Barnes & Noble's Nook, Reviewed 260
harrymcc writes "Barnes & Noble's Nook — the most significant e-reader since Amazon's original Kindle — hits B&N's retail stores today. I've published an extensive review of the device, which is also the first e-reader to run Google's Android OS: It's an interesting and capable gadget in many ways, but the interface — which is sluggish and somewhat quirky — isn't polished enough to render it a Kindle killer."
Killer (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Killer (Score:5, Funny)
... a dead-tree-killer.
Oh no! We're doomed. How do you kill a tree zombie? They don't have heads to shoot at.
Aaaahhhhh
Re:Killer (Score:5, Funny)
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Dude, now is not the time to buy clothes!
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Ah, that's why most trees stand firmly planted into the ground - they are trying to protect the roots, like an ostrich.
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easy. you kill it with fire.
Re:Killer (Score:5, Informative)
I'm going to kill my mod points for this discussion to say emphatically that this comment is NOT INSIGHTFUL, and borders on being deceitful. I hate to cite Wikipedia as a source, but look here [wikipedia.org] for the reasons to recycle paper, even if you believe you're doing the environment some good by landfilling your paper refuse:
I'm not even going to bother going into how juvenile it is to assume that throwing a piece of paper in the trash==composting it (or that the other organic bits like banana peels and carrot tops don't do a much better and faster job of it than paper would).
Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:5, Insightful)
Just need something that forces Amazon to keep innovating and keep pricing competitive.
Thanks, B&N!
Re:Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:5, Funny)
Now now, its only fixing if they agree to do that. If they miraculously decide to use the same price without discussion, that's the market at work!
Re:Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:4, Insightful)
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Don't forget rounding to a 'round number,' because even if costs plus 20% markup adds up to $242, that isn't going to be the price, they're either going to go with $250 to be competitive (don't want to be seen as cheap) or $225 or $240.
All of that comes down to a self and market study generated number that indicates value. Depending on how the product will be seen compared to the top (most visible) competitor, they can go for 4 images. They can go for cheapest that fills the most basic need, similar utility
Re:Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:5, Interesting)
The fact that it shares the same price point doesn't imply price fixing or stop it being beneficial to consumers. Firstly, if the B&N device is 'better' it is effectively cheaper than the Kindle. Secondly, if both devices are exactly even then sales should begin to spread between the two, this will encourage one of the parties to drop the price in order to gain the others market share.
Factor in other benefits like removing some dominance from Amazon's position as ebook superpower, which will hopefully add competition to book pricing and limit anti-consumer licensing/limitations and this seems (as it should) like a good thing for us little people.
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Sometimes it's price fixing, sometimes it's market observation. It's not just the Kindle, but Sony and others being sold at or around this price point. That shows B&N that such hardware will move at that price, but also, that the will likely have trouble selling it at a higher price. So they set the price based on the competition... and yeah, this has very little to do with the actual cost.
In fact, if the cost were half of what Amazon's paying, they might still launch at the higher price, just to be tak
Re:Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:5, Informative)
But I'm hopeful. How long did it take before Apple had to allow non-AAC audio files to play on the first-gen iPods? They only did that because other companies started making players that would play the widely available mp3 files.
iPods were released before the iTunes store, so they have been able to play MP3s even longer than protected AACs.
Learn Your History (Score:2)
How long did it take before Apple had to allow non-AAC audio files to play on the first-gen iPods? They only did that because other companies started making players that would play the widely available mp3 files.
Please take the time to actually learn what the hell you're talking about
The iPod came out years before the iTunes Store existed, and played MP3 files as its primary purpose. No one cared about AAC yet (it existed, but it was only the iTunes Store that popularized it).
So...iPods have always been able to play non-AAC audio files. iPods have never been purely repositories for music from the iTunes Store.
Where in the world did you get such a ridiculous idea, anyway?
Dan Aris
Re:Don't Need a Kindle Killer, Exactly (Score:4, Informative)
From what I've read of the Nook, the situation is EXACTLY like it was in the earlier days of the MP3 player, and particularly the iPod.
You can read any ePub book on the Nook... as long as it's not DRMed... just like the iPod and every other MP3 plays unDRMed MP3 files. It also supports PDB and PDF, after a fashion (fully page PDF is generally unreadable on today's relatively low-rez eBook readers). But it also reads DRMed ePub or PRC.
