08:26 PM by Nate the great in E-Book General | News

The subject of the interview is Gabriella Coleman, an assistant professor at New York University. The interviewer is Nora Young. They talked about why online book piracy is poised to shake up the book biz, and what smart publishers can do to stop it. You can listen to it here, or download the 21 minute interview as a MP3.

It's worth a listen.

07:21 PM by Nate the great in E-Book General | News

I just got off the phone with Aluratek. They confirmed that the firmware update released on Friday did indeed add Adobe DE support to the Libre. The update includes DRM and reflowable PDFs.

I was caught a little flatfooted by this announcement. Like many people, I had assumed that Aluratek had simply rebranded the Ectaco Jetbook (which is itself a rebranded JCNIP M218). I was wrong; Aluratek had licensed the hardware and been developing the firmware independent of Ectaco.

As of this moment, the Jetbook does not have this firmware update nor can it use the firmware. (I tried.)

*********

I have a Libre, and I can heartily recommend the hardware. Newegg is currently selling it for $179.99, and I think it's worth it.

09:18 AM by Nate the great in E-Book General | News

JISC (Wikipedia) just completed a 2 year long project in which they studied "the behaviours of e-book users and the impact of course text e-books on print sales" in the UK. There is a lot of useful data in this report.

The report can viewed online (as Flash), or you can download it as a PDF.

08:49 AM by ColdSun in E-Book Readers | Alternative Devices

Introduction

Welcome to my review of the WireLession W1060 7” MID. I’ve been looking forward to this review for some time now. As many of you can see, the mobile device market is literally exploding with new devices, and 2010 promises to be a year with at least double the number of new devices to be released. This of course is a double-edged sword, as many of us will be torn on which device to use. Some of you are aware of my quest to find the perfect multi-function device, so hopefully I can help people understand at least some of the devices being released.

W1060 Atop the Actual Retail Box

The WireLession W1060, also known to many as the Witstech A81, is a brand new MID (mobile internet device) using the Cortex A8 processor which is the same processor being used in the iPhone and the Archos 5 Android Tablet. WireLession is a distributor of the A81, and has re-branded it with their own designation (W1060) and logos. Last time I checked, the device was priced at $220 on WireLession’s site.

Specifications (see numbered notes below specs for some details)

Processor: ARM Cortex A8 600M, Dedicated DSP Graphic Core
Operating System: Windows CE 6.0 Embedded
Screen: 7-inch TFT Touch Screen, 800x480 Resolution
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth Built-in (1)
GPS (2) Built-In
Sound: Stereo High Fidelity Output 3D Surround, Adjustable Volume
Memory: 256MB RAM (3), T-Flash (microSD) slot supports up to 16GB
Video Formats Supported: AVI, MPEG4, MPEG2, WMV, H.264 and others (MKV support coming soon)
Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Battery (3000mAH), 5 to 8 Hours Operation
Weight: 0.39kg battery included
Size: 18L×11W×1.5D CM

Specification Notes
1 – The review unit’s firmware did not have Bluetooth working.
2 – The review unit did not have the GPS Module – that is a different model of the W1060 which costs an extra $20
3 – The review unit seemed to only see 128MB of RAM. I’m not sure if that is a firmware issue or a hardware issue. The specs I was given say it is supposed to have 256MB of RAM. UPDATE: The unit does indeed have 256MB of RAM. It is a WinCE functionality that the other 128MB is set aside to be used by the Operating System.

Packaging and Build Quality

The device box is a solid black color, not something you would find on a store shelf and not much larger than the device itself. It was shipped inside another box (with the box containing the W1010 as well). Everything that was supposed to be included with the device was there (cables, battery, adapter, and the device).

The device casing felt very sturdy, but it appears to be of a high quality plastic and not metal as I had been previously informed. As the pictures show, the device is jet black and shiny. When I held the device it felt extremely solid and good to hold, noticeably lighter than the SmartQ7 I reviewed previously. There was no flexing and, as a whole, it was smaller than I thought it would be from the pictures. The build quality is impressive, and reminds me quite a bit of holding a bigger Archos 5 Android Tablet.

EDIT: In the original post I forgot to mention the very handy and sturdy stand built into the back of the device. The stand is made of metal and is one of my favorite features on this device. My apologies for missing this on the intital posting!

