Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I do have one of these new devices - a Dell Inspiron 11z. I wouldn't dream of using it as a reader, unless I was really stuck. Personally I far prefer eInk devices.
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Harry, I wasn't really referring to three pound laptops when I mentioned netbooks as readers. My two netbooks are light enough that I can (jokingly) use them as hand fans on a hot day. Holding one of them to read from is easy and relaxing.
Perhaps clarifying the terminology would help. The gadget press is calling them "
smartbooks" now. They are small and light like netbooks, but they use ARM processors, the same as cellphones. They are designed to have all-day battery life and always-on connectivity, again like cellphones. They can switch between WiFi and 3G seamlessly.
My Android phone is an example of the technology, though it is pocket-sized. I can surf the net using browsers and applications running within Google Android. The screen is a touch-screen. The user interface is easier for me than Windows. I use several readers on the device. My favorite is FBReader. It is easy to use for long periods of time and I can read in the dark.
The smartbook will be a little bigger, but offer the same features, maybe including telephony. It will be more usable as a computer than the smartphone because it will have a human-sized keyboard to go with the touch-screen. Cloud computing a la Google is quite usable at this point.
Freescale's reference design aims to put these devices into the hands of consumers at below $200. Chinese companies have limited versions out for
$80 and
$149.
HP and
Lenovo have smartbooks out now running Android.
Battery life has been the holy grail of portable devices. It is that which has given usability to the e-ink devices. I find my 'droid phone sharp and readable. The opportunity to carry one device with me instead of two is just too tempting. Will I ever buy another dedicated reader? Hide and watch
