07:12 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

ConsumerReports had a hands-on look at the Sony Reader and here is what they like and don't like:

Pros:

• Decent legibility (the screen is "the best of any e-book we've seen so far")
• Easy downloads ("download a full-length novel to our computer within 15 seconds or so")
• Multimedia capability (play music "even while you're reading a book")
• Ample storage ("there's no limit to the storage capacity")
• Long battery life ("our informal testing suggests that the estimate [of 7,500 pages] might be an overstatement")

Cons:

• Disconcerting delay (screen refresh - "not fatally long, but hardly ideal")
• Display quirks ("you can't zoom in")
• Unfriendly controls ("usability in general could be easier")
• Missing features ("no built-in light")
• Limited book selection (content "nowhere near what you can get in print")
• Not compatible with Macs ("Sony says it hopes to support other platforms in the future")

Bottom line: The Reader is better than earlier e-books we've tested and costs less than current rivals--notably the i-Rex Iliad, to be released soon at a price of $800. That said, like many new works, it could use some revision. The unit is back-ordered at least a month on Connect e-Books, which might suggest that sales are strong. Still, we don't believe this first-generation Reader is quite ready to be a mainstream bestseller.

04:02 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book Software | Reading and Management

I snapped the early beta of dotReader that's now available for public consumption and made a couple of screenshots for you. The software is still a bit rough around the edges (and I am not happy when you rely on Internet Explorer to display content), but I guess the real point here is that this is the first public e-reader that supports the new OpenReader format which aims to become the standard for e-books (as does Open eBook).

Current version: v0.0.7 (perhaps in tribute to the latest James Bond movie)

PS: David of Teleread points out that you can already download the full sources of the reader. Very nice!

03:59 PM by Bob Russell in E-Book Readers | Sony Reader

We have received an anonymous tip that, starting today, Borders will specifically be excluding the Sony Reader from coupons. At this point, due to the holidays, I have not been able to reach anyone from Borders yet to confirm, deny or clarify. No word as to whether this refers to newly printed coupons, or whether existing coupons will also be excluded.

Although this is a vague and unconfirmed rumor at this point, we think that some of our readers who already plan to buy a Reader from Borders with a coupon may want to be aware of the possibility.

Thanks to our anonymous tipster, who indicated that this information was included in an internally distributed Borders document.

03:44 PM by Alexander Turcic in E-Book General | News

Engadget has a quick write up of the Panasonic Words Gear e-reader (we reported), which is set to launch in Japan on December 20th. As expected its price will be around $340 and it will feature a 5.6-in LCD XGA screen with a 1024x600 resolution. In addition to displaying e-books, the Panasonic can view MPEG-4 video and JPEGs, and output AAC audio.

At any rate, I was really hoping for a color-enabled E Ink reader, but alas, my hopes of a knock down, killer e-book device will have to wait some longer.

Thanks to Jason who sent in the story.

09:08 AM by Stuart Young in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

Now I know this has nothing to do with our beloved E Ink display, but Gizmodo has some news about an interesting little gadget: known as "the Illuminator," it fits onto the corner of a book and allows you to read, even in the darkest of places. Spec's for thing say:

• Approx 40 hours battery when powered by 3 AAA's
• Price approx $69.95 USD

Original Gizmodo link here

06:23 AM by Bob Russell in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

There's a new Palm OS Treo 680 GSM smart phone now available from Palm. It will be in Palm stores Dec 1, but is now available for pre-order. The phone has no external antenna stub, and it comes in four colors. It's full functioned, but can be purchased for $199 with a 2-yr plan (or $399 unlocked without a plan). Palm is even providing 90-day free phone support.

See some great coverage of the phone, and a survey of other sites with reviews at Palm Addicts. Also check out the podcast at 1src, if you are interested in an audio discussion of the phone.

06:59 PM by Alexander Turcic in More E-Book Readers | iRex

Information is constantly pouring in from multiple sources and sometimes it's difficult to tell right from wrong. Last week we heard from a Swedish newspaper that many readers who were involved in the De Tijd e-paper trial returned their iLiad devices within the first two weeks. But according to our well-placed inside source at iRex this is not true. Moreover, he shared with us some of the findings made by the De Tijd e-paper project leader IBBT:

• Almost 90% of the test persons would decide to join the test again, when the prototype issues were addressed.
• Almost 50% of the test persons would decide to buy the product when the prototype issues were addressed.

By mere coincidence I stumbled upon this recent IBBT presentation (PDF) that discusses the outcome of the trial in detail. You should check it out, especially if you are interested in learning more about the possible future business models involving e-books (B2B vs. B2C).

07:00 AM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Week in Review

Here it is again, our weekly roundup! Enjoy!

E-book Devices, HanLin eBook
Jinke opens Internet Forum!

E-book Devices, iRex iLiad
iRex opens the Iliad for User-created Apps

E-book Devices, Sony Portable Reader
Some thoughts on e-book pricing at the Sony Connect store
PRS-500 (aka Sony Reader) cracked open.

Mobile Devices, Handhelds and Smartphones
Sprint NFL service now works on Treo 700p!
Breaking News: Hawkins' secret project coming next year