That's strange, as such info seems very basic to me, yet, on Amazon/BN I couldn't find such information. All it shows is the publishing of the book, which really happened long time after it was released.

e.g, I'd like to know the original release date of LOTR and can't find it anywhere, simply bcuz the original version is no longer on Amazon/BN.

Any ideas on where I can find the first publish date? It would be best if there was actually some hidden info like that on BN or Amazon.

The Library of Congress (LOC) (http://www.loc.gov/) is the de facto place in the U.S. to check original publishing info, but it doesn't include British publications (LOTR was first published in England, in 1954-55). In LOTR's case, there have been a myriad of versions since the original, so it would take some detective work to figure out what was the true first edition for a book like this. But normally, the LOC is your best bet to start with.

The majority of books published, however, are only published once...so the dates at Amazon/BN, etc., are good indicates most of the time. It used to be that you could trust a hardcover to be the first issue of a book, followed later by a paperback...but that's not the case any more.

Cheers,

vitalyb...how do you like your zire 71? thinking about getting one.

Tiny bit out of subject ;).

Anyhow, I love my Z71 :). If you buy it I highly recommend also to buy the GREAT metal case.
I can't think of any serious gripes about the Z71, especially if you use the metal case.

While I wish for a more longer battery life, I can't really complain as there isn't anything beter. In fact the only problem I see in the Z71 (after 3 months of use) is that the hard buttons are not easily clickable by the stylus (they are smooth).

I won't enumerate the good parts of Z71 simply because they are too many.