E-book readers: Sony/Amazon Kindle
- Thread starter Sunray
- Start date
UnderOpenSky
baseline neural therapy
Sunray said:
With heavier going stuff, like academic stuff if you give me the same text, but with the headings in colours and the like I find it easier to take it in. Hence why many modern textbooks do this, even if they are little updated in other areas from older editions.
What would be cool is if you could set the book to highlight certain areas and certain colours.
why it hasn't been released here sooner. (Supposed to be in Spring 1998)scott_forester
probably talking shite
Sunray said:
I think colour would just make it more flexible also I'd be pretty pissed off if I got a B&W one and a few months later the colour one appeared.
Amazon have released their reader...
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/11/18/amazon.kindle/
Looks like it was hit several times by the ugly stick, though:
http://www.electronista.com/articles/07/11/18/amazon.kindle/
Looks like it was hit several times by the ugly stick, though:
Sunray
Its sunny somewhere.
The price isn't so bad tbh.
What that does have over all the others is a keyboard. That makes it, by far, the best reader. For a reference guides I cant help but think that having a proper search makes the e-book because its the thing it does so much better over a bit of paper. Having that by my PC at work would be great.
What that does have over all the others is a keyboard. That makes it, by far, the best reader. For a reference guides I cant help but think that having a proper search makes the e-book because its the thing it does so much better over a bit of paper. Having that by my PC at work would be great.
scott_forester
probably talking shite
Not sure I'd buy a Amazon product over Sony tbh.
editor
hiraethified
Clever though. Newspapers delivered over night. Books and magazines downloaded via EVDO connections (so no need to faff about trying to find a free Wi-Fi spot) and free access to the New Oxford American Dictionary and Wikipedia.org online .Crispy said:
Amazon CEO: "We also wanted to go beyond the physical book. Kindle is wireless, so whether you're lying in bed or riding a train, you can think of a book, and have it in less than 60 seconds."
It's no perfect but it's an interesting step forward.
mauvais
on reddit or something
Surprise, I agree with The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/19/amazon_ebook_reader_folly/
editor
hiraethified
Yu can't see a use for, say, heavy commuters being able to have the day's papers downloaded on to the reader overnight and having a wide selection of books and magazines to read on their journey?mauvais said:
I was deeply cynical of eBook readers until I saw how good the display was.
It's not for me mind (I'd still prefer a proper book) but for heavy book readers, being able to carry 200 books about in a small package could be handy. But it's still very early days for the technology.
mauvais
on reddit or something
No, it's toss. I love reading the paper on a train because it's engaging - I read all sorts of random things I'd not have bothered with if I'd been online, or I suspect with this ebook effort. I can draw on the crossword and skip around the pages, and I can buy it from pretty much any shop anywhere at short notice - when I know I've time to read it.
As for books, I can read a couple a day - and not have to worry about battery life, user interfaces, acquiring content, etc. When I'm done I can give away the book to someone else who'll hopefully value it.
It's a solution to an imaginary problem, but as with any daft technology, no doubt someone will buy it.
As for books, I can read a couple a day - and not have to worry about battery life, user interfaces, acquiring content, etc. When I'm done I can give away the book to someone else who'll hopefully value it.
It's a solution to an imaginary problem, but as with any daft technology, no doubt someone will buy it.
Crispy
The following psytrance is baṉned: All
I think the register nailed it - ebook readers don't offer much that's better than a normal book.
ebook +
take many books with you
get new books without having to go to a bookshop
book +
longer battery life
faster page access
lighter
more robust
cheaper
wider range of titles
easier to use
For most people, it's just not a contest.
I can see a small market for ebook readers right now, but they won't go mass market until they last for days without charging, weigh the same as a paperback, have full size displays, are incredibly intuitive to use and cost £50. I reckon.
ebook +
take many books with you
get new books without having to go to a bookshop
book +
longer battery life
faster page access
lighter
more robust
cheaper
wider range of titles
easier to use
For most people, it's just not a contest.
I can see a small market for ebook readers right now, but they won't go mass market until they last for days without charging, weigh the same as a paperback, have full size displays, are incredibly intuitive to use and cost £50. I reckon.
Kid_Eternity
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Yeah I can't stand audio books too. A ebook reader needs to be a lot cheaper and have very good selection of books to download. I really like the look of the Sony but this Amazon one is ugly...
editor said:
The problem I see is that the downloading blogs costs $, as does transfering items via the EVDO connecection. I like the idea of getting magazines/newspapers over-the-air, and I tend to see this as the way forward...
Its also not for me as it doesn't read pdfs, but as (another) dedicated book reader it looks interesting...
editor said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7101392.stmBBC said:
I wonder how hard it would be to proxy RSS feeds through your own computer and save $1.89...
Although it could the BBC getting the wrong end of the stick...!
editor
hiraethified
The cost of downloading the book is included in the subscription. There is no additional EVDO charge for book/newspaper downloads.jæd said:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7101392.stm
I wonder how hard it would be to proxy RSS feeds through your own computer and save $1.89...
Crispy: it is free to transfer files via USB.
Edit: As far as I can see, owners can transfer anything they like via USB - it is only the wireless service that incurs a charge.
editor
hiraethified
Seeing as the device supports .txt files, users can also gorge themselves on the thousands of free books available at www.gutenberg.org/ too.
I use that site myself and have read a couple of free books on my Treo.
I use that site myself and have read a couple of free books on my Treo.
editor
hiraethified
One thing that's really good: the first chapter of every book is free to download and read on the Kindle.
Good comment here: http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2007/11/the-mobile-comm.html
Good comment here: http://palmaddict.typepad.com/palmaddicts/2007/11/the-mobile-comm.html
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