Amazon’s Kindle and Kindle DX readers get price cuts

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Andrew

Great news for ebook readers fans these days. Amazon decided to make some changes on their Kindle readers. And since these are the best digital readers on the market these days, I’m sure many of you will be happy to see what changed. In just a single word: price.

In order to face competition from the aggressive priced Nook, which Barnes and Noble just cheapened last month, or the Apple iPad tablet, which is not actually an ebook reader, but can be used for reading, Amazon decided it’s time to operate some price cuts on their Kindles.  And here are the results.

6 inch Kindle got cheaper

6 inch Kindle got cheaper

First, the 6 inch Kindle 2 now goes for only $189. That’s for the International versions with Free 3G .

Then, the current 9.7 inch Kindle DX, the white version, will go for now on for $359, also with 3G and available in a bunch of different countries.

And last but not least, there’s a new DX, the Amazon Kindle DX Graphite. This one is identical to the older generation, besides the color of the casing of course and the improved screen it boosts, with better contrast. That means content will look better, white will be whiter and black will get smoother. This version will sell for $379.

Kindle DX got improved and 20% cheaper also

Kindle DX got improved and 20% cheaper also

For all these you will get Free Shipping within the US. You can order them internationally but additional transport fees will be added. All of them come with native PDF support and provide access via 3G to Amazon’s Content collection, one of the biggest in the world and for sure the best priced. You can get popular titles for between $9.99 to $12.99 and there are also hundreds of thousands of books, newspapers and magazines available for FREE or for less than 5 bucks.

All in all, it’s great to see price cuts on these devices. Still, I’m a little bit dissappointed improvements are only minor. We might finally see a touchscreen and color display on a future Kindle 3, but no details of this device emerged lately.

For an avid reader like me though, they are not even that important. However, the hefty price cuts of the Kindles are, so perhaps that would be a good time for you too to get one of these devices if you don’t own one already.

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Asus DR-900 reader is official – and extremely sexy

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Andrew

Finally Asus decided to showcase their long awaited ebook reader called the DR-900 (or DR-950, as in early rumors). For now, we only have first impressions from the folks that managed to get along with it at CeBIT in Germany. There is a hands-on video below also.

Anyway, facing a fierce competition from the likes of Amazon’s Kindle or Sony Reader, the Asus DR-900 had to impress in order to have a chance. And indeed it does, as it is quite a looker. But also a lot more.

Asus DR-900 - quite a competition for the Kindle DX

Asus DR-900 - quite a competition for the Kindle DX

Specs below will give you some hints on what you can expect from it:

  • comes with a 9 inch resistive touch-display using e-ink, 1024 x 764 px resolution
  • looks solid and is pretty compact, as all it has on the front face are the big display and a couple of buttons
  • is light, probably around 350 g and that’s great when compared to the similar Kindle DX that weighs around 550 g
  • battery life should be enough for just around 10.000 page flips
  • comes with Wi-Fi and will also feature 3G (on some versions)
  • Offers 4 GB of internal flash storage space but comes with microSD expansion slot
  • supports PDF, TXT, MP3 files. Not sure whether it support DOC or XLS files, but hopefully it will

So, the DR-900 is almost the same size as the Kindle, but lighter and more versatile (Wi-Fi, card, native support for PDF files). It might have a problem with content distribution though, unless Asus manage to get a deal with some big stores (Google Books perhaps?).

Anyway, one of its main attractions was the touch e-ink display. As expected, refresh time is low, so don’t expect instant response. Also, it seems that the screen is not that responsive, having to press really hard to get the commands. But hey, you got a more intuitive touch interface and this is just an early version and many things still can be improved by the time the product gets in stores.

The DR-900 digital reader is slim

The DR-900 digital reader is slim

But also pretty capable

But also pretty capable

Which, as the moment is still unknown. And so are the prices for this DR-900. But stay tuned, we’ll keep our eyes on Asus and let you know the minute we find something new. Till then, check out the hands-on video bellow.

Photos and video from Engadget

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Features that will make ebook readers better in 2010

Posted on February 25, 2010 by Andrew

Ebook readers as they are today are somewhat crippled when faced with the new to come touch-tablets, which i believe will surely be “the gadgets of the moment” for the next 1-2 years. Although they offer stellar battery life and no-eye-strain displays, their features pale when compared to the goodies touch devices bring on the table: vivid colorful screen, multi-touch interfaces, video playing, web-surfing, good prices, etc.

