Walmart and Rakuten Announce New Strategic Alliance

[GlenBarrington]

Let's say, you're waiting for a book that is due out "Real Soon, now". You're in Walmart, walk past the book card display and see that Wally's is selling it via a card. So you toss the card into the cart, next to those socks, and Cheerios.

If Walmart gets a cut of the sale of the book, cards are cheap to print and it wouldn't take too many sales to make it worth while for them.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by John F

Is the proposed legislation only targeting Amazon and Apple? Are you saying it wouldn't affect Kobo for some reason?

It would appear to apply to all portable flat panel equipped devices (yes, that includes Samsung's curved edge screen devices) which would include Apple's portable devices, Microsoft Surface devices, Google, Samsung and other Android devices, etc.

For Kobo devices where they use a connector to attach the battery to the motherboard, it would be unlikely (IMHO) that they would fall into the “permanently affixing a battery in a manner that makes it difficult or impossible to remove” category though it might take a court case or two to decide exactly what that phrase means.

[ZodWallop]

I hope this deal works out for Kobo and they're able to bring back the Glo HD, or an Aura 3 that is 6" with 300 PPI.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by barryem

Best Buy does that as well. I nearly bought a laptop from them till I compared features of the same model with those listed on the manufacturer's website. I did this after reading a warning about this a couple of years earlier about another laptop and that it was a common practice at Best Buy to have a special version of popular devices built for them with fewer features.

At least in the case of the laptop I compared there was a small difference in price but not nearly enough to account for the missing features. I bought the laptop on Amazon at the regular price, which was nearly the same as Best Buy's sale price.

I have bought things from Best Buy but I do so very carefully.

Barry

Part of the reason, is it stops Price Matching claims.
Some just house branded their models
I used to work on older VCR's
RCA also made Sear,and Radio Shack versions (trim and minor circuit diffs. all mechanical s were interchangeable). Just look at some older e-readers (see MR's index) : Astak, BeBook...
Hanlin V5 sold as many different brands

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Are you saying that they are lying about the model number? If I check the specs of a model number that is listed at Best Buy, I expect that to be what is inside. For example on the Acer Swift 3 at Best Buy, the model number that is listed as, SF31452557Y, is what I am getting.

I buy Toshiba. There are 2 parts to the Model. The Primary Eg L875D , Which is used in most ads. Then there is the option/variant level: S7049
They (same primary) all look pretty much the same on the outside, but inside... Mine had a Modem , but only a 2 core processor (I found out about the latter after I had it a while).

[barryem]

Originally Posted by Mivo

A little off topic and I should ask elsewhere, but I have been wondering if the flush/glass screen causes glare effects? Do you see a reflection of yourself on the display in bright surroundings? This didn't occur to me until I read in a review that e-readers with flush screens degrade the text minimally (compared to, say, the display on the Glo), but it has been on my mind since.

It's not the flush screen that degrades things it's the fact that the Glo used an infra-red touch screen and the flush screen forced them to use a capacative touch screen, so that's why the light is less even on the original Aura. A capacative screen requires an additional layer to sense touches while infra-red doesn't.

However, that was early in the life of touch screens and capacative layers are much improved. My new Nook Glowlight 3 uses infra-red and it does make the text a bit sharper than my Kindles but the difference now is very small. You can tell it if you look close, while with the early Kobo's the difference was very noticeable.

I have the latest Paperwhite, the Voyage and the Glowlight 3. The first two are capacative. The Glowlight uses infra-red. Putting them side by side I have to look carefully to tell that. The original Aura was still a good screen. The Paperwhite and the Voyage are truly excellent. The Glowlight is just a bit excelenter.

I really like this new Glowlight for a lot of reasons but my guess is that when the new wears off I'll be back reading on my Paperwhite. It's the ideal reader, to my way of thinking. I liked the flush screen a lot till I realized that having the raised bezel helps me avoid accidental page turns. That, to me, gives the Paperwhite the advantage over the Voyage.

Barry

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by barryem

...I liked the flush screen a lot till I realized that having the raised bezel helps me avoid accidental page turns. That, to me, gives the Paperwhite the advantage over the Voyage.

It's also a defense for the 'chubbier' bezels of the Nook. I would guess accidentally turning pages on the Glowlight Plus wasn't a problem (though I'm tell aware of the capacitive home button issue).

[barryem]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Even though Amazon has finally come out with a larger screen Kindle that runs current firmware, many people are complaining about the poor battery used. So there is still one more thing Amazon can do. Build an Oasis 3 with a better battery.

Also, Washington state might be passing a law that these portable electronics have to have a user replaceable battery. That would be a big deal given that Amazon is in Seattle, Washington. Also, that would mean Apple would have to come out with new devices that all allow user replaceable batteries.

There are lots of things Amazon can do. What I was saying was that they've done all the big stuff already so all we'll see now is little improvements. That's not so bad considering that we already have all the good stuff.

This is the first I've heard of that Washington state law. Can you cite some sources? I have mixed feelings about that. While I'd sure love to see all devices have replaceable batteries I'm not real comfortable with government telling them they have to do that. As it is we get nothing but disposable devices. Even my last two laptops don't have replaceable batteries and I hate that.

Barry

[Apache]

I read so much friends and family have no idea what I have read. They buy gift certificates knowing I will buy books with them.
Apache

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Apache

I read so much friends and family have no idea what I have read. They buy gift certificates knowing I will buy books with them.
Apache

Yeah, even with the readers I know, I wouldn't presume to buy them a book and they likely wouldn't know what to buy me. Our tastes are too varied and different.

[barryem]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

That is a crap gift. Here, have a $5 bill, since I don't want to pretend to know you. If I go to DollarTree and buy a few toys for less money than the $5, then they are appreciated much more.

Sometimes I'll buy a Kindle book I want that's on sale and find there's a huge discount if I also get the audiobook with it. I don't listen to many audiobooks anymore but if it's a book I think my sister might enjoy I'll buy it too. That's pretty much the same thing as buying a card for a certain book for her, at least in principle.

She listens to some. Some are just wasted money. I used to listen to audiobooks a lot. I still do now and then but not often so I probably won't listen to them. But I don't plan to stop doing it.

I'm sure she could take the attitude that if I was a good brother I'd buy her a Cadillac, but she's not like that. If she was I think I'd trade her in for a better sister.

Barry

[barryem]

I think the thing about buying gifts is not that it be as efficient as possible, being sure to use a scheme to get them something they want or need, but just the fun of giving the gift and the fun of receiving it. It's nice if it's a perfect fit but that's certainly not very important.

Barry

[cfrizz]

I've solved that with my brother, we simply tell each other what we want, and that is exactly what we get! I'm not a kid, I don't need to be surprised, I want to get something that I will use and enjoy.

[ekbell]

In our family we provide more or less detailed wish lists depending on taste. Sometimes people ask for a particular book, sometimes they ask for "a book on European folklore that gives sources'", sometimes they ask for 'Unique and original well written novels of fiction, preferably but not necessarily fantasy, to expand my literary horizons".

My iPod touch needs a battery replacement so I must say that I can understand the desire to force a change in design.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I've solved that with my brother, we simply tell each other what we want, and that is exactly what we get! I'm not a kid, I don't need to be surprised, I want to get something that I will use and enjoy.

My family does this too.

The thing I don't like about gift cards is that the recipient knows exactly how much the giver spent. When you give an actual item, the recipient may have some idea of the value but won't know if you paid full price or got it on a super sale.

That said, if someone gives me a gift card to an ebook store, I won't complain!