Digital Book Readers

In this article, you're going to discover which out of the current crop of digital books readers are actually a Wireless Portable Reading Device.

The Portable eBook Reader market is moving forward at an increasingly furious pace, leaving behind the bad press and negative customer comments of the early days. This momentum is driven by the technological advances being made by the manufacturers, displays that are more paper like and larger, faster page turn with no lag or flicker, improved battery life for longer between charge reading, increased storage capacity so you can store your complete library on one small device, all these improvements go to diminish the memory of those early years.

As a consumer, you are probably wondering, what with the recent flurry of new book readers hitting the shelves, what is the difference between all these models?

Well one has to be price...the Sony Digital Book Reader range recently gained the Pocket Edition prs300 and in the US are selling it for under 200 USD and a good buy it is too. Cool-er, a funky i-podesq reader, is also around that mark which makes that a decent buy also, and I could go on. These models are worth a look if you really want a device that 'just' reads books, and for the majority that is what they are looking for, but if you are looking for a digital books reader that to a certain point is future proof then perhaps you should be looking for a Wireless Portable Reading Device.

Wireless connectivity may be misleading as you probably think of the wireless connection used with your laptop. With wireless connectivity when used on a wireless portable reading device, the user is able to connect to the Internet through the 3G mobile phone network, no need for hotspots. On the move, be that in the car, on a train, walking, in fact any where you can get a signal, you can read the breaking news, peruse your favorite blog and download books without the need for a computer. You can probably see, this is the future of digital books readers, this is where all manufacturers need to be to survive in what is fast becoming a multi million dollar industry.

So which of the current of digital books reader are a wireless portable reading device? The Kindle has set the standard for this type of device offering users free access to the net through the Whispernet wireless service, a point you need to take into consideration when comparing prices. Their entry level model, the Kindle2, can be purchased for around 225 USD at some online stores. Amazon also cater for the business user with their impressive KindleDX, complete near 1:1 A4 display and again free wireless internet connection through Whispernet wireless services. Another manufacturer that offers wi-fi is the Dutch company iRex Technologies. There wireless connectivity is more akin to what internet users are familiar with. Their iLiad second edition model comes kitted out with the full Linux O/S and easily connects directly, by ethernet or wireless broadband connection, to the iRex delivery service. iLiad, like Amazon cater for the business/professional user user with their own wireless enabled iRex Digital Books Reader 1000 S. Again this has a near 1:1 reproduction of an A4 sized document, ideal for office and field applications. With this model though, they use second generation touch screen technology along side their wireless connectivity that further enhances the 1000s appeal.

One more to look out for in the future, as it is only just being trialed on the Japanese public, is the colour screen Fujitsu FLEPia. At the moment specification is patchy but it has wireless capability, a browser, is reported to use the Windows O/S that allows users to email, use windows software applications, a touch screen and stylus for making notes and supports file formats that will allow users to download electronic-books from the top online book shops in the world.

As you can now clearly see, electronic readers come in different guises but the one thing that separates a digital books reader from a wireless portable reading device is who makes it.

First published @ Ezine Articles Wireless Portable Reading Device

The times they are a changing...an alternative wireless ebook reader gets ready to tackle the mighty all conquering Kindle portable ebook reader. How is this model so special plus can it if truth be told present Amazon real competition?

The up-to-the-minute Nook wireless book reader being sold by B&N, the worlds biggest high street book stall with over 1,300 branches, looks all set to lock horns with the worlds number one selling portable reading device, the Amazon kindle 2.

While not long unvieled, the Nook is looking to ruffle Amazon.com's feathers further by taking it on directly in a sector of the market, that up to yet, the Kindle 2 has dominated. Since it's launch, first of all as the Kindle then later on in February 2009 as the Kindle , it has re-ignited the digital book reader marketplace by offering a combination of revolutionary specification, through it's immediate connect everywhere wireless networking and also the largest range of novels available for download at tremendous, cheaper than the high street, prices.

Purchasers brought in to the model in a big way and it is just lately that the rest of the business have woken up to the truth that this is the potential of book buying. An so in the most recent few months we have had the announcement from Sony of their aim to enroll in the fun, with their soon to be unvieled Daily Edition, and the latest press release from B&N that their own challenger, the Nook, will return to full manufacture in the not too distant future.

