Downside to iBook App

If you've read my blog in the past, you know I'm a big fan of the iPad and the Kindle App.

Occasionally, I will read a book on Apple's iBooks App. Recently, I downloaded a copy of Hugh Ambrose's "The Pacific" on this App and have been enjoying it on these cold winter days.

But the iBooks App has a flaw, especially if you are an owner of an Android phone (your probably know where I'm going with this).

Unlike the Amazon Kindle App, which seamlessly updates your current reading material from device to device, regardless of platform. So since Android Marketplace will never have the iBook App, there's no shot to read my iBooks content on my Samsung Fascinate.

Another gap for Apple: while the Mac App store has a Kindle App available, there's no such App available for iBooks so I can read my books on my laptop.  This may be a temporary problem. Apple has made Mac App versions available for it's other popular software, including Facetime.  

The platform compatibility gap for iBooks is one more reason why I'll stick with the Kindle App moving forward.

Reading more

Six months into life with iPad, I can honestly say that I am reading more....and it's not just because of that device.

While iPad certainly has influenced my reading via electronic device over the past six months, I give more credit to Amazon that I do to Apple for that change.

According to a new survey published in the WSJ tonight, a pretty significant chunk of the population is reading more.

I would have to say I definitely can identify with the folks identified in this trend. I blame the Amazon Kindle App.

The Kindle app's WhisperSync technology is terrific when you have the Kindle application loaded on multiple devices.

I have the app loaded on my MacBook Pro, my iPad, and on by Droid Eris smart phone.

The app's ability to instantly update each device so you can pick right up where you left off makes it incredibly convenient to "read on the run."  I'll find myself catching a few pages of the selected book I'm reading on my cell phone while waiting in line for lunch or if I find a rare spare moment in my day.  And if I'm sitting at home on my MacBook Pro, I just open the device and I find myself right where I left off.

Cool and convenient.

iPad is fun to read on but the ability of the Kindle app to span across all my devices is an even more powerful reason why I read more these days.