Six Reasons the Kindle 3G Is Better Than the Apple iPad

Let's imagine for a moment that you're vacationing on Miami Beach and you want either an Amazon Kindle 3G or an Apple iPad to keep you company for something to do while sunning in the sand. Which device do you suppose would perform the best?

I'll make your guess easy for you. Your best bet is the Amazon Kindle 3G, and here's six reasons as to why.

1. No glare: That's right. The new 3G Kindle now comes glare-free, and you don't have to pay extra for the feature. Instead of getting a nice reflection of your smiling mug when you look at your screen, you see a background that is as white and matte as a real piece of paper. This not only gives you the illusion that you're reading a real book, it's a lot easier to use in direct sunlight.

2. No computer necessary: The Kindle 3G doesn't require a computer connection to get you started. In contrast, the Apple iPad requires a computer connection the minute you take it out of the box. You can't even use the darn thing until you authenticate it with a home computer. That's a big hassle, especially if you purchased the ebook reader because you didn't want the hassle of a real computer.

3. You can get the Kindle 3G for less than $200: The Kindle will save you anywhere from $300 to $600 if you're toying between the Kindle and the iPad. Kindles without 3G access cost about $140 while the ones with 3G access cost about $189.

4. No contract necessary: When you buy the Kindle 3G, you automatically pay for all the internet access you'll ever need - Amazon says it's included in the price. By contrast, the Apple iPad makes you purchase monthly contracts - anywhere from $14.99 to $25 per month - to use a month's worth of internet access when you're not on a Wifi network.

5. The Kindle 3G keeps a longer charge: You might never have to charge the Kindle 3G as long as you're on vacation. According to Amazon, its charge lasts anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on how much you browse the internet versus just reading an ebook. The iPad, on the other hand, only keeps its charge for about 10 hours total. That means you get about two days' worth of sitting on the beach with it, and you have to charge it again.

6. The Kindle is smaller and more compact: Big screens are great for watching movies, but who wants half a laptop in their hands while they're trying to read a book? The Kindle 3G is a good two inches smaller than the iPad and weighs less, besides.

7. There's one more big feature about the Kindle 3G that makes it stand head and shoulders above the Apple iPad, but I didn't have enough room to write about it right here. If you want to find out what this one feature is, I highly recommend checking out http://www.squidoo.com/3g-kindle.