There are no uncertainties that the Kindle is the model everyone is going after. And to be candid it's gratifying to see a little opposition in this market. Yes we have had the iRex iLiad but it was a little on the hefty side to be a wireless book reader, just what the doctor ordered for office use with the 1:1 A4 reproduction, but much like the Dx - another revolutionary wireless reading device - not something you may want to take on vacation, or put in your purse or pocket for that matter, and it was by no means going to vie on cost was it?

Thus now we have two not inconsiderable companies prepared to go head to head, with the power of Amazon kindle, on all fronts. The sony corporation in recent times increased the magnitude of their collection at the Sony-Store and reduced the price point of their digitally delivered books to go with that of Amazons and with any luck B&N, who have always been in the equivalent ballpark price point wise, will equal them title for title additionally.

However the main news flash for consumers has to be the shift away from proprietary file formats, utilized by Sony in the early days and nonetheless utilized by the Kindle now. To clarify the state of affairs I will use Kindle2 as an example, keep in mind this is still the case with the Kindle so it makes it clearer.

By proprietary formats, as you get a novel for digital download from Kindle it will arrive in their own file format .AZW which only allows you to read it on the Kindle. So if in the future you decided you wanted to swap ebook readers to a different make, your collection of digitally downloaded books become useless. Decide for yourself if it's passable or not.

That situation has been a large obstacle for the business in general but also for the sellers of other ebook readers in particular. They where in no way going to be able to offer the plethora of novels Amazon.co.uk where competent of doing and so this helped sales of the Kindle . And so they offer aid for extra file formats, for the most part the Adobe .PDF, which is a preferred standard for free digitally downloaded books, but this standard does not reproduce a scaled down form of text too good as it was always meant to be reproducing text at an A4 size, just right for the Kindledx and iLiad e-readers but not so for the lesser 5,6 and 7 inch screens.

For this reason came the Epub standard, an open source format intended to exhibit text. It is fast emerging as the standard of the future and has gained support from the likes of Google Library who should be releasing their total one million books, of which the best part are at no cost to down load, in this format. Barnes and Noble will also be doing the same the same as will the Sony-Store.

Accordingly you may see that the digital e book reader that has assistance for this standard will be future resistant. B&N's Nook Wireless ebook reader has .E-pub assistance, as does the Sony Daily Edition, and so you can down load your electronic books from everywhere you prefer, paid for or free, and not merely from the manufacturer of the portable reading device , that is the situation with the Kindle 2 portable reading device.

ou can find more on the subject of the Portable Wireless Reading Device on Noel's blog. The unbiased reports, news and ebook reader reviews you will find there are sure to help you choose your ideal model at the best possible price.

Amazon have just announced that the large screen version of their wireless reading devices, the Kindle DX, will from the 19th January 2010 be available to buy with global wireless.

This now puts it into the same market as it's smaller brother, the Amazon Kindle 2, in so much as it has the added ability to conveniently download content in well over one thousand countries across the globe.

Where it differs from the Kindle 2 is in it's screen size. I am the first to admit the Kindle DX does not touch it's smaller stable mate for portability, but when it comes to reading the near ten inch, e-ink screen (of the DX) nocks spots of it's little brother. Reading is oh so simple and much closer to the 'real thing', not because of the electronic paper display as that technology is used on both models, but because of the display size, near 1:1 reproduction of A4, and it's ability to auto rotate, making it far easy to read the full-width of newspapers, magazines and office documents such as maps and graphs plus tables and even Web pages on this model.

The large memory, capable of storing about 3,500 novels, has always made the DX ideal for office and field applications and so the global aspect added to it's vast array of features only further enhances it as the perfect business users choice of wireless reading devices.

Amazon have stated that the Kindle DX with added global wireless capability, is immediately available to pre-order from today (01/07/2010), for a bargain $489, and will be shipped on a first come first served basis from January 19. If you are in the market to buy an ebook reader then the DX wireless reading devices are worth consideration.

First published on PR Log by Noel K Swinton

After years of relative failure, digital book readers are very much back in the news. The success of the Amazon Kindle and Sony Digital Book Reader has led to more and more manufacturers producing their own e book reader devices. This has resulted in only more confussion for potential purchasers of these devices, leaving them with an urgent need for an extensive digital e book reader devices comparisons.

