The Amazon Store vs the IBook Store

Its an e-reader war like no other! The gold standard of the old school generation we have Amazon and their Kindles! Leading the packs for the new school of tablets and slates we have the Apple and the iPad.
At an very Apple-Esque high on security and no leaked answers, Apple unveiled in January, the worst kept secret in most technology circles. After a week after the Apple event industry experts said it would be the demise of existing electronic book readers, including Amazon’s Kindle. Luckily, Jeff Bezos and co. had a better idea. 



Instead of attempting to show the world why their Kindle was better, which in some ways it still is, they decided to embrace the iPad. Amazon chose to not only jump on the iPad bandwagon, but also to be ready for the explosion scheduled to happen on April 3rd, by introducing an iPad version of their Kindle app.
Fast forward to present day, the iPad is here and so is Amazon’s Kindle App for the iPad. Get it for free from the App Store and your iPad magically turns into a prettier, faster and brighter Kindle. Having said that, I can’t imagine why someone with $489 (current price for the comparably sized Kindle DX) would not gather up the extra $10 and get an iPad. The iPad does everything the Kindle can do, and so much more. With the Kindle App, every book you previously purchased for your Kindle is instantly available on your iPad, at no additional cost. This is a major selling feature for people whom have had a Kindle and were looking to upgrade their device. if you were to make the switch to the IPAD for a more versatile device, you should still retain all of your books. Kindle is working on a counter to the iPad, more on this later.
The Kindle App works much like iBooks. You have a list of books, which can be opened with the touch of a finger, and you also have the Kindle store. Unlike iBooks, the store is nothing more than a browser interface to Amazon.com. This is a disjoining feature, as it is not seamless and fluid. Instead you are bounced to Safari and in the browser loads the established Kindle App Store. Once you link the Amazon app with your Amazon account, you have the option to purchase books and send them directly to your iPad. After the purchase is complete, a button appears to send you back to the Kindle app. Your recently purchased book is available within seconds. Most (if not all) of the books have samples you can download, allowing readers to preview books before purchasing.
Is the Kindle App an iBook killer? Hardly. Take for Instance the Kobo E-Reader and the Sony E-Reader. They both have amazing and extensive catalogue of books. Some even give you deals on books the other companies don't give you. This means that some of your favourite titles will only be found in one of these stores. Good thing, Kobo books already had one of the first Apps available for the IPAD for their own bookstore. Lucky for iPad owners, the iPad is the only device that allows you to read books from multiple stores. Rumour has it that Barnes and Noble and a few other e-reader companies functioning on the Google Android System will be launching their own app to the Apple App Store, giving people more choice and variety and making extra money from people that do not have their e-reader device.
But Michael you may ask, why do you say that the Kindle is better than the iPad? Well, there are many extenuating factors First, Amazon’s Whispernet is free, which means you can get a book anywhere, anytime. The iPad, on the other hand, needs to have either Wi-Fi available, or you need the 3G version, which requires a monthly data fee. Second, reading in direct sunlight. If you’re one of those people that like to read while outside, then the iPad’s reflective screen may prove to be a challenge, but personally I prefer backlit screens and after using laptops for many years, I am used to finding that small sliver of shade that allows me to read, hey what's reading without challenges to overcome!
So which one will I choose between the iBooks and Kindle Apps? Both. The apps are both excellent book readers. My guess is that they will all be coming down in price considerably, if they want to compete. Amazon, for its part, is playing nice with the iPad and I’m sure they’ve sold a few thousand books since Saturday thanks to Apple. The other players need to open their eyes and follow suit.
I recommend if you have had a few e-readers over the past, sell one and buy the Apple iPad, I love features that allow me more freedom, from a diversion to check my emails and say hi on msn, or more.
I look forward to bringing my iPad on holiday and don't need a ton of things to carry, no smart phones, no books, just a small tablet that weighs next to nothing.