Yes, I use sunglasses at the beach, and while the phone is more or less readable, I definitely wouldn’t be doing extensive reading on it (i.e. an ebook). I have to squint enough as it is through the glare.

My post was simply to point out that eReaders are designed to be comfortable to read, even in direct sunlight. Now, I haven’t had a chance to take an iPad outside, but I don’t believe it would be nearly as comfortable to read a book on while laying on the beach.

eReader’s are designed to emulate a book as close as possible, and are very easy to read in the sunlight. The iPad’s book application might be good, but I don’t feel like it’s going to be superior to a stand alone device like the Kindle. The reason those devices aren’t backlit is because it is more strenuous on the eyes.

Referring to Doc’s OP, I just don’t see why getting an eReader is considered a bad idea when it’s a niche device that does what it’s supposed to do, and pretty darn well at that.

People use iPhone and iPod touch outside. You are thinking of OLED screens which don’t work well outdoors.