Barnes and Noble Nook Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader - Barnes and Noble Nook Ebook Reader Launch

With Ebook Readers popping up like mushrooms it is hardly surprising that Barnes and Noble, one of the biggest booksellers in the world, should decide to get in on the act. They have created an ebook reader which they have chosen to call the Nook, and which will be a direct competitor to the amazingly successful Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader and the Sony Reader.

The nook will be based on the Android platform and should be on sale on November 30, at cost of US$259. It will include Wi-Fi and AT&T 3G wireless connectivity, a 6" E-Ink display (which makes the screen look like paper), plus a smaller separate color touchscreen to be used as the primary input device.

The nook is the first ebook reader based on the Android platform and features a MicroSD expansion slot for extra storage. One significant innovative feature of the nook that the Kindle Ebook Reader does not have is the "LendMe" feature. Publishers license some books for sharing, these ebooks can be lent once by the person buying it for up to two weeks. As often seems to be the case the nook is a US-only device.

It also features a built-in WiFi adapter, allowing free access to AT&T-powered hotspots in B&N retail stores.

It does not however have the Kindle's text-to-speech tools and the battery life is 10 days, compared with 14 days for the Kindle.

The nook Ebook Reader can store around 1,500 books and 17,000 books can be stored using the extra memory card supplied free with the nook. The nook eBook reader features 2GB of hard disk memory. You also have access to 1 million books using the nook, so if you read 1 a day you will be able to get through them all in just 2740 years! Pretty neat eh ?

According to Wired the Nook makes the Kindle look old-fashioned.

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See also : Onyx Ebook Reader

Kindle for PC Application Launched

Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader for PC Application Launched

Amazon has launched its new Ebook Reader Kindle for PC application that allows you to read Kindle books on your computer in colour. You can download e-books even if you don't have an Ebook Reader. The application also synchronises automatically with your Kindle, so you can continue reading your handheld device from the page you finished on. Any bookmarks and notes on your Kindle are also synchronised.

The application is designed with Windows 7 in mind, and lets you use the new touchscreen features such as pinching your fingers to zoom in and out.

The beta version is available now.

Amazon is no doubt pulling out the stops in preparation for Christmas when it expects to make a whole load of money from Kindle Ebook Reader and Ebook sales - but it is not without its competitors. The latest store to announce an Ebook Reader being Barnes and Noble with its Nook .

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See also : Onyx Ebook Reader

Amazon Kindle for PC Details

Ebook Reader - Amazon Kindle for PC

The Amazon Kindle has been a runaway success, thank you Oprah say Amazon !

Amazon's share price rocketed 14% after trading yesterday when it reported $199 million net profit. They said the Kindle ebook reader was now its "number one best-selling item both in unit sales and dollars" - it has also just launched the Kindle Ebook Reader in the UK and is making a free application available for PCs.

Microsoft has no plans to develop its own device so Amazon are onto another winner.

Some facts about the Amazon Kindle for PC .

• The application will be a free download
• It will launch in November
• Kindle for PC is for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP
• Windows 7 version will have extra features, such as finger swipes etc..
• All the Kindle books will be available - that's 360,000 titles
• You'll be able to transfer previous purchases without paying again.
• You won't lose your place if you switch from PC to Kindle or iPhone.
• Kindle notes or highlights will be synchronized.
• Kindle for PC will let you choose font size and select the number of words to appear on each line
• Best-sellers will cost $9.99 to download - nice profit margin ! So buy shares in Amazon !

For an alternative to the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader see Plastic Logic Que Ebook Reader or Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition

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See also : Onyx Ebook Reader

Plastic Logic QUE Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader - Plastic Logic To Launch the QUE Ebook Reader

As Amazon announces a cut-down but more expensive version of the Kindle for the UK (we like paying more for things in the UK), Plastic Logic has today revealed that it will be unveiling the QUE in January 2010, at CES, which they describe as the first proReader for business professionals.

I thought Kindle was a pretty dumb name for a gadget, well IMHO Plastic Logic have gone one step further with the Que, in the UK at least. Que ? Has entered the language of just around everyone in the UK ever since Manuel in Fawlty Towers for whom que ? was the sign of his total lack of comprehension of anything that was happening. So an odd choice of name.

Apart from that, Plastic Logic says it is expanding the eReader category, from consumer leisure devices to lighten the load of the modern businessperson.

In addition to everything the Kindle does the QUE will also support the document formats business users need (PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel etc.).

“QUE enhances business performance and gives you a competitive edge. More than an eReader, QUE means business.”

The QUE will be ultra thin, lightweight and wireless-enabled, and measure 8.5 x 11 inch, and be less than a 1/3 inch thick.

It will have the largest screen in the industry and an intuitive touch screen user interface.

It will also feature a shatterproof plastic display which along with E Ink Vizplex® technology will provide an "outstanding reading experience". The battery can also last days, instead of hours.

The QUE will provide wireless downloads via Wi-Fi and AT&T’s 3G network.

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See also : Onyx Ebook Reader

Kindle Ebook Reader Too Expensive

Ebook Readers - Kindle Too Expensive Says Expensive Survey

The Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader is an excellent device - Oprah was right ! But Oprah is rolling in cash. According to a recent study by Forrester ebook readers are way overpriced - current prices vary between $199 and $489. But most potential customers see this price as being far too high - the price most would be willing to pay is between $50 and $99.

This price is difficult to achieve for the simple reason that the e-ink display itself costs $60. If this price doesn't come down then ebook reader manufacturers may well start looking around for new suppliers.

