends are up to in the book could also be made.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be seen through the three free downloadable applications the iPad
does provide a good and stable ebook platform. While there are some limitations and
issues regarding the screen, the iPad provides the modern reader with a good way to read
ebooks. It has many advantages for dedicated ebook readers in that there is a lot of room
for customizing, color screen, and instant turn pages to name a few. Hopefully this review
has provided an insight into the programs available and how the iPad could serve you as
an ebook reader.

I would have no hesitation to recommend such a reader to anyone, both tech geek or
general user alike. If you have any questions or wish to add to this review (it by no means
is absolute) please do contact me.