Comments on: Inching Toward the Diamond Age: Digital Ink & Paper Batteries http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/ The science of futurist technologies—and an excuse to soak in sci-fi TV shows, books, movies, toys, and video games. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:57:34 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Andrys http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/comment-page-1/#comment-9903 Andrys Sun, 12 Jul 2009 14:01:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/#comment-9903 It's good to see others (including the other commenters) as happy with the Kindle as I've been, despite the known non-ideal implementation of some features. I'm more often amazed at how well they thought out certain features, mainly the study features (highlights, annotations, searches - options for book/kindle/google/wikipedia) and the access to these on our own Amazon web pages. This is even without mentioning it has 24/7 free wireless (no add'l monthly charges when needing to browse the web for reference), unheard of until now for a moblle device. Most realize that's worth quite a bit of money, even if cellular networks are slow and the Kindle's web browser, in b&w, can be a less-than-ideal experience. The thing is it works, and I often use the faster mobile versions of google or Yelp! etc when out of the home. Having Wikipedia always by your side wherever you happen to be is no small thing for me either. - Andrys kindleworld.blogspot.com It’s good to see others (including the other commenters) as happy with the Kindle as I’ve been, despite the known non-ideal implementation of some features. I’m more often amazed at how well they thought out certain features, mainly the study features (highlights, annotations, searches – options for book/kindle/google/wikipedia) and the access to these on our own Amazon web pages.

This is even without mentioning it has 24/7 free wireless (no add’l monthly charges when needing to browse the web for reference), unheard of until now for a moblle device.

Most realize that’s worth quite a bit of money, even if cellular networks are slow and the Kindle’s web browser, in b&w, can be a less-than-ideal experience. The thing is it works, and I often use the faster mobile versions of google or Yelp! etc when out of the home. Having Wikipedia always by your side wherever you happen to be is no small thing for me either.

– Andrys
kindleworld.blogspot.com

]]> By: Christina Viering http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/comment-page-1/#comment-9898 Christina Viering Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:17:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/#comment-9898 I must look at a kindle. I must look at a kindle.

]]> By: asphalt http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/comment-page-1/#comment-9889 asphalt Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:08:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/#comment-9889 i also love my kindle. it's the first electronic device i've ever owned that i've loved *more* 6 months after purchase than i did when i cracked open the shipping carton. there really is something different about this thing. the first time i looked at its display, the muscles in my skull *relaxed*. as much as i love my ipod touch, looking at its screen has the opposite effect on my head musculature. like jason, above, i also dislike amazon's method of business for the device. i think about this a lot, and have a couple of ideas that aren't necessarily mutually compatible. 1. the drm thing is a drag. given copyright laws, though, it really could be that we will be stuck with a choice between a. unlimited downloads to a finite number of registered devices, and b. a single, write-protected copy of each book, movable to any device -- but when we pass it to a sibling we no longer have it on our device; and if it gets corrupted, too bad. just like if you drop your paperback into the john by accident. i do not yet have an opinion as to which would be preferable; but so far i do like the convenience of being able to continue where i left off on my ipod touch. 2. amazon may not intend to leave things as they are. it seems plausible (and a little like wishful thinking, i admit) that amazon really might just have decided to jumpstart wide adoption of e-ink readers and electronic formats; and since the costs associated with spreading a new technology are so high, amazon has decided to lock us customers into giving amazon the money for any paid content. once the technology has been widely adopted, perhaps amazon will ease up on this. the reason this seems plausible to me, is that amazon has done quite well with print books, which one can purchase anywhere; and i can't imagine that amazon wouldn't be perfectly happy to receive money for e-books from people who own other devices -- sony reader, irex, bookeen, etc. why should e-books be so different from print in the end of the day? maybe they only have to be different at the beginning of the day. i also love my kindle. it’s the first electronic device i’ve ever owned that i’ve loved *more* 6 months after purchase than i did when i cracked open the shipping carton. there really is something different about this thing. the first time i looked at its display, the muscles in my skull *relaxed*. as much as i love my ipod touch, looking at its screen has the opposite effect on my head musculature.

like jason, above, i also dislike amazon’s method of business for the device. i think about this a lot, and have a couple of ideas that aren’t necessarily mutually compatible.

1. the drm thing is a drag. given copyright laws, though, it really could be that we will be stuck with a choice between a. unlimited downloads to a finite number of registered devices, and b. a single, write-protected copy of each book, movable to any device — but when we pass it to a sibling we no longer have it on our device; and if it gets corrupted, too bad. just like if you drop your paperback into the john by accident. i do not yet have an opinion as to which would be preferable; but so far i do like the convenience of being able to continue where i left off on my ipod touch.

2. amazon may not intend to leave things as they are. it seems plausible (and a little like wishful thinking, i admit) that amazon really might just have decided to jumpstart wide adoption of e-ink readers and electronic formats; and since the costs associated with spreading a new technology are so high, amazon has decided to lock us customers into giving amazon the money for any paid content. once the technology has been widely adopted, perhaps amazon will ease up on this. the reason this seems plausible to me, is that amazon has done quite well with print books, which one can purchase anywhere; and i can’t imagine that amazon wouldn’t be perfectly happy to receive money for e-books from people who own other devices — sony reader, irex, bookeen, etc. why should e-books be so different from print in the end of the day? maybe they only have to be different at the beginning of the day.

]]> By: Jason http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/comment-page-1/#comment-9887 Jason Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:32:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/sciencenotfiction/2009/07/10/inching-toward-the-diamond-age-digital-ink-and-paper-batteries/#comment-9887 I bought a Kindle not too long ago and I have to say, I quickly came to love it. While I do have some grumblings about the method of business, including DRM for books, the device itself is incredible. It is good to point out the method of display as when I first heard about it I gave it no real thought as I figured it would be like a smaller laptop or larger cell phone, but the display is incredibly print-like. The battery itself, with wireless turned off, lasts for days and days, requiring only a few minutes to recharge. The weight is no more than that of a paperback and with its storage capabilities you can easily carry around enough books for several days worth of traveling in one thin electronic toy. I use the Kindle to log onto amazon and buy a book with a single click. It's uploaded immediately to my Kindle and completed in just a few moments. Even if the transmission is not instant as described above, it is remarkably faster than going to the bookstore or buying it and waiting for the shipping. It truly is a fascinating creation and I look forward to the color version, I imagine things such as comic books/graphic novels will quickly go to it, along with art books and many more. And no, I don't work for them! I just love my Kindle, it goes everywhere with me now, not just my laptop. I bought a Kindle not too long ago and I have to say, I quickly came to love it. While I do have some grumblings about the method of business, including DRM for books, the device itself is incredible. It is good to point out the method of display as when I first heard about it I gave it no real thought as I figured it would be like a smaller laptop or larger cell phone, but the display is incredibly print-like. The battery itself, with wireless turned off, lasts for days and days, requiring only a few minutes to recharge. The weight is no more than that of a paperback and with its storage capabilities you can easily carry around enough books for several days worth of traveling in one thin electronic toy.

I use the Kindle to log onto amazon and buy a book with a single click. It’s uploaded immediately to my Kindle and completed in just a few moments. Even if the transmission is not instant as described above, it is remarkably faster than going to the bookstore or buying it and waiting for the shipping. It truly is a fascinating creation and I look forward to the color version, I imagine things such as comic books/graphic novels will quickly go to it, along with art books and many more.

And no, I don’t work for them! I just love my Kindle, it goes everywhere with me now, not just my laptop.

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