The Amazon Kindle

Poll: The Amazon Kindle (29 member(s) have cast votes)

Tis like an iPod... a revolution!... I want one NOW (1 votes [3.45%])
Percentage of vote: 3.45%
Tis like a premium cable package... a luxury for a select crowd (2 votes [6.90%])
Percentage of vote: 6.90%
Tis like an iPhone... a marginal revolution... I want one gifted to me (7 votes [24.14%])
Percentage of vote: 24.14%
Tis like a Swiss army knife... nice to flaunt, but wont be used by a vast majority (9 votes [31.03%])
Percentage of vote: 31.03%
Meh... its like that Segway thingie. Bury it. (10 votes [34.48%])
Percentage of vote: 34.48%

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#41 Yellow

Sick and Tired

Group: High House Mafia
Posts: 1,703
Joined: 22-February 05

Posted 08 December 2007 - 10:22 AM

Meh. Lack of available books (that I am interested in) still makes it worthless to me, even at £1.

Don't fuck with the Culture.

#42 Astra

Sony Reader PRS-650

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 1,064
Joined: 06-March 06
Location:UK

Posted 08 December 2007 - 12:50 PM

Yellow;232435 said:

Meh. Lack of available books (that I am interested in) still makes it worthless to me, even at £1.

Unfortunatelly, it is true

That's why I never started a topic about eInk readers here.

Only Two Things Are Infinite, The Universe and Human Stupidity, and I'm Not Sure About The Former.
Albert Einstein

#43 Dunsparrow

Sergeant

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 63
Joined: 11-March 08

Posted 11 March 2008 - 04:22 AM

I think availability for e-books is going to go up a lot over the next year or two. Tor has started an initiative that sends out a free ebook every week, and this is thought by many to be a precursor for an ebook store.

The Tor website to sign up for the free weekly book is here: http://www.tor.com/Default.aspx

For anyone outside the US interested in an e-ink reader, the Cybook by Bookeen is a great choice. Although paper is definitely nice, there is certainly something to be said for a device that you can make your own content for, not to mention the advantage of having several hundred books with you at once. Another great thing is that you can get many many classics for free (such as all Jane Austen and Charles Dickens) because their copyrights are no longer in effect.

Personally I think e-books will develop much the way mp3s did. They will continue to grow in popularity, more people will own the devices, more people will start pirating books, and as a result more publishers will start offering books legally. It's also an advantageous system to authors and publishers because it bypasses printing, binding and shipping (hey, it's greener than paperbacks to boot!). The expansion is already happening, and some publishers and authors are offering free books as a form of marketing (check this link here: http://www.baen.com/library/).

Anyways, I would be thrilled if Erikson's books came out in ebook format, and would be happy to pay for them all over again. I always feel like I need to be rereading them, and having them all in my purse would be very handy

#44 Astra

Sony Reader PRS-650

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 1,064
Joined: 06-March 06
Location:UK

Posted 11 March 2008 - 11:03 AM

Ebook community thanked Tor for free ebook email subscription. They also told Tor that people would like to pay money for ebooks if they start selling them. The first free ebook was The Final Empire (Mistborn, Book 1) by Brandon Sanderson.
I really hope by the time I start reading SE all of his books will be available as ebooks.

binzer
You should also post it on sffworld.

Only Two Things Are Infinite, The Universe and Human Stupidity, and I'm Not Sure About The Former.
Albert Einstein

#45 Spindrift

Group: Malazan Artist
Posts: 223
Joined: 03-December 06
Location:brisbane

Posted 11 March 2008 - 11:36 PM

The Tor thing isn't actually a precursor to an ebook store. But patrick does mention there is some talk about that possibility in the future.

#46 Dunsparrow

Sergeant

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 63
Joined: 11-March 08

Posted 13 March 2008 - 05:35 PM

Spindrift;272610 said:

The Tor thing isn't actually a precursor to an ebook store. But patrick does mention there is some talk about that possibility in the future.

lol, I JUST read that and was going to post it

At any rate, I think it's going to great and signed up for beta. I think ebooks will definitely come though, even if not for a while.

#47 Astra

Sony Reader PRS-650

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 1,064
Joined: 06-March 06
Location:UK

Posted 16 March 2008 - 01:59 PM

Hopefully good news! Sony Reader PRS-505 in the UK!

Although, I am a little bit sceptical...but we will see.

P.S. binzer I recognise your face!

Oops...I mean your muzzle

Only Two Things Are Infinite, The Universe and Human Stupidity, and I'm Not Sure About The Former.
Albert Einstein

#48 Astra

Sony Reader PRS-650

Group: Malaz Regular
Posts: 1,064
Joined: 06-March 06
Location:UK

Posted 26 July 2008 - 07:49 AM

This time it is an official release.
Sony announced that Sony Reader will be sold in the UK by Waterstone and Sonystyle.co.uk They accept pre-orders. The reader will be sold from the beginning of September.

They also announced a new Sony Reader cover that has a built-in light...I am very curious how well it is going to work.
Light for Sony Reader

Someone already posted pics

Also there is a new firmware update....which includes reflowable pdf support, epub....I have not installed it because I am going on holidays in a few days don't want to risk to brick the reader just before

So, I hope they will have demonstration stands in Waterstones and some of you will be able to see with your own eyes what eInk screen is