Sony Reader Daily Edition - First Look

I've spent a bit of time during the holidays scouring the internet for reviews and hands-on videos of the Sony Reader Daily Edition.  During my latest search, I found this really nice "First Look" video.

The reviewer goes through a fairly comprehensive walk through of this device.  She illustrates all the major functions and provides a really nice overview of the hardware (including a brief size comparison to the Kindle DX).

I've almost made my decision about dropping $400 on this device.  I'll be taking another glance at the Kindle DX just to be sure.

In the meantime - if you are in the market for an E-Reader, this video will give you a good overview of Sony's latest product.  It runs for a bit over 13 minutes.  Relax and enjoy.

eBook Readers: A Side by Side Comparison

I know it's a little late to start evaluating eBook Readers for a Christmas purchase.  From what I've read, both the Barnes & Noble Nook and the Sony Reader - Daily Edition are completely sold out until mid-January/early February.

However, it never hurts to have some concise information about these readers in your back pocket should the conversation about these devices come up in the near future.  I, for one, have to start thinking about birthday and Valentine's Day gifts really soon.

I put together a comparison table so that I could get a better grip on what options were (or weren't) available for each of the major brands.  I'm posting it here for you to review.  Hopefully, it will help.  I'm sorry that I didn't get this up well before Christmas eve.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas.

Spec's	Barnes-Noble Nook	Amazon Kindle	Sony Reader Daily Edition
Retail Price	$259	489.00	$399.99
Charge Time	3h 30m-wall / 6h-USB	Not Available	2h 30m-wall / 5h-USB
Reading Screen	6in diag (800x600)	9.7in diag (1200x824)	7.1in diag (600x1024)
Touch Screen	Semi-bottom portion, only	No	Yes
Audio Player - Music	Yes - MP3	Yes - MP3	Yes - MP3 and AAC
Audio Books	Yes	Yes + Text to Speech	No
Wireless Connection	Cellular and Wi-Fi	Cellular Only	Cellular Only
Wireless Provider	ATT	Sprint	ATT
Speakers and Headphone	Yes	Yes	Headphone Only
Built-In Storage	2GB	4GB	1.6GB
Add'l Storage Slot	Y - microSD or SDHC	No	Y - SD or MemoryStick
Replaceable Battery	Y	N	N
Visible Pg #	Y	N	Y
Keyboard	On Screen	Physical	On Screen
Orientation	Portrait / Limited Landscape	Portrait OR Landscape	Portrait OR Landscape
eBook Format	EPUB, PDB, PDF	Kindle or PDF	EPUB, PDF, BBeB, Text, RTF, Word
Dictionary	Y - EPUB and PDB, only	Yes	Yes
Bookmarking	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Highlights	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Notes	Y - EPUB and PDB only	Yes	Yes
Page Mark-up / Handwriting	No	No	Y - w/Stylus or Finger
Drawing	No	No	Y - w/Stylus or Finger
Picture Viewing	No	Y - JPEG and GIF	Y - JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP
Weight	11.2oz (317g)	18.9oz (535g)	12.75oz (360g)
Web Search	No	Y - Wikipedia, Google, etc	No
Web Browsing	No	Basic Web - Text heavy sites	No

DROPBOX - Better than a USB Drive

I started this blog so that I could share and discuss some simple personal technology solutions as I discover them.  I recently found a service that has made such an impression on me that I wanted to help spread the word.

Most people make use of USB drives to transfer data between computers.  I should know, I have several USB drives.

The problem I constantly run into is I don't always have the correct USB drive with me at the exact moment in time when I need it.  Or, I neglected to update the file on the drive in my possession.  Maybe, you're more organized than me (that's not hard).  If not and/or you want a simple solution to keep a file(s) synchronized between a couple of computers (say - work and home or between several PCs at home), then DROPBOX has the answer.

The really cool thing about the DROPBOX application is that you can share a folder(s) with friends/relatives.  For example - instead of using FaceBook or some other service to post pictures of the family for the entire world to see, you can just drop the latest pictures in the DROPBOX folder on your computer and tell Mom/Dad that they're there.  Assuming they're using the DROPBOX app, then they just open up the DROPBOX folder on their computer and copy the pictures wherever they want.  Simple.

DROPBOX works with all the major operating systems (Windows, Mac, Linux).  And, it even keeps a backup of the stuff you put in your DROPBOX folder on a password protected website should something happen to your computer or hard-drive.

I'm using the free version.  Check it out.  I highly recommend it.  www.dropbox.com

eBook Readers: How do you decide which is for you?

I've been asked several times by a certain someone very close to me about an eBook Reader for Christmas.  In case you don't know what an eBook Reader is, it's an electronic device which allows you to store and read electronic books.  The most popular version of this new gadget is the Amazon Kindle.

Anyway - as I was doing some research on one of the devices, I ran across this article: How to Buy an eBook Reader. If you are in the market for an eBook Reader for the holidays, this is a great primer.

