Most of the big U.S. book publishers are on board with the iPad, featuring their titles in Apple's iBook store built just for the device. Users can also access books made for other e-readers like the Kindle by downloading a variety of apps.
iBook lets readers change text size and font, and look up words via the built-in dictionary. And the iPad allows for viewing in color, which is great for newspapers and magazines -- publishers like the New York Times and Conde Nast have created digital versions of their periodicals, designed for aesthetic quality and readability on the iPad.
But the backlit LCD screen could hurt some readers' eyes after a while; other e-readers, like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook, use E Ink technology designed to reduce eyestrain and reflect light the way regular paper does.
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