I never thought I’d get so many questions about “what are you reading with?” when I would share a book over IG stories lol. So if you’re wondering where the topic of this blog came from, that’s it! I thought I’d compare actual books, vs. reading on an iPad or Kindle and then share my thoughts on the iPad vs. the Kindle specifically.

So a little background. I used to never want to use an iPad or Kindle because…well, I honestly don’t really know why I was averse to them. I guess I just liked having/holding an actual book and didn’t want to be looking at another screen during the day? It all started though in the beginning of quarantine when I was dying to do something, anything, and I was like okay I’m going to read. And as a side note, it’s not that I dislike reading but I just always felt like other things took priority if I was going to dedicate time to something. Okay, anyway. So of course the fastest option for reading a book was to download one on Stephen’s iPad. And since then, I’ve been hooked! I don’t have any desire to go back to an actual book. I don’t know if this is true, but I feel like I read faster on the iPad (and Kindle) but just from a practicality and convenience standpoint, the iPad just makes so much more sense. I don’t have to bookmark my pages (anyone else constantly dog-ear pages and still loose their place?), all of the books are stored in one place so I just have to keep track of the iPad lol, and the few times we’ve traveled (or when we do travel in the future) the iPad is so much more convenient. It’s lighter, takes up less space than a book, and if you finish a book while traveling you can just download a new one ASAP.

Okay so while the iPad is great, recently I got a Kindle Paperwhite and so I wanted to share my thoughts on Kindle vs. the iPad.  So I use the kindle app to read on the iPad so the overall reading experience is pretty similar except the iPad (since it’s an iPad) has more “bells and whistles” in general than the Kindle.  At first though I was worried that the Kindle would be too small and that I would prefer the bigger screen on the iPad but I can honestly say in doesn’t bother me. In fact, the more I’ve used it I kind of prefer that it’s smaller because I can hold it with one hand while laying in bed on my side, and if I did travel with it it would take up less space. The other nice things about the Kindle is that it’s glare proof, and waterproof which is great because if you’re outside, or at a pool, beach etc. (maybe in the bath at home is more applicable to 2020 haha) you can use it without worry.

That being said, this has been my overall takeaway. If you’re debating between getting an iPad vs. a Kindle (the holidays are coming people!!), I would ask yourself what you’re going to mainly use it for. In my case, I don’t really use Stephen’s iPad for anything other than reading or watching the occasional tv show. So given that, the price difference, plus the fact that the Kindle is more compact, glare resistant, waterproof etc. I would choose the Kindle between the two. But if you’re someone that likes to read but wants a device that can replace your computer to an extent when traveling, etc. then the iPad may be worth the initial investment.

Like most things, it really comes down to personal preference and what you’ll be using it for. I don’t think you can go wrong with either but those are my initial thoughts. And I will say, I’ve heard so many people say they used to be averse to reading on a device vs. an actual book but since they tried a device, they will never go back to reading from an actual book. So if you’re someone who is like, I just prefer actual books maybe give the Kindle a chance! Stephen still loves an actual book but like I shared, I prefer a device. So you don’t know until you try! I feel like at this point I’ll buy an actual book when the cover is pretty enough to also be aesthetically pleasing on my bookshelf 😉 Have any of you guys made the switch from actual books to reading on a device? What do you guys use to read? xxC