According to the survey 2 million ebook readers will be sold in 2009 which will make 3 million users in total. But Amazon would sell a lot more if they brought the price down to a more reasonable $50 ! Hardly rocket science.

Apparently the first wave of Kindle owners were high-earning male and optimists but the next wave will be more likely females who read a lot but buy fewer of their books online.

This will be bad news for Amazon but good news for consumer electronics manufacturers like Sony, retailers like Wal-Mart, and publishers like Harlequin, which target these customers with eBook subscription services.

One great irony of the study is that if you want to read the whole thing it will cost you more than the Kindle ebook reader itself. The whole text of the study is available from Forrester for $499 ! May I suggest that if it were at $50 it would get a lot more customers ?

See also : Onyx Ebook Reader

Kindle DX Ebook Reader Launch

Ebook Readers - Kindle DX Launch June 10

Amazon has announced that the Kindle DX, its large-format wireless Ebook Reader, will start shipping on June 10. The Kindle DX is already available for pre-order and Amazon says all orders will b edealt with on a first come, first served basis. Amazon announced the launch of the larger Kindle DX (9” x 7” screen) in May - it will sell for $489.

Ebook readers are big business but Amazon is not having it all its own way.

There is the Plastic Logic reader, expected later in 2009. There is also the Sony PRS-700. The Pixel 3qi and also Google that is getting into Ebook sales although they haven't made an ebook reader yet.

See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

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Pubilsh Blogs on the Kindle

Kindle Ebook Reader - Get Paid to Publish Your Blog on the Kindle

One of the more unusual features of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader is that if you are a blogger you can publish your blog on it for people to download and you can make some money in the process.

Readers have to pay of course which means your blog has got to be pretty interesting or indispensable !

Until now only the big blogs could apply to be included in the blog directory but from today onwards anyone even Joe Bloggs can make their blog available thanks to the Kindle Publishing for Blogs Beta program.

As a blogger you just make the feed for your blog available to the Kindle Store, and Amazon does everything else. They format your content for the Kindle. Amazon says it's as easy as pie and your blog will be ready for public consumption in the Kindle Store after 48 hours processing maximum. You need to sign up for a new account (it won't work with your Amazon account). You enter your name, a password, and then answer some security questions, and decide how you want to receive payment. PayPal is not accepted, but a checking account is fine.

You then publish your blog, enter your RSS feed information, blog title, a tagline, author, description, masthead, screenshot, language, website address, keywords, and set some categories

Your blog will get 30% of the monthly subscription price for every subscriber that signs up. This seems very low as mobile applications developers usually get to keep 70% at least of revenues.

How much will subscribers pay? Amazon will “define the price based on what we deem is a fair value for customers.” At the moment most blogs cost $1.99 a month.

30% for publishers equates to around 60 cents so a hundred subscribers would bring in $60 but like everything else on the Internet is getting the traffic that will be the problem. But if you've got a popular blog that already gets lots of readers then making it available on the Kindle Ebook Reader makes a lot of sense.

Further reading : Ebook Reader

See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

Kindle DX Ebook Reader Overpriced

Kindle Ebook Reader - the New Kindle DX Bigger and More Expensive

The new Amazon Kindle DX will be launched this summer. It is designed for reading newspapers, magazines and documents on a larger screen - 9.7 inches.

The Kindle DX is 250% bigger than the Kindle 2 - it is also 30% more expensive !

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says : "You never have to pan, you never have to zoom, you never have to scroll. You just read." (Sounds like a criticism of the Kindle 2 to me?)

The Kindle DX also has a built-in PDF document reader and Amazonhas announced deals with three leading publishers of textbook to publish their content on the DX ebook reader.

Amazon has also announced deals with the Washington Post, New York Times and Boston Globe to put their editorial on the device. These newspapers will subsidize the purchase of the DX if a customer takes out a subscription to the newspaper.

Reaction has been mixed, however, due to the outrageously high price being asked - $489 (£340) instead of $359 for the Kindle 2.

Anthony Ha of VentureBeat says that the cost of the DX is a major drawback.

"I love to read and all, and I love newspapers, but there's no way I'm spending that kind of money just so I can see the New York Times on a big screen."

Other negatives are the lack of color and video capability.

Lance Ulanoff, editor of PCmag.com said : "It's cool but lacks surprises. All Amazon did was announce a bunch of good and important upgrades."

Arthur Sulzberger Jr, New York Times Chairman said : "We knew for more than a decade that one day an e-reader would be a significant platform for distribution for our content."

Others tend to disagree.

With regard to sales, the publishing industry says e-books account for less than 1% of total books sales, athough this will no doubt change over time.

Jeff Bezos said that when there is a Kindle version of a book it represents 35% of sales.

The Kindle DX can store 3,500 books and provides access to over 225,000 titles.

Neil Jones, head of Interead, a company which will be releasing a competitor to the Kindle in a few weeks said : "The launch of the Kindle DX is further proof of the strength of the market for e-readers. The fact is e-readers don't have many detractors left. Everyone agrees that people will continue to read books, and the time for an "iPod moment" for e-readers is now."

