james_davis_nicoll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2007-11-20 09:53 am
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2007-11-20 09:53 am
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i read a lot, at home and when on the road. but my computing needs do not overlap with what a PDA has to offer -- i need lots of CPU power and a large screen for high-end graphics work. for which a full-size laptop is the only reasonable option when travelling, but that still sucks for reading because it's hard to cuddle up in bed with a laptop the way i can with a paperback. ergo, a dedicated e-reader of MMPC dimensions (only flatter) sounds really good to me, while a palm sounds horrible. i can't abide the tiny palm screens, they are much too small for reading for any length of time.
but this kindle thing is all kinds of wrong. i like the bookeen cybook gen3 better. it'll fit into my coat pocket.
but this kindle thing is all kinds of wrong. i like the bookeen cybook gen3 better. it'll fit into my coat pocket.
I saw one of these last week, just casually bandied about, but hadn't seen the specs until now. *NOW* I'm having serious want.
There's an advantage to being extraordinarily near-sighted. Screen size is no barrier to me. I take off my glasses, bring my Sony Clie close to one eye, shut the other eye, and read. The jogwheel on the Clie makes it easier to scroll, and the device fits in one hand. It's backlit and it turns itself off if I fall asleep and let it drop from my hand.
Neil Gaiman says it was really easy to put your own PDFs on the reader. But maybe the production version has tightened up the DRM side of things and made that harder as a result.
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2007/11/me-in-manila.html
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2007/11/me-in-manila.html
It was probably inevitable that Amazon would look for some more directly lucrative use for the piles of books they have as data of some format or other for their "search inside this book" feature, beyond just providing the same sort of experience you can get by walking into a book store and browsing. I suspect they were rather vague about who might actually use such a gadget who would not do better with audiobooks, or the library, or disposable paperbacks. Personally, in 1990 I said that I'd wait until a PDA or some such came out that cost $10 and that I could drop onto a concrete floor a dozen times and still have it work. Hasn't happened yet.
I'd love to have a computer with that kind of display resolution, even if it wasn't all that fast. Apparently most people would rather watch movies on their cell phones.
I'd love to have a computer with that kind of display resolution, even if it wasn't all that fast. Apparently most people would rather watch movies on their cell phones.
I've kind of given up on figuring out PDFs--it's not in the manual and numerous places have said that you can't do it, and then a couple of places have said you can, so I give up--wait until someone with an actual production model tries it.
If I had an unlimited toy budget, I'd be buying one. As it is, the Nokia N810 is first on my list, the NAEB club buy of the Bookeen Cybook Gen 3 is second, and the ASUS is - at best - third.
We'll probably look at the ASUS the next time my wife suffers a laptop death - if the keyboard is good enough for her for everyday use, we could very easily end up getting one for her.
We'll probably look at the ASUS the next time my wife suffers a laptop death - if the keyboard is good enough for her for everyday use, we could very easily end up getting one for her.
Where has Charlie commented? I've been watching his non-LJ blog -- is it on his LJ?
Someone who buys a lot of pop fiction, and likes the idea of (1) saving shelf space (2) not having to buy "large print" editions, and buys most material from amazon anyway, would find it quite attractive. (I have at least one specific person in mind.)
It's very much not a universal product, and also has some anti-appeal to the usual early-adopter types, but perhaps they will get away with skipping that audience...
(A friend points out that there are no cookbooks available for it yet either.)
It's very much not a universal product, and also has some anti-appeal to the usual early-adopter types, but perhaps they will get away with skipping that audience...
(A friend points out that there are no cookbooks available for it yet either.)
Sorry I took so long to pass this along - on his LJ, this entry - http://autopope.livejournal.com/307975.html
Thanks! I don't think I can afford to read Charlie's LJ all the time. I'm already running long on who I have.
Hey, I've had this account for almost two years and this is the first time I've been signed off!
No access. It must be friends-only. Oh well. Maybe he'll talk about it elsewhere.
Thanks! But I went to the source and he decided to friend me so I could read it myself.
I couldn't find this when I was searching for it a week ago, but it dropped in my lap this morning - check out http://www.ebookwise.com/ - IIRC, this is a Rocket descendant.
Yeah, I think you are right. I remember hearing the screen isn't quite as good but that it's lighter and easier to hold. I lost a bid on a rocket on ebay -- it went for $102 -- so they are still out there and circulating.
Thanks!
Thanks!
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