For reference, the very first iPods played non-DRMed MP3s... that was never the problem. They also played non-DRMed AAC.
The problem was that most of the commercially available content was only on AAC files protected with Apple's proprietary DRM. Which is also just the situation today in eBooks. The thing about ePub... it lets any old DRM live inside it. There's a more or less standard DRM from Adobe, and supposedly, the Nook support this... this is also the one used in Sony readers (along with Sony's own proprietary format). But there's also the proprietary B&N DRM, which is based on the Adobe DRM but different in some ways, supposedly. The big problem is that B&N content will presumably only be released in this proprietary format... so it's only readable on the Nook (and whatever PC or PDA based readers B&N decides to release). And some other eBook readers that have content agreements with B&N.
This is similar to what Amazon did with the Kindle. Their AZW format is a customized version of the Mobipocket file format. The Kindle can read AZW, or unprotected Mobipocket books (MOBI, PRC). Oh yeah, and plain old text files. Thus, while you can read a number of free books, anything commerically available is going to be Kindle only right now, in both directions.
WiFi (Score:4, Insightful)
Speaking as someone not living in the US ... and hence out of the AT&T whispernet, the fact that this can work over WiFi is a huge plus.
I'd totally pay 250 US for it, just for kicks. Especially if they'd publish something like a bird watcher's guide, which where I really miss having a ton of searchable content, but without the bulk to carry around.
Re:WiFi (Score:5, Informative)
Speaking as someone not living in the US ... and hence out of the AT&T whispernet, the fact that this can work over WiFi is a huge plus.
I live in Norway, and my Kindle works just fine with the cell network here for downloading books etc.
Re:WiFi (Score:4, Informative)
Sure. And you're paying more for them and getting fewer to pick from.
Oh, and no Wikipedia surfing for you either.
And for all that, you get to pay more than in the US. Yay!
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The recent software update for the Kindle apparently allows it to read PDF natively, though I've never had a use for it.
As for open document formats, it supports MOBI, TXT...aww heck, it's right on the first page of the review! Go read it.
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The Kindle DX reads PDFs natively, the kindle 2 supposedly just got updated to also do so, but I haven't tried yet. Either way, you can convert it on your own with free software instead of sending it in.
All of them can read txt, html, mobi, even jpg and a bunch of formats I never use.
Just remember to back up your books to a computer so they can't 1984 you.
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I think a bird watcher guide probably works better with color ...
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Except that you're not allowed to buy new content on the nook when outside of the US. Read, sure, but not get anything new.
See the "Traveling with nook" subheading [barnesandnoble.com]
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Maybe Gopal.V is colorblind, you insensitive clod!
To beat Kindle you need better policy (Score:5, Insightful)
Perhaps it is my slashdot bias, but the story about Kindles having books removed from readers' machines still strikes a sour chord with me. I recognize that most consumers don't know a thing about and many don't care. I don't see much difference between book burning and book deleting. To me the reasons, are irrelevant. Abuse will always emerge when opportunity is given.
Re:To beat Kindle you need better policy (Score:5, Interesting)
Bingo. No Kindle for me. Ever.
I did want one, and saw myself inevitably getting one when the price reached a reasonable altitude.
But they wrote me off with that stunt. Now any reader I do settle on must establish to my satisfaction that it does not have that "feature".
Re:To beat Kindle you need better policy (Score:4, Informative)
It was a bad decision on Amazon's part, but it was one they made good on in my opinion:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/09/04/big-amazon-will-give-you-back-your-copies-if-1984-annotations-wont-be-sent-into-the-chute/ [crunchgear.com]
I'm not keen on buying DRM'd e-books. But the fact is that in this case, Amazon showed itself to be capable of treating customers right, and of making the right reparations when standards slip.
Re:To beat Kindle you need better policy (Score:5, Insightful)
And yet they did not issue a firmware update that would remove the easily abused feature.
When rights are able to be taken away, they are no longer rights -- they are privileges. I'd just as soon buy an actual book.
Apologizing for behavior is one thing. Making sure it never happens again is quite another.
With all this DRM everywhere, all we are really ensuring is that 1000 years from now, no one will know who we were or what we did.In the short term, we are losing public domain. In the long, we are losing our identity.
