Family Christian Stores Launches 'Edifi' E-Reader

BeccaPrice · 07-30-2012, 10:22 AM

From Shelf-Awareness

Quote:

Family Christian Stores, which has nearly 300 locations in the U.S., has introduced edifi, a full-color touch display e-reader that retails for $149.99 and offers a "suite of family-friendly features," including Safe Search wifi web browsing, the YouVersion Bible app and Christian Internet radio apps by K-LOVE and Air1.

PaidContent noted that "with religious e-book sales surging, the chain hopes that special religious features will entice shoppers to choose its device over others."

It looks like a tablet of some sort, running Android. $149 is a good price; I wonder whether it can be rooted. It's got an SD card slot, and looks like pretty nice specs.

tubemonkey · 07-30-2012, 11:33 AM

Specs look iffy by what they're NOT saying. I bet the screen is resistive touch because they included a stylus. There's no WiFi n and no details on other key specs like what version of Android, battery life, screen resolution, market access, CPU speed, and the amount of RAM.

My guess is the following:

Android 2.2
resistive touch
no access to Google Play
800x640 resolution
~ 4 hour battery life
< 1 GHz CPU
< 512MB RAM

$50 more gets you a much better Nexus 7.

Hellmark · 07-30-2012, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Specs look iffy by what they're NOT saying. I bet the screen is resistive touch because they included a stylus. There's no WiFi n and no details on other key specs like what version of Android, battery life, screen resolution, market access, CPU speed, and the amount of RAM.

My guess is the following:

Android 2.2
resistive touch
no access to Google Play
800x640 resolution
~ 4 hour battery life
< 1 GHz CPU
< 512MB RAM

$50 more gets you a much better Nexus 7.

Uh, taking a look at screenshots, and it appears to be running Gingerbread (2.3). Flat black status bar, no persistant search bar, and the old style app drawer buttons.

Also, it touts that it can play 1080P HD movies, and has HDMI out, so I wouldn't think that the processor is too terribly bad.

As far as the stylus, well, they do have styluses for capacitive screens. They sell for about $20-30 in stores, but are in all honesty ridiculously cheap. I can buy them for $5 all day long online, and isn't abnormal to see them for a buck. A coworker makes fancy custom pens, and he says the stylus nibs are only a buck or two for him. So, it could be still capacitive.

QuantumIguana · 07-30-2012, 02:04 PM

A while back, there was a DVD player on the market which would edit out "objectionable" content. It would cut out the audio and/or video at certain points. You had to download data which told the player at which points in the movie to do this. I saw it in stores, but it didn't sell well at all.

teh603 · 07-30-2012, 02:10 PM

The "family-friendly features" are what have me a little concerned. I had to read a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream that was expurgated to be christian-friendly in the sixth grade; it was a horribly depressing work focusing entirely on the Pyramus & Thisbe scene.

Kumabjorn · 07-30-2012, 03:08 PM

Wonder what the Muslim version would look like?

Come to think of it; How many eReaders support Arabic script?

QuantumIguana · 07-30-2012, 04:25 PM

I've been seeing that more and more, with small town grocery stores having selections of religious books. The one in my hometown has religious tracts. Stores are free, of course, to sell religious books and have tracts, I'm also free to take my business elsewhere if I don't want to be preached to.

Hellmark · 07-30-2012, 05:44 PM

I'm not sure if you're seeing more and more, or just noticing it more. Around me, there have always been about the same amount, just not everyone pays attention.

carpetmojo · 07-30-2012, 06:07 PM

"Family Christian Stores.."

Mmmm ...... didn't know they were into people-trafficking .....

BeccaPrice · 07-30-2012, 06:13 PM

I just found it interesting that just about everybody and their brother are putting out Android-based tablets for a fairly low price. It's an indication of both how far the technology has come, and where tablets and ereaders are in the general public's awareness. (I also found it interesting that they don't call this a tablet, but do call it an ereader.)

Hellmark · 07-30-2012, 06:16 PM

I am curious about what hardware this has, because it does seem like kind of a cool design. Between the audio in and out, the fullsize HDMI connector, the case/stand, etc it has a lot of cool features.

