Feb 06
Look okay. I’m usually the first person to get excited about future tech and robots and viewscreens and stuff. But this is just, well see for yourself. Read the story here. Honestly.
Maybe it’s because I’m already embarrassed for writers at those author readings. You’ve got to really be jonesing for your favorite scribe to drop $9.99 for this groundbreaking technology, yah?
A video sample is here at engadget.com.
Feb 04
Well, love em or hate em, you’ve got to admire Amazon’s handling of the Kindle. They’ve been notorious for their sphinx-like response to questions about the actual numbers of Kindles sold. They don’t say anything!
Anyone ever curious about Kindle has by now visited the Amazon Kindle page to see that it’s been listed as sold out (or expected to ship in 3 to 5 weeks–what’s the difference?) since its launch.
Now with Kindle 2 supposedly arriving Feb. 9th, we’re finally finding out a couple things. Or are we?
A Citigroup analyst estimated 500,000 Kindles have sold in 2008. That number was determined by analyzing Amazon’s agreement with Sprint. Sprint has the job of supplying Whispernet service to the machines, so in theory this number should hold.
Of course, that is if any of the figures are accurate. We’ve got to remember that since day one Amazon’s been quiet about the actual sales figures. While it’s clear there is a growing market for eBook reading devices, it remains unproven that they’ve lined up to buy that many Kindles for almost $400 each. (by the time taxes and shipping are paid.)
I say that only as a caution. We don’t want our curiosity to drive us to the adoption of expensive technology, when less expensive machines are fast arriving on the market.
Remember, Amazon.com is also trying to justify a $9.99 eBook. And we all know that’s too much, yah? Treat the figures with caution until we get some kind of disclosure. If Kindle’s the best and most popular on the market, then good for Amazon. I’d hate to see us get manipulated by one of the oldest tricks in the book. (The emperor’s new clothes and Tom Sawyer come to mind.)
Engaget.com has the speculation-filled story here.
Feb 04
eBooks Just Published
Here’s a site for readers and writers alike. Â
Okay, Readers!  Mark Gladding of Tumbywood Software, an avid eBook reader, created eBooks Just Published as a meeting place where readers like him could find DRM-free eBooks.Â
And Writers! If you’re planning to release Author Direct eBook versions of your work, you can do it here.
Now Everybody! Mark Gladding of Tumbywood Software is also plugging his commercial software Text2Go. Text2Go will convert your eBooks into audio for upload to iPod or MP3 player. Excellent for driving or the commute.
I haven’t had a chance to play with the free trial yet, but it’s a cool idea. Think of that authors, people out there jigging around with your book yakking in their ears. Too sweet! I’ll let you know how it works out, yah?
Great idea!
Feb 03
We’re all going to have to learn about Mobipocket sooner or later, and since I’ve referenced them a couple times, I’ll provide a link to the whole backstory here.
Visit Mobipocket.com
Amazon bought Mobipocket in March 2005. The company produces a catchall reader for PDA’s called Mobipocket Reader software. The package is free and provides digital publishing and reading tools for a wide range of devices: PDA, Smartphones, cellular phones. Also supports e-Book Readers: Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Java ME, BlackBerry, Psion, Kindle and iLiad. Oh, there’s also a version of the reader for your PC.
As mentioned before iPhone (& iPod) is still waiting for its official Mobipocket Reader for the very suspicious reasons mentioned here.
Also, Mobipocket.com offers a huge selection of eBooks for download. Their main pages lists eBooks in Mobipocket format from the getting there price of $7.20 to the unrealistic $24.99. I’m not even going to name that book. What’s the point? $24.99 for an eBook is too much.
However, they do offer a huge selection, and are primed to give Amazon a run for their money. What’s that? Amazon owns them? Of course it does. Oh, well there’s one reason the prices are high. No fair competition to drive them down. Come on people, this technology is ours! There’s no justification for these prices. We have to be careful we don’t buy into this mindset, yah?
If it’s too much don’t buy it. Google around. It will be out there at a reasonable price somewhere.
Feb 02
Read this story from the Silicon Alley Insider. They’re claiming that it would be more cost effective for the New York Times to just send everyone a new Kindle.
It wouldn’t surprise me. Haven’t traditional print media been printing their own money for years?
This story is something else. You can read the discussion over at Gizmodo.
Big business has never been against boosting profits. Imagine what they could do with all the money they save on paper and ink. Unless they pass the savings on to the consumer! Yah, right!
Feb 01
Wow. This is a cool site. Interesting for readers and writers alike.
Feedbooks.com allows you to select free eBooks in various formats for download. Of course that means you’re getting public domain material, but there’s a growing list of Author Direct eBooks.
It also offers free online publishing for writers. The process takes a few minutes to figure out, and it’s a bit painstaking until you get going, but it allows you to upload your own books and download them immediately after in various formats for eBook reading. Mobipocket, pdf’s for Adobe Editions, sized for iLiad, etc. Really cool if you’ve ever tried to format something for use on an eReader.
And it allows the multiformat too. I can dig this, yah. If word gets around this could be the Mecca for Author Direct file conversion and distribution.
