Buy This–eBook Reader with e-Ink

We continue our journey through one of the biggest gift-buying times around the world with the “Buy This” series.  A countless number of “bad” gifts will be purchased and gifted only to be tossed aside to join the museum of bad gifts.  Unfortunately well-meaning tech-centric gifts often end this way.  I’m here to change all of that with yet another inexpensive, but useful gift idea, an e-ink e-book reader.

I remember when I thought e-book readers were a silly idea.  Then I tried a Kindle 2 (and then a Kindle 3 and now a Kindle touch) and realized these were great little devices – especially if you read books very often.  Here’s why:

1. They are fairly inexpensive
2. You can obtain nearly any book in e-book format
3. Great battery life (not just days, but weeks of battery life on e-ink readers compared to tablets
4. It’s light and compact – I find the Kindle & Nook form factor much better than a hardcover or even most paperbacks for reading.  And if you carry your book/s along with you the e-reader format is even better for lighter travelling.  I can carry multiple books with my tiny Kindle without adding weight or bulk.
5. You can check out e-books from the library

So what to buy?  I personally prefer the Kindle over Barnes & Noble’s Nook although feature and review wise they are very, very close.  I just see Amazon surviving longer than B&N and once you’re in the Amazon (or B&N) ecosystem, it’s just easier and better to stick with that bookstore ecosystem.  I put Sony, Kobo & other e-readers well below the Kindle & Nook.

My current favorites are these two Kindles:

Kindle Touch – $99.00 with special offers

Kindle 6” – $79.00 with special offers

You’ll also do well with the Barnes & Noble Nook e-ink devices which of course you can check out at your local Barnes & Noble stores.  The Kindle’s can be found in many stores including Target, Best Buy and others.

The tablet – like Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook Color are all good choices too, but they are definitely not e-ink devices and so expect them to be heavier, much less battery life and more difficult to read outside due to glare.  The tablets of course do have their advantages, but for book reading purposes the e-ink reader is supreme.

Buy Kindle With Special Offers Or Ad-Free?

Because I’m a big fan of the e-ink Kindle readers I often get asked whether to buy the “with offers” version that Amazon introduced this past year or the $30 higher (additional cost of special offers varies depending on which Kindle you purchase) ad-free Kindle e-reader.  Here’s my take.

If you’re buying for yourself, ALWAYS purchase the “special offers” version with the ads.  Why?  Because even if you hate those ads, you can always pay the difference and remove those ads permanently.  This gives you the option to see if you can handle those extra ads or not as there is zero risk.  If you’re purchasing as a gift it just depends on whether your worried about being considered a “cheapskate” or not.

To give you a real feel for the “Special Offers version, here’s what the last several ads look like on the Kindle:

Here’s some additional examples of the types of ads that will display when the Kindle is “locked” – in screen-saver mode.  These change each time you soft-power off your Kindle:

If you go straight to reading a book, you won’t see any additional ads while reading.  If you go to the home screen list of books on the Kindle though, you’ll see an ad at the bottom of the screen like this:

If you select one of those ads at the bottom of the main menu screen, it will open up a “more information” screen where you can request that offer to be e-mailed to you.

That’s it.  Nothing too invasive, but instead of getting the standard rotation of Kindle covers, you’ll get advertisements er… special offers instead.  I should note that those offers ARE occasionally nice ones, like the save $5 on $10 purchase offer you see in one of the ads above. 

To remove the Special Offers via Amazon, go to “Manage Your Kindle’ on Amazon.com and sellect “edit special offers”.  You’ll then see a screen like this:

You can then pay up to unsubscribe from the ads.  In my case I’d have to pay $40 to remove the ads for my Kindle touch.  If you already have a Kindle and for some reason you actually WANT to try out the ads on your Kindle, you can go to this same page and turn the ads on.  Those of you in this situation won’t of course have to pay to do this or to turn the ads back off.

So far I’ve left the special offers on my Kindle Touch, although I might attempt a “hack” to remove them just to try it out.  More on that later.

New Book Updates & Editions in an e-Book Age

Not long ago when a book was published with a mistake or revision no matter how small, your printed book was stuck with that mistake.  With e-books you have the ability to “update” your copy of the book whenever a book is updated.  If you happened to purchase Steve Jobs, by Walter Issacson in Kindle format from Amazon you’ll likely experience this yourself.

