New Basic Kindle from Amazon

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

I heard a Kindle with white frame would make the e-ink background display looked more grayish instead of white. Is that true? Or would the white Kindle feel more like a book since a real printed book doesn't have a black frame around the pages.

Once you are reading it hardly matters. The color is mostly for when you are not reading, IMO.

And why are we still trying to emulate a "real" printed book with ereaders? I find that I don't like to read a paper book any more - too many limitations (weight, fixed font sizes, no builtin dictionary, ...). Pbook and ebook are two different things. There is still room to improve ereaders (e.g. color in sunlight).

Edit: Just noticed that the Paperwhite will be available in white as well (released june 30th in US)

[kacir]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

I heard a Kindle with white frame would make the e-ink background display looked more grayish instead of white.

Yes, it will.
On the other hand, it will make the text look blacker ;-)

I had white[ish] PocketBook 360 and it was a fantastic device.

[soulfuldog]

I have a white Kobo Mini and don't like the white bezel at all. I really like the dark blue of my Sony though.

It comes down to personal preference.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Glorfindel

Hmmmm... Bluetooth... wonder what else that could be used for after jb...

Bluetooth seem logical these days.
You can transfer files (from phone?), use you earpiece (that you may already have in your ear for your phone) or BT equipped Speakers

[Barty]

No mention of audible or TTS on product page. So for now at least it is only voice view.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Barty

No mention of audible or TTS on product page. So for now at least it is only voice view.

I suspect audible is not there although it would be nice if it was. I do think TTS is there as this is a feature needed by accessibility tool VoiceView.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I suspect audible is not there although it would be nice if it was. I do think TTS is there as this is a feature needed by accessibility tool VoiceView.

The business case for VoiceView is huge: they can now promote Kindle for government contracts, institutional and educational. Adding TTS and Audible support might sell a few hundred additional Kindles.

I think TTS is in reach now (if enough people ask for it), but as a heavy Audible user, a Kindle is the last device I would want to use for listening to Audiobooks. It would be fun if they could enable 'immersion reading' by streaming the audio, however, so you would not need to store huge audio files.

I will be curious to learn if TTS people will find VoiceView workable for them (once one has gone to the trouble of connecting audio adapter and/or Bluetooth audio output device).

Note that when it is enabled, you lose access to a number of features, and enabling and disabling it requires connecting and disconnecting the audio adapter (or I assume with this Kindle, connecting and disconnecting Bluetooth device).

I'll be curious if the Bluetooth supports volume and playback controls on the headset. Hope so. It would also be nice if they include keyboard profile so you could use an external keyboard to enter text and/or use arrow buttons to turn pages (with or without VoiceView enabled).

[Julius Caesar]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

And why are we still trying to emulate a "real" printed book with ereaders? I find that I don't like to read a paper book any more - too many limitations (weight, fixed font sizes, no builtin dictionary, ...). Pbook and ebook are two different things. There is still room to improve ereaders (e.g. color in sunlight).

Because there are certain books in which it is still better to read the hard copy than to read the e-reader or a tablet version.

Text book for example. I wouldn't want to read a text book with an e-reader or even a full size tablet since none of them have two screens side by side which is very important when reading a huge text book.

Moreover, when reading a text book, one would frequently need to refer to one part of the book while reading another part of the same book. With a hard copy, it is a breeze to flip back and forth between say page 50 and page 100 of the same book. Try that with an electronic device. It would be too cumbersome and too disorienting.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Because there are certain books in which it is still better to read the hard copy than to read the e-reader or a tablet version.

Text book for example. I wouldn't want to read a text book with an e-reader or even a full size tablet since none of them have two screens side by side which is very important when reading a huge text book.

Everybody I know uses an ereader primarily to read novels. A few read cookbooks and such (although I prefer a tablet for those kinds of things). Textbooks... wow.. don't think I've read one of those since the mid-90s . Tells you how reading changes over your lifetime.

I agree with you though. Books with tables or requiring a lot of flipping around are best as paperbooks or a pdf you can read on a computer with a large screen and bookmark and annotate.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Moreover, when reading a text book, one would frequently need to refer to one part of the book while reading another part of the same book. With a hard copy, it is a breeze to flip back and forth between say page 50 and page 100 of the same book. Try that with an electronic device. It would be too cumbersome and too disorienting.

You are thinking too much paper book here. Unless you have two physical copies of the same book, then it is impossible to have page 50 and page 100 open at the same time. Ebook? Get a second device to leave page 50 open. Reading software that allows tabs? Same functionality as a single book in one device. It is even better as you can have different books open on the same device and flip between them with no less hassle than to flip between tabs in same book.

Currently? Hardware and software is lacking at least when you require electronic paper. Already doable with two large tablets right now. Sony's DPTS1 is one step closer - and it may likely be a competitor that will get it right.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Glorfindel

Hmmmm... Bluetooth... wonder what else that could be used for after jb...

Be King of Denmark

I would like to see audible work on the new kindle like the kindle keyboard. Bit of a pain to find a Windows machine to put audiobooks on my MP3 player.

[Tarana]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

Be King of Denmark

I would like to see audible work on the new kindle like the kindle keyboard. Bit of a pain to find a Windows machine to put audiobooks on my MP3 player.

Just get a Fire for $39. Plays audiobooks from Audible very nicely. Also has bluetooth which lets you play to any of your bluetooth speakers. The speaker on the Fire is superior to what was on the Kindle Keyboard (I no longer use it for that). I do get that it's a second device to carry around if you prefer an ereader over a tablet. I use a nano for audiobook carry along usually.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Julius Caesar

Moreover, when reading a text book, one would frequently need to refer to one part of the book while reading another part of the same book. With a hard copy, it is a breeze to flip back and forth between say page 50 and page 100 of the same book. Try that with an electronic device. It would be too cumbersome and too disorienting.

It works pretty well in a PDF reader with a tabbed interface allowing you to have more than one tab open on the same book. Have one tab for reading and another for doing the "flipping". This is precisely the way I use reference material on my iPad using the "GoodReader" app.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by Tarana

Just get a Fire for $39. Plays audiobooks from Audible very nicely. Also has bluetooth which lets you play to any of your bluetooth speakers. The speaker on the Fire is superior to what was on the Kindle Keyboard (I no longer use it for that). I do get that it's a second device to carry around if you prefer an ereader over a tablet. I use a nano for audiobook carry along usually.

I've looked at the fire, unfortunately can't buy them in Australia (or ship directly from Amazon anymore). Would need to go through a shipping forwarder and the cost makes it out of reach for what I get.

For the time being I will live with audiobooks on my mobile phone. I for one am more inclined to have two devices that do each job really well, than one device that does two jobs in a mediocre way.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by kaibob

Boy do I agree with this.

Some time ago, Amazon went all-Apple in naming their devices; dropped all version numbers and/or dates, just like Apple did. It's just confusing; the same is true with stuff like routers. For example, the NetGear WNDR3700 has been in stores for 10 years, but they're now up to version 5.

"How to determine which version you have?"
- *Insert convoluted explanation right here*

What would have been wrong with naming the original product WINDR3701, and then go for WNDR3702, and so on?

Same with the Kindles, MacBooks, and all other devices that go all hipster-like with no version numbers.