What To Consider When You Compare EBook Readers
I have decided I am going to buy myself the best ebook reader available this year for Christmas. Contrary to what you may think many of the ebook readers available on the market do not quite fit into the perception of what an ebook reader is all about.
Before you can fit an ebook reader into a niche you will have to set some rules. These would have to center on the display and the size. For example the Kindle DX is a little too big to be an ebook reader,ve more suited for newspaper and comics really. Despite anything Steve Jobs might say, the iPad is a multimedia device and would be totally wasted if it was just used for reading ebooks.
Other factors involved in the buying decision are the formats that the ebook reader can handle, what type of connection is available to download ebooks and what extras are there over other ebook readers. Also there is the matter of cost, the cheapest isn’t always the best but then neither is the most expensive.
The display has got to be the e-ink technology, preferably the latest incarnation. An ebook reader with a color screen has got to be backlit, which takes away the whole point of an ebook reader in the first place. It has to be easy on the eye like a normal hard copy book.
It can’t be too heavy, preferably around eight ounces or less. Any heavier than that and it starts to make my arm ache after an hour or so. I have to think of the extra weight as well when I’m travelling by plane.
I want it to be ablee to read PDF and epub documents. Most of the online bookstores seem to favor these and the public domain is filled with PDF ebooks. Also I would like to be able to read text documents so I can use it to read notes I have made earlier.
Some of the available ebook readers have some interesting extras. The Sony Touch screen has a virtual keyboard for taking notes while the Kindle has built in speakers. The Nook can boast both of these extras and also allows you to change the battery yourself.
While Wi Fi is a good way to download books it isn’t really necessary. I’m never very far from my computer and I would only need to hook up once or twice a month to download my books. Being able to manipulate your book collection in bulk has got to be easier than one at a time on the ebook reader.
So finally we come to cost. The average price for an ebook reader seems to be around the 0 to 0 mark. Most ebooks are around 20 – 30% cheaper than real books, and because I read a lot, I would expect my ebook reader to pay for itself within 6 – 8 months.
I’m still looking and checking all the ebook reader reviews and will make my decision very soon. It’s a bit frightening to think that once I have an ebook reader I will wonder how I could have lived without it before.
Buying your first ebook reader will be a life changing decision just just the same as your first cell phone. For unbiased ebook reader comparison and reviews go to www.newebookreaderreview.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Comparing EBook Readers And Tablets
The recent rise of the ebook readers and the appearance of the Apple iPad has generated an interest in mobile gadgets other than the cell phone. Although the difference between the ebook reader and the tablet has been somewhat compromised in reality the two devices are very different.
The fundamental difference between a tablet and an ebook reader is quite simple. A tablet is a mobile computing device whereas an ebook reader isn’t.
The term ‘tablet PC’ was first introduced by Microsoft in 2001. The concept was built round a mobile computing device that used a pen to input information and would generally include handwriting recognition software. Also it would be a truly mobile device with wireless connectivity.
The accepted screen size of a tablet PC was considered twelve inches; the screen is measured corner to corner diagonally. There are however numerous tablets that are smaller than this which isn’t a problem because of the improvements in screen resolutions.
The first portable device that was quoted as an ebook reader was the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). Essentially a PDA was an electronic filofax. As an ebook reader the PDA was limited by its size and the LCD screen.
The first ebook reader using e ink technology, the Librié EBR-1000EP was released by Sony in Japan in 2004. This was followed by the PRS-500 in the US in 2007 and then followed by the PRS-505 in 2008. The Kindle was released by Amazon in late 2007. It is interesting to note that the ilex Iliad was available in 2006 but never made an impact due to the price, and presumably, because they didn’t have the marketing power of Sony behind them.
The distinction between an ebook reader and the tablet PC is not always easy to pin down. Tools that are useful for both types of device have been included by manufacturers.
With built in speakers or a headphone jack it is possible to listen to audio on most ebook readers and tablets. While tablets can display video and different graphic formats in full color. ebook readers are restricted to grayscale graphics but the facility is still there and can be very useful.
A key feature of the tablet PC is the input with a pen or using touch which a few ebook readers have adopted. Some ebook readers have a physical keyboard while others have a virtual keyboard. These are generally used for navigation or simple tasks.
Another feature is the wireless connectivity. This is a key feature for a tablet for data transfer, effectively allowing streaming video and gaming. Some ebook readers have adopted this although it is usually in a very limited form.
Having to draw the line somewhere and say what is or isn’t an ebook reader we would have to say that the color ebook reader is not here yet. Fundamentally an ebook reader should have a display the same as real paper and any device that doesn’t use E Ink and uses an LCD color display simply cannot be classed as an ebook reader.
We can expect that the color ebook reader is just around the corner and with the ever increasing computing power it will be even more difficult to make a valid comparison. Will it be a tablet, an ebook reader, or will we see the birth of a whole new genre of digital products.
Your ebook reader is like your cell phone and makes a statement about you and who you are. For an unbiased
ebook reader review
and comparison, that you can trust, go to
www.newebookreaderreview.com
Article from articlesbase.com
Make a PDF EBook with Adobe Acrobat
Learn how to create a PDF e-book using Adobe Acrobat Professional.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader
An explanation of Amazon’s Kindle e-book reader and some of its features. Includes footage of the device.
Nice Ebook photos
Some cool ebook images:
XO Laptop reading an ebook from PeepCode
Image by Alexandre Dulaunoy
Flashing an XO laptop with the latest revision of OS and services. A side note for the new owner of an XO, starting with recent revision of the OS. There is a separation between the underlying operating system and the activities (application for sugar).
The screen got a real good quality for reading ebooks especially when you have excessive sunlight.
XO is a nice device for reading ebook especially the one from peepcode (http://www.peepcode.com). As they use a correct typeface and format for their non-DRM book.
Woman with eBook
Image by Tai Toh
So I was on the TTC subway Wednesday evening when I snapped this shot of a woman using an eBook reader. A rare site. Admittedly, this was a surreptitious shot, but I did strike up a conversation with her.
Some choice observations based on our conversation:
1) She works in publishing, so the eBooks her company uses saves a tonne of paper (500+ pages per manuscript).
2) You can’t annotate on it, although you can book mark passages.
3) You can read the ebook for hours–it’s totally like paper–no backlight needed.
4) You can magnify text, but it reflows the document. Consequently, it is difficult to have a conversation on the phone as reference points (pages / paragraphs) may vary based on magnification.
5) No wireless syncing (it is the Sony eBook Reader).
I was impressed at the eInk technology. It really did look like paper.