The W1060 and the Carry Case I purchased from Fry's Electronics for $12.99 - it fits perfectly

The Screen

After putting in the battery and charging the device for a while, I turned it on and was immediately impressed with the quality of the screen. It is clear and vibrant, and clearly responsive to touch. To the naked eye it seems brighter and clearer than my SmartQ7’s screen. See the pictures of the included in this post for a comparison. The interesting thing is that the screen on the JE-100 eBook Reader (see my review) seems a little better than this, but it is very close. There is one big problem with the screen though – there is no way to rotate it, except within certain applications. WitsTech has said they are working hard on screen rotation and I was told it would be about 12-15 days before we say an update for it. If they can’t get some type of screen rotation, that could be a deal-breaker for many users, especially ebook-reading users.

Picture 1: The SmartQ7 (Left), JE-100 (Top), and the W1060. Picture 2 (left to right): SmartQ7, W1060, JE-100

Battery Life and Charging

I tested the device for a couple weeks, during which time I watched video, read ebooks and comics, and browsed the internet. The battery life is as advertised, which is to say 5 to 8 hours depending on the task. Listening to music and reading can take you to the battery-life max of 7-8 hours. Video or web browsing and you won’t get more than 3-4 hours.

To charge the device, simply use the included adapter or plug it in to your computer via USB cable. It will charge faster via the adapter, but the USB can also be very convenient. When charging, the power button lights up, turning green and red. When fully charged, the power button light turns completely green. It actually looks pretty cool. You can also see it is charging by looking in the tray on the bottom right of the screen in WinCE.

The Snazzy Power Light

Operating System

Again, the device is running Windows CE 6 Embedded. The version included here is 100% English and has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a complete version of the OS. It was nice to know that I didn’t have to worry about converting it to English, and missing certain applications because they were only in Chinese. USB and Windows Mobile Device Center worked perfectly on the device without having to do anything like load drivers (at least on my Test PC, which is running Windows Vista).
Word from the Manufacturer (WitsTech) is that Android will be available for this device by the end of December. That would certainly make some people very happy and open up a whole group of customers who don’t like WinCE.

USB Modes

The device can be switched from ActiveSynch to Drive mode. This works exactly how it sounds. If you change it to ActiveSynch (in the settings application included with the device), the device will try to launch Windows Mobile Device Center or ActiveSynch 4.5 (depending on your OS) and allow you to synch up as usual. If you switch the device to Disk Drive mode, it will simply allow you to access the microSD contents on the device just as if you were using a card reader on your PC.

Someone asked me in a post at MobileRead if the device had a USB Host mode. I tried the device in both settings with a USB mouse and USB mini keyboard and I could not get the W1060 to host either USB device. I don’t believe the device has a USB Host capability. If someone from WitsTech or WireLession would like to respond and correct me that would be fantastic.

The W1060 Device Settings Screen

Performance – Overall

The device takes roughly 13-14 seconds to boot, which is pretty darn fast. I’ll be going over specific performance features in the topics below, but I was quite happy with performance on this device with the notable exception of Internet Explorer and browsing the web. Every screen rotation utility I have for WinCE crashed the device.

eBook Reading

I tried to load many different eBook applications on this device with varying degrees of success. My favorite, as it was with the JE-100, would have to be AlReader2. Below is a list of eBook Readers I tested:

AlReader 2 – successful
MobiPocket – successful, no screen rotation (crashes device)
KingReader – starts but won’t display file (only reads TXT files to begin with)
uBook – successful, but need to rotate screen to portrait to see complete configuration and settings screen.
HaaliReader – successful, but in Russian
Microsoft Reader – failure to run (I’m still trying though!)

AlReader2 Screen Capture Directly from W1060

At the end of the day I was very happy with this device as an eBook reader. A crisp and colorful screen that didn’t hurt my eyes, it is lightning fast for turning pages, and many of the applications I like to read with work on the device.

Viewing PDF Files

Once again, I used a demo version of Foxit PDF Viewer to view a PDF eBook. I also loaded “Ancestor” by Scott Sigler. Just like the SmartQ and the JE-100, this device is best for viewing PDF while in landscape mode. Going to portrait might make things a little too small for to read. Going from page to page was nearly instantaneous. I really like how fast the device loaded a PDF and performed while viewing it.

W1060 Running Foxit PDF Reader

Audio

Music on this device is a real treat. The sound that emits from the speaker is nothing to brag about, but putting a good set of headphones on it will really make you happy. It has a rich sound, much like your Zune or iPod, with good bass and treble. The two players I use most are Nitrogen and GSPlayer. Nitrogen even supports resume, which can be very handy when listening to audio books. The great battery life and clear music make this a very enjoyable device for reading or browsing while listening to music.

