Here’s a quick review of the iPad. I’ve had it for a few days now and, based on what I know so far, it isn’t going to be a very important part of my life. It has great capabilities, but it has real limitations. The capsule summary is “not as good for straight text ereading as a Kindle; fabulous for visual stuff like movies and pictures and games (which I don’t play) but limited there by not supporting Flash.”
So far, I’ve watched a movie (using the Netflix app here might be the biggest payoff here for me with it, but I’m usually not big on movies out of theaters), gotten books from three platforms (Kindle, Kobo, and, of course, the iBook store), grabbed the Elements book-app (cool…). I also got a Vook (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), which was enough for me to see “not my cup of tea.” Maybe others on other subjects will be different…better. This one was both just not appealing (a clip introducing John Barrymore embedded in the first page of the story) and defective (a bunch of links that don’t work.)
Compatible with library formats?
My biggest concern with the iPad is whether you can download books from public libraries onto it. It seems to me that you can’t because of its proprietary nature. Am I wrong about that?
Mind you
that is only an issue for people whose public libraries do that, which I would have though would be a small number and so a small issue, maybe one not envisioned by Apple?
Many public libraries
Many public libraries provide ebooks. If Apple does not know know about this offering by libraries, they did not do their due diligence since every publisher and ebook provider is currently battling with this dilemma.
If there’s an app you can do it
Including downloading books from Public Libraries, you can apps are being developed now to check out books and are just sorting out logistics, legal issues, etc. Libraries, are in a way, still in their infancy on e-issues, which is not a bad thing, because we we do something, we do it right (generally LOL).
Speaking of Apps, have you all checked out the WorldCat app and Sirsi BookMyne apps for iPhone, and I am presuming, at some point, iPad? There will be a lot of utility for these apps, I already like what WorldCat is doing, by the geographical locator in my iPhone and iPad, I can search for a book and isolate to the libraries closest to me here in Houston, and reserve those books if I have a library card. Very cool.
As far as reading on the iPad, I have no problems, already on my second book. Why have a Kindle or Nook, when you can get all of this functionality in one device. There are more tablets coming, so there will be plenty of competition for Apple.
For Walt: Sorry I posted my whining comment the other day anon.
I am:
Art Spanjer
Assistant Professor of Library and Information Sciences
Houston Baptist University – Moody Library
[email protected]
281-649-3183
Have a great day everyone and Happy Librarian’s Week!