e-books and e-readers: post here

[haven]

Let's start a new thread to hold news about e-book software and e-reader hardware.

There are several new e-reader products being announced in time for the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Maybe most important is the reader from Skiff. It's the biggest model yet, supposedly optimized for newspapers and magazines. No word on pricing yet.

Skiff Reader
1600 x 1200 11.5-inch touchscreen
4 GB memory (3GB available for content)
Wi-Fi and 3G via Sprint

[Hltoppr]

My wife got me a Kindle for Xmas...and while a tad sceptical at first...I haven't been able to put it down!

-H-

[jcbrandon]

How 'bout a little e-book reader history?

I used to work for a start-up company called Softbook Press. We produced and sold an e-book reader device and distributed content for it. It had a leather cover, a grayscale display, an internal modem for dial-up connections over a plain old telephone system, weighed 2.9 pounds and offered about five hours of battery life. It sold for about $600. Ten years ago.

The Softbook reader came out nine years before the Amazon Kindle. It was ahead of its time and got swallowed up in a complicated deal with another early e-book company and TV Guide.

There is still a bit of information floating 'round the Interweb about these pioneer e-books:

http://www.planetebook.com/mainpage....&TBToolID=1116

http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Softbook_Reader

http://www.teleread.org/2009/02/13/r...-from-history/

Now excuse me while I head out to the shed to check the water in my steam engine :-)

[Hltoppr]

LOL...the first book I downloaded on my Kindle was entitled...."When Technology Fails"

I found it amusing....

-H-

[PhulesAU]

kindle
kindle
kindle
Especially with multiple readers on 1 account.

[haven]

More about the Skiff Reader
http://www.skiff.com/skiff-reader.html

Price not announced, will be sold by Sprint stores as well as from the Skiff web site

11.5-inch touchscreen
greyscale only (color to come sometime later)
1600 x 1200 resolution = 174 ppi
.. (Kindle DX 150 ppi, iPhone is 160 ppi, Droid phone 265 ppi)
screen based on thin flexible stainless steel foil by LG

device dimensions 9 x 
11 x 0.28 inches, 17.625 oz
.. Kindle DX 7.2" x 10.4" x 0.38"" and 18.9 ounces

Reader's housing is magnesium
uses Marvell Armada 166e "reader on a chip"

4 GB memory (3GB available for content)
SDHC card slot (capacity up to 32 GB)

Wi-Fi
3G contract through Sprint

Li-Ion battery
battery life: one week of average use
recharge time: 3 hours

built-in speaker with 3.5mm output jack

Skiff Store to sell content from multiple publishers
books, magazines, newspapers, blogs
.. including dynamic update capability

Hearst Corp. is funding the Skiff project

Hearst has two major newspapers (SF Chronicle, Houston Chronicle) and publishes 25 magazines, including Popular Mechanics, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and The Oprah Magazine. Presumably all will be available to Skiff owners by subscription.

[targa88]

Not really clear on the advantage of purchasing a e-reader/Kindle vs the versatility of a net book?

[haven]

Each approach has advantages. Here are a few I can think of.

The netbook has the advantage of running general purpose applications as well as the e-book reader software. And the LCD is color. The disadvantages include much shorter battery life, a screen that is almost illegible outdoors, and a screen orientation (landscape) that makes for lots of scrolling to read a book or newspaper. The netbook is heavier and may be more expensive.

The e-book reader is a one-trick pony, but it does that trick very well. The portrait orientation is more like a book. The low power screen is designed to work well outdoors. The screen is much higher resolution than the typical laptop, so it's easier to read for long periods without eyestrain, and a wide range of fonts can be displayed in all their glory. The battery lasts for days without recharging.

The e-book reader is a lot lighter than a computer, so it's easier to hold in one hand, prop up in bed, carry in your briefcase, and so on. And the e-book reader is probably less expensive than a general purpose computer.

The reader manufacturers are looking for the right combination of features that will reach the mainstream public. So expect to see a wide range of configurations, ranging from 4.8 inch screen (fits in a pocket) to 12 inch screen (seems more like a magazine).

I think the key ingredients are color display, legible outdoors in full sun, multi-touch features, and some sort of internet access for regular web browsing, not just visiting the e-book seller's store. Convertible and slate computers are pretty close to this target already, needing only lighter weight, better screen, better battery life and cheaper price!

So it's an open question if dedicated e-book readers will survive, or become some form of ultralight general purpose computer.

[haven]

http://gizmodo.com/5441425/guardian-...-my-kindle-wet

At CES, Guardian introduced a waterproof plastic case for the Kindle.
It's water tight to a depth of one meter, so be careful in those Japanese
soaking tubs! The case has a flexible panel over the keyboard area so
you can enter commands while reading in the shower.

Joking aside, this looks like a reasonable precaution if you're likely to
be using the Kindle in areas of high humidity.

[preacherman]

I have a Kindle with the world 3g and it is the bomb....

Works all over the world, books in seconds, and saves me LOTS of space in my travel bag.

Me likey....