 

Saturday I received an e-mail from Amazon informing me of an updated version of the e-book with image and caption layout corrections.  Amazon doesn’t automatically push these updates to your e-reader.  Instead they offer you a chance to “opt-in” for the update via e-mail so they don’t mess up your bookmarks or anything else.  The other reason is so they aren’t “messing” with your e-book library without your permission.

Here’s the message I received from Amazon notifying me of the update:

For a book that is addressing a current event-type of topic this feature could be very useful as the author could ensure the content doesn’t become stale.

Kindle Touch–Quick Take

My Kindle Fire traveled in the same UPS truck with my new Kindle Touch e-ink reader today so I thought I’d take a minute to give my very brief impression of the new Kindle Touch also.

The Kindle Touch is a bit smaller, a bit lighter and without many buttons.  Having used the iPad Kindle app for the past several months after over a year of the Kindle Keyboard I was already mostly used to the page turning and other navigation of the touch screen.  I can report to you that I really love the new Kindle Touch.  It’s a small step up from the other Kindle e-readers in my opinion but one that makes this e-ink reader just perfect for my long-term reads of books.  I’ll still use a tablet for web browsing, newspaper reading and magazine reading, but the e-ink reader is the obvious winner for in-depth reading of novels and the like.  So far this new Kindle has a lot to love an not much to dislike.  I’ll provide a more complete review soon.

My Eyes Are Crying for an e-ink Reader

Since the beginning of e-ink readers and tablet computers, kindles and iPads there has been a debate about whether back-lit LCD screens cause more eye strain than the more paper-like e-ink screens.  When I first reviewed the Kindle 2 I admitted then that the Kindle’s e-ink was “easier on the eyes” than reading on a laptop or tablet.  Then the iPad happened. 

I bought the original iPad to try it out and over time found myself using it more and more.  When the iPad 2 arrived I sold my iPad and moved up to the iPad 2 and over the next several months found myself using that iPad2 more to read everything than the Kindle 2.  Then I began travelling a lot for work and for vacations and in the process began looking for ways to “downsize” the gadgets I carried with me.  In the process I started weaning myself from the Kindle.  Yes it had much better battery life, but I wanted – almost needed that iPad as it many times replaced my laptop AND e-reader on trips.  Finally this summer I gave away my Kindle to my daughter since I was using it so little.

Now many months and books later I’m finding I miss that Kindle’s e-ink screen.  Many days I work on a PC all day with it’s dual-screen LCD and then at home catch up on my reading, researching and even working on my PC and iPad at home.  And you know what I’m finding?  My eyes are really strained – I think from non-stop LCD viewing.  Over the next few weeks I’ll be reviewing the new Kindle Fire tablet and the new Kindle touchscreen e-ink reader.  I’m pretty confident I’ll be going back to using both a e-ink Kindle AND a tablet.  If I can get away with a smaller tablet like the Kindle Fire I might even keep that lighter load goal I’ve been working towards.

What about you?  Do you think there is something to the eyestrain argument against back-lit screens versus paper or e-ink?

Some eBooks Cost More Than Hardcover Books–Here’s Why

I’ve always wondered why an e-Book would EVER cost more than the hardcover version of a book.  You see this happen fairly often at Amazon and other places and it just didn’t make sense.  The cost to print a book, bind it, ship it etc SHOULD add to the cost right?

Here’s one example, the new book “Inheritance” costs a penny more for the Kindle version compared to the hardcover:

 

Author, Nathon Bransford does an excellent job of explaining how this happens and why.  Bransford explains that it appears Amazon (and others) are sometimes selling the hardcover as a loss leader – in other words they are losing money on the hardcover book.  He also explains that publishers make a better cut from the hardcover copies than they do on the e-Books.

If you’ve ever wondered about this sort of thing and what it means when people say it’s the agency model versus the wholesale model of book-selling this is a must read.

Why Some E-Books Cost More Than the Hardcover

My Kindle Screen is Broken–Now What?

