Simple Touch: buy now or wait for update?

[RobynJane]

Well, even if a new NST comes out with updated (read: better) software, you can always upgrade the software. VicLavigne is right: if you keep waiting for The Perfect eBook Reader, you'll never buy one at all.

My first was a PalmPilot. Sure, it was limited, but it was a place to start. Everything gets improved, and everything becomes obsolete as a result. Hey, my first computer was a Kaypro running CP/M! I loved it then, and I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. After all, there aren't that many computers that can fit your operating system, word processor, spell checker and its dictionaries, and thesaurus on a single 390K floppy disk. And even though that machine (running at 4MHz) booted a lot faster than my current laptop, I wouldn't go back to it.

Robyn Jane

[RAH]

Originally Posted by inkyness

Personally I don't think it's dumb to strategically delay your purchase until just after a new one is released, especially if it's only a month or two away.

I agree with you. If a new model is coming out any day, there seems no reason not to wait, IMHO. It might be cheaper and better! There's no reason to slavishly follow some words of wisdom that you'd never buy anything if you waited till something is perfect.

[azazel1024]

I don't think it would hurt to wait a couple of months, but purely up to you. As cheap as refurbs are, I'd get one know if you don't have an eInk reader. $65 is the price of 3 hardback books.

I love my Nook ST. I had battery drain issues on my first one as well, but the replacement is working like a charm. It has to be a hardware issue that is causing it, but it is not all that limited. I couldn't even tell you how many are impacted, but considering some people have gotten replacements that had the same battery drain issue, I'd hazard a guess at anywhere from 1 in 100 to 1 in 10 are impacted.

Beyond that, there are plenty of improvements. The most rumored upon is a front lit screen. I forget the company that just released their "tech", but in effect it is a front lit layer over the eInk screen that is a few microns thick that is "edge lit" with 1 or two small LEDs, but that the light is pretty well diffused evenly over the front of the display with the diffusion/lighting layer. Not like Sony's disaterous front lighting they attempted before.

Other than that, no idea what they might add. I can't see them doing ONLY that. I wouldn't necessarily bet on a faster processor, more memory, longer battery life or anything like that...but at the same time, I also can't see them not adding ANY improvements to try to counter the Kindle touch.

I don't know where eInk stands with the screen tech, but based on some densities for other eInk displays, it sounds like they might be able to produce and B&N source a higher density panel, maybe in the 768x1024 or 720x960 range. That doesn't sound like a huge improvement, but to my eyes holding my nook ST at a comfortable reading distance, I can just barely see the slightest hint of pixelation. It looks nothing like LCD/CRT pixelation, but it is still noticable, if barely. To me even a very small step up in resolution should cure that and make the text sharper (and graphics, but to me that doesn't matter all that much).

Really what I'd love to see, and I hope eInk is working on, is higher contrast screens with more grey shades. Sure, I'd dig one with 3 or 4x the contrast and 256 shades of grey, but heck I'd jump on one with even just 20-30% better contrast and 32 instead of 16 shades of grey.

According to eInk's specs on the Pearl display, the resoltion capability exceeds 200DPI. So I don't know if that is simple marketing hype, or if that means that the 6" eInk pearl displays that everyone is using is simply "the best" display that eInk can produce at the price point that the manufacturers are willing to pay for their eReaders. Current density is around 164DPI (I measured the width of my Nook ST screen at ~3.675 inches). So that to me at least says that they could ramp up the density a little. 702x960 would get you to 193DPI and 768x1024 would get you 212DPI...which might be beyond the capabilities of eInk Pearl...or maybe not.

At any rate, what I'd love to see them do is figure out a way to make the things more power efficient...or at least hold the line. See if they can't squeeze a little bit more responsiveness in to them. A slightly higher resolution screen would be super nice. Something with higher contrast and more grey levels would also be nice, but I won't hold my breath on that unless eInk is "hiding" a new eInk technology. All that plus a front lit screen that actually was pretty diffuse lighting and energy efficient (seems like they should be able to manage that, I have an LED book light that takes a pair of CR lithium button cell batteries that is probably on roughly hour+ and still going strong). Give me that and I will deffinitely go out and get one, especially if it is in the $99 price range. Up around $149 and I'd have to think about it, but give it a few months and I am sure I'll talk myself in to it.

[spinee]

Originally Posted by azazel1024

Really what I'd love to see, and I hope eInk is working on, is higher contrast screens with more grey shades. Sure, I'd dig one with 3 or 4x the contrast and 256 shades of grey, but heck I'd jump on one with even just 20-30% better contrast and 32 instead of 16 shades of grey.

