[Max741]

So I'm thinking about getting a Playbook for college this summer but the dean at the college advised me that most students use the "popular iPad" to buy text books online to read but i refuse to get a $550 iPad just to get books when I can be more productive with a bridged playbook. So I'd like to know if i could use amazon books with a playbook and use it as an E-reader?

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[Marty_LK]

So I'm thinking about getting a Playbook for college this summer but the dean at the college advised me that most students use the "popular iPad" to buy text books online to read but i refuse to get a $550 iPad just to get books when I can be more productive with a bridged playbook. So I'd like to know if i could use amazon books with a playbook and use it as an E-reader?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Crackberry Forum App

Absolutely. You'll need to sideload the Kindle app, though. Nothing difficult in the least.

Blackberry Playbook Reading and News Apps | Good e-Reader Android App Store - Playbook App Store - We support Kobo Vox, Kindle Fire, Blackberry Playbook and More

http://crackberry.com/tags/ddpb-installer

[JREwing]

I have a Kindle Reader sideloaded on my PB. Works fantastic.
I get so pissed at these elite asses at colleges and universities trying to tie students into only IPads. There are other platforms such as BB and Android that can fit students needs just as well.
Tell your elite professors that you have a less expensive and better way to get educated.

[Max741]

Absolutely. You'll need to sideload the Kindle app, though. Nothing difficult in the least.

Blackberry Playbook Reading and News Apps | Good e-Reader Android App Store - Playbook App Store - We support Kobo Vox, Kindle Fire, Blackberry Playbook and More

http://crackberry.com/tags/ddpb-installer

Hey man, thanks for those links. I feel reassured now

I have a Kindle Reader sideloaded on my PB. Works fantastic.
I get so pissed at these elite asses at colleges and universities trying to tie students into only IPads. There are other platforms such as BB and Android that can fit students needs just as well.
Tell your elite professors that you have a less expensive and better way to get educated.

I guess we're on the same page, I for one refuses to get stuck among the iSheeps if I do say so myself, I wont limit myself to Apple because their popular, granted Apple get their credit for being good with Apps and what not but a Playbook is a cheaper and better option for me at this point, I done made up my mind , thanks guys.

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Crackberry Forum App

[F2]

I have a Kindle3 and have only read for pleasure on it.

I do wonder if the more dense text of a text book might be easier to read on a larger screen. I can't answer the question but I'm just posing it for those who may have tried both screen sizes for such reading.

[Double-Zero]

Appreciate all of the information.

Does anyone know if there will be a Native PB Kindle app anytime soon? I understand that Kindle is a rival to the PB, but I am willing to wait if the wait is not too long.

Thanks!
00

[robedney]

It takes all of a couple of minutes to side-load the Kindle app on the Playbook -- and it works beautifully. I've only had my Playbook for a couple of weeks and I'm on my third Amazon purchased novel. In fact, I came over from using a Nook Color, and I can say that the Kindle app running on the Playbook works better than the native Nook app on the Nook. Moreover, the Playbook is a vastly superior tablet.

[dtong22]

So I'm thinking about getting a Playbook for college this summer but the dean at the college advised me that most students use the "popular iPad" to buy text books online to read but i refuse to get a $550 iPad just to get books when I can be more productive with a bridged playbook. So I'd like to know if i could use amazon books with a playbook and use it as an E-reader?

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Crackberry Forum App

Do you have a lot of epub file to read? If yes playepub costs $2 which is what I have. I highly recommend it

Daniel, Toronto

[phoanyone]

Reading Harry Potter books is one thing, but reading textbooks is another. Diagrams, pictures, charts, etc are much easier to read on a larger screen. Buy the PB if you can't afford the iPad, but I have a feeling you will regret it down the road. Also, young people have the attention span of a gnat. The PB's lack of apps will have you bored real fast. Don't let the fanboys blind you with, "You don't need apps, just use the browser" baloney.

