The Web-Browsing Experience Is Superior

As anyone who has tried to surf the Web on an e-reader knows all too well, the experience isn’t all that great. However, on tablets, such as the iPad 2 or the Motorola Xoom, surfing the Web is quite nice. Not only are Web pages displayed properly, but reading all the content on those pages is simple. If a person looking for an e-reader wants a good browsing experience, they should buy a tablet instead.

Take a look at the Amazon Kindle and compare it with the iPad 2. Within minutes, just about everyone will agree that Apple’s tablet boasts a much nicer design than the Kindle. Granted, they’re both slim and easily portable, but the iPad 2 has a sleek finish and big, beautiful display that helps it make competing tablets look rather obsolete.

One of the biggest issues with e-readers is that their screen quality is generally not good. The Amazon Kindle, for example, utilizes e-ink technology, which helps users read books without glare in the middle of the day, but when folks want color, they’re out of luck. Moreover, relying on the screen to do anything more than display text just isn’t possible. Tablet displays, on the other hand, can accommodate just about everything.

One of the key advantages that tablets have over e-readers is the apps available to them. The iPad 2, for example, currently provides access to Apple’s App Store, which has more than 90,000 applications available for the company’s tablet. Android-based tablets allow for access to the Android Market. If applications are what consumers are after, tablets are their best bet.

It’s important to note that tablets offer support for e-books. In fact, Amazon’s Kindle store is available in mobile application marketplaces, alongside other e-book stores. Because of that, tablet owners will find a massive collection of e-books at their disposal, while those who are running e-readers will only be able to choose books from the respective device’s store. E-book availability alone helps tablets trump e-readers.

For those on a budget, it’s hard to beat e-reader pricing. The cheapest Amazon Kindle model can be purchased for just $114, while the 3G version of the device is available for $164. Most tablets, on the other hand, will cost customers at least $400. But when all the features in tablets are taken into account, the higher price is justifiable. For several hundred dollars, consumers are getting better hardware, better software and more books. It seems like a fine deal, and makes e-readers’ price lead not look so daunting.

Though Pew Research found that e-readers are still very popular among consumers, it’s important for everyone to realize that the devices are obsolete. Barnes and Noble realized that and converted its Nook Color into an Android-based tablet. Speculation abounds that Amazon will be launching a tablet sooner rather than later. E-readers are nice, but due to their limited functionality, it won’t be long before many of them are replaced with more-capable tablets.

When it comes to hardware features, it’s hard to choose an e-reader over a tablet. Several devices currently on store shelves, including the iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 and others, feature both front- and rear-facing cameras that allow for snapping photos and having video chats. Plus, they come with ample storage to accommodate user video, audio and other digital media. From a hardware perspective, tablets can’t be beaten.

When it comes to mobile devices, it’s impossible to find a single operating system that works better than Apple’s iOS platform. Running on the company’s iPad 2, the software supports email, Web browsing, third-party applications and many other functions that make the device more like a computer than a single-purpose device. Compared with any software running on e-readers, iOS easily takes the day.

When it comes to e-readers, there are only three worthwhile options: the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes and Noble Nook and the Sony Reader. In the tablet space, however, there are many nice devices consumers can choose from, including the iPad, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Research In Motion BlackBerry PlayBook and a host of others. Moreover, the Hewlett-Packard TouchPad and a 4G-equipped Galaxy Tab 10.1 are on the way. With all those options, tablets accommodate every need. However, in the e-reader space, there are just a few good options. That’s not good. With more choices, customers are happier. It’s as simple as that.