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Kindle DX Ebook Reader Video

Amazon Kindle DX - Amazon's New Ebook Reader

Amazon introduced version 3 of the Kindle ebook reader or pdf reader today. It does not have a color display and does not to come with Wi-Fi, games, apps or music playback. It does however offer trade books - the Kindle DX now displays textbooks, cookbooks and computer books on an electronic screen measuring 9.7 inch with 16 shades of grey (compared with 6" on the Kindle 2), and a resolution of 1200 x 824 pixels (150ppi). Newspapers and magazines are already available on Amazon's ebook reader. The new Kindle will be known as the Kindle DX and will be sold for $489 this summer.

Amazon's aim is to entice students to use the Kindle DX via the larger screen and improved display. Pearson, Cengage, and John Wiley will make textbooks available through the Kindle DX. Trials will be started at Arizona State, Princeton, Reed College, Case Western Reserve, and Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia this autumn. Kindle DX ebook readers will be distributed to students. Barbara Snyder, president of Case Western said : "We look forward to seeing how the device affects the participation of both students and faculty in the educational experience."


To encourage newspaper readers to buy the new Kindle, Amazon has joined forces with desperate newspapers The New York Times and Washington Post and persuaded them to stump up some cash in an attempt to save themselves from extinction. Subscribers who live in places where no home delivery is provided will be able to buy the Kindle DX at a discount, provided they agree to take out a long-term subscription to the paper via the Kindle DX.

kindle dx ebook reader pdf reader amazon ebook readers

Espresso Book Machine Ebook Competition

Ebook Readers or Espresso Book Machine - Video Demo

With the success of the Kindle Ebook Reader are we witnessing the end of the printed book ? Apparently not.

An "Espresso Book Machine" (EBM) which allows you to print out books on demand in 5 minutes has been installed at Blackwell's Bookshop in London, at 100 Charing Cross.



This is the first espresso book machine to be installed in the UK, although there has been one in the New York Public Library since 2007. There are currenty 15 EBMs installed worldwide in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK and Egypt. It was also featured by Time Magazine as the best invention of 2007. The machine prints any book from the 400,000 titles available in 5 minutes.

The books printed are claimed to be "identical to books found in a bookshop", and represents the ideal solution for obtaining out of print books, or niche publications.

Customers will be able to buy their espresso book machine printed from April 27 or they can order online at www.blackwell.co.uk. or you can upload whatever you wanted printed from a CD or flashdrive.

The Espresso Book Machine was created by On Demand Books (ODB). It uses revolutionary technology to print, bind and trim paperback books at a speed of 112 pages per minute, including 4-colour covers, identical in fact to normal factory printed books.

The launch of the Espresso Book Machine in the UK is the result of an exclusive agreement between Blackwell and ODB. It will certainly cause a stir in the book-selling world and the Charing Cross EBM is no doubt the first of many, as Blackwell has shops in both Oxford and Cambridge and over 50 outlets around the UK.

Blackwell also hopes to provide a distribution channel for smaller publishers and is keen to attract a new audience of budding authors and self publishers who want to see their work in print.
See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

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Kindle Ebook Reader Problem

Kindle Ebook Reader - Reasons Not to Buy an Amazon Kindle

Take care if you decide to buy an Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader it seems that they if they take dislike to your behaviour they can ban you from actually using your Kindle with their Amazon service by switching it off !

They recently banned someone from using Amazon for making too many returns, and at the same time they also disabled his Kindle account, even though the returns he made had nothing to do with the Kindle or with ebooks !

So if they switch off your Kindle account what happens? You can still use your Kindle and still read the books you have bought , but you can't download any more books from Amazon, you can't receive any newspaper or magazine subscriptions, you can't email documents to Amazon, and you can't buy any new ebooks.

In other words your $359 ebook reader only works as long as Amazon allows it to work!

That's Digital Rights Management for you — it means you never really own things even though you think you've bought them,

The user in question got access to his Kindle restored by Amazon as a "courtesy", but Amazon reserves the right to switch it off again if he doesn't behave himself.

Well, that has certainly turned me off ever wasting my money on a Kindle.

Amazon reinstated the person's account stating that "if a higher-than-acceptable number of concession incidents occur in the future" they will reinstore the ban.

Well to me this sounds outrageous. Is there anything you can do ?

Tech-savvy individuals can figure out how to remove the DRM on the books they buy so they can be read on any device. If Amazon continues putting DRM on the ebooks it sells, it's the only way you can guarantee that you own the books you buy. For further info. see

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44350&highlight=amazon+banning

Further reading : Ebook Reader
See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

Ebook Readers - Privacy Policy

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Kindle Ebook Reader Patent Lawsuit

Ebook Readers - Lawsuit Filed Against Amazon for Patent Infringement

The Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader 2 may be a fine piece of kit with a great future ahead of it - for specs see Kindle Ebook Reader 2 but it is not without its headaches for Amazon. The latest headache comes in the form of a lawsuit from Discovery Communications, the company behind the Discovery Channel.

Discovery Communications has filed legal papers claiming that Amazon has violated its patents with regard to copyright protection.

The patent in question was filed in the autumn of 1999 but was only issued on November 20, 2007. Amazon's original Kindle ebook reader was launchd on the world the day before Discovery's patent was issued.

Discovery’s patents are in the field of the encryption technology used to distribute digital books.

The lawsuit has been filed in the Delaware U.S. District Court.

The company claims that it holds a prior patent from the early 1990s relating to "Electronic Book Security and Copyright Protection System", and has made it known that it will be seeking monetary damages.

"The Kindle and Kindle 2 are important and popular content delivery systems. We believe they infringe our intellectual property rights, and that we are entitled to fair compensation," said Joseph LaSala, Discovery Communications general counsel.