When you’re carrying around a paperback book you can treat it as careful or carelessly as you wish.  Most people would toss it in a backpack with a pile of books and other heavy items without a worry.  If you drop that book, accidentally drop a glass of water on it or most any other bad behavior the worst that could happen is that single book might be partially damaged.  But do that with your eReader or Tablet reader and your risking more of an investment.  That is what happened to my adult daughters Amazon Kindle 2.

As you look at this photo from the screen you can see the lines on the screen.  Looking at it closely you’ll notice the text is not as dark and after a few moments the text gets even harder to see – mostly unreadable.  We don’t know exactly what happened to this poor eReader, but from the looks of it, the LCD screen had what Amazon calls “impact damage” which is a nice way of saying “the screen got pushed on too much” or “you dropped it.”  If your eReader isn’t too awful old, Amazon will replace it with a refurbished model for free.  My situation today was not quite that good as this is a Kindle 2nd Generation that we purchased the day it was available which means out of manufacturers warranty.  Amazon replaced many that were beyond their 1-year warranty, but they are not going that far back. 

I thought about selling it on E-Bay for parts, but first called Amazon support to see what they would offer me..  After clicking “contact me” on the Amazon website, the Customer Service Rep contacted me instantly and a live, native English speaking person was talking with me in a matter of seconds AND they had all of my information ready for the call.  The CSR told me it was beyond the manufacturers warranty, but they would replace the broken Kindle with a refurbished model (same 2nd gen with 3g) for $40 with a 3 month warranty.  I’ll be receiving this new Kindle in 2 days and will mail the broken one back to Amazon within 30 days.

Pretty good customer service compared to most any other company I’ve dealt with.  If I were to sell this refurbished Kindle on E-Bay I could sell it for over $115.  Not a bad return for a Kindle that was very likely abused in the first place.  Then again, it’s pretty difficult to make that much-cheaper paperback so damaged it’s unreadable.

Ad-Supported Kindle 3G Drops $25 in Price

Amazon announced a $25 price drop for its ad-supported Kindle 3G today saying a new AT&T sponsorship and money from ads.

So the Kindle 3G with offers costs you $139 while the Kindle Wi-Fi with offers is $114.  The 3G version without the advertising costs another $50.  This makes the 3G version of the ad-supported model pretty attractive price wise.  I’m beginning to think we won’t see a new e-ink version of the Kindle this year after all.  My bet is on a tablet branded with the Kindle name and no new e-ink.

Amazon Press Release

Gifts Fit for a Geek – eReaders

One of the hottest gifts this year is the eReader.  Prices continue to drop while usability and features have steadily improved.  If you or a loved one reads many books, the eReader should be on your list of gift ideas.  So for those of you shopping for an eReader, which one should you get?  What things should you consider with an eReader?  Read on for advice on purchasing an eReader for yourself or as a gift.

eReader or Paper Book?

This question is becoming less asked, but I still hear it on occasion.  Lets say the person you’re considering an eReader for reads many books each year.  Will they like an eReader?  Most of the time the answer is yes, someone who reads many books will LOVE an eReader.  There are still those people who would rather have the “look and feel” of the paper book.  But most of those people change their mind after using an eReader for a short while – not all, but most.

Can I Borrow Library eBooks?

If the person you’re considering an eReader for gets their books exclusively from the library, it gets a bit tougher.  eBooks can be checked out for many libraries, but the selection is smaller and the supported devices are limited.  Many libraries use Overdrive which has a pretty good list of supported devices.  But the Kindle isn’t included.  If this person is really focused on the library model of borrowing books instead of purchasing, go with the Nook over the Kindle.

E-Ink or LCD/Tablet?

When someone asks me whether they should get an e-ink device like the Kindle or Nook or a tablet with an LCD screen like the Nook Color or iPad, I always ask this:  Does this person read many books?  If they do then the e-ink is really the better option.  Much better readability (easy on eyes like paper compared to the glare and eye strain from LCD screen), much better battery life (read for weeks with e-ink device as opposed to hours/day on LCD device), and mostly lighter with e-ink over LCD. 

The con with e-ink is that it does books great, but isn’t good for magazines or newspapers or web because of the lack of color and poorer navigation.  It should be noted that the e-ink devices are usually less expensive than the full-blown tablets as well.  If this person you’re buying for reads more magazines, newspapers and web browsing and little books – the Tablet is probably a better option.  Read the GeekTonic gift guide on tablets here.