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In the short term, we are losing public domain. In the long, we are losing our identity.
Until you find a way to make that show up on next quarter's balance sheet... no-one making the decisions gives a rat's ass.
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Apologizing for behavior is one thing. Making sure it never happens again is quite another.
It wasn't just an apology, but a better-for-like replacement. That is, people bought an unlicensed product, and were eventually given a licensed replacement.
Making sure it never happens again? It's plain to see that Amazon were smarting from the negative publicity. For entirely self serving reasons, they won't repeat that.
I'll repeat though - I don't think the 1984 episode shows Amazon in a particularly bad light. However I don't think buying DRM'd books is a wise move for most consumers.
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Apologizing for behavior is one thing. Making sure it never happens again is quite another.
It wasn't just an apology, but a better-for-like replacement. That is, people bought an unlicensed product, and were eventually given a licensed replacement.
The book in question (Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell) has expired copyright and is now in the public domain in the US (where all this happened). How exactly is it possible to get an "unlicensed" public domain work?
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Are you sure? Wikipedia disagrees [wikipedia.org]:
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That's ok, the Flargnorgs don't really care for Shakespeare anyway.
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If 1984 were in the public domain, you may have a point. It isn't, so you don't.
Public domain books can be loaded on to the Kindle (and other e-readers) outside of the bookstore and it would likely be difficult for Amazon to know or remove books loaded in that manner.
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I'd mod you up but you're already at +5. My concern is that Amazon's example reminded people that with everything electronic, data can be changed with or without our permission. Tough for someone to walk into your house and remove your book without at least some defense on your part. But if a company can just click a button and remove your property without your permission or knowledge, we're walking right into Orwell's 1984, only we won't need thousands of people editing newspapers...just a small team to
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And yet they did not issue a firmware update that would remove the easily abused feature.
The fault is the law, not Amazon. The copyright status of this book is confusing enough that an honest mistake was made by a publisher that sold an unlicensed book on Amazon. The extreme penalties associated with this mistake could have killed off the whole kindle product line with a massive judgment.
Patching this "feature" out would be pointless at this point, because it can always be patched back in if they ever want to recall again. The customers were rightfully upset so Amazon had to make a policy.
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If you bought a stolen physical book, that book can be taken back from you. The fact that its unlikely to happen is not relevant to the discussion. Amazon did better than you'd get if you bought stolen goods -- they refunded the money. If you bought virtually any other stolen item, you'd be out the item and your money.
Something else that isn't relevant are comparisons to stolen goods.
These people did NOT buy stolen goods. It would be a stretch to even call them counterfeit goods.
What does a book offer that a reader doesn't? (Score:5, Insightful)
But if a corporation decides to "burn" an e-reader book, can they? They sure CAN! And the book will be gone with no chance of ever discovering an unburnt copy.
Sorry, no. The function I want is PERMANENCE. That cannot be built into an e-reader.
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A book offers permanence. Books are created so the only infrastructure required to receive the information within is your brain. And how can you get rid of books authorities no longer like? Well, because of the light infrastructure requirements, you CAN'T. No book burning has ever deleted an entire work from the culture.
But if a corporation decides to "burn" an e-reader book, can they? They sure CAN! And the book will be gone with no chance of ever discovering an unburnt copy.
Sorry, no. The function I want is PERMANENCE. That cannot be built into an e-reader.
Actually... If you're worried about permanence... I'd go for an (open) electronic format over the printed page...
Much easier to throw a PDF on the interwebs and ensure that it lives forever. Or copy it to a couple dozen USB keys or SD cards and scatter them around. Or email it to hundreds of people. Or encrypt the thing so authorities can't touch it. Or print out a few dozen copies. Or burn it to a CD/DVD. Throw a copy on your iPod Touch, on your iPhone, on your Blackberry.
Yeah, DRM is bad. And Ama
Re:What does a book offer that a reader doesn't? (Score:5, Insightful)
"No book burning has ever deleted an entire work from the culture"
That we know of.
Library of Alexandria (Score:5, Insightful)
No book burning has ever deleted an entire work from the culture.
Are you sure no works died with the Library of Alexandria [wikipedia.org]?
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How would you know?
