I know, I know, boo-the-frick-hoo, Becka.  Most folk don’t even have ONE of those much less BOTH.  Well, in my own defense, both of my gadgets were gifts. I probably would never have shelled out THAT much money for either device for myself.  However, since there are some articles out there and questions swirling about the Kindle vs. the iPad as an eReader, I thought I would throw my thoughts into the ring.

Plain and simple, the iPad can do more.  And with the ability to do more, it is therefore more convenient.

Being the online eBook author that I am, I am married to my email/twitter/facebook/blog.  I’m on umpteen lists and groups, I scour events for promo ops, I send my thoughts out in 140 characters.  I’m an Internet addict, I freely admit.  When the Internet goes down, I feel like Helen Keller.  I begin to devolve.

Now that you understand I’m always “in the know” as much as I can be, then you can understand why I’ve forsaken my Kindle.  I do most of my reading in bed.  And just before I open that eBook, I’m doing my final email checks, Twitter checks, maybe posting an update on Facebook, perhaps surfing the web.  Once I’m done, I open my Kindle App and away I go.  Who wants to put down the iPad, fumble for the Kindle, and try to find your Mighty Bright (or just turn on your light)?  It’s just more…convenient.  I’ve already got it on my lap.

Is Kindle’s eInk more readable?  Yes.  Is Kindle more comfortable to hold?  Yes.  Is Kindle lighter?  Yes.  Is Kindle less expensive?  Yes.  If all you want to do is read eBooks, Kindle is for you.  Or the Nook.  Or the Sony eReader.  Whatever.  But the iPad is for Internet junkies like me.  Those of us who must have their brain jacked into the Matrix 24/7.  It’s too…inconvenient to reach for another device to read an eBook when the iPad can do it too.

Is it a Kindle killer?  For me… yes.  But only because I appreciate all the other things I can do on it.  And I LUVED my Kindle before I had my iPad.  So there are some of you out there who will LUV your Kindle as well.  And maybe there are some hardcore readers out there, who, like me, have both, but still prefer to read eBooks on their Kindle.  I can respect that.  Backlit books can be an eyestrain.

However, I rarely go read on the deck during the day or on the couch (unless I’m sick and forsaking the housework).  Most of my reading is in bed.  And I like to read with the light off.  Which means, I either need the eBook to be backlit, or I’ve got to whip out the Mighty Bright that clips onto my Kindle.  And let me tell you – the name of that thing ain’t lyin’.  It has two lightbulbs.  Even on the lower setting of one bulb, it’s mighty bright, and it might just disturb your bedmate (if you’ve got one).

IPad’s backlit screen, however, isn’t that bright.  You can set the brightness, actually.  It’s not like you’re reading a book in bed with a Maglite.  LOL

I’m not sure what to do with my Kindle at this point.  Thinking of giving it to my daughter, since she loves to read.  It makes me sad, that I have forsaken it.  While it lasted, we had a short, passionate love affair.  But now that I’m in bed with my iPad, I’m in it for the long haul.

~~Becka

I love my DH.  Why?  Because he’s got contacts.  His people know people.  And those people know people.  Long story short, he said the other day (after buying himself an iPad) – you should get an iPad.  I scoffed.  Do you know how expensive those things are?  I’ll just wait for you to buy the second gen and take the one you have now.

“ORLY?” he said.

Next thing I know, BAM, like magic, there’s an iPad in my hands.  And it’s for me.  And it’s a gift.  And it’s the best gift EVAR.

Check it:

There are many reasons why one would want an iPad.  For starters, it’s an eBook reader.  AWSUM!!  I can download a Kindle app and I’m already ready already.  Not to mention iBooks, if I’m so inclined.  The color option is pretty sweet, as Kindle’s eInk hasn’t yet reached the color incarnation.  I’m not a fan of the backlight, however, in the Kindle app, you can set the book to be black text on white paper, white text on black paper, or brown text on sepia paper.  The brightness can also be adjusted, which is great for tired eyes.