"Our tradition as an inventive company has produced considerable intellectual property assets for our shareholders, and today's infringement litigation is part of our effort to protect and defend those assets." Kindle Ebook Reader Kindle Discovery Patent Lawsuit Ebook readers
See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

Kindle iPhone Ebook Reader App

Kindle Ebook Reader - Amazon Launches iPhone Application for Ebooks

Amazon Kindle for iPhone and iTouch Application

Amazon has launched a free Kindle for iPhone application in the iPhone App Store for use on iPhones and iTouches that will allow users to buy and download ebooks without the need to but a Kindle Ebook Reader. They have made all 240,000 Kindle ebooks available on the smaller devices. This deal, which is probably not the last of its type, has been expected since Amazon announced that the Kindle 2 would include "Whispersync" that enables users to read the same book on a number of different ebook readers and devices.

Amazon VP Ian Freed said "We're really excited to expand the ability for customers to get access to over 240,000 books ... I'm really excited about being able to offer that to customers on other devices. But nothing to talk about today." "I would say it would be coming soon."

Whispersync is a major advance in freeing a Kindle ebook or publication from the confines of the Kindle ebook reader itself but the Kindle 2 nevertheless remains the bset way to read it.

Freed says "Nearly every smartphone available has the development environment and even some phones that are not considered smartphones, have, for example, the ability to develop Java apps, so theoretically any of those platforms is open to anything, whether it's us building a Kindle application or it's ESPN building a sports ticker application. ... There's no limitation on that."

It takes around 5 minutes to go to the iPhone app store and get everything you need to have access to your favourite books

The good thing of course is that you don't have to fork out $359 for a Kindle Ebook Reader. The downside is you don't get the full functionality associated with the Kindle such as e-ink and e-paper but you get most of the features.

For information on alternatives to the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader see Onyx Boox Ebook Reader and Alternatives to the Kindle Ebook Reader Currently Available

Kindle Ebook Reader Kindle iPhone Ebook readers

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Onyx Boox Ebook Reader Launch

Onyx Boox Ebook Reader - Alternative to the Amazon Kindle

Alternative Ebook Readers

The Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader pretty much rules the roost in the ebook reader market at the moment, but there are alternatives. The latest to hit the stores soon is the Onyx Boox , which, according to Onyx embodies both simplicity and power. Boox they say is an ebook reader which features an open and flexible platform for both consumers and content providers.

The Boox like the Kindle has a 16-level grayscale e-ink screen that looks and feels like paper. It also has a hand-writing system that lets you take notes while reading.

The Onyx Boox uses new-generation e-ink screens which offer extremely low power consumption. You can read for a number of weeks on each full charge (although that would seem to me to depend on how often you use it).

Onyx International will release the its Ebook Reader at CeBit in early March. The BeBook 2 which is another alternative to the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader will also be unveiled at CeBit.


The key highlights of the Onyx Boox are -

6"/ 8"/ 9.7" E Ink® Vizplex® EPD display
16-level grayscale
Touch panel with full screen scribble
128MB RAM or above
400MHz processor or higher
USB 2.0 with OTG support
512MB Flash or above
2.5mm Stereo Headphone Jack
SD/MMC with SDIO & SDHC support
1600mAh replaceable Li-ion battery
Wi-Fi/CDMA 1XRTT/GPRS/3G (option)
No keyboard but an iPod scroll wheel type control
Details/Thumbnail/List page view
Search and dictionary support
Text to speech (TTS) support
Change font size & family
Zoom in/out
Bookmark/Table of contents
Formats Supported
PDF/TXT/HTML/MOBIPOCKET/EPUB/CHM/PDB/JPG/PNG/GIF/BMP/TIFF/MP3/WAV

No word on pricing but the intelligent ploy would be to make it cheaper than the Kindle Ebook Reader
Kindle Ebook Reader Onyx Boox alternative ebook readers

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Kindle Ebook Reader 3

Kindle Ebook Reader - Kindle 3 Could Launch This Year

New Larger Kindle Ebook Reader On Its Way

Prime View International expects strong shipments of its electrophoretic displays (EPDs) following the launch by Amazon of the Kindle Ebook Reader 2.

The Kindle 2 has a 6 inch electronic paper display EPD with 600x800 resolution and 2GB of memory, it is 0.36-inches thick and weighs just over 10 ounces.

There are also rumours that Amazon will be launching a new ebook reader the Kindle 3 no doubt, by the end of 2009. The even newer Kindle will be larger in size and equipped with touch functions and more aimed at the educational market.

It is said the size will be standard paper size 8.5 x 11-inch.

There are also claims that Hearst Corporation is preparing a brand new competitor to Kindle Ebook Readers, namely a wireless e-reader that will download magazines like Cosmopolitan and Esquire wirelessly.

This certainly would shake up the print industry. Hearst has decided to launch its own e-reader to “preserve the business model that has sustained newspapers and magazines”.

Hearst plans to sell the ebook readers directly to other publishers who will then devise their own pricing schemes, this will allow people to decide which newspaper you read on the train in the morning.

The Hearst "Kindle killer" will be a large, black and white e-ink device and could be released some time this year, followed by a color version later.

In the UK the national newspaper the Daily Mail will distribute its web content on the Kindle Ebook Reader when it is launched in the UK.

And is in discussions to offer US readers access to its daily editions.

James Bromley, Managing Director of the Mail Online, said: "We're in talks with Amazon to launch in the US in the near future and we're also talking about the UK version. The advantages are quite simply the quality and size of the screen."

