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Paper? That's like a baby's toy! [eReaders]

2456762

Posts

  • takyristakyris Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Well, we Canadiers still get Wikipedia, right? That's some small consolation.

    I can't send myself grocery list reminders on Wikipedia.

    Unless, maybe, I start editing pages nobody else checks.

    Cuniculture is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for their meat, fur, or wool.

    Milk (reg and chocolate)
    Eggs
    Carrots
    Broc
    Some kind of fruit
    Juice boxes (organic if they have it)
    Granola bars (peanut-free for school)


    Some people, called rabbit fanciers, practice cuniculture predominantly for show or hobby. The practice, however, has started to decline.

    takyris on
  • DarmakDarmak RAGE vympyvvhyc vyctyvyRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Spacemilk wrote: »
    Really I only posted that because Steve Jobs predicted e-readers would be a huge market bust because "no one reads anymore". Steve Jobs' foot, please meet Steve Jobs' mouth.

    He is such a tremendous faggot.

    Darmak on
    JtgVX0H.png
  • Seaborn111Seaborn111 Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Darmak wrote: »
    Spacemilk wrote: »
    Really I only posted that because Steve Jobs predicted e-readers would be a huge market bust because "no one reads anymore". Steve Jobs' foot, please meet Steve Jobs' mouth.

    He is such a tremendous faggot.

    apple releases a tablet and i will SUCK his tremendously gay apple flavored dick to get one. apple tablet = close enough to apple e-reader.

    Seaborn111 on
    </bush>
    It's impossible for us to without a doubt prove the non-existence of God. We just have to take it on faith that he's imaginary..
  • Zetetic ElenchZetetic Elench Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    takyris wrote: »
    Well, we Canadiers still get Wikipedia, right? That's some small consolation.

    I can't send myself grocery list reminders on Wikipedia.

    Unless, maybe, I start editing pages nobody else checks.

    Cuniculture is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising domestic rabbits, usually for their meat, fur, or wool.

    Milk (reg and chocolate)
    Eggs
    Carrots
    Broc
    Some kind of fruit
    Juice boxes (organic if they have it)
    Granola bars (peanut-free for school)


    Some people, called rabbit fanciers, practice cuniculture predominantly for show or hobby. The practice, however, has started to decline.

    You know I'm probably not alone in clicking that link half-hoping you'd gone ahead and edited it. :)

    Zetetic Elench on
    nemosig.png
  • OremLKOremLK Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I admit, since I got my K2 I spend way too much time reading.

    OremLK on
    My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
  • TekDragonTekDragon __BANNED USERS regular
    edited December 2009
    I got my mom a Nintendo DS, a CycloDS, and a website where she can convert the e-books she had into a format recognized by Libra.

    The result? An e-book reader with superior screen quality and readability day or night, pitch black or direct sun light. She can even flip it to black background and white text for easy night reading.

    Plus she can bookmark her book at any time, play some Tetris or Harvest Moon, then get right back into reading.

    She loves it and her friend with a Kindle is ready to toss it out the window and have me set her up one for Christmas.

    TekDragon on
  • takyristakyris Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    TekDragon wrote: »
    I got my mom a Nintendo DS, a CycloDS, and a website where she can convert the e-books she had into a format recognized by Libra.

    The result? An e-book reader with superior screen quality and readability day or night, pitch black or direct sun light. She can even flip it to black background and white text for easy night reading.

    Plus she can bookmark her book at any time, play some Tetris or Harvest Moon, then get right back into reading.

    She loves it and her friend with a Kindle is ready to toss it out the window and have me set her up one for Christmas.

    Is all of that legal? I've got a DS, and I have no idea, even after Googling and looking at their webpage, what CycloDS is exactly. Is it a card I stick in there in the GameBoy slot? Is it a new operating system? Does it break my games?

    takyris on
  • JHunzJHunz Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    TekDragon wrote: »
    I got my mom a Nintendo DS, a CycloDS, and a website where she can convert the e-books she had into a format recognized by Libra.

    The result? An e-book reader with superior screen quality and readability day or night, pitch black or direct sun light. She can even flip it to black background and white text for easy night reading.

