Topic: Ebook readers

So... I finally succumbed and ordered an ebook reader.

I was really keen on the Txtr since it seemed to be
very feature rich (wlan, bluetooth, cellular connection, sd card), and running open source sofware
(so hacking for a decent RSS reader: possible), but these guys from Berlin really blew this thing.

One day before 'pre ordering available' (which isn't... or at least not to the general public that did not sign
up months ago), they go and proclaim 'we've made it 20 euros cheaper (299 instead of 319 euros). Oh, and we also ditched the wlan,
that was to confusing to setup for the user'. Um. Yeah. That was the one feature that for me,
made the price interesting.
Otherwise, they haven't grasped their community, not even the press has seen pre release models, and personally
I believe they couldn't get the wlan to work reliably...


So I had a late night search last I found the pocket book 360,
which does not offer bluetotoh or 'near field communication',
but is 60 euros cheaper (239), also has an sd card, has a RSS reader built in (fills up when connecting to your computer), not only runs linux but has an active community with released applications [(from a coding competition), no the german and english speaking developer that does the firmware actually hangs out in various user support forums.
Plus this thing comes from the east where they've sold a few 10.000 devices already.

So we have:
German 'sub marine'-startup that might or might not deliver anything before christmas,
and
the underadvertised, cheaper, better supported, available immediatly pocketbook with fancy shapes on the clip on cover.

Stay tuned,
I'll report when it actually arrives

So long,

->Tyberius Prime

(ok, the sdk contains a russian readme )

Slightly off topic, but you reminded me of a fun conversation I had a couple of weeks ago about e-book readers with a wunch of bankers. They were all raving about the 'latest thing', and pointed me in the direction of the latest Kindle, that doesn't even have a card slot...

I tried to show them the countless alternatives, but they were fixated on the one product they'd been brain-washed into thinking was the best and brightest. They even ignored the previous incarnation of it (that has a card slot) because it isn't the latest version, so it can't be any good...

One of them even tried to tell me that Kindle "uses a special new technology" that others don't. It seems that Kindle is the only one to use e-paper as far as they are concerned... because someone told them so... and it doesn't matter either that the latest version has an inferior display to the older version (for reasoning, read above)...

They all carry Blackberries or iPhones... because they think everybody carries Blackberries or iPhones... because someone, somewhere, once told them they should... because they're sheep... and these people run our finances...

What's funny is that when the iPhone burns a hole in their leg, or fails ever to receive calls because it has no reception, or when the Blackberry turns out to be a disappointment, or their new e-reader turns out not to do anything they want it to... they claim that it's still the best because everyone's got one.

Give them an alternative, and they simply presume there's something wrong with it... otherwise it would be an iPhone/Blackberry/Kindle, wouldn't it?

(lol)

While it's hard to imagine Amazon's hardware being remotely the best choice, there is something to be said for an extremely low energy, nearly-featureless replacement for reading alone.

@Reiso: Though I bash in my own hubris of priding myself with above average native level english skills, I have not managed to comprehend that sentence. Would you care to elaborate?

TP:
I put Reisio's sentence thru google translate. This is what it gives:

While it's hard to imagine Amazon's hardware being remotely the best choice:
Amazon is a useless company that has no right selling hardware.
Any hardware they do sell must be of inferior quality.
They will never sell or make anything which could be considered best of breed.

there is something to be said for an extremely low energy:
Their reader does not emit enough cancer causing radiation to be a health concern, nor will it contribute to global warning, plus the battery lasts long enough to read all the letters to Penthouse.

nearly-featureless replacement for reading alone.:
This reader is devoid of any features. You can't use it to surf the web, text, or make phone calls. It doesn't even run Vista for Mobile devices, it is very much like an old fashioned book.

Nature & Travel Photography
Main Entrance

It's almost like a Haiku, it smacks of irony and cynicism, yet at the same time has the sincerity of fine poetry. truly the power of words mystifies.



(Edited by Blaise on 12-03-2009 12:24)

and like a good poem, it keeps shifting in interpretation every time I read it.

quote:

---

Tyberius Prime said:

and like a good poem, it keeps shifting in interpretation every time I read it.

---

I can just imagine generations of English literature students, debating the true symbolism of Reisio's lyrical post, when they browse the asylum archives a hundred years from now.

Nature & Travel Photography
Main Entrance

If you translate Reisio's post into German, and then back into English, you get:

quote:

---

Although it is difficult to imagine Amazon's hardware would be controlled remotely, the best choice,
it's something to say, but for an extremely low energy consumption, almost faceless, a substitute for reading.

---

Nature & Travel Photography
Main Entrance

http://translationparty.com/#897015

after a few iterations:

quote:

---

Low energy and imagination, a very independent remote, Hardware, Amazon and function of the difficulty of selecting the alternative to read something.

---

Just doesn't have the same ring as the original.

Nature & Travel Photography
Main Entrance

Haha - thanks for that link, Reiso!

"Give me your women" comes out well...

Personally, I couldn't be happier with my Kindle purchase.

I probably read a fair bit more than the average person and really enjoy Amazon's large selection of books and the convenience of being able to purchase them anywhere, anytime. Despite rave reviews from trusted friends, I was initially apprehensive in spending money on a book reader but it sure beats lugging a hardcover around Manhattan. Best of all, I find it to be an even better conversation starter than my first Powerbook. I've literally been approached by dozens of people interested in my purchase. The battery life is excellent and I think I've actually saved a fair bit of money over the past two or three months.

I can see it lacks some of the features found in book readers mentioned here but I'm only using it to read.

Then again, I'm one of those guys that walks into Verizon and asks for the cheapest phone with fewest "features" money can buy.

Yeah - I'm with Jestah. I have a Kindle DX and have been pretty happy with it. While an expensive solution, the Kindle is thin, has great battery life, nice features, and is quite readable. I've purchased a couple of books, and copied .pdf versions of others onto it.

I understand that that Nook has the ability to "loan" a book to someone for 14 days. I think that's a great idea, and would love to see that on the Kindle.

My only concern with the Kindle is the weight. It's a little heavier than I thought it would be. But that's pretty trivial.

so, my Pocketbook 360 arrived.

First impression: This thing's a lot lighter than I had imagined. Ligther than a paperback. Lighter than my cell phone. Screen is very clear, and it's true, e-ink feels different than a LCD.

While I can see the 'buy anytime, anywhere' philosophy of the Kindle has it's magic, I already have a reading debt, thank you very much, so I'm sure I can live without that feature.

Well, more later. Got to read a couple hundred pages...