eBookBerry

Infibeam Launches Pi eBook Reader

Hansel — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:22:41 +0000

Infibeam, an India based online book store has launched India’s first ebook reader called Pi. It can store up to 500 titles, has a 6″ screen and supports local Indian languages such Hindi and Sanskrit. The Pi is due out February 10th of this year.

Not Quite an eBook Reader Flood

Hansel — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:05:39 +0000

With the buzz about the Coming eBook Reader Flood, the line between ebook reader and handheld PC is getting blurred. So allow me to clarify.

My Definition
An ebook reader is a device designed primarily for reading electronic books and media. While they may have other functions like email and web browsing, the primary function has to be reading.

Posers
Some of the new and on the way devices like the Microsoft Courier and CrunchPad are similar an ebook reader and exciting in their own right, but the fact of the matter is that they are not a Sony Reader or IREX Iliad. Compare these two videos.

Definitely cool, but concerns such as long battery life and minimizing eye strain take a back seat to touch screens and apps.

This is hands down a better reader. So the ebook reader flood may be coming but there is no need to drown in all the extra devices out there.

3 Reasons to Never buy an eBook Reader

Hansel — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:18:37 +0000

I know what you’re going to say. How can I talk about never buying an ebook reader and call myself a fan of the very same thing? It’s simple, while I see ebook readers as a tool with endless potential, they are not for everyone. Mainly because of three significant drawback that will never be resolved. At least not in our lifetime.
1. Never Replace Paper
I never heard anyone say “I wish I didn’t have to read this on paper”. Physical paperwork is at the heart of every office, school, hospital, etc. eBook readers will never surpass paper. The best they can hope for is being almost comparable. So why bother.
2. Never Ending Distraction
As ebook readers get more advanced, they will inevitably come with more features. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. Reading a book is a great release from ever day life so why have a reader that distracts you from that release. You don’t want to be able to read a book, watch TV and play World of Warcraft from an IREX. You want something you can read and focus on. Period.
3. Always Worry
Carrying your entire library on a device worth a few hundred dollars increases your chances of theft and the consequences of damage. You are already paranoid about losing your cell phone and iPod. You don’t need the additional aggravation. Books are the most invaluable and yet disposable things in the planet. Would you rather forget your book at the hotel or your ebook reader?

The Inconvenient Truth about Amazon’s Whispernet

Hansel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:00:17 +0000

No one has forgotten Amazon’s unwelcomed and scary deletion of books from Kindle owners via their EvDO network, otherwise known as Whispernet. This has caused many people to be cautious of their kindle’s wireless capability and call for a change to the system. But the fact of the matter is that we want and we need Whispernet.

Added convenience
We need Whispernet because we are lazy and want a system that does everything for us. This convenience was one of Amazon’s selling points for the Kindle and rightfully so.I want to be able to set my kindle down and have it do its own updates like a NS-5 connected to VICKI and not bother me with the details.

We were warned.
The Kindle’s ability to connect to the Amazon mother ship not just for downloads, but for anything is something that didn’t go unnoticed. We were warned that this is not the greatest of ideas and Whispernet would let us read only what Amazon allowed us to read, but we didn’t care. We wanted it anyway.

So despite the violation of trust and invasion of privacy “misunderstandings”, I’d like to say thank you Whispernet, for giving us exactly what we wanted.