With every digital e book reader having their own unique selling points, it has become increasingly difficult for potential owners to track down the digital e book reader that fully fits their needs. The ebook reader devices that are at the top of the market frequently appear in head to head e book reader comparison sites, which is all well and good if you are looking to buy from those manufacturers, but what if you are interested in one of the many other digital readers?

As you are reading this, I presume you are in the market for a Digital EBook Reader and you are aware of the main players in the market. Not just Sony and Kindle but Ectaco, iLiad, Bebook, Samsung, Cooler, Fujitsu and other smaller manufacturers of ebook reader devices such as Franklin. With so many book readers to find out about, how are you supposed to unearth the best one available or even find the best one for you.

That's where e book reader comparison sites come in useful. All the current digital e book reader devices and future models are compared using the manufacturers specifications in conjunction with user comments and those all important customer reviews. Every aspect of the e book reader devices are taken into account, from size to price and everything in between. No stone is left un-turned, all views are expressed and more importantly printed...nothing is hidden from you so your decision on the e book reader that is right for you is easier to make.

I have not counted up the total number of digital e book reader devices that are available but it must be in the region of twenty or more, imagine researching that quantity without the digital ebook reader devices comparison sites. Hours and hours trawling the High Street, Mall or the Internet trying to gleen any piece of information you can about your choice of e book reader. That's even if you can find every available model in the local Mall, many of the top electronics retailers stock just two or three and more often than not these would be the biggest selling models. How un-helpful is that? Imagine, how long could it take you to research all those lesser known e book reader devices, or worse still, imagine buying the wrong digital e book reader for your needs.

Now, I hope you can see the benefits of visiting these Digital e book reader devices comparison websites to undertake that all important research, before you consider buying any e book reader devices. The benefits of using these sites are plain to see, plus many will also point you in the direction of the best value digital e book reader of your choosing.

So if you are in the market for a digital e book reader, and you are looking for the perfect book reader for your needs, then you really do need to get yourself along to one or two of these e book reader comparison sites, Save yourself some serious time and money into the bargain.

It's big news for everyone in the UK looking to buy Amazon.com's large screen offering, the DX, seeing that the online giant offers that model with worldwide 3g connection making it ideal for using in the UK

With the important news bulletin in recent times being the release of the Kindle DX with worldwide wireless, it may well have slipped by future buyers in the UK (and in excess of one thousand other countries worldwide) that the Amazon dx is offered to buy here in the UK and around the globe.

Remarkable news then for everybody looking to buy this kindle digital reader in the UK, but how does it stand up to the competition?

In any case, if you have been searching about for a wireless reading device and have done your due diligence at the eBook reader Reviews, then you might be knowledgeable of the technology the Amazon dx has offered buyers in the United States for the last year or more so I'm not about to go into that much detail, here's what UK buyers will receive for their cash.

The Kindle DX will first of all give you an e ink monitor larger than it's brother, the Amazon kindle 2 , and indeed almost ever one of the present crop of digital book readers. Where as a rule displays are around the 6 or 7 inch mark, the Amazon dx comes in at a enormous 9.7 inches. Something you need to take into account while looking at the end product.

To a large extent the same as the US device, United kingdom buyers will be able to purchase and download books, from the Amazon store, in about a minute. This is made through free 3g wireless with no monthly contracts or fees and no searching around for a wi-fi hotspot. This is obtainable not only at home but also Internationally, making it just the thing for business users and travelers.

Offered Choice of Books

Although the collection of titles at the Amazon store is massive and for English speaking countries I seen no problems, it is well worth taking into account that the presented novels will fluctuate country to country. With Amazon being Amazon you can expect the choice of content for your new Kindle DX will just continue to develop and they will continue to be competitive bottom line wise. At present the price for latest releases is typically $11.99 to $13.99 (which for UK purchasers includes VAT) with close on 100,000 titles to be had at a very reasonable $5-99.

What is in the Package?

You receive the most up-to-date Worldwide Kindledx with worldwide wireless connectivity which will arrive complete with a United States 100v - 240v power adapter and USB wire for re-charging the DX via your Computer or laptop. A USB wire is also supplied for at no cost Computer to Kindle transmission of content such as documents. A service charge of 99c per megabyte is presently payable for transfer through Whispernet. The Amazon dx also comes with a 1 year limited Global guarantee.

