Forum

Hi Celialemos,

I use an iPad and am quite happy with it. Several things you might want to think about.  Keeping your hands clean and dry-physical books can take a splash, but electronics can't.  Either have lots of hand towels around and get very good about drying your hands or get a waterproof pouch (check out Amazon).  Don't plan on leaving your tablet plugged in unless you don't mind killing the battery early.  And you may want your battery.  One of the great things about a tablet is the portable nature of your books.  You can sit on the sofa and read any book in your library.  You can also take it along if you will be waiting in line somewhere.  Even sitting in your kitchen with a cup of tea and flipping thru the pages, just as you would with a print book.  

Set your sleep settings with cooking in mind, so that you don't have to unlock your tablet multiple times.  Treat security seriously, either logging out of amazon after a purchase or having a locking code on your tablet and being sure it is locked when you are done.

Screen size is pretty personal.  My present tablet is 10.5".  We have a 13" at our veterinary hospital and find the screen size useful but the tablet itself too large to handle comfortably.  Beautiful, though, if you don't plan to have to handle it.  We keep it propped on a desk for easy access.  I personally don't like the smaller tablets for cookbooks or embroidery books.  Great for fiction, but not enough screen space to adequately look at recipes or books where illustrations matter. 

You can buy cases with keyboards attached.  Again, pretty personal.  I feel that an attached keyboard detracts from the portable nature of a tablet.  My husband adores the keyboard and requires on for every tablet.  If I need to do a lot of typing, I use a computer rather than a tablet. 

Lastly,  if you think epub cookbooks are likely to be your future, get as large a memory as you can afford.  Cookbooks tend to be larger than fiction books and fill a memory more quickly.  Since your plan is to use the tablet as a bookshelf and not as a gaming device, long practical lifetime is more important than the ability to upgrade to the latest and fastest.  My son has a 12yr old iPad that he uses to access the web.  We keep an 8 year old version down on our bar, complete with various drinks books and some grand drink apps.  Not something that needs a lot of processing power, so they just need to keep powering on.  Both were replaced for inadequate memory.  I am a slow learner (grin)

Zephy

Originally Posted by: Zephyrness

… Several things you might want to think about.  Keeping your hands clean and dry-physical books can take a splash, but electronics can't.…

While it is true that liquids and electronics do not mix with modern tablets and phablets there is little need to touch the device at all. Siri, Alexa or whatever Microsoft has — mongoose is it? — as voice activited control means the device does not need to be touch at all although protection remains a good idea much like perspex book holders protect printed recipe books.

During the CoVid-19 lockdown in the UK I watched the daily concerts from the Wigmore Hall in London and noticed that many performers were not using printed scores but rather iPads with a Bluetooth-enabled foot pedal that caused their score display app to turn the pages. It might be possible to use one of those pedals thereby protecting the tablet from any dough, water, sauce, etc.

Thank you, each and everyone - some great tips and suggestions. 

As an iPad user (started off more than 10 years ago with an iPad 2 — I did not queue at an Apple Store for it but did get one a week after release — and now have an iPad Air 4th generation) I have not found any need or desire to install the Kindle app. The 60+ recipe books I have on the iPad are all in Apple Books. I can't think of a cookery/baking book that I have wanted but was not on Apple books. (Typically if there is mention on Amazon of a Kindle version I go check Apple Book for it and find it.)

The only problem I have had with using Apple Books I documented here https://www.eatyourbooks...forum?g=posts&t=7294 in other words it was getting EYB to accept the Apple versions ISBN!

I bring my ipad everywhere.  Even when we go camping in our camper trailer for my cooking needs.  I used to haul all kinds of magazines and cookbooks but now it is ipad only. I normally keep a small hand towel next to my ipad on a moveable large butcher block table at home so it does not get sticky with my fingers. But, even if it did get sticky, easy to wipe off.  I do use clear cover and cover to protect it.  I have dropped mine numerous times on our wood floor and luckily never broke. 

Originally Posted by: ThePatheticBaker

As an iPad user (started off more than 10 years ago with an iPad 2 — I did not queue at an Apple Store for it but did get one a week after release — and now have an iPad Air 4th generation) I have not found any need or desire to install the Kindle app. The 60+ recipe books I have on the iPad are all in Apple Books. I can't think of a cookery/baking book that I have wanted but was not on Apple books. (Typically if there is mention on Amazon of a Kindle version I go check Apple Book for it and find it.)

The only problem I have had with using Apple Books I documented here https://www.eatyourbooks...forum?g=posts&t=7294 fnf in other words it was getting EYB to accept the Apple versions ISBN!

I'm very impressed to hear that you've managed to find all the cookery and baking books you need on Apple Books without having to rely on the Kindle app.