    Plus she can bookmark her book at any time, play some Tetris or Harvest Moon, then get right back into reading.

    She loves it and her friend with a Kindle is ready to toss it out the window and have me set her up one for Christmas.
    I can't imagine doing a serious amount of reading on screens quite that small. The whole screen readability thing sounds awesome but I would think that general readability would suffer.

    JHunz on
    bunny.gif Gamertag: JHunz. R.I.P. Mygamercard.net bunny.gif
  • OremLKOremLK Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    TekDragon wrote: »
    I got my mom a Nintendo DS, a CycloDS, and a website where she can convert the e-books she had into a format recognized by Libra.

    The result? An e-book reader with superior screen quality and readability day or night, pitch black or direct sun light. She can even flip it to black background and white text for easy night reading.

    Plus she can bookmark her book at any time, play some Tetris or Harvest Moon, then get right back into reading.

    She loves it and her friend with a Kindle is ready to toss it out the window and have me set her up one for Christmas.

    Ick. That sounds... very unappealing. No offense. Tiny screen, backlight, no e-Ink display, relatively poor battery life, etc. I can't imagine it being anywhere near as comfortable on the eyes or as convenient as a Kindle (or other e-Ink eReader).

    OremLK on
    My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
  • Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2009
    JHunz wrote: »
    TekDragon wrote: »
    I got my mom a Nintendo DS, a CycloDS, and a website where she can convert the e-books she had into a format recognized by Libra.

    The result? An e-book reader with superior screen quality and readability day or night, pitch black or direct sun light. She can even flip it to black background and white text for easy night reading.

    Plus she can bookmark her book at any time, play some Tetris or Harvest Moon, then get right back into reading.

    She loves it and her friend with a Kindle is ready to toss it out the window and have me set her up one for Christmas.
    I can't imagine doing a serious amount of reading on screens quite that small. The whole screen readability thing sounds awesome but I would think that general readability would suffer.

    I think I'd go fucking insane trying to read a full novel on the DS.

    Bionic Monkey on
    sig_megas_armed.jpg
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I think I'd go fucking insane trying to read a full novel on the DS.

    I lost patience pretty quickly just with the short passages they have in Brain Age.

    KalTorak on
  • ImpersonatorImpersonator Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Are you guys kidding? There is 100 Classic Book Collection for the DS and it's amazing. It has background music, bookmarks, different fonts and sizes, etc.. I bought it for like £25, which is dirt cheap for something that turns your DS into an e-reader. I love it.
    100 Classic Book Collection features one hundred books stored into the DS cartridge. Several of the works included are Othello by William Shakespeare, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, and The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. Currently, 10 extra books are available to download through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.[7]

    The player is required to hold the DS like a book and is able to adjust the text size and change background music to listen to while reading.[7] A bookmark feature allows the player to mark their place in the book, as well as resume from that point on restart of the game. The game offers a search feature for books in a number of different ways, including genre, author, and length. Also, players can access introductions for the books, and read about the authors themselves.[7] An in-game quiz features asks players personality-related questions and recommends certain novels depending on the answers given. Players can also send "trial versions" of the game to other DS users via the local Wi-Fi.[7]

    Impersonator on
  • Seaborn111Seaborn111 Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    trying to read a whole novel on the DS sounds like a god damn astigmatism in the making.

    Seaborn111 on
    </bush>
    It's impossible for us to without a doubt prove the non-existence of God. We just have to take it on faith that he's imaginary..
  • blackranger3dblackranger3d Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Two questions:

    1. From the experience of you e-reader types, how long does it take new books to be sold as e-books?
    2. Do any of the e-books use proprietary file formats (i.e. Sony ereader only reads Sony e-books)?

    blackranger3d on
    BOOM SHACK A LAKA
  • OremLKOremLK Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Two questions:

    1. From the experience of you e-reader types, how long does it take new books to be sold as e-books?

    Immediately in my limited experience so far. It's older books that (can be) more of a problem, new books seem to come out right away.
    2. Do any of the e-books use proprietary file formats (i.e. Sony ereader only reads Sony e-books)?

