Barnes and Noble really sparked off this price war with the eBook Reader and Amazon and the rest are currently engaged in a race to the bottom Nash Equilibrium scenario.
I have stated that my value point where I will buy one of these readers is when it reaches SGD 150. That will be around USD 100.
I don’t really need 3G, although the Kindle at USD189 looks more value compare to a 50 dollar cheaper device. But think I will still get the WIFI only one.
The new handheld — slated to be released on August 27th — is 21 percent smaller and 15 percent lighter than the previous model, has a 20 percent faster refresh rate on its E Ink (yep, still E Ink) screen, and will now come in two colors (graphite, like its big brother the DX, and the original white).
In addition to the color changes, there will be two radio configurations available: a $139 WiFi only version, and a $189 3G version (utilizing AT&T’s network, just like the last model). The screen will remain the same 6-inch size as the last two Kindles, though the company claims page turns are faster and contrast is improved. The internal storage on the device has been cranked to 4GB, and the battery life is now rated at a month with no wireless, and 10 days with wireless switched on.
The company also announced plans for a UK-localized version at £109 and £149, respectively, as well as a UK e-book store.
Along with the big changes, there have been minor tweaks as well — the keyboard and five-way controls have been streamlined and altered slightly. The rocker is now more compact and flush with the device, and the side buttons have been modified in length to emphasize the forward paddles, while the back buttons have been downsized. Software wise, there are some interesting new features, the most notable being the inclusion of an “experimental” Webkit-based browser.
The medium of transfer have always been through WEBDAV WIFI transfer, where your iPhone becomes a webserver temprory and provides a url that you can assess via your desktop browser to transfer your books:
Key in the address in (1) in the picture in your browser:
The new USB Manager
What I like about the new USB manager is that it’s a portable application that does not require installation.
Once you plug in your iPhone or iPod touch into your USB, it should detect it!
A review of BookLover for iPhone application to increase reading productivity
For all reading fanatics out there, ever thought of having an application that consolidates
All your reading thoughts
All the books that you have read before
All that you have read
Easy sharing with all your friends
BookLover is that application. As an application to do that, I find that it has a major limitation:
Lack of cloud storage
By this I mean storing your have read, to read and will read list in some for of web applications where your account is maintained.
Why is it important for an app like this? For one thing, read is an age old activity and chances are people have a lot of books on paper back that they have read before.
As a read I want one service not just an application that enables me to keep track of it. I would have expected the BookLover iPhone app to act as a front end for it.
Other than that, it is quite an innovative application:
Finding a cover art for your book
If you are able to get online, BookLover will be able to find a cover art for your book.
I have tested it on 3 books and its been darn successful:
Finding related book titles
Booklover will also help you hunt down books that are related. I tried this on a Forgotten Realm title called Shadowstorm and it was able to bring up other book titles from similar authors:
Conclusion
It’s a small price to pay to ensure that you have an application that keeps track of your books.
The feature worth paying money for is the lookup of cover art via book title search.
Other than that it is fairly straight forward database storage.
I still feel you can keep track of this in other free options, particularly Evernote on the iPhone.
I was pretty interested with the Kobo Reader initially. As an ebook reader i like that its cheap as a device that only handles reading i am not willing to pay even more than USD 150 for it.
However a visit to MobileRead, which is a forum catered for book enthusiast shows that Kobo have perhaps cut corners so that the device will remain cheap.
Apparently the device have problems lasting long after initial use. Folks looking to buy a cheap EBook Reader do be careful.
It would seem that google would likely leverage on their Google Books to sell electronic book content to the masses.
This to me is more as a deterrent to ensure that Apple do not get too far ahead in this arena. They most likely don’t expect to win Apple or Amazon but would serve to expand the battle on another front in hopes of keeping their rivals occupied.
“Google says its new service–called Google Editions–will allow users to buy digital copies of books they discover through its book search service. It will also allow book retailers to sell Google Editions on their own sites, taking the bulk of the revenue. Google has yet to release details about pricing and which publishers are expected to participate.”
This morning, Steve Jobs Unveiled their tablet device called iPad. What do i think of it?
Specs
Display: 9.7″ IPS capacitive display, resolution unknown as of yet. Resolution of 1024 x 768
Weight: 1.5 pounds
Thickness: 0.5″
CPU: The Apple A4, a 1GHz ARM-based CPU powers the iPad.