According to eInk's specs on the Pearl display, the resoltion capability exceeds 200DPI. So I don't know if that is simple marketing hype, or if that means that the 6" eInk pearl displays that everyone is using is simply "the best" display that eInk can produce at the price point that the manufacturers are willing to pay for their eReaders. Current density is around 164DPI (I measured the width of my Nook ST screen at ~3.675 inches). So that to me at least says that they could ramp up the density a little. 702x960 would get you to 193DPI and 768x1024 would get you 212DPI...which might be beyond the capabilities of eInk Pearl...or maybe not.

i don't know about the pearl displays, and no idea about cost, but seiko has produced an e-ink watch with excellent contrast & 300dpi resolution. i'd love to see this on a reader!

[RAH]

I agree that there is plenty of room for improvement in eink display technology. Even though I could live with the current Touch forever and find its display just fine, you really can see the pixels somewhat and it could be even sharper for sure. I mean for example, to my eyes the letters on a Color Nook look much sharper. I don't use it much for reading because I don't like the backlit display technology, but it shows what letters can look like when they are really sharp.

And, of course, there's always room for improvement in battery life. How about charge every 6 months! (actually that might not be good - you might forget and then get stuck).

[dixieknits]

I bought one on Black Friday on an impulse buying spree at BN (kid's toys were all 1/2 off) and chose it over the then new smaller Kindle because of it's having an SD card , page turning buttons and page numbers. I've never put more than 10 or so books on it at once, so the card was not needed and the page turn buttons were and still are so hard to use that they pretty much ended being non-existent. I think I would like nice light touch page buttons like the old Nook..I've had great luck with the battery life and love the pearl-ink screen.

[geertm]

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...en/#more-32602

[inkyness]

Originally Posted by geertm

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...en/#more-32602

Wow! That's really exciting. I never expected it to release as soon as in the next week or two.

I wonder if there are any differences other than the lighting.

[tdonline]

Originally Posted by dixieknits

I bought one on Black Friday on an impulse buying spree at BN (kid's toys were all 1/2 off)

Same story here. I bought a toy at 1/2 off for a Xmas gift too. I was more curious than concerned about the Black Friday crowd but it turned out there were only a handful of us that morning. There were more BN clerks than customers. I shouldn't have doubted it, my neighborhood isn't much of a Black Friday rush crowd. It was an amusingly pleasant Black Friday experience.

[Nahgem]

Originally Posted by geertm

http://www.the-digital-reader.com/20...en/#more-32602

Unnecessary, but so shiny! Man, if I'd known, I might have waited the last couple of months to upgrade my classic to the touch.

[Asawi]

While I wouldn't mind a front-lit screen (if indeed the extra layer doesn't dull up the screen) I'm not sure I want to pay initial launch price. Not that I know what that is, but probably a lot more than the $65 or whatever the refurbs are sold at now!
Whatever the initial price will be it's likely to come down in a while (or there will be refurbs available),and then I might want to jump in!

But that's me! I totally underestand those that choose another route! ANd maybe I'm wrong about the price point. I would actually love to be wrong about this!

[RAH]

Originally Posted by Nahgem

Unnecessary, but so shiny!

Do you mean that the front-lit screen looks shiny? This would be a deal killer for me. I like the matte look of the current Touch. If the new layer adds glare to it, that would be terrible and not worth the light feature that it adds, IMHO.

[Asawi]

Originally Posted by RAH

Do you mean that the front-lit screen looks shiny? This would be a deal killer for me. I like the matte look of the current Touch. If the new layer adds glare to it, that would be terrible and not worth the light feature that it adds, IMHO.

I suspect it's "shiny" as in "oh, new shiny, pretty thing"

The light feature would only be interesting to me if it has no effect what-so-ever on the display when not in use. Let's hope for that, because that would be so cool! "Oh, shiny new toy!"

[azazel1024]

Originally Posted by Asawi

While I wouldn't mind a front-lit screen (if indeed the extra layer doesn't dull up the screen) I'm not sure I want to pay initial launch price. Not that I know what that is, but probably a lot more than the $65 or whatever the refurbs are sold at now!
Whatever the initial price will be it's likely to come down in a while (or there will be refurbs available),and then I might want to jump in!

But that's me! I totally underestand those that choose another route! ANd maybe I'm wrong about the price point. I would actually love to be wrong about this!

That is what I am thinking. I might not get a refurb (though maybe I would), but especially considering my Nook ST is only 5 months old, and technically this one is 2 months old since I had to get a replacement, I'll probably stick with it for at least another few months before going the upgrade route. However, there will be lots of jealousy and lust from me...and nice to know that there is an "upgrade path" as it were.

[Nahgem]

Originally Posted by Asawi

I suspect it's "shiny" as in "oh, new shiny, pretty thing"

Indeed, that's what I meant.