    Kindle books sold by Amazon have DRM (it's mobi with DRM attached) and I think Nook ones will also. However all of the readers can also play other, open formats, as far as I know... PDF, Mobipocket, etc.

    OremLK on
    My zombie survival life simulator They Don't Sleep is out now on Steam if you want to check it out.
  • blackranger3dblackranger3d Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah, but what is the best device that can work as well as an e-reader?

    I've been looking a bit into the Smart Q7 (or SmartQ 7, or however the fuck you want to write it) - yes it's some LOLChina goodness, but there's already a fairly sizeable community dedicated to hacking the shit out of these things to put a proper Linux, WinCE, and even Android on them. Apparently this helps out a lot over the shit that comes preinstalled. It's a 667MHz ARM core with 128MB of RAM, so performance theoretically should be pretty much on par with the Nokia N-series internet tablets. Apparently people have gotten Flash working (SD content only) as well. Oh, and it's under $200; I'm tempted to get one just to see if it can hold its own as a portable media streamer, electronic recipe book, and photo frame.

    Damn it the SmartQ 7, looks very sweet. Specially since I want an e-reader for comics too. I think I'm going to jump in and test it out.

    Here are a few other MID (mobile internet devices) from the far east. http://www.eletroworld.cn/

    blackranger3d on
    BOOM SHACK A LAKA
  • Seaborn111Seaborn111 Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    one added bit about the "how soon are books available" thing, i've actually found a few books that are available as an E-book before they're in brick and mortar stores

    Seaborn111 on
    </bush>
    It's impossible for us to without a doubt prove the non-existence of God. We just have to take it on faith that he's imaginary..
  • SpacemilkSpacemilk Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    takyris wrote: »
    Kindle-kin -- any concerns about stuff not being on Kindle? Can I get my Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris without the hassle of dead trees?
    You can check on the Amazon site by simply searching for books you want to read on your Kindle - if a Kindle version is available, it'll be there, if not there will be a link right below the cover image where you can request that the book be made into a Kindle version.

    From a more theoretical, "in the future will X book be available", I've found it's pretty hit or miss, with more hits than misses. I'm disappointed that two of my favorite childhood authors (Orson Scott Card and Robin McKinley) have almost nothing available on the Kindle except their most recently released books. (as previously noted, any book on Amazon that was published post-Kindle release will almost certainly* have an e-book version**; it's those older books you have to watch out for) That said, I have been catching up on reading all of Terry Pratchett, and haven't had any availability problems yet.


    *The exception? Fucking "The Gathering Storm" by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson. Fuck my Kindle-and-WoT-addicted ass, I want to fucking read that book but they're not releasing the e-version until NEXT YEAR! RAWRRRRRR
    **And yeah I agree with Seaborn111 - it's nice and easy to get a new release, not just because it's occasionally available sooner, but you don't have to fight lines and supply issues for very popular new releases.

    Spacemilk on
  • HoundxHoundx Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah, but what is the best device that can work as well as an e-reader?

    I've been looking a bit into the Smart Q7 (or SmartQ 7, or however the fuck you want to write it) - yes it's some LOLChina goodness, but there's already a fairly sizeable community dedicated to hacking the shit out of these things to put a proper Linux, WinCE, and even Android on them. Apparently this helps out a lot over the shit that comes preinstalled. It's a 667MHz ARM core with 128MB of RAM, so performance theoretically should be pretty much on par with the Nokia N-series internet tablets. Apparently people have gotten Flash working (SD content only) as well. Oh, and it's under $200; I'm tempted to get one just to see if it can hold its own as a portable media streamer, electronic recipe book, and photo frame.

    Damn it the SmartQ 7, looks very sweet. Specially since I want an e-reader for comics too. I think I'm going to jump in and test it out.

    Here are a few other MID (mobile internet devices) from the far east. http://www.eletroworld.cn/

    The Smart Q7 is pretty sweet as a reader - specifically Alreader2(wince) is freaking awesome. Other functions on it are ok, but not spectacular. There are competing devices being released now as well. You can find some reviews here.

    Also, for comics check out Comic Reader Mobi. The lens feature is really nice.

    Houndx on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Got my Kindle International today. Two quick thoughts:

    1) Shipping was retardedly fast to Canada. I only decided to order it on Sunday.

