Analysts and pundits are holding forth on whether the iPad is going to be a Kindle killer. My colleagues wonder if I’ll have any use for my Kindle 2, once the iPad arrives in my offices. Both can be pressed into service for business work; reading business books is a natural on a long flight, and even without seeing or using an iPad yet, I can make a case for putting the Kindle in my carry-on.

First, it’s lighter. The iPad weighs three times as much the smaller model of the Kindle. When I’m packing a carry-on, every ounce counts since it will be on my shoulder.

Second, it’s likely that the Kindle will easier to read for long stretches. The resolution of the device is 167 ppi, while the iPad is just 132 ppi. The bigger the number, the closer you come to genuine ink on paper.

Beyond that, there’s a secret but brute-simple tool inside a Kindle. The device that has a free data plan and a crude browser capability. You won’t mistake it for a complete Internet experience, but high-text Web sites like Google News or a simple mail browser interface are possible, if not comfortable.

All that said, the extra 25 percent of ppi and the 1-pound drop in carry weight are going to pale in front of a mature iPad for business travel. When I land in San Francisco I’ll want to know which BART stop gets me closest to the Macworld hall at Moscone. I can’t do this with a Kindle 2. Read the rest of this entry »