There are several eBook reading applications available for the Apple iPad, and it is no surprise that iBooks has been the popular choice of application since it is the one that is recommended by Apple – as is to be expected. Many iPad owners have had no previous experience of e-Readers and hence have no yardstick by which measure iBook’s performance.

In fact, iBooks beats the competition in respect of its similarity to a real book, and the page turn, speed and layout are excellent.  However, iBooks also has many shortcomings, mainly in functionality, largely due to Apple’s desire to keep control over what can be read on the iPad. Thus, it enables DRM-free PDF and EPUB publications to be synced through iTunes directly to the iPad. A great feature, but not without its price!

The user must use iTunes through a computer before the book can be transferred to the iPad. This is OK if you have only a few books, but if you have a library of several hundred it gets very complicated using iTunes and syncing. It also means that, like all the other e-readers, iBooks is not compatible with other libraries. The problem here is that Amazon has the largest library of all, so iBooks users are being restricted in the choice available.

The Kindle app for iPad is a lot more functional: while Apple has focused on looks, Amazon has focused on functionality and if you prefer the way your e-reader works and the range of books available, Amazon’s functionality beats the looks of iBooks hands down. According to the article “Which e-Reader is the Most Suitable for Me” (dbReaders), over 200’000 books are available for downloading from Kindle store which included those on the New York Times bestsellers, magazines and newspapers.

What other eBook reading applications for Apple iPad are worth considering other than the two giants?  The Barnes & Noble Nook application is likely by far the best available for paid subscriptions.  With a much easier reading screen than either of the other two, it is certainly worth considering if you pay for your reading material and if the publications are not more expensive than from Amazon or Apple. One draw-back is that you cannot upload your own EPUB material, and like the others is restrictive in content to that purchased only on the Barnes and Noble website.

Then there is the Kobo iPad app. If you would prefer to read your eBooks on a number of devices, such as your iPad, iPhone, PC, Blackberry or Palm, then the Kobo reader is best because all your content is stored externally on Kobobook’s cloud and you can access it with practically any device.  The e-reader is basic in terms in terms of features, but it is good enough, and definitely worth having if you have this multi-device requirement.

Finally, but by no means least, is the Stanza, a wonderful e-reader from Lexicycle, originally offered as an application for iPhone, but purchased by Amazon in 2009. This neat little e-reader is compatible with a vast range of file formats and can be synced with iTunes. Like the Kobo it can access clouded storage, but can also store your most-used eBooks internally.  Add access to a wide range of free feeds and to paid titles, and this application is possibly more sophisticated than either iBooks or the Kindle app.

Since its launch, a number of e-Book reading applications for iPad have laid claim as the best of those available, and while iBooks would be Apple’s first recommendation, a lot depends on what you use your iPad for.  If it used primarily as an e-reader then it is a close call between the Kindle app and the Stanza, but if looks and the app that looks and works most like a real book are important to you, then Apple’s own application will probably win.