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The HP Slate enters the Tablet wars

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:15:13 +0000

Until now, the HP Slate has been lurking behind the scenes, careful not to give away too much too soon. But, a tactical teaser video coupled with an “unofficially leaked marketing sheet” have pulled the HP Slate out of the shadows and into the spotlight – well as much spotlight as the Apple iPad will allow.

For starters, the teaser video (aired in the beginning of April 2010) tactically demonstrates all of the features on the Slate that are missing on the iPad, such as a built in camera, a real USB port and an SD card slot.

Just a few hours after the video was posted, an “unofficial” HP marketing sheet was leaked, highlighting the many differences between the iPad and the Slate. Although the details have yet to be clarified by HP, if any of them are true, the Slate seems well-positioned to give the iPad a run (or at least a brisk walk) for its money.

The purported spec sheet mentions that the Slate will have not one, but two built-in cameras. Apparently there is a 3 megapixel camera at the back and a VGA camera on the front for video conferencing. There is also a single 2.0 USB port, an SD card reader, a conventional SIM tray for 3G networking and HDMI-out video capabilities.

But, let’s not get too excited just yet as HP need to make all of this official and when and where this will happen is anyone’s guess.

Watch this space.Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Bebook Neo (Preview)

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:32:16 +0000

One of the newest additions to the ebook reader flurry, the Bebook Neo does indeed make a bold yet elegant statement. Keeping up with the slim design trend, the Bebook Neo is sleek and streamlined in profile and is a rather classy piece of tech.

Design

Although not quite as compact as the Amazon Kindle 2 (and this is really splitting hairs), the Bebook Neo is only 1.2 cms in diameter and measures 19.6 cms from top to bottom. Weighing in at a total of 298 grams, the Bebook Neo is distinctly lightweight and with its rounded edges, is exceptionally comfortable to hold.

The easy to navigate dial resembles that of an iPod with its basic menu functions that get straight to the point. Should you want to make, save or erase annotations, scribbles or notes, it is just a case of grabbing the stylus that is neatly slotted in the back of the reader and writing on the impressive Wacom-made touch screen.

Display

The Bebook Neo features the latest WACOM touchpanel technology, providing readers with a very fast and more natural reading experience which is further enhanced by its use of e-ink technology. In a nutshell, e-ink technology makes the letters and words on the screen look more print-like in their appearance. The screen is a legible 6 inch monochrome display that requires an external lightsource to view, much like a regular paperback. As a result of this, the screen has no glare and makes for easy reading, even in the sunshine.

Charging the Bebook Neo is easy as it comes with a standard USB port at its base allowing you to quickly connect to your PC.

Software

Running on a 532 MHz Freescale processor and 1600mAh Li-ion battery, the BeBook Neo offers browsing and operating speeds of up to 2.5 times faster than other e-readers on the market (at the moment). The powerful battery of the BeBook Neo will allow for up to 7000 pages turns on a single battery charge which is pretty impressive.

Web browsing is generally a very pleasant experience as the Neo depends on WiFi to get online and points users to multiple third-party stores rather than to an exclusive internal shop. By simply clicking on your country of residence, the Neo offers you a clear overview of third-party e-book stores from which to make your choice.

Unlike the Amazon Kindle, the Bebook Neo offers support for popular file formats such as EPUB, PDF, TXT, HTML, RTF, MOBI, CHM, PDB, JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF and others. Other features include a 3.5mm audio jack and an SD card slot expandable up to 16GB to add to 215Mb internal memory already available.

Conclusion

Benefits

The Bebook Neo has a sleek and sexy design that is comfortable to hold. It operates 2.5 times faster than other e-book readers currently available and has a long-life battery. It depends on Wifi and gives access to third-party e-book stores. It supports a variety of file formats and an expandable SD card slot.

Downfalls

While the stylus is a handy feature, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Like many other e-book readers available, it is expensive for what it does.

Note: The Bebook Neo is now available for pre-order from a variety of sites, with shipping scheduled to be at the beginning of May.Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Barnes & Noble Nook software update

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:52:48 +0000

On April 23, 2010, Barnes & Noble announced the long-awaited software update for the Nook ereader, adding new features such as a web browser, speedy page turning and a number of games like chess and Sudoku. With this update comes the beta version of “Read in Store” which will give Nook users free access to Barnes & Noble’s ebook library when in any store for an hour a day.

