I’ve been an ebook user for a very long time now, and bought my first dedicated ebook reader nine years ago. In 2011, it got replaced with an Amazon Kindle, and I’ve been a Kindle user ever since, using both their dedicated devices (including the larger DX size), as well as PC, Mac, and iOS apps.
(more…)Category: Ebook
-
What’s in your bag?
I am lucky enough to travel as much as suits me, but not much more. However, I have developed a list of things I bring with me whenever I go travelling. There are two lists; the core list and the extended list. Here goes: (more…)
-
Review: Amazon Kindle
As promised last week, I am today reviewing my new eBook reader, the Amazon Kindle. Or should that be Amazing? -
Getting a new eBook reader
Ever since I got my Sony Reader, I’ve been very happy with the reading experience, but of late, it has not been seeing as much use. This us due to a few things.
The first thing is that it has been getting increasingly hard to get ebooks for my device, at least legally. I used to get my books at Waterstones.com, but they are no longer selling to Norway. The only sites I have found that do sell to Norway, either do not carry the books I want, or are selling them at a premium, making them considerably more expensive than their paper counterparts.
The second thing is that the battery life has become much shorter than it was, and annoyingly so.
The third thing, which has annoyed me from day one, is how heavy the device is.
The fourth, and last reason, is that transferring books was kinda clunky, even though I found software that did it considerably better than Sony’s own software.
So, what did I get, you ask? Well, the review is coming next week… -
The iPad
Yesterday, Apple announced the long-anticipated, much hyped iPad. Looking like an overgrown iPhone, it sports a 9.7″ screen, with a resolution of 1024×768, multi-touch and your choice of WLAN (all models) 3G (some models) and 16, 32 or 64 GB memory.
A commenter at NRK Beta said it was disappointing that it didn’t have some sort of eInk technology. Now, while eInk is GREAT for reading comfort and battery time, it has a deadly flaw for a device like the iPad; it has a screen refresh rate on par with, well a book (never mind the fact that eInk is so far only available as black and wh … err … gray).
To me, the iPad is NOT ideal for reading, for the exact same reasons why a device with eInk is; backlight and screen refresh. The backlight and screen refresh makes your eyes go tired much quicker, and, eInk having neither, it is actually like reading off darkish paper.
The book function being less than interesting to me, my interest, which, I admit, is piqued, is fading. As a websurfing device, well, it just doesn’t fo it for me. If I want an instant-on, touch screen device, I’ll use my phone. If I want to seriously surf the web, I want a computer, complete with a mouse and a keyboard.
Playing music? Sure, I could, but why not use an iPod or a Creative Zen; they’re smaller and have better power usage times. As for reading and editing documents, I’d rather have a computer to edit and either paper or eInk to read, so that’s out. Photo viewing and editing? Again, I want a computer.
The iPad
The form factor looks good, but I am still critical of both the weight and how long the battery will last. I notice that, like the iPod and iPhone, the iPad does not look like you can exchange the battery yourself, which I find a curious choice. Sure, for a tiny unit like the shuffle, I can understand it, but for an everyday usage unit like the iPhone? I don’t get it.
Using iPhone OS is an obvious, albeit exciting choice. Apple are basically saying that the iPhone OS is mature enough and powerful enough to be used on this kind of device. Also, by all accounts, it does exactly what an OS for a device like this should do; IT JUST WORKS.
While the tech geek in me goes “OOOH! SHINY!”, the sensible guy sitting somewhere deep down, right next door to the justification department, is going “Meh. Yet another device I have no use for.” And that, really, is what it all boils down to, isn’t it? The answer to the question “Do I have any real use for this?”
When all’s told, my interest is piqued, but I am not convinced, and I doubt that I will shell out the $499-$699 for one of these units. There are three main reasons for this:
(more…) -
Free eBook: Troubleshooting Windows 7
Working in IT, I often have people ask me about issues they are having with their computer. Now, while I’m happy to help out, I often find that the problems I solve for them are problems they could have solved themselves. Mitch Tulloch, a Microsoft MVP and lead author of the just-published Windows 7 Resource Kit (Microsoft Press, 2010; ISBN: 9780735627000; 1760 pages), has created a short e-book called “What You Can Do Before You Call Tech Support.” Here are the opening paragraphs:
(more…) -
Useful resources for eBooks
Wrapping up my series on eBook usage, I provide you with a list of handy links for legal download of books for your eBook, as well as other links that might prove useful:
-
Sony Reader – Calibre
Note: For the next few posts, I will be discussing my choice of eBook, what I think of the device, the software, and finish off with a few tips for users.
As I have stated, Sony eBook Library is not a bad piece of software, but there is no handling of metadata whatsoever. The better choice is called Calibre, and is a free, open source alternative to using Sony eBook Library.
Calibre supports Kindle and iPhone as well as Sony Reader, and not only handles metadata, but also has features like automatic news subscriptions, format conversions and even a content server option, allowing you access to your eBook collection from anywhere in the world.