Should I buy a Kindle if I already have an iPad? [ASK MR. NOOBIE]

QUESTION: What can you tell me about the Kindle? Is it just for reading books? We already have iPods, iPhones, and iPads in this house (multiples of each.) Is there any point to a Kindle? I’m assuming we can just download books to the iPads so why spend more money? – Mary V. from Grants Pass, Oregon

ANSWER: It really depends on which Kindle you are referring to. The Kindle Paperwhite is nothing more than a book reader. But unlike your smartphone or tablet, the Paperwhite has a special display that prevents glare, even in bright sunlight.

The Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HDX on the other hand, are full-blown tablets—more like the iPad except they run a modified version of Android. If you already have iPads there is probably no need for a Kindle of any kind in your house. Like you said, you can download books to the iPad using the Kindle app.

However, if you have an Amazon Prime account, there is a small advantage to owning a Kindle in that you can borrow one Kindle book for free each month from the Kindle Lending Library. But again, given that you already have iPads, this most likely isn’t enough reason to fork out even more money for a Kindle.

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