Reading on a Smartphone

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Maybe so in practice, but that's not how Amazon is selling it:

Andrew, the people here at Mobileread are not the masses that advertising is aimed at. I don't care how Amazon markets the Fire. We are, and here I use a two-dollar word "eclectic." I like that word for my wives and "others" as well.

I look at what it is and what it does and finally how it fits my needs.

The new Nook Color is more a tablet than the Fire because it has more ability to be general purpose. It is still lacking though.

Other than on the tablet comparisons, the Fire will be successful because it is superb at media consumption when used in unison with Amazon's environment, and that is Jeff Bezos's plan.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by Filark

I'm looking forward to the 5" Galaxy Note -- when it gets to the U.S. -- as an easy-to-carry phone/mini-tablet/ereader. It might replace my 6" reader/7" tablet Pocket eDGe (which I wish had cellphone calling abilities), but it won't replace my 9.7" reader for when I have the luxury of sitting and enjoying my books!

If I remember right, the Note is 5.3" AMOLED high resolution.
Wonderful.
But very expensive. Twice as much as the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus my boy bought me, and I would never have spent that much myself.

In a few years though I would like to have one of those really great displays, IPS or AMOLED high resolution when the prices come down.

I went ahead and looked it up.
The Galaxy Note:
Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 800 x 1280 pixels, 5.3 inches (~285 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

IMO, LCD tablets are not Ereaders.

My car might have the ability to play music from the dashboard, but I wouldn't call the car a Stereo System. It's still a car, that also happens to have the ability to play music via a module.

Good buddy, you are speaking for your car, not mine.
My last car had 6 speakers including sub-woofer, and definitely competed with most people's "Stereos."
My current truck with extended cab has a 3 multi-speaker system that is supposed to be the equivalent of the 6 (5.1) system.

[Filark]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

If I remember right, the Note is 5.3" AMOLED high resolution.
Wonderful.
But very expensive. Twice as much as the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus my boy bought me, and I would never have spent that much myself.

In a few years though I would like to have one of those really great displays, IPS or AMOLED high resolution when the prices come down.

I went ahead and looked it up.
The Galaxy Note:
Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Size 800 x 1280 pixels, 5.3 inches (~285 ppi pixel density)
Multitouch Yes
Protection Corning Gorilla Glass

Sure hope I can afford it, because that sounds great!!

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Good buddy, you are speaking for your car, not mine.
My last car had 6 speakers including sub-woofer, and definitely competed with most people's "Stereos."
My current truck with extended cab has a 3 multi-speaker system that is supposed to be the equivalent of the 6 (5.1) system.

wow. Aren't you THE guy...

I must say I did not really miss those peeing contests since RockDaMan is gone, but I see we have a successor

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

So you think to set a clever trap with your sly ways, do you?

First I will quote:
"The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch tablet that links seamlessly with Amazon's impressive collection of digital music, video, magazine, and book services in one easy-to-use package. It boasts a great Web browser, and its curated Android app store includes most of the big must-have apps (such as Netflix, Pandora, and Hulu). The Fire has an ultra-affordable price tag, and the screen
quality is exceptional for the price." - CNET

Then I will say the Fire is more a reader or viewer than a tablet. To be a tablet it would need more "on board" storage, more flexibility, more openness. I would call it a "crippled tablet" perhaps, or even a "super" reader.

So, in my studied opinion, the Fire is indeed an eReader.

It's a device which can be used for reading, certainly, but so is my iPhone. Neither, however, is an "eReader" (IMHO).

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Good buddy, you are speaking for your car, not mine.
My last car had 6 speakers including sub-woofer, and definitely competed with most people's "Stereos."
My current truck with extended cab has a 3 multi-speaker system that is supposed to be the equivalent of the 6 (5.1) system.

The quality of the system isn't the point. You could have the worlds greatest audio setup in your car, but it still remains a car. You'd say you drive your car. You wouldn't say you drive an audio system.

Likewise, an LCD tablet with the best reader app is still an LCD tablet, not an ereader. That term is reserved for specialised devices dedicated to ereading.

[toddos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's a device which can be used for reading, certainly, but so is my iPhone. Neither, however, is an "eReader" (IMHO).