Which One?  Kindle, Nook or other?

There are currently three major players in the e-ink eBook world:  Amazon has the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has the Nook and Sony has their family of eReaders.  I’m not a fan of the Sony because I see them as slow to adapt to the ever-changing eBook world and while their devices are decent, their store and competiveness just doesn’t seem to be up to par with the other two.  I recommend either the newest Kindle or the e-ink version of the Nook.

The latest Kindle is the perfect smallish size with a very crisp screen, it’s super light and has the best UI of all eReaders in my opinion.  I own the graphite-colored version of the latest Kindle and am very pleased with my choice.  MrsGeekTonic owns the slightly older international version of the Kindle and our daughter owns the hand-me-down non-intl version of the Kindle.  You won’t go wrong with the Kindle UNLESS you’re a serious library book borrower.

The Nook (not the Nook Color with LCD) with the latest firmware is nearly as good as the Kindle – even better in some regards.  It is supported by most eReader library collections and has a Barnes & Noble focus.  The original Nook before some firmware updating had some issues that kept me from recommending it equally to the Kindle, but they’ve worked out those kinks and I recommend the Nook to those that don’t want to be locked down by the Amazon’s Kindle store and those who want access to your local library eBook collection.

The Sony will be fine for some, but personally I recommend the Kindle or Nook over all else.  And please stay away from most other eReaders you find in stores these days.  For instance, you’ll find the Pandigital Novell at good prices and other wanna-be eReaders but you’ll be disappointed.  If you’re getting an eReader get the best, not a device the owner will be dissatisfied with.

Wi-Fi only or 3G+Wi-Fi?

I used to think 3G was a must-have.  3G gives you instant access to the online bookstore (Amazon Kindle or B&N Nook) wherever you get a mobile signal.  This is  a great advantage if you live a long way from a bookstore or travel outside of Wi-Fi locations often.  But most of us (me included) will be fine with Wi-Fi only which is a little cheaper.  These devices hold a LOT of books so why not load it up with several before travelling and then you don’t really need the 3G.  Then again, if you have the extra cash I guess the 3G is a good idea.

MrsGeekTonic reads several books a month.  I go through spurts where I read several and other times when I just read occasionally.  For both of us, the eReader is a great device.  Economically it makes more sense for MrsGeekTonic, but for me its a convenience thing as well as the fact that reading from a super-light/small Kindle is just more enjoyable compared to a thick hardcover or paperback book.  And not needing to pack multiple books on trips is an added bonus.

Where to Purchase

The best place to pick up the Kindle is online at Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax for most states:

• Kindle Wi-Fi $139
• Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi $189

The Kindle is also available in Best Buy, Target and Staples stores.

The Nook is available at the Barnes & Noble Online Site and in their stores:

• Barnes & Noble Nook Wi-Fi $149 (e-ink version)
• Barnes & Noble Nook 3G+Wi-Fi $199 (e-ink version)

The Nook is also located in Best Buy and many other retail stores.

 

Read More:

Kindle Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Kindle 2 - From the Recreational Readers Perspective

The GeekTonic Ultimate Kindle 2 Review

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Battery Life of Kindle Wi-Fi – Awesome

To the Point: Kindle 3 Hands On Reviews Trickle In

New Amazon Kindle Cover – LED Built In

 

Nook Coverage:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Nook – From the Recreational Readers Perspective

A Look at the Nook – GeekTonic Reviews the Barnes & Noble e-Reader

Google Opens eBook store and eReader apps

Google unveiled their Google eBook Store and eReader apps this morning.  Actually the announcement was more about the fact that Google is bringing together their eBook properties all under a single roof since their eBook marketplace was already there before today.

The new eBook store has been named the “Google eBookstore” and is basically Google’s take on a unified eBook platform across multiple devices.  You can now read Google eBooks with the following devices:

• JavaScript-enabled browsers
• iOS devices
• Android devices
• eReaders that support Adobe’s eBook DRM (Nook, Sony Reader and many others)

Those not on the supported eReader list include the Amazon Kindle family, the Kobo, Blackberry and Windows Mobile 7.  Google has the official supported device list here.

