Anyone have any thoughts on these portable e-Book readers? I'd like to get my hands on one to try it out, but I'm skeptical of their value, at least at this point. Certainly, I couldn't see plopping down $400 for one at the moment.
Anyone have any thoughts on these portable e-Book readers? I'd like to get my hands on one to try it out, but I'm skeptical of their value, at least at this point. Certainly, I couldn't see plopping down $400 for one at the moment.
I've never even heard of this. I'll have to look into it, but I don't like staring at a computer screen to read, so I doubt it'll interest me much.Quoting Sycophant (view post)
Amazon is the purveyor of this device. Apparently, they've got some technology called E-Ink or something that makes it appear more papersih (it's not an LCD). I would be curious to see one in action.
A big part of reading a book - for me, at least - is the sensory experience.
That musty aroma of old pages.
That delicious crackle when you open it up.
Feeling the weight gradually shift in your hands from the right to the left as you progress through the book.
I just can't see myself enjoying the reading experience as much without those factors.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
I work with a guy who was on the team who made this. It sounds pretty cool. The E-Ink thing is pretty neat. The screen has no glare, and looks like a page from a book. It is supposed to be very easy on the eyes. I could see using this as a news reader or something, but with books I am old school and I like them on my shelf.
It sounds like a good idea and would allow someone like me to get more reading done (bad eyes, always on the go), but the price tag is insane. To top it off, you have to buy all your content. I could be wrong, but I understand there is no import feature for Word or PDF files, otherwise it might be worth it. I
Apparently Amazon is trying to sucker me into buying one of these.
Just look at the image they have on the product page...
Coincidence? I think not...
*cue X-Files theme*
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Yeah, I like the tactility of a real book. And the kind of story you related in the Liebowitz thread just couldn't happen with one of these things. But for people who don't want the clutter of owning books, and want a wider selection than what is available at a library, this definitely seems like a good (though currently overpriced) option.
I am impatient of all misery in others that is not mad. Thou should'st go mad, blacksmith; say, why dost thou not go mad? How can'st thou endure without being mad? Do the heavens yet hate thee, that thou can'st not go mad?
lists and reviews
On another forum, people are saying this could be great for textbooks for school.
Now THAT I agree with - I hate lugging around 25 lbs. of books in my bag.
But for liersurely reading, I like having it on my shelf, and being able to hold the physical book.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
It's ironic this machine's called kindle and yet doesn't offer the same burning potential as books.
The manufacturers are obviously just taunting pyromaniacal bibliophiles like myself.
*resents*
This is something I absolutely agree with. Considering how much of those sometimes $200+ price tags comes from mere production costs, simply selling a PDF as the standardized version would be rockin'.
I have a feeling I could be converted to this kind of technology a few generations down the road.
I reckon retro's the future. More books should be available in scroll form.
*votes papyrus*
Wow, textbooks, yeah. I have tons of fat textbooks that I hate carrying around.
Wishful thinking, perhaps; but that is just another possible definition of the featherless biped.
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