[Max741]

It takes all of a couple of minutes to side-load the Kindle app on the Playbook -- and it works beautifully. I've only had my Playbook for a couple of weeks and I'm on my third Amazon purchased novel. In fact, I came over from using a Nook Color, and I can say that the Kindle app running on the Playbook works better than the native Nook app on the Nook. Moreover, the Playbook is a vastly superior tablet.

Hows the quality of text though and do you strain your eyes with the small size of the playbook screen? Does the playbook have support for landscape reading, because i recall a post about that with some one complaining.


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[robedney]

The Playbook screen is amazing, and text is needle sharp (way, way better than the Kindle fire I looked at, and somewhat better than the new Nooks). Yes, with the Kindle app it works in both landscape and portrait mode (just rotate the Playbook). You can also easily choose your font size to whatever is comfortable for you. I read dozens of books on my Nook Color with no eyestrain, and the same is true of the Playbook.

Given the quality of the Playbook screen I really don't see a downside when used with textbooks. If you switched over to a native PDF reader app you could zoom in and out to your heart's content. I really don't like the form factor of the iPad -- it's too big to carry around easily. Also -- as the dad of college grads and one still in college -- I can tell you that an iPad is very, very likely to be stolen if not very carefully guarded -- even on the the "best" of campuses.

I've yet to come across any Android app that I really care about that I couldn't put onto my Playbook -- either directly from App World or easily side-loaded. I provide unofficial tech support to several iphones and ipads here in our office and I'm more than familiar with them as devices. The Playbook beats the pants off of the iPad in my estimation, and is far, far cheaper.

[robedney]

Oh yeah -- one more thought:

The iPad OS is getting old. Apple has packed in more functionality, but the core OS seems to be the same. The Playbook OS is both elegant and fast. If RIM can survive long enough to pair the Playbook with a really decent 4g phone (BB 10) AND can promote it sensibly, they may really grab some significant market share.

[CrackMachine]

Do you have a lot of epub file to read? If yes playepub costs $2 which is what I have. I highly recommend it

Daniel, Toronto

Additionally, the "Calibre" ebook software (Windows, Mac and Linux versions ; see calibre - E-book management ) is great for converting e-book formats and uploads e-books to the PlayBook easily. I've converted a ton of kindle formatted books to epubs to use with native epub readers on the PlayBook.

[Michelle Haag]

Reading Harry Potter books is one thing, but reading textbooks is another. Diagrams, pictures, charts, etc are much easier to read on a larger screen. Buy the PB if you can't afford the iPad, but I have a feeling you will regret it down the road. Also, young people have the attention span of a gnat. The PB's lack of apps will have you bored real fast. Don't let the fanboys blind you with, "You don't need apps, just use the browser" baloney.

The OP wants the tablet for school and never mentioned a need for entertainment. Maybe the "lack of apps" (which isn't an issue for many PlayBook owners -myself included) is a good thing. Less Angry Birds -> more studying.

Also, the PlayBook is way more portable than an iPad, and seems less fragile. I have both and have taken my PlayBook all over the place without worry about breaking it, but the iPad stays home on the shelf.

And the point about being able to get stuff done over Bridge is good. Unless you're springing for the 3G iPad, or just counting on using wifi where it's available, the PlayBook has an advantage there.

[klc99]

I'm a little concerned, though, that Apple is signing deals with textbook publishers which might take away any choice in the matter.
iPads in the Classroom: Apple Takes Aim at the Textbook Market - EContent Magazine

If enough big textbook publishers agree to flow their required reading straight to an iPad format, then the rest of us won't have any access to that content. Which would be annoying, and create all kinds off issues in colleges. It hasn't happened yet, but do you really doubt that's where it's going?

[velociraptor89]

"One of the more pointed images Schiller used in his presentation was a backpack overstuffed with a dozen printed textbooks. Apple's idea of replacing all of that hardcover dead weight with a single lightweight device seems likely to have a broad appeal to concerned parents".

I have thought about this sometime ago, a tablet that would replace your humongous textbooks. But now, thinking of the increasing rate of teens being mugged due to the Apple devices that seems to attract more low-life thieves.

I mean as a parent, am I endagering more my kids? Putting a magnet on those thieves? I have nothing against apple, but I'm just curious how can they prevent these type of events?

[CountyPartTimer]

So how do I "sideload" the Kindle app?

[jventola]

I hope the textbook publishers would still sell their stuff in other formats.

I just got PDF Reader for a buck. It remembers where you were for each pdf. That could be handy. And don't forget Print to Go for getting school materials from your pc to your PB.

As for Ipad, I think your Dean was right. If you can afford it, it is the easiest way to go. More time for studying when everything is pretty much just there.... Still, I love my PB and I like finding workarounds...

[veritas_vincit]

You should consider the use spectrum of either device you choose, read, write, apps, etc...

iPad is good to play and browse.

PB is good to write, research, Download / Upload files.

[rotorwrench]

Reading Harry Potter books is one thing, but reading textbooks is another. Diagrams, pictures, charts, etc are much easier to read on a larger screen. Buy the PB if you can't afford the iPad, but I have a feeling you will regret it down the road. Also, young people have the attention span of a gnat. The PB's lack of apps will have you bored real fast. Don't let the fanboys blind you with, "You don't need apps, just use the browser" baloney.

My opinion is different because we actually use our PBs at work for that very purpose, viewing tech manuals, diagrams, device exploded views, engineering changes and schematics. Previously it was done on a laptop, and yes the screen was larger, but the portability and communication capability of the PB have convinced us we made the right choice. We don't miss the larger screen. Works beautifully.

[Max741]

You should consider the use spectrum of either device you choose, read, write, apps, etc...

iPad is good to play and browse.

PB is good to write, research, Download / Upload files.

Since its for College and not my summer time killer, I guess i dont need alot of play.

[Max741]

The OP wants the tablet for school and never mentioned a need for entertainment. Maybe the "lack of apps" (which isn't an issue for many PlayBook owners -myself included) is a good thing. Less Angry Birds -> more studying.

Also, the PlayBook is way more portable than an iPad, and seems less fragile. I have both and have taken my PlayBook all over the place without worry about breaking it, but the iPad stays home on the shelf.

And the point about being able to get stuff done over Bridge is good. Unless you're springing for the 3G iPad, or just counting on using wifi where it's available, the PlayBook has an advantage there.

Thank you Michelle

[Max741]

Additionally, the "Calibre" ebook software (Windows, Mac and Linux versions ; see calibre - E-book management ) is great for converting e-book formats and uploads e-books to the PlayBook easily. I've converted a ton of kindle formatted books to epubs to use with native epub readers on the PlayBook.

Was there a loss in quality of the converted file? What are the drawbacks (if any) to converting?

[Max741]

I can tell you that an iPad is very, very likely to be stolen if not very carefully guarded -- even on the the "best" of campuses.

Point well taken, thanks

[BigAl_BB9900]

Hows the quality of text though and do you strain your eyes with the small size of the playbook screen? Does the playbook have support for landscape reading, because i recall a post about that with some one complaining.

Hi

I have both a PB and a Kindle, and have used iPads (1 & 2) and a Kindle Fire, and other tablets and e-books

The Kindle has the best screen for reading books (e-ink causes me the least eye-strain), BUT it is not great for diagrams, and does not have colour....

The only differences I have found between iPad & PB for reading technical books/docs are:

• iPad is useful if you need a big screen for a huge and v detailed diagram
• PB is much easier to hold and read (I find the iPad too large, heavy and unwieldy - then again, I have a disability that makes lifting things a problem)
• PB is much easier to read on the go (eg on the bus, in the tube, on a plane) - this is again a size and weight thing

Hope this helps

Alex

PS Having worked extensively in publishing - most publishers are trying to make their e-content as open-platform as possible (eg more avenues to sell into) - the only reason some publishers are tied to a number of specific platforms, is due to DRM & protecting copyright