Paul Hochman, Manager of Content and Social Media at BarnesandNoble.com, said: “We’ve also made additional reading and device performance enhancements including improved page turn speed, faster access to previously opened e-books, enhanced color touch-screen navigation and more. The new features and additional enhancements are available with the updated Nook software now available via manual download at nook.com/update.”

These software updates come at a time when many ebook manufacturers are feeling the pressure from the Apple iPad fever and are doing all that they can to remain competitive. With its new features, the Nook provides a book selection, which amounts to one million and also provides support for the EPub format, and allows the users have access to electronic books from public libraries.

The update is available for download now at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/support/Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Barnes & Noble Nook

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:52:54 +0000

Flagged as a primary contender on the ever-expanding e-reader scene, Barnes & Noble’s Nook has turned a lot of heads as the first Android-powered e-book reader with a full-colour touchscreen. Got your attention, well it certainly had ours… but is all of this too good to be true?

Design

The basic design of the Nook doesn’t really break into any new territory. Measuring 19.6 cms from top to bottom and 1.3 cms in diameter, the Nook is only slightly heavier than some of its competitors out there. Weighing in at 317.5 grams, it is certainly not big or bulky by any means but it does feel solid and robust. Despite this, the Nook is still comfortable to hold for lengthy periods and your wrists won’t have to pay the price.

The front of the device is comprised of essentially three parts: a 6-inch, 16-shade grayscale e-ink screen (e-ink is pretty standard for e-book readers), a 3.5-inch LCD colour touchscreen and a white plastic border with back / forward buttons on either side. The Nook’s plastic back plate is removable and the lithium ion battery is replaceable – something which makes us happy.

Display

What really sets the Nook apart from its competitors is the LCD colour touchscreen. The LCD is bright and eye-catching and really adds the wow factor. This touchscreen is the way in which almost all interactions with the Nook and its online store are handled. It can display a directional pad for moving around text when highlighting or looking up words in the dictionary; it can give you a search box and a place to type notations; it can pop up the music player without leaving the page, and it flows book covers in your library and in the store.

Software

Ultimately, because the Nook is not exactly leaps and bounds ahead of its competitors in its hardware, it all really boils down to the software and the daily use of the reader.

At first blush, the LCD screen is colourful and exciting but after you have settled yourself, what is left is a rather confusing user interface and navigation. Although the fundamentals of the user interface are not hard to understand, the dual screen interaction may leave you muddling through the buttons and stopping to figure out what to push. Don’t get me wrong, the directories on the homepage are simple and to the point , but it is when you hit the subdirectories that things start getting a little pear-shaped. Essentially, within each of the sections on the homepage, are a number of sub-directories that are specific to that section. So for example, in the “My Library” section on the homepage, you will be presented with a scrollable list of options like “search”, “view my documents” or “show covers”. This is all good and well but because each sub-directory offers different options, things can get a little out of hand.

As soon as you think you have the hang of the system, your rhythm is then thrown off by the sluggish response of the reader. While the Kindle and Bebook are not exactly whizzing through pages, the Nook seems to be significantly slower (this can however be attributed to the enormous amount of power used by the LCD screen). Combine that sluggishness with its built-in cellular wireless connection and there will be moments when you’ll look lovingly at your good ole paperback.

Note: On April 23, 2010, Barnes & Noble announced a software update which not only improves the overall speed of the Nook, but also provides Wi-Fi and 3G access for better web browsing. This update is available to download at: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/support/

Still, credit must given where credit is due and there are definitely features on the Nook that are worthy of praise. For starters, the Barnes & Noble store options and book browsing are far better than anything out there at the moment. When it comes to looking for a title, being able to actually see the covers of books is a tremendous help and adds to the pleasure of the experience.

The software update offers a beta version of “Read in Store” which will give Nook users free access to Barnes & Noble’s ebook library when in any store for an hour a day.

The Nook supports the securable ePub ebook format, which almost all major booksellers except Amazon use. It also supports PDF, TXT and HTML, plain text, JPG, PNG and GIF file formats. You can load PDF files onto the device from your PC via the USB connector and reflow the text using different fonts and font sizes which is quite handy.

A great and unique feature is the book lending feature called “LendMe”, which allows you to loan a book to a friend who also has a Nook or has Barnes & Noble’s e-reader software for up to 14 days. Just like someone borrowing a real book, it’s removed from your library for the duration of the loan. Smart!

The software update now offers a dictionary as well as chess and Sudoku which you can play against the Nook – brilliant for keeping the brain active.