But things are about to change for digital readers, as 2010 is set to bring many innovations in this field. especially now, when competition gets fiercer, more and more producers will turn their attention towards this niche, making technology and end products better and better.

But what exactly are we expecting from an ebook reader at the end of 2010?Well, let’s see:

  • Color display capable of displaying moving images. This is by far the biggest problem for e-ink based readers: they can only display black and white content, and because of their low refresh-time, movies or clips are just a no-no yet. But things are about to change, companies are working on solutions to integrate the advantages of LCDs and e-ink displays in only one screen, while keeping it reliable and affordable. So it should not take long before we’ll see digital readers with new color-display that won’t strain the eye when used for a longer time, like nowadays LCDs do.
  • Touch interfaces. If you had the chance to play with any of the Kindles or Sony Readers, you might have noticed how annoying is the lack of a tactile interface. It’s not because the buttons are not placed correctly, they are pretty ergonomic, it’s just that a touch-display would be a lot more comfortable and intuitive to use. Companies are expected to start offering touch e-ink screens in the next months. There are already several prototypes announced with this technology, but none ready for a real-life test yet.
    Touch interfaces expected for ebook readers

    Touch interfaces expected for ebook readers

  • Flexibility, while keeping displays reliable. Big ebook readers like the Kindle DX are uncomfortable to use for a longer time; because of their weight, you can’t hold them in one hand like you would do with a regular book, and this is annoying. But this is schedules to change, as the next generation e-ink displays are expected to be flexible, thus requiring less glass for their layers and making them lighter. Combine this with the advance in technology and you’ll end with lighter devices all-around, thus solving the existing problem mentioned above.
  • Better software. Most ebook readers have none-intuitive and limited software attached to them. There are so many things that could be added in order to make the reading experience easier and more useful. This could happen by allowing third parties to create software for these readers. of course, the touch-displays claimed above will also help a lot.

And there are some other interesting points that could change for digital readers in 2010, but i doubt they will:

  • More contrast is definitelly needed for ereaders

    More contrast is definitelly needed for ereaders

    more contrast for the screens. Actual e-ink displays offer 8 to 16 shades of gray, but overall contrast is still poor when compared to that of a regular paper book. So a lot can be improved in here.

  • no DRM for content. Most content these days comes with DRM rights. Also, each producer tries to impose its proprietary file format. And that’s very annoying when migrating from a device to another and finding out that none of the content you previously bought on the old machine can be used on the new one. But although critical, i doubt this concern might change, not in the next couple of years at least.
  • lower prices. With digital readers ranging from $350 to $500 (or more), they are pretty expensive. Not to mention that each new book will cost around 5 to 10 bucks. And you don’t end with any hard-copy to place in the bookshelf afterward. Not you can resell or borrow the content to others. Thus, price is a huge impediment for digital readers right now, and I’m pretty sure more will be drawn by these devices if producers would somehow manage to squeeze down prices.
  • keep battery life high. Current digital readers benefit of very nice stand-by times, mostly because energy is only used when you turn pages. But if all the other changes above are to be applied to ebook readers, this might change, loosing them one of their strongest advantage over regular touch tablets.

And i’m pretty sure there still are other nice features we would love to have in our ebook readers by the end of this year. Or maybe next year? If you have any suggestions or ideas, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

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Invisible bookshelves you’d like to have in your home

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Andrew

Although this site speaks about digital ebooks readers and eletronic books, we’ll never forget the early ages (the 90′s actually :P ) when people used to read classic paper books and store them on bookshelves.

Thus, for today we have an interesting concept of invisible shelves. Just look at the picture below.

Levitating books on the wall

Levitating books on the wall

On a first look, it seems that the books just levitate on the wall. That would be cool, but it’s not actually the case, there are some shelves holding them, you just don’t see them. Because they are meant not to be seen, to create this unique ilussion. Nice, ay?