Broken Record (Score:3, Interesting)
I am so tired of hearing "e-readers will never replace books" arguments, as if it were an all-or-nothing thing. I can well imagine stone carvers makers the same "permanence" argument against books.
E-readers still can't do a lot of what books do, but so what? Half the books I read, I read once, then give them away or return them to the library. For these, an e-reader is perfectly fine. And as the technology advances, a physical book will have fewer and fewer advantages.
Frankly, I think all this strident rant
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Perhaps it is my slashdot bias, but the story about Kindles having books removed from readers' machines still strikes a sour chord with me. I recognize that most consumers don't know a thing about and many don't care. I don't see much difference between book burning and book deleting. To me the reasons, are irrelevant. Abuse will always emerge when opportunity is given.
Don't be so sure the public are blissfully ignorant. I'm pretty sure it made mainstream press. Plus, this isn't exactly the kind of thing you get as an impulse buy, so people will look into it a bit more closely.
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Perhaps it is my slashdot bias, but the story about Kindles having books removed from readers' machines still strikes a sour chord with me. I recognize that most consumers don't know a thing about and many don't care. I don't see much difference between book burning and book deleting. To me the reasons, are irrelevant. Abuse will always emerge when opportunity is given.
One of the reasons I ordered a nook this season, as opposed to a Kindle, is that you don't really need to go through Barnes & Noble if you don't want to. The WiFi will let you connect wirelessly without their cell network... The SD cardslot will let you load up whatever you want... And the thing reads EPUB and PDF documents natively.
Kindle killer? (Score:5, Insightful)
Amazon's reluctance to let the gadget out of the US market earlier makes the Kindle just another e-book reader, it has no iconic status that would warrant the "killer" adjective for any competitors, who are competing against it in equal footing pretty much everywhere.
Re:Kindle killer? (Score:4, Informative)
Try clicking on the rather prominent "Live outside the US" link. The Kindle has been available outside the US with international 3G internet support for months now.
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Oh. Shit. (Score:2)
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Maybe a gift certificate and a picture of the Nook...
B&N sells those.
outisde the US? (Score:2)
will this be available to rest of us mere mortals living outside the US (like Europe)?
i can get the kindle and the sony reader so would i have to wait forever for this?
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will this be available to rest of us mere mortals living outside the US (like Europe)?
i can get the kindle and the sony reader so would i have to wait forever for this?
At the moment, everyone is waiting forever. If you were to order one today you wouldn't see it until sometime in January.
At the moment, the nook is limited to US customers. I don't think its 3G will even roam outside the US. You could always use the Wi-Fi... But I'm not sure how well that would work.
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wtf?
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I believe "Whoosh" is only applicable when the original statement makes any sort of sense.
Chinese generic 13" reader? (Score:3, Interesting)
Which reads any .pdf .djvu .younameit, e-ink, etc?
They can not be the ultimate quality, but they will put some fire in competition! Then prices will begin to be fair!
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Mandatory AT&T contract? (Score:3, Interesting)
The review mentions AT&T 3G, but I couldn't find any mention of whether a new AT&T contract is required to buy the device at the stated price. If it is, then fsck that. If it isn't, then 'meh'. Its still pretty expensive. Wait for v 2.0.
Also, if one plugs its USB in, does it appear as 'USB storage', that one can copy PDF's to and be able to read them? Or is one required to use its proprietary software on a proprietary platform to load only special files with DRM?
And how about on wifi? Can one use any sort of standard protocol (ssh, ftp, smb) to copy PDF's in (or out) and/or can it navigate to an arbitrary URL and download a PDF, or does it only support the device accessing company-specified websites to 'buy' books?
Bottom line - Mandatory contract bad. Mandatory proprietary software bad.
Re:Mandatory AT&T contract? (Score:4, Insightful)
From the FAQ: No. There is no charge for your nook's wireless features. You do not need a contract.
As for the file transmisson: B&N is short on details. Since the OS on the nook is Android 1.5, I'm guessing someone will find a way to hack the firmware, even if B&N isn't helping.
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Re:Mandatory AT&T contract? (Score:5, Informative)
The review mentions AT&T 3G, but I couldn't find any mention of whether a new AT&T contract is required to buy the device at the stated price. If it is, then fsck that. If it isn't, then 'meh'. Its still pretty expensive. Wait for v 2.0.
