On Sat, 28 Nov 2009, Jon Richfield wrote:
I actually had to go onto Google to get clarity on what a "Netbook" is, and it took me a long time... In the end I looked up the term by date! OK. I reckon I have now caught up with enough of what I had forgotten or missed. I'll bear Netbooks and their like in mind before I buy a Kindle or its like.
My own definition splits at 13" screens.
Now lets get back to fundamentals.
It is all a question of what function you are buying the thing for. Price is relevant only where you wonder whether the function justifies the outlay (in the context of what you can afford of course) and which of the rival products is best value for money. The latter two items should be common to all purchases, so lets ignore them for now.
Don't forget the need for a willingness to carry one more gizmo. There are millions of people who will carry an iPod nano because it is not any extra hassle, but won't carry a bigger one, iPhone or other larger device. eBook reading CAN be done on Nano sized screens, I mentioned an eBook reader software package in my iPod G3 clone. . . . Yes, I have read entire files on it. No, I'm not as comfortable with it as reading on my cellphones.
If you want to use it for a general purpose, portable, cheapish computer, fine. No problem. Netbook (assuming of course that it is adequate in comparison to full-function, larger equipment, but that too is a routine consideration, not relevant here. And of course, as Michael suggests, pace any relevant improvements in phones and other options etc.)
I have a feeling that netbooks are with us for the long run, but I know not all the manufacturers and retailers are sure. It has been tough to find all the models I want for holidays gifts.
But as soon as you begin to look at the special functions that epaper devices offer, then the question changes. Apart from questions concerning rival merits of rival products, and the acceptability of the crude attempts of various suppliers to bully you into buying their products for their purposes, if what you want is a *reader* with greatly extended offline battery life, effectively with independence of mains power, large capacity for reading material, and a format suitable for reading one-handed in bed, low light, or sunlight, then epaper seems to be extinguish rather than merely defeat rival media. No netbook or ftm blackberry seems to me suitable for bedtime or sickbed reading.
I don't have any trouble with a netbook in bed, I just have the power set to shut off after 5 minutes without input. You can just use what clickers they have as page turners. Personally, I'll bet they should be coming out with more clicker types, too.
For the last-named, I reckon I might manage something satisfactory with a projector and more powerful equipment, but apart from price and related considerations, that seems a little excessive for normal requirements (or resources).
Not to mention a little excessive for normal requirements for carry. I will carry my netbook all over the place, not as much so for those previous laptops. Of course, the cellphones are ubiquitout. . . .
Some months ago BB intimidated me with dire descriptions of Kindle (or was it epaper in general?) slowness, contrast and resolution. Fortunately I was in no exceptional hurry to buy any device in particular, so that influenced me less than the marketing policies, pricing, media options and so on., and I have not yet bought anything, partly because I have too little time for reading anyway, least of all in bed, and I no longer commute. Since then I have however seen a couple of Kindle models and one of the rivals (Sony?). To be sure, both worked only in B&W, but that is fine for most reading. Both worked quite faste enough for reading (no more than a second to "page over", and quite adequate contrast. So that is OK. At a good price and function, I might well have bought one already. The smart money says that i'll have something like that in a year or less.
Eventually they will come out with a screen that can work reflective AND backlit. . . .
What I really am interested in though, is spectacle displays. Any comments anyone, on: http://www.lumus-optical.com ? Even from BB?
Cheers,
Jon
I don't consider it "normal" when someone pays 300 euros for a dedicated eBook gizmo at the same time I pay 275 dollars for a full Windows netbook.
Actually, given that this was "Black Friday" in the US., I saw a name brand of 10" netbook, 8 hour battery, 160G hard drive, wifi, ports, etc., for $229, the thing was even cheaper over the counter at the store than online. Go figure.
Other places were offering similar netbooks for $99 if you signed up for stuff via two contracts, but I never recommend that, nor do I usually mention brand.
I still don't understand why anyone would pay so much for "dedicated hardware" when the full featured computers are even less money.
I could understand in certain very specific cases when a professional writer's preference for a certain keyboard might be involved, someone who spends months or years working on a novel or the like that should make millions, but I think we are talking a bit more mainstream here.
I just can't see a world where people are walking about with dedicated readers the same way they walk around with iPods, and I also notice that iPods will be more and more full functioned as the generations progress.
The iPod and iPhone will become full tilt computers long before the world will turn to dedicated ereaders, except for specific situations.
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