eBook Reader

Post #338,010 by jbrabeck 1/3/11 3:51:26 PM Reply	eBook Reader That's about as much as I know about them. Now my wife wants one... Nook? Color Nook? Kindl? What else? What's good? Best value? Anyone using one? Any/all comments appreciated. TIA Joe
Post #338,011 by mvitale 1/3/11 4:02:53 PM Reply	Consider the iPad There's an Amazon Kindle app. There's the built-in iBooks. There's a Nook app. There's a few others. And it's more than just a one-trick pony. -Mike "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
Post #338,015 by Another Scott 1/3/11 4:40:03 PM Reply	iPad is neat, but has limitations. I got the 32GB, WiFi+3G model when I was investigating options for my mom. I haven't done much serious with it. It's neat, but has several limitations. 1) The screen is great, but gets smudges and fingerprints easily (I have a clear film cover on mine) since that's how you interact with it. 2) At about 1.5 pounds, it's light for a PC and has great battery life, but heavy for a book or bookreader. I don't know if I would want to hold it up in a lap for hours for reading. Craning ones neck for hours while keeping it flat on a table isn't too good, either. 3) I've downloaded a bunch of free books from the Apps store. The text is clear and the color pictures are nice. I haven't read enough to know how good it is at keeping bookmarks and the like, eyestrain issues, etc. 4) I'd be careful about understanding DRM issues before committing to a particular reader. Amazon has famously "recalled" books (and given credit back) for ebooks they sold that they didn't have rights to. Unless it's a truly free book, you probably don't "own" it. There may be limits on how many machines you can transfer it to, etc. There are reader apps for many platforms, but that doesn't necessarily mean you can copy DRM books to any of them that you want. 5) The Osmos game is astounding. As Mike said, the iPad has the advantage of also being a PC. But it has very limited RAM and can be network intensive if you want to jump around the web a lot with it. It doesn't have Flash (and the work-arounds don't (yet/ever?) work for Flash Apps like games). I don't know how good the multitasking is (I haven't updated to the latest iOS yet), but it's generally surprisingly snappy. The 3G service I have is $25 a month, IIRC. It's handy when you're in the sticks and away from a WiFi access point, but I rarely use it except on trips. (It would be great if the 3G was ala-carte... :-/) It's probably best to play with them in a store if you can. If you're just wanting a bookreader, a Kindle or Nook is probably a better choice (much lighter, much cheaper). If you want an all-in-one, the iPad is about the only choice at the moment. HTH a little. Cheers, Scott.
Post #338,017 by drook 1/3/11 5:36:04 PM Reply	Don't crane your neck, get one of these http://www.myibend.com/ -- Drew
Post #338,025 by Another Scott 1/3/11 7:28:07 PM Reply	Interesting. Thanks!
Post #338,044 by Ashton 1/4/11 4:07:43 AM Reply	Handy.. 'while serving on a jury' says enough. Multitasking multifarious ersatz 'Justice' -- is it already here? H.T.F. can you study the body language of some witness ... in the middle of Tetris or ___? Add-to-list of the FAILs abounding and surrounding :-/
Post #338,063 by mhuber 1/4/11 2:07:59 PM Reply	Jurors have a lot of down-time Not multi-tasking. I read all of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep during a trial, and I didn't have it on me (much less read it) in the jury box or at any time that I should have been discussing the case. Actually, I never got to discuss the case other than an informal chat with the judge after I was dismissed - I was the alternate. I don't think I would have been allowed to read while in the jury box or during deliberations. The rest of the time, jurors are supposed to not discuss the case. --------------------------------------- I think it's perfectly clear we're in the wrong band. (Tori Amos)
Post #338,077 by Andrew Grygus 1/4/11 8:35:54 PM Reply	Dodged the bullet this time . . . . . pulled the week between Christmas and New Years and was not called. Off the hook for at least a year. Last time I was dismissed by the prosecution as over-qualified and otherwise objectionable. The defense lawyer was certain I'd be dismissed by the prosecution so he asked me a whole lot of questions to make sure the other prospective jurors heard what I had to say.
Post #338,046 by crazy 1/4/11 5:32:25 AM Reply	Thanks Just sent this to 2 clients for personalized marketing.
Post #338,051 by drook 1/4/11 8:48:53 AM Reply	Oh cool ... that's new I saw it when it just came out, and they didn't have the personalization available yet. That's going to be awesome for marketing. -- Drew
Post #338,013 by beepster 1/3/11 4:28:35 PM Reply	Have a nookcolor and I like it....the more basic kindle and other e-ink readers are probably better devices for reading only...nookcolor adds net browsing and some other features. Also, since its droid..waiting for someone to come out with the instructions on how to hack it. Sure, understanding today's complex world of the future is a little like having bees live in your head. But...there they are.
Post #338,014 by SpiceWare 1/3/11 4:33:18 PM Reply	My folks have Kindles and they love them. A big part of it for them is they live in Trinidad and they have a hard time finding books, and what few books they find are really expensive (used books there cost more than new books in the states). They also travel quite a bit and really like having all their books in one small package. I tried them out for a few weeks (they were shipped to my house before their visit in the fall). I quite liked them, but decided not to get one as I plan to get a rev 2 iPad. As Mike points out, the iPad can read books from anybody: iBooks app http://itunes.apple..../id364709193?mt=8 Nook app (Barnes & Noble) http://itunes.apple..../id373582546?mt=8 Kindle app http://itunes.apple..../id302584613?mt=8 Borders app http://itunes.apple..../id368067444?mt=8 and more - do a search on "ereader".
Post #338,016 by jbrabeck 1/3/11 5:22:56 PM Reply	Research I will definitely do some research, but I'd rather hear from a group of friends. :-) The reviews I always take with a tablespoon of salt... Toss out glowing and horrible to see if I can find the truth. Youse guys I trust... Thanks all. And if you haven't added you 2 pf yet, feel free (that's 2 pfennigs) oops, does Germany still have their own currency? If not, change that to 2 cents. Happy New Year all.
Post #338,058 by SpiceWare 1/4/11 11:05:17 AM Reply	I should have put in some more words and more - do a search in the iTunes App Store on "ereader" to see the other eBook apps.
Post #338,019 by static 1/3/11 6:06:21 PM Reply	DRM is going to be an issue. My Dad got a Sony reader for Mum for Christmas. E-ink, reads a number of formats including PDF and ePub, standard micro-USB and appears as mass-storage. Simple, easy, yes? And then he tried to buy an ebook from an online retailer. But he runs Linux. It seems most DRM on eBooks is Adobe's Digital Edition. This currently requires Windows, as they won't release a Linux version (it was announced, and then withdrawn to considerable criticism). I've heard noises it works under Wine, but I couldn't inflict that on Dad without testing it myself. It is also possible for the publisher to encrypt the ePub file with DE such that it only works with your reader. They gave up and used my sister's PC which runs Vista as she must use Adobe graphic products (otherwise she'd try Linux :-). The Sony library app is actually rather good; the Angus & Robertson one is atrocious and should never have been released. Rather shortsightedly, A&R's website also had no information about non-Windows platforms; you may well find this problem on other retailers. I have since found a few sites that offer DRM-free ePubs and I bookmarked them for Dad. I suspect that the ebook publishing industry is going to find itself in the same pickle as the music publishers within a few short years: and the masses will make them re-think DRM. Wade. Q:Is it proper to eat cheeseburgers with your fingers? A:No, the fingers should be eaten separately.

Welcome to IWETHEY!