Apple iPhone 'Mediapad' Could Be a Kindle Killer

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April 29, 2009, 10:10 AM —  PC World — 

Is Apple's rumored "mediapad" entertainment device a threat to Amazon's Kindle e-book reader? I think it is, but the only people who may care are current Kindle owners, some of whom may end up wishing they had waited on their purchase.

As I have said before: The Kindle in kindling.

It is always nice when the industry rumor mill starts validating what I have been saying, namely, that rumors of a ready-to-release Apple netbook actually refer to a supersized iPod touch.

Described as having a larger touch-screen than the Kindle's 6-inch display, while being physically smaller than the Amazon device, Apple's baby has been dubbed a "mediapad."

The larger screen would be a more pleasant way to view movies or the Internet than an iPod or iPhone and the device could have decent speakers, too. By using a touch screen, Apple could save space necessary for Kindle's keyboard, resulting in a smaller device.

While not pocket-sized, the Apple mediapad would be easy to carry and offer an entertainment experience a smaller device could not match. Reading a book might be such an experience, right?

Now, I have the Kindle for iPhone app as a curiosity but have no real interest in using it to read a book. The screen is just too tiny.

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Comments

apples and oranges

maybe i am not quite current on the rumors, but what you are describing sounds nothing like an e-reader. Content is not the primary draw of kindle nor can kindle be considered something to be packaged as software for a phone. Anyhow, as someone who actually enjoys reading (not like most of the Joneses who buy these things and find themselves unhappy because their new toy doesn't play movies) I am still trying to decide which brand e-reader to get. For now the apple media pad does not seem to fall in to the same category as other e-readers.
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