You will also have right of use to Worldwide newspapers and magazines but although the Global Kindledx will have no cost admission to Wikipedia, at the time of writing the experimental browser option and web-site right of entry are not obtainable outside of the United States. Sadly all prices for novels or services will be quoted in US dollars and as such will be subject to currency fluctuations.

So, weigh up the pro's and con's of this revolutionary wireless reading device before you decide if you would like to get the Amazon dx ebook reader UK device. I think you will discover it measures up perfectly against the existing competition.

Amazon, the makers of the Kindle Digital Books Readers, have just made two major announcements that have firmly put it in bracket of "Best Buy eBook Reader UK".

After at least two years, maybe even three now, of the Kindle not been available for purchase in the UK, Amazon have at last got their game together and announced today that the Kindle Portable eBook Reader will now be available for delivery to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland along with Europe and the rest of the World.

This means that unlike in the past, the Kindle will be fully supported Worldwide, with International wireless and the full backing of Amazons renowned customer services. This is along with the fact that the device will retail at $279 and be ready for dispatch in two weeks, is great news for everyone outside of the US

That really was the icing on the cake as they also announced the second price reduction in as many months. The Kindle is available to buy for a staggering $259 in the US. That is down from $299, a price that was only reduced some two or three months back.

This is great news and well in time for Christmas shopping. I'm sure they will have a good up take on this offer and the Kindle is sure to be, even with the recently released Sony Digital Book Reader Pocket Edition selling at $199, the Best Buy eBook Reader UK this Christmas Period.

For anyone looking to buy a digital ebook reader the good news is that on February 10, 2009 Amazon.com, the world's largest online store, launched a faster and slimmer up date of the Kindle wireless portable reading device in an effort to extend its lead over Sony, the world's second largest consumer electronics manufacturer, in the sale of digital books.

Amazons new wireless reading device, the $359 Kindle 2 digital ebook reader, has the capability to store more than 1,500 novels, 7X the number of their original digital ebook reader, has an improved battery that lasts up to two weeks, and can now even read books aloud.

Amazons new wireless reading device weighs less than a normal paperback novel and turns pages faster than the previous digital ebook reader.

The screen can now display 16 shades of gray against the four shades of their first wireless portable reading device, making images and photos crisp and clear. The battery now lasts longer, this allows users to read for four or five days from a single 2 hour charge. Without using the wireless download feature, the battery is claimed to last a very impressive two weeks.

Amazon.com incs C.E.O. Jeff Bezos has set his stall out to take complete control of the market for e-books and newspapers as customers look to buy a digital ebook reader after becoming more at ease with digital media. But Amazons new wireless portable reading device has some stiff competition from Sony who sell a competing digital ebook reader, while Google Inc. offers some electronic book titles from its book search engine which are readable on mobile smart phones.

"Amazons New Wireless Portable Reading Device isn't simply about selling the Kindle digital ebook reader itself, but more about selling digital media," said Jim Friedland, an industry analyst at the New York company Cowen & Co.. "If Amazon just sits back and isn't proactive about developing digital ebook readers to secure its number one position in digital media, then that massive revenue stream could be lost."

The paperback book sized Kindle digital ebook reader lets users download most best selling books for just $9.99 onto an E-Ink high-resolution display with a white background and black text closely mimicking the look of a real book. More and more titles are becoming available for amazons new wireless reading device with the count currently at about a quarter of a million books. Customers can also download major U.S. magazines and newspapers along with some British, French and German publications, as well as access more than 1,000 popular weblogs.

The author and screen-write Stephen King also released a novella, entitled "Ur," published solely for distribution on Amazons new wireless reading device.

Sprint Nextel Corp. provides the wireless service for Amazons new wireless reading device, this feature allows users to download ebooks directly onto their digital ebook reader in under a minute. The wireless service is included in the price of the digital ebook reader. The Amazons new wireless portable reading device also boasts a useful dictionary with 250,000 definitions, allowing users to look up words as they read. There's also a choice of male or female voices to read to users.

The device could become an integral tool for schools and educational book publishers which analysts think could lead to more customers looking to buy an ebook reader.

