You Are Currently Watching: Kindle vs. Nook vs iPad!
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For those of us who like to travel, e-readers are a revolution. Now we can carry an entire library’s worth of books in one easily portable package. No more cramming books into every corner of the camper! Quite simply, e-readers deliver an enjoyable reading experience combined with a compact, lightweight package.
My wife has a Barnes & Noble Nook (also a fine e-reader), but I have a Kindle. Amazon makes Kindles in many different varieties that serve different needs and different budgets. Kindles have fixed storage capacities, but even the cheapest current model offers 2GB (enough to store about 1500 books!).
The author's own Kindle DX!
My own Kindle is the Mac Daddy DX version. It features a large 9.7-inch black & white (e-ink) screen that is not backlit. The “e-ink” screen makes it easy on the eyes in all sorts of lighting environments, even bright sunlight.
Overall I love my Kindle DX and its large display. But if there’s a drawback to my model, it’s that the DX is a bit bulky and heavy compared to the standard Kindles. It’s heavier in the hand. It’s also more expensive (thankfully, mine was a generous gift). I don’t think the DX sold particularly well, because Amazon isn’t really promoting it these days. The standard-sized Kindles are where the action is. Once you try one, it’s easy to see why.
A standard 6-inch Kindle.
My mother has two Kindles. One is the 6-inch size and the other (the new Fire model) is 7-inches – about the size of a traditional book. (For you ladies out there, Mom likes these sizes because they easily slip into her purse.) The standard e-ink Kindles are light as a feather and a joy to read. “Sometimes I forget I’m reading my Kindle,” Mom told me, “and I try to physically turn the book page!”
If you want larger text on a standard Kindle, it’s easy to adjust the font size to suit your eyesight. The entry level Kindle lacks a touchscreen, but it costs a mere $79. It weighs less than six ounces; if it was any lighter, it might blow away like paper! So it’s no wonder these amazing devices are selling like hotcakes.
The Kindle Fire tablet.
In addition to the 6-inch e-ink Kindle (a black & white unit that’s just like mine but more portable), Mom also has the new Kindle Fire. The Fire is a more robust tablet that’s comparable in performance to an iPad or Nook Tablet. Its backlit full-color touchscreen isn’t quite as eye-friendly for readers as e-ink, but it does a great job with Facebook, email, web surfing, playing videos, apps, and games like Angry Birds. There’s no camera or GPS, but if you want a reasonably priced tablet, the $199 Fire is the bargain of the year.
What about e-books? It’s my belief that e-readers should lead to a lower cost for books. We all should benefit by the permanent retirement of the “dead tree” delivery method. The end of paper-and-ink printing and distribution should mean better prices for everyone.
Along these lines, we’ve priced my e-book on RV camping (Long Long Honeymoon – Living Large in a Small Tin Can) cheaper than a cup of fancy coffee. For only $2.99, you get a whopping 80,000 word book on RV camping. Not a bad way to start the new year.
So that’s a quick look at the Amazon Kindle.
There are many e-readers available for your purchasing pleasure. One of the most popular rhymes with “book.” Why should I choose to focus on Kindle? Conspiracy theories abound. Am I biased? Read More
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Pin itAmerica is replete with privately owned RV parks. Some of these parks have been in operation for decades. The best deliver not only a pleasant camping environment, but also a sense of history. It’s more than a good night’s rest. It’s a cultural experience. It’s always a good sign when your campground hosts also [...]
VIDEO: Confessions of a Wal-Mart Camper
Pin itQ: How many times have you camped in a Wal-Mart parking lot? A: I’m not sure exactly. Maybe a dozen.
VIDEO: Pit Stop
Pin itRemember when you were a child? You’d receive new toys with no concept that they might someday actually break. You’d tear open that shiny new package, rip out the contents, and start putting your new acquisition through hell. Ah, those were the days.
VIDEO: Happy Packers?
Pin itOne mission of this website is to document the details of RV life. Want to know what RV travel is REALLY like? We’ll lift the curtain for you.
VIDEO: Tire Issues
Pin itIn a little over a year of ownership, we’ve had three flat tires on our Airstream. The first occurred in Myers Flat, California. After rolling into one of the prettiest private campgrounds in California’s redwood forests, our tire died. We woke up the next morning, and it was just…gone. It didn’t even leave a [...]
VIDEO: Randy Pausch, His Message, and RVs
Pin itA few years ago, a friend of mine — who also happened to be one of the most talented comedians I’ve known — suffered a heart attack. As a comic, this guy was absolutely hilarious. He was always bursting with rambunctious energy and zany, off-the-wall humor. So his heart condition came as something of [...]
VIDEO: Happy Campers!
Pin itFor someone who has consumed more than his fair share of wine (just ask my liver), my palate is remarkably imprecise. I know what I like. I know the difference between a good wine and a bad wine. Thanks to the words “corporate expense account,” I’ve had a fair amount of experience with high [...]
VIDEO: Is Lake Louise an Elaborate Hoax?
Pin itA few years ago, a couple of employees at Yellowstone National Park played a joke on the tourists. They placed a large hand crank apparatus on top of a wooden box. Next they set the whole contraption in the vicinity of the world famous Old Faithful geyser, which always naturally erupts once per hour. [...]
VIDEO: The Simple Life?
Pin itWhen in college, I worked a couple of summers in Yellowstone National Park. My job was usually in the kitchen, where my friends and I could be found chopping vegetables, flipping burgers, or (if we were lucky) scooping ice cream for tourists. As you might imagine, the work paid peanuts. We invested many long, [...]
VIDEO: Sean Gets Injured – Again!
Pin itIf you lead an active lifestyle, eventually you’re going to suffer an injury. Your odds of injury may actually increase when you travel.
VIDEO: Blowing All Your Money in Canada
Pin itLast time I wrote about beating gas prices by camping close to home. So it seems fitting that in today’s post we consider what happens when you throw caution to the wind, and camp FAR AWAY from home. For my wife Kristy and I, the time we spent in Canada’s stunning Banff National Park [...]
VIDEO: How to Beat High Gas Prices!
Pin itHave high gas prices got you down? Have you been pondering whether to even take an RV trip this summer? Are you considering driving your daily commute in an electric golf cart? Fear not, my friends. You can have your RV, and camp in it too. Of course, the secret is simple. If you [...]
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