Personally, I'm really interested to learn more about the Sony Reader Daily Edition.  It fits my personal spec's for an eBook Reader.  However - the last I checked, this item is not yet available (the Sony Reader Daily Edition is now shipping for those that pre-ordered it. According to Sony's website, it is now back ordered until mid-Jan.)  It's really hard for me to form an opinion on a device without actually using it.  I'll let you know what I think about it if it makes it into my house.

Why am I being forced to risk my life to answer the phone?

I've got a simple problem (simple enough in my mind).  I want to safely make and receive phone calls while I'm driving my car.

OK.  That's a simple problem to solve, you say.  "Use the wired headset that came with your phone."

I've tried that.  It doesn't seem to matter how careful I am in storing that wired headset.  As soon as I receive a call, I end up spending several seconds or minutes trying to untangle the web of wire that was created when I put the headset away for safe keeping.  When you're driving the tollways of Dallas, this extra effort to answer a call from your wife doesn't seem like an appropriate use of time for someone who is remotely safety conscious.  Do you really expect me to take my eyes off the road for any amount of time to use a stupid little wired earphone?  This really wasn't a good look to me.

OK. Then, get a bluetooth headset.  They are cheap, abundant, and come in various styles to fit anyone's taste.

Been there - done that.  You'd think it'd be easy to keep track of that thing.  Not so much (for me, anyway).  Half the time, I'd end up accidentally leaving it at home when it needed to be charged.  Or, I'd have it in my jacket pocket when I received a phone call.  I'd be fumbling around in my car trying to answer the phone, find my bluetooth headset, and put it in my ear.  While all this is happening, visions of me causing a 15 car pile up are materializing in my brain as I'm driving 70 mph and trying to take a call.

Just keep it in your ear - you say.  I see plenty of people who walk around with bluetooth headsets in their ear.

Look at my picture.  Do I look like a borg to you?  Not too mention the fact that I think it is plain rude to hold a conversation with the actual human who is standing in front of you while wearing a bluetooth earpiece.  Call me old fashioned, but I actually want the perception that I have a persons undivided attention when we are speaking in person.  When I run into someone who has a bluetooth headset in, I'm always wondering if there is some non-important call that is going to come in for that person which will immediately interrupt our face-to-face conversation.

"Hold on a sec", they say as they interrupt me in mid-sentence.  "I gotta take this"

Eff THAT!  Annoying and rude - bluetooth earpieces are.  These are not for me.

OK, OK....  Have you tried a bluetooth speakerphone?

A-HA!  That is a great idea.  A bluetooth speakerphone would meet my definition of a "DELIBERATE UTILITY".  It's a simple solution.  It solves my problem.  And - since bluetooth is a mature technology, it should be a productive tool for me (as long as it works).

Do they work?  From my experience the answer is - Yes and No.

I've tried 4 different models to date.  I've tried a Samsung model, a Sony-Ericsson model, a Tritton Technology model, and a BlueAnt model.  Each have their pros/cons.  But, none of them are worth recommending to family, friends, and neighbors.

What issues did I experience?  Here is the quick list:

• Samsung (HKT450): The speaker on the bluetooth model I tried was horrible.  The caller at the other end sounded as if they were talking to me in a tin can.

• Sony-Ericsson (HCB-150): This speaker phone worked great (when it actually worked).  My experience is that the battery life is horrible and the software is shotty (I'm being nice).  Most of the time I had issues connecting (after pairing my phone).  When it would connect, the speakerphone would just hang for minutes trying to upload my phones phonebook entrys.  The majority of the time I had this speaker phone in my car, I ended up taking calls using my handset instead of my speakerphone.

• Tritton (TRIBC200): This speakerphone works great for me.  The problem is, everyone I've talked to ends up asking me to repeat every other sentence or word when I'm trying to hold a conversation.  That gets old fast.

• BlueAnt (S1): I let my wife use this one.  She tried to give it back to me after 2 days.  The problem she has is that the ON/OFF switch isn't very intuitive.  If you've ever used a bluetooth device, then you'll appreciate the idea that you need to be able to disconnect the phone from the device when you're not planning on using BT.  If you don't - when a call comes in, you'll be faced with answering it from your phone but not hearing anyone on the phone's speaker.  Why?  Because the audio is being routed to the bluetooth speakerphone in your car (which is in the garage).

At the end of the day - I simply want to have a phone conversation in my car where both parties can understand the words coming from the other's mouth.  Anything other than that kind of defeats the purpose of being on the phone.

Currently, there is a lot of chatter about a federal law making the use of cellphones without a handsfree device while driving a moving vehicle illegal (OR has a law going into affect in Jan '10).  I'd be willing to bet that as soon as this law is passed, we'll see an influx of quality bluetooth speakerphones that actually work well.

So much for the argument that government can't spur innovation.

Anyway.  Let me know if you have had a positive experience with a bluetooth speakerphone.  I've read several reviews and tried several models.  Still, I've not been able to find one that meets my simple needs.  How about you?