I think it uses E.Ink technology that only refreshes the screen on page changes or display manipulation (Zoom etc). So battery should last same as Sony's - 7500 pages. Then you can recharge.... Too expensive...should not cost more than $100. A kids computer with wifi and color LCD costs only $100
No one reads? Then why this thread? Absolutes are for the ignorant. Every time a new technology is introduced, in order to prove itself important, it must belittle the current technology. There's room for everything, you know? Illustrations, then print, then radio, then telephone, then television, then online – and still all the formats continue Not all as popular as they were, but because some people prefer them. And I love the post about how no one reads anymore. How is she/he understanding this thread? Silly.
So you are saying this device is going to be a huge success? Also: "A new survey of literary reading in America by the National Endowment for the Arts, “Reading At Risk “ has once again raised the alarm about the cultural decline of America. This one provides the news that we read much less literature, defined as fiction and poetry, than we did some 20 years ago. Indeed, the decline is substantial (10 percent), accelerating and especially worrisome because the malady of literature non-reading particularly afflicts the younger members of society, that critical 18-24 year old group (which shows a 28 percent decline in this survey)." http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/08/23/lombardi
Kindle's a fizzle. But the concept of visual interface is begging for more creative development, and the technology is near maturity to do some things that will be ever so much more exciting. I want an eyeglass/sunglass-mounted direct retinal projector, providing high resolution imaging with no need for external displays. Prolonged text would be presented in a scrolling marquis format, something like fast-moving subtitles to our normal vision. Stationary high-resolution graphics would of course be available, too. Selectable opacity in a portion of the physical lenses will be useful when the natural background is cluttered. Basic point/click navigation would be through thought-controlled temple pickups, audio output there, too. Obviously, some training and practice will be required, but with that accomplished, reading may become much faster, and less fatiguing (the words move at your thought-command, not your eyes). Implants eliminating the external headgear will become popular after people become adept and comfortable with the experience of e-shades. The technology is arriving to leap far ahead of books, Kindle, external displays, and seriously get started with the adventure of our transhumanist destiny. When we work out the right interfaces, we're going to take a revolutionary quantum leap in our effective intelligence and recall- which will change everything.
This has got me pondering transhumanism again, and I'd like to discuss that with you, if you're interested, over here.
The problem with Kindle, that it is a BOOK reader. It is not an interacting,webcruising,communicating device. People will read just not books. Ebook readers existed for 8 or so years. When was the last time if any of us (if ever) saw someone using it?? I never did....
The proprietary format bugs me. That fact that you can ONLY buy the books from Amazon and that other formats can be converted for a certain price, will kill the Kindle. Also, only text? I read mostly only technical books with tons of diagrams and figures.
Late entry Perhaps the current version of the Kindle is doomed, but so what? Amazon has managed to take the lead; authors are flocking to the platform. It would appear, however, that the Kindle is not limited only to text. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! We'll see what the next generations bring. It's like the iPod in that sense. It's all a matter of whether or not the product evolves properly. In the meantime, authors and publishers seem to be flocking to the thing. (Sorry to have missed this topic on the earlier go-round, but there's an irony involved. Although I confess it's only significant to me.) ____________________ Notes: Baig, Edward. "Short Kindle supply is keeping e-book fans waiting". USA Today. March 12, 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-03-11-kindle_N.htm
Here is the new Kindle 2.0, Amazon has been denying its existence: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10058352-1.html Still, my main complains: 1. If it is going to have the same features as other handheld devices, why shouldn't I buy just those? 2. There are other similar products for cheaper and maybe with better design. http://www.ebookwise.com/ebookwise/ebookwise1150.htm
Black Friday and such and finally there are a few ebook readers under $90, incuding the older kind of Kindle... I am looking at buying Aluratek Libre Pro, because it can handle non-copyrighted material and everything from the library... It is also splash proof and has mp3 and an SD card.
