Entourage Edge DOA?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by andrys

I don't see how it can have a life, with an Apple iSlate-type thing coming out. But it IS only $390 or so? And that's where they have a chance. And the Apple will have only an LCD screen in this incarnation from all I read.

$490...

IF Apple does release a Tablet next Tuesday then I can pretty much guess that...

1. It won't be under $1,000.

2. It will have an OLED or LCD screen so the battery life will be (in real world use) about 4-5 hours... even if they say 8 in their presentation.

If you want a device to play movies on, play games on, surf the web on, a tablet MID is more your style.

If you want a device to read large format PDF ebooks and work type documents and also be able to do some productivity stuff on the side... I think the Edge is a contender... over and above just a Netbook.

BOb

[andrys]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

$490...

IF Apple does release a Tablet next Tuesday then I can pretty much guess that...

1. It won't be under $1,000.

Estimates are between $750 to $1000 and the unknown quantity is the data plan, which can add another $30/month or more. But they could drop it to $600 with a 2 yr plan, so the stories go. If it's $750 + a data plan, I don't see the 10 million units they're estimating this year.

I wouldn't be a candidate for one though and I like gadgets and on-the-go net access (though I am very patient with slow access if it's free).

2. It will have an OLED or LCD screen so the battery life will be (in real world use) about 4-5 hours... even if they say 8 in their presentation.

I read one "insider-relayed" bit that said Apple plans on two models, the OLED one to come later in the year -- and because the OLED display alone at that size costs $1,000 today, it'd be a $2,000 device.

I can't imagine that working out very well. But the current one coming is said to be LCD. Just a few more days and we'll finally know. WSJ had a detailed article on it yesterday.

If you want a device to play movies on, play games on, surf the web on, a tablet MID is more your style.

Many of us just want light e-readers, with good editing capabilities for PDFs. Those who want tablet web devices and will pay the data charges for them when not using WiFi at home would be the (much) more affluent and mainly gadget-oriented types.

Book readers (people) might be attracted to the idea, but the lack of a reflective screen and print-on-paper look, which definitely is easier on the eyes for long-session sequential reading, would make it unworkable (most gadgeteers don't understand this)

If you want a device to read large format PDF ebooks and work type documents and also be able to do some productivity stuff on the side... I think the Edge is a contender... over and above just a Netbook.

For business reading of documents, I'd lean more to the Que and use my netbook as I am now, for anything it can't do.

Honestly, it's the lack of a hard disk! in something so large as the eDGe that is a stopper for me, when I think of someone who would invest in the company on the belief this will sell in large quantities.

But I'm probably missing something here.

Does the lack of a hard disk and a physical keyboard (for meetings) and the reliance on 4 gigs of internal storage + an SD slot not concern others? In something that's almost three pounds?

It's beautiful, but is it practical?

[andrys]

Originally Posted by zetareticuli

What's unbelievable is that most of the neat things we want from an ebook reader such as the Kindle DX can be improved with software and Amazon has done nothing about that. As far as the hardware items such as SD card support, Bluetooth, and USB, there is nothing for the current Kindles there. However, I think Amazon is likely to introduce at least some of these in the next line. Even without a next generation of Kindles coming out any time soon, a software updates that adds killer PDF support, folder/file management, custom zooming options, simple apps, games, etc, would make the existing Kindle a great device to own.

The folder/tags support is said by Customer Service notices on Facebook and the Amazon forum to be coming before summer. They've been working on the organization problems of the Kindle.

Coincidentally, last night Amazon announced it's opening up the Kindle for developers to add apps and make some $$.

I'm afraid the PDF support we want for editing depends on Amazon paying Adobe for the Digital Edition full license and they're competitors at that level.

I wish they would just at least get ePub non-DRM support going, especially since they own Lexcycle.

But this new Kindle apps-thing starting a limited beta in a month with late 2010 as a goal is more than interesting. This really changes the entire picture. Revenue to the developer will be about 70% minus cost of delivery of the product.

Since Amazon customers don't pay for wireless access (except for personal document delivery to the Kindle), apps would need to include ongoing charges for wireless access -- unless they're tiny apps (less than 1M) with less than 100KB/user/month use of wireless data (which is nothing) and these would qualify for the free-apps category.

If not a free app but the app is larger than 1MB and the wireless data used is still less than 100KB per user/month, there'd be a one-time charge for purchasing the app.