No new contract, no bills at all. The 3G is free, just like the Kindle's.
Also, if one plugs its USB in, does it appear as 'USB storage', that one can copy PDF's to and be able to read them? Or is one required to use its proprietary software on a proprietary platform to load only special files with DRM?
No idea how it works with USB as I don't have one yet, but it does read SD cards... So you could always just throw your files on an SD card to avoid whatever software they think you should be using.
It will read PDFs and EPUB documents - both of which are more open than what Barnes & Noble is using now. Barnes & Noble has indicated that they plan to move their entire ebook store over to EPUB eventually.
And how about on wifi? Can one use any sort of standard protocol (ssh, ftp, smb) to copy PDF's in (or out) and/or can it navigate to an arbitrary URL and download a PDF, or does it only support the device accessing company-specified websites to 'buy' books?
Again, I can't say because I don't have one yet... But it sounds like the WiFi is fairly limited at the moment. There is no web browser and I don't believe you can transfer anything wirelessly... Except for maybe accessing the B&N bookstore over WiFi.
Bottom line - Mandatory contract bad. Mandatory proprietary software bad.
The reason I chose a nook instead of a Kindle is the relative openness of the platform. With the SD cards and support for PDF and EPUB format, I figure I can use this thing with basically any content I want - even stuff Barnes & Noble doesn't sell or support. And with the Wi-Fi I can probably maintain my connectivity even if B&N kills the 3G for some reason. And the user-replaceable battery means I don't have to go to great lengths just because the battery is old and flaky - unlike the Kindle.
You should read the review. (Score:3, Informative)
It makes extensive mention of BN's support for epub.
A Kindle killer:? (Score:3, Informative)
The whole phrasse Kindle killer evokes some epic struggle to knock off the top dog in the market. Right now the iPhone/iPod touch appears to be the number 1 ebook reader. Meanwhile Amazon is afraid to release sales numbers for the Kindle because it would show it has been a disappointing seller.
I think the Kindle is a good idea, but for a single use device with a very high price it is not going to make any inroads into the market.
Awesome. (Score:4, Insightful)
While it may not be a "Kindle Killer"... (Score:5, Informative)
The Kindle does have one disadvantage that is making me give the Nook a stronger look.
PDF's.
I buy a lot of Role Playing materials from Steve Jackson Games' "e23" site. They are in very high quality PDF documents and something that can display them without having to lug around a large, heavy, and massively power hungry laptop is a god send.
However, even though I legally own a copy of the PDF, Amazon refused to convert the PDF into a Kindle Ready file due to (as I was informed) copyright issues.
The Nook supports PDF out of the box and the internal file storage as well as the expansion slot gives me the room for all of the PDF's that I have.
So while it might not be a Kindle Killer, it has some features that put it close enough to the Kindle to make it a worthwhile contender.
Re:While it may not be a "Kindle Killer"... (Score:4, Interesting)
Have you considered the Foxit eSlick.
http://www.foxitsoftware.com/ebook/ [foxitsoftware.com]
I haven't tried one myself. I'm a bit dubious about the way it's *all* PDF (reflowable text seems better for many kinds of writing). But if PDF works for you, Foxit are among the best at it. Their software PDF viewer is certainly better than Adobe's.
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On the 6" Kindle2 screen, it squishes it way too small to be read, but you can rotate it to landscape, and it displayed half the page at a time, in landscape mode. So, a page that's normally 8" wide is squished to 6", and you have to turn the page to get to the bottom of the column, and turn the page back to get to the top of the second column, but it works, and is readable.
I've loaded my Kindle with a bunch of D&D sourcebooks. I still prefer the hardbacks for use around the game table, but the copies o
Kindle PDF Support (Score:5, Informative)
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The Kindle does have one disadvantage that is making me give the Nook a stronger look.
PDF's.
I buy a lot of Role Playing materials from Steve Jackson Games' "e23" site. They are in very high quality PDF documents and something that can display them without having to lug around a large, heavy, and massively power hungry laptop is a god send.
However, even though I legally own a copy of the PDF, Amazon refused to convert the PDF into a Kindle Ready file due to (as I was informed) copyright issues.
The Nook supports PDF out of the box and the internal file storage as well as the expansion slot gives me the room for all of the PDF's that I have.
