Another player in the e-market

[Laurel]

The latest news is that the Plastic Logic reader will not go on sale until 2010. It will be wonderful for reading documents--and for textbooks!

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pedsphleb wrote:
Another company, Plastic Logic, is developing thier own ebook reader - this one geared to business professionals.  According to the article it should debut today at a tech show on the West coast.

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[karinlib]

Well, I have to admit it, I received  a Kindle as a Christmas present and I absolutely love it!! I still browse the bookstores and libraries.  I never thought I would like an electronic reader because I had tried one years ago from the library, I only used it once, and I didn't finish the 1st  chapter.  I have also tried to read books on gutenberg.org, but I really didn't get very far in any one book.   This e-reader is not like reading on a computer.

The Kindle has a very clear screen which does not tire the eyes.  I feel as though I am reading a physical book, and I can read for hours.  One feature that I love is that you can download the first chapter (or few chapters) of the book to try it out.   I have rejected books by this method, and I have bought several books by being able to try them out first.  I also like that I can read the latest news anytime I want.   My favorite thing about it is this:  I can carry a library of books with me anywhere I want to go. The Kindle for me is an iPOD for books, I am never without it. 

I am spending more money now ( I have bought about 60 books since November) on books, and I am saving on space (of which I am running out). My hope is that the Kindle (or any e-reader) will never go away. 

You ask what are we downloading. 

1.The latest fiction

2. To finish up a series I had started but never finished.

3. Classics: I downloaded the entire set of Dickens for a 99 cents (16 books). 

4. I find that I am reading more non-fiction than I normally would.  I downloaded The libary at night by Alberto Manguel, a really good book.   

5. I have requested books to be added, and amazingly they were added a month later.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

On a related note, this article in the Sunday Times talks about how a public school librarian has managed to make her position "essential" in a time when library budgets are getting slashed by recasting her position as not just the librarian but an instructor for digial media, too.

[Melissa_W Moderator]

This isn't an article about electronic reading, but I thought it was interesting in that the UI rare-book collection is open not just to professors but also to the undergrads and in an age where the book could just be digitized then locked in the vault I think that's pretty cool (it also comes from my local paper so it's nice to read about something in my own backyard).  Professor Gidal is a very well-liked teacher and I think it's a wonderful idea that he asks the students to actually work with the original editions of the books as a way to connect their readings with the period of original publication.

[Everyman]

I'm curious what you think the benefits of K2 over K1 will be. 

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Laurel wrote:
Right. I already have k1 (since 2007), and I ordered k2 this morning after the press conference.

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debbook wrote:

Laurel, I think you will automatically get the Kindle 2. That's what the website said, if you ordered but haven't received a Kindle, you'll get Kindle 2.

I am a little annoyed as I got mine in med-December. If I had known how soon the new one would be released, I would have waited. Jeff Bezos wouldn't be more definitive than "2009 at the earliest".

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[Everyman]

To all Kindle users:  if you want to jump-start your classics collections, try one of the classics collections from MobileReference.  Scroll down to the bottom right corner.  I have the 2,000 book collection (I see the price went up from $19.95 to $29.95),  and while the formatting sometimes is a wee bit awkward, the price is very much right.  I see they have added an even larger collection for  $49.95.   They list all the works on them, so you can compare.

At a price of less than 2 cents per book, it's a hard deal to beat, even if you only get around to reading a hundred or so over the next few years.   However, you may need a SIM card to hold the whole collection; I already had a SIM card so I didn't worry about it. 

[Laurel]

Provocative article.

[Everyman]

Did I miss your post, or did you not tell me, Laurel, what it is that you think you will get with Kindle 2 that you don't have with Kindle 1?  From what I read, it's not that different -- somebody suggested it really should have been called Kindle 1.1. 

Just curious why somebody with a K1 would also need a K2.

[Laurel]

I've been saving your question for today, because now k2, which I named Tolstoy, is in my hot little hands. I love it! Where do I begin?

Dictionary: All you have to do is move the cursor to a word in whatever you are reading and the definition appears at the bottom of the page. One click, and you have an extended definition, including etymology. Besides that, the dictionary (New Oxford American) is a real book, to that you can go to and read word after word, if you enjoy that sort of thing (I do).

Search: Much faster than k1, and now you can limit the search to the book in hand if you so desire. Wonderful!

Tom: There's a little man in there, named Tom, who will actually read to you anything in your machine. Don't ask him to read poetry, if you want to remain somewhat sane, but if you want to rest your eyes a wee, he's adequate. Besides that, this thing is a great audiobook platform. No need for earphones; the stereo speakers are great.

