A Holiday Guide to E-Readers - NYTimes.com

Posted by admin in interesting things on 12 3rd, 2009 | no responses


Following up on my previous post about Kindle and e-readers, I want to share an article from the New York Times. Thought you might find it helpful to hear a review of several offerings.

  • A Holiday Guide to E-Readers - NYTimes.com

    "WHEN Amazon.com introduced its Kindle electronic book reader two years ago, the chief executive, Jeff Bezos, hoped the company was forever transforming the reading experience. The Kindle wasn’t the first e-reader on the market, but it came with a built-in advantage: a wireless connection to Amazon’s vast online bookstore. Today, when we think of e-readers, the Kindle comes readily to mind. Skip to next paragraph Multimedia Wider Choices for e-Book LoversSlide Show Wider Choices for e-Book Lovers Growing MarketGraphic Growing Market Related Apps That Turn Pages, and Save Money (December 3, 2009) E-Reading, in 2 Authors’ Eyes (December 3, 2009) Plastic Logic’s Que will be unveiled in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. More Photos » But it’s no longer just Amazon’s story. This year, new players have entered the e-reader space, while some familiar ones have hedged their bets by introducing new devices. Among Amazon’s eager competitors are Barnes & Noble, Sony, Plastic Logic, IREX Technologies and even Disney. We’ll see even more in 2010. Companies hope convenience will trump the beloved aesthetics associated with real books. They’re even betting that consumers will turn to these devices to read magazines and newspapers, or to complement their professional e-lives. For anyone considering an e-reader purchase this holiday season, here’s a round-up of current and soon-to-be-available devices. AMAZON’S KINDLE, $259 The Kindle has access to more than 360,000 e-books as well as newspapers, magazines and blogs that can be wirelessly downloaded from Amazon.com. The latest version uses AT&T’s 3G wireless network and works in more than 100 countries. The Kindle relies on Amazon’s own proprietary file format so it is not compatible with titles purchased from other e-bookstores. But Amazon offers a free application that allows its books to be read on an iPhone. And both remember where you left off if you change devices. You can buy subscriptions to your favorite magazines and newspapers, read more

    tags: ereaders, kindle

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Some E-Readers May Become Obsolete or Lack Compatibility - WSJ.com

Posted by admin in interesting things on 12 2nd, 2009 | no responses


I am wondering what impact e-readers will have in the classroom.

  • Some E-Readers May Become Obsolete or Lack Compatibility - WSJ.com

    "By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER Books are having their iPod moment this holiday season. But buyer beware: It could also turn out to be an eight-track moment. While e-reading devices were once considered a hobby for early adopters, Justin Timberlake is now pitching one on prime-time TV commercials for Sony Corp. Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-reading device has become its top-selling product of any kind. Forrester Research estimates 900,000 e-readers will sell in the U.S. in November and December. View Full Image EREADER Getty Images Barnes & Noble announced its Nook e-reader in October, but you won’t be able to see it in stores until Dec. 7. EREADER EREADER But e-reader buyers may be sinking cash into a technology that could become obsolete. While the shiny glass-and-metal reading gadgets offer some whiz-bang features like wirelessly downloading thousands of books, many also restrict the book-reading experience in ways that trusty paperbacks haven’t, such as limiting lending to a friend. E-reader technology is changing fast, and manufacturers are aiming to address the devices’ drawbacks. "

    tags: no_tag

    • By GEOFFREY A. FOWLER

      Books are having their iPod moment this holiday season. But buyer beware: It could also turn out to be an eight-track moment.

      While e-reading devices were once considered a hobby for early adopters, Justin Timberlake is now pitching one on prime-time TV commercials for Sony Corp. Meanwhile, Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-reading device has become its top-selling product of any kind. Forrester Research estimates 900,000 e-readers will sell in the U.S. in November and December.

      View Full Image

      EREADER

      Getty Images

      Barnes & Noble announced its Nook e-reader in October, but you won’t be able to see it in stores until Dec. 7.

      But e-reader buyers may be sinking cash into a technology that could become obsolete. While the shiny glass-and-metal reading gadgets offer some whiz-bang features like wirelessly downloading thousands of books, many also restrict the book-reading experience in ways that trusty paperbacks haven’t, such as limiting lending to a friend. E-reader technology is changing fast, and manufacturers are aiming to address the devices’ drawbacks.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Students get iPods and Wiis to help study

Posted by admin in interesting things on 11 18th, 2009 | no responses