Nitrogen Audio Player screenshot captured directly from W1060

Video

The device arrived with Windows Media Player and an application called “WMPlayer” by WitsTech. I’ve tested AVI, MPEG4, and WMV files to good effect. It seems the best framerate came from the AVI file. The MKV file I tested did not function, and I was told that MKV support would be coming soon. Still, this device is great for watching video, and the power of the Cortex A8 shines through here. We finally have a MID that can read, watch movies, and listen to music. Unfortunately, the internet isn’t perfect. Read on my friends!

Video of Crash TV Show playing on the W1060

Reading Comics

Using MangaMeeyaCE English to view comics on this device is pretty much just like the SmartQ7 or the JE-100, with one noticeable difference. It is very fast to change pages. The bright and clear screen makes it easy to see the small text you usually find with a comic book. I’ve found the best way to view comics is in full screen portrait mode.

MangaMeeyaCE Comic Viewer Direct Screenshot from W1060

Web Browsing

This is where I spent most of my time with this device. Unfortunately, it was because this is where I had problems. I expected this device to perform very well for web browsing, as that is one of the claims of the Cortex A8 (hence Archos 5 Android being one of the fastest there is right now) is known for. It was to my great surprise that IE ran sluggishly on the device. It is slower than my SmartQ7, and closer to my old Nokia N770 Internet Tablet. The W1010 4.3 Slider also runs considerably faster! Not only do the pages load slower than they should, but the interface doesn’t respond well even after the page is loaded. Tapping the scrollbar up or down causes the scroll to jog too far or lag behind taps. Clicking the address bar to show history reacts slowly.

To solve this I looked into many things. I adjusted the amount of RAM available vs. Storage. I loaded a memory resource watcher into the try to watch what would happen when I did certain things. Another test I did was open several browser windows all the the MobileRead website open. I was able to do this more times than were necessary on the SmartQ7. On the W1060, after two browser windows I was up to 80% memory being used. After the 4th window the device froze up. When I loaded a Youtube page with a single video on it the memory would go up over 90% used. I managed to get a youtube video to play once, but it was pixilated and the framerate was pretty bad. I had the same mixed results with flash. It seems to me there is a firmware issue with Internet Explorer, some type of memory leak or memory problem. Until this is fixed, it seems a little frustrating to use the web browser. If you are spending more time trying to get the device working with your current page by changing memory or closing tasks than you are actually browsing the web, then you might feel a little challenged with this device.

W1060 Web Screenshot - Left: Look at the resources in the tray, Right: Notice the resource jump when a YouTube video page is loaded

The Device’s Future

Now that I have reached this part of the review I can say that I’m still excited about the device. First of all, I’ve been told Android would be available by the end of the year. Next, they are working on fixing screen rotation right away. Since the device is firmware based, and it is very new, you can expect to see many improvements to the firmware. If they can fix the memory problems I encountered with Internet Explorer, bring MKV to the device, and adjust a few other things, this will be a very nice device in the future.

Conclusion

There are many great things about this device. For everything except web browsing it is extremely fast and a pleasure to use. The form factor is just about perfect. Not too heavy and not too light. It feels good in your hands. The build quality is fantastic! On the other side, the lack of true screen rotation is a real problem. The issues with Internet Explorer and memory are frustrating. It doesn’t have USB Host mode, which many folks have come to expect in their multi-function devices these days.

I’ve heard that WitsTech is going to release a version of this device with a multi-touch capacitive screen in a few months. With that in mind, and considering some of the issues we are having right now, only the die-hard device enthusiasts should pick this device up before the firmware is updated or the capacitive version is released. I’ve been asked to hold on to this device and keep the community updated as the bugs are worked out. I’m happy to do so, and I hope they can fix these things soon, because it really is a beautiful machine.

Supplemental Links

WireLession
Electio-Divina
W1060 Device Video by WireLession
W1060 Running ColdSun Creations WinCE UI Video
ColdSun Creations UI Download
WitsTech

Review Unit Information

The Review unit was supplied by E-lectio-divina, a United States distributor of several MID and PDA devices. They also specialize in some of the best Bible Software on eBook and multifunction devices. If you are interested in purchasing one of his devices, just contact him and tell him ColdSun (Heath Brown) sent you. He also asked that I include a link to his free bible reading software.

E-LectioReader Bible Reader

Up Next – The WireLession W1010 4.3” Slider MID

The next review, as expected, will be the WireLession W1010 4.3” Slider Mid with Keyboard. After that, I will be reviewing the MIDnite Xpress 4.1 MID by MP4Nation. Stay tuned as I announce more devices to be reviewed!