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See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader
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Kindle Ebook Reader 2 Shipping

Kindle Ebook Reader 2 - Ebook Reader Now on Sale

Amazon Ebook Reader 2 Now on Sale

Amazon's new Kindle Ebook Reader 2 is now on sale and they say if you order today you will get it tomorrow. There is the outside possibility that they will sell out of course, like they did with Ebook Reader 1, so it might be worth while ordering early if you are in any doubt or want to be sure of getting one.

The Features of the Kindle Portable Ebook Reader 2 :-

• It is light at 10.2 oz, lighter than the average paperback
• It is very slim just over 1/3 " , i.e. the same as most magazines - 8" x 5.3" x 0.36".
• 3G wireless capability allows you to download books anytime, anywhere; there is no monthly fee, no service plans, and no need to find Wi-Fi hotspots
• A book downloads in less than 60 seconds
• The display is even better - it looks like real paper and now has 16 shades of gray for even clearer text and sharper images - 600 x 800 pixel resolution at 167 ppi,
• The battery life has been extended by 25% so you can read for days before you need to recharge - fully charges in approx. 4 hours and can be charged via the included USB 2.0 cable from your PC
• Increased storage - the Portable Kindle Ebook Reader now holds over 1,500 books
• Page turn speed improved by 20%
• New text-to-speech feature, the Kindle Ebook Reader can now read books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers out loud
• Selection - more than 230,000 books plus U.S. and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs are available via the Kindle Ebook Reader 2
• Book Prices are low - best-sellers and new releases are $9.99, unless otherwise stated
  

See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader
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Authors Guild Attacks Ebook Reader

Kindle Ebook Reader - Authors Guild Criticizes Ebook Reader Speed Function as Unauthorized

The US Authors Guild has issued a warning to its members and on its website that the text to speech function of the new Kindle Ebook Reader - Kindle 2 may be undermining audio markets and represents an unauthorized use of audio rights.

The Kindle Ebook Reader version 2 differs from the first version of Amazon's Ebook Reader in a number of ways, but one of them is its ability to read the text out in a computerized voice. The Authors Guild (if you are one of those types who is wondering about the lack of the apostrophe see below!) said that the Ebook Reader's text-to-speech function "presents a significant challenge to the publishing industry" and it has advised its members to hold off granting ebook rights for the Kindle.

Amazon are not impressed, Andrew Herdener said: "Is it illegal to read a book out loud to yourself? Is it the case that one is only allowed to legally read if one does so silently? When you listen to yourself read out loud, you’re not performing—you’d need an audience for that—and you’re not making a copy.”

Herdener also pointed out that Amazon's subsidiary Audible is playing a role in the audiobook business and he pointed out that text-to-speech "provides a completely different experience from a professionally recorded audiobook".

The Authors Guild however say the Kindle 2 Ebook Reader speech function presents a "significant challenge to the publishing industry". Could it be that there is trouble ahead? Do I hear the sound of chuckling lawyers?

Now for the nitpickers amongst us who will have noticed that there is no apostrophe after 'Authors' in The Authors Guild. What's wrong with these authors? Can't they write proper English?

Well this is their argument : "You include an apostrophe if you want to indicate that the Guild is a possession of the authors, but in this case it is being used as an adjective — the Guild is a Guild of authors (not one that belongs to authors)."

This point is disputed, of course, and you can while away a day or two tracking it down on Google if you are so inclined!

If on the other hand you are interested in books and first edition books in particular as a form of investment then check out the link - first edition books

Ebook Readers Currently Available

Ebook Readers - The Different Ebook Readers Currently Available

There are 5 different Ebook Readers currently available.

First up is the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader - this is the best-selling ebook reader on the market, due in part to its endorsement by Oprah Winfrey.

It was launched in 2007 and version 2 has just been launched and will be available from Feb. 24 - hopefully Amazon will have made enough this time around, as version 1 was sold out for months.

It displays books, newspaper, magazines and blogs on "electronic paper" and you can download books etc... over Amazon Whispernet via the Sprint EVDO network. The Kindle is a portable digital book reader that does not require a computer and books are downloaded wirelessly. There is no fee for Whispernet. The new Kindle Ebook Reader is very thin and will read the books out to you if you prefer. The Kindle Ebook Reader i selling well so if you are into stock trading then you might also consider buying shares in Amazon! The price for the new Ebook Reader is $359.

The Sony Reader is the main competitor to the Kindle Ebook Reader at the moment. It uses an electronic paper display from E Ink Corporation.

The latest version of the Sony Ebook Reader is the PRS-700. It has a touchscreen that doubles up as a virtual keyboard. The touch screen allows note taking. It has LED lighting for poor lighting conditions. Internal storage - 512MB. Sale price in the USA $399.

The iRex 1000S Ebook Reader gets mixed reviews - it seems to be a good device that is however a bit sluggish, way too expensive (over $700), and not very user-friendly.

The Cybook by Bookeen is an ultra-light Ebook Reader that uses E Ink screen technology. It is readable under direct sunlight. It reads a wide range of file formats and allows access to a wide range of digital documents. Cost $350.

There is also the Cybook DeLuxe which is the Cybook + a set of accessories i.e.
- cover
- USB Charger
- 2 GB SD memory card
- Stereo earphones
- Extra battery
The accessories will cost you an extra $100.