I did some more digging around, and the device is a rebadged Cydle Multipad M7. The only difference is the Edifi upgraded from Eclaire (although sometimes Froyo) to Gingerbread.

8gb Flash, 512mb DDR2, 800x480 resistive touch screen, 800mhz processor ARM11 (unsure of specific chipset). The prototype shown off at E3 last year apparently had some badass features that were ultimately dropped, like an ATSC HD TV tuner.

After all that, despite the cool design features, the actual specs are a bit of a letdown.

Apache · 07-30-2012, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phogg

Censored is a word that specifically refers to something done by Government inder the threat of force.

You may not like people who are prissy or prudish, but these are just people who are such indulging in their sanitized lifestyle together. You don't have to infer defacto tyranical intentions on them if its not your cup of tea.

Try to show at least a thimble full of tolerance for other people.

The local "Religious" Book Store here used to place anything Catholic in the Pagan section.

Apache

fjtorres · 07-30-2012, 07:12 PM

Good link, thanks.
It's even more interesting that just a repurposed generic Android webpad (even one with a rather nice design). They actually have their own walled-garden Reader App for android and iPxxx.
http://www.familychristian.com/reader
Unfortunately they made the mistake of many free android app developers and only offer it on the google Play site.
It seems pretty well received:
Epub, ADEPT DRM, sideloading support...
https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ristian.reader
(But then, the 17Mb size and screenshots make me think its a rebadged Bluefire Reader.)

There is a tendency to neglect the Christian market for content (books, music, etc) but there is a lot of money there. The music market runs north of US$500 million a year; figure 40-50 million CD's worth. Not trivial. The book market likewise runs around $500 million a year, though dropping slightly in recent years. So them getting deeper into ebooks makes a lot of business sense.

No sense letting Amazon run away with their business.

(Amazon sells a *lot* of Christian Romance ebooks.)

WT Sharpe · 07-30-2012, 08:28 PM

Moderator Notice
This thread has derailed from the original topic, people. Please get back to discussing the merits and specifications of the 'Edifi' E-Reader. This is not the thread for a discussion of the merits or problems of censorship.

MidnightBlue · 07-30-2012, 08:42 PM

What I am not clear on is the difference between capacitive and resistive touch screens. It seems to be implied that this eReader is of less value as it doesn't have a capacitive screen. I have an iPad and a Kindle Touch, I believe, but am not sure, that they are both capacitive. The only thing I have had that came with a stylus was my Palm Tungsten back when I first started High School. It had a much less sensitive screen. Was that resistive or capacitive?

07-30-2012, 11:33 AM	#2
tubemonkey monkey on the fringe Posts: 45,477 Karma: 158151390 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Seattle Metro Device: Moto E6, Echo Show	Specs look iffy by what they're NOT saying. I bet the screen is resistive touch because they included a stylus. There's no WiFi n and no details on other key specs like what version of Android, battery life, screen resolution, market access, CPU speed, and the amount of RAM. My guess is the following: Android 2.2 resistive touch no access to Google Play 800x640 resolution ~ 4 hour battery life < 1 GHz CPU < 512MB RAM $50 more gets you a much better Nexus 7.

07-30-2012, 02:10 PM	#5
teh603 Autism Spectrum Disorder Posts: 1,212 Karma: 6244877 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Coastal Texas Device: Android Phone	The "family-friendly features" are what have me a little concerned. I had to read a copy of A Midsummer Night's Dream that was expurgated to be christian-friendly in the sixth grade; it was a horribly depressing work focusing entirely on the Pyramus & Thisbe scene. Last edited by teh603; 07-30-2012 at 02:14 PM.

07-30-2012, 06:16 PM	#11
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	I am curious about what hardware this has, because it does seem like kind of a cool design. Between the audio in and out, the fullsize HDMI connector, the case/stand, etc it has a lot of cool features. I did some more digging around, and the device is a rebadged Cydle Multipad M7. The only difference is the Edifi upgraded from Eclaire (although sometimes Froyo) to Gingerbread. 8gb Flash, 512mb DDR2, 800x480 resistive touch screen, 800mhz processor ARM11 (unsure of specific chipset). The prototype shown off at E3 last year apparently had some badass features that were ultimately dropped, like an ATSC HD TV tuner. After all that, despite the cool design features, the actual specs are a bit of a letdown. Last edited by Hellmark; 07-30-2012 at 06:27 PM.

