New Kindle Releases

Amazon announced new Kindles, including the long-awaited tablet. The prices are comparatively nice. I'll be looking for reviews soon.

Kindle at the library

I continue to follow news on the promises that Amazon is partnering with Overdrive, allowing library users to "check out" material free on the Kindle.

Here's a summary and commentary from the School Library Journal: www.schoollibraryjournal.com

Re-Post re Kindle: Why I am a library traitor and love the Kindle

December 28, 2010

Bless me, O Biblioblogosphere, for I have sinned.

I have betrayed the trust of my librarian people by *gasp* loving my Kindle like I am told I would love a child if I had any interest in being a parent, which I don’t. But I do have an interest in reading digital content on a sleek, affordable, and easy-to-use device. Thus the Kindle.
Continue reading at:
http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2010/12/kindle.html

Kindles: color in the future?

By now you've probably heard that Kindles have come down in price, to around $180 for a 3G-enabled device, or less for a wireless-only device. I'm *sure* it has *nothing* to do with competition faced by the introduction of the iPad. (Hah!)

I just read a short article saying that engineers in China are testing a color e-ink technology. At present, e-ink - the technology used on Kindle and Sony e-books - is only available in grayscale. Color will surely improve its usability. Also in testing is the touchscreen technology we've come to enjoy with our smartphones and similar devices. All this *may* become available by Christmas of this year. Here's hoping.

I'm also eager to post a link to multiple links to free book download sites. Remember that you can set up your Amazon Kindle options to email yourself pdfs to a specified @free.kindle.com address, allowing you to transfer the documents for free when you attach the Kindle to the computer.

I apologize for the brevity and lack of editing in this post, but I'm a little short of time and anxious not to forget these thoughts!

Kindles: an Update

A relative received a Kindle for Christmas and I've had ample opportunity to play with it.

My obstacle is that I am a seasoned library user... I don't pay to read books (well, except through my property taxes, but let's not start into that discussion). While I recognize that most Kindle titles are priced less than new print versions, they're still more costly than "free."

That said, there are a few convenience items I recently considered... and ultimately rejected.

1. Book Club. We meet once a month, eat and drink, and perhaps discuss the book. I thought that monthly book might be a nice splurge for myself on the borrowed Kindle. Unfortunately, I've found that the books of choice are often one-offs in my reading habit, and I'm less inclined to buy something I can't give away for the love of someone else's reading.

2. Travel books. As I planned for a family vacation, it occurred to me that I could pack a single Kindle more neatly than 4 thick travel books, PLUS the hi-lighting would be digital in place of a scrambled mess of bookmarks and Post-Its. Unfortunately, as mentioned in reviews of Kindle vs. the larger Kindle DX, the standard Kindle doesn't handle graphics well. On a preview version of one particular travel book, I was unable to zoom in on a map of California. This wouldn't be a problem if California weren't the size of, say, California.

Still, the device appeals on a certain level. Of the public domain pieces I own (thank you, Project Gutenberg), it's luxurious to sit in bed with this light, thin piece of hardware and read from any position.*

I also feel powerful in the knowledge that I could, at a moment's notice, download almost anything from Amazon. And isn't that why yearn for cool personal electronics? For power over our world?


*I know what you're thinking, and no, I haven't ordered The Kama Sutra.

Kindles and Nooks

I was recently asked to discuss e-readers. I don't own a device, nor do I follow the technology closely, but I'm keen to keep reading material conveniently at my fingertips (and by convenient, I mean in a manner that doesn't mean buying a bigger purse).

The Amazon Kindle hit the market in late 2007. It wasn't the first e-reader, but it appeared to have the lead in ease-of-use: digital ink (so it looks like print on paper, not a computer screen), wireless downloads ("no computer, no cables, no syncing") through a cell-based connection, and capacity for 200 titles. It got better with the next release: memory increased to 1,500 books and the price eventually came down to $259. There's also a Kindle DX to help in the textbook market, with a larger screen and larger memory ($489).


Tomorrow, Barnes & Noble launches a full-color Nook ($259), which seems to challenge Amazon in the e-reader market. In addition to a built-in ability to "share" e-books, Nook offers easier access to copyright-free materials (e.g., books old enough to be free, such as the huge compilation available on Google) and the opportunity for "touch and feel" in any of its brick-and-mortar stores.

Both products offer 6-inch screens (Kindle DX is 9.7 inches), free wireless access (no cell charges), access to their respective online bookstores (with options to buy lots of titles and subscriptions), the ability to "shelve" books in your online account for later retrieval, the ability to resize print, and both weigh less than 1 pound.

Is one for you (or me)? If you live in the contiguous 48 states, it appears either should work smoothly. If you live, say, in Alaska, you should be aware that Nook runs on AT&T 3G, which is only available in the great Anchorage area. 2G appears to be available in other areas, but a helpful online forum user suggested one would gain speedier access to downloads through wi-fi. Amazon's has "whispernet" coverage (purportedly through Sprint) and 3G or "Edge," is available in similar capacity to AT&T. Again, anything less than 3G or wi-fi may have less-than-optimal speed.

Also, consider your material source. Kindle reads e-books from Amazon.com and pdfs, but won't allow copyright protected materials or materials from other sources, such as other online sellers or libraries. You also can't borrow and lend with your fellow e-book enthusiasts. Nook offers sharing, but just one book at a time, and only for 2 weeks. Neither allow you to sell or donate your books.

And now to discuss obsolescence. A December 1, 2009 Wall Street Journal article suggested that this might be "an eight-track moment." Already, I'm thinking my best choice will be an iPod Touch, which picks up wi-fi and a free "Kindle Reader" app (and any other apps), with the same ability to access Amazon.com (when in wi-fi range, of course), as well as any other internet site. The screen is admittedly smaller than an e-reader, but my good eyes should last me through its lifespan. The WSJ article also suggests that an inexpensive laptop or netbook might be a better investment than an e-reader, though those are bulkier than any of the choices mentioned thus far.

I haven't yet discussed the e-Readers available from Sony and other manufacturers. I barely looked into them and am really really unqualified to comment. If you wish to research the market further, the WSJ article references Cooler Reader, Irex, Plastic Logic Que (to be launched in January 2010 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas), as well as three editions of the Sony Reader. I'm sure there are many more, and many more on the way. Apple is rumored to have one in the works.

I encourage comments on this post - let's learn together!

(Oh, and a link to a blog authored by someone who actually follows this industry: booksahead.com.)

See also my February 2010 Update.

Things that make me drool

Caution: Not necessarily a wish list!

U-Line Tape Dispenser

Just look at this beauty. All sorts of crafting and everyday-use possibilities for stickers, labels, seals, packaging tape, scotch tape, duct tape, and so much more...

Of course, I've always been a sucker for office supplies.

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Amazon Kindle 2

It weighs less than a pound, you can buy books wireless, the screen looks like printed paper, and it stores a veritable library!

Granted, I'm less likely to purchase new books, and more likely to avail myself of freely-distributed literature whose copyrights have expired. Well, except maybe a WSJ subscription. I have to admit I'm getting addicted to that publication.

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Saturn Sky

Yeah, so I've heard it didn't get the best reviews. That doesn't change the fact that my head turns (whiplash!) each time one passes me by. Don't get me wrong - I completely enjoy the comfort and practicality of my stationwagon. But even Sensible Kari longs to be a road vixen at times.

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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

As we are fond of saying in our family, "Awwww, look adda widdle woobie woobie woobie!"

This breed has the most charming expression and all I've come across (well, a total of two) have had a delightful demeanor.

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Paris

Paris, je t'aime.