Buying an e-reader

[mcbishop]

Imagine if the iPad had a camera too! Even Mike would go for that one. Sigh...next version. At least I can fob this one off on my son.

No, because my camera has a camera in it! Imagine wielding an iPad to take a photo - it would be like Rolf Harris shaking his wobble board around (that may not translate too well across the Pond so WikiP references provided gratis ;-) ) ) I get very tired of all this perceived need for cross-functionality where some numpty decides I need X in a Y - will it be a toaster in my washing machine next? I shudder to think... These days virtually all phones come with a so-so camera in them (luckily none of my cameras have a phone in them... yet...). Why?! Perhaps we could have helicopter blades on a toilet or an MP3 player in an ereader... oh, hang on, Amazon have already done the latter!

Mike Bishop

[richsc]

Nevertheless the tablets are here. Gizmodo published a comparison of four, including the RIM playbook:

http://gizmodo.com/5649368/ultimate-tab ... b-vs-slate

It really gets down to how well the device fits in with what you do, which I mean in the broad sense. A feature of my iPhone 4 and iOS 4 that I had not realized was when a friend sent me a lunch invite and the phrase "do lunch tomorrow" was highlighted like a link, even though he hadn't done that. Touching it brought up a dialogue box with "event" in it, which then created an event at noon the following day! The iOS also does it for fedex tracking numbers.
Point being that integrated devices can help life in ways you thought took many steps before.

[mcbishop]

Nevertheless the tablets are here. Gizmodo published a comparison of four, including the RIM playbook:

http://gizmodo.com/5649368/ultimate-tab ... b-vs-slate

Yes, the BBC is all over the behind-glass-only Playbook (do tablets have to have dodgy names?) but the dual-core processor and reluctance to talk about battery life hint that tablet wars are going to end in ever-more-powerful machines that are neither one thing nor the other, a bit like the over-muscular notebooks we have to lug around. The ones to watch will run ARM processors and use one of the new colour ereader-friendly display technologies like mirasol or colour e-ink. At least they got the size right with the Playmate... sorry, Playbook.

It reLy gets down to how well the device fits in with what you do, which I mean in the broad sense. A feature of my iPhone 4 and iOS 4 that I had not realized was when a friend sent me a lunch invite and the phrase "do lunch tomorrow" was highlighted.

Always assuming you're holding it the right way so that you are not shorting the antenna and actually get a signal ;-) ) And I thought I was a gadget-head...!

Mike Bishop

[Epictetus]

I thought that I would dig up this old topic. I have a biography coming out next spring (modern person, not ancient) and I was surprised at how many people asked if the book would be available in an electronic version. Sometimes it was the first question that came out of their mouths.

So I started thinking about the kindle again, and my wife went ahead and got one. She suggested I buy an e-book and try it out, so I was going to get Stacy Schiff’s Cleopatra, a book I’ve wanted to read for a long time.

But all of a sudden I have run into a new problem. I can’t buy the e-book through the UK Amazon, as it is only for UK residents. I can’t buy the e-book through the US Amazon, because it hasn’t been released yet. I understand the “International” program is very restricted – I can only buy through the US. But I could buy the hard copy through either source. Have people run into problems regarding availability of the titles they want? After playing with my wife’s reader I started to warm to the idea of buying one for myself, but after this geography problem I’m having doubts again.