    2) The screen is a billion times more readable than the Sony PRS-600. Readable in pretty much any lighting, versus the milky text of the Sony and its weird optimal angles. I am in love.

    Senjutsu on
  • PolloDiabloPolloDiablo Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Thanks, Senjutsu, that's exactly the kind of information I've been hoping to find. Now just to decide between the Pocket or the Kindle...

    edit: Hmm, that $100 gap makes me really wonder about the added functionality of the Kindle. It's bulkier, but a lot of that is down to the keyboard, which adds searching and a dictionary. I don't suppose anyone here has tried the pocket?

    PolloDiablo on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I looked at the Pocket in store. The screen is nice and sharp. Didn't have a chance to actually play with it though.

    I originally chose the 600 over the Pocket because I felt the 5" was a bit too small for tech books, was the main thing

    Senjutsu on
  • KiTAKiTA Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I am getting really good at converting files to .mobi.

    KiTA on
  • PolloDiabloPolloDiablo Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    I looked at the Pocket in store. The screen is nice and sharp. Didn't have a chance to actually play with it though.

    I originally chose the 600 over the Pocket because I felt the 5" was a bit too small for tech books, was the main thing

    Did it seem like it would be ok for novels and such? How much use are you getting out of the keyboard stuff for the Kindle?

    PolloDiablo on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    I looked at the Pocket in store. The screen is nice and sharp. Didn't have a chance to actually play with it though.

    I originally chose the 600 over the Pocket because I felt the 5" was a bit too small for tech books, was the main thing

    Did it seem like it would be ok for novels and such? How much use are you getting out of the keyboard stuff for the Kindle?

    I haven't had a chance to really play with the kindle yet; only got it about 3 hours ago and I'm trying to do some studying, so I can't comment on the keyboard.

    I think the Pocket would have been fine for novels, albeit with a lot of page flipping. Have you had a chance to see it at an in-store display? You might want to see if the default font size is good for you. If you had to set it higher you wouldn't fit many words per page, I don't think.

    Senjutsu on
  • Zetetic ElenchZetetic Elench Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Perhaps you should study... THE KINDLE.

    How is the screen, whiteness-wise? The only thing that's bugged me about videos and so on of the Kindle is that the page doesn't look a proper white, just a kind of off-white mild grey. I know you can easily hack the settings to up the darkness of the print, which is probably something I'll do.

    Zetetic Elench on
    nemosig.png
  • Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2009
    Perhaps you should study... THE KINDLE.

    How is the screen, whiteness-wise? The only thing that's bugged me about videos and so on of the Kindle is that the page doesn't look a proper white, just a kind of off-white mild grey. I know you can easily hack the settings to up the darkness of the print, which is probably something I'll do.

    That's because it is grey. Honestly though, you don't even notice it anymore after 10 pages.

    Bionic Monkey on
    sig_megas_armed.jpg
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    It's not white, but kind of a beige grey, somewhere between newspaper and shut-off gameboy (original)

    the letters are nicely black though

    The background on the Sony is the same. I think it's a property of eInk screens

    Senjutsu on
  • Zetetic ElenchZetetic Elench Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Perhaps you should study... THE KINDLE.

    How is the screen, whiteness-wise? The only thing that's bugged me about videos and so on of the Kindle is that the page doesn't look a proper white, just a kind of off-white mild grey. I know you can easily hack the settings to up the darkness of the print, which is probably something I'll do.

    That's because it is grey. Honestly though, you don't even notice it anymore after 10 pages.

    As long as it's not noticeable after a while, that's cool.

    As kind of a typophile, I just yearn quietly for a display like this. The Cool-er is, by all measures, a terrible piece of shit, but it does have a gorgeously white screen.

    Zetetic Elench on
    nemosig.png
  • KiTAKiTA Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Perhaps you should study... THE KINDLE.

    How is the screen, whiteness-wise? The only thing that's bugged me about videos and so on of the Kindle is that the page doesn't look a proper white, just a kind of off-white mild grey. I know you can easily hack the settings to up the darkness of the print, which is probably something I'll do.

    That's because it is grey. Honestly though, you don't even notice it anymore after 10 pages.