Battery life

To charge the Nook, you connect the USB cable to your computer or to the included compact AC adapter. Barnes & Noble have acknowledged that the Nook’s battery life isn’t as good as many of its competitors but this is largely due to the inclusion of the colour LCD screen which negatively affects battery life. On average you can use the Nook for about 5 days before having to charge it.

Conclusion

Benefits

When using the Nook, you vacillate between being completely charmed by the aesthetics of the reader, and completely frustrated by the way it actually works. Perks of course include the LendMe feature, the colour screen and the excellent ebook buying experience.

Downfalls

Ultimately, the Nook’s sluggish performance undermines its appearance which is a huge letdown. The dual-screen navigation can be confusing and the design of the sub-directories keeps you guessing. But the Nook is slowly working through its kinks through its upgrades which paves the way for great improvement.

Now (April 23, 2010) that Barnes & Noble have released their latest wave of updates, the sluggishness of the reader is no longer too bad and surfing the net is actually quite pleasurable. For geeks like myself, having chess and Sudoku on hand is always a bonus.Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Spring Design Alex

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:30:40 +0000

Spring Design’s Alex ebook reader sprung to the scene in late 2009 and has garnered much interest because of its nifty dual-screen display. With its impressive design and hardware capabilities, the Alex is set to be an ereader for hardware enthusisasts.

Design

Slim but tall is perhaps the best way to describe the Alex. While at first glance, it may bear resemblances to the Barnes & Noble Nook, rest assured that the Alex is entirely different and in some ways better. Measuring 22.5cms from top to bottom and weighing in at a surprisingly light 310 grams (as opposed to the Nook’s 317.5 grams), the Alex may be lengthy but it is still solid and sturdy.

The design is made up of two screens stacked on top of each other: a monochromatic e-ink display for reading and an Android powered colour touchscreen for moving around the menus and brwosing. The main e-ink display is 6-inches and has a resolution of 600 x 800 pixels while the touchscreen is 3.5-inches with a 320 x 240 pixel LCD. To give you an indication of its size, the LCD touchscreen is the equivalent of having an iPhone bolted on the bottom which is great as the interface is large and user-friendly.

Although the Alex sports a touchscreen display, the reader is by no means buttonless. In fact, down either side of the colour screen are menu, power, back and home buttons. The Alex caters for the very natural tendency to shift weight and position while reading as the “next page” buttons are located on both sides of the device.

Display

The 6-inch screen is the standard matte e-ink which does well to reduce eyestrain and combat reflective lighting. But when it comes to the lower screen, things really get interesting. In one respect, ebook navigation is similar to the Nook’s in that the faster bottom screen serves as a touch interface for the top screen. In other words, you can browse through your books, etc. on the bottom screen and read them on the top.

However where the Alex really sets itself apart is the fact that it will run any Android application including the browser, email client, and music player apps. In addition to this, you can push content from the bottom screen to the top whenever you want, meaning that you can navigate to a web page on the bottom screen, then once it’s rendered, send it to the top. Smart!

The touch-sensitive screen also houses the virtual keyboard and a slide bar, which makes text entry, skipping to a page, or navigating the menu bar a lot easier. It does take a while to get used to the interaction between the two screens but be patient as it is well worth the wait.

Software

I have always maintained that an ebook reader is only as good as the software that it uses and from what I can see, the Alex has thought of everything and perhaps even a bit more. For starters, because the Alex runs Android, it is capable of doing far more than simply reading books. Outside of downloading and running apps found in the Android market, basic internet needs such as checking email, running Google searches, and playing multimedia content both on and offline are all supported by the device. Taking things a step further, the Alex also supports so called “Web Grabs” which allows users to capture and send selected content from online sites to the EPD screen for better viewing.

In terms of connectivity, the Alex that is currently available has wi-fi access but word on the street is that a more expensive brother with 3G access will be available in June 2010 (but don’t hold your breath). The delay of the 3G version can be attributed to carrier difficulties in that the 3G version would effectively be an Android tablet with full web access so carrier negotiations and internal debates about how to charge customers ensue.

In terms of content, users can download Adobe digital content from Google Books or purchase ebooks, magazines, and newspapers from Border’s Kobo-based store and other Alex partner bookstores. But because the wi-fi version is strictly wi-fi, Google doesn’t bless it with the official Android app package, but it’s running Android 1.5 Cupcake.

A micro-SD slot lets you insert an external storage device into your Alex.