If your definition of "ereader" is "an eink device design exclusively for displaying ebooks", then sure, none of the tablet/reader devices (Nook Color/Tablet, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox) are "ereaders". However if you look at who's selling them (major ebook sellers Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Kobo) and how the devices are designed (custom shells designed to expose books and magazines as top-level content), they most certainly are ereaders. That they can do more is just a bonus.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 can both play videos and music and have stores where you can buy TV shows, movies, apps where you can stream movies and music, etc. But nobody would say that they're not game consoles first and foremost. It's the same thing with the NC/NT/KF/KV. They're ereaders first that can also do more.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by toddos

If your definition of "ereader" is "an eink device design exclusively for displaying ebooks", then sure, none of the tablet/reader devices (Nook Color/Tablet, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox) are "ereaders". However if you look at who's selling them (major ebook sellers Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Kobo) and how the devices are designed (custom shells designed to expose books and magazines as top-level content), they most certainly are ereaders. That they can do more is just a bonus.

No, I didn't mention eInk. There are certainly non-eInk eReaders. The Jetbook would be one example.

My definition of an eReader is a device whose primary function is reading. The iPhone and iPad are not eReaders, by my definition, because reading isn't the main purpose that they're designed for.

Perhaps devices like the Nook Color are; I couldn't say, never having seen one.

[toddos]

Originally Posted by HarryT

No, I didn't mention eInk. There are certainly non-eInk eReaders. The Jetbook would be one example.

My definition of an eReader is a device whose primary function is reading. The iPhone and iPad are not eReaders, by my definition, because reading isn't the main purpose that they're designed for.

Perhaps devices like the Nook Color are; I couldn't say, never having seen one.

Primary functionality, or only functionality? Because the tablet ereaders I've been mentioning (Nook Color, Nook Tablet, Kindle Fire, Kobo Vox) are primarily designed as ereaders. Their main interfaces put books (and magazines and comics) front and center on the device. That's how I differentiate between "tablet" and "ereader". A general tablet or smartphone almost certainly can read books, but primary device interface is a list of apps/widgets. The bookshelf is a secondary object, "hidden" within ereader apps, not exposed at the top level. Think of it this way -- to read books on an iPad you must first open iBooks or Kindle or whatever reader app you're using. To read books on one of the tablet ereaders I've mentioned, you do not need to open an app. You simply need to choose a book from the top-level bookshelf. That there may also be games or apps or videos on that same bookshelf doesn't make it any less of an ereader, just as putting DVDs and board games alongside books on a real physical bookshelf makes it any less of a bookshelf.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

The quality of the system isn't the point. You could have the worlds greatest audio setup in your car, but it still remains a car. You'd say you drive your car. You wouldn't say you drive an audio system.

Likewise, an LCD tablet with the best reader app is still an LCD tablet, not an ereader. That term is reserved for specialised devices dedicated to ereading.

I could match you point for point, but that could just go on forever, so I will just say, you are stretching man, but you don't want anyone else to stretch.

It is a virtue to be generous.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by aceflor

wow. Aren't you THE guy...

I must say I did not really miss those peeing contests since RockDaMan is gone, but I see we have a successor

Occasionally on a week end night, you might find me over at the Mall Parking Lot with the kids, with our hoods raised and our trunks and truck bed covers popped letting the SOUNDS out.

[HansTWN]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

Occasionally on a week end night, you might find me over at the Mall Parking Lot with the kids, with our hoods raised and our trunks and truck bed covers popped letting the SOUNDS out.

I am not so sure if you are the right successor for RockDaMan. He was a fanatical defender of anything and everything related to Apple. The ultimate fanboi.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by SeaKing

I could match you point for point, but that could just go on forever, so I will just say, you are stretching man, but you don't want anyone else to stretch.

It is a virtue to be generous.

It's not stretching at all. A rose is a rose is a rose.

[SeaKing]

Originally Posted by HansTWN

I am not so sure if you are the right successor for RockDaMan. He was a fanatical defender of anything and everything related to Apple. The ultimate fanboi.

I guess he is one of the "distant" relatives that dad would never talk about. They ran shine, and two got hung.