To browse and download books in the Google eBookstore you simply go to their web-based store.  To purchase a Google eBooks from the store you’ll need a Google Checkout account or if it happens to be a book from one of their partner resellers (Powell’s Books, Alibris and others) you can pay with credit card or PayPal without a google account.

 

via Google Blog

 

For a good review of Google Books for Android had over to GigaOM

Give the Gift of an eBook with Kindle

Amazon announced today that Amazon shoppers can now purchase any Kindle eBook as a gift to anyone with an e-mail address.  Yes, it’s kind of difficult to wrap up that eBook as a present but as a Kindle owner I can tell you this is a really nice feature addition. 

 

The Gift giver chooses a book in the Kindle Store, and sends the e-book as a gift by simply inserting the recipient’s email address. Recipients can then redeem the gift in the Kindle Store to read on any Kindle or Kindle app.

Amazon adds this feature just in time for the holidays and right after earlier announcements that that magazines and newspapers will be available on Kindle apps and that users will soon be able to lend e-books for a 2-week period just like Barnes & Noble Nook readers can.

Full Press Release at Amazon

The New Nook – Not a Pure eReader

As the demands on my time these past few weeks continued to pull me away from blogging I was left watching quite a few tech happenings from afar.  One of the big news items for this past week was the new Nook Color eReader.  The rumors were true that Barnes & Noble included “color” as the biggest new feature.  What we also learned is this isn’t an eReader of the e-ink variety.

I own both a Kindle 3 and an iPad and both have their strengths.  If I could only own one of the those though I’d probably choose the Kindle.  I say this because I already own a small, light laptop that does the job for web browsing and the other stuff I need to get done.  So for an additional device I really am looking for a true reader – something that is made with book reading as the first priority. 

Here’s why e-ink devices are superior for that task:

• Battery Life – My Kindle lasts for days and days.  I can take it on a week-long trip (and longer) with me and not even need the charger.  The iPad has great battery life, but nothing even close to that
• Paper and Mirrors – eInk is a pleasure to read on for long periods of time.  I look at an LCD monitor and Plasma TV way too much of my day and night already so reading on eInk – like paper is easier on my eyes.  And the lack of reflection with an eInk device means I can read it outside and without glare from lights inside.
• Weight – My Kindle is lighter than most paperbacks.  Tablet PCs just aren’t as light yet.

Now for a comparison of the Nook Color vs the Nook based on what we know:

• Screen:  Nook Color is 7” Color touch-screen.  Slightly larger than the Kindle, is touch-screen and color.  But it’s also not e-Ink.
• Format Support:  Nook Color supports ePub and most library e-Book systems while the Kindle does not.  Advantage to Nook Color
• Memory:  Nook Color has 8GB internal memory but also has a microSD card slot.  The Kindle 3 has 4GB internal memory with no expandability options.  Advantage here is to the Nook Color in a huge fashion.
• Weight:  Nook Color is 11.6 ounces while the Kindle is only 8.5 ounces (8.7 ounces for the 3G version).  Advantage to Kindle, but not by too much.
• Connectivity & Price:  The Nook Wi-Fi is $149 vs Kindle Wi-Fi of $139.  Nook Wi-Fi+3G is $199 vs Kindle Wi-Fi+3G of $189.  Again the advantage goes to Kindle but the Nook Color pricing is very good – especially if it can do much in the tablet realm.

The new Nook is essentially a low priced ($249) touch-screen tablet computer locked down to Barnes & Noble’s proprietary software.  This puts the Nook Color in a strange place.  On one hand they’re marketing it as a pure e-Reader shoved inside a tablet.  But on the other hand it’s really a tablet without being able to do things most tablets can do – android apps etc.  They started off with a Pandora app but not a lot more than that.  Personally I think it could make a decent low-cost tablet if they’d free the reins a bit.  Transform it into a full-fledged android tablet with the Nook software featured and Barnes & Noble could sell a lot more of these.  That’s what I think Amazon would do if they take the tablet route.  Bottom line though I recommend a true e-Reader if you read much in the way of books these days.  No, it’s not ideal for web browsing or even magazines for that matter, but its far superior in terms of reading novels.

As you can see I still favor the e-Ink display for an e-Reader.  But I do think the Nook Color could be a force to recon with – especially if they would loosen the reigns a bit an let the device be a full-blown tablet.  What do you think?