So while it might not be a Kindle Killer, it has some features that put it close enough to the Kindle to make it a worthwhile contender.
I understand that the Kindle has recently added full support for PDFs... I'm not sure how this differs from the not-full support they had before... But your PDFs might work now. Maybe. Possibly.
But this is one of the main reasons I ordered a nook this season, instead of a Kindle. Full, native support for PDFs and an SD card slot mean that I can put pretty much anything on it that I want to. Even things that aren't already in a supported format can easily be converted to PDFs.
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I picked up a netbook not too long ago that has proved quite suited to the task. Granted, it does consume more power and weigh more than a Kindle/Nook/eReader, but the numbers aren't bad.
Weight: 3 lbs. I have plain old dead-tree books that are this heavy.
Battery life: 6-11 hours of actual use. The 6 hours is with the screen brightness all the way up, Wifi on, and doing enough work to keep the CPU and hard drives cranking. I treat it kind of like a cell phone, use it all day, plug it in to charge overni
Why buy either? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why buy either? (Score:4, Insightful)
Definitely e-ink is the feature that makes these special.
- Much more readable, because it reflects rather than transmits light
- Readable in bright conditions, for the same reason
- Low power drain when showing static pages
Ironically, in a way, e-ink isn't good for much *except* e-readers (yet) because of the cost, the fact it's monochrome and the poor refresh rate.
Re:Why buy either? (Score:5, Insightful)
Could someone please explain the advantage of a dedicated e-book reader? I don't understand why I would buy either when I can get a netbook for $50 more (at worst) that can read both PDFs and Amazon e-books. Is it the battery life of these things, or is the hardware form factor really nice? I don't know.
The battery life is generally rated in days, as opposed to hours.
They are typically shaped more like a book or slate, and less like a laptop. A netbook is going to have the keyboard sticking out of the bottom and the screen is oriented horizontally rather than vertically.
The e-ink screen is more like a printed page, and easier to read under similar lighting conditions. LCDs typically have problems with bright light, and can cause eye strain after prolonged reading.
Both the Kindle and the nook offer free 3G to purchase ebooks, which your netbook probably wouldn't.
If you don't read much and you just want something that can display a PDF, obviously an ebook reader isn't going to be necessary. Just throw it at your computer.
But if you read for recreation, an ebook reader can be very nice. It allows you to condense a huge book into a very small and portable form factor. It allows you to carry a large selection of books with you. It allows you to quickly and easily purchase more books without having to locate the nearest bookstore. And it is designed to allow you to keep reading for hour after hour, day after day.
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No back light. It is easier on the eyes than a netbook screen, no eye strain or anything, and the battery lasts for days (I recharge about twice a month and read on it every day) not hours. The form factor varies but my PRS-505 if roughly the size of a VERY thin paperback.
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I haven't the remotest idea.
Myself, I carry around more than enough in the way of expensive toys as it is. The idea of another expensive toy to get lost, stolen, make me a more attractive target for a mugging or my car a more attractive target for being broken into does Not Appeal.
I've never seen a real book crash. I've never seen a real book that needs to be charged up. I've never seen a real book that will be utterly ruined if it gets even slightly damp. (Damaged, yes. Ruined, not unless you drop the
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switching a page takes something like 0.5-1 seconds, with the complete page flickering to black in the process...
I just watched some demos on YouTube, and it seemed much faster than 0.5s.
The flash to black as it switches does seem disruptive. Does anyone know why it's necessary? It seems to me that the firmware ought to be able to toggle individual pixels.
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I believe it's in order to remove ghost images from your previous page. On the Sony PRS-600 it seems to first render the page in pure b/w, the black flash is the page rendered in reverse monochrome, and then it displays the antialiased final version. This takes an estimated 0.4s in total, and there is readable text on the page for all but
B&N lameness (Score:2)
B&N are quite lame.
First, they call publicly, for a beta test of an Android reader. They use Android users, primarily with G1s, to test their new reader software.
Then, after a while, they transition to their lame Nook, proceed with months and months of testing on that platform, then release the Nook.
Where is the software for Android phones? When I emailed, they seemed to think the concept was quite bizarre.
They have software for WM6, and other phones, but when THEY USE READERS TO DEVEL SOFTWARE FOR TH
iRex iLiad (Score:2)
Is there a professional quality readers available?
