Monday, April 1, 2013

Using iPad as an E-Reader & Video Player

At Christmas I became the proud owner of a new iPad.  I'm really enjoying it and use it for a lot of different purposes.  My top two are for reading and for watching movies/videos.

I wasn't sure that I would like using an e-reader instead of a paper book, but I've come to appreciate the advantages.  I don't have to store paper books, which is a huge plus for me, since my bookcases are overflowing.  I can take my iPad anywhere that I'd take a book and it's no heavier than a hard cover book.  I can mark my page with an electronic bookmark instead of scrounging in the bottom of my purse for a receipt or some scrap of paper to use.  I can shop for new books anytime, and I can search by author, title, etc. in the store to quickly find what I want.

One disadvantage that I see with e-readers is that it isn't any cheaper to buy an e-book than a paper one.  I mean, really, shouldn't I get a discount since they don't have the expense of the paper, ink and printing?  Why should I pay $9.99 online to get an electronic copy of a book when I can often get the same book on paper for less than that?  This is annoying to me.

For now, I'm trying to stock up on iTunes gift cards whenever I see them offered at a discount off face value (frequently at 10 - 15 % off at local stores).  I'm also having pretty good luck with the bargain section of iBooks.  I've found a lot of new authors that I'm enjoying without having to pay $10 or more for a new book.

We are members of Netflix, so I'm also really enjoying being able to watch all of the episodes of TV shows, in order, whenever I want.  If a certain show or movie is not available using the streaming on Netflix, I can normally find it on iTunes for a price.  I also have quite a few movies on DVD which I purchased in a bundle that included a digital copy, so I'm slowly getting those loaded to my PC so that I can put them on my iPad if I want.  This is perfect for kids movies for a long car trip or plane ride.

Now if I could just find an adapter to plug my iPad into the DVD player in the car, that would be the best of both worlds...


No comments:

Post a Comment