Borders unveils updated Kobo eReader with Wi-Fi

[eGeezer]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I think that trying to type using an on-screen keyboard with the d-pad is going to become frustrating.

Actually, before the advent of touchscreen GPS units, navigating an alpha and numeric grid using a 4-way rocker arm was quite common. I still use my Garmin handheld GPS to input nav data, update/change waypoint names, etc. Its not that probematic.

Before touchscreen phones, kids were texting in their pockets using the 2=abc, 3=def, 4=ghi, etc without even having to look at the phone.

Navigating a much larger "keyboard" should be no real challenge. Finding a large title, word, whatever, shouldn't be that difficult, especially if you only need key words and don't have to type the whole title perfectly.

Of course, I dunno how it will work with the Kobo dictionary/search. But with dictionaries, you are only looking up one word at a time, anyway.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

I did a little Kindle Store shopping on the reader and that was nice, but I just downloaded a free book. If I were buying a book, I'd want to download it to my computer first anyway, the way I buy an epub.

Don't really understand that. Why wouldn't you want the choice (not requirement) to buy a book when travelling? You can redownload the books to multiple devices (including PC) whenever you want, so it isn't as though if you lose the device you've lost the book.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Sony will do what it'll do. Since it's future doesn't depend on this one product, it can afford low sales numbers.

Which explains why you are not CEO. It was that sort of philosophy that got the American Auto makers in trouble.

Sony is selling its reader at the price it does for a simple reason, it believes it can make the most money doing that. I suspect that the price will come down in stores a bit after its been on the market a few months. I also believe Sony wants to project an image that their products are a step above the others and pricing their readers a bit higher is one of the ways they do that.

--
Bill

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by eGeezer

Actually, before the advent of touchscreen GPS units, navigating an alpha and numeric grid using a 4-way rocker arm was quite common. I still use my Garmin handheld GPS to input nav data, update/change waypoint names, etc. Its not that probematic.

Before touchscreen phones, kids were texting in their pockets using the 2=abc, 3=def, 4=ghi, etc without even having to look at the phone.

Navigating a much larger "keyboard" should be no real challenge. Finding a large title, word, whatever, shouldn't be that difficult, especially if you only need key words and don't have to type the whole title perfectly.

Of course, I dunno how it will work with the Kobo dictionary/search. But with dictionaries, you are only looking up one word at a time, anyway.

I have a kobo, and just trying to select a menu option sometimes can get frustrating because it's so slow. So unless they made it so that when using the dpad you can move the cursor faster, I'll bet it will frustrate people.

Also, I had a regular cell phone not too long ago that I had to use for texting and I remember how I had to hit a number 6 times to get the letter I wanted because I missed it the first time. I have a blackberry curve now, and I love the qwerty keyboard.

Maybe I just don't have the patience that most people have

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I have a kobo, and just trying to select a menu option sometimes can get frustrating because it's so slow. So unless they made it so that when using the dpad you can move the cursor faster, I'll bet it will frustrate people.

Also, I had a regular cell phone not too long ago that I had to use for texting and I remember how I had to hit a number 6 times to get the letter I wanted because I missed it the first time. I have a blackberry curve now, and I love the qwerty keyboard.

Maybe I just don't have the patience that most people have

Didn't you ever use t9 predictive text?

To a certain extent, you could use a similar idea to greatly reduce key strokes for many functions. I can imagine a system that would reduce selecting most letters down to no more than three presses on the D-Pad. Still not as easy as a full keyboard, but probably sufficient for the needs of most users.

--
Bill

[eGeezer]

Ah, well, yes. A slow cursor would make a difference. The cursor on my GPS is instant, so while its not apples and oranges, it is different flavors of apples or oranges.

As for the 2-abc, 3=def, etc requiring multiple presses to get the letter you want, I never liked it much, either. Was just saying that the more proficient and practiced kids were able to do it with their eyes shut (or in their pockets) -- basically "passing notes in class" without the teacher knowing, for the most part.

Naturally, tediously slow cursor changes the outcome.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Didn't you ever use t9 predictive text?

To a certain extent, you could use a similar idea to greatly reduce key strokes for many functions. I can imagine a system that would reduce selecting most letters down to no more than three presses on the D-Pad. Still not as easy as a full keyboard, but probably sufficient for the needs of most users.

--
Bill

I've used blackberry pearl which I believe has that (it predicts what you're trying to type), I almost threw the phone out the window because I couldn't get it to add the name Doreen to the e-mail I was sending.

After reading my own posts about this, I'm pretty sure it's just me being impatient

[Pookeysgirl]

[QUOTE=eGeezer;1140445]Ah, well, yes. A slow cursor would make a difference. The cursor on my GPS is instant, so while its not apples and oranges, it is different flavors of apples or oranges.

As for the 2-abc, 3=def, etc requiring multiple presses to get the letter you want, I never liked it much, either. Was just saying that the more proficient and practiced kids were able to do it with their eyes shut (or in their pockets) -- basically "passing notes in class" without the teacher knowing, for the most part.
QUOTE]

I totally agree. My neice is 17 and I swear her fingers blur when she texts because she's moving so fast

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Which explains why you are not CEO. It was that sort of philosophy that got the American Auto makers in trouble.

Maybe they should've done what Sony did and diversify. Sony's not a one trick pony. Besides dabbling in ereaders, they make and sell a host of consumers electronics. They also produce and sell movies and music. If their ereader business goes under, they lose a few bucks and continue making money elsewhere.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Maybe they should've done what Sony did and diversify. Sony's not a one trick pony. Besides dabbling in ereaders, they make and sell a host of consumers electronics. They also produce and sell movies and music. If their ereader business goes under, they lose a few bucks and continue making money elsewhere.

Yes, it is true that they can afford to try a product and have it fail. What they (Or any business for that matter) can't do however is what you accused them of doing, which keeping a slow moving line moving simply "because". That sort of mind set will soon spread to other areas of the organization.

--
Bill

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I've used blackberry pearl which I believe has that (it predicts what you're trying to type), I almost threw the phone out the window because I couldn't get it to add the name Doreen to the e-mail I was sending.

After reading my own posts about this, I'm pretty sure it's just me being impatient

Well, the basic issue with T9 or any predictive text system is that you need to know when to use it and when to turn it off. I always turned it off when I was dealing with names and or anything with special characters in it.

--
Bill

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

Well, the basic issue with T9 or any predictive text system is that you need to know when to use it and when to turn it off. I always turned it off when I was dealing with names and or anything with special characters in it.

--
Bill

I couldn't figure out how to turn it off on the bb pearl.I don't think that phone liked me very much. Trust me, I would never use it on purpose. I type fast enough that I don't mind typing the whole word myself.

[SensualPoet]

Kobo is certainly "slow" relative to other devices; Kobo wifi is supposed to be considerably faster. Kindle 3 is faster than Kindle 2; but it's not a show-stopper. I read on the Kobo and Kindle 3, depending on the content. Speed is not a problem -- I adapt to the device at hand.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I couldn't figure out how to turn it off on the bb pearl.I don't think that phone liked me very much. Trust me, I would never use it on purpose. I type fast enough that I don't mind typing the whole word myself.

Well there is that aspect to it, but I was thinking about it on phones that had normal phone keyboards... it saved having to hit every key multiple times to get the letter you wanted.

--
Bill

[rty]

Kobo's comparison web page http://koboereader.com/cad/Kobo-ereader-comparisons/ indicates that Barnes&Noble's Nook has NO capability to borrow books from your local library. Does anyone here agree? I don't.




Duh!