Other New Nook Color Coverage:

• Hands-On with Nook Color – CrunchGear
• Nook Color, An Android e-Reader… with Benefits – ZatzNotFunny!
• Nook Color Hands On – Engadget
• Nook Color Revealed - BlogKindle

Barnes & Noble Nook Website

Battery Life of Kindle Wi-Fi - Awesome

I haven’t taken the time to do the full-blown Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi review yet – although there are plenty of such reviews on the web already.  But I wanted to mention a very important feature I’m really enjoying on my new Kindle Wi-Fi – the battery life.

Last night my Kindle finally ran out of battery.  This is after being left on with wireless (Wi-Fi) on since first receiving it on August 27th. 

So basically twelve days of being left on with Wi-Fi on plus some use of the built-in light on the Kindle Cover!  That’s pretty good and extremely useful for traveling with your Kindle.  Amazon claims the battery life is up to one month with wireless off – and I haven’t tried that yet, but it’s obvious that the battery life is pretty good.

Amazon Kindle Sneaking into Brick & Mortar Stores

Amazon has always been an online store portal and has mostly stuck to that focus over the years.  But the success of the Kindle eBook Reader & Kindle store along with some decent eBook competition from Barnes & Noble, Sony and Borders has pushed Amazon to sell the Kindle in local stores as well.

This morning, Amazon announced that the Amazon Kindle will be available in Best Buy stores sometime this Fall.  That makes the 3rd brick & mortar (non-online) store where you can find an Amazon Kindle e-Reader.  Target began stocking the Kindle this past June and Staples will begin selling the Kindle this Fall as well.  This gives Amazon more exposure and further shows us that the Kindle is becoming more and more about selling eBooks in the Amazon store than it is about selling the hardware eReaders.

It’s also a great way for newbies to check out the eReaders hands-on.  Sony, Barnes & Noble and Borders have used in-store displays to show off their e-Readers all along so a little more front-and-center exposure of the Kindle will only help Amazon stay ahead of the pack with their Kindle store.

How not to use your iPad on a flight

For years I’ve always brought at least one book and/or magazine with me every time I travel – especially when flying.  You nearly always have some downtime when you need something to do and its always better to choose what you want to read instead of the typical options airlines give you like SkyMall, the safety info card or mediocre airline magazine.  So on my trip to New York this week I decided to take along my iPad to read a Kindle book.  Unfortunately, that didn’t work out so well…

All would have been fine – I charged the iPad up to 100%, had it in my carry-on and thought I had everything all planned out.  All was good except for one thing:  Operator error.  The weekend before leaving town I had just exchanged out my iPad for a new one at an Apple store because the old one had developed a line across the screen – an obvious defect.  I had restored my new iPad to my old iPad’s settings & apps, but I didn’t register the Kindle iPad app which was required since it was a new device.  And to top it off I didn’t notice until after we were in the air and I had no internet.  Oops!

So instead of catching up on my Phillip Margolin book during the flight, I pulled out my trusty pen & paper and worked on some blog & work projects the entire flight.  Not all was lost, but not what I had planned.  Let it be known that no paper book has ever stopped me from reading because it hadn’t been “registered.”

Books versus eBooks

I’ve been thinking about the rapid move towards eBooks we’re witnessing right now and last weekend came across a pretty interesting graphic/chart by Newsweek titled: 

“Does one have to win? Books vs E-Books”

Here’s a few snippets from the comparison:

• $4.05 Ave Production Cost for $26 Hardcover
• $0.50 Ave Production Cost for $9.99 eBook Download

Average

• $3.90 Average Author Royalty per paper book
• $2.12 Average Author Royalty per eBook download

 

There is plenty of additional, interesting statistics.  Head over to Newsweek to see the complete comparison.

I personally don’t see traditional paper books ever going away completely, but I do see a continuation of this shift towards eBooks for many purposes as the cost of eReaders continues to decline.

To the Point: Kindle Edition

The Kindle Chronicles Podcast takes a moment to discuss Mrs. GeekTonic’s review of FantasticFiction (site for finding books to read on your Kindle or otherwise).  The podcast also highlights an interview of Baratunde Thurston, Web and Politics Editor at The Onion.  If you have an e-Reader or have any interest in the Kindle, definitely add The Kindle Chronicles to your must-listen list.  It’s fantastic every week!