The good part is that you can buy these shelves online, and they cost between 10 to 20 bucks a piece, as they come in different sizes and colors. They are available from Umbra and i think the producers ship all-around the globe.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure these would do great in your living room and will surely amaze all your guests. Don’t you think?

Source: Gadgeteer

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Apple’s iPad impact over standard ebook readers

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Andrew

Although Apple’s new toy, the iPad touch tablet, is not designed mainly for reading books, surveys show that around 40% of potential buyers plan to use it for this activity. Also, with the hype around the product growing bigger and bigger, we have to expect the iPad to become quite popular and sell in millions over the next years. Thus, I can’t stop wondering what will be the impact of this gadget over regular ebook readers.

When compared, these devices are very much different. The iPad comes with an LCD display and can be used for a lot more things than reading books, like websurfing, watching movies, listening to music, playing games, etc. On the other hand, the standard ebook reader is safer for your eyes and comes with way superior battery life, but has many lacks, including the fact that current digital readers don’t offer touch-interfaces or color reproductions.

Apple's iPad hoes some major advantages over standard ereaders, although how comfortable it is to actually read on it is yet undecided

Apple's iPad hoes some major advantages over standard ereaders, although how comfotable it is to actually read on it is yet undecided

Digital readers might change fundamentally during the last years, but for now, when having to choose between a Kindle DX and an Apple iPad, i’m pretty sure many will choose the second, as both cost around $500.

Thus, Amazon, Sony or Barnes&Nobles, nowadays leaders in the ereaders segment should really fear the iPad, as it will surely take lots of potential customers away from them. Still, i can’t pronounce over how comfortable it is to read on the iPad, my main concerns being weight (even the DX is painful to use for a longer time, as it’s pretty heavy) and display (LCDs might be harmful for your eyes and difficult to use outside, in strong light conditions).

Anyway, for now the balance seems to tilt towards the iPad. But wait for the next moves from digital readers. With devices like the Adam Ink or the Skiff eReader to come, the battle for supremacy in this still your segment is only in its early days.

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Nook to be available in physical stores in February

Posted on February 1, 2010 by Andrew

Last year, when they announced their competitor for the Kindle, Barnes&Nobles expected to have it ready for the winter shopping season. However, they didn’t, although they started selling it online before Christmas only to see their stocks depleted faster than they could replenish them.

But now they’re back in tracks (perhaps because sells dropped in the first month of the year) and plan to finally make the Nook available in their physical store throughout the US. The New York based company claims they allready started distributing products to most fo their big stores and all of them should have the product by the middle of February, just in times for Valentine’s Day.

You can finally test the Nook in local stores, from mid-February

You can finally test the Nook in local stores, from mid-February

They also put a tool online on their site, so you can check where’s the closest shop that has the Nook, from your current location. You can use it here.

Also, besides testing the device in the local stores, B&N also offers free Wi-fi in-store access for Nook owners, as long as the possibility to get some free content. Plus, if you own a Nook and you bring it along to a Barnes & Noble store, you’ll get 10% discount on any CD purchases. Cool!

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Premium Skiff eReader – an amazing device i’m looking forward to

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Andrew

One of the most interesting digital ebook readers i layed my eyes on this year is definitely the Skiff eReader. First presented last year and displayed at CES, the Skiff impresses with quite some features.

First of all, it’s big, having a 11.5 inch display. But it’s also a lot thinner and lighter than other similar big ebook readers like the Kindle DX. And besides that, you can bend it (like you can see in the picture), thus it is very durable and shock resistant. Having such a big screen wouldn’t have been any good without a proper resolution, and the Skiff has it: 1600 x 1200 px. Add to this a touch-enabled interface and capabilities to access wirelesly (via 3G) tons of different types of content (books, magazines, newspaper, feeds, podcasts, etc) and you get quite an amazing device. If only that display would have been colored, and then it would have been perfect.

Skiff eReader- flexible and with a touch-enabled control interface

Skiff eReader- flexible and with a touch-enabled control interface

Still, there are many things yet a mystery, like the actual battery life and the price. Being so buffed with unique features, i won’t expect it too be too small. However, Skiff partnered with LG and Sprint in creating this gadget, thus their ebook reader will surely be offered for subsidized prices in the US, along with a Sprint broadband contract. However, there’s no news on the exact date the Skiff reader will be available in stores, but it should happen later this year. And i for one just can’t wait for it, i really am looking forward to see one of these in action, don’t you?