    As long as it's not noticeable after a while, that's cool.

    As kind of a typophile, I just yearn quietly for a display like this. The Cooler is, by all measures, a terrible piece of shit, but it does have a gorgeously white screen.

    Holding up my Kindle to the screen, I can't really tell a difference between that white and my kindle's grey.

    KiTA on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah it's more or less that color. Recycled newspaperish

    Senjutsu on
  • Zetetic ElenchZetetic Elench Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    In which case, I now need to know which elf to kill to make christmas come sooner.

    Zetetic Elench on
    nemosig.png
  • KiTAKiTA Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    Yeah it's more or less that color. Recycled newspaperish

    That's the best way of explaining it I've ever seen, to the point that I wonder if the engineers intentionally aimed for that. The Kindle's background color is newspaper.

    KiTA on
  • Dark ShroudDark Shroud Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    For those of you that do not know of a podcast called Tekzilla they just did an episode on e-readers. They show kindles & the Sony ones and talk about a few others. They show the pocket next to the standard Sony reader.

    If you don't want to watch the whole episode use the quick chapter links on the page for the video.

    http://revision3.com/tekzilla/thanksgiving

    Dark Shroud on
  • PolloDiabloPolloDiablo Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    I looked at the Pocket in store. The screen is nice and sharp. Didn't have a chance to actually play with it though.

    I originally chose the 600 over the Pocket because I felt the 5" was a bit too small for tech books, was the main thing

    Did it seem like it would be ok for novels and such? How much use are you getting out of the keyboard stuff for the Kindle?

    I haven't had a chance to really play with the kindle yet; only got it about 3 hours ago and I'm trying to do some studying, so I can't comment on the keyboard.

    I think the Pocket would have been fine for novels, albeit with a lot of page flipping. Have you had a chance to see it at an in-store display? You might want to see if the default font size is good for you. If you had to set it higher you wouldn't fit many words per page, I don't think.

    No, they're only at Sony stores, right? There aren't any near me. That's why this is kind of a pain, since I'm trying to compare two things that I've never seen.

    PolloDiablo on
  • Dark ShroudDark Shroud Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    I looked at the Pocket in store. The screen is nice and sharp. Didn't have a chance to actually play with it though.

    I originally chose the 600 over the Pocket because I felt the 5" was a bit too small for tech books, was the main thing

    Did it seem like it would be ok for novels and such? How much use are you getting out of the keyboard stuff for the Kindle?

    I haven't had a chance to really play with the kindle yet; only got it about 3 hours ago and I'm trying to do some studying, so I can't comment on the keyboard.

    I think the Pocket would have been fine for novels, albeit with a lot of page flipping. Have you had a chance to see it at an in-store display? You might want to see if the default font size is good for you. If you had to set it higher you wouldn't fit many words per page, I don't think.

    No, they're only at Sony stores, right? There aren't any near me. That's why this is kind of a pain, since I'm trying to compare two things that I've never seen.

    You can buy the Sony brand e-readers from Best Buy.

    Dark Shroud on
  • PolloDiabloPolloDiablo Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Oh, damn. I guess I'll have to check it out tomorrow.

    Also, that Tekzilla show you linked had some really interesting stuff. I'm really looking forward to the next generation of eReaders.

    PolloDiablo on
  • freakish lightfreakish light butterdick jones and his heavenly asshole machineRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    KiTA wrote: »
    Senjutsu wrote: »
    Yeah it's more or less that color. Recycled newspaperish

    That's the best way of explaining it I've ever seen, to the point that I wonder if the engineers intentionally aimed for that. The Kindle's background color is newspaper.

    It wouldn't surprise me. I always set my text to black on grey if I'm reading a book on my computer or writing anything. Lowering the contrast has to be a lot easier on your eyes than dark black against bright white.

    freakish light on
  • SenjutsuSenjutsu thot enthusiast Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Keyboard is handy for on the fly searches of the store. Downloading samples is fun.

    Senjutsu on
  • freakish lightfreakish light butterdick jones and his heavenly asshole machineRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    in other news I really want a Nook and have no cash

    this is my sad face

    freakish light on
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