More than 1 million examples of the Kindle wireless portable reading device may be used in colleges by 2012, generating an additional $700 million in revenue for Amazon.com. Total revenue from Kindle sales and downloads is conservatively expected to reach $3.7 billion by that time, which does point to a surge in customers wanting to buy digital ebook reader products in the not too distant future.

But not everyone is taken with the whole digital ebook reader revolution and Van Baker, an industry analyst at Gartner Inc., isn't convinced that Amazons new wireless portable reading device will appeal to the masses.

"For normal consumers, what is the benefit of owning a digital ebook reader as opposed to a paperback book?" asked Baker. "This has to be classed as a niche market product. There is simply, in my eyes, no compelling reason to buy ebook reader and move from printed paper to a digital ebook reader. The only exception who may find Amazons new wireless portable reading device of use is those mobile professionals who wish to carry many books and multiple newspapers along with them either on the airplane, on the train or maybe on vacation."

So what is an e Ink ebook reader, and more to the point how does this cutting edge piece of technology make a portable ebook book readable even in bright sunlight.

Well for starters, let me just lay out the facts correctly, e Ink supply the technology involved in electronic paper (epaper) displays, they are in fact leading suppliers. The technology behind eInk has led to screens which are thinner, lighter, higher in contrast that are able to be viewed at any angle. They are also less demanding on their power supply than either LCD, Plasma or TFT displays.

With those characteristics, you can see how the technology has helped ebook readers become truly portable. But this is only half the story as (if you are a laptop user you will know where I'm coming from on this) the number one problem with using such devices out doors is sunlight, well actually any bright natural light, makes it almost impossible to see any on screen image. Not much good really then for out door use.

Well the good news is that the majority of the new portable ebook reader models utilize e ink technology which displays pictures and text on electronic paper or epaper as it is better known. I will endeavor to explain in layman terms this technology so you can better understand how it actually works.

There are more than one kind of e-paper in use today. The paper is constructed from a gossamer coating of material that is synthetic and also conductive. In this layer are capsules containing oil that has black and white pigment particles floating around in it. When these pigments are put under an electrical load the capsules react by turning either white or black similar to traditional ink dots on paper. Conversely, by altering this load grey scales can be produced which enable the reproduction of paper, text, graphics and images on a display.

Once displayed, and if the load on these capsules does not alter, then the images or text displayed on screen will stay the same even when the device is switched off. This enables users of many of the new ebook readers, such as the Kindle, Bebook or Sony prs600, to read many hundreds of pages, even thousands, on a single charge.

This naturally leads to another characteristic of e-paper. To read the screen, e ink technology has removed the need for a back light, and much like with any traditional paper, natural or artificial light is needed to read. This also puts less of a strain on the device's battery and, more importantly, far less stress on the readers eyesight than say reading off a computer monitor or an LCD television.

In addition to those benefits I have just mentioned above, probably the most important benefit of the e ink ebook reader and the one that changed these devices from just reading ebooks into a truly portable ebook reader, as e-paper is generated through the reflection of light, be that natural or artificial, with the e ink ebook reader you can use it in full sunlight and still the screen remains perfectly readable.

So if you are looking for a portable ebook reader you need to make certain it is one of the many that uses e paper. Better still, choose an e ink ebook reader the leaders in e paper technology.

Tags: e ink ebook reader, portable ebook reader

Originally Published On Ezine Articles @ Portable EBook Reader

Copyright 2009 Noel Swinton All Rights Reserved

With the interest shown in my article entitled e Ink eBook Reader - It's What Makes A Portable eBook Reader Tick, in this article I expand a little more on the history of the technology and how the development has impacted on the digital book readers industry.

In the 1970s e-paper (as explained in my last article) was developed by the Xerox company. The technology did not alter a great deal in the years between it's conception and some point in the 1990s, when the idea was taken up by Joseph Jacobson. He set out to improve on the technology and the micro capsule was born. This used the same idea of black and white particles but, in contrast to the earlier technology, he used white particles that where electronically 'loaded' and a dark coloured oil in which the white particles were dissolved. The improvements made where so encouraging that in 1997 Joseph Jacobson personally funded a new company to run with the developments primarily for commercial use. That company was E Ink who furthered the development into some thing akin to what we have today, white and black particles in a clear (transparent) oil.