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iBooks available for US-residents only

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Andrew

If you’re not living in the US and were planning to get one of those new Apple iPads and use them for reading books, think again. Getting books on the gadget might be more difficult than you think, because the dedicated books section in iTunes won’t be available for anyone outside the States.

That’s not actually a surprise, because of complicated author rights and DRM, many types of content on iTunes is only available for specific countries and regions of the world. But, the news comes as a fresh breath for the International version of the Kindle, the one Amazon just recently launched. Internationally, they hold a major advantage over the iPad .

But, they also do inside the US borders. For the moment, Amazon offers incredibly good prices for their books (around 10 bucks for the bestsellers), while Apple is expected to sell them for 14-15 bucks, which is 50% more expensive. And although publisher are trying to force Amazon sell the books for more in their store, i doubt they’ll manage that. Cheap books are after all Amazon’s key for success, as they base their business model on selling huge numbers of products, and not on scoring high profit per sale as Apple does.

However, there’s one more thing to add. Although these limitations will exist, I’m pretty sure the brilliant human mind will be able to find workarounds for the problem. Although those are illegal.

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ASUS DR-570 – color ebook reader and actually a lot more

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Andrew

All the ebook readers available right now in stores can only show monochromatic black and white content (with several shades of gray). that’s because the e-ink technology used for the eye-safe screen on these gadgets can’t yet display colored content, not with affordable prices at least.

But this is about to change, as more and more companies try to develop eye-safe technologies that will allow displaying colored content, along with movable images. Thus, they try to make the ebook reader more than it is now, a complete multimedia device suitable for browsing and watching clips, but also usable as an ebook reader.

The Asus DR-570 is one of the first announced such devices.With a 5.7 inch display, this was announced as the “world’s first colorful eBook Reader”. However, it can be confirmed for now what type of screen will this device have, some saying it will come with an OLED based display, others it will be something similar to e-ink screens, but better. What we know is that it will offer a 0.03s turn page, and that actually more than 20 times better than the Kindle . Thus, movies and clips should be able to run on this Asus reader.

Besides these, the device will be compact and light, only weighing around 200 grams. On board + memory cards will be used got storage and a 1500 mAh battery should allow for up to 120 hours of real-life autonomy (that’s around 2 weeks).

B7W DR-950 ebook reader next to its colorful DR-570 relative

B7W DR-950 ebook reader next to its colorful DR-570 relative

We’re not sure on the hardware the DR-570 will have inside, but considering it is announced to be able to run Flash, stream online movies and even run some 3D games, it might be built on Nvidia’s Tegra 2 platform. Otherwise i just don’t see how they will keep the device so light.

That’s it for now, no info on prices or availability but stay tuned, we’ll post more on this device once we find anything new.

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E6 and E10 – cool ebook readers from Samsung

Posted on January 10, 2010 by Andrew

Earlier this year at CES 2010 in Las Vegas, Samsung announced a couple of interesting devices, one of their first entrances in the ebook readers market. There are actually two different models, a 6 inch one called E6 and a bigger 10 inch one called E10. Names are quite intuitive, and so is their exact targets: Amazon’s devices, the smaller KIndle 2 and the 9.7 inch Kindle DX.

But, unlike Amazon’s gadgets, the Samsungs come with touch-displays, thus controlling them will be a lot easier and more intuitive. With this features comes a lot of extra goodies: on screen keyboard, handwriting recognition software, etc. in terms of connectivity, these Samsung digital readers will ofer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while content will be accessible via Google’s books service.

In terms of design, you can have a look at the toys below (notice they are sliders with some buttons concealed like on the older Nokia N95s and this is actually pretty cool ).

Samsung E6 prototype digital reader displayed at CES

Samsung E6 prototype digital reader displayed at CES

There’s no exact info on where will Samsung begin shipping these ebook readers, but rumors say it will happen in 2010, although the devices showcased at CES were clearly prototypes and many things still needed work to become series products. Especially since Samsung won’t sell them too cheap, as the E6 is predicted to cost $399, while the bigger E10 will run for around $699.

Source: Engadget

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