EReader from Plastic Logic is expected to have a selected release for the second half of 2009 with general release in 2010. The intention is that it shall replace paper, it will be less than 7 mm thick, and weigh less than 16 oz. (about 500 gr.) It will display MS Office documents, PDF files etc... but doesn't seem interested in the ebook market.

The device uses flexible plastic substrates for the display. This produces active matrix displays that are thinner, lighter and stronger than glass silicon displays.
It is described as a business reader, for reading bsuiness documents.

Where can you use your Plastic Logic eReader?
Wlle they say : "With wireless capability, ... the Plastic Logic eReader is designed to be used virtually anywhere." Make of that what you will. Does it mean the PL Ereader has wireles capability? To me it sounds ambiguous, but we shall in 2010.

Finally, the eSlick by Foxit is expected any time soon. It will be about the size of a medium paperback and 0.4 inches thick with a 6-inch 800 x 600 resolution display. The eSlick Ebook Reader panel is made by the same firm as Amazon uses, and it will have 128MB of inbuilt memory plus a 2GB SD card. It also doubles as an MP3 player.

Their site is a ridiculous grey on black therefore illegible - so I didn't bother reading it - let's hope the device is more intelligent. Price is $250 - still expensive but less so than all the others.

At the moment it is the Kindle Ebook Reader that it stealing all the glory, which is why I put a picture of it here, but who knows maybe the others will come up with something better!

UPDATE : For information on another alternative to the Kindle Ebook Reader see the Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

Home : Ebook Reader

Amazon's Ebook Reader Press Conference

Ebook Readers - New Kindle Ebook Reader Press Conference News

Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Press Conference Highlights

First, some figures : Over 10% of the units Amazon sell are Kindle book sales designed to be read on the Kindle Ebook Reader - an astonishing result, so clearly Amazon are determined to make the most of the Kindle.

The new Kindle Ebook Reader has indeed been slimmed down - it's 0.36-inches thick... the Apple iPhone is 0.48 inches

Kindle 2 - has 7 times more storage than Kindle 1

Strange new feature called Whispersync. You can read a bit on one Kindle then switch to another one and read the rest there -- it keeps your page wirelessly.

Next new feature - the new Ebook Reader reads the text out loud - cool

Next new feature - Stephen King in person live and kicking and reading his story written specially for the Kindle Ebook Reader that is being read from the Kindle and involves the Kindle. Not Kingle's most chilling work apparently, but maybe it gets chillier! It turns out the Kindle in the story has access to other worlds and it's pink - now everyone's going to want a pink Kindle !

Stephen Kingle leaves to applause. Stephen King's Story for the Kindle Ebook Reader is called UR.

Mr Bezos returns to announce the price is $359 - same as the Kindle 1. They want to put every book ever made onto the Kindle ! That's a lot of books a lot of ebooks and a lot of Ebook Readers too no doubt !

USA Today is latest newspaper avaiable on the Kindle Ebook Reader. New Yorker, too. Also new blogs like Gizmodo - you can put your own blog on the Kindle too - details from Amazon - another way of how to make money blogging so I will need to look into it.

The Kindle Ebook Reader 2 can be pre-ordered - will ship on Feb. 24

Special for Kindle 1 owners - if they order before midnight tonight (EST presumably) their order will be prioritized - anyone who hasn't received their Kindle 1 yet will be upgraded to Kindle 2.


See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

New Novel Kindle King Novel

Ebook Readers - Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader 2 with Added Stephen King Potency!

According to journalists Geoffrey A. Fowler and Jeffry A. Trachtenberg at the Wall Street Journal, Amazon will today be announcing not only a new version of its Kindle Ebook Reader , but also that it has signed an agreement with best-selling author Stephen King for a work that will be available exclusively on the Kindle Ebook Reader!

Quite a coup as Stephen King's novels are always best-sellers! Will he be doing signed first editions of the new Ebook Reader we wonder ? Is he to be known as Stephen Kingle from now on ? The answers to all these question and more may be revealed by a strange entity sniffing around the press conference at 10 a.m. ET. Poo what is that smell ?!

Amazon's Ebook Readers tend to sell like hot cakes - I wonder if they've got Oprah lined up to endorse it again, or maybe the great Obama himself ?

In the latest King ouvrage a Kindle-like entity allegedly plays a role.

(<---- New Kindle Ebook Reader with Supermodel Standing on Her Head)

Taiwanese manufacturer Prime View International makes the screens for the Kindle Ebook Reader, and according to them the shortage in Kindles was a result of Amazon's conservative sales forecast. Like I've said before, silly Amazon ! don't they understand the Power of the Presence of Oprah !? Although apparently Oprah wasn't paid for the endorsement, it was a spontaneous outpouring of enthusiasm - so maybe Amazon were not totally to blame for the sudden unexpected upsurge in sales.

On the day of the endorsement, traffic from Oprah.com to Amazon.com increased more than 15,000% according to Experian PLC's Hitwise.

Amazon has asked Prime View to make more screens this time, but with Stephen King joining the Ebook Reader party have they underdone it again?

The new version of the Kindle Ebook Reader will also have a slightly larger screen.

Amazon is apparently also working to make Ebook Reader titles available on cellphones.

I think they should just make the Kindle into a cellphone and save themselves a lot of trouble.

The Ebook Reader is certainly an excellent product by all accounts and, as I've also said before, this may be a good time to buy stock in Amazon.

Are Ebook Readers Worth It

Ebook Readers - Why Bother With a Kindle Ebook Reader?