08:31 AM by Nate the great in E-Book General | News

I just got this press release in my inbox this morning. There isn't much actual news in the release, so normally I wouldn't report on it. But then I started wondering why it was sent. It's not written like a press release; it really feels like an advertisement.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 2009-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that November is already the best sales month ever for Kindle, even before Cyber Monday. Kindle continues to be the most wished for, the most gifted, and the #1 bestselling product across all product categories on Amazon. The latest generation Kindle – just released in October – is $259 and available for immediate shipment today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

“Kindle is a great gift for anyone who loves to read and it’s flying off the shelves faster than any other product Amazon sells,” said Ian Freed, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “We’re seeing lots of people buying from one to a handful of Kindles as gifts for friends or family, as well as many businesses and other organizations buying Kindles in large quantities for their employees or customers.”

Kindle is the revolutionary portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, magazines, newspapers and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution 6-inch electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle utilizes the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. The latest generation Kindle with Global Wireless enables readers to wirelessly download content in over 100 countries and territories.

from:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix....668&highlight=

08:08 AM by mtravellerh in E-Book General | News

One day before the planned sales launch of their Txtr Reader, german startup txtr announced, in a surprise move, that their device will NOT have WLAN connectivity. Online connectivity will be restricted to the built in EDGE module, apparently. Price will drop 20 Euro, too, bringing it to a still considerable 299 Euro! That's the same as Sony's Touch Edition, for example. Here is part of what german "lesen.net" said:

Einen Tag vor dem Vorverkaufsstart des txtr Reader hat das Berliner Unternehmen eine gewichtige Änderungen bei den technischen Spezifikationen bekannt gegeben. Dem Rotstift zum Opfer fiel das integrierte WLAN-Modul, die Synchronisation der eigenen digitalen Bibliothek wie der Kauf von eBooks auf txtr.com läuft entsprechend ausschließlich über das EDGE-Netz von E-Plus.

http://www.lesen.net/ereader/txtr-re...hne-wlan-1750/

As soon as we know more, we will update this news!

07:58 AM by BenG in E-Book General | News

"On the Media" on NPR had an hour long program about books and the publishing industry. They mention ebooks several times.

You can listen here:
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/11/27/03

02:58 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Announcements

Brrrr! For many of us around the world, winter is on its way. Snuggling by a fireplace may be the best solution to outsmart the dreaded approach of months of cold (that is, unless of course, you can pop overseas on a private jet to experience summer all over again). And what better way to relax your mood than to read a warm, fuzzy holiday tale on a shiny new e-book reader?

Welcome to the MobileRead Winter Contest, where the following prizes are up for grabs:

3 PocketBook Readers

Our three grand prize winners each have the choice between the PocketBook 360° and the PocketBook 301+ "Comfort". The PocketBook 360° has a 5-inch E Ink Vizplex screen with a protective plastic cover, and is especially suitable for lightweight traveling. The PocketBook 301+ "Comfort" is a classy 6-inch E Ink device and comes with a leather cover. Both devices support various popular e-book formats, with extras such as: customizable key bindings, integrated dictionary lookup, search and bookmark features. Find more information about the devices in our PocketBook discussion forum.

15 E-Book Store Vouchers

Our 15 runner-up prize winners will each receive a $30 e-book voucher.

Here's what you have to do to win:

So what do you have to do to win this contest? From today until and including December 10th, every day we will sneak in one of 11 letters somewhere in the forum. The first letter you can find right here in this post. Hints where you can find the next letter will be posted daily in this thread by members of the moderation team.

Your goal is to find and collect all 11 letters. When you bring them in the correct order, they'll form a well-known book title. Find that book title and mail it to wintercontest@mobileread.com by December 13th. Make sure to also tell us your username!

Down to the details:

• You may enter only once.
• The contest begins today, November 30th 2009, and ends on December 10th 2009, at 11:59 PM EST.
• Deadline to send us the solution with the right book title is December 13th 2009, at 11:59 PM EST.
• You must send the solution including your username to wintercontest@mobileread.com. Submissions to other mail addresses, and/or submissions by private message or visitor message can not be considered.
• Amongst the eligible entries three winners will be randomly drawn for the grand prizes (each can choose between the PocketBook 360° and the PocketBook 301+ "Comfort") and 15 winners will be randomly drawn for a $30 e-book voucher each, from an e-book store of their choice.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via private message. Winners must respond within four days after being notified. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.

Also, big ups to the folks at PocketBook for providing the three e-book readers to the grand prize winners!

Thanks and good luck to everyone!

PS: As usual, extra kudos to everyone who tweets or blogs about this winter contest!

MobileRead team members are not eligible to participate