And anything beyond that would involve monthly charges to cover wireless costs.

I copied most of the salient facts from their pages minus the usual PR to my blog entry at
http://bit.ly/kwamznkdk

What's your take on this? Very different from apps for a smartphone where data plans are already being paid for by the customer.

- Andrys

[zetareticuli]

If the SDK for Kindle comes out and all functions can be easily implemented and not crippled in any way, an alternate PDF reader could theoretically be written that offers at least zooming capabilities.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by andrys

Does the lack of a hard disk and a physical keyboard (for meetings) and the reliance on 4 gigs of internal storage + an SD slot not concern others? In something that's almost three pounds?

Well, with the prevalence of "cloud" apps like Google Mail, Google Apps, Evernote, Basecamp etc. you really don't need alot of local storage. Have you looked at the JooJoo? It has 0 storage and relies 100% on an internet connection. At least you can do stuff on the Edge without a WiFi connection.

Yes, I think it is practical.

BOb

[andrys]

Originally Posted by zetareticuli

If the SDK for Kindle comes out and all functions can be easily implemented and not crippled in any way, an alternate PDF reader could theoretically be written that offers at least zooming capabilities.

That would be good.

[andrys]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Well, with the prevalence of "cloud" apps like Google Mail, Google Apps, Evernote, Basecamp etc. you really don't need alot of local storage. Have you looked at the JooJoo? It has 0 storage and relies 100% on an internet connection. At least you can do stuff on the Edge without a WiFi connection.

Yes, I think it is practical.

BOb

Saving to a cloud and retrieving from them takes more time by far than I like.

Especially when depending on one instead of using that as backup.

The JooJoo is a really sad story.

[zetareticuli]

Originally Posted by andrys

Saving to a cloud and retrieving from them takes more time by far than I like.

Agreed. I also prefer to have my local storage via built-in storage or SD cards. 128 GB - 256 GB SD cards will be released in 2011 by Sandisk, Kingston and others.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zetareticuli

Agreed. I also prefer to have my local storage via built-in storage or SD cards. 128 GB - 256 GB SD cards will be released in 2011 by Sandisk, Kingston and others.

The Edge does have an SD slot BTW.

I just think with 16GB SD card it will have all the room I need. It doesn't need to contain every document I need... I assume you can side load it with WiFi... so I can leverage the storage on my real PC.

BOb

[zetareticuli]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I just think with 16GB SD card it will have all the room I need. It doesn't need to contain every document I need... I assume you can side load it with WiFi... so I can leverage the storage on my real PC.

BOb

I agree. I think that for the time being 16 GB is more than enough for me to store ebooks. My entire collection of ebooks and technical manuals (mostly PDFs) is ~ 12 GB out of which I only use about 4 GB at any given time.

By the way, are you on the Feb or March shipment for the Edge? Does anyone know when in Feb it will ship?

[paulckennedy]

For me, I think of an Edge as a supped up DX.

I like the concept of an interactive reading experience where I can more easily annotate what I read. I like the idea of being able to link various pieces of information in those annotations to whats in my library and to whats on the internet. It is always amazing how I am always losing access to that found information simply because of the amount of research that I do.

The ability to work on Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files on it only increases its usefulness.

I do not want to replace my computer. When I want to do programming, database work, or other processor intensive duties, I plan on using my computer.

I don't need more than 32 Gigs of storage at a time. If I need more, I can probably just put in another 32 Gig SD card. I will only really use up that kind of space when storing movies and music. I definately will not use that kind of space up with reading.

[zetareticuli]

Neither will I. A 32 GB card should be more than enough for most people. Also, I don't expect the Edge to replace my PC wither. I plan to use each for the task that it's designed to perform.

[mgm1979]

Originally Posted by zetareticuli

Also, I don't expect the Edge to replace my PC wither. I plan to use each for the task that it's designed to perform.

exactly - the same way a NETbook doesn't replace a regular laptop/desktop machine...so many critics are trying to make this thing out to be a subpar laptop, when that's not its intended use at all...its a suped up eReader, that's it.

Sure, the MSI (Win7) device debuted at CES looks like it'll have some promise, but lets see what kind of price tag it comes with, and whether or not its a netbook or eReader first...

[DaleDe]

And besides as I recall it has 2 SD slots.

Dale

[paulckennedy]

Sorry. One SD Slot. Two USB Ports.