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Amazon Enters Gadget Market with Kindle, an eBook Device
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First the MP3 downloads, then this. Regardless of what it looks like, it shows Amazon is thinking and planning ahead to retain core business, and doing its part to shape the publishing industry, which is now looking at a similar situation as the music industry, namely retailers/distributers calling some of the shots instead of publishing houses and editorial teams.
Interesting.
Interesting.
*sigh* I really really need to put up a video of my Sony eReader. You can say this until you're blue in the face but until people SEE how different eInk is, everyone will assume it is the same as reading off a laptop - people, it isn't. eInk really does look as good as reading off a book; I swear it does. I understand all of the gripes and handwringing, but readability should not be a concern. And reading off a laptop/PDA isn't even in the same galaxy as eInk.
For the record, I am supporting this reply, but my point is really directed to the OP that asked "is it really any better than reading off a PDA?" or something like that.
-p-
By the way, does it work with a Mac
Amazon MP3 works for Macs, but Unbox Video service doesn't, right ?
The idea is that it works without a computer.
If it does a good job of rendering PDFs, then it might be interesting. Does it really need to utilise yet another format?
I don't know, the whole thing seems a little silly to me. I guess if you're just reading something and it's easier for someone to carry this than a whole bunch of books, you're better off. I like to make notes in the margins and sometimes have 2-3 books open at once, not sure if it does that with tabs or something. Also, it'd be swell to have a notepad feature or collaborative tool.
$399 is way too much for a device like this though (anything you can basically do for free shouldn't cost $400). Also, $10 for books is pricey, considering for a few dollars more you can get the audio version and have someone read it to you.
$399 is way too much for a device like this though (anything you can basically do for free shouldn't cost $400). Also, $10 for books is pricey, considering for a few dollars more you can get the audio version and have someone read it to you.
I said it before and I will say it again I would give my right *cough* to have Apple come out with an e-book reader. However after the review of the latest Sony E-book reader it is pretty obvious that while the text of e-ink is ready for prime time and is almost if not AS good as printed text....there are still some serious issues with e-ink. Namely flashing the screen every time you change a page or even trverse menus. This wouldn't be a complete deal killer if it was for the fact that at least in Sony's implementation it also takes 2 seconds to flip a page, traverse a menu, change a setting, etc. Again from what I understand this is an issue with e-ink itself at the present time and not simply Sony's implementation.
So I think I know why Apple has maddingly stayed out of this market that is in the EXACT in every way, shape, and form to where the MP3 market was prior to Apple coming onto the scene. Crap designs with too many buttons, and real though in the design, crap software to integrate the hardware to the computer in an easy fashion, crap format support, and realistically crappy book support.
You want to see a grown man soil himself? Have Apple come out with an e-book reader that resolves the above issues along with allowing easy markups and highlighting, team up with ebook.com to allow all those e-books that were sold to god knows how many PDA users to be used on the iReader, integrate ebook.com's inventory into a store in iTMediaStore, convince most of the major publishers to get on board with the ebook train, get some of the more major collages to create ministores in iTMS to allow students to download their text books, and finally allow spotlight indexing of all your books along with the markups. I'd wet myself.....OK maybe not but I'd have to run to the bathroom fast.
I'm 100% convinced that its the tech because the concept that Apple wouldn't want to go after a market who's heart and soul IS the education sector is beyond stupid. We all know that Apple targets schools for the Mac. This is beyond a natural fit. It simply is a no brainer. And screw the iPod and Music. Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING is more universal then books. Come on Apple. Wake up and smell the freaking innovation.
So I think I know why Apple has maddingly stayed out of this market that is in the EXACT in every way, shape, and form to where the MP3 market was prior to Apple coming onto the scene. Crap designs with too many buttons, and real though in the design, crap software to integrate the hardware to the computer in an easy fashion, crap format support, and realistically crappy book support.
You want to see a grown man soil himself? Have Apple come out with an e-book reader that resolves the above issues along with allowing easy markups and highlighting, team up with ebook.com to allow all those e-books that were sold to god knows how many PDA users to be used on the iReader, integrate ebook.com's inventory into a store in iTMediaStore, convince most of the major publishers to get on board with the ebook train, get some of the more major collages to create ministores in iTMS to allow students to download their text books, and finally allow spotlight indexing of all your books along with the markups. I'd wet myself.....OK maybe not but I'd have to run to the bathroom fast.
I'm 100% convinced that its the tech because the concept that Apple wouldn't want to go after a market who's heart and soul IS the education sector is beyond stupid. We all know that Apple targets schools for the Mac. This is beyond a natural fit. It simply is a no brainer. And screw the iPod and Music. Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING is more universal then books. Come on Apple. Wake up and smell the freaking innovation.
It's OK if you only read ebooks/newspapers/magazines on Amazon, but, I guess I need to upload my PDFs to the reader...
Is it just a USB mass-storage device so I can put the file by drag & drop ?
or do they provide iTunes-like software to manage ebooks ?
This isn't going to set anything alight
This has to be a joke. Not even a GB of internal storage. A black and white low-resolution screen. A piece of plastic that's not remotely sexy. A keyboard! What are they thinking? Haven't they been paying attention? Where's the touch interface, the paper thin HD display, the creative design? Give us a break. To get anyone to read books, journals, newspapers an e-reader must be more desirable than the hard copy. The Mac tablet/Newton touch should walk all over this non-starter.
