Amazon to launch new e-book reader

Hmm. Given that Mobi threw my books out of Amazon and they never got back in I am less thrilled with their attempt to grab a monopoly, no more happy with them than with Sony. Mobi charges for converting a file to their proprietary format too.

But it is hardly surprising that I wouldn't adopt a device that I can't read my own books on. Others may be happy enough.

I have heard all sorts of prices re: the charge to Mobi format so now I don't really know what it is. I know that none of my books (Torquere, Loose Id) ever reappeared on Amazon to this day and customer support at Amazon told all sorts of fibs about the whole thing. They were taken off in 2006 along with all non-Mobi formatted books.

I truly hope that the breakthrough ebook reader uses interchangeable formats (e.g. pdf, html) rather than trying to lock down and own the format. But then, I liked Beta max....

I'll wait for electronic paper, thank you very much.

I had a look at the Sony reader. My main issue was they don't carry most of the erotic romance titles--but I found the screen still well short of paper. I can read on a screen if I have to but prefer a big laptop screen and still find it hard on my eyes after a while. It will need to be a little more paper-like (high contrast, matt) before I lay down $500. But I don't think it will be too much longer--maybe another few years.

Christine N. said:

This could be the piece of technology that will make e-books much more mainstream...

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I've heard this said about every e-reader for fifteen years. They all have the same HUGE disadvantage. They're still e-readers, and darned few people want e-books of any kind, no matter what the reader is.

The reader is not the problem. It's wishful thinking.

I think the reader is the problem for a lot of people. I want to read ebooks, but my eyes aren't up to it with this tech.

== DISCLAIMER: This is my opinion and not the opinion of Amazon.com, although it is rather positive ==

I am skeptical of eBook readers. My eyes are very bad, and staring at a backlit screen for reading, much less all day, is a little headache. _However_...

The new eBook readers do a couple things right. First, the screen is not the normal blinding electronic contrast. Second, they anti-alias well, which means that the letters are not hard-edged and difficult to read as on older computers, but they are more soft-edged like real text---that sort of thing makes a huge difference with respect to readability.

This goes both for Amazon's new toy and for Sony's. I've played with both. The Amazon one is very, very neat---I love the idea of being able to just download a book.

As for restricting the Amazon catalogue to just stuff that can be placed on the new readers, I have no idea; I don't live in that part of the region of the very big Amazon.com pie. Neither does customer service, not unless they've come and talked to what I imagine is the part of the catalogue/editorial/business that is thinking about these things, or you've talked to a part of the CS department that _does_ talk to those folks.

I think electronic readers will eventually just happen. There's electronic paper right now, although I believe it's still at the "goo goo, gaa gaa" stage. But once it gets around to being as good as physical paper and can be incorporated at paperback size in an e-reader, especially if said e-reader has a line on the internet and instant book stores, there will be a hit. Especially as current generations move farther and farther into the online world.

I'd love an reader that was great and in color... and big enough. Comics/graphic novels easily bought. Text that can be scaled up. Flexible and indexible bookmarking. If I need a reference and it's not in a local library or bookstore, and I'd really like it _now_ for writing purposes---bam, there it is.

I can see eBooks and the readers being great for indie publishers too---physical publishing is an expensive business.

It's the wave of the future. Just because the future ain't here yet doesn't mean that it will forever and ado not happen. So many amazing things happen, faster and faster these days, and newer generations are used to the paradigm shifts that come with them. As far as I'm concerned, it is all wonderful, and much of what we used to think of as "can never happen, or at least will never happen while I'm a live" is now quite possible---including wide-spread adoption. Texting, the world wide web itself, online communities, blah blah.

We live in science fiction. It Has Won.

== end of disclaimery thing ==

veinglory said:

I think the reader is the problem for a lot of people. I want to read ebooks, but my eyes aren't up to it with this tech.

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I am skeptical of eBook readers. My eyes are very bad, and staring at a backlit screen for reading, much less all day, is a little headache. _However_..

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Hmmm. Isn't the Sony screen brighter than the ebookwise? More like a computer screen? I heard that somewhere.

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The SONY e-Book readers read like books -- they don't create eye strains. There's no back lights. You need a light to read the book just as you would with print.

maestrowork said:

The new e-Book readers read like books -- they don't create eye strains. There's no back lights. You need a light to read the book just as you would with print.

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Which I did say in my meandering post, except for the bit about the light---it's very true.

I hate proprietary stuff, and that's one reason why I disliked SONY. I think for Amazon to succeed with this, they really need to go with standards such as Adobe PDFs, which can still be copy-protected.

The SONY e-reader is a poorly designed tool. Give us something like the iPod or iPhone -- ease of use, sexy, with great functionalities such as bookmarking, wifi, Internet access, etc. -- and we'll be on our way. Why is it so difficult for them to do it right?

I think eventually they will get it right, and it may take someone like Apple to say, "Enough already. Here's how you do it." I would be the first in line as long as it's light, easy to use, full-featured, weather/water-proof, and with standard file formats so I can not only download eBooks, but create my own. It would be great to get my entire library into the reader, with cross referencing and hotlinks.

Yeah, I can dream.

I tried the Sony ereader and still found it hard on my eyes, albeit for different reasons

I also wouldn't consider pdf proprietary because you can read and create them using programs from multiple companies, many of them free.

Engadget has a short article with specs
http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/11/amazon-kindle-meet-amazons-e-book-reader/
interesting commentary here http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/bookpatrol/archives/121375.asp?from=blog_last3

Good lawd, that thing is huge.

I'd have to say that thing is plenty ugly and the huge keyboard? For an extra $400 you can get a laptop.

It would be interesting to see-- but the price has to get where it's affordable, and a stylus would be much better than the keyboard. Too much real estate taken up by something other than screen. Also EVDO/CDMA means it's not going to be offered outside North America. Still it's a decent start.

Dave.C.Robinson said:

It would be interesting to see-- but the price has to get where it's affordable, and a stylus would be much better than the keyboard. Too much real estate taken up by something other than screen. Also EVDO/CDMA means it's not going to be offered outside North America. Still it's a decent start.

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Get rid of the keyboard, do a touch screen (with locks), keep the size small (paperback size is fine) and the price down. Follow what Apple is doing with the iPod and iPhone -- the MP3 players market had been "going" for years before Apple basically revolutionized it and now music players are everywhere and CDs will be obsolete soon. So if e-Books want to take off, they need something that will become a must-have for all book lovers.

Indeed, an ebook reader doesn't need a keyboard. Now it is halfway between that and a laptop or PDA but too limited for a laptop and too large for a PDA. Hence not terribly good at anything?

I do think the SONY e-book has the right idea: thin, PB size, clear, non-glare/non-backlit screen, etc. etc. but it lacks finesse and the magical touch, and the software is crappy. I love the desktop version of Adobe Readers and would love that to be on a portable device with touch screen. Give me that and I'll be glad to plunk down $250. Give me wifi and Internet and a decent media player, and I'll gladly pay $400.

It would be great as a prop on the original Battlestar Galactica. Other than that I don't see it being a practical device.