Actually, I carry an Android tablet (ASUS Transformer) when I travel, but do not put travel guides on it. I carry real guide books: They don't run out of battery power, are easy to read, even in bright sunlight and are quite resistant to abuse (spilling things on them, dropping them, etc.). They cost about the same as sending one of the listed devices to the nearest repair facility... I will use the Android device for general communications, but tend to leave it in the room, whereas the books get stuffed into a backpack.

We're strictly guide and map people. They're good for making notes in, aren't reliant on wifi, no big deal if lost, and certainly no one wants to run off with them. It just simplifies our travel as the cameras are enough to worry about! Heck, we don't even bring a phone out of the country. I do have a small itouch I'll bring to Italy this year for a quick check of our email anywhere with free wifi.

Oops - sorry Randy, I misread your question. None of the above.

iPad Don't own a Kindle or Nook

Kate, Your answer was exactly what I was looking for so thanks. Rich, Any thoughts about it's practicality. How do you use it and would you recommend it?

I've had my iPad since June, 2010 so it is the original not the iPad 2. Previous to the iPad I had an iPod Touch for about 6 months which my wife now uses. I switched first because of the screen size. It is very easy to see items on the screen and then with a pinch I can magnify even small items such as a local map. For travel I use the iPad for Maps ap which comes with the iPad. I put in my starting location and then ending location and it gives me a point to point map which I then use to take a look at the roads I want to take to my final destination. I've never owned or would ever want to own a navigational device where somebody is telling me where to turn as I like to blaze my own trail at times. I've taken the iPad on walks and drives through Atlanta and used this feature to see exactly where I was and what restaurants might be nearby. I use the notes function to take notes as I travel and rarely carry a pen and paper anywhere. There are so many apps (some good, some not so good) for travel that I've still only begun to scratch the surface of the potential. I recently downloaded a photo app for Free called Snapseed which I have been able to really do some nice editing on my photos. I also now have an app which allows me to connect with my computer at home so any files that I have stored on it I can also get and this is without using the Cloud. I would highly recommend an iPad to anyone.

I use the KINDLE but just to read books while travelling. It's light, reasonably cheap and battery lasts nearly 1 month, so ideal for travelling. I can store 20 books and forget about boredom in buses & trains. For guides & maps I still prefer plain paper, but I guess it's a question of time, I will surrender to electronics sooner or later...

I carry oldfashoined guidebooks and maps, and print out things from VT (tips) . Also carry Kindle for my books,nice bridge camera and 4G phone, always get local sim if I am in the country more than 4 days...

iPad, I have an old one and will be upgrading to a newer one.. I use it for maps, save information, e mail, web access. but I don't download guidebooks and I try and use maps. Karl

Ipad. You can download the Kindle app so you can read all your kindle books. You can download apps for various trip info related help sites. You can download maps, access googlemaps, and on and on. With WiFi almost everywhere easy to access the net to look up any info that you may need on your trip. If you get the IPAD with the data service included then you can even access sites while you drive or use it as a GPS. (basically same as Iphone but no built in phone)

My husband has an iPad Touch for his music. I carry my Kindle for reading. I load books on the history and historical fiction of the region we're visiting. It's great for evenings or bad weather. We carry paper guidebooks and maps. I am comfortable tossing them in my purse or leaving them in the rental car. We have a GPS unit but have needed our paper maps more than once. Electronics are great but sometimes nothing works but the "real" thing.

Depends on the purpose of travels. With motorcycle paper maps are used on the road and minipc or smartphone to planning. IPad would be good, but difficult to take care of it (rain, dust, ...). With other kind of travel IPad for webbing, mapping and reading, paper maps and quides outside and paperbacks for reading, you can throw em away and no worries of forgetting em to airplanes or trains (don't ever put you IWhatever to seat pocket in planes).

>With WiFi almost everywhere easy to access But the problem here is that it's still too often not free. The Husband travels for business and a lot of the hotels and airports are making you pay for the their wifi codes.

You are right, goodfish, free internet you get often only if you work for it. You can find it, but you have to "know" places or providers. From Chi-LA, I found wifi from everyplace but with walking and searching. "Free Internet" sighs seem to mean "sometimes working" or even better "working, but not exactly in you equipment" or "not today, maintenance is coming". You can take IPad with 3g, but that is even more expensive (in abroad atleast). (we are a little bit off-topic, you can load maps and books in advance and stay off-line unless you don't want to record you tips online :)

I use paper maps and enlarge to A4 any that I will need constantly (ie: Metro maps) as my sight is not as good as it used to be. As an avid reader and a solo traveller (no ones suitcase I can load with books) I have now purchased a sale price kindle. Much kinder on my weight allowance than books when travelling. My old net book is still handy but have to admit if I was starting out again and had the funds I'd probably go with paper for maps and an ipad for other uses.

Thanks for the input everyone. It was a big help. Thanks, Randy