Streamlining: Everything is easier than on k1. Turn it on or off or put it to sleep with a single slider. Use the joystick to quickly move up, down, left, right. No separate content manager, you can delete a book while it's open.

Whispernet: The range has evidently been extended, and there are two different kinds of signals: it uses whichever will work better at the time.

Archives: You can almost instantly bring up anything you have archived and begin reading it again.

There's more--lots more--but I want to play some more now.

Oh--it's light and thin and smooth and cool, and just a booklover's delight.

I just put it to sleep and up popped John Milton as one of the new screensavers.

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Everyman wrote:

Did I miss your post, or did you not tell me, Laurel, what it is that you think you will get with Kindle 2 that you don't have with Kindle 1?  From what I read, it's not that different -- somebody suggested it really should have been called Kindle 1.1. 

Just curious why somebody with a K1 would also need a K2.

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Message Edited by Laurel on 02-24-2009 08:25 PM

[Melissa_W Moderator]

Sounds like the Kindle2 developers really did some nice things - enjoy your new toy, Laurel!

[biljounc63]

To this point I am totally hooked on my iPod and can honestly say that it is by far my favorite take it with you device. I would be lost without it. I listen to all of my music because it is all right there. 

The Kindle is pricey and it is one of those products that I feel the need to hold in my hands and get the feel of it before would commit to purchasing it. I really have nothing to compare it to. I like what it can do but absolutley need the hands on approach for such a radical device. 

[Brad_W]

The Kindle is probably the best device created so far for the e-book. One of the best components of the device is ability to get content without a PC. It's the only one of it's kind. It's definitely the type of device that any other company wishing to compete needs to develop. It's also the type of device which could be a huge hit in on campuses worldwide if the text book industry could get the content to students. Other than the Kindle, the e-book format is bothersome to me. I want to hold the material in my hand and read. I'm not one for reading on a PC or laptop screen. I have seen e-books from the start with the RCA unit years ago, but the file formats and ability to deliver the content just wasn't there. I'm not a big fan of having to hook up to my PC all of the time with devices. The Kindle is what has taken care of all of those issues from the past, but it's kind of high right now in terms of price for me.

[GrouchoMarxist]

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ande wrote:

Question 3: Is it more fun to load the books onto these devices electronically than to browse in a bookstore?

Question 4: Are you using these devices in an effort to be green? No more paper books? No more bookstores?

As always, I am all ears, Book Explorers. Please talk to me – and each other – about this.

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     As a lifelong comic book reader, I find the advent of digital comics to be cold and lifeless compared to the tactile experience of physically reading a bound book. This opinion regarding digital literature carries over into realm of digitized paperback books.

     "Being green," like Kindle devices, is simply an ecological/technological fad. When the excitement for this movement dies down, it will be interesting to count the number of eBay listings for these devices. 

[TiggerBear]

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GrouchoMarxist wrote:

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     As a lifelong comic book reader, I find the advent of digital comics to be cold and lifeless compared to the tactile experience of physically reading a bound book. This opinion regarding digital literature carries over into realm of digitized paperback books.

     "Being green," like Kindle devices, is simply an ecological/technological fad. When the excitement for this movement dies down, it will be interesting to count the number of eBay listings for these devices. 

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My only problem with e comics currently is the selection, and image size. You just can't cram good art into 2"1/2 by 3"for a whole page. And the few set up for one block a page currently are set on a timer, and it's too fast or way too slow(depending on the art).

[debbook]

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GrouchoMarxist wrote:

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ande wrote:

Question 3: Is it more fun to load the books onto these devices electronically than to browse in a bookstore?

Question 4: Are you using these devices in an effort to be green? No more paper books? No more bookstores?

As always, I am all ears, Book Explorers. Please talk to me – and each other – about this.

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     As a lifelong comic book reader, I find the advent of digital comics to be cold and lifeless compared to the tactile experience of physically reading a bound book. This opinion regarding digital literature carries over into realm of digitized paperback books.

     "Being green," like Kindle devices, is simply an ecological/technological fad. When the excitement for this movement dies down, it will be interesting to count the number of eBay listings for these devices. 

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I hardly think it is a fad. I'm sure people said that about computers, cell phones, PDA's, ipods, iphones. They may not be for everyone, but they are increasing in sales. I doubt they will replace paperbooks, at least not for a very long time. But not a fad.

[Paula717]

Personally, I'd rather the real deal.  A paperback, a hardcover. I like the smell of a new book, the feel of it in my hands when I'm reading it, the anticipation of turning the page and I especially enjoy looking at them in my bedroom bookcases before I turn off the light.