Comments on: Kindle rival on the way from Barnes & Noble? Fictionwise involved? Or maybe Plastic Logic? http://www.teleread.com/drm/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:30:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: David Rothman http://www.teleread.com/drm/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/comment-page-1/#comment-1129828 David Rothman Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:19:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/09/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/#comment-1129828 Hi, Duke, it's an individual matter. Like you, I dislike the idea of a subscription fee, but some people need cellphone service anyway, so why not an iPhone? I myself use an iPod Touch to run Stanza, the same app that works on the iPhone; and I graciously let myself use my own WiFi at no charge. Thanks, David Hi, Duke, it’s an individual matter. Like you, I dislike the idea of a subscription fee, but some people need cellphone service anyway, so why not an iPhone? I myself use an iPod Touch to run Stanza, the same app that works on the iPhone; and I graciously let myself use my own WiFi at no charge.

Thanks,
David

]]> By: Duke http://www.teleread.com/drm/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/comment-page-1/#comment-1129680 Duke Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:28:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/09/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/#comment-1129680 The nonsense of advocating buying an iPhone over a book reader is not well thought out. The $80 to $100 monthly charge for an iPhone vs. my $20-cellphone and a Sony eBook reader is an easy choice. The Sony eBook is far easier on my eyes, and far cheaper than alternatives. The nonsense of advocating buying an iPhone over a book reader is not well thought out. The $80 to $100 monthly charge for an iPhone vs. my $20-cellphone and a Sony eBook reader is an easy choice. The Sony eBook is far easier on my eyes, and far cheaper than alternatives.

]]> By: Mike Perry http://www.teleread.com/drm/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/comment-page-1/#comment-1034878 Mike Perry Thu, 09 Apr 2009 15:30:16 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/09/kindle-rival-on-the-way-from-barnes-noble-fictionwise-involved-or-maybe-plastic-logic/#comment-1034878 Let's hope the commercial version doesn't have that irritating 'flash to black' every time a page is turned. It's like having a camera flash going off when turning a page in a regular book. In the late 1960s, a friend of mine paid several hundred dollars for a pocket electronic calculator with limited features. He just bought a Kindle despite my efforts to point out that he was doing the same thing. These gadgets remain too expensive and feature limited. The Kindle only makes sense when the alternative is toting pounds of books, proposals, manuscripts and the like on a business trip. For casual reading on the go, something like a iPhone or iPod touch makes more sense. And, unlike the Kindle, the i{Phone has numerous other uses. With a much-improved third-generation iPhone due this summer, the price of used ones should become quite reasonable. Finally, although Apple has been a bit finicky about approving a few iPhone applications, their urge to control is nothing like Amazon's. Apple regularly adds features to iPhones. Amazon disables them from afar. Let’s hope the commercial version doesn’t have that irritating ‘flash to black’ every time a page is turned. It’s like having a camera flash going off when turning a page in a regular book.

In the late 1960s, a friend of mine paid several hundred dollars for a pocket electronic calculator with limited features. He just bought a Kindle despite my efforts to point out that he was doing the same thing.

These gadgets remain too expensive and feature limited. The Kindle only makes sense when the alternative is toting pounds of books, proposals, manuscripts and the like on a business trip. For casual reading on the go, something like a iPhone or iPod touch makes more sense. And, unlike the Kindle, the i{Phone has numerous other uses. With a much-improved third-generation iPhone due this summer, the price of used ones should become quite reasonable.

Finally, although Apple has been a bit finicky about approving a few iPhone applications, their urge to control is nothing like Amazon’s. Apple regularly adds features to iPhones. Amazon disables them from afar.

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