Ebook Readers

Are ebook readers any good or any use? You may be wondering whether you should join the over 500,000 other people who have already bought an ebook reader. Well generally speaking, people find that once they have got an ebook reader (ebook readers make nice presents too!) they soon discover that it has become indispensable!

Especially for people who travel a lot or are out of the house a lot an ebook reader (in particular the Kindle with its wireless capabilites) really is indispensbale. Some ebook readers may not look nice, but it is the sheer usefulness and practicality of portable book readers that win the argument.

Your ebook reader will quickly reveal itself to be more useful than your laptop, your cell phone or your iPod and if they incorporate a cell phone into your ebook reader - which is not beyond the realms of possibility - then it will be even more indispensable, as you will dispense with your cellphone instead.

The unique sales point of an ebook reader is that you always have access to the documents, books or newspaper you need thanks to its 2GB SD card. You therefore do not have to carry around piles of heavy books and newspapers, they are already starting to make ebook readers available to students.

If you need access to reports or manuals you either have them directly stored already in your ebook reader or, if it is a wireless ebook reader (like the Kindle) then you can download it in just minutes or seconds.

If you just want to relax you can have any nuumber of 'proper' books loaded on your ebook reader or you can download the latest best-sellers wirelessly for less than the price of the printed book.

This all applies to the USA only of course but eventually people eleswhere will be invited to join the ebook reader party which will of course swell Amazon's coffers even more. Did I mentioned that Amazon shares might make a good long-term investment ?

The Kindle 2 ebook reader is expected to be announced tomorrow (Monday Feb. 9) and it is rumoured the price will still be high. But hey that's business, with the Kindle proving so popular why would they bring the price down, just be grateful if they don't put it up.

The Kindle Version 2 will be thinner and sleeker, to entice in the Apple cult no doubt. There is also the Onyx Boox Ebook Reader to consider.

New Kindle Ebook Reader Coming

Ebook Reader - Amazon to launch Version 2 of their Kindle Digital Book Reader on Feb. 24

Kindle 2 Son of Ebook Reader

It's not quite official yet but Amazon are organizing a press conference on Monday 9Feb. to announce the launch of version 2 of their best-selling digital book reader - the Kindle 2 Ebook Reader.

Ever since Oprah said "The Kindle Ebook Reader is my favorite gadget" sales have skyrocketed and the Kindle quickly sold out. Since then people have been eagerly awaiting version 2 of Amazon's ebook reader. Well it looks like that wait is soon to be over.

In the new ebook reader, Kindle 2, the main improvement over Kindle 1 is that this digital book reader is very much slimmed down to resemble Steve Jobs' Apple products.

There are now some official looking pictures of the Kindle Ebook Reader emerging which show that the Kindle 2 is a lot thinner than the Kindle 1 something for which ebook readers around the world will be eternally grateful and in addition the back appears to be metal and stereo speakers adorn bottom.

The cost of this particular digital book reader, however, does not seem to have slimmed down - it will still cost you $359, but bear in mind that there is a thriving market in second-hand and refurbished ebook readers with people selling Kindles for more than they paid for them on places like Craigs list.

So it might be worth your while to invest in a few and try to make a quick buck if the Amazon Kindle 2 sells out as quickly as the Kindle 1 did! You may also want to wait a while to see the Onyx Ebook Reader the Boox which is due to be shipped in April 2010.

Kindle 2 Second Coming Soon

Kindle Ebook Reader - Amazon Kindle 2 Launch Expected Soon

Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Version 2 Expected

The Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader also sometimes called a digital book reader has been a big hit with the general public, but, due to Amazon not making enough of them, people have been very frustrated when trying to get one and Ebook Readers have been appearing on places like Craigs List and that big yellow and red auction site at second-hand prices higher than the price of the original device. So Kindle Ebook Reader flipping has been a bit of a money-maker for some enterprising types.

Sales really took off when the Kindle Ebook Reader was declared to be Oprah's favorite gadget.

(...Photo of Kindle 2 Ebook Reader by Boy Genius Report)

Now it appears that the Kindle 2 could be just around the corner as Amazon will be making a presentation which it is believed will include the Kindle 2 digital book reader at the Morgan Library in New York on Monday 9 February.

People are expecting the new Kindle 2 to be thinner, more ergonomic, to have a modified keyboard and display, and a better leather pouch instead of the plastic cover. There might also be a joystick to replace the directional pad and the SD card slot for 1GB of internal memory might disappear.

See also : Onyx Boox Ebook Reader

Sony PRS-700 Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader - Sony PRS-700 Digital Book Reader Review

How good is the Sony PRS-700 Ebook Reader?

Sony's Ebook Reader upgrade, which is the main competitor to the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader, is the RPS-700. It is small and lightweight, weighing only 285 grams. Like other portable ebook readers, also called digital book readers, it is the size of a paperback book.

The Sony PRS-700 Ebook Reader has the touchscreen functions that people have come to expect from portable ebook readers and are similar to those on the iPhone. To flip a page for example you slide your finger across the screen. The screen measures 6 inches and has zoom in and out features. For the text you can choose between 5 options.

It has a built-in LED light, support for memory cards – SD and Memory Stick Duo, and the option to write notes.

The PRS-700 can store approximately 350 ebooks and more if you use the Memory Stick or SD Card. The battery will allow up to 7,500 pages of continuous reading.

It has been available since October and costs US$400.

Sony timed the launch to coincide with a month-long ebook promotional campaign related to National Book Month. Ebook sales teams were deployed across the U.S. to promote the PRS-700 ebook reader and at one event in New York, Dave Farrow, a memory expert and speed-reader, lived in a shop window for a month reading ebooks using the Rs-700. Sony donated a library of 100 electronic books to a school for each page that Farrow reads.

