Navy eReader Device (NeRD)

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The Navy also has an OverDrive library for sailors (& families) to use with personal devices...
http://navy.lib.overdrive.com/9691E9...en/Default.htm

And that library has the largest audiobook and 15th largest ebook collections in OverDrive.

[Glorfindel]

Originally Posted by ApK

I can make several arguments for what you think of as "better" not being "better" at all in this case.

ok, poor word choise

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by HarryT

$50 to the manufacturer, and $5000 to the tax-payer?

Quite possible.
And it might even be defensible; small lot, custom firmware, secure system certification...

The contract might carry $100-200k in programing costs alone. That's $600 per device right there. If the readers carry 100 contemporary titles at $3 a pop, that's another $100k, maybe $300k. And those are direct costs. Add in overhead, GSA negotiation costs... Easy to get to a million real fast.

Government contract costs carry more than just the manufacturing costs, many of which are associated with being allowed to sell through GSA. Which is why, a few decades back, they started a program to issue credit cards to operational groups at the branch level so they could get consumer grade consumables and small purchases quickly and cheaply.

[DaleDe]

Look interesting. I made a wiki page for this product see NeRD. I see that the books are direct from Publishers, no DRM needed for this product.

Dale

[speakingtohe]

Are all other ereaders prohibited on submarines? I would think a non-wifi device would be allowed?

Helen

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Are all other ereaders prohibited on submarines? I would think a non-wifi device would be allowed?

For security reasons there may be a prohibition on any USB storage devices, which would include all ordinary ebook reading devices.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

For security reasons there may be a prohibition on any USB storage devices, which would include all ordinary ebook reading devices.

ahh! I understand finally. Spy VS Spy Do the do a full body cavity search for micro USB cards etc.?

Of course they could allow readers with no USB port or wireless like the Sony 350? and at least 20 others.

Anyway I am sure the NeRD is all the rage if for nothing else than the cool acronym.

Helen

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Of course they could allow readers with no USB port or wireless like the Sony 350? and at least 20 others.

The 350 and all other reading devices have at a minimum a USB port.

[tubemonkey]

Here's an article from the Navy Times that might be of interest:


Limited online access stresses sailors at sea (Apr 2012)

ABOARD THE CARRIER ENTERPRISE — In a room about half the size of a tennis court, half a dozen sailors are waiting for a seat to open up at one of 30 computers lining the bulkheads.

With a library next door, it's like a high school media center, only the patrons are a few years older than the typical student and wearing Navy working uniforms.

This particular day wasn't that busy — sailors waited a few minutes or so to log on and check their email, write home, look at their bank accounts, catch up on the news and scan Facebook.

"The biggest thing is social networks and email," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class (SW) Jose Santiago, who was running the media center that day in January.

While sailors have a list of things they need to do online, they have one challenge to negotiate: They're working on the equivalent of a dial-up network. Carriers and other ships have plenty of broadband access, but a large portion of it is devoted to the ship's war-fighting capability. What's left is used by the 5,000 sailors onboard for their personal business and recreation, and given the number of users online at any moment, it's a particularly slow connection.

[cromag]

First off, not everyone likes touch screens. (I don't.) And, for a shared device that's going to be used in an environment where it might encounter grease, etc., the touch screen might be even less attractive.

And I can understand the thinking behind a closed system.

And, finally, as someone who used to spend weeks (or months) in isolated environments, I think this is an incredibly good idea!

[FizzyWater]

NeRD.

Honestly, if this had come out last month, I would have assumed it was a late April Fools joke.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

The 350 and all other reading devices have at a minimum a USB port.

Mine didn't oops sorry it didn't
I was thinking card port.
Mea culpa

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Mine didn't

If yours didn't have a USB port how did you put books on it?

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

If yours didn't have a USB port how did you put books on it?

I was wrong and edited my last post.
Sorry

[IcecreamLtDan]

USB devices are not allowed on government computers. I'm civil sevice and deal with that everyday so I can only imagine being on a ship or submarine it's even more strict. The multi function machies I deal with, and part of my job is repairing them, have their USB ports and fax capabilities disabled if they are on a government network that has internet access.