07-30-2012, 08:28 PM	#14
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,073 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Moderator Notice This thread has derailed from the original topic, people. Please get back to discussing the merits and specifications of the 'Edifi' E-Reader. This is not the thread for a discussion of the merits or problems of censorship. Last edited by WT Sharpe; 07-30-2012 at 08:31 PM.

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07-30-2012, 02:04 PM	#4
QuantumIguana Philosopher Posts: 2,034 Karma: 18736532 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2 gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen, Kindle Touch	A while back, there was a DVD player on the market which would edit out "objectionable" content. It would cut out the audio and/or video at certain points. You had to download data which told the player at which points in the movie to do this. I saw it in stores, but it didn't sell well at all.

07-30-2012, 03:08 PM	#6
Kumabjorn Basculocolpic Posts: 4,356 Karma: 20181319 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Kindle 3 WiFi, Kindle 4SO, Kindle for Android, Sony PRS-350 and PRS-T1	Wonder what the Muslim version would look like? Come to think of it; How many eReaders support Arabic script?

07-30-2012, 04:25 PM	#7
QuantumIguana Philosopher Posts: 2,034 Karma: 18736532 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2 gen, Kindle Fire 1st Gen, Kindle Touch	I've been seeing that more and more, with small town grocery stores having selections of religious books. The one in my hometown has religious tracts. Stores are free, of course, to sell religious books and have tracts, I'm also free to take my business elsewhere if I don't want to be preached to.

07-30-2012, 05:44 PM	#8
Hellmark Wizard Posts: 2,549 Karma: 3799999 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: O'Fallon, Missouri, USA Device: Nokia N800, PRS-505, Nook STR Glowlight, Kindle 3	I'm not sure if you're seeing more and more, or just noticing it more. Around me, there have always been about the same amount, just not everyone pays attention.

07-30-2012, 06:07 PM	#9
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	"Family Christian Stores.." Mmmm ...... didn't know they were into people-trafficking .....

07-30-2012, 06:13 PM	#10
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I just found it interesting that just about everybody and their brother are putting out Android-based tablets for a fairly low price. It's an indication of both how far the technology has come, and where tablets and ereaders are in the general public's awareness. (I also found it interesting that they don't call this a tablet, but do call it an ereader.)

07-30-2012, 07:12 PM	#13
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Good link, thanks. It's even more interesting that just a repurposed generic Android webpad (even one with a rather nice design). They actually have their own walled-garden Reader App for android and iPxxx. http://www.familychristian.com/reader Unfortunately they made the mistake of many free android app developers and only offer it on the google Play site. It seems pretty well received: Epub, ADEPT DRM, sideloading support... https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...ristian.reader (But then, the 17Mb size and screenshots make me think its a rebadged Bluefire Reader.) There is a tendency to neglect the Christian market for content (books, music, etc) but there is a lot of money there. The music market runs north of US$500 million a year; figure 40-50 million CD's worth. Not trivial. The book market likewise runs around $500 million a year, though dropping slightly in recent years. So them getting deeper into ebooks makes a lot of business sense. No sense letting Amazon run away with their business. (Amazon sells a lot of Christian Romance ebooks.)

07-30-2012, 08:42 PM	#15
MidnightBlue écureuil secret Posts: 41 Karma: 1851776 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: London but traveling Device: iPad Kindle Touch	What I am not clear on is the difference between capacitive and resistive touch screens. It seems to be implied that this eReader is of less value as it doesn't have a capacitive screen. I have an iPad and a Kindle Touch, I believe, but am not sure, that they are both capacitive. The only thing I have had that came with a stylus was my Palm Tungsten back when I first started High School. It had a much less sensitive screen. Was that resistive or capacitive?

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