Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Kindle vs. Nook vs. I-Pad vs. ???

We have an iPad and love it. We have a Kindle app on the iPad, so that opens up the options quite a bit for reading. My high school son has downloaded numerous free college textbooks for reading on it, and I use some of the apps on it for my younger son to practice multiplication tables, etc. And he loves the Paint app we have - the multi-touch screen makes for a fun non-mess finger painting project.

Thank you so much for all of your responses. They are so helpful. We are looking specifically for my mom, who is older, for a pure reader, and it sounds like the inexpensive Kindle would be perfect (she doesn't frequent B&N and the less technology the better).

I am considering an I-Pad, as I am going back to school for my MLIS in January. I have a laptop at home, but would like something that is easy to carry around (and I don't need a phone function as I always will have my small basic cell phone with me and I don't want more).

And I am considering the Wifi Kindle for my DS as a holiday gift. He reads like a fiend, and it is likely we will be in Europe for 3-5 months in a year or two during my husband's sabbatical, and it sounds like it might be just the ticket while we are away. But can someone tell me more about the lack of (or availability of) kids literature - he is at the Percy Jackson/Warriors stage.

Thanks again, super helpful. Cat

Google is developing their own version of the IPad. It is suppose to be smaller than the IPad but have the same capabilities. My DH is waiting for that one. I have the Google phone and I have an IPod touch. I have to confess that the IPod keyboard is much nicer but the nice thing about the Google is the open market where anyone can design software. It doesn't have to be approved by Android like Apple's. This opens the door to some interesting software. IE. my DH is a programmer and he quickly became annoyed with the IPod limitations. If you upload a playlist to the IPod you can not download it to your computer. So he designed a software which allowed him to do so but I guarantee Apple would never approve such an application on their site because it would take away from their itune profits.

So I'm curious to see the Google Pad when it comes on the market.

He'll have zero problem finding books at that stage! DD's a lot younger and we're reading stuff like The Cat in the Hat/Early readers together and I just haven't seen those on there but chapter books are definitely there! I've even seen the Percy Jackson books on there, don't worry!

Also, I think you're right on getting your mother a Kindle, it's by far the best for pure readers. Plus, I'm not sure how her eyesight is, but it's definitely the easiest on the eyes.

I have a Kindle. Love it!

I think DS7 will be getting one for Christmas since he has a netbook but would never read on it.

I have the iPad. I LOVE it. I initially liked the idea of the kindle for travel but didn't like the idea of having a device that just did one thing. For me the iPad is perfect, on my last business trip I read 4 books, gave a PowerPoint presentation, checked email and played scrabble all with one device.I agree that the iPad is heavier than the kindle but it's WAY lighter than my laptop. I also have an iPhone, iPod and iMac so I am pretty much a convert. DS 4.5 loves the apps, like Katelyn'smom we have rules about using it but I am letting him do more and more with and he can't download without a password. It allows us to do a range of apps from math to the periodic table to building cars. He loves it, but he does know it's mine. If considering an iPad I would invest in the 3G model not just wifi because if you are out somewhere you might not have access. Although my favorite part is being able to type this sitting in bed!!! Or walking around the house!

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My 12-year-old son has an iPad in addition to an iPhone. I have an iPad. My husband started out with a Kindle but found out he couldn't get library books on it like he could if he had a Nook, so he gave the Kindle to his adult son and got himself a Nook. My husband sometimes borrows my iPad and I intend to borrow his Nook whenever I go to Barnes & Noble.

Our laptop does not get used any more. It sits on a table gathering dust and we are too busy reading on our iPads to dust it.

Another thing I like about the the iPad is that the battery lasts a lot longer than the battery in our laptop. I like everything about the iPad. For educational purposes it is wonderful. I think my son, who has dysgraphia should use it to take notes in class, but our homeschool co-op classes do not allow electronic devices of any kind to be used and he doesn't want to ask for any accommodations. I think if he is allowed to use something like this when he goes off to college some day, his dysgraphia won't be much of a problem.

I did read that it causes some people to have insomnia when they read with it at night, but I have not noticed a difference. My husband said he fell asleep just as quickly when he read from the iPad and Kindle and Nook as when he read a regular book. My son has not slept well from the day he was born so it is hard to tell if there is any difference now that he reads from his iPad or iPhone in bed. If he can't sleep, he might as well read.

I'm so happy to be reading this thread! We are going to be an iPad family this holiday...DS7 has been begging for one since they came out. The main selling point for me is reading in bed without a light on or a light attachment. That is SO incredibly luxurious to me ha ha!! My husband was trying to convince me to get the less expensive Sony reader.

Another thing I like about the iPad is that my son, when he is tired of just reading, can participate in online debates with people from other countries. He has to read even more to find information to support his arguments. My son and a girl from Canada were the last two people still arguing about whatever it was they were arguing about until 3:00 a.m. Everyone else in the debate got tired of it and went to bed. My son loves this kind of thing. One of his online friends is in college studying political science and whenever he mentions some of the things he is learning, my son looks up information about that. He really learns a lot this way.

Have you asked your library about online checkouts? Our library recently (within the last year) teamed with some of the other libraries in the Montana to bring e-books and audio books to readers that either don't have the time or means to get to the library. I recently used it for the first time to check out four audio books that I then transferred to my iPad for easy listening at work.