The popularity of the stories will outlast any containment medium fashioned for them. (Papyrus did not outlast the words and glyphs of the Book of the Dead). Top 10 EBooks last 30 days --(courtesy: Project Gutenberg)) 1. The Life of Robert Louis Stevenson for Boys and Girls by Jacqueline Overton (45311) 2. The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana by Vatsyayana (22201) 3. How to Analyze People on Sight by Elsie Lincoln Benedict and Ralph Paine Benedict (20745) 4. The Song My Paddle Sings by E. Pauline Johnson (20386) 5. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (18967) 6. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (15729) 7. The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete by Leonardo da Vinci (14466) 8. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (13968) 9. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (11930) 10. The Art of War by Sunzi (11402) Top 10 Authors last 30 days 1. Dickens, Charles (74596) 2. Stevenson, Robert Louis (70225) 3. Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir (64804) 4. Twain, Mark (60638) 5. Shakespeare, William (46121) 6. Overton, Jacqueline (45311) 7. Austen, Jane (41729) 8. Verne, Jules (33526) 9. Carroll, Lewis (32001) 10. Wells, H. G. (Herbert George) (30996) Project Gutenberg
Do you actually own one? Own any ebook reader? This has been debated back and forth for years now. I own a Kindle K2 and a Sony Reader, also have owned two other ebook readers and have an acer netbook and a DroidX. The reading that I do electronically (much is still on paper) is on my Sony 505 (and Kindle) and on my DroidX. I'll address each of your points. 1. True, but they are getting cheaper, a laptop will run for two weeks on a single charge and is much more difficult to read on if you are looking for a book-like reading experience. 2. Yes, but many are cheaper (some are more expensive) but there are also thousands of free books - particularly the classica available on Google and Project Gutenberg and other sites. 3. Not true. 4. See #1, Reading on an ebook reader has both advantages and disadvantages, but once you are "into" the book it is really irrelevant. 5. no comment. Amazon is selling billions of books and other stuff ... 6. Have you ever lost your netbook? Cell phone? 7. The majority of books are printed in black and white. In addition the eInk screen is readable in direct sunlight -- an iPad or other LCD screen is not...certainly not without difficulty and eye strain etc...
I think we can say that it did not die a quick business death back in 2007 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!.
True, I was late to the thread, but is seems the OP has ressurected it and still does not own one.... Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
I can not be sure, but "scrolling" makes me think you are not planning on text projected into / at the fovea, a few words of the line at a time. That is what you want to do. If saccades are eliminated you can read at least 10 times faster. To learn more search on "rapid sequential reading."
OK, this is a little out of date, but my Kindle is awesome! 1. $139 isn't bad at all! 2. Sure, books are still somewhat expensive, but the week after I got my Kindle, I got over 4,000 free books on the internet. 3. I still read. 4. The Kindle is better than holding a book, because page turning can be done with just a slight pressure on the button with one hand. 5. 6. $139, and why would you lose it? 7. Most novels are black and white, and that's pretty much all the small screen is good for. Color e-ink screens are on the way.
I also own a kindle. I am a bibliophile and spend a disgusting amount of time reading. One of the reasons I bought a kindle is to save money. My bookshelves were overflowing, and to buy more bookshelves would have cost more than a kindle. The kindle can store 3500 books, we are told. The cost of downloads varies. Maximum about $US 12, but lots of older books are free, and a heap are less than $US 2. So buying books is real cheap. Amazon keeps a computer record of all the books you buy on kindle, and when the time comes to replace the kindle with a better reading technology, you can download the same books again for free. The screen is easy to read. The only problem is that it is not backlit, so cannot be read in poor light. But that is also true of a paper book. Full sunlight is great. It is not a lap top type screen. Much easier to read than that, and uses way less power. It is perhaps also worth noting that the iPad can download Amazon books on the kindle account. So if you want something more expensive, with more bells and whistles, there ya go.
