Do I have to pay more or less to read [[magazines] on the iPad?

I'd reviewed and mostly liked Amazon.com's best-selling e-reader, but I wasn't sure it would ever replace “real” books for me. Like a lot of readers, I love the physical nature of books — the feel, the design, even the smell. But the more I used the Kindle, the more I liked it.

And then ... along came the iPad. I don't have Kindle owner's remorse, but I understand the angst of those who do. With its grayscale display and does-one-thing-well approach, Amazon's e-reader is neither as stylishly alluring nor as powerful as Apple's product.

But how do the two compare strictly as e-book readers? When you simply want to sit down and enjoy a good book, which has the best experience? Here's a look at how the iPad and the Kindle compare as e-readers in four key areas: readability, ergonomics, convenience and cost.

Can you look at it for a long time without eyestrain? Are the characters on the screen crisp and easy to see? The Kindle uses a reflective screen with no backlighting — just like a paper book — while the iPad has an LED backlit display.

Each has advantages and disadvantages. The Kindle requires decent external lighting; you can't read well in a dark room. The iPad has a bright screen, but it doesn't do well in direct sunlight.

Usually I have no problems reading a backlit screen, but it bothers a lot of people. However, reading for long periods on my iPad is difficult. I don't have a problem spending hours with the Kindle.

As first noted by John Gruber on his Daring Fireball blog, the reason may have to do with how close together the pixels are, a factor known as pixel density. The iPad's pixel density is less than that of the Kindle — or the iPhone — so the characters are less distinct. The advantage here goes to the Kindle.

Is it easy to handle and use?