The Kindle 2 and DX Gets it’s Game On – Nothing earth shattering here, but the Amazon Kindle has its first two game apps – both are free and downloadable from your Kindle.  The two word games are Every Word and Shuffled Row.

PCWorld (and others news sites) predicts the latest Kindle versions spell doom for other e-Readers.  I definitely have to agree that barring some true innovation such as paper-thin/folding form factor, non-reflective color screen or e-Ink with non-reflective touchscreen; the only survivors in the U.S. e-Ink/e-Reader market will be Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook.

Washington Post Kindle 3 Hands On.  One of several major newspapers & websites had the chance to use the Kindle 3 hands-on.  And they all agreed that the new Kindle 3 is a significant improvement especially given the pricing.

Buy The Book? Fantastic Fiction – The Best Site for Finding Book Series Information

Where does Mrs. GeekTonic find all of the books she needs for her eReader?

There are many sites to search for your next book including the sites where you are actually going to buy them (i.e. Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes & Noble for the Nook). Unfortunately, I have found that for me Amazon doesn't always have the information that I need to help me determine which book should be next on my list. As previously mentioned in guest posts, I read for pure relaxation. I read a genre labeled “cozy mysteries”. They are typically written in series with the same hero/heroine so it is very helpful to know which book comes next. My mother pointed me to a website from the UK that some of you are already familiar with: www.fantasticfiction.com.

Note:  This is a guest post by Mrs. GeekTonic, the non-geek in the family ;)

Geektonic kept asking me to show him why I prefer the FantasticFiction site compared to others.  As I was explaining, he kept bringing up other book recommendation sites mentioned on Lifehacker and it continued to prove that FantasticFiction is a winner for me.  Here’s why:

1. The homepage for the author gives some basic info on the author to start. There is usually a picture, country or origin, birth and death years (if applicable) etc. It also lists any pseudonyms that they have also written under (IE – Nora Roberts – JD Robb). Then they list the most recent books available for purchase (listing the Amazon prices only – I wonder if there was a Woot-esque merger somewhere along the way).

2. It puts series in order. Below is an example from Victoria Laurie’s page. She currently is writing 3 separate series. Fantastic Fiction lists them in order and lists their publication date.

Below is a screen print of Victoria Laurie’s page from Amazon. Amazon allows you to sort, but not by series. The best you can do here is by publication date.

From this view (above) you cannot even tell which number they are in the series.

 

3. Next on the homepage is a list of books published by other publishers or in conjunction with other authors and other information (aka the author’s websites, twitter, facebook fanpage etc). Seriously the only database I know with more information is IMDB. How they keep this thing up to date and accurate is amazing!

4. Next - Recommendations from the author. (I had to switch to another author because Ms. Laurie did not have any listed.) I have found some good books by reading what my favorite authors read. They may just be hawking one of their publisher’s other authors, but I usually research the book before I buy anyway.

5. The site then recommends other authors that write in a similar style that you may like. I have found oodles of new authors this way. These will link you to the Fantastic Fiction homepages of the authors.

6. How do you know if the book is for you? You can get more information on the books by clicking on the link for the book and opening a new page for the book itself. There will be a LARGE image of the book cover and a jacket synopsis of the book. ( Babygeektonic wrote a research paper in High School about how very important this is. She contends that you SHOULD judge a book by its cover.) 

Next on this page is a list of similar books that you may be interested in and then a list of places where you can purchase the book used (NOT Amazon). Then there are links to eBay auctions for the book as well.

 

While I love this site for most of my authors, I do find it difficult to use for prolific authors like Nora Roberts, James Paterson etc. Especially when (like Nora Roberts) their publishers RE-release books that are not new, but are repackaging them with 2 other titles to make a group book. Hard to keep track of what I have read – Not that that is FF’s fault.

 

Conclusion – Give www.fantasticfiction.com a look and see what you think and give me a comment or suggestion. If you have a site you think is better…. Let me know!

 

Thanks to MrsGeekTonic for this review - I really appreciate her input and hope to see more guest posts on GeekTonic sometime in the near future – when she’s not teaching.  If you have any questions about eBooks, eReaders such as the Nook or Kindle, Teaching technology or pretty much anything, feel free to ask in the comments below or follow her on Twitter.