Battery Life

Spring Design promise 7500 page turns or 6 hours of media playback but because the reader has not hit the shelves just yet, this is a hard one to clarify.

In an attempt to conserve battery life, the Alex automatically turns off the lower power-hungry screen when not in use meaning that you should still get a decent battery life from the unit.

Conclusion

Benefits

With its dual-screen system, the Spring Design Alex promises to open up new possibilities with the way we access and interact with content both online and offline. This in turn takes our reading and indeed multimedia experience to a whole new level.

Downfalls

With so much coming down the pike it may be worth waiting a bit more time for this one.

Note: The Alex is now available for pre-order at: https://www.springdesign.com/us/shoppingcart/select.actionSimilar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Skiff Reader (Preview)

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:16:55 +0000

Slim, sleek and oh so sexy, the Skiff Reader is set to wow the ebook reader scene with its ability to render magazine and newspaper layouts with a look similar to a printed newspaper or magazine. Using multiple columns, photos, common type fonts and pagination, the unique Skiff is designed to take reading to the next level.

Display

Skiff has a very generous 11.5-inch display area with an impressive resolution of 1200 x 1600 pixels which is almost four times as many as other ebook readers already out there. That aside, the Skiff really sets itself apart with its first-of-its-kind thin, bendable stainless steel foil based-display rather than the glass-based displays favoured by other ereaders. Designed by LG Display, the Skiff Reader screen is built to take the wear and tear that portable tablets would likely endure–in the car or classroom, on the train or bus, and just about anywhere else you’d take a newspaper or magazine.

The touchscreen accepts both finger and stylus input and enables users to intuitively navigate and engage with newspapers, magazines, books, and other digital content they purchase through the Skiff Store, as well as personal and work documents.

The drawback of all of this is that there is no colour so the Skiff won’t double as a media player. Measuring 9 inches (228.6 mm) x 11 inches (279.4 mm) and weighing just over 17.5 ounces (498 grams), the Skiff Reader is remarkable light and portable despite its large size.

Software

At the moment, we know that the Skiff will feature both wi-fi connectivity as well as 3G via the Sprint network. It is equipped with an internal memory that has a capacity of 4GB (with 3+ GB available for content) while the SD-card slot means, there is room for still more. It will also be possible to sideload content with its standard USB port.

With regards to content, there is going to be a Skiff Store, which will look after the entire spectrum of selling and distributing newspapers, magazines, books, blogs and other content from multiple publishers across a range of devices. It is also likely that the newspapers and periodicals that is to be distributed by Skiff Reader will also feature advertising which is a first for ebook readers. The Skiff also scores as it looks likely that its newspapers will have most of the graphics of the actual paper editions.

Battery life

The Skiff website claims that you will be able to read for a full week between charges which is a broad statement so we will have to wait and see on that one.

Conclusion

When and where can we get one?Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Bebook Mini

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:05:00 +0000

As its name implies, the Bebook Mini neatly slots into the 5-inch category of ebook readers with its slim dimensions and size. But can the Bebook Mini prove that dynamite does in fact come in small packages?

Design

With dimensions of 151×105.5×10mm and a weight of 160 grams, the Bebook Mini may be small, but its design is fairly bland and its plastic-looking case is unlikely to win any awards for style.

Aesthetics aside, the Bebook Mini has a functional and ergonomic design with a set of page-turning controls located on both sides, allowing you to read and turn pages comfortably with one hand. Having buttons on both sides also caters for the very natural tendency to shift weight and change position as you can use either hand to turn pages.

The SD card slot as well as the USB port are situated at the top of the Mini, but regrettably, the headphone jack has been placed on the bottom right corner and has a tendency to get in the way of your hand.

Display

With a 5-inch e-ink electronic paper display screen with a 600×800-pixel resolution and 8-level greyscale, the Mini’s screen is clear and sharp just like a printed page. Of course, the smaller screen fits less text per page than larger ebook readers but this comes with the 5-inch screen territory. However, this does mean that some of the books/files you want to read on the Mini have to be formatted to the right size to be able to fit on the screen.

Navigating your way around the menus takes a little getting used to as its numbered keypad system is not very intuitive. In order to navigate through the menus, you need to select the number which corresponds with the folder/file you wish to open. The controls are adequate for reading books, but searching is a cumbersome task. The lack of a keyboard means you have to use the number keys in a similar fashion to typing an SMS on a conventional mobile phone – without predictive text input.

