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.
Dec 31, 2009
Dec 24, 2009
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.
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 |
Dec 22, 2009
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
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
Dec 21, 2009
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.
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.
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