Jan 31
The people in charge at Baen Publishing know what they’re doing, yah? And they know their audience. You can already hear the pocket protectors rustling… Just kidding. I saw some of my favorite authors there too: Larry Niven, Fred Saberhagen, etc. My point is, could there be a more receptive group of readers for free eBooks than scifi and fantasy fans?
The Baen Library
Baen Free Library is offering free eBooks to everybody with a internet connection. They’ve got a call out to their authors to upload any of the work they’ve published with Baen. You’ll see the list is growing. It’s an excellent use of the technology to increase product, author and title awareness, oh and sales.
That’s my whittled down version of the mandate. The whole thing’s right here. The author, Eric Flint, likens online piracy to getting access to free books through libraries and friends. I agree… but that isn’t suggesting we blindly accept the high prices that promote piracy.
The books they offer aren’t necessarily new, but they’re an engaging list of titles and authors. They’re offering them free, but you’re welcome to pay for them with a $4.00 donation. I’d say that’s a wasted step. Are they free or aren’t they? (Though it’s ironic that they slap a fairly reasonable price on something that they’re giving away…)
I’ve discovered by digging around their site that they’re offering that $4.00 price for a lot of their older titles, so cudos from eBook Rumors. That’s the way we have to proceed, eBook fans. When developing a market, one cannot presume to know what price point that market will bear.
Jan 30
So the fancy footwork before they get up in each other’s grills…
In May 2008 Mobipocket president and CEO Martin Gorner said Mobipocket would release updated readers for the various platforms, as well as release a new reader for the Apple iPhone by the end of the year. iPhone and iPod Touch owners cannot read DRM-locked Mobipocket books without bypassing the encryption and breaking the law.
Amazon’s new Kindle 2 uses Mobipocket file format. (I know, Kindle 2 won’t be available until 4-6 weeks after Feb. 9 when it’s released.)
Amazon owns Kindle 2 and Mobipocket.
So far the updated Mobipocket Reader for iPhone and iPod Touch has not appeared. Is Amazon holding it back until after the release of their Kindle 2? Or are they holding back their competition for the sake of, well, competition. All’s fair in love and war, type of thing, yah?
You’d think these companies would understand the rules of the free market economy as it applies to the Internet. Competition is good for everyone. If you don’t play fair the Internet Consumer will punish you by Googling your competition or by pirating your digital goods and making them available for free.
For Amazon to overlook this reality is unbelievable when considering the competition is one in which they will win both ways. That means they can’t lose.
They can’t lose by giving iPhone users a Mobipocket Reader capable of unlocking DRM eBooks because that will encourage the happy iPhone users to buy said eBooks from Mobipocket instead of sharing cracked versions illegally. (I repeat, Amazon owns Mobipocket.) And reading eBooks on the smaller iPhone screen will not be for everyone. Since, iPhone users are comfortable buying expensive handheld gadgets doesn’t it stand to reason that iPhone users who are interested in reading eBooks on bigger viewing screens would be more likely to put out the cash for an item like Kindle 2?
Jan 29
I almost feel like a newspaper reporter. I mean, did anybody see that, I mentioned this two days ago!
Anyway, Kindle 2 is coming. The complete New York Times article is here.
And Amazon’s got the lowdown here.
As mentioned in the New York Times story, the Boy Genius Report has spy photos of it here.
Ugh! There’s still a 4-6 weeks wait to ship… What is it with the wait times?
Anyway, enjoy this new Kindle2 Â fans, and steam quietly, those of you who just bought the original Kindle.
Jan 28
A Real Contender
Ok… why aren’t we hearing more about this little gem?
The Foxit eSlick Reader is calling itself: “this generation’s way of reading textbooks, favorite novels, magazines and pretty much any…etc.”
 With an introductory price of $229.99 (MSRP) $259.99 they might be right.
Like I said, why haven’t we heard more about this? While it’s still a good hop, skip and stagger away from my $100 line in the sand, it is a giant leap ahead of the competing eBook readers that are pushing and passing the $400 mark. And it’s doing everything the other guys are doing.
It is 0.4″ thick, 6.4 ounces, and is said to fit the hand like a palm desktop. With a 128MB internal memory and coming equipped with a 2 GB SD card (supporting up to 4 GB) this thing is ready to rock your eLibrary.
eSlick uses the electronic paper we’re coming to know and love, and boasts industry leading low-power consumption.
Check here for the Foxit eSlick Reader overview.
For the business person, lawyer or writer, eSlick also claims to give the best PDF reflow capability on the market. Dig this, it doesn’t just read these formats: TXT, PPT, DOC, XLS, and HTML, it will convert them to PDF files for printing. WOW!
If that isn’t enough, it arrives equipped with built-in MP3 player, free Foxit Reader Pro Pack, Foxit PDF Creator and earphones.
Click here to see video of this super-reader in action. I think the gloves are coming off, yah?
*This just in: An upgrade to higher quality screen will make the eSlick available in early March now. Pre-order with a $50 deposit and lock in the introductory price of $229.99 plus shipping and applicable taxes.
