One of those $130 miBooks with a seven-inch screen is on the way to Nate the Great.
In fact, he snagged a $112 miBook from QVC. And read on. You might be able to do even better and pay just $79, although you’d better be prepared for less-than-ideal screen resolution.
So when will someone tweak text-to-image software for other machines to create JPGs of books in formats such as PDF and, I hope, ePub and HTML and ASCII? And how about native viewers for the miBook? I see this as a deluxe Juice Box. Oh, and to address the eye strain problem from a white background, some are saying that it’s a nonissue. Besides, couldn’t the viewers or text-to-image software allow for light characters on dark backgrounds?
Hundreds of books, even in image format?
What if the miBook takes off? If a DRM-enforced proprietary format prevails, that’ll limit official content choices. But if text-to-image conversions are possible, unofficial choices could abound. What’s cool is that memory prices have come down. So if there are no compatibility problems with standard cards, you just might be able to store hundreds or perhaps even thousands of books, at least if there are ways to navigate to find specific titles.
The eBookwise alternative
If you’re budget-crimped, you might also consider the eBookwise machines, which do have thousands of DRMed titles available for them, not just the ability to read nonDRMed books. The best DRM is none. But right now I’m talking about the here and now.
Related: Amazon page and MobileRead discussion and Dr. Ellen Hage’s opinions. Read up and share your thoughts! The Amazon customers have not been wild about Photoco’s existing hardware, citing such issues as battery costs. Let’s hope that the version written up this week is different. If not and if you still want the gizmo, you can pick it up from Amazon-related sellers for as little as $79.99 and shipping. The Amazon-sold machine works with standard 2G cards.
The first paragraph is missing so many verbs it’s essentially unreadable.
Many thanks, Tim. At least one verb was AWOL, and I decided while I was at it to rework the lead. I always appreciate catches.
The TeleBlog probably contains many fewer errors than the average blog, despite all the words and links I post on a typical day. But, yes, I’d love to have a copy editor looking over me. Volunteers? An endowment to pay for one?
Hang around, and don’t hesitate to report glitches (whether via comments or by email to dr NOSAPM teleread.com)!
Thanks,
David