Maybe Not The End

[CommonReader]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

I appreciate your not wanting to bicker about this, but then why dog me over four posts about the least important spec of a given reader -- the advantages to which I've observed consistently over time privately and in public, discussed with tons of users, and about which there's corroboration all over the net?

That's simply because you pointed it out as having a significant impact, even on the UI, which I consider difficult to understand. Perhaps wifi is using different Ghz bands in the US and therefore g standard is less reliable because of more interference. Otherwise I simply cannot understand why a reader with its quite low data transfer rates should be affected by this.

Apple uses the same standard hardware components as anyone else. Therefore it is not likely that there is a notable difference in wlan reception to comparable Windows notebooks.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by Poppaea

So if people insist about talking what one can do with an artificially altered device and not about what it is able to do when one buys it, we will have to compare PRS+ with the rooted Nook.

With all due respect, comparing PRS+ with Android is akin to comparing my old Nokia phone with iPhone. PRS+ does provide some extra functionality, but it has a couple of orders of magnitude less potential for expansion than Android. I don't want to put down anyone's efforts, it's just а simple fact.

You don't have to root Android to enable loading third party apps. IIRC, a couple of months ago B&N issued an update to nook Color, which essentially turned it into a general purpose Android tablet, with Android Market support. No root required.

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

The thing that does make my discussion of the rooted ST premature, however, is the fact that no one has actually tried it.

The nook was rooted a couple of days after its release. Some developers are modifying their application to support new paging buttons. Many applications just run unmodified (e.g. Angry Birds).

[Prestidigitweeze]

Originally Posted by CommonReader

That's simply because you pointed it out as having a significant impact, even on the UI, which I consider difficult to understand.

Finding something difficult to understand is not the same as endlessly disputing someone else's empirical evidence based purely on your own. "I haven't found that to be true" is reasonable. "I haven't found that to be true so you must be wrong" seems a bit less so.

We're talking about the browser first and the UI's smartphone-like refreshing of various elements second. Anyone who's used the browser on a device not made for web surfing and then done the same thing with a direct connection can see the difference.

If Draft N weren't a selling point and didn't affect internet-dependent tasks for non-HD devices, then why do you think B&N included it, and why do you think the next PSP will have it? How many of Apple's devices that have it are HD? And why would you turn into my man Lee Marvin and go deadpan-insistent over a dinky ambiguity? No, you don't live in my country (normally, I'd envy you, BTW) and, no, you haven't experienced the conditions I'm talking about. But even if we lived in the same country, what's the payoff in being inflexible? You say you don't understand and that's why you keep bringing this up. But how is insisting that Draft N couldn't possibly make a difference -- without trying to support your position, without linking to any sources that would back up your theory, but also without bending an inch to allow you might be incorrect -- helping anyone to understand anything about anything?

Porkupan:

Have the people who rooted the ST tried running PDF and other non-B&N reader applications? If so, what do they report? Links, mayhaps?

[JayB]

As far as E-readers are concerned I think the only advantage of Draft N would be longer range from your router and less interference from all the things using 2.4Ghz. I dont see any tasks on a E-reader that could even come close to using the bandwidth available to even a 802.11g connection.

The reason people are including it in new products is because there really isnt that much cost difference. It also gives you a check box feature for your product.

[Leyor]

Originally Posted by porkupan

With all due respect, comparing PRS+ with Android is akin to comparing my old Nokia phone with iPhone. PRS+ does provide some extra functionality, but it has a couple of orders of magnitude less potential for expansion than Android. I don't want to put down anyone's efforts, it's just а simple fact.

It's a bit like comparing apples and oranges though.

In terms of pure E-read functionality the PRS+ provides some stuff enhancing the e-reading experience, that people will be happy for on a daily basis, that can't be found anywhere else.

In terns of everything else, Android opens a big brave world, where much of it will have zero impact on the reading experience itself, but allow you to do many other things.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by Prestidigitweeze

Porkupan:

Have the people who rooted the ST tried running PDF and other non-B&N reader applications? If so, what to they report? Links, mayhaps?

I don't know the full list of apps people tried to run. It seems to be pretty big and growing. I only try to keep track of nook developments at Russian eBook forum. So I know for instance that Nomad1, the author of Nomad Reader, has updated his book reading application to support STR. Someone tried CoolReader and FBReader - both work well (including support for ColorDict dictionary application), but the physical buttons have not been updated to support this particular device configuration, so that may be coming in near future.

I haven't seen any PDF reading applications being tested yet. The Market appears to be working.

[sonyreaderfan]

http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2011/...something-new/

Something is up. This blog shows a tweet of a person getting a call from a Sony Office of President (Steve Haber? Didn't say) asking how her returned and fixed ereader is.

[porkupan]

Originally Posted by sonyreaderfan

http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2011/...something-new/

Something is up. This blog shows a tweet of a person getting a call from a Sony Office of President (Steve Haber? Didn't say) asking how her returned and fixed ereader is.

Don't know about that. Many companies call to inquire how satisfactory was the repair experience. Perhaps the new instruction in the Bangalore call center is to introduce oneself as "from the office of the President".

My 650 was in repair for a genuine defect (non-working lower half of touch panel) for about two months around the beginning of the year. It took me 4 calls into repair hotline to get Sony to finally issue a replacement Reader (apparently, they couldn't fix the old one). A few days after I got a replacement unit, I got a satisfaction survey via email. I wrote what I thought about the quality and speed of their repair work. No reaction whatsoever followed.

I doubt "the President" is all of a sudden involved in the affairs of the repair center. But... they do need all the good will they can scramble these days, so calling customers may have been ordered.

However, the news are not all bad. It seems that Sony is still kicking... in Japan.

[Ken401]

Originally Posted by porkupan

However, the news are not all bad. It seems that Sony is still kicking... in Japan.

The size of the reader pictured in the link is very unusual. Appears smaller than the PRS-350.

[huma79]

Originally Posted by porkupan

I haven't seen any PDF reading applications being tested yet. The Market appears to be working.

See this

[Rizla]

One can't compare Android to Prs+. I hadn't stopped to think what features Android will lead to on the Nook. Me jealous. I love my 650, but if the dog ate it tomorrow, I'd probably get a Nook, depending on price and geo-restrictions.