Another bonus about this thing:  Streaming NetFlix.  I don’t know what genius said, “Hey, let’s stream our S%#@!”  That guy deserves a raise.  Let’s watch MythBusters!  It is glorious.  Also, ABC has an app.  Missed a LOST episode?  No prob.  Oh, what about the BBC?  FABULOUS!

Way way WAAAAYY better than the teeny tiny iPod touch screen.

Does it bring anything new to the table?  Nah, nothing really, other than to say look what our iPod Touches can do with an EPIC-SIZED SCREEN!

Seriously, it’s all about the display, folks.  Websites are beautiful.  And comics.  WOW.  I don’t read comics much, but I just might with how they look on the iPad!  You can have a full page screen, OR you can have individual panels shown. A swipe of the fingers changes the panels.

In summation, this device is a great “all purpose” media bonanza.  It’s only limited to it’s apps.  Okay, THAT’S not true.  There’s no camera OR USB port.  No camera is lame.  Not because I want to take pics of things with the bulky iPad, but because it would be nice to be able to see people’s faces via Skype.  And what if I want to put some files on the thing?  Nope, only through syncing!

So yeah, there are some drawbacks.  **cough**like price!**cough**  But in my book, the it’s awesome.  Great for people who don’t want their bulky laptop in bed, great for those who love to just sit on the couch and read.  Great for (let’s face it folks) bathroom reading.  Or gaming, as the case may be.

The longer I have it, I’m sure the more uses I’ll have for it.  I love the fact I can watch movies, or play a game, or read a book or go shopping or check email or tweet or listen to music or have my events calendar all in one device.

THE FUTURE IS HERE!

And I predict future incarnations of the iPad and other competitors will pave the way to a whole new line of gadgets that MY kids can’t live without.  Got all your text books?  Yeah, Mom, I downloaded them last night!

SWEET.

As an aside, I’d just like to mention the desert wallpaper you see on both my lock screen and my home page are completely intentional.  While writing my Desert Princes of Jikkar series, it’s always nice for some visual inspiration!

As another aside, the iPad makes me proud to be an eBook author.  Well, so does the Kindle, in all honesty.  The Nook too, but I dont’ have one of those!  ….yet! 

~~Becka

As you may or may not know, I was surprised with a Kindle for Christmas.  It had been on my wish list forever, but I never thought I’d actually get one.  I was giddy when I held it in my hand.  It’s a little odd being an eBook author and NOT having an eReader.  I hate reading on the computer!

All that aside, I probably never would have bought one for myself.  The price is steep at $250.  If you can afford one, however, I highly recommend getting one.  I have no experience with other readers like the Sony or the Nook, so this won’t be a review that compares these devices.

To start, the case for the Kindle is about $30 for a good one.  It’s actually very resilient and sturdy enough to withstand abuse.  I’ve dropped my Kindle and the case protected it perfectly.  Also, I bend the front cover behind the device as I read.  So far, I’ve had no issues.  This particular case is very well-made.

The Kindle boasts long battery life, and boy does it have it.  The only time it uses power is when you change pages.  Once the page is displayed, it doesn’t take any more power to display the text.  I’ve literally left it on my shelf for days untouched only to turn it on and be pleasantly surprised it still had plenty of charge.  And everything Amazon has boasted about their e-ink is true.  This device is not backlit.  If you’re going to read in bed, you’ll need the light on to see the display.

You can change pages with either hand, and you can flip to the previous page if you like.  It’s so thin and light, that it’s a dream to hold.  In fact, if you curl up somewhere, you don’t have to move to turn pages or adjust the book to prop it open.  I love this, personally, because it’s hard for me to hold a normal paperback these days.

The display has 16 shades of gray.  But even though it’s not in color, book covers still look really good.

Amazon’s Whispernet is just awesome.  You can shop Kindle’s bookstore either on the device, or directly from your computer.  If you buy books on your computer, they’re downloaded to your Kindle automatically.  Go pick up your eReader and the book you just bought is already there.  And this is done with no subscription, no monthly fee, no tethering to a computer, it’s merely a service of Amazon.  It also works anywhere, using cell phone relays to download books rather than sometimes-sketchy wi-fi.

