Comments on: Kindle Becomes Kindling http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:07:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Mike Cane http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16680 Mike Cane Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:52:50 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16680 Chris, talk your web guy. Dump the Flash. Most of my web access will be via the iPad when I buy it. Also show him this: Web Designers: Wake Up And Smell The Touchscreen Coffee! http://snurl.com/u8j6c Chris, talk your web guy. Dump the Flash. Most of my web access will be via the iPad when I buy it.

Also show him this:

Web Designers: Wake Up And Smell The Touchscreen Coffee!
http://snurl.com/u8j6c

]]> By: Peter Lee http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16596 Peter Lee Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:48:58 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16596 I'm still sticking with "real" books anyway. I've no desire to go down the ebook route, really don't see the appeal, and above all else should Christopher ever return to Manchester to do a reading it would be difficult for him to sign a PDF. I’m still sticking with “real” books anyway. I’ve no desire to go down the ebook route, really don’t see the appeal, and above all else should Christopher ever return to Manchester to do a reading it would be difficult for him to sign a PDF.

]]> By: Peter Lee http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16595 Peter Lee Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:46:09 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16595 You do know the UK version won't support ebooks at launch, don't you? See here: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/01/28/ipad_no_uk_ibooks/ You do know the UK version won’t support ebooks at launch, don’t you? See here: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/01/28/ipad_no_uk_ibooks/

]]> By: I.A.M. http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16560 I.A.M. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:48:56 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16560 Helen Martin: it's aimed at doing far more than merely books, so to have an acceptable parallel you'd have to shove in your purse not just a book but also your TV, a DVD player, and your computer. Or, I suppose, just your computer because it can replace all of the previous three items. hampshireflyer: Yes, it can easily replace your laptop, and it's only 1.5 pounds and 1/2 an inch thick. At that rate, you might find it easier to tote around and use no matter where you are. As for "as long as they sell the books I want to read that week in the right format", the format they're using for books seems to be (as that wasn't clearly stated in the presentation) 'epub', which it the single-most wide-spread e-book file format around; even the Kindle can display it. Helen Martin: it’s aimed at doing far more than merely books, so to have an acceptable parallel you’d have to shove in your purse not just a book but also your TV, a DVD player, and your computer. Or, I suppose, just your computer because it can replace all of the previous three items.

hampshireflyer: Yes, it can easily replace your laptop, and it’s only 1.5 pounds and 1/2 an inch thick. At that rate, you might find it easier to tote around and use no matter where you are. As for “as long as they sell the books I want to read that week in the right format”, the format they’re using for books seems to be (as that wasn’t clearly stated in the presentation) ‘epub’, which it the single-most wide-spread e-book file format around; even the Kindle can display it.

]]> By: hampshireflyer http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16552 hampshireflyer Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:41:39 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16552 Maybe, just maybe, it's a replacement for my main laptop when I'm travelling (lighter, smaller, easier to faff around with at security, and a reason not to have to carry half a dozen paperbacks around with me, as long as they sell the books I want to read that week in the right format) But do I really want to be pulling one out of my bag to use at the bus stop in a small village in Kosovo? Maybe, just maybe, it’s a replacement for my main laptop when I’m travelling (lighter, smaller, easier to faff around with at security, and a reason not to have to carry half a dozen paperbacks around with me, as long as they sell the books I want to read that week in the right format)

But do I really want to be pulling one out of my bag to use at the bus stop in a small village in Kosovo?

]]> By: Helen Martin http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16551 Helen Martin Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:04:38 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16551 And the size problem? That thing wouldn't fit in any pocket I have, nor in my purse, and if I wanted to carry something I have an entire room full of books. And the size problem? That thing wouldn’t fit in any pocket I have, nor in my purse, and if I wanted to carry something I have an entire room full of books.

]]> By: I.A.M. http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16549 I.A.M. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:59:26 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16549 ADMIN: You can watch 16:9, it'll just have the typical letterbox formation for the display. The screen is a 4x5 rectangle, obviously, but the wide-screen doesn't become an awful 'pan and scan' or derivation thereof. Quite recently a friend's mother complained about how "there was something wrong with that DVD you lent me: the top and bottom of the picture was cut-off! Ridiculous!" Hello? Did the '90s leave someone behind? ADMIN: You can watch 16:9, it’ll just have the typical letterbox formation for the display. The screen is a 4×5 rectangle, obviously, but the wide-screen doesn’t become an awful ‘pan and scan’ or derivation thereof.

Quite recently a friend’s mother complained about how “there was something wrong with that DVD you lent me: the top and bottom of the picture was cut-off! Ridiculous!” Hello? Did the ’90s leave someone behind?

]]> By: admin http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16543 admin Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:38:39 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16543 If the iPad doesn't have 16:9 I'm not buying one - why would you watch anything 4:3 on a large screen? If the iPad doesn’t have 16:9 I’m not buying one – why would you watch anything 4:3 on a large screen?

]]> By: I.A.M. http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16538 I.A.M. Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:28:14 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16538 Brian: while it may not be possible to read your iBooks purchased title on your Sony Reader, it'll be more than possible to read most books purchased elsewhere on the iPad; especially ePub files, the most popular file format of electronic books. <a href="http://blog.kobobooks.com/2010/01/27/the-ipad-is-finally-here-and-kobo-is-ready/" rel="nofollow">The wonderful people at Kobo are already working on an application</a> for the iPad to compliment their iPhone and iPod Touch apps. Read more there. Cid: nothing will replace the feel of paper in your hands, let's face it. However, what are you doing, spending time with a fetishist object or reading a lot of words? It's about "purpose" not necessarily "experience", just as the Scroll was nothing like that new-fangled Book thing. And, yes, the fact that Apple's made it means it's far better and actually will work, but the colour screen is a bit plus. Brian: while it may not be possible to read your iBooks purchased title on your Sony Reader, it’ll be more than possible to read most books purchased elsewhere on the iPad; especially ePub files, the most popular file format of electronic books. The wonderful people at Kobo are already working on an application for the iPad to compliment their iPhone and iPod Touch apps. Read more there.

Cid: nothing will replace the feel of paper in your hands, let’s face it. However, what are you doing, spending time with a fetishist object or reading a lot of words? It’s about “purpose” not necessarily “experience”, just as the Scroll was nothing like that new-fangled Book thing.

And, yes, the fact that Apple’s made it means it’s far better and actually will work, but the colour screen is a bit plus.

]]> By: Cid http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980&cpage=1#comment-16536 Cid Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:25:44 +0000 http://www.christopherfowler.co.uk/blog/?p=3980#comment-16536 Hang on a minute. The main criticisms against the Kindle if I remember rightly were that it made books feel impersonal, it wreaked havoc on the attention span reading from a screen as happens with computers and it lacked the look and feel (and smell) of a book in your hands. Explain to me how this new device combats any of those criticisms? Or are they now invalid because this one's made by Apple? Hang on a minute. The main criticisms against the Kindle if I remember rightly were that it made books feel impersonal, it wreaked havoc on the attention span reading from a screen as happens with computers and it lacked the look and feel (and smell) of a book in your hands.

Explain to me how this new device combats any of those criticisms? Or are they now invalid because this one’s made by Apple?

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