Input: An on-screen keyboard is used for text, or an optional keyboard can be used. Gestures and touch also work. There is no handwriting input or recognition.
Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR, a U.S. contract-free 3G option is available for $14.99 for 250 MB per month or unlimited for $29.99 a month on AT&T which includes free AT&T hotspots. International deals by June, but all iPad 3G models are unlocked.
Storage: 16 to 64 GB of flash memory
Battery: Integrated 25 W/hr battery rated at 10 hours of video watching, web surfing over Wi-Fi or listening to audio.
Peripherals: A keyboard dock will charge the iPad. A case will also be available.
I think its great specs. But its not game changing specs. These Specs are comparable to tablet device we will see coming out nowadays such as the Archos 5. Its actually better!
I believe all the Apple Wannabes will be following this specs.
Pricing
$499 for the base model with 16GB. $599 for 32 GB. $699 for 64GB. 3G adds $130 to any non-3G model.
Seriously i think this price is not bad at all especially for the WIFI only model at USD 500. That will be around SGD 730 which will feel the same as my MSI Wind Netbook.
It is abit steep from my SGD600 buying point but i will go for it if i need it for reasons i will explain below. This device currently commands a USD100 premium over other device.
When will it be available
Shipping in 60 days for Wi-Fi models, 3G models to follow 30 days prior.
What is it attacking?
From the size of the iPad it is fighting the Kindle definitely but also providing that variety for my favorite device space currently which is 5 inch to 7 inch device.
Will it work? I believe it will nullify their threat, especially Android.
Why will it work?
This ecosystem that apple is building with iTunes as the main entertainment operating system is getting so strong.
Because they are so strong they are essentially becoming like a media company. Now not just providing reasonable price Songs, Videos, Games and Applications, they are going to provide Books! Totally one stop shopping for what i do most of the time!
The Best thing really is that if i were to evaluate between buying those wannabe device, or kindle for reading i will choose this at this pricing because it provides a one stop platform.
Whats the one thing that tilts it to this device favor? Existing iPhone OS apps will work on this device. It is this that i am willing to pay for a $100 premium if necessary.
Why? I own at least 10 good USD 9.99 apps and they will work on this device. I don’t have to repay for them again and will enjoy the upgrades that these app developers do to make it work on this iPad.
If i were to buy say another Android device, i need to first find equivalent apps on the Android device and i need to pay another cost for them. Its not gonna be that cheap!
That is, if you don’t buy another device and go for pirated software.
If i were to buy another Android device, i will need to build up my games list again. All existing games should work on this device.
How will the performance be like?
I think it will be good. Judging by the initial video. on 1GHZ Arm this thing will fly. And its not Android which is Laggy
How you will read on the iPad
Now Apple have a bookstore front that enables you to buy books off iBook Store.
That doesn’t mean Kindle and Barnes and Noble won’t work on your iPad. Both have apps that enable you to purchase books and read them.
For your third party books, PDF and pirated books you can use STanza
The best reader on the App Store. FREE and enables you to read all your existing books. Endorsed by Productive Organizer.
How would you Get Things Done on your iPad
The strength of the app store is that it have tons of third party developers vying with one another to develop the best calendar, the best todo list, the best mind manager, the best notes reader and writer.
You will get to use all your existing applications on the iPad and i believe they have a very nice calendar app on the iPad
Check out my list of Apps that you can port over to help you get things done:
If you are a die hard OneNote user and would like to have an application that syncs with your desktop OneNote Notebooks, and access it offline, then you should give this a try.
By far one of the more expensive to do list software but its well worth the money you paid for this. Syncs with Remember the Milk or Toodledo, or Mac Desktop and follows David Allen’s Getting Things Done methods. Endorsed by Productive Organizer.
If Appigo ToDo is too complex or expensive for you, you can always go for the cheaper option eToDo. Just as good and great workout for a Getting Things Done beginner.
How would you game on the iPad
The iPhone OS have tons of affordable games around the price of USD9.99 or less. If you have existing games on the iPhone you can have access to them on this iPad as well.
Given the screen size of 3.5 inch for the iPhone, the question on alot of people’s minds are: other than music and playing games, does the iPhone make a good reading device?
For that matter, it is hard to come to a conclusion. I may say that 3.5 inch is good enough for me, but the criteria of buying an iPhone and making reading a big part of how you use an iPhone must be determined most of the time by
Pleasure of reading on a 3.5 inch screen
Ability to support existing ebook formats
For (1) it comes down to how well the application in iPhone renders the eBook and intangible things such as page turning, bookmarks, last read location and search capability.