Other Articles by MrsGeekTonic:

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Nook – From the Recreational Readers Perspective

Teacher Tech – by Mrs GeekTonic

The Non-GeekTonic Review of the Kindle 2 - From the Recreational Readers Perspective

New Amazon Kindle Cover – LED Built In

One of the interesting items hidden in the announcement about the new Wi-Fi Kindle e-Readers was the new Kindle cover with built-in LED light.

Kindle Light Cover Features:

Light draws power from Kindle device. No batteries required

Built-in, retractable LED reading light pulls out from the back cover when needed, and slides away to become invisible when not in use

Stylish genuine leather exterior. Soft, grey, microfiber suede interior protects Kindle

Here’s a few photos of the new cover:

And it comes in 6 colors

I’m definitely drawn to this new cover (I’m often drawn to lights though) mostly because it looks like a good design for protecting the Kindle and it has a built-in LED light that tucks away and draws power from the Kindle itself instead of requiring its own battery.  How much of a power draw on the Kindle this will be remains to be seen.

You can pre-order the new LED Light Cover at Amazon now – should be available a few days or so after the Kindle is available.

More about the new versions of the Kindle Here

Amazon Outs 2 New Kindle e-Readers both with Wi-Fi and More

It appears those rumors about a new Amazon Kindle E-Reader weren’t just a bunch of hot air.  After selling out of the 6” Kindle yesterday, Engadget & Wall Street Journal are reporting that Amazon has two new Kindle e-Readers coming our way!

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6

While this will really be the Kindle 3 or something like that, Amazon will be calling these two new e-Readers “The Kindle” and nothing more. Both are available for preorder Now and are expected to be available by August 27th.  

Here’s a photo of the new Kindle:

What’s New?

• Smaller – 21% smaller than the last 6” Kindle – all size reduction happened on the frame around the screen as the screen size remains 6”.  Thinner and now about 1/3 Inch thick.
• Lighter – 15% lighter than the last 6” Kindle at 8.7 ounces
• Faster e-Ink Refresh Rate – 20% Faster page refreshes!
• 2 Wireless Versions both with Wi-Fi:
  • $139 (£109 UK) Wi-Fi Only.  Great price point and one I can see dropping to $99 before too long.  This one is the one that kills off much of the e-Reader competition in my opinion. 
  • $189 (£149 UK) 3G included free Plus Wi-Fi– this is the same Global (over 100 countries & territories) wireless in the current 6”.  And now includes the Wi-Fi capability too for times when you aren’t in 3G range.
• Longer battery life – rated at a month with wireless turned off & 10 days with wireless switched on.  Wow!
• Larger (double) Internal Storage – 4GB which is enough for about 3,500 books.  Enough to last me oh… a lifetime.
• 2 Color Choices: Charcoal Black (like the DX) or original White
• Keyboard 5-way controller is no longer joystick style
• Webkit-based web browser included – experimental feature. 
  • Web Browser includes new "article mode" feature that simplifies web pages to just the main text- based content for easier reading.
  • Web browsing with Kindle over 3G or Wi-Fi is free. 
  • Web Browser provides a New Voice Guide: With Text-to-Speech, Kindle can read out loud to you. New Text-to-Speech enabled menus allow customers to navigate Kindle without having to read menu options. In addition to listening to books aloud, users now have the option of listening to content listings on the home screen, item descriptions, and all menu options.  What an awesome improvement for the vision impaired!!!
• Quieter Page turn buttons – The current version has a little “click” noise.  I’m guessing they’ve eliminated this sound???
• Optional (for additional Fee) New LED-Lighted Leather Cover features an integrated, retractable reading light that is powered by the Kindle itself – genius! The light is a permanent part of the cover that hides away into the cover when not in use.

Details from this post were originally obtained from Engadget and Wall Street Journal. 

Full Press Release Available Here

You can preorder either of the new Kindle e-Readers as well as the new built-in-light Jacket Now at Amazon

You’ll be able to preorder on these sites Thursday as well.  I’m seriously considering getting one of the Wi-Fi versions as they have pretty much answered all of my wants for an e-Reader with the exception of the color e-Ink of which that technology just won’t be ready this year.