To me, a professional reader need significant mark up and free hand note taking, using a stylus, not tiny keyboard. The iRex iLiad tried providing these features, but their product is rumored to be kinda "not done". Will anyone like sony ever introduce such a reader?
Kindle (Score:2)
Having a kindle and a tendency of reading more then the average geek, due to my Ph.D. work (I read about a Robert Jordon book and a half a day between work-school-pleasure reading, not considering websites and email). I love my kindle for pleasure reading, but find that it does not do a good job for academic or professional reading where one has to cite the work. The form factor works for me, where a DX would be a little too large. I can do about four page flips per second with my kindle, which isn't too
Sure, We'll Wake You Up... (Score:5, Funny)
Wake me up when there's an ebook reader that works more like a real book.
It should have softish covers, and once you open it, there should be 2 screens inside (one for each page).
This way the screens would be protected all the time, and it would feel more natural as a reading tool
Just Curious: How do you handle electronic mail, what with the absence of stamps and envelopes and licking and such?
Re:Sure, We'll Wake You Up... (Score:4, Funny)
Oh, he still uses stamps and envelopes, but it's hellish expensive for him, having to buy a new monitor every time, and let's not forget that people keep complaining that there's nothing on the monitor once they get their letters.
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Wake me up when there's an ebook reader that works more like a real book.
It should have softish covers, and once you open it, there should be 2 screens inside (one for each page).
This way the screens would be protected all the time, and it would feel more natural as a reading tool
Having the screens protected all the time would be nice...
But I'd rather not have two soft covers to keep open all the time. One of the annoyances of reading a printed book is the tendency of those floppy covers to want to close. If you're doing something else with your hands, it can be a pain to prop the thing up/open. Especially with big, thick, 1,000+ page books...
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I think the issue is the discomfort of holding a thumb in there to keep a book open, when holding it one-handed.
Re:wtb more booklike reader (Score:4, Insightful)
Have you used an eBook, like daily?
Its better the way it is. The reading is more natural, its easier to hold, its easier to use than a book in confined settings (or laying in bed, I've found).
Just because books had facing pages for 400 years doesn't mean its automatically the ultimate user experience for reading ...
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My kindle has a soft leather cover. I usually keep it on so the kindle itself is protected though I sometimes take it out.
I don't read pages two-at-a-time, so having two pages in front of me is not a big concern. Much like flipping a page or moving my eyes, I just press a button and get the next page. The time to get the next page is about the same as flipping a page.
Seriously, go find someone that has an ebook reader and try it out.
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I think that people requesting dual-screen readers haven't really thought it through. While two opposing pages is a given when you have paper sheets and a spine, it makes no sense for an ebook-reader. Having used different readers for about two years (my current one is a Sony PRS-600) I don't really see a use case for it at all, and it would probably double the bulk and weight. The page-turning on the S
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I like the idea, but I'm not going to buy any eBook reader until I can safely read it in the bathtub like a regular book. Crazy, maybe, but that's my criteria.
This is exactly what my wife asked me when I ordered my nook this year - can you use it in the bathtub.
I don't think I've ever read a book in the bathtub, and I'm really not sure that I'd want to. Paper isn't exactly water-safe. I once made the mistake of bringing a book to an amusement park with me, and it was absolutely ruined when we went on some white-water raft ride. Completely destroyed.
Do people actually do this? Do folks actually read in the bathtub?
Don't the pages get all weird from the humidit
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Do people actually do this? Do folks actually read in the bathtub?
Don't the pages get all weird from the humidity? What if you drop your book in the water? Don't your wet hands mess up the pages?
Short answer: yes people do.
There are obstacles of course, but once you're settled down there are few things as relaxing.
I'm sure everyone has their own routines. One way is to lower oneself into the bath while holding the book, without getting either hand wet. Another is to put the book on a reachable dry surface, then get into the bath, then towel your hands dry, and get the book.
When it's time to stop reading and start washing, toss the book onto a dry surface. I've never found that the temporary humidit
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If you drop a book in the bath, you ruin a book.
If you drop a Kindle in the bath, you ruin $250-worth of gadget. Although on the up side, you probably don't lose the content, and it might be covered on your home contents insurance...