You often find that you are tempted to use the touchscreen (which doesn’t work), so it may be worthwhile to go through the user guide for a crash course. With a little time and patience, you will soon get the hang of it and find it easy to use.

Software

With 512MB of internal memory, the Mini can store up to 1000 books which is fine for many readers, but those who need more can do so through its SD card slot. The memory can be expanded up to a huge 16GB via an SD memory card, so you can carry the whole library with you if you like.

The Mini plays a ridiculous number of files – pdf, mobi, prc, epub, lit, txt, fb2, doc, html, rtf, djvu, wol, ppt, mbp, chm, bmp, jpg, png, gif, tif, rar, zip, mp3. BeBook touts the ebook reader’s ability to access the many public domain and free works available on the internet (through sites like Project Gutenberg), but you can also buy DRM-protected books from vendors like Dymocks. Although the Bebook Mini supports a huge range of files, be warned that it can often display strange text layouts in certain file formats. For example, in Word and PDF files, odd line breaks tended to appear and the text can be abnormally small. Luckily, you can zoom in!

The BeBook Mini doesn’t have 3G or wi-fi connectivity, so you have to connect to a computer via USB or use SD cards to load books.

Battery life

The battery appears to last up to 7,000 page turns per charge which is not too shabby.

Conclusion

The BeBook Mini is comfortable to use with its page-turning controls at your fingertips and is the perfect size for someone on the go who loves to read.

The controls and menus do however take a little getting used to and having some form of wireless connectivity would be very convenient.
Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Amazon Kindle app for Macs is launched

admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:57:17 +0000

Hallelujah! The Kindle application for Macs is finally available, following its announcement in October last year. With this app, users will have access to more than 325,000 books in the Kindle store, allowing you to download and read the ebooks on your computer, and even add a virtual bookmark to a page so you do not lose your place.

The Kindle for Mac application will synchronise books and bookmarks between a Mac and a Kindle device. Amazon said it would be adding more features to the software in the coming months, including the ability to search the text of a book, create ‘notes’, and add highlights and annotations.

Could this perhaps be Amazon’s first attempt to counteract the threat posed by the Apple iPad, only time will tell.

WF87VFNRUZTBSimilar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Sony Reader Daily Edition PRS-900

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:55:54 +0000

While Sony may be one of the oldest players on the eBook reader market, its line of e-readers are perhaps some of the sleekest and most elegant out there (in a pre-Apple iPad world, at least). The Reader Daily Edition PRS-900 certainly does not let the side down as its svelte, sexy edges and touch display bring a lot to the table.

Design

In terms of design, the Sony Reader Daily Edition is essentially a slightly larger-screened Touch Edition with a 7.1-inch e-ink display. Its metallic slightly brushed finish feels solid and sturdy and attracts far less finger prints which is always a good thing. To protect your investment, the device ships with a nice leather cover (or at least one that feels like leather).

The Daily Edition is exactly the same width as the 6-inch Touch Edition but its height has increased to cater for the larger screen. Weighing in at 12.75 ounces (361.45 grams), it feels natural in hand and is easy to hold for lengthy periods.

The Daily Edition has a Spartan design as it sports just five long, thin buttons lined up beneath the display. These take care of the basic functions of turning pages, accessing the home screen, zooming in and out and firing up the context-dependent options menus. Everything else is controlled through the touchscreen. But less buttons equal a sleeker and more minimalist look that really highlights that sexy metallic finish.

All other necessary ports, sockets and switches are situated at the top and bottom of the device.

Display

The Daily Edition’s 7.1-inch e-ink screen offers a 1024×600 pixel resolution and 16 levels of grayscale. With 16 levels of grayscale, you would automatically expect the Daily Edition to have a good contrast but when placed side-by-side with the Nook and even the Kindle, you will notice that its letters and icons appear much lighter and are harder to see. Unfortunately there is no way to adjust the contrast but you can choose among six typeface sizes using the dedicated size button – extra-small, small, medium, large, extra-large, and extra-extra large. Most people with reasonable eyesight will find that the medium and large font sizes are optimal for reading.

On top of this, the Daily Edition has a few glare issues and though the touchscreen is fairly responsive, you still have to apply a little pressure to get the desired response. The touchscreen is nothing like the capacitive screen like those found on iPhones and other new smartphones.

The Daily Edition works in both portrait and landscape orientations, but because it doesn’t have an accelerometer you have to use a button to change orientation. To deal with the challenges of long line length in landscape mode, Sony have added a two-page per screen view that looks like a traditional print book opened up. The two pages are surprisingly easy to read which is great.