Almost more than the device, I love Amazon’s Whispernet. 

The Kindle makes me want to buy all the paperbacks in my to-be-read pile in eBook instead.  I’ve seriously had the thought that I’d rather read on my Kindle than pick up a paperback these days.  I have mad love for this device.

In fact, one of the only dings I have is the fact it’s not a touch screen.  I’ve been spoiled by my iPhone.  You mean I gotta use buttons?!?  LOL  I’ve heard one of the eReaders out there is a touch screen, but a friend of mine mentioned it’s not as fluid as the iPhone.  I think that would probably drive me batty too.

While it’s expensive and not a touch screen, I would recommend it to anyone thinking of getting one.  It’s got the capacity to hold 1500 books.  WOW.  Can’t pack that many in a suitcase!

All in all, I give the Kindle 4 1/2 stars, dinging it for price and no touch screen.  Good job, Amazon.  You’ve become a pioneer in making eBooks cool, and that makes this eBook author rejoice.  Suddenly, with eReaders like this, it makes us justified in what we do.  EBooks are no longer a chore to read on the computer, and are only gaining in popularity.  Win/win for everyone!!

~~Becka

So this past week, my hubby had a pot-luck at his work.  He had the awesome idea of bringing chicken enchiladas.  But he didn’t want to bring them cold and not warm, nor did he want to make them early in the morning and bring them to work hot as they would still be cold by lunch time.  So he needed a way to keep them warm and/or warm them up.

His brilliant idea was an electric skillet.

But the one we had was old and sad.  It was this little 12″x 12″ deal, that looks like it has seen it’s fair share of world wars.  Most of the “non-stick” coating is scratched off, not to mention it just wasn’t big enough for the shindig at DH’s office.  This thing is literally a dinosaur; a gift from DH’s grandparents on the occasion of our wedding nigh 15 years ago.  It was well used, but now, we needed an upgrade.

I got out of the habit of using an electric skillet because my family is so huge and I didn’t have a big one.  My pans were good enough, as I have a jumbo iron skillet I use all the time.  But, we needed the skillet to do the enchiladas, so off to Target I go.

I found a couple in their selection of bigger skillets, one a $30, the other $60.  Seems a no brainer, right?  Quick giant skillet for a one-time pot-luck, right?  Well, I stood there and weighed my options.  The $30 was indeed the size I needed, but there was some assembly required.  The $60 one was already ready already.  It had rubber feet so it wouldn’t slide on the counter.  And it had a lid that is held down with buckles.  AND a pour spout on one of the corners.

Okay, sold!  Here it was, already nearing 8pm, and we still needed to make the enchiladas!  I don’t want to put together the fricken’ skillet with a screwdriver while browning the chicken.  But it was indeed the pour spout that ultimately sold me.  Browning beef?  No prob, merely lock the lid down and drain.  Awesome Sauce.

So I brought it home, we made the enchiladas, put them in the fridge overnight, DH took the entire skillet to work the next day, plugged it in on 300 degrees an hour before the pot-luck and voila! Perfect hot, melty enchiladas.

That night, it was so easy to clean, just wipe out with a sponge, the non-stick coating is so super-sweet.

So last night, I decided to make frozen burgers for the family.  The thing held 6 big ol’ patties from Costco with no problem, enough to feed everyone without having to do a second batch!

I’m thinking I’m in love with this thing.  It’s definitely the best $60 I’ve spent recently, and I cannot stress how happy I am I didn’t get the less expensive skillet.  With the lovely coating, the lid, the spout and the sheer size of it, this bad boy is now going to be a staple of my kitchen for many years to come.

I love it when you buy something you thought you didn’t really need and it turns into something you can no longer live without. 

Five stars from Becka, for the $60 (Okay, $59.99) 16″ electric skillet by Hamilton Beach.  Well done, guys!

http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/skillets-premiere-cookware-electric-skillet.html

~~Becka