While all this was taking place with electronic paper, ebook readers appeared on the scene. Those early models where based on the relatively new LCD screen technology. Although they where well received in the begining, they very soon fell foul of two, very important, stumbling blocks. LCD screens where not that easy on the eyes for long periods of reading and they just did not react well to bright sunlight. In addition these first digital book readers had the added pressure of the appearance of PDAs that had colour screens opposed to the black and white (grey scale) display of those first attempts at ebook readers. They where doomed to an uncertain future, in their original guise anyway, from the very outset.

This was all falling into the hands of the fledgling e-paper technology and in the first half of 2004 Sony, the Japanese consumer electronics company, announced the inorgeral e-ink ebook reader to be availiable commercialy. This has since been followed up by the company with the Sony Reader prs505, prs700 and the newest models the Pocket Reader (prs300) and Touch (prs600), the latter of which incorperates the latest e-ink touch screen technology.

The original Sony e-ink book reader was followed into production by the Dutch iLiad, from the Philips subsiduary company iRex. Since that time, a whole host of companies have utilized this break through technology. Digital book readers such as the Amazon Kindle 1 and 2, the KindleDX, the iRex range, BeBook and the funky Cool-er amongst others.

But as we all know, technology does not stand still and with the introduction of Vizplex so the possibility of larger screen digital book readers became a reality. Vizplex displays handle the problem of flicker on page turn a lot better than any previous e-ink ebook reader, give faster page turn and vastly improved contrast characteristics which enabled the introduction of near A4 1:1 repoduction on the KindleDX and iRex iLiad DR 1000S E-Ink eBook Readers.

Tags: digital book readers, e ink ebook reader

Originally Published On Ezine Articles @ Portable EBook Reader

Copyright 2009 Noel Swinton All Rights Reserved

So what is an E-Ink ebook reader, and furthermore how can this revolutionary chunk of technology render the Digital Book Reader legible even in intense light.

To begin with, let me merely explain the details acceptably, e Ink supply the technology concerned in e-paper screens, in fact they are chief suppliers. The technology behind e Ink has led to displays that are thinner, not so heavy, higher in contrast that are able to be viewed at any position. Not so severe on their power source than either LCD, Plasma or TFT displays.

With those characteristics, you can get the drift how this technology has helped ebook readers turn out to be really portable. This is just the start as (if you are a notebook user you will identify where I'm coming from on this) the number one predicament with using these models out doors is light, well really any bright natural daylight, makes it just about impracticable to observe any on screen picture. Not much good in fact then for outdoor use.

Well the good news is that the greater part of the new kindle digital reader devices make use of e ink specification that screens pictures and text on electronic-paper or epaper as it is better known. I shall endeavor to give explanation in layman language this technology so you will better understand how it actually operates.

There is not merely one kind of electronic-paper in operation today. This electronic-paper is made from a sheer coating of material that is artificial and furthermore conductive. In the film are capsules containing oil that has black and white tincture particles hovering in it. When the pigments are put under an electrical load the capsules reply by turning either white or black akin to conventional ink dots on paper. On the contrary, by shifting this load grey scales can be fashioned which allow the reproduction of paper, copy, diagrams and similes on a display.

As soon as shown, and if the load on such capsules does not alter, then the images or copy shown on the display will keep on the same even once the appliance is turned off. This lets users of many of the new ebook readers, for instance the Kindle , Nook or Sony Daily edition , to read many hundreds of pages, may be even thousands, on one charge.

This unsurprisingly leads to one more feature of electronic paper. Every time you are reading the display, e ink know-how has removed the need for a back illumination, and much like with any usual newspaper, physical or man-made light is needed to read. Resulting in less of a stress on the device's power source and, more significantly, significantly less tension on the users sight than say when reading a laptop display or an LCD small screen.

Beside those benefits I have just wrote about above, doubtless the most significant benefit of the e ink e-book reader and additionally the one that changed the devices from simply reading electronic books into a truly digital reader, because e paper is helped through the reflection of brightness, be that natural or artificial, with the eInk e-book reader you can utilize it in extensive rays and in spite of everything the monitor remains flawlessly readable.

So if you are searching for a sony digital book reader you need to visit some eBook Reader Reviews to make certain it is one of the many that uses e paper. May be even better than that, go for an e ink ebook reader the best in e paper specification.