According to Sony the PRS-700 features "high-resolution, high contrast electronic paper display technology" which means it is almost like reading ink on paper.

According to Gizmodo, however, the "improvements" that Sony made to their ebook reader have "taken away the very essence of the Reader—the easy-on-the-eyes screen" which they say is a fatal design flaw, and in certain conditions the screen picks up so much ambient light it becomes impossible to read.

So it would probably make sense to actually check out the screen on the PRS-700 before buying one. The Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader has not had such criticisms levelled at it, but at the moment it is very hard to find a new one as Amazon did not order enough of them and they are sold out, largely as a result of Oprach calling it her "favorite gadget".

There is also the Onyx Boox to consider which is due to be shipped in April 2010.

2009 Year of Ebook Reader

Ebook Readers - 2009 the Year of the Portable Ebook Reader

Amazon Kindle Portable Ebook Reader

Chris Andrews over at Gutenberg.com has written an excellent article on why 2009 will be not only the Chinese Year of the Ox but also the year of the Ebook, and consequently of the Ebook Reader.

In the US the average weight of the textbooks carried by high school students in their backpacks is 20 pounds. A Portable Ebook Reader such as the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader on the other hand can contain hundreds of books and allow instant access to hundreds of thousands more, and weighs less than one pound.

(Sony Ebook Reader)

Backpacks will not disappear overnight but the writing is on the ebook wall for heavy backpacks.

Chris Andrews gives 20 reasons why 2009 will be the Year of the Ebook, in no particular order.

1. " NEW EBOOK READER WILL MAKE LAPTOPS AND IPHONES LOOK OLD"
   In 2009, the Ebook Reades will be more durable, lighter and versatile, They will be mobile, office-friendly, home-friendly, and café-friendly.
2. "CRITICAL MASS HAS BEEN ACHIEVED, NOW ITS ABOUT GROWTH "
   (Papyrus Ebook Reader)
   
   
3. "MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL EXPERIENCE DIGITAL INK FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THEY WILL LOVE IT "



4. "IF THERE’S ONE THING EVERYONE WANTS NOW, IT’S COMFORT "


5. "WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT IT? – NOW THAT’S PRACTICAL "


6. "DO YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD 1 MOVIE OR 1,000 EBOOKS? "


7. "THE MONEY PEOPLE: COST OF ENTRY IS STILL LOW, POTENTIAL HIGH"


8. "A MILLION EBOOKS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: IT’S THE “OTHER INTERNET""


9. "THE BOOK IS JUST A FORMAT, NO DIFFERENT THAN A CD, VHS, OR DVD"


10. "ONE WORD: POWER"


11. "AUTHORS, PUBLISHERS, AND DISTRIBUTORS BENEFIT FINANCIALLY"


12. "PLAYING AROUND WITH BOOKS IS OK, READING THEM IS BETTER"


13. "A TRULY GREEN TECHNOLOGY – WITHOUT EVEN TRYING"


14. "WITH A CHALLENGING ECONOMY, COMPANIES WILL LOOK TO ENTER EBOOK BUSINESS"


15. "TRY IT ONCE, YOU’RE HOOKED FOR GOOD"


16. "THE IPHONE, NINTENDO DS WILL INSTANTLY EXPOSE AND PROMOTE EBOOKS"


17. "RIGHTS FIGHTS: IT’S ALL-GOOD WITH EBOOKS"


18. "THE HUGE NUMBER OF FREE EBOOKS AVAILABLE"


19. "A NEW GENERATION OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORS WILL NOW COME FORWARD"


20. "IT’S THE CONTENT, STUPID"
    
    Let us not forget also that there are lots of countries where some digital book readers, such as the Amazon Kindle are still not available. Eventually of course they will be a worldwide phenomenon not just a US phenomenon. Chris Andrews also failed to mentioned the Oprah effect! The Amazon Kindle is after all Oprah's favorite gadget.
    He also forgot to say that an Ebook Reader makes a great gift. Useful and intriguing and valuable. I predict that girlfriends will love it, I'm not so sure about boyfriends however, you need to tread carefully. Boys will still prefer video games I suspect, unless there are naked women inside the Ebook Reader of course.

One final point - the price needs to come down ! At the moment it may be cool to spend a big wodge of cash on an Ebook Reader, and they can always be sold on for more than they cost, but sooner or later price is going to become an issue.

Finally it may be worth buying a few shares in Amazon see - Is the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader the New iPod?

Kindle Ebook Reader Amazon Bestseller

Ebook Reader - Amazon Kindle Digital Book Reader is a Best-Seller

If you have managed to get hold of an Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader then you might want to consider selling it on as apparently they are very difficult to get hold of and are selling on the second-hand market for more than they originally cost. This only applies if you live in the US of course, as they are not for sale in Canada or the UK yet.

On Amazon's site you can see that the Kindle digital book reader is in fact their best-selling electronic device, ahead of the Canon PowerShot A590IS - one of the best digital cameras around.

For a very good review of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader and the Sony PRS-505 Reader (which does work in Canada) check out http://www.thestar.com/business/article/560601#

If you want to buy a Kindle Ebook Reader from Amazon there is a 2 month wait at the moment and they are said to be bringing out a new version soon. The new ebook reader Amazon Kindle 2 should be with us in early February in fact.