The folks who have numerous ebooks that they read on the desktop,windows mobile and palm will need to know (2)
This article will try its best to answer these questions
To read or access Amazon Kindle on your iPhone
Cost:App is FREE. Books need to purchase
There is a Kindle Application for iPhone that would allow an iPhone user to
read Kindle format books
Shop for hundreds of thousands of books at www.amazon.com/kindlestore
wireless transfer your books to the iPhone or iPod Touch
read the beginning of any Kindle books before you buy
download the Kindle books you already own for free
tap and hold to create highlight. these will be backup and synchronize through Whispersync with your other Kindle device
read in portrait or landscape
I am not a big fan of Kindle but if you have an Amazon account with tons of ebooks based on Kindle format, you can read them on the iPhone.
The advantage here is that your last read bookmark is sync via Whispersync so that wherever you read you will know where it is.
This will be great when you have access to Kindle App across iPhone, tablet and ebook readers next time (although i really am questioning why you would need so many devices)
To read or access Barnes and Noble from iPhone
Cost:Apps are FREE.Books to Purchase
There are 2 apps provided by Barnes and Noble here. The B&N Bookstore is a store front that enables you to
Search for books
Find your closest Barnes & Noble,get maps and directions and see which stores offer cafes and free AT&T wireless access
Take a picture and find out more about that book you have just taken.
The B&N eReader enables you to
Read books purchased off Barnes and Noble
Adjustable Text Sizes
Multiple Font choices
Online backup of your library of books.
You will need a Barnes and Noble account to have these service. Its a free sign up but this i feel is more for US users.
the thing i like about Barnes and Noble is that at least their format is ePub format which is quite open and universal.
So if you have an IPhone and a Nook, which is Barnes and Noble ebook reader, then you are pretty much covered here.
To Read Portable Format or PDF books on your iPhone
This is the most prevalent format and many of you have
Work documents
Books
Magazines
Financial Reports
Brochures
In this format. This is a very inefficient format and it is more for printing rather than reading. Nevertheless many people can find full books in PDF format.
One of the best softwares out there that enables reading large PDF books is GoodReader
Cost:App cost 99 cents. books are your own PDF,TXT books.
It enables you to read TXT,DOC,HTML and PDF format well on it. It is not free but cost 99cents (the best 99 cents you will ever spend on the App Store)
You can wirelessly transfer your books from your computer over to the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Amazingly it supports EPUB, Kindle DRM free, Microsoft LIT, Mobipocket and PDF formats!
it is such a good reader that Amazon bought over Lexcycle, the company behind STANZA. I dunno what they plan to do with it but they better not destroy this great app.
Basically with this you will be able to read any books you find on the internet. Well most of them
Take a look at this video how STANZA works:
How do you transfer your book?
You need to download and install a desktop application. [Download here >>]
Once you have installed the desktop application, you can open your book on the desktop. Go to the options to enable sharing. This will make your desktop stanza searchable to the iPhone
Go to your iPhone Stanza app and go to Get Books.There you will see a section called Computers Sharing Books you would see the name of your Desktop computer.
You can then download the book. its that easy. Watch the video above for further detail.
Conclusion
On a 3.5 inch device with awesome reading apps like STANZA and GoodReader, you are able to cover all format of books and be able to get them to your iPhone and start reading easily.
GoodReader have made a few progresses since then, adding in reflow functionality and fine tuning the page turn to ensure you have a smooth reading.
Now for folks who even think USD 0.99 cents is too much (currently on offer), there is now a Lite version. So is this another crappy lite version?
Not exactly, this version contains all the features of the full GoodReader. The limitation is that you can only keep 5 files on you iPod Touch or iPhone. I think its good enough for many folks since if you primarily use it for reading or reference, you can always upload and download through its easy method of transfer. Not much of a problem there.
If you think its too much of a hassle just spent USD0.99 cents on the full fledge app.
The productive organizer is one who is in control of himself as well as his surroundings.He studies how others define their system and works to improve on it and in turn, educate others how to change their lives.
Here, we hope to bring you the necessary widgets to effectively organize how you work or play. Whether you are at work, on the move, or at home, we will find the right solution for you to get things done.
Thanks for Kevin for giving me the heads up on this news. I talk about 
