Comparing Amazon’s Kindle reader with the Apple iPad is nothing less than an exercise in futility. The two devices are totally different and have a different target audience. The Kindle is primarily aimed at anyone who wants to read books – especially people who travel. It’s not very good at surfing the web, it can’t play video and it doesn’t have a color screen.
The iPad, on the other hand, is ideal for surfing the web when you’re out and about, is great for watching video on and has a gorgeous color display. It can be used as an e-book reader, but it’s not very good at it. That lovely color screen eats up battery life and, because it’s back-lit, causes eye strain.
In a way, the fact that the latest Kindle killer isn’t another e-book reader but a mobile computer which is three times the price of the Kindle, is a bit of a compliment to Amazon. It just underlines how far in front of the other e-book readers on the market the Kindle actually is.