The Daily Edition has a touchscreen that you can manipulate with your fingers or with a stylus that slides into the device’s upper left corner. You can turn pages forward or backward with a finger swipe, and you get to choose whether to use left-to-right or right-to-lift action for this purpose. Swiping and holding your finger down at the end of the swipe allows you to advance or rewind through pages at a fast clip. The swiping is a nice way of giving you the feeling of turning pages in a book.

The home screen is populated with large icons, starting with a thumbnail cover of your most recent reading material on top and your other available books in the middle. At the bottom are icons for accessing your periodicals, other collections, and notes; and below them are tabs leading to the online bookstore, applications, and settings. Navigating through icons can be a bit sluggish but this is typical and expected behaviour of e-ink technology.

Software

The Daily Edition is capable of displaying text, RTF, Word, BBeB Book files, and ePub files, as well as PDFs which opens the door to a variety of free content, including public domain Google Books. Another big plus is that the Daily Edition is compatible with digital books from local libraries, which have just begun lending out e-books using an ePub file format with a 21-day expiration. You can download the books using the Sony desktop software for Windows and Mac or download them directly to the Reader using its wireless connection or USB slot. There is no charge for using the wireless connection. Big thumbs up for that!

Because the Daily Edition has a touchscreen, it is possible to annotate and mark up text or just take notes by hand. The reader does well when interpreting scrawls and sketching.You can write directly on the screen with the included stylus which tucks neatly at the back of the reader. The Oxford American and English dictionaries are on board and you can access these when reading or just use the dictionary itself via an icon in the applications tab.

The Daily Edition is Sony’s first e-reader to provide wireless access to content (via AT&T’s 3G wireless network in the US), and Sony has sought to capitalise on that feature by offering not just a bookstore but wireless delivery of newspapers, either by subscription or as single copies. Several big names in daily print US journalism – including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal – are for sale in Sony’s Reader Store, which you can access from the device. In fact, if you leave wireless on in standby mode, the Daily Edition will automatically download your new subscriptions, so they’ll be waiting for you each morning. The prices are the same as Amazon’s, but the layout is more attractive with a front page presentation that has several graphics and article links. You can also opt to keep several days’ worth of content loaded on your Daily Edition, so you can catch up on the news at your leisure (the device has approximately 2GB of internal memory and can accommodate an SD or Memory Stick expansion card if that’s not enough).

The Reader Store itself has a clean logical layout which is pretty easy to navigate. Sony offers a decent selection of books and periodicals to choose from but that being said, the book selection is nowhere near as comprehensive or cheap as Amazon’s. In addition to that, the book categories could be better organised and refined as it is currently a mish mash of icons, links and banners which makes browsing a tedious process. To get an idea of the store, you can visit Sony’s web browser version here: ebookstore.sony.com.

On the plus side, The Daily Edition can be used to download books and transfer them to the reader in instances where there’s no available or compatible cellular service (such as when you’re travelling overseas).

Battery life

The Lithium Ion battery is designed to go several days or even weeks without having to be recharged (Sony says you should get up to 7 days of battery life with the wireless turned on and more than twice that with it turned off). The music player will shorten runtimes, but it’s not a terribly power-hungry technology.

This Reader ships with an AC adapter and you can also connect the Reader to your PC with the included USB cable.

Conclusion

Benefits

The Daily Edition looks classy, offers an extended screen with more lines of text and has quite an impressive feature set so you won’t be shelling out extra to get basic accessories. The Sony Store experience is enjoyable and pretty smooth. It supports ePUB, PDF and Adobe DRM so it works with library books and Google free books among others.

Downfalls

The screen contrast is not as good as it should be and it is very reflective. Book categories and sub-categories in the Reader Store could be better organised and refined and Sony’s book selection is nowhere near as cheap and comprehensive as Amazon’s.

PS – The Sony Daily Edition is currently only available in the United States.Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com:

Apple delays a few iPad Accessories

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:34:05 +0000

Although the Apple iPad will become available on April 3, certain accessories will not be ready in time for the launch. Apple’s online store have stated that the iPad Dock and VGA adaptor will be available on the 3^rd, but the iPad case will be available in mid-April and the iPad Keyboard Dock and USB Power Adapter have been delayed to May.

Apple has also promised a camera card reader for the iPad, but that is not yet listed as an accessory at the Apple Store.Similar Articles on FindaneBookReader.com: