Apple IPAD, Amazon Kindle, HP Slate - Get it Cheap or Free!

Comparsion between Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle

Want the long and the short of it without having to read a "mega review"? Here goes. I have an original Kindle and a DX and I've had an iPad for one week. I love them all, but the iPad has won me over. Here's what I've experienced so far:

VERSATILITY - Apps, movies, music, pictures, effective internet connectivity, color display, extremely intuitive GUI all combine to make iPad the hands down winner in this category.

DISPLAY - E Ink is much better for reading, especially in bright light. And, the matte screen on the Kindle doesn't smudge as easily as the iPad screen. However, the iPad has a gorgeous color display and once you get accustomed to it, reading is not difficult. I especially like the backlit display at night when reading in bed ... I can read to my hearts content and not bother my sleeping wife. Slip on the headphones and my full iTunes library is available while I read. If you want a device only to read books, the Kindle wins. If you want color and a display that shows book diagrams and pictures clearly, the iPad wins.

PAGE INTERFACE - I actually like turning pages on the Kindle much better than I do on the iPad. While the iPad has a cool page turning visual (it looks like the page is actually turning), the touch screen is far too sensitive and there is very little edge around the screen to hold on to. The result is that I'm constantly turning pages on the iPad when i don't want to. Kindle's buttons win this one hands down.

CONVENIENCE - on the iPad, all my media is in one place (audio books, photos, music, books, internet, breaking news/weather, address book, email ... the list goes on.) The Kindle, while and excellent book reading device, still requires me to bring along an iPod or a laptop when I travel. iPad is the clear winner.

PRICE - Kindle and the iPad simply aren't that far apart. If a hundred bucks is going to break the budget, stick with the Kindle because it is an excellent reader. If you can afford a little more, go with the iPad... it just is much more versatile. If the Kindle DX were a couple of hundred bucks less, it would be a great reading bargain.

AVAILABLE BOOKS - hands down, Amazon slaughters Apple in just sheer volume of available titles. However, Apple's titles often include color pictures, diagrams, etc. that can actually be sized by the reader for easier viewing. Downside here is that Apple's titles are often higher priced. Winner here is Amazon/Kindle. However, there is an App available for the iPad that allows you to read Amazon Kindle media. It is still not a very elegant design, but it does allow you to read these titles easily and I'm sure the App will only improve with time.

SEX APPEAL - ok, when the Kindle was first introduced, it was a hot item. I couldn't read it at the airport without being interrupted at least a few times by people asking what it was and waning to look at it. Same thing with the iPad, only it's exponentially hotter. With it's sleek design, excellent color display and tons of Apps, people just go nuts asking questions. In short, it just generates a lot of interest and this is proven by the fact that Apple has already sold over a million of these things during the first month of availability. This thing is addictive ... with the Kindle, I can read a book. With the iPad, I can do almost everything I could before on my laptop AND I can read a book.

MY OPINION ONLY - sorry Amazon. You have a great product that pioneered the whole ebook market (others came before you, but you made it work.) Your Kindle is an excellent product, but given the iPad, your device is very much overpriced. Your library continues to be the standard by which all others are judged and I will continue to buy e-books from you, but I'll be reading them on an iPad. On that rare occasion where I'll be laying on a beach reading in direct sunlight, I'll pull out my Kindle because you have an edge there.

I hope whoever reads this finds it useful. I the end, it's your money and your preference so my opinion really doesn't matter. I hope you enjoy whichever device you settle on.

Click here to get a FREE Apple iPad!

HP Slate a new competitor

The great success of Apple IPAD arouse other world's leading technology groups think about this market niche. As a result HP, the leading computer manufacturers, designs a IPAD like tablets called "Slates".HP slate is more or like IPAD but with more enhanced functionality as compared to IPAD.The features not available in IPAD are mostly available in HP slate.

HP make this with Microsoft.Windows 7 installed in HP slates works faster and better. It receives the best quality software supports from windows .It supports flash as it is running Windows 7 on. You can readily view the flash movies,flash websites over the internet.

We are here to reveal on what the internal HP Slate presentation look likes as compared to Apple IPAD. It just happens to have specifications and pricing details on the elusive Windows 7 tablet. The Slate will cost $549 in its base configuration, with a multitouch 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 capacitive display, a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor with UMA graphics and an accelerator for 1080p video playback. 32GB of flash storage and 1GB of non-upgradeable RAM. HP will also release a $599 version with 64GB of storage, and both models will have 5 hours battery, two camera, an SDHC slot, USB port, SIM card slot for the optional 3G modem, and a dock connector for power, HDMI out and audio.

This specificaitons list not yet cover the software. Although we still cannot fully uncover how HP plans to make Windows 7 on a full slate device with netbook-class internals perform as smoothly or as intuitively as its demo videos, the software support of Windows to HP Slate is considerted the best in the industry. The launch of HP Slate is not a small challenge in regards to the great success and popularity of iPad. People have some pretty high expectations for how this new breed of tablets will work for them.

Get FREE $1000 Apple Store Gift Card to buy Apple Product, click here!

New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen
50% better contrast than any other e-reader. The clearest text and sharpest images.

Read in Bright Sunlight
Unlike LCD screens, Kindle's screen reads like real paper, with no glare. Read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room.

Lighter Than a Paperback
At only 8.7 ounces and 1/3 of an inch thin, Kindle is lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine.

Holds 3,500 Books
We doubled Kindle's storage so you can carry up to 3,500 books.

Battery Life of Up to One Month
A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off. Keep wireless always on and go for up to 10 days without recharging.

Free 3G Wireless
No annual contracts, no monthly fees. Download books anytime, anywhere. Learn more.

Global 3G Coverage
Travel the globe and still get books in under 60 seconds with wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories. Check wireless coverage.

Built-In Wi-Fi
Connect to Wi-Fi hotspots at home or on the road. Includes free Wi-Fi access at AT&T hotspots across the U.S.

Quieter Page Turn Buttons
Quieter page turning means you won't disturb your partner when you want to read all night.

Share Meaningful Passages
Share meaningful passages with friends and family with built-in Twitter and Facebook integration.

Simple to Use
Kindle is ready to use right out of the box - no setup, no software to install, no computer required. Books in 60 Seconds
With fast, free wireless delivery, you can start reading books in less than 60 seconds. No computer required.

Massive Selection
Over 630,000 books, including 109 of 111 New York Times Best Sellers, plus audiobooks, periodicals and blogs. For non-U.S. customers, content availability varies. Check your country.

Free, Out-of-Copyright Books
Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are available such as Pride and Prejudice. Learn more

Low Book Prices
Over 510,000 books are $9.99 or less, including 80 current New York Times Best Sellers.

Free Book Samples
Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Read Everywhere with Whispersync
Your Kindle books can be read on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, Android device, and BlackBerry. Our Whispersync technology syncs your place across devices, so you can pick up where you left off.

Worry-Free Archive
Books you purchase from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in your Kindle library on Amazon. Re-download books wirelessly for free, anytime.

Read-to-Me
With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read English-language content out loud to you.

Improved PDF Reader
Now with new dictionary lookup, notes and highlights, and support for password protected PDFs. Easily carry all of your documents on the go.

Get a New Amazon Kindle FREE, Click here!

HP's Slate is back in the news after the PC vendor released videos detailing why it believes the Slate can beat the Apple iPad. HP is making a strong argument with the Slate's design and features that it will give the iPad a good run for its money despite arriving in the market later in the year. Here are our reasons why we think the Slate has the stuff to make consumers think twice before buying an iPad.

1. It's good-looking

Part of the iPad's appeal is its nice design. The device reflects Apple's ability as a designer to deliver products that appeal to the consumer's eye. But HP has done the same with its Slate. Granted, the designs are extremely similar, but who cares? HP's Slate will appeal to consumers just as much as the iPad. For once, Apple won't easily win out in product design. That's refreshing.

2. It's running Windows

The HP Slate will run Windows 7 when it hits store shelves. That's an extremely important feature. One of the issues with the iPad is that it isn't running a full-fledged operating system. That limits its functionality and turns it into a big iPod Touch, rather than a portable computer. That might be what Apple is going for. But whether or not users really want to use such an operating system when working on basic computing tasks is currently unknown.

3. Flash support

It seems that whenever people talk about the iPad, the question arises about whether or not compatibility with Adobe Flash multimedia platform is really necessary. I think it is. Many of the top Websites on the Web use Flash. It's what powers many Web videos. No matter how much some people hate it, Flash is a necessary evil on the Web. And tablets need to support it. HP's Slate does, meaning any Website will work on it. Apple's iPad doesn't.

4. HP is second

Typically, when a product comes to market second, it spells trouble for that company. But in this case, it might have helped HP. Since Apple showed its hand by publicizing iPad's features, HP can go back to the drawing board and improve the Slate to offer features missing from the Apple device. Thanks to a delayed launch, the Slate might be everything the iPad is-and isn't.

5. The enterprise might like it

Tablets are designed specifically for consumers. But if the corporate world decides to pick up tablets for employees, the HP Slate might lead the way. Unlike the iPad, the Slate runs Windows- favorite of the enterprise-and will likely work with many of the simpler applications companies currently employ on a daily basis. Compatibility means everything to the enterprise. And the Slate will provide it.

6. Its advertising is Apple-esque

When you have the chance, go to YouTube and check out HP's latest teaser video for the Slate. Notice anything interesting? It's a PC vendor delivering a 30-second spot that can rival Apple's commercials. That's no small feat. A main contributing factor to Apple's success is its marketing. It has impressed most viewers who have seen its commercials. The Slate's marketing is on par with the iPad's. That can only be good for HP.

7. It's forward-thinking too

There's no debating that the iPad offers several features that clearly define Apple's desire to look ahead, rather than focus on the past. But the HP Slate reflects that desire as well. The device boasts multitouch, and it appeals to what consumers really want to do with mobile products. Perhaps most importantly, it's trying to deliver an experience, which is something that, so far, only Apple has been successful at.

8. Reading and more

At CES this past January, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed off some of the Slate's many features. Included in that is the ability to read ebooks. Apple has marketed its iPad as a Kindle killer, capable of delivering ebooks (or, in Apple's case, iBooks) to consumers who want to be able to read their favorite titles without holding a hardcover. HP Slate owners will be able to read -books as well. And like the iPad, the device will allow users to listen to music and watch videos. The Slate is a full multimedia device. Consumers will like that.

9. Connectivity

Unlike the iPad, which requires users to buy accessories in order to connect peripherals to the device, the HP Slate will offer a USB port, making it much easier for consumers and enterprise customers to connect flash drives, printers or just about anything else to the device. Connectivity could be one of the Slate's most important advantages. Although the iPad will allow users to connect products through an accessory, the Slate doesn't require an additional purchase to perform such a basic task. That's refreshing. And it's a major selling point.

10. It's coming this year

The iPad is scheduled to hit store shelves sometime in 2010. That's important. If HP had given Apple a full year to offer the iPad without any competition on the market, the company would have likely taken an insurmountable lead. After all, HP's product would have looked like the also-ran as Apple prepared to release the second iteration of its device. But by releasing the Slate this year, HP has the opportunity to capitalize. It can let consumers use the iPad and offer a product of its own a few months later that, it claims, will trump the iPad on several fronts. It's a smart move. And it could spell trouble for Apple's iPad.

Submit your Email Address to get a FREE HP Slate!