Oh, yeah - I totally agree with SiliconAddict (whose comments came on line while I was putting mine together); the educational market is EXACTLY where the future is. Apple Inc have to get their tablet/iWhatever right before they release this thing.
This has to be a joke. Not even a GB of internal storage. A black and white low-resolution screen. A piece of plastic that's not remotely sexy. A keyboard! What are they thinking? Haven't they been paying attention? Where's the touch interface, the paper thin HD display, the creative design? Give us a break. To get anyone to read books, journals, newspapers an e-reader must be more desirable than the hard copy. The Mac tablet/Newton touch should walk all over this non-starter.
Oh, yeah - I totally agree with SiliconAddict (whose comments came on line while I was putting mine together); the educational market is EXACTLY where the future is. Apple Inc have to get their tablet/iWhatever right before they release this thing.
This will be nice if I can get all the science journals on it. I'd still stick to traditional books for book reading though.
Just looking forward to the likelihood of a flash-based tablet or sub-notebook with a more streamlined and usable design being released in January.
That is one shabby looking piece of Tandy....
Absolutely. This will make for a great incentive to spring for an iBooklet when released in January, in a similar way Zune helped to accelerate sales of the iPod touch and iPhone.
I'm 100% convinced that its the tech because the concept that Apple wouldn't want to go after a market who's heart and soul IS the education sector is beyond stupid. We all know that Apple targets schools for the Mac. This is beyond a natural fit. It simply is a no brainer. And screw the iPod and Music. Nothing. Absolutely NOTHING is more universal then books. Come on Apple. Wake up and smell the freaking innovation.
That's a really good point.
In high school all the computers in my science labs were macs, all my labs went smoothly and I had a blast. I remember Apple being very involved and usual generous with schools (in articles and web clips here and there).
MP3 player start up... iPod...
Ebook player start up... iBooklet?
The early specs suggested a SD card slot so you could put your files on that way. I see no reason why a device such as this would be tied to a particular type of computer or OS.
Here's the thing. Something doesn't become the "iPod" of anything because the company releasing it declares it so.
Can you imagine Apple, upon launching the iPod, claiming it was the "walkman" of digital audio players, or something like that?
If the Kindle achieves the kind of popularity of the iPod, then it will become the "iPod of reading" or whatever, but only then.
-Zadillo
Electronic ink technology really isn't there yet. This isn't a standard screen. It actually replicates the appearance of printed text on a printed page.
-Zadillo
Electronic ink is hardly "archaic" technology; and Apple isn't likely to have some supersecret full color e-ink technology coming out any time soon.
Can you imagine Apple, upon launching the iPod, claiming it was the "walkman" of digital audio players, or something like that?
If the Kindle achieves the kind of popularity of the iPod, then it will become the "iPod of reading" or whatever, but only then.
-Zadillo
Electronic ink technology really isn't there yet. This isn't a standard screen. It actually replicates the appearance of printed text on a printed page.
-Zadillo
Electronic ink is hardly "archaic" technology; and Apple isn't likely to have some supersecret full color e-ink technology coming out any time soon.
I'll be very pleasantly surprised the day something like this gives me the same experience as reading an actual book. The "feel" is just so important, and I seriously think it takes Apple to achieve it, if anyone can...
And markup-function that is effortless is paramount, I don't think people can even read the books I've been through after all the jotting down, marking and lining I do, and I have to be able to do that in a good way without it being a hassle. The good thing with doing that digitally would be that I could simply turn it on and off, so if I wanted to do a "fresh" read I could remove the previous markup.
And markup-function that is effortless is paramount, I don't think people can even read the books I've been through after all the jotting down, marking and lining I do, and I have to be able to do that in a good way without it being a hassle. The good thing with doing that digitally would be that I could simply turn it on and off, so if I wanted to do a "fresh" read I could remove the previous markup.
What is a bit strange is that Apple has not already implemented eBooks to their iPod line, at least if we consider the following rumor from July 2006 to be of any value:
Next Apple iPod to do eBooks?
In the original article (published by Engadget), it was said that "according to a source at a major publishing house, they were just ordered to archive all their manuscripts - every single one - and send them over to Apple's Cupertino HQ".
Maybe eBooks is the next big thing to arrive to iPods with the touch interface, although the screen may be too small of course.
/Galex
Next Apple iPod to do eBooks?
In the original article (published by Engadget), it was said that "according to a source at a major publishing house, they were just ordered to archive all their manuscripts - every single one - and send them over to Apple's Cupertino HQ".
Maybe eBooks is the next big thing to arrive to iPods with the touch interface, although the screen may be too small of course.
/Galex
I believe the iRex iLiad has markup/annotation functionality:
http://www.irextechnologies.com/products/iliad
http://www.irextechnologies.com/products/features
So is it just me, or is this like wearing digital googles with camera mounts instead of eyeglasses to correct your vision...?
I mean, 400 bucks... you know how many books I could buy with that...?
Or maybe I'm just partial to books because I used to make flip books out of them in class...
I mean, 400 bucks... you know how many books I